Bowing: An Energetic Transaction

On my first morning in South Korea in August of 2008, I entered a local “deli” to buy something quick to eat before my first day at work.  I arrived from the USA and arrived at my room around 1:00 a.m. I did not get to sleep till nearly 3:30, with a wake-up time of 8:30 a.m. The “deli” is not what I would typically call a deli, as someone who grew up outside of New York City but does not know the correct name for it.  The woman prepares several kinds of kimchi, pickled vegetables, and stews, which are hot and ready to go.  I did not know what I was thinking when I walked in the door of her small business. She bowed and said a formal greeting I know now as “Annyeong-haseyo” = "Hello".  Her bow is what stopped me in my tracks....