National Foods Mart: A Feeling of Home Far from Home
Written by Harsh Kumar Mishra
Globalization is not the change seen in one aspect of a city, but all-around change that makes for friendly living among people of different cultures and nationalities. If you find the exact definition of globalization in the dictionary, you will find that it is a process of interaction and integration among the people, companies, and governments of different nations, which is driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology.[1] This means globalization is not possible without the integration of different cultures.
Recently, Korea has become one of the many countries to embrace globalization and multiculturalism very positively. It is inviting thousands of students and young minds to work and study in Korea every year. Gwangju, which is the next-to-smallest metropolitan city in Korea, is full of many international and multicultural centers, restaurants offering foreign cuisine, and international grocery stores to assist foreigners in every possible way. Among these many establishments is National Foods Mart.
Located near Chonnam National University, National Foods Mart is an international grocery store providing products from countries like India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Morocco, Yemen, and some parts of Africa. Lee Jeong-hee, who runs the store, told me that this mart was started by her sister in the spring of 2015. Initially, Lee used to come to the store to help her sister out from time to time, but when her sister got busy with some other work and decided to close the store, Lee came to the rescue and asked her sister if she could run it herself. Her sister agreed to this and handed over the store to Lee.
Lee, who I can personally attest is an awesome human being, loves talking to international students who visit her store. She will always welcome you with a smiling face. National Foods Mart has got all the basic groceries from the above-mentioned countries, though there may be times when you need an item that is not readily available not only at National Foods Mart but also at the country’s other international stores. Lee is always curious about such products and keeps asking her customers if she should bring in anything new. She kindly keeps a record of new products’ names and has them available at the store the next time you visit.
I still remember the day when I first went to National Foods Mart. I felt like I was at home when I saw all the Indian snacks, sweets, ready-to-eat curries, lentils, etc. Since then I have become a regular at the place. National Foods Mart is heaven for vegetarians like me and for those who have dietary restrictions. It offers all kinds of halal meats, canned foods, spices, cookies, rice, flour, frozen vegetables, frozen paratha, and so much more. Chonnam National University’s large number of international students benefit greatly from the store. National Foods Mart is not just making Gwangju global but also providing a feeling of comfort to many international residents in Gwangju.
Recently, as many multimillion-dollar online marts have started selling groceries targeting international shoppers, small businesses like National Foods Mart have begun facing difficulties in doing business. It is very sad to admit that the store that was once the only place to buy all your international groceries has become merely another option. I hope that the Gwangju community, especially fellow Chonnam National University students, helps this small business grow again. Let us show Lee some gratitude for what she has been doing for the past three years.
National Foods Mart is open throughout the week from 1–9 p.m., except on Mondays. As I mentioned before, it is located right beside Chonnam National University, but for those who are not well aware of its location, the address and contact information are provided below for you to go and pay a visit.
National Foods Mart
Address: 2-1 Myeonang-ro, Buk-gu (북구 면앙로 2-1)
Contact: Lee Jeong-hee, 010-8621-7950
Reference
[1] What Is Globalization? (n.d.). Retrieved from the The Levin Institute – State University of New York website: http://www.globalization101.org/what-is-globalization/
The Author
Harsh is a Korean language and culture enthusiast who is pursuing his PhD in Korean linguistics at Chonnam National University. He has been living in Gwangju since 2015 and calls Gwangju his second home.