I heard the doorbell rang on the evening the international student moved in. When they opened the door, they heard, a neighbor they didn't know was standing there holding a plate of tteok. They said they wondered why the neighbor would give them tteok when they barely even greeted each other in the elevator. ## Isatteok, the rice cake that builds bonds In Korea, there's a custom of handing out tteok to your neighbors when you move into a new home. This is called 'isatteok'. In the old days, people in a village all knew each other by face. A newcomer would share rice cakes and greet everyone with "Please take care of me." Rice cake is a food meant for sharing, so it was often used on happy occasions. Because it is sticky, it also carried the meaning of "affection sticking together." ## Apologizing in Advance in an Apartment These days most people live in apartments, so they don't know their neighbors well. So they greet people even more. In apartments, sound travels easily through the floors and walls. When a child runs around or drags a chair, the people downstairs can hear everything. So a moving-in gift carries the message, "We might be noisy sometimes. Please be understanding in advance." Koreans know that noise made by someone whose face you know makes you less angry. ## If You Try It Yourself It doesn't have to be rice cakes. These days, many people attach a short note to a small gift like snacks or drinks. You usually give them to the neighbors next door and the ones above and below you. Avoid going too late at night. If they're not home, you can hang it on the doorknob. If you've received moving-in rice cakes, many households don't return the plate empty but put a little fruit or candy on it.