Gaji-gaji: The Beauty of Being Different

Many Kinds of Things

There is a Korean word I like.

“Gaji-gaji” (가지가지).

Literally, gaji means an eggplant. But in Korean, the same word can also mean “many kinds” or “various things.”

That is what makes the word interesting.

One day, while looking at a simple photograph of eggplants lined up on a table, I noticed that no two were exactly alike. Some were long, some were short. Some were curved, others were straight. Even their shades of purple were slightly different.

Yet they were all eggplants.

It reminded me of people.

Some speak loudly. Some hardly speak at all. Some travel the world, while others spend most of their lives in one small town. Some are noticed immediately. Others quietly do their work without much attention.

But each person brings something different to the table.

Perhaps that is why the Korean expression “gaji-gaji” has survived for so long. It is often used when talking about variety, differences, and the unexpected ways life unfolds.

A meal would be boring if every dish tasted the same.

A photograph would be dull if every color matched perfectly.

A story would be forgettable if every character thought alike.

Life, too, becomes richer because of its differences.

So when I see a basket of eggplants now, I do not only see vegetables.

I see a small reminder that the world is made of many shapes, many colors, many personalities, and many paths.

In other words,

the world is full of “gaji-gaji.”

And perhaps that is exactly what makes it beautiful.

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