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[rattusdomesticus]

amyamy,
This is very common in certain cultures. When I taught at an urban cc with a HUGE Asian population, I frequently got small, odd gifts from female students. A small vase. A costume jewelry bracelet, rice dessert type cookies, and once homemade earrings and a small necklace. Sigh. Yes, it was embarrassing (after all, no one else brought anything!) but I was lucky that this mostly happened either after class or in my office.

I also once had a Korean woman student ask to have my picture taken with her! I can't imagine what her family thought.... "Hmm. Fluffy haired American woman who taught you English composition."

I did keep the small gifts--mostly because it would have been awful for them if I'd tried to return them. And I did recognize that it was a cultural thing--not a bribery thing.

It is somewhat of a compliment that they would "gift you," though.