I have less than four months to go before I'll be back home in America.
I'm not sure how to feel about that. On one hand, I'm RIDICULOUSLY excited to go home. By the time I land on American soil I will have been gone for more than two years. I'm so excited to see my friends and family; I can't even explain how much I'm looking forward to going home. And I'm so, so, SO excited to see my dog! Two years is a very long time to be away from your dog. That's about 14 people years! I doubt he'll even remember me. Gah! I can't wait to see my puppy!
Although I'm very much looking forward to going home, I still feel like I need to really enjoy and digest my last few months here. I feel like I might be rushing through to get everything organized for re-entering the U.S. that I won't be able to look around and enjoy this place. I feel like, these days, I'm moving too fast and rushing toward the finish. I know I'm going to really regret that when I get home. I just want to stop and take a look around and really be here; taste, touch, feel, smell all that I can.
The truth is, it's so easy to get upset about so many things in this country and to get frustrated when things don't go the way I think they should, but I'm going to miss so many things about this country and this culture. I've learned so much here and I just hope I can remember all the wonderful experiences I had here. It's definitely not been all great, the She Devil experience was particularly grand, but I can definitely say without a doubt that I'm so glad I made the choice to do this.
I'm already getting nervous about the question I know I will get from everyone when I get home, "So, how was Korea?" How can I possibly answer that question after having spent two years of my life in a completely foreign country? There's so much to tell and I won't even know where to start. I feel like this experience won't fully sink in for me until years down the road. This experience has been so massive and literally other-worldly that I can't possibly encapsulate it in one conversation or even a string of conversations. I'm honestly having mini-panic attacks just thinking about going home and trying to explain this. What am I going to say? "Ummm, great. Crazy. Wonderful. Beautiful. Insane." I don't know how to explain it fairly and thoroughly.
Friday, July 22, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Growing Pains
South Korea is a very interesting place with very interesting people.
It was essentially a third-world country prior to the Korean War. An armistice was signed over 50 years ago, which ended the war but doesn't mean peace between North and South Korea. The Korean War effectively bombed Korea back into the Stone Age and both countries have been experiencing significant growing pains since.
North Korea is still destitute, with its' people chronically poor and starving, but South Korea has become one of the world's powers. South Korea is currently in the top 20 world economies. They are far ahead in technology and it seems pretty much everyone owns at least one smart phone and countless other electronic devices.
Military service is mandatory for Korean men due to the threat just north of the lower half of the Korean peninsula and, my students say, because the Korean people never again want to be put in the position they were in nearly 60 years ago when they were attacked by the North Koreans, not to mention the Japanese attacks. The Korean people are a very proud people and their culture and heritage is everything to them.
In the same vein, education is of the utmost importance to the South Korean people. With knowledge (or at least high scores in standardized tests) there is power. There is a wide and obvious clash between the older generations and the modern Korean.
Taking a stroll down the street on any given day, I can see Halmoni (grandmother) and Harabujee (grandfather) squatting by their crops of the day, making whatever money they can. Meanwhile, a mucky-muck suit speedwalks by while speaking rapid-fire into his cellphone and simultaneously consulting his smartphone for the latest e-mails. Most Koreans have multiple cell phones.
Success, money, power, appearance and, interestingly enough, traditional values are crucial. It's a difficult world to fit in as a modern Korean. There is constant pressure to succeed while still trying to follow the Confucian ideals that Korea was founded on. I'm so glad I get a hall pass when it comes to living in this world.
Unfortunately with all this constant pressure comes points of breaking down. I'm constantly navigating through the H-A-M-M-E-R-E-D men stumbling along the streets and sidewalks starting at 7 p.m. every night. It's a given to go out with your boss and co-workers every night after work and drink to near black-out stage (or as Koreans call it "cutting the film"). I encounter it daily. I'm convinced Koreans just don't have livers. There's no way a person can consume that amount of alcohol every single night and live. It's amazing and South Korea has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world. I see men who are highly respected CEOs of companies or majors (or higher ranking) in the Air Force by day who turn into belligerent drunks by night, fighting with peers and subordinates.
There was a recent report in one of the English-language newspapers in Korea stating a high-level companyman was cited for entertaining his clients with trips to hostess rooms, which is a polite way of saying the man took his clients out for nights on the town with prostitutes using company funds. Alcoholism and adultery are a way for over-worked and over-stressed men to cope. However, women in the workforce aren't allowed to act in such a manner. They have to find their own way through the stress and pressure for perfection.
Another effect of the pressure and growing pains within the Korean society is suicide. South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Students, teachers, entertainers, parents and politicians killing themselves is a usual, daily occurrence here. It's frightening how common suicide is in Korea. A politician committed suicide because his brother allegedly brought shame on the family. Suicide is a way to rectify wrongs. The politician wanted to clear his family's name and right the supposed wrong. Suicide is, obviously, also a way to escape a life of too much pressure and difficulties.
Counseling is seen as a taboo here and, although Korea recognizes suicide as a growing and serious problem, there doesn't seem to be any way for them to combat it at the present time. All these problems are growing and I fear for the future of Korea. This is a beautiful country, with beautiful people and I hope there is a healthy way to confront problems as they arise.
It was essentially a third-world country prior to the Korean War. An armistice was signed over 50 years ago, which ended the war but doesn't mean peace between North and South Korea. The Korean War effectively bombed Korea back into the Stone Age and both countries have been experiencing significant growing pains since.
North Korea is still destitute, with its' people chronically poor and starving, but South Korea has become one of the world's powers. South Korea is currently in the top 20 world economies. They are far ahead in technology and it seems pretty much everyone owns at least one smart phone and countless other electronic devices.
Military service is mandatory for Korean men due to the threat just north of the lower half of the Korean peninsula and, my students say, because the Korean people never again want to be put in the position they were in nearly 60 years ago when they were attacked by the North Koreans, not to mention the Japanese attacks. The Korean people are a very proud people and their culture and heritage is everything to them.
In the same vein, education is of the utmost importance to the South Korean people. With knowledge (or at least high scores in standardized tests) there is power. There is a wide and obvious clash between the older generations and the modern Korean.
Taking a stroll down the street on any given day, I can see Halmoni (grandmother) and Harabujee (grandfather) squatting by their crops of the day, making whatever money they can. Meanwhile, a mucky-muck suit speedwalks by while speaking rapid-fire into his cellphone and simultaneously consulting his smartphone for the latest e-mails. Most Koreans have multiple cell phones.
Success, money, power, appearance and, interestingly enough, traditional values are crucial. It's a difficult world to fit in as a modern Korean. There is constant pressure to succeed while still trying to follow the Confucian ideals that Korea was founded on. I'm so glad I get a hall pass when it comes to living in this world.
Unfortunately with all this constant pressure comes points of breaking down. I'm constantly navigating through the H-A-M-M-E-R-E-D men stumbling along the streets and sidewalks starting at 7 p.m. every night. It's a given to go out with your boss and co-workers every night after work and drink to near black-out stage (or as Koreans call it "cutting the film"). I encounter it daily. I'm convinced Koreans just don't have livers. There's no way a person can consume that amount of alcohol every single night and live. It's amazing and South Korea has one of the highest life expectancy rates in the world. I see men who are highly respected CEOs of companies or majors (or higher ranking) in the Air Force by day who turn into belligerent drunks by night, fighting with peers and subordinates.
There was a recent report in one of the English-language newspapers in Korea stating a high-level companyman was cited for entertaining his clients with trips to hostess rooms, which is a polite way of saying the man took his clients out for nights on the town with prostitutes using company funds. Alcoholism and adultery are a way for over-worked and over-stressed men to cope. However, women in the workforce aren't allowed to act in such a manner. They have to find their own way through the stress and pressure for perfection.
Another effect of the pressure and growing pains within the Korean society is suicide. South Korea has one of the highest suicide rates in the world. Students, teachers, entertainers, parents and politicians killing themselves is a usual, daily occurrence here. It's frightening how common suicide is in Korea. A politician committed suicide because his brother allegedly brought shame on the family. Suicide is a way to rectify wrongs. The politician wanted to clear his family's name and right the supposed wrong. Suicide is, obviously, also a way to escape a life of too much pressure and difficulties.
Counseling is seen as a taboo here and, although Korea recognizes suicide as a growing and serious problem, there doesn't seem to be any way for them to combat it at the present time. All these problems are growing and I fear for the future of Korea. This is a beautiful country, with beautiful people and I hope there is a healthy way to confront problems as they arise.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Couple Attire
Koreans have an interesting habit of wanting the world to know they're in a relationship.
There is a strange phenomenon in Korea known as "couple shirts". They can strike at any time in the strangest of circumstances and locations.
Couple shirts are tank tops, T-shirts or sweatshirts that match exactly and the men and women in coupledom where these tops in public to let the world know they are together forever. Awww, how cute.
Why in the world this occurs and the rest of us have to be assaulted with it is completely beyond me, but many things in this lovely country baffle me.
At least it entertains the foreigners in Korea and we frequently buy it as a gag gift or for our friends back home.
Ahhh, Korea how I love you so.
There is a strange phenomenon in Korea known as "couple shirts". They can strike at any time in the strangest of circumstances and locations.
Couple shirts are tank tops, T-shirts or sweatshirts that match exactly and the men and women in coupledom where these tops in public to let the world know they are together forever. Awww, how cute.
Why in the world this occurs and the rest of us have to be assaulted with it is completely beyond me, but many things in this lovely country baffle me.
 |
| Couple shirts are all the rage in Korea. You guys look stupid. But at least everyone knows you're a couple and that seems to be very important. |
There's also couple's underwear. Once again, the point of this completely baffles me. It's advertised on mannequins in many a storefront and I can't put my finger on the point of couple's underwear. It's not like it's used like the couple's shirts, which sole purpose is so that other people know that you and the other person are an item. Koreans tend to be fairly modest, so the likelihood of them walking the streets in their couple's underwear is pretty slim.
By the time you get down to your skivvies nobody cares what they look like on, they just want to see them on the floor, so I don't really get the point in these particular items of clothing. The really strange part of both these fashions seems not to embarrass either party. Baffling. At least it entertains the foreigners in Korea and we frequently buy it as a gag gift or for our friends back home.
Ahhh, Korea how I love you so.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Getting Hitched in Korea
In Korea, a person is not considered an adult until they're married and a person lives with their parents until they get married. While living at home, parents do absolutely everything for their children: cooking, cleaning, paying for everything. I'm still not sure how this actually prepares a person for adulthood, but the Koreans appear to swear by it.
One of my current students doesn't eat unless his wife makes him food. He said his daughter is sick at the moment, so his wife has been busy tending to his sick daughter and therefore, he's missed breakfast. I ask him why he doesn't feed himself. He said he doesn't know how. The man is 34 years old. Bloody hell. What would he do if his mother and wife were not around to take care of his every need?
The marrying age for women is usually 24-28. An unmarried woman over the age of 29 is disastrous and sets up a woman for certain perpetual solitude. However, 29 is considered to be a bad age to get married. Older or more traditional Koreans say bad things happen at the age of 29. According to one of my former students, who had to rush to get married before she turned 29, Koreans who are 29 may lose their money, get in an accident or have bad health, so marriage is discouraged at that age.
I'm constantly asked how old I am. Age is extremely important in this culture. It allows each in the party to see where they stand with each other and how they're supposed to talk to and treat each other. When my students, or someone I'm just meeting, ask how old I am, find out I'm 29 in Western age and 31 in Korean age, they always ask if I'm married. When I tell them I'm not, they gasp and ask why not.
Marriage, more often than not, seems to be a business deal in Korea. Blind date set-ups are the way to meet and get married in Korea. Most married people I've met have met there spouses in this manner. Many of those who meet, get engaged and then married do this entire process within a matter of months, too. It's actually quite remarkable how fast Koreans can pull a wedding together.
Extreme importance is placed on a potential spouses occupation and the status of the persons family. I was told when students are going through school there are posters on the walls of the school telling girls to study hard so they can go to a good university and meet a handsome and successful man, get married and have high prestige. Money is everything, but that's true of most cultures it seems.
Once a woman gets married and gets pregnant, she is automatically expected to quit her job. Women stay home with their children while men go to work. In many cases, men work in different cities from where their family lives. So, frequently, families are together on the weekends and the fathers go back to work during the week.
I had one student recently go on at length about how it's important that he be the head of the household, because that's what the Bible said to do. He said he's in charge and, in the beginning of their marriage, his wife tried to be head of the household, but he showed her the Bible and "the Bible said women need to do what men say." So if she yells, he continued about his wife, she will apologize and say she wants to be more like the women in the Bible.
"I think it's the natural way of things and I will teach my daughters to be like that with their husbands, too," he said.
It took everything in my power to keep my mouth shut.
Another student in that same class said there is a Korean proverb that states: if a woman is allowed to speak her mind than the family will fail.
Ha! Wow.
I think it's pretty safe to say I won't be marrying any Koreans.
One of my current students doesn't eat unless his wife makes him food. He said his daughter is sick at the moment, so his wife has been busy tending to his sick daughter and therefore, he's missed breakfast. I ask him why he doesn't feed himself. He said he doesn't know how. The man is 34 years old. Bloody hell. What would he do if his mother and wife were not around to take care of his every need?
The marrying age for women is usually 24-28. An unmarried woman over the age of 29 is disastrous and sets up a woman for certain perpetual solitude. However, 29 is considered to be a bad age to get married. Older or more traditional Koreans say bad things happen at the age of 29. According to one of my former students, who had to rush to get married before she turned 29, Koreans who are 29 may lose their money, get in an accident or have bad health, so marriage is discouraged at that age.
I'm constantly asked how old I am. Age is extremely important in this culture. It allows each in the party to see where they stand with each other and how they're supposed to talk to and treat each other. When my students, or someone I'm just meeting, ask how old I am, find out I'm 29 in Western age and 31 in Korean age, they always ask if I'm married. When I tell them I'm not, they gasp and ask why not.
Marriage, more often than not, seems to be a business deal in Korea. Blind date set-ups are the way to meet and get married in Korea. Most married people I've met have met there spouses in this manner. Many of those who meet, get engaged and then married do this entire process within a matter of months, too. It's actually quite remarkable how fast Koreans can pull a wedding together.
Extreme importance is placed on a potential spouses occupation and the status of the persons family. I was told when students are going through school there are posters on the walls of the school telling girls to study hard so they can go to a good university and meet a handsome and successful man, get married and have high prestige. Money is everything, but that's true of most cultures it seems.
Once a woman gets married and gets pregnant, she is automatically expected to quit her job. Women stay home with their children while men go to work. In many cases, men work in different cities from where their family lives. So, frequently, families are together on the weekends and the fathers go back to work during the week.
I had one student recently go on at length about how it's important that he be the head of the household, because that's what the Bible said to do. He said he's in charge and, in the beginning of their marriage, his wife tried to be head of the household, but he showed her the Bible and "the Bible said women need to do what men say." So if she yells, he continued about his wife, she will apologize and say she wants to be more like the women in the Bible.
"I think it's the natural way of things and I will teach my daughters to be like that with their husbands, too," he said.
It took everything in my power to keep my mouth shut.
Another student in that same class said there is a Korean proverb that states: if a woman is allowed to speak her mind than the family will fail.
Ha! Wow.
I think it's pretty safe to say I won't be marrying any Koreans.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Simmer Down, Boys.
I work with four other foreign teachers on base. There is one man, three other female teachers and me. We were recently told we need to be careful how we dress on base. None of us dress inappropriately. We wear shirts covering our shoulders, our boobs are always covered and skirts definitely go past our knees. I would think this would all be considered kosher.
However, one of our Korean co-workers said he knows none of us dress scandalously, but just put ourselves in the shoes of the soldiers. He said just imagine being stuck on a military base for excessive amounts of time and not being able to socialize or interact with women and then we, the Western women, waltz up and it makes the men a little crazy. Haha! Poor little guys.
The Korean co-worker went on to explain that all of us Western teachers are "well-endowed" and Korean men aren't used to being around such, uhhh, voluptousness. Apparently some of the soldiers were marching by when we were walking to school and it caused quite a stir among the boys. There was tripping and rubbernecking, which caused the superiors to get a little ticked off.
We've been told that the wives on base are also having a problem with the way we look. I'm not entirely sure what us Western chicks can do about this. I'm thinking I should duct tape my boobs to my chest and maybe they can tunnel us a passageway from our apartments to the school, so we don't actually have to be seen by anyone.
The usage of toilet paper has increased on base, we were informed. I guess the boys have been spending some quality time with, ahem, themselves. Life in Korea has been oh-so-interesting.
I frequently go running outside on base because I'm not allowed to use the gyms on base because I'm a woman. I run in tank tops because it's bloody hot and humid here. My Korean co-worker asked that I not run during the day and, instead, run at night so as not to cause a ruckus among the soldiers and get them over-excited. I couldn't help but laugh at his request, the ridiculousness of it all is so comical to me. But obviously I will abide, I don't want anymore ogling than I already get and I certainly don't want an even more severe shortage of toilet paper on base.
However, one of our Korean co-workers said he knows none of us dress scandalously, but just put ourselves in the shoes of the soldiers. He said just imagine being stuck on a military base for excessive amounts of time and not being able to socialize or interact with women and then we, the Western women, waltz up and it makes the men a little crazy. Haha! Poor little guys.
The Korean co-worker went on to explain that all of us Western teachers are "well-endowed" and Korean men aren't used to being around such, uhhh, voluptousness. Apparently some of the soldiers were marching by when we were walking to school and it caused quite a stir among the boys. There was tripping and rubbernecking, which caused the superiors to get a little ticked off.
We've been told that the wives on base are also having a problem with the way we look. I'm not entirely sure what us Western chicks can do about this. I'm thinking I should duct tape my boobs to my chest and maybe they can tunnel us a passageway from our apartments to the school, so we don't actually have to be seen by anyone.
The usage of toilet paper has increased on base, we were informed. I guess the boys have been spending some quality time with, ahem, themselves. Life in Korea has been oh-so-interesting.
I frequently go running outside on base because I'm not allowed to use the gyms on base because I'm a woman. I run in tank tops because it's bloody hot and humid here. My Korean co-worker asked that I not run during the day and, instead, run at night so as not to cause a ruckus among the soldiers and get them over-excited. I couldn't help but laugh at his request, the ridiculousness of it all is so comical to me. But obviously I will abide, I don't want anymore ogling than I already get and I certainly don't want an even more severe shortage of toilet paper on base.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Best students in the world
I have the best students in the world.
They take care of me when I'm sick; calling me to check on me, driving to the store to buy me medicine and being overall very concerned for my well-being.
They make me laugh on a regular basis and want to hang out as frequently as possible.
I'm, at times, a horrific insomniac and, unfortunately, they can always tell when I haven't slept well the previous evening. They are so concerned for me and offer remedies for my sleep malady. I tell them this is something I've been dealing with forever and I'll be fine. It's always worse when I have something on my mind and need to get through or process something. They don't want to hear any of my excuses.
One of my students recently told me that my heart is in my brain and I feel things deeply and passionately and that's why I can't sleep.
I've had another student email me audio tracks he uses when he can't sleep. Apparently my sleeping habits are of great concern to my students, but it's so sweet that they want so desperately to help me.
I know no matter what my problem I can always contact my former or current students and they will drop everything to help me. It's a very comforting feeling, especially being so far from home.
One student, who is heading to the U.S. for one year, told me that we must keep in touch with each other because when his son is in high school or university (his son is currently 4 years old) he wants his son to meet me and do a homestay with me. He told me he would love me to show his son "My America." He said he believed his son would be well-taken care of and truly shown what is great about America. Awwww! I told him I would love that and I was so excited, then I rattled off all the cool things I would show him and I got really excited. Now I have to wait at least a dozen years for his son to become old enough.
It's impossible to explain the people of Korea and their culture in short blog excerpts, but they truly are beautiful, wonderful, warm people. They want so desperately to help and make one feel welcome and learn about the lives of foreigners. They can be so helpful and the way my Korean friends have explained Korean culture to me makes me truly appreciate their world, of which I've only scratched the surface.
I've had another student email me audio tracks he uses when he can't sleep. Apparently my sleeping habits are of great concern to my students, but it's so sweet that they want so desperately to help me.
I know no matter what my problem I can always contact my former or current students and they will drop everything to help me. It's a very comforting feeling, especially being so far from home.
One student, who is heading to the U.S. for one year, told me that we must keep in touch with each other because when his son is in high school or university (his son is currently 4 years old) he wants his son to meet me and do a homestay with me. He told me he would love me to show his son "My America." He said he believed his son would be well-taken care of and truly shown what is great about America. Awwww! I told him I would love that and I was so excited, then I rattled off all the cool things I would show him and I got really excited. Now I have to wait at least a dozen years for his son to become old enough.
 |
| Dinner with some of my students! |
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Polar Bear Freedom Party
This particular night happened a long time ago in Korea. It was one of my first nights in South Korea and it was epic.
I had been invited by one of the fellow Dangjinites, one I hadn't actually met yet, to a group night out at the batting cages. There were supposed to be tons of foreign teachers there from not only Dangjin, but other areas in the province, as well.
I didn't know anybody when I got to the meeting place, but everyone was really friendly and, peculiarly, they were all wearing crazy hats. Little did I know, crazy hats are a common theme. Lucky for me, one of the ladies brought some extra bunny ears so I sported those for the night.
I met up with some people I'd met the night before and attempted very poorly to hit super fast baseballs flying at my head and, of course, the consumption of alcohol also began to take place.
A group of three Korean men came over to me and the other women I was talking to and claimed that they were English teachers in one of the local schools. They attempted to impress us with their pseudo-stellar English skills and one guy kept referrring to me as "Jessica" and asking me for my number. I said, "No, my name is Erika." His response, "Ok, Jessica, number so you can come over."
He spent a ridiculous amount of time telling me that his kindergarten-age child would love me and I should come over to his apartment to talk to and play with his son.
"You come to my house, Jessica, so beautiful. Play with my son. My wife will not mind."
"Umm, it's Erika," I say.
"Ok, Jessica, come over."
"Umm, I don't think your wife would like that too much," I say.
"Ok, Jessica, you come over. My wife not home."
"Uhhh, yeah, I don't think so," I respond.
I then tried to escape and hide in the bathroom, but the freak was standing outside the bathroom waiting for me. Luckily one of my friends realized how distressed I was becoming and came to my rescue and finally the guy left, but not until he made sure I knew I was more than welcome at his home to play with his son anytime.
"Jessica, see you soon! Come over!"
There was plenty of testosterone running through the men in the group, as they were all kicking the crap out of the punching bag game, kicking soccer balls and slamming baseballs. All of us girls were enjoying lovely adult beverages.
When the boys finally got bored, we all made our way down to Saeyugi, a local hof, that eventually became named 'Old Faithful' because we always, undoubtedly ended up there.
The hof was pretty busy and then about 20-25 foreigners showed up and took over one side of the hof. More beer was flowing and the Honorable Members of the Dangjin Committee were named. The night began to turn ridiculous as more soju and maekju was consumed. The owner and staff of Saeyugi became less and less impressed with us, especially when one of the girls got on a table and then two of the guys jumped on top of her. Chairs were knocked over, bottles were broken. Good times all around for us, but not so much for the Koreans in the crowd.
There is a giant stuffed polar bear statue at the entrance of Saeyugi and as we were finally paying our bill to move on to the next stop, one of the girls in the group decided it would be a great idea to grab the bear and ran off with it. I was watching her and I knew what she was thinking and it was like the whole thing happened in slow motion. I could tell her brain was targeting the polar bear, processing what it would take to run off with it and then she put the plan into action and off she went with the polar bear out the door and down the stairs. I couldn't do anything but just stand there and awkwardly laugh.
When the rest of us had gotten down to the street she was standing there with the polar bear body in her arms and the poor polar bear's head had fallen off in the scuffle, so the poor polar bear's head was rolling around on the sidewalk. She tried to fix it by slapping the head back on and putting a giant hat on it. Yeah, didn't work, the head just kept rolling off.
The owner of the restaurant was not impressed. And a famous quote occurred following the incident that night, "Shit man, I think that polar bear gave me a rash!"
The polar bear and his head were returned to the livid restaurant owner (the polar bear actually was missing from the restaurant when we finally decided it was safe to return months later, but then finally made an appearance again with his head bolted back on) and we went on to another drinking establishment called Boobi Boobi.
Boobi Boobi in Korea refers to dancing and the way young men and women try to cop a feelski while their dancing. Basically Boobi Boobi is dirty dancing. We got a couple private tables enshrouded in curtains. More alcohol was flowing, the Korean drinking games began and became increasingly louder and a few members of the Honorable Members of the Dangjin Committee began passing out at the table. It was shaping up to be a good night and by this point it was about 5 in the morning.
I had to meet some friends, that were smart enough to go home hours ago, at the bus station at about 7 a.m. to go to Seoul. So naturally I decided around 5:30 a.m. it was probably a good idea to call it a night.
A group of three Korean men came over to me and the other women I was talking to and claimed that they were English teachers in one of the local schools. They attempted to impress us with their pseudo-stellar English skills and one guy kept referrring to me as "Jessica" and asking me for my number. I said, "No, my name is Erika." His response, "Ok, Jessica, number so you can come over."
He spent a ridiculous amount of time telling me that his kindergarten-age child would love me and I should come over to his apartment to talk to and play with his son.
"You come to my house, Jessica, so beautiful. Play with my son. My wife will not mind."
"Umm, it's Erika," I say.
"Ok, Jessica, come over."
"Umm, I don't think your wife would like that too much," I say.
"Ok, Jessica, you come over. My wife not home."
"Uhhh, yeah, I don't think so," I respond.
I then tried to escape and hide in the bathroom, but the freak was standing outside the bathroom waiting for me. Luckily one of my friends realized how distressed I was becoming and came to my rescue and finally the guy left, but not until he made sure I knew I was more than welcome at his home to play with his son anytime.
"Jessica, see you soon! Come over!"
There was plenty of testosterone running through the men in the group, as they were all kicking the crap out of the punching bag game, kicking soccer balls and slamming baseballs. All of us girls were enjoying lovely adult beverages.
When the boys finally got bored, we all made our way down to Saeyugi, a local hof, that eventually became named 'Old Faithful' because we always, undoubtedly ended up there.
The hof was pretty busy and then about 20-25 foreigners showed up and took over one side of the hof. More beer was flowing and the Honorable Members of the Dangjin Committee were named. The night began to turn ridiculous as more soju and maekju was consumed. The owner and staff of Saeyugi became less and less impressed with us, especially when one of the girls got on a table and then two of the guys jumped on top of her. Chairs were knocked over, bottles were broken. Good times all around for us, but not so much for the Koreans in the crowd.
There is a giant stuffed polar bear statue at the entrance of Saeyugi and as we were finally paying our bill to move on to the next stop, one of the girls in the group decided it would be a great idea to grab the bear and ran off with it. I was watching her and I knew what she was thinking and it was like the whole thing happened in slow motion. I could tell her brain was targeting the polar bear, processing what it would take to run off with it and then she put the plan into action and off she went with the polar bear out the door and down the stairs. I couldn't do anything but just stand there and awkwardly laugh.
When the rest of us had gotten down to the street she was standing there with the polar bear body in her arms and the poor polar bear's head had fallen off in the scuffle, so the poor polar bear's head was rolling around on the sidewalk. She tried to fix it by slapping the head back on and putting a giant hat on it. Yeah, didn't work, the head just kept rolling off.
The owner of the restaurant was not impressed. And a famous quote occurred following the incident that night, "Shit man, I think that polar bear gave me a rash!"
The polar bear and his head were returned to the livid restaurant owner (the polar bear actually was missing from the restaurant when we finally decided it was safe to return months later, but then finally made an appearance again with his head bolted back on) and we went on to another drinking establishment called Boobi Boobi.
I had to meet some friends, that were smart enough to go home hours ago, at the bus station at about 7 a.m. to go to Seoul. So naturally I decided around 5:30 a.m. it was probably a good idea to call it a night.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)