Out with the boys.....

It is usual practice to take your fellow employees out on occasion for a bit of a knees-up, and I have been found guilty of not performing this task during the 3 months we have been here. Apparently, I am told this is written into my job description in invisible ink.

I could blame this on being focused on gaining the much sought after quality approval for the group, of which we were the last, and it all depended on us getting it for the group as a whole, or I could just say it’s the short-armed, long-pocketed aspect of my Scottishness coming out. I’ll go for the former.

A typical Korean night out, usually starts of with a late working night leaving at around 7:00pm and heading straight to the barbeque restaurant. These can either be benches with chairs around, or low tables where you sit on the floor with legs crossed and tuck in. I prefer the benches and chairs type – I might be able to get down on the floor and cross my legs, but would need someone to pick me up and carry me home with legs still crossed.

Food on the table is usually all ready prepared, and features such tasty treats such as Kimchi (the spicy pickled cabbage), a small plate with onions and vinegar, some dipping sauces, salad leaves and almost certainly, whole green chillies. A tub of hot coals is brought to the table, usually placed into a hole inset into the table. On top of this is placed a wire mesh, and the cooking can begin. It can be a little unnerving to have a plate of raw meat at your table, which is thrown onto the mesh in a large slab to sizzle away in front of you. If you are big into home barbeques, then this will not present any issues whatsoever. Any smoke from the BBQ (remember, this is indoors in a restaurant!) is taken away through a tube above the pot, connected to a chimney system – all the table have one above the pot hole. This can be raised and lowered during the cooking process to allow access to the meat which is cut into chunks during the process by some scissor wielding maniac who looks after your table. Is really is an experience!

During the cook time, drinking of Soju is compulsory, as is the practice of making toasts to whatever you might fancy. Pouring Soju is a very strict and sombre practice, which involves much deference to your superior, or elders, and reciprocation when receiving the drink from them. One of the first questions you get asked when you arrive in Korea, is “How old are you?” This is not them practicing their English skills on you, but a means of determining where you might be in the pecking order of things. Once this order is known and understood, then it becomes usual practice for the juniors to pour the seniors drink with one hand on the bottle, and the other either cupping the imaginary sleeve of the pouring arm, or placed onto the right breast. You never pour your own drink, but have another member of the party do this for you. If a senior pours your drink, then the glass has to be cupped with both hands to show respect, if an equal or junior pours, then its hand out and fill the glass. If you empty the glass, then the drink will be poured for you again. This will go on until you get very, very drunk, or if you’re a bit wise to the practice, then leave a bit in the bottom of the glass, and generally you get left alone. This works fine in theory unless you are out with a bunch of party animals, and they just keep topping you up.

Beware of the following practice though, as it can lead to stupid-ness, but does deliver a laugh if someone has a low tolerance of alcohol. Beer over here is called Mecju and served the usual way in a beer glass, the sweet potato drink Soju is delivered in a shot glass. Combine these two together in the same glass, called a dive bomber back home is called a SoMec here. Not for the faint hearted, it tastes of nothing other than a watered down beer, but the punch it packs and subsequent headaches the next morning makes you regret being stupid the night before. I keep telling myself I will learn. I like our Canadian neighbours description of Soju – Retard Juice!

After the meal, when more Mecju’s Soju’s and SoMec’s are consumed it’s time to pay. Whoever does the inviting out for the evening usually pays, and on this occasion it was me. Fortunately, I was able to convince my boss that the evening was to be a part celebration, part morale boosting and part team-bonding session, and got presented with the corporate card – Result!

The down side with a load of drunken rowdy Koreans, a Canadian and a Scottish person, is they don’t know when to stop, and session 1 becomes session 2 in one of the plethora of bars and clubs in and around Ansan. Session 2 can quickly degenerate into session 3 and you see how it goes. It’s not uncommon to stagger out of a taxi in the very wee hours of the morning just to change and head straight back into work. I’ve done this a couple of times now, and it’s not healthy!

The downside to all this? Pickled livers, garlic breath (which doesn’t go down well when cuddling up to your wife who hasn’t had any, and she complains you stink!) headaches and hangovers!

I’m never going out again! (Until the next time)