I thought i should throw out a quick not about Korean drinking culture - because it is a serious matter here!
In Korea, people are VERY demanding of themselves - mentally and physically. it is common to work 12 hour days 6 days each week! Even children have their school all day, then come to a private English school (like the one where I work) after that, then home for a dinner break of less than one hour and again back out to another English academy, violin, piano, taekwondo or Chinese.... Imagine growing up getting used to 16-hour days monday through Friday and then feeling a relief when you only have to attend 6 to 8 hours on the weekends!!
Kids really never get to be kids here! it makes it hard for me to get angry when they start to fall asleep in class or just seem like they have had a really hard week (every week). I once heard that most Asian families never invest their money into 401K or retirement plans at all - instead they dump EVERYTHING they have into making their kids brilliant, and therefore rich and able to support the retired parents. talk about pressure on a 6 year old only child!!!!
It's no wonder that the Asian youth are so much smarter, hard-working and driven to succeed compared to ours back home who are obese and masters of nothing but video games! but is it worth sacrificing your whole childhood for a few extra bucks when you're older?!? you be the judge i guess.
anyways; that work ethic transfers over to the adults and that's where the 16-hour days come into play. how do you compensate for spending more than half of your waking hours at work?? well, the Koreans' answer seems to be: PARTY HARD. they drink profusely whenver afforded the chance and they love to be waited on hand and foot all the while! i believe that's why the service is so good here - 'these guys just finished a 75 hour week and they wanna have a good time; let's see to it!'. this seems to be the standard!
Here is what you must know (to the best of my 2-month knowledge) to drink in Korea:
1. Soju: quintessencial Korean liquor - Korean whiskey or Korean rice wine you will hear it translated. really, it tastes like watered-down vodka, is about 30 proof and roughly a dollar a bottle. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
2. The younger person (and therefore lower social standing) at the table will pour the drink for the older ones with two hands on the bottle.
3. An 'equal' or 'near-equal' will hold both hands on the cup while it is filled for them. An older person can (and will boastfully) hold the cup out with one hand while you fill it.
4. When the youngest person has filled the cups for everyone else, he/she sets the bottle down on the table so someone else can fill their cup. finally, a cheers and everyone can begin.
5. AS SOON AS ANYONE finishes their cup, another person at the table sitting nearby must fill it again for them! if is disrespectful to not notice an empty glass. if you do not want to be filled up again, DO NOT drink the whole cup in front of you. You must leave a good quarter of the cup left in the bottom or someone will fill it - even if it means they have to order another bottle!!
THERE! now you know how - and why - they drink in Korea! now you have no reason NOT to come and visit me! :)
In Korea, people are VERY demanding of themselves - mentally and physically. it is common to work 12 hour days 6 days each week! Even children have their school all day, then come to a private English school (like the one where I work) after that, then home for a dinner break of less than one hour and again back out to another English academy, violin, piano, taekwondo or Chinese.... Imagine growing up getting used to 16-hour days monday through Friday and then feeling a relief when you only have to attend 6 to 8 hours on the weekends!!
Kids really never get to be kids here! it makes it hard for me to get angry when they start to fall asleep in class or just seem like they have had a really hard week (every week). I once heard that most Asian families never invest their money into 401K or retirement plans at all - instead they dump EVERYTHING they have into making their kids brilliant, and therefore rich and able to support the retired parents. talk about pressure on a 6 year old only child!!!!
It's no wonder that the Asian youth are so much smarter, hard-working and driven to succeed compared to ours back home who are obese and masters of nothing but video games! but is it worth sacrificing your whole childhood for a few extra bucks when you're older?!? you be the judge i guess.
anyways; that work ethic transfers over to the adults and that's where the 16-hour days come into play. how do you compensate for spending more than half of your waking hours at work?? well, the Koreans' answer seems to be: PARTY HARD. they drink profusely whenver afforded the chance and they love to be waited on hand and foot all the while! i believe that's why the service is so good here - 'these guys just finished a 75 hour week and they wanna have a good time; let's see to it!'. this seems to be the standard!
Here is what you must know (to the best of my 2-month knowledge) to drink in Korea:
1. Soju: quintessencial Korean liquor - Korean whiskey or Korean rice wine you will hear it translated. really, it tastes like watered-down vodka, is about 30 proof and roughly a dollar a bottle. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.
2. The younger person (and therefore lower social standing) at the table will pour the drink for the older ones with two hands on the bottle.
3. An 'equal' or 'near-equal' will hold both hands on the cup while it is filled for them. An older person can (and will boastfully) hold the cup out with one hand while you fill it.
4. When the youngest person has filled the cups for everyone else, he/she sets the bottle down on the table so someone else can fill their cup. finally, a cheers and everyone can begin.
5. AS SOON AS ANYONE finishes their cup, another person at the table sitting nearby must fill it again for them! if is disrespectful to not notice an empty glass. if you do not want to be filled up again, DO NOT drink the whole cup in front of you. You must leave a good quarter of the cup left in the bottom or someone will fill it - even if it means they have to order another bottle!!
THERE! now you know how - and why - they drink in Korea! now you have no reason NOT to come and visit me! :)
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