T
     
     
      >
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Englishman
      in
      Korea
      (end.)
     
    
   
   
    
     
      who
      has
      the
      authority
      to
      make
      your
     
     
      life
      miserable.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Indeed
      my
      head
      employer
      fit
     
     
      somewhat
      into
      this
      mold,
      but
      those
     
     
      experiences
      are
      overshadowed
      by
      the
     
     
      incredible
      times
      I
      enjoyed
      there.
     
     
      After
      settling
      into
      our
      apartment,
      I
     
     
      soon
      discovered
      some
      of
      the
      subtle
     
     
      differences
      between
      our
      culture
      and
     
     
      theirs.
     
    

    
     
      Drifting
      off
      to
      sleep
      one
      night,
      I
     
     
      was
      Startled
      by
      the
      sound
      of
      a
      yelping
     
     
      animal.
      At
      first
      disturbing,
      this
      noise
     
     
      became
      quite
      a
      nuisance
      as
      it
     
     
      continued
      on
      for
      an
      extended
      period
     
     
      of
      time.
      Discussing
      this
      the
      next
      day
     
     
      with
      my
      boss,
      I
      was
      informed
      that
      we
     
     
      had
      the
      pleasure
      of
      living
      in
      close
     
     
      proximity
      to
      a
      dog
      farm,
      which
     
     
      provided
      dog
      meat
      to
      the
      local
      dog
     
     
      restaurants.
      It
      is
      a
      widely
      held
      belief
     
     
      among
      the
      older
      Korean
      men
      that
      this
     
     
      dog
      meat
      is
      good
      for
      their
      sexual
     
     
      potency.
     
    

    
     
      Myself,
      I
      prefer
      to
      do
      a
      little
     
     
      role-playing,
      but
      to
      each
      his
      own.
     
     
      What
      was
      most
      disturbing
      about
      the
     
     
      whole
      thing
      was
      the
      fashion
      in
      which
     
     
      they
      killed
      the
      dogs.
      First
      their
      hair
     
     
      was
      burnt
      from
      their
      bodies,
      followed
     
     
      by
      a
      severe
      beating
      with
      wooden
     
     
      poles
      to
      tenderize
      the
      meat,
      all
      done
     
     
      while
      the
      dog
      is
      alive.
      Of
      course
      as
     
     
      they
      go
      to
      work
      on
      one
      dog,
      all
      his
     
     
      buddies
      in
      the
      cages
      sympathize
      with
     
     
      his
      pain
      and
      join
      in
      a
      chorus
      of
     
     
      tortured
      dog
      screams.
      This
      created
      a
     
     
      finely
      crafted
      lullaby
      to
      help
      me
      drift
     
     
      off
      into
      slumber.
     
    

    
     
      I
      was
      soon
      to
      discover
      another
     
     
      nuance
      between
      our
      cultures
      after
      a
     
     
      discussion
      on
      health
      with
      a
      Korean
     
     
      acquaintance
      of
      mine.
      During
      the
     
     
      course
      of
      our
      conversation,
      he
      told
     
     
      me
      about
      when
      he
      was
      younger,
      his
     
     
      grandfather
      would
      wake
      him
      up
      early
     
     
      in
      the
      morning
      so
      he
      could
      urinate
      in
     
     
      a
      glass.
      His
      grandfather
      in
      turn
      would
     
     
      let
      the
      urine
      “breathe”
      for
      about
      half
     
     
      an
      hour
      and
      then
      drink
      it.
      This
      was
     
     
      done
      with
      the
      belief
      that
      it
      would
     
     
      lead
      to
      improved
      health.
     
    

    
     
      I
      was
      shocked
      and
      disgusted.
     
     
      Thinking
      about
      all
      that
      money
      I
      spent
     
     
      having
      that
      lady
      to
      do
      something
      like
     
     
      that
      to
      me,
      when
      I
      could
      have
      been
     
    
   
   
    
     
      here,
      getting
      it
      for
      free.
     
    

    
     
      Despite
      these
      kinds
      of
      problems
     
     
      and
      the
      language
      barrier,
      I
      soon
     
     
      recovered
      from
      the
      culture
      shock
      and
     
     
      settled
      into
      my
      new
      job.
      I
      worked
      at
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      hogwon,
      a
      private
      language
      school,
     
    
   
   
    
     
      and
      was
      put
      to
      work
      at
      very
      strange
     
     
      hours.
     
    

    
     
      We
      would
      work
      from
      six
      to
      nine
     
     
      in
      the
      morning
      and
      then
      again
      at
      six
     
     
      to
      nine
      in
      the
      evening.
      But
      school
     
     
      was
      located
      right
      beside
      the
      .
     
     
      university
      and
      thus
      attracted
      mainly
     
     
      university
      students.
      I
      was
      therefore
     
     
      able
      to
      ingratiate
      myself
      into
      certain
     
     
      social
      circles,
      which
      would
      optimize
     
     
      my
      good
      times.
     
    

    
     
      Korea
      does
      indeed
      have
      some
     
     
      spectacular
      and
      interesting
      sights
      and
     
     
      these
      remain
      as
      fond
      memories
      of
      my
     
    
   
   
    
     
      trip.
      Yet
      what
      I
      will
      always
      remember
     
    
   
   
    
     
      most
      are
      the
      people
      I
      met
      and
      the
     
    
   
   
    
     
      friends
      I
      made.
      I
      am
      quite
      sure
      that
      I
     
    
   
   
    
     
      will
      never
      be
      treated
      with
      such
     
     
      respect,
      kindness
      and
      hospitality
     
     
      here,
      as
      I
      was
      there.
      This
      no
      doubt
     
     
      was
      aided
      by
      the
      fact
      that
      I
      lived
      in
      a
     
     
      smaller
      city,
      by
      Korean
      standards,
     
     
      where
      foreigners
      were
      a
      lot
      less
     
     
      common.
      I
      enjoyed
      countless
     
     
      invitations
      to
      visit
      people’s
      houses,
      to
     
     
      go
      on
      trips
      throughout
      Korea,
      and
     
     
      most
      importantly
      to
      go
      out
      drinking.
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      “T
      am
      quite
      sure
      that
     
     
      I
      will
      never
      be
      treated
     
     
      with
      such
      respect,
     
     
      kindness
      an
     
     
      hospitality
      here,
     
     
      as
      I
      was
      there.”
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      The
      nights
      I
      spent
      drinking
      with
     
     
      my
      friends
      resulted
      in
      many
      of
      my
     
     
      best
      times
      in
      Korea.
      This
      brings
      me
     
     
      to
      the
      nightlife
      in
      Ulsan.
     
     
      Unfortunately
      the
      nightclubs
      in
      the
     
     
      city
      were
      completely
      sub-standard.
     
     
      They
      operate
      under
      a
      bizarre
      system
     
     
      in
      which
      they
      “sell”
      you
      a
      table
     
     
      rather
      than
      charge
      cover
      for
      entrance.
     
     
      At
      these
      tables
      you
      were
      permitted
      to
     
     
      seat
      eight
      people,
      and
      absolutely
      no
     
     
      more,
      for
      the
      scintillating
      rate
      of
     
     
      about
      four
      hundred
      bucks.
      Included
     
     
      in
      this
      deal
      were
      four
      bottles
      of
      beer,
     
     
      a
      bottle
      of
      Korean
      whiskey
      and
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ea
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      couple
      of
      side
      dishes.
      The
      side
      dishes
     
     
      in
      these
      clubs
      usually
      consisted
      of
     
     
      one
      plate
      of
      sliced
      fruit
      and
      one
      plate
     
     
      of
      what
      were
      essentially
      cocktail
     
     
      wieners.
     
    

    
     
      In
      Korea
      drinking
      is
      generally
     
     
      always
      accompanied
      by
      side
      dishes
     
     
      which
      range
      in
      variety
      from
      steamed
     
     
      maggot
      larvae,
      giving
      off
      a
      stench
     
     
      you
      wouldn’t
      believe,
      to
      kimchii,
      a
     
     
      spicy
      cabbage
      dish
      that
      is
      eaten
      with
     
     
      virtually
      everything.
      This
      shabby
     
     
      state
      of
      the
      nightclubs
      resulted
      in
     
     
      most
      nights
      out
      visiting
      what
      are
     
     
      called
      pojong
      machas.
     
    

    
     
      These
      were
      huge
      tents,
      which
     
     
      held
      several
      tables
      and
      oe
     
     
      cooking
      area,
      generally*>perated
      by
     
     
      an
      elderly
      lady.
      The
      atmosphere
      at
     
     
      these
      places
      was
      always
      festive
      as
      the
     
     
      whole
      evening
      would
      be
      fueled
      by
     
     
      soju;
      the
      primary
      alcoholic
      drink
      in
     
     
      Korea
      which
      is
      made
      from
      rice
      at
     
     
      about
      25%
      alcohol.
      In
      Korean
     
     
      tradition,
      this
      drink
      is
      always
      shot
     
     
      and
      is
      always
      poured
      freely.
      It
      helps
     
     
      that
      a
      “mickey”
      sized
      bottle
      sells
      for
     
     
      about
      two
      dollars
      Canadian.
     
     
      Unfortunately
      my
      time
      in
      Korea
      was
     
     
      to
      end
      prematurely.
     
    

    
     
      My
      girlfriend,
      who
      could
      not
     
     
      tolerate
      the
      male
      dominated
      society,
     
     
      promptly
      deserted
      me
      after
      two
      and
      a
     
     
      half
      months.
      When
      Christmas
      rolled
     
     
      around,
      my
      unsettled
      visa
      situation
     
     
      and
      my
      girlfriend’s
      desire
      for
      me
      to
     
     
      return
      home
      prompted
      me
      to
      in
     
     
      effect,
      sneak
      out
      of
      the
      country
     
     
      between
      shifts
      at
      work.
      I
      was
      told
     
     
      that
      this
      was
      necessary
      as
      English
     
     
      teachers
      can
      encounter
      difficulties
     
     
      when
      trying
      to
      leave
      the
      country
     
     
      prior
      to
      the
      end
      of
      their
      contract
     
     
      (lyear).
     
    

    
     
      It
      troubled
      me
      that
      I
      was
      not
     
     
      able
      to
      bid
      adieu
      to
      all
      my
      friends,
     
     
      but
      I
      still
      keep
      in
      contact
      with
      several
     
     
      of
      them.
      In
      the
      end
      it
      was
      a
      fabulous
     
     
      experience
      in
      which
      I
      got
      to
      visit
      a
     
     
      beautiful
      country,
      populated
      by
     
     
      genuinely
      kind
      people;
      people
      who
     
     
      have
      a
      great
      sense
      of
      pride
      in
      their
     
     
      country
      and
      culture;
      and
      people
      who
     
     
      took
      great
      pride
      in
      helping
      me
     
     
      discover
      this.
     
    

    
     
      -Craig
      Patterson
      is
      a
      graduate
      of
     
     
      S.F:U.
      He
      teaches
      English
      to
      Korean
     
     
      students
      in
      Vancouver