Restaurant etiquette and Maekju

#33. Here in Korea all of the foreign people know eachother. If we happen to find one that we don't know we make fast friends. We stick out like a whore in church so we figure we may as well stick out together. Plus we can understand eachother without pantomiming every other word. Definite bonus.

#34. When I go out with my Korean employer it is considered rude to refuse more alochol or food. If my glass is filled with beer aka maekju (pronounced Mik*Ju) I drink it until it's gone with a smile on my face and be ready for it to be filled again. and again. and again. If your boss wants to go to another bar after finishing dinner...you suck it up and you go. The Korean culture is all about politeness and making sure that the elders at your paticular table are happy. If making my boss happy means going to another bar and drinking free drinks...i'll go. Twist my arm.

#35. It is also considered rude to fill up your own glass. At dinner if your glass is empty it is the responsibility of the people sitting around you to fill it up. You are NEVER to fill up your own glass.

#36. It is common in many Korean restaurants to sit on the floor for dinner. You sit on a tiny mat but you are on the floor. Trying to look graceful while using chopsticks, drinking maekju and sitting Indian style? Good luck buddy.

#37. Continuing on the theme for restaurants...it is considered rude to shift your weight while eating dinner and making conversation. If you shift your weight it means you don't have interest in what the other person is saying. Right on. Let's add another inconvenience to me while i'm already sitting on the floor feeling ridiculously uncomfortable. Only in Korea.

So as you can see I had quite the rant about restaurants and proper etiquette. There is a reason. Last night was my first work dinner. The Koreans that I work with all know a little bit of English so it was easy enough to communicate but there were still PLENTY of hand gestures (my favorite and yours). My director and supervisor know the most English so the majority of our conversation was with them. Interesting dinner to say the least!

After we were stuffed (and by stuffed I mean our director ordered two courses of food, another course of fried rice amazingness, and round after round of maekju) we were told that it was time to go to another bar. Another bar? On a Monday night? Koreans love to party.

We get to the new bar called MuBar and walk in to find a confederate flag with an Indian on it hanging from the ceiling. Next to it is the American flag with a clown riding a motorcycle. Interesting place. Out comes more maekju. Because of those flags we had to explain to the Koreans what racism and slavery were. More maekju. That conversation changed into how Koreans feel about people who are homosexual. They said and I quote "I don't have a problem with gay people but I don't want to have any friends and family who are gay." I would say that is a teeny problem. Somehow THAT conversation turned into talks about gangs and gang signs. We then decided it would be a fantastic idea to take a picture of ourselves doing a newly learned gang sign. I blame the maekju. Out comes even more maekju and it is close to midnight before its decided that we have had enough and it is time to go home...in order to be back at work at 9am.

Tis' the life of an English teacher living in Korea.

P.S. I got my very first package yesterday! (Monday) It was from my Mom and included all kinds of goodies! I am now the proud owner of sheets (isn't it sad how excited I get about sheets?!), a backpack, bobby pins, pudding mix, brita water pitcher and so much more. Thanks Mom! I'm pretty sure my Mom rocks out more than your Mom. Does yours send you a huge care package when you live in a foreign country? Yea i didn't think so. My Mom wins.