WHat not to do in korea!

hijacked form the ninja thread on what not to do in japan, i figured with three trips under my extra wide cotton black belt i would start it out:

1) if you were never a drinker; learn to drink like a fish...errr elephant

2) if you don't like fish; learn to like fish

3) koreans may think you are a baseball player... use this to your advantage

4) tattoos used to be for cho-poks (gangsters)... not so much anymore; although tattoo parlors are illegal, i believe



any additions, folks?

 

Some info and background for you on the ink scene in Korea:

http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2917830

http://www.thememagazine.com/stories/marked-in-korea/

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/south-korea/090717/tattoos-underground

http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/217811.html

http://10magazine.asia/3484/ink-for-your-seoul/

 

Fish don't drink... How about 'Learn to drink like an Elephant' instead!

 

Just thought I would tack this on.

The fair ladies of Korea are just like women in any other country. They enjoy flirting and being the center of attention and so forth. What I have noticed on occasion is an attitude among some guys that Asian women are particularly promiscuous. I can't say that I have seen anything to bear this out, but I have seen cases where dates were treated with far less regard than how young ladies would be treated, say, back here in the States.

I think, in this area anyhow, a little class goes a long way. The same can be said for visiting events and locations. Just a thought.

Best Wishes,

Bruce

 

Here in Asia Korean men have a somewhat less than good reputation for the way they treat women. The general consensus I've come across is that they tend to be very heavy handed and very rough in the way they treat women.

 

it is okay to ask a waitress for anything, AND they are impressed if you say it in korean, but apparently it is impolite to ask for a couple of isushige (toothpics). oh man, the smile on her face turned into a scowl really quick. the lesson wad on her face: the service is impeccable, but to ask for something one can easily get on their own is rude!

 

the mall is above the ground, but the deals are under the ground. if the merchant pushes a price on their calculator you don't like, state a price under what you are willing to pay. if they don't meet you somewhere in the middle, walk away slowly... usually they will come get you.

 

if your drinking with your Korean buddies, never let thier glass sit empty, always refill it, and yours will be refilled in return

if you see a drunk senior citizen stumbling around in the club doing what drunkards do, avoid him. they are known to kick people into oblivion during an altercation


dont just walk up to chicks and start flirting with them, they will cross thier arms and give you the universal X sign. unless your at a foriegner friendly area, you have to wait until your formally introduced. then she and all her female friends will talk to you and coddle you.


dont burn bridges with ROK soldiers, if u get the chance buy them a drink or have a good conversation. they will look out for you and stomp the crap out of anyone who messes with you.


stay away from the "Hills" in Itaewon, that pretty chick your about to hook up with that you think is a chick might have an "extra package" for you.

 

not true, mitch my man; try shigeomchi or gaktugi. the table has usually 5 or more sides/banchan, let everyone else finish the kimchi

 

AH yes...I think it was in this area that we found "StarBUTTS". No coffee on sale here tho. We tried to get a picture but were chased off by a VERY large and angry looking doorman! LOL

 

Do the Koreans have anything like the Chinese alcoholic spirit "Moutai"? My Chinese business partners used to make it a point of pride to force as much of it down us as possible.
Its a vomit-inducing 75% spirit, distilled from fermented sorghum. Smells and tastes like silage - especially when served warm (which is the norm)

 

Yes, Koreans have many different types of alcohol but the most popular is something called Soju. This distilled beverage can be made from potatoes, rice, wheat or barley. Another popular drink is Makgeoli.

But Soju and Makgeoli are not nearly as well known as Moutai. IIRC, aside from beer, Moutai ranks just behind whiskey and cognac as the most imbibed drink in the world (even ahead of vodka). But this could just be because the Chinese have 1.3 billion people. LOL.

FWIW, Chinese Moutai (a Baiju drink), Korean Soju, Japanese Shochu and the Russian Vodka are said to be of the same distilled liquor family.

 

It may be SAID to be the same family... but I can assure you theres no similarity in taste between Vodka and Moutai
Best description I can give to the taste and smell would be badly-made sileage with an added odour of fermented cow dung for added piquancy.

I'm convinced they only made us drink the stuff to see how far we'd go in humoring them. I'm sure the Chinese inflict Moutai on visitors as just a way of taking the **** out of them. Or maybe putting it into them...

Interesting to know there is something similar in Korea. Thanks for that VM: forewarned is forearmed.

 

Hi Demdike, never having tasted moutai I will take your word for it for the description. But I have tried the soju and it isn't so bad really. The one I tried was very similr in taste to Sake. It was certainly not as fiery as a good whiskey or a good obstler (sp??) or for that matter a good vodka or brandy. If truth be known both the soju and the sake I tried seemed a bit watery in taste, although it certainly hadn't been watered down. Being honest wrt both the soju and the sake I have tried, I would have tro say I prefer the stronger more fiery spiritous liquors of this world, but that is just me

Having read your description of moutai, I am not so sure I would be wanting to tr it somehow LOL.

 

Sake, due to its brewing process, is more closely related to beer.

OTOH, the Moutai-Vodka-Shochu-Soju spectrum varies due to its manufacturing process. In general, in the fermenting process, the higher the alcohol content, the more fragrant and fowl it can be.

Moutai is roughly 60% alcohol, Vodka is 40%, Shochu is 25% and Soju is 20%. Since Sake also has roughly 20% alcohol and since most brands of both Sake and Soju are rice-derived, it would not surprise me if you found Sake and Soju to taste similar.

FWIW, I think a good Sake goes well with some good sushi or a good Soju goes well with good sashimi.

If you want to talk about sileage...lets talk the Polish drink Spirytus. At roughly 97% alcohol, it is banned in most parts of the world. Not only is this a drinking alcohol, but it makes a great camping tool. It can be used in alcohol stoves and burns cleanly with very little toxic waste. It can be used as an antiseptic for wounds and it can be fashioned into bombs.

 

be careful in korea: soju comes in liter bottles that appear to be water! in the hot dog carts outside of tournaments they are placed next to the water and bacchus(energy drink). because of this placing, you may get first place in gyeorugi(sparring)!

 

Don't forget, Demdike, that your ancestors probably swilled mead with great delight (and without it being chilled). My question to you is, "Have you ever tasted mead?" as it is pretty foul stuff.


I think it might be helpful for this side discussion about alcoholic beverages if we look at the process for making various types of liquor. Beer & wine are simply fermented (as is korean makkeolli; 막걸리). Vodka and other refined spirits (such as whiskey) are made by distilling what's known as mash.

FWIW, the distilled product doesn't always retain a similar flavor to the fermented product. For example, brandy is distilled wine, whiskey is distilled beer/ale, and yet the paired products don't really taste anything the same. And so it is with soju and makkeolli.

I'll gladly sit down with you and enjoy a glass of soju (which is basically the same thing as japanese sake). But I''l be damned if I'll drink makkeolli again (it's usually served tepid/room temp.). Yecch!