Asia Update #10 - Soju Sickness

Some of you may have remembered my talk about soju from the hike. Well, I got up close and intimate with it last Thursday. And did it as part of a what could potentially be a CLM (Career Limiting Move).

We had business dealings with a Korean company. A bunch of American coworkers are in town (including 2 vice presidents). We spent the day with our Korean counterparts and then went out with them for dinner. Standard stuff - Korean food, sitting on the floor, etc. The only drinks served were beer and soju (50 proof Korean alcohol). Koreans like to bond by drinking a lot of alcohol together - well, I must say I bonded. I felt fine up until it was about time to leave, when the alcohol hit me and I knew that I was smashed. I hadn't been this drunk since college. I made use of a bag provided during the drive home (and thankfully we had a driver who could bring me all the way home - there was no way I was going to navigate the subways or taxis). And I had to call in sick on Friday. Not one of my smarter moves. Thankfully, the others (including the VPs) had also drank enough that they weren't feeling 100% (though they were much better off than I - they at least made it in to the office).

The picture above shows a scene from the dinner. The little green bottles are the evil soju.

This was a traditional Korean dinner. You sit at a low table. You always have lots of side dishes (all the little white bowls). The lettuce is there to eat the main dish with. The grills in the center are where you cook meat. This meat is picked up with your chop sticks and then placed into a piece of lettuce. A bit of sauce is added, along with a piece of garlic. You then stuff this whole thing into your mouth. The Korean equivalent to a burrito, I guess.

Well, my hangover had given me the munchies. I went out and walked around an area close to my home which I hadn't explored before. While there, I decided to pick up a snack. The ice cream looked best, though I wasn't sure which to buy (I have to base my decision on the pictures, being that I can't read the writing). Then I found the little cooler in the back with Haagen-Dazs. It was nice to be able to buy ice cream knowing what it would taste like and what flavor it is. $5 for a pint - I am definitely paying for the privilege.

Spent the weekend sightseeing with the Americas. Went to various museums, shopping districts, palaces, and the DMZ. Below is a picture from Namdaemun, one of the local markets. Very active place. It literally encompasses many blocks of areas and has thousands of little shops selling everything from food to clothes to hardware. Much of it is at good prices, especially items made in Korea. Items from abroad are often more expensive than what we'd pay in the US.

I will write up about the DMZ next time. Along with going there last weekend, I am going again next weekend. Hopefully I will get some more and better photos for that.