Drowning in a river of Makoli
2004-09-19, 10:35 a.m.

Friday night was an evening of drunken debauchery. We went out with some students. The party started in Yeouido at a restaurant. I had 4 beers and then had to go back to teach a class. I told my supervisor not to worry. "If the student complains, just tell her I came to work drunk and you fired me." Ha!

After teaching, we continued with round 2. I slammed 2 more beers at the restaurant before we caught a taxi to Sinchon. We ended up at a traditional Korean makoli bar where I experienced Korean drinking culture to its fullest extent.

Our group sat at a table with a plexiglass cover with holes cut into it at regular intervals. Under the plexiglass was a river of makoli. I can't remember how many cups of makoli I drank but it was more than enough.

Our group, teachers and students, proceeded to break all of the Korean rules of propriety. I showed them my tattoos, (practically pornographic), ate pajong from someone elses hands and we walked down the streets with our arms around each other.

Fortunately, I will never see any of them again because after that night they would never respect me as a teacher. A good time was had by all and I went home to wake up with a killer hangover.

Saturday morning my roomate and I got up early to go on a DMZ tour. I saw North Korea. It's beautiful.

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