Knives, Blood, and Drunkenness. oh my !!! (part II)

On the weekend I was able to meet a number of other foreign teachers, probabably 7 or 8. About four were from the maritimes. From Mirimichi and Sackville and both had gone to Dal. We went to a foreigners music festival. It was . . . rather pathetic actually but fun just for the outing. There were probably near a hundred foreigners by the time I left, which I think was pretty early because they got a pretty late start. The first band that was supposed to play couldn't for like an hour and a half because one of their bandmly 7 or 8. About 4 of them were from the maritimes. Two girls lived inates had 'disappeared' and he was the one who had all the instruments at his house. Soccer is a VERY big thing in Korea, they close down streets and put big tv screens out and people dress head to toe in red and party while the game’s going on. The one last night didn't start until 4am so a number of the people there were very hung over or still slightly drunk when I saw them that afternoon. I guess Mike (the bandmember) didn't make it up at all after his partying. So this other guy played for awhile, oh my goodness! It was painful, Becky commented that it felt like he was sucking out our will to live, and I've got to say - it was bordering that. His singing was ridiculously awful and his lyrics . . . I can't even go into it - and then his talking in between, haha, I'm not sure which was worse. He even made jokes about the war - saying that people should stop complaining about their loved ones from America having to go off to it to fight and just enjoy the excitement of the war in Iraq or something despicable like that (maybe this sounds really mean of me to talk about him like that . . . and maybe it is. My tone isn't one of malice though, more just disbelief).

It seems that the foreign teachers have developed a little sub-culture/community here. They all seem to know each other (or knows someone who knows someone). I guess there’re foreign bars and hot spots and they plan different events (like the festival, with music, games, cheap drinks, bbq, etc..) Everyone seemed fairly nice . . most weren't too too friendly, but they were pleasant. I probably also wasn't as engaging as I could have been. I had a bad headache and was very tired and so didn't work very hard at trying to start to get to know people. It was crazy though, it seems they party a lot and almost every story I heard today involved drunkenness and what so and so did while they were wasted. Not too crazy I guess, it was rather like that when I was in Vancouver and Chicoutimi (and there was a lot of drinking going on in England) but that was more vacation type time (even though we were supposed to be studying for the French programs) and still - people did lot's of stuff without being under the influence. People were starting to get drunk in the park last Saturday in the early afternoon and some were just continuing from the night before. (Oh, that was slightly an adjustment, there’s no laws about drinking in public areas here, you buy your alcohol just in the grocery or convenience store too – that’s the same as Europe though . . . and Quebec).

Also, pretty much everyone I talked to was planning to stay another year in Korea or were already on their second or third contract. There were even a few lifers present (people who are pretty much hear for a long haul, some with Korean spouses and children). I've been told that a lot of the foreigners view Korea, and specifically Daegu like a black hole. Once you get sucked in you can't seem to get out. Becky says it's because it's so easy. You get to be here, not worry about a place to live or pay rent or anything, the job's pretty easy, you get more money then you need and you get to travel and also do loads of other stuff. Which reminds me of the drinking and stuff- I mean morality aside I just can't understand why people do that. And do it so often! One guy was talking about trying to sell his Metallica ticket because it was (the equivalent of) $120 and for that much he'd rather listen to it on his head phone. Then he said, "that's the price of a new skateboard, or two nights of drinking." Insane. I'm very glad I've managed to never get pulled into that scene during my travels (there wasn't much of a chance of it in Moncton, at least not with the crowd I hung out with).

Oh, noting the pictures from the festival. It was pretty funny to see the Koreans reactions to us. Observe the whole row of them across the trail just watching. Oh, and I don't think I got a picture of him but this one old man in a wheel chair did actually come over to the grass where everything was going on and he was just having a ball, dancing away to the music (from the waist up). It was great! Also, if you see the woman with the visor and face mask etc. it’s because a lot of Korean’s are afraid of the sun. They’ll completely cover up. You even see these arm protector things, little frilly/flowery tubes of fabric that they wear on their arms to protect their skin while they’re wearing t-shirts. Some women also walk around with umbrellas to ward off the sun.