Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bogey666]

taking the discussion of "just go to Seoul" aside for the moment

(it's a major inconvenience and I don't like the idea of sleeping in a public sauna)

I live in glorious Gyeonggi-Do in a fairly decently sized city ( around Ansan). There are supposedly almost 500,000 people in my city. Lots of immigrants too, tons of Pakistanis and some Filipinos here as factory workers. etc.

While I'm more of a lonesome wolf than many/most, being "alone" has been gnawing at me a bit more than usual recently and I'd love to have somewhere to go and chill out/hang out on certain weekend nights.

the "Korean atmosphere" thing I just don't understand and doesn't interest me (example, walking into a "bar" with Korean coworkers and being isolated in some wooden booth)

I also understand that Koreans never go out alone and only with friends (to sit in their own private wooden booths hahahahaha)

I guess this means meeting people outside of friend circle, etc become very difficult.. (not to mention the language barrier)

but I have to believe that there has to be something... somewhere.. that's more suitable.. hospitable to Western tastes???

suggestions/help would be appreciated

[supernaut]

Wow you sure like to complain, haha. Gyeonggido is a great place to live. I gather if you live near Ansan well you probably aren't far from Jungang Station and its a pretty decent spot and goes all night (although its very Korean)

Ansan aint so far from Seoul, u can take a taxi back or wait for the morning subway.

Also depending on what you mean by near Ansan, you also have Anyang, Suwon or certain parts of Incheon around.

I live in Anyang, love it, and rarely feel the need to go to Seoul. People I know in Suwon tend to go to Seoul more, but they still like it there.

[rebel_1812]

go to a korean style night club. It will cost alot, but that is the only way to meet people outside of seoul.

[bogey666]

[Papa Smurf]

[bangbayed]

I think you're getting booking clubs confused with room salons. Booking clubs are basically Korean nightclubs. The girls don't work there, they're just patrons like you. The 'booking' involves the waiter getting other female patrons coming to sit with you. Unfortuately, like you said, Koreans don't go alone to these places and if you go alone, there's not much of a chance two or more women will sit with one guy. The drinks are expensive and I think you usually have to buy equally expensive anju (drinking food).

Just where exactly do you live? That might give us a better idea of where you can go. Gyeonggido is a big place.

[bogey666]

[victorology]

[bogey666]

[PigeonFart]

bogey666...you're observations are spot on. Their nightlife culture is just the way you described it...and i find it depressing. Unfortunately i can't help you. The only way i deal with having the same problem as you is by going to the foreigner bars in Seoul....but you already ruled that out. So good luck. Keep us posted.

[bogey666]

[bangbayed]

The ladydrink thing is another creature altogether. You'll find these girls working for the bar in 'juicy bars' in Itaewon. I think Koreans have their own version called danlan jujeoms, but I'm not totally sure about that. They are usually much smaller and defintely not a club.

Booking clubs are fairly respectable and all sorts of single (and sometimes married) people go to them to, as was said, meet other people. It's part of Korean culture that people don't approach strangers, so the waiter acts as an intermediary. Girls get lonely too. That's their motivation to go there. Of course, from what I've heard, more often than not, nothing much comes from these 'bookings', so don't get your hopes up too much.

[bogey666]

[Kevtron]

One of these days I gotta check out a booking club as well, just for the hell of it.

I recently moved to Suwon, and it's alright, though there is certainly a lot less nightlife than when I lived in Seoul and hit up hongdae on a weekendly basis.

There are a couple bars here that are western style, and there is one NB club for dancing. So at least there's something, but again, much much less than any of the big drinking/party spots in Seoul.

[Draz]