Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Kimchi Cha Cha]

I've been in Korea for nearly 4 months and am a self-confessed net junkie who doesn't have a computer in his apartment so, naturally, I spend a lot of my free time at PC bangs.

I travel around my city a fair bit with work so I get to see several different PC bangs within the average month. I'd estimate I've probably been to at least around 15 different PC bangs since coming to Korea. Some I've been to once, some I've been to occasionally, some I go to a couple of times a week ... I like to spread myself around.

So, for all you other PC bangers out there, do you like to stick to the one, regular PC bang where you're a local, or do you like to spend your bandwidth around?

[denz]

get wired. the PC stands for passive cancer. plus all the itaewon pc bangs are filled with porno downloading westerners.

that said, when you find a good one. well... it's all worth it.

denz

[Kimchi Cha Cha]

I know what you mean about the passive cancer, spend a couple of hours at a PC bang and you smell like you've spent the night in a dingy bar full of smoke, it's a bit better since they've started this 50% smoke-free rule though.

Starting to think I may get a cheapo computer and surf from home, I spend a fair bit at the bangs ... though would have withdrawal symptoms without the sound of kids shrieking, K-Pop, online games beeping, and of course, the passive smoke.

[Avram Iancu]

Cha,
I used to frequent such establishments. However, I think on your second contract it is more 'de rigeur' to ask for a computer in your apartment of choice. I do miss my "eeshi"-brethren on occasion, and even the guys who are asleep 'at the wheel'. I wonder why more people do not take advantage of these places as convenient crash pads...

I was going to choose the "banged my through Korea" option, but in a different context...

Keith

[katydid]

There's this one I really liked to go to, as it was just across from the school, the people working there seemed really friendly, and they have this cute little dog running around named Peanut.
But lately I am getting REALLY frustrated with them, as it seems somehow, some websites I want to look at (The San Francisco Chronicle, iVillage, etc.) are blocked off, and then I am redirected to some stupid Korean gaming site. I'm not sure WHY exactly these sites are blocked, but it's making me think of going elsewhere.

[Zyzyfer]

There's a handful of PC rooms I go to regularly. 2 in particular. One has Frozen Throne, and the other is near my apartment. Working on getting wired, though, since idiots still like to swarm me with cigarette smoke.

[Cthulhu]

From the above responses I'm guessing the new non-smoking regulations are being flouted by PC-Bang owners--not that I'm surprised by that.

[Zyzyfer]

Actually, it's 50/50. My gaming PC bang has two rooms, and one is quarantined from smokers, which is really awesome. But, during the week, the room doesn't open until around noon.

And the split in a one-room PC bang doesn't help a whole lot.

[HardyandTiny]

I liked the good ol' days in 1997 when there was only one PC bang in Itaewon, Cyberia. It was open 24 hours a day and you could drink and smoke as much as you liked.

As soon as everyone started "gaming" it all went to hell as the boring non-smoking, non-drinking whiners started filing in to compete with each on Staffass or Starcrap.

[Tiger Beer]

I've been to well over several thousand PC-Bangs easily.

I know all the ones in all of the areas I frequent. I go to different ones all of the time just to check them out. I also become a regular intensely of one for a short time, then move on to another regularly.

I'm probably a PC-Bang junky though. I need a constant feed of information or else I go crazy.. so sitting around watching tv just isn't a stimulus. The Internet is like being in a library, surrounded by all the information you need to satisfy any thought you might have about anything.

The same could be said about bars that I go to as well. I appear to be a regular at a whole range of assorted and sometimes very different bars. I like one alot for awhile, burn myself out on it, and move down to the one down the street kind of thing.

[Cthulhu]

Speaking of PC-Bangs, whatever happened to "PC-Bahng or Bust?" Is he still around?

[The Lemon]

[helly]

Going into nostalgia mode: Cyberia was great. I remember when they had about 6 computers, a table in the middle of the room for boardgames, a nice rack with magazines and books. Decent food (bagel sandwitches) and a friendly girl names Hyun Mi working the counter. (I think Hyun Mi became more "friendly" as time went by as I started noticing her around Itaewon in semi-groupie mode. If anyone knows her and I'm wrong, please accept my apologies for the assumption.)

Started going downhill with the games. Stocked up on new computers and the middle-schoolers started flocking in. That was short-lived, kids went away and it became a gay hang-out (never forget the guy w*acking off to gay p*rn and the constant chatting going on). Then we got a bit more diverse and women (although seemed to be a bit sketchy) started hanging out there. Lots of internet dating happening there, maybe the girls mentioned in another thread?

The last time I went, I saw a girl that worked on "the hill" drop in to check her email before she started pushing girly drinks. That was about 4 years ago. What's the place like now?

[Tiger Beer]

[helly]

Same building as Usmania. Up the street on the left side of the Hamilton. Don't know if it is even there anymore..