Korean Job Discussion Forums

[PeterDragon]

Or am I the only one?

Although I've had a few benders, I've actually been drinking less instead of more since I came to this country, and am at the point where I (almost) don't drink at all.

This owes largely tot he fact that where I come from a beer is 75 cents and a shot is a dollar, and here.... well....

[Gaber]

Not anyone I know.
Where'd you come from, Thailand?

[Roch]

[Stormy]

Yep. At home I'd go to the local after work with co-workers at least once a week. Here there's nobody to do that with.

[bovinerebel]

Much less. It's a combination of the fact that I'm working mornings , living in the "sticks" and that compared to where I come from alcohol is extremely expensive here. The drinking culture in South Africa pretty much encourages everyone to hit the pub for a few with your friends nightly after work without hurting the pockets. Korea has helped take me from a ranging drunk to almost "tea total" in that I pretty much keep it to once a weekend here.

[Lekker]

Drinking a lot less. Enjoying a lot more.

[PeterDragon]

[Draz]

Just recently. I have no problem with drinking alone and I was drinking every night up until three weeks ago when I just quit. I just don't want to drink. I look at a drink and think "nah". I'm a little concerned.

[ciccone_youth]

i mostly drank wine at home, and i stopped here.

[Imrahil]

I used to drink heavily here, then I got married. Now I rarely have a bender.

[jackson7]

When I first came here I hung with a Scot and some Irishmen and we'd easily stack 4-5 bottles of soju (EACH!) on top of several pints. These days I drink A LOT less and feel pretty good after a bottle or two of the magic juice. Better for the body and cheaper, although going out with older Korean men (AKA: alcoholics) leaves me hurting pretty bad the next day.

Back home I rarely drank (preferred to kick back with a spliff and some friends) but enjoyed a great NW USA micro-brew...

[dean_burrito]

I move here from Prague, where the beer is cheaper than the water. It also happens to be the beer drinking capitol of the world. A good pint of beer was around 1 usd (give or take a little) at the time.
I drink less here. Probably still too much though.

[IncognitoHFX]

I went to university in a city that was populated by 18-21 year olds. I left when I was 22, and was considered "old" by most people I met. I've decided that I'm too old to live in that city again.

Anyway, you can't live there and not drink. Everybody drinks, and talks you into drinking. If you don't drink, you'll have a hard time making friends. I drank a bit and made some friends who didn't drink much, but you can't avoid it all the time.

I came here and had the same problem. But slowly, I've managed to cut drinking out of my life and I'm better for it because I never liked it much to begin with.

Having a couple of drinks in a dim, quiet or funky bar with good music and talking all night = awesome.

Going to XYZ club, getting shit faced and waking up in a pile of your own vomit = not awesome.

Most teachers go for the latter

[Davew125]

drinking alot less. I think this is due to the fact that Korean beer is, by far, the worst beer on the entire planet and even its cheapness doesnt balance this out.

[ytuque]

I drink a lot less here. I was in the Balkans for a few years, and it isn't uncommon to have a shot of Rakia (fruit brandy) with your morning coffee. We often had a shot a lunch, a shot after work and after dinner maybe 1 or 2.

Nearly every family made homemade rakia which they would share with their friends. I was probably given 20 liters every year as a gift for one thing or another. I spent very little on alcohol, but I never drank so much in my life. Another thing about the Balkans is that worst beer there was better than the best here.

Then I went to Belarus and the Ukraine where they are serious about drinking. In Belarus, they have vodka drinking contests where people die.

My liver is on an extended vacation in Korea.