Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Seabass]

I have been in Ulsan for two weeks now and I love the city and its culture. However, I have been to all the main Western Bars here in Ulsan and I must say I did not enjoy any of them. It actually depresses me when I walk into these places.

Don't get me wrong, all the foreigners I've met have been very friendly and have offered much helpful advice. I have nothing against any individuals personally. Its the whole bar scene that I don't care for. Don't get me wrong, I'm no goodie two shoes, I like to have some drinks once in a while. But not every night and not until sunrise for heavens sakes. I actually want to do things during the daytime and don't want to be nursing hangovers all the time.

But it seems like thats all the foreigners do here is drink, drink and drink some more. The whole bar scene of everyone getting loud and obnoxious, chain smoking and drinking until 6:00 am and beyond just doesn't do it for me. But thats all the foreigners seem to do every Friday and Saturday night (and usually Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays as well) and I don't want to be a part of it.

My dilemma is that if I shun the foreigner bars, I'll be left by myself and sitting in my apartment on Saturday nights has no appeal either.

So my question is, what else is there to do at night time besides get wasted and have meaningless slurred conversations that won't be remembered the next morning?

I know a lot of people reading this will think I'm lame and they are entitled to their opinion. But I'm just not a big drinker and dread the thought that the only way to have fun is getting really drunk all the time. The way I look at it, if I wanted to get drunk with other Canadians all the time, I could have stayed home. I guess I'm an oddball and making these anti-constant drinking statements is probably sacreligious. But thats who I am and I say what I feel. Is there anyone out there who can relate or am I alone on this one?

I came here for a unique experience and don't want to spend all my nights in the local bar seeing the same drunk faces every night.

I hope no one takes this rant personally, but thats just the way I feel.

Any advice and/or opinions would be appreciated.

[kermo]

I hear what you are saying. It gets repetitive, expensive, and fattening. It hurts the next day. It often leads to stupid and regrettable behaviour. (I do it myself, of course, because it is a very convenient way to socialize, but I try to keep it to about 3 times a month.)

Here is my advice:

Don't give up just yet. Go to one or two more Big Nights Out, and get some phone numbers of people who are interesting. Choose something you want to do, like hiking up a mountain, making some Italian food, going to a Board Game Cafe, watching a movie, playing pool, going to a concert, climbing a tree, and then ask some people to join you. Create some alternatives. I think you'll find a few takers.

[SPINOZA]

Seabass,

Your entire post could've very easily been written by me.

I thoroughly enjoy a drink or three myself, I can assure you, but spending ludicrous amounts of money over the weekend in Hongdae and/or Itaewon becomes tiresome to say the least. I too am not accustomed to staying out til 5am and by that time I become an incontinent vegetable who forgets how to speak his native language. I'm gonna spend my time more productively from now on - hanging with K-friends, taking Korean classes, perhaps doing sports-orientated things like badminton, soccer, hiking. I spent the weekend in Daegu with a New Zealand mate of mine and - although we drank and ate our faces off - we agreed that next time we meet up we'll do more interesting things. I like to go out for dinner/drinks/nor-ae-barng more locally too than in the westernized places, calling it quits at a reasonable hour, and only spending 4 bucks on the taxi home. This isn't to say I'm never gonna get sh1tfaced in Hongdae ever again - far from it - but doing it every week is a gross scene IMO.

[Swiss James]

why don't you just go out for a couple?

[uber1024]

Korean friends.

I had several Korean friends when I was there and they all had real jobs and real responsibility and weren't just kids right out of college. They actually enjoyed being able to hang out without the pressure of getting tanked all the time.

[jlb]

I think the idea of planning other stuff besides drinking and inviting people to join you is a good idea. In hindsight, doing this would have made my time in Korea more enjoyable. Plan a hike, cook a meal for people, have a picnic at a park and invite others to come.

Are there any Korean classes or hiking clubs that you could join in your area?

[itaewonguy]

find things to do during the week..

drink on saturday nights with the foreigners.. and go home at 3am..
wake up at 10 and spend the day doing stuff...
you make the rules.. you dont have to follow the herd!

but you are right about the foreigners in korea..
when I first got here in feb 97 all the foreigners were in bars..
but hey.. so are the koreans!!
I mean the whole world for christ sake drinks...

most foreigners come here to worknparty! then go home..
a very few stay get married and make a life of it...
but most who we consider long termers are out of here within 3-5years!

[cutebecca]

i agree with you. this past weekend i planned a hike on saturday. a lot of people had wanted to come, but when friday rolled around, they opted to drink heavily friday night in lieu of hiking early saturday. then sunday night i invited people to a gameboard cafe. once again, a lot of people had showed interest, but come sunday night they were still nursing hangovers from saturday.

you just need to find people like you. it's good to have several groups of friends---those you can contact when you want to party, those who want to do non-drinking things, and koreans.

some fun non-drinking evening activites: gameboard cafe, sauna/bathhouse, videoroom, movies, shopping (it's open really late hear), bar and then singing room, concert.

but if you find people to do things with during the day, the odds are you'll be pretty tired by night, just have a few drinks and go to sleep.

if you ever come into seoul, send me a pm. i'm usually pretty busy during the days (sightseeing/museums/walks/etc), so you're welcome to join.

: )

[CaptainConjunction]

Get yourself a Korean partner.

Sorting out constant miscommunications with their family will easily keep you busy most of the time you aren't working.

And, if there's any time left over, you can always join them for highly enjoyable dinner invitations - to the houses of distant relatives who, while on the surface warrant respect, are deceptively unimportant to you.

[crazylemongirl]

I rarely go out drinking these days and if I do it's usually at the local chicken hoff. It's a lot cheaper and better for my health. My friends I tend to exercise, shop, do the odd tourist trap, and the odd special occasion together where we do the real full on western like a full roast for Thanksgiving and Christmas, roast lamb for birthdays, and a fourth of july bbq.

There are groups you can join like adventure korea, hash house harriers, and other sports teams that do things aside from just drinking (the hash house house likes to combine the two).

[steveohan]

i agree with the original poster...i havent been out to any of the foreign bars in months! the first couple of weeks was fun, but then you notice that many of the foreigners just like sitting in a bar until 6am. back home, i'll go out to a club until 6 or 7am, but sitting in the same bar all night week after week becomes sooooo tired and boring. i would usually leave by 1 or 2am.

anyway, my post has no point, except to say i agree with you 100%

steve.

[sheba]

Yea, you'll find that there are still a lot of people just like you who arent big partgoers.... the problem is where to meet them cos a bar isn't the place!! I was lucky enough to accidently run into a Canadian on the street who happens to share my interests. (Im not big into drinking).

[seoulhiker]

[SPINOZA]

[SPINOZA]

sorry, that was supposed to be a PM.