Perspective. I went to college for one year and it was the fastest time has ever flown in my life. My life had no quality, I merely wasted away playing poker and attending classes here and there while eating improperly ultimately gaining nothing from school and losing 25 pounds, becoming somewhat emaciated. After it was all said and done I just sat there and thought to myself, "Holy sh** that was fast, I don't even remember doing anything...oh well." But now, here I sit after one year of being in Korea and all I can think of is "Wow, I did so much sh** and met so many people that I'm having trouble remembering it all...it has felt like an eternity."
In three days I leave Seoul to go back to my hometown in Troy, Ohio for the first time in one year. I have not seen any of my family or hometown friends for that long. But being away from loved ones for that long was certainly worth it. During my stay here I have gained an extensive amount knowledge about this country, life in general, and most importantly myself.
Enter South Korea. Before I came to Korea I envisioned it as a shotty country where pro-gamers were social kings, with people all over the place on bicycles, and little kids roaming the street happily with their zealot lunch boxes. That was just a stereotypical image in my head, actually I didn't really put much thought into predicting what it would be like because I had never been to a country outside of the USA. My mind was like a clean slate...I was ready for anything.
I arrived June 23rd 2004 into the cauldron that is summer in Seoul. Many more buildings than I expected. Many more cars than I expected. Wow look at all these cute girls! Ummm why are there no trees? Uhhhh wheres the grass? Why are these asian people wearing FUBU? Jesus Christ these taxi drivers are nuts. Those were just a few of my opening thoughts. After about two hours of travel I made it to the gamer headquarters and was greeted by a multitude of happy, short, enthusiastic, did I mention SHORT? gamers. We lived in 5 room appartment with like 10 people. Never did I imagine 10 guys sleeping in one room the size of my own bedroom in America. WOW did it ever smell like SH**. Welcome to Korea. Houses virtually don't exist. Everyone lives in appartments. Luckily In college I lived in a tiny dorm room with three other guys...I was prepared for it. But going from living in a nice spacey two story house in the states with a four person family to living with nine other guys in a cramped space can be pretty aggrevating for the weak minded.
The language really caught me off guard. Being an ignorant American I was used to nothing except my own beautiful english. I was told before I came that most koreans could speak english, but unless by 'speak english' they mean able to say 'hi' then that is definitely not the case. Even the Koreans who do speak some english, they pronounce the words my differently. They have no "F" they just use the "P" sound for it. Their words cannot end in an "s" sound. Koreans do not say "Protoss," they say "Protossuh." Actually now that I think about it all the endings of their english words that end in consonants is messed up. If they say the word "Fork" they pronounce it as "Porkuh." It was so confusing at first but now I naturally talk like that and it's going to be a b**** converting back to normal. My roommmate Joel's name is pronounced "Jole" but because of Korean dialect I now call him "Joe L" just like all the other Koreans. Their sentence structure is also backwards also. Some of the players on my old starcraft team knew many english words but no grammar so they basically all spoke like yoda. If I said to them "me give you" they thought I meant "You give/gave this/that to me." Sure the educated koreans can speak properly but with the ones that speak just a little you have to dumb down your grammar and say it in their style if you have any hopes of communication. I get so many laughs these days when I see other foreigners in Korea trying to talk to Koreans with their perfect english grammar and semi-big words that there is no way in hell they would understand. Then when the korean is sitting there like 'uhhhh, what.' scratching their head the person rephrases using new yet equally difficult words plus sentence structure. But Korean is a very beautiful language in that it's so inherently simple. They don't complicate their sentences with all the mumbo jumbo that the english language has. They have the same phrase for "do you want to eat?" or "did you eat?" but the literal english translations of them are "food eat?" They just inherently understand the intricies of what eachother are saying based on enunciations and situations.
Korean people were what really made me like this place right away. Group oriented, intelligent, alcoholic, friendly, alcoholic, unselfish, alcoholic. Of course there are exceptions just like everywhere...but in general that is what I gauged about the general personalities of Korean people. Boy oh boy do they drink like crazy. If you didn't know Korea is the number one alcohol consuming country per capita in the world (I think). The drinking age is 19 years old and their main alcohol of choice is soju. Soju is some of the nastiest sh** you'll ever drink. It's like drinking rubbing alcohol. But these people are so accustomed to it they down it like water. If you go out to eat on a friday or saturday night at a korean restaurant (which most of them are...this is korea after all) 95% of the tables will have stacks of soju bottles on them and around the ground by them. Old business men in suits stumbling around the streets like drunken idiots is common and acceptable. Another one of the main things I noticed about Korean people is that if you ask them a favor they will happily do it for you in any way they can right away without any dispute. It's just like an inherent part of their culture, asian style community based structure. In america if you ask things of people a lot of the time they'll do it with a grovelling manner or just say no. I guess this goes a little bit hand in hand with their impatience. If they want something they want it NOW. If they are going somewhere and you are coming god forbid you make them wait a minute or two while you change your friggen shirt.
If you walk around the streets of most of the major drinking/club/shopping/basically fun areas during night time you'll get a slight dirty feeling about the streets of Seoul. Little pornographic cards everywhere on the streets advertising brothels are everywhere. They have guys who walk around at night and put cards with nude girls on them in parked cars windshield wipers. There is trash everywhere, littering is apparently not against the law and a common act. Drunk people are walking around everywhere, puny korean guys yelling 'shippalsekki' acting badass to their friends, and waiters from Korean booking clubs trying to perseude sexy girls to come into the club and trying to get guys to come in and drink before the guys see the bill and realized they got ripped the f*** off. All the 'manner' that is part of the Korean society goes outside the door with the Korean night-life culture. Manner doesn't exist, anything goes, and people just want to have fun. Plenty of times you'll see the shyest girl in the club get up in the dance competition and then just go crazy and rip her top off (in these dance competitions you're supposed to leave your clothes on). Korea has two types of clubs basically. The standard usa-style hip hop club. You pay an entrance fee, there is loud hip hop music playing non-stop, multiple dance floors, and a huge bar with many bartenders to serve you any beverage you'd like. These places are very hot, sweaty, and grimey but are great places to go and not give a f***. It's hard to 'meet' people there so to speak because the music is so loud and communication is almost impossible, but it certainly is common place to 'bubi bubi.' Ask your korean friends what bubi bubi means if you haven't figured it out. I have made tons of friends at these places just by dancing and drinking, then meeting them at a later time to realize that they are really cool people with much more to offer than just some skinny-gangsterclad-wannabe in a club. The other type is the Booking club. I've been told that booking clubs were invented in the 1970's because the Korean population was going down not up because there weren't many babies being produced due to the general shyness of korean people (no idea how true this is maybe someone can fill me in). Basically you go in with a group of guys 2-5 and get a booth. Girls get small crappy tables and a couple beers but they get in for free. For men it is incredibly expensive. The waiter provides you with whiskey, many beers, a big fruit dish, and various non-alcoholic beverages. Once you have all the stuff on your table the waiter and his sub-waiters immediately start dragging girls from the girl tables to your table and sit them next to you. This is called "booking." The girls can get up and leave whenever they want but I suppose these clubs were invented because most korean guys did not like taking the first step of approaching a girl, and at these places that step is taken for you. The girls can get up and leave whenever they want and a lot of the time it's right away for foreigners if the girl speaks no english and you speak no korean. There is music that goes from dancing music to slow music and a relatively small dance floor. The dance floor is predominantly female in the better booking clubs and when the music goes dead they all go back to their tables and waiters immediately grab them and book them out everywhere. These places can be very fun and relaxing and a great way to meet people. If you're visiting Seoul for a week for fun, "BOSS" is one place that you cannot miss as it is a great place to have fun with your friends and meet new people(though it might run you around 500$ for 4 guys).
Being a foreigner in Korea is easy and hard for their own reasons. Lets start off with the easy reasons. You are taller than everyone, short in USA makes you average in Korea. Three things earn you respect in this country. #1 Money #2 Age #3 Height. Sometimes the culture feels very superficial but at the same time it's fun so who cares. Also Koreans love to learn/speak english. Actually they are OBSESSED with it. Korean people will be naturally magnetized to you merely because you offer them an outlet to learn the language. Speaking english well is very important to all major companies in Korea. People will be more inclined to help you out because they think you're clueless. Though it's quite hilarious how surprised and interested Korean people become when they realize you speak and understand quite a bit of Korean. Did I mention the drinking age is 19 here? Yeah it's 21 in the states and I'm 19...so thats a plus. Theres plenty of other benefits that I can't think of right now too. There are many downsides though. Korean people are very open to foreigners but man I cannot count the number of times I've stared into the eyes of some guy giving me a dirty look. It's amusing and sad at the same time but I'm kinda weird and get some sort of satisfaction out making some guy look away before I do. There is a small share of racist people here. And if racist also includes thinking your country and people are absolutely superior to everyone in the world then I guess every single Korean can be classified as a racist. Sometimes taxi drivers will just dodge you because they assume you speak no Korean, other times people don't want to let you into club because they think you're US Army. Also language barrier. If you don't have a guide in korea don't come. If you're own your own you're screwed. Not that I do but if you like drugs other than alcohol don't come to Korea. Smoking marijuana in this country is just about as bad of a crime as killing someone. Oh yeah, make sure you have lots of food in your fridge. Delivery food in korea may be very delicious and inexpensive at the same time, BUT FINDING A KOREAN TO ORDER YOU FOOD EVERY DAY IS A B****. Dear god I've been forced to play SC games vs b.net girls just so they would order me some damn food. But luckily now my two korean roommates order for me. In this country you'll stick out like a sore thumb so I hope you ooze confidence and don't give a crap if you know everyone is looking at you thinking "OH LOOK MOMMY! A MONKEY!!SO INTERESTING!!!!"
So. Here I sit ready to go back to my home after experiencing all this stuff. Have I changed? I'm still the same person I just know so much more. I guess you could say I'm zealot but my upgrades went from 0-0-0 to 2-1-2 and leg speed, but at the end of the day I'm still a petty zealot who could die at any second to a nuclear launch (ooo that was deep). I wonder what mommy and daddy will say when I talk about all the stuff with them that I never talked about before, or when I do whatever I want whenever I want. The main thing I realized is to keep perspective. Live your life, have fun, go for the money, go for the power, go for the hot girlfriend, make yourself feel special. None of that really matters. The only thing that matters is doing what you enjoy and not preventing others from doing that too. So, after one measely month in the USA I shall come back here and continue to earn money while studying korean and continue wrecking the havoc that I am currently wrecking while trying to figure out what the f*** to do with my life. That is what I enjoy.
I hope this gave you guys some entertaining information on Korea. Thank you for reading.
Me and Peter in BOSS. <img src="http://mpg.cc/DFS79/korea6-012_large.jpg"> Dan in BOSS. <img src="http://mpg.cc/DFS79/korea6-004_large.jpg"> Us with some random booking girls on peter's birthday (They were probably the worst in the club too lol but we were so plastered that we didn't give a shit at that point). <img src="http://mpg.cc/DFS79/korea5-016_large.jpg"> Joel with his G-UNIT pants in my house.
On June 12 2005 03:54 FireBlast! wrote: How well do you speak Korean now? What are your favourite dishes?
I know many many many words but I actually only studied for one month in a school. Going to get serious when I get back. I can understand much more than I can speak but I know most of the basic useful communication phrases.
My tastes in food have changed drastically. Before I came here I was very very picky and scared to eat everything but now I really really love all korean foods and will eat virtually anything.
I basically like any korean meat like samgyupsal or bulgogi or dwegigalbi dipped in ssamjang with some onion and fried kimchi on the side. Such goooood shit omg.
On June 12 2005 04:01 Smurg wrote: Hey that's a very well written story. I loved hearing about the basic essentials or at leas the 'hard facts' that we're more likely to need to know.
Normal travel sites give you the "Go and look at the picturesque mountains...' but you give us the useful stuff. Thanks for the read.
Btw, what does "shippalsekki" mean?
It means fucking animal baby but it is basically the harshest Korean curse word.
In this country you'll stick out like a sore thumb so I hope you ooze confidence and don't give a crap if you know everyone is looking at you thinking "OH LOOK MOMMY! A MONKEY!!SO INTERESTING!!!!"
I understand what you mean but it's not different to Europe or America I think. My mother comes from Southkorea and I often recognise kids looking at her or other asians, blacks etc. in the way you mentioned before.
It's different. Here being a Westerner makes you a superstar whereas being an immigrant in Euro/America puts you in the lower tiers of social hierarchy.
because ur non korean can u get into upper class clubs easier?
do ya get surrounded by korean gangs kinda like "get the fuk outta our hood or we will use our gosu knife stim skills on your zergling arse!"
anyone can get into 'upper class club' as long as u have the money to pay for it lol and the better clubs aren't technically higher 'class' than others they are just more expensive and have better looking girls
and there are barely any korean guys who will just go up to foreigners in a threatening manner, i have never experienced it nor have i seen it or know anyone who that has happened to
On June 12 2005 05:34 1hp wrote: Are you decent at writing Korean? Do you know when to use ㅐ and when to use ㅔ? Have you ever experienced those anal-probing bathroom/toilets?
yes i can write/read korean and yes i know the difference
yes one time i went into a PC room bathroom and it was a squat toilet only so i just walked out and held my shit until i got home, white boy can't squat
oh lol i misread my place now has one of those anal probing toilets but i refuse to use it...joel loves it though he's a homo
Rek thanks for writing next very good article.I enjoyed all of them very much, you have very good writing style. When I was reading I thought that you are planning to comeback to USA and stay there,but you ve written that you fly their only for one month.Do you actually want to stay in korea for long time and maybe graduate there?Also do you think about getting usual job later in the future or you plan to focus on poker? Kind regards.
On June 12 2005 06:11 NeverEndingStory wrote: Rek thanks for writing next very good article.I enjoyed all of them very much, you have very good writing style. When I was reading I thought that you are planning to comeback to USA and stay there,but you ve written that you fly their only for one month.Do you actually want to stay in korea for long time and maybe graduate there?Also do you think about getting usual job later in the future or you plan to focus on poker? Kind regards.
I certainly will not focus on poker, to me it is just money and not a fulfilling profession. I don't know if I'd want to go to university here...i'd have to get much better at speaking korean first.
You're pretty lucky to get to experience something like that, Rekrul. It's always interesting to read about it. It's almost like a dream come true, isn't it? I wish you'd take some more pictures and/or video like you did when you first got there. That was cool too :D Things like this will be cool to look back on later in your life, definantly.
Anyway, I'm wondering how you get around town. Do you plan on buying a car, or do you just take a taxi, or what's the transportation deal?
On June 12 2005 06:32 hasuwar wrote: You're pretty lucky to get to experience something like that, Rekrul. It's always interesting to read about it. It's almost like a dream come true, isn't it? I wish you'd take some more pictures and/or video like you did when you first got there. That was cool too :D Things like this will be cool to look back on later in your life, definantly.
Anyway, I'm wondering how you get around town. Do you plan on buying a car, or do you just take a taxi, or what's the transportation deal?
when i go to the states for good ill get a car but public transportation is soooo good here i mostly use taxi cause its the easiest but the cheapest is bus and subway and its very fast and CHEAP as HELL. taxi rates just went up 20% here but thats still nothing compared to usa taxis lol
From a Korean-American's perspective that was actually kind of touching to read.
I believe we are very different Rekrul but I think we do share one thing in common.
I love Korea. It's not about the people, the city, the things there are to do. I just love the land itself and how I feel over there. From what you've written I think you feel the same way.
Well, contrary to how I was in your other article, I wish you good fortune in anything you do.
ok so how short IS the average korean? are there ANY tall ones? how many people did you see who were taller than you during your stay? (also how tall are you) how many whites are there? in japan i saw no other white people in 2 months (except at airport)
I found Chinese version (no front door) instead, but you get the idea.
Basically you need to have strong leg muscle and good aiming skill. You squat down and shoot down your product into the hall haha.
My elementary, middle, high - schools had this type of toilents. I couldn't do this either when I was young but I got used to it after all.
Though they had semi-modern style squat toilets.. you still have to squat and poop but you can flush them. So you only smell your poos but those old old style restroom is crazy.. you smell all the existing poos + pees + some stuff stacked in the hole, that will be your worst smelling experience.
I read some research article about those toilets. It said squating is really good for your health. Korean people's constipation rate has been increased after we adopted modern style toilets. It also said when you use those old-style toilets, your legs naturally push your tummy so it helps you to do the work. It was interesting article.
Sorry, but there are no redeeming qualities about squat toilets.
Now if you want to see those in my old elementary school, the holes were big enough to fall through the concrete ground into piles of....mixed human feces.
Not to mention in China the ground of public bathrooms are usually covered with disgusting dried yellow fluids, don't know about Korea.
On June 12 2005 07:14 x2fst wrote: ok so how short IS the average korean? are there ANY tall ones? how many people did you see who were taller than you during your stay? (also how tall are you) how many whites are there? in japan i saw no other white people in 2 months (except at airport)
i can only remember seeing 2 koreans taller than me but i probably saw 4 or 5
When i went back to China for holidays, the public toilets don't provide the papers so you have to coined like a dollar or sumting before going in. I was told this before went out on my own, what i wasn't told is that the paer vending machine sell tampon and toilet papers and tampon and toilet paper is practically the word in Chinese... so naturally i brought the tampon instead of toilet paper...
those squat toilets are a safety hazard, you don't kno what goes down there and you never see the toilets get cleaned... so the piles of shit just keep getting higher... haha
Awesome read man, but that's too bad you have to come back to Ohio, it sucks here
By the way, I heard from a Korean friend that typical Korean girls adore tall, white males. Is that generally true, or is it just a case by case basis?
On June 12 2005 09:06 RiSE wrote: Awesome read man, but that's too bad you have to come back to Ohio, it sucks here
By the way, I heard from a Korean friend that typical Korean girls adore tall, white males. Is that generally true, or is it just a case by case basis?
I wonder if in the beginning you didnt feel bad (healthly speaking), i mean, throwing out and stuff, and got a little "lost" like "shit im dying now and i'm so fuckin away from usa, what am i gonna do' ?
hehe because once i travelled away for a short amoutn of time, and i ate some bad food that almost killed me that night, and i was so fucked and alone! hehe not a nice thing to ask hope you it didnt happen to you
ah in brazil we have looooots of schools for football, is there any kind of "serious school" for starcraft in korea?
err.. the part about koreans doing favors without hesitation... don't they consider it rude to keep asking favours then? i mean, western people just keep saying no, but if they constantly go yes....
well it's probably part of the culture to not ask completely outrageous favours either
and they probably have different definitions of what is completely outrageous and they know that if they asked a favour back, they'd say yes equally easy..
On June 12 2005 09:06 RiSE wrote: Awesome read man, but that's too bad you have to come back to Ohio, it sucks here
By the way, I heard from a Korean friend that typical Korean girls adore tall, white males. Is that generally true, or is it just a case by case basis?
You say you'll come back to the US for good eventually, but you plan on schooling yourself at least in language in Korea and going back for an unknown amount of time.
What do you think are the chances of you staying there for good? And will you even do anything more with your life in Korea other than poker and clubing, or is that the plan, so you can treat it like a vacation and figure yourself out to get serious in the US? And will you even continue in College and complete a diploma? You didn't seem keen about it in the part you talked about your first year experience.
Thanks for giving us this insight into how you're living. You're making me want to go.
Hey, are kareokes very popular there? When I was in Japan, there were so huge. I also noticed, when I'd walk through the street, id get like followed by Japanese girls. They'd follow me and giggle and when id turn around they'd try make it look like they wern't, it was pretty funny. My host student loved me cause he was the most popular guy cause of me. "Tomoya has hot Canada friend!!" I tihnk it was becuase there isnt very many white people in tokyo, I saw 5 in 3 months... and there were girls and all nasty. I was there on exchange for 3 months btw.... Did they folllow you around the same?
On June 12 2005 11:37 schooled_bc wrote: Hey, are kareokes very popular there? When I was in Japan, there were so huge. I also noticed, when I'd walk through the street, id get like followed by Japanese girls. They'd follow me and giggle and when id turn around they'd try make it look like they wern't, it was pretty funny. My host student loved me cause he was the most popular guy cause of me. "Tomoya has hot Canada friend!!" I tihnk it was becuase there isnt very many white people in tokyo, I saw 5 in 3 months... and there were girls and all nasty. I was there on exchange for 3 months btw.... Did they folllow you around the same?
nah they don't follow but groups of little girls giggle sometimes
yes karaokes are huge....'no re bang' little mini singing rooms are EVEREYWEHREHRERHEWHFJFDKLFDLK:DF FUCK I HATE THEM SOO STUPID AND BORING
hmmmmm well bout the most alcoholic country i dunno if thats true netherlands is pretty good the legal drinking age is 16 and no one checks for it anyway so i guess most 14 y/o already drink... But doesnt matter too much ^_^; hoping to go to to korea myself soon so i guess i can judge then
Yeah, i can't figure out why karaokes are so big, its so wierd, and none of them can sing... Im gonna post some pics of Japan here.
Street I lived on in Japan
Kitchen...
Host student on very left, rest of guys are the band I played with (I play Drums)
If you want more just ask
4 Of the girls I hung out with most, the one on the very right, we went on a few dates... muhahaha.. We Didnt do anything crazy, im scared to go down on japanese girls....
Tokyo Disneyland!! (Im on the left)
Sunshine City downtown Tokyo, sorta like the entertainment/shopping district, really really crazy busy, cars can't even drive down there. Too many people...
If you want more pics just ask, I got oodles of them.
On June 12 2005 11:56 Kaolla wrote: hmmmmm well bout the most alcoholic country i dunno if thats true netherlands is pretty good the legal drinking age is 16 and no one checks for it anyway so i guess most 14 y/o already drink... But doesnt matter too much ^_^; hoping to go to to korea myself soon so i guess i can judge then
Yeahhh, I think people are being exposed to excessive drinking on early ages here already.. There are alot people that drink here in general too. The 'highest concentration' is amongst students tho, that's where it gets hardcore To be honest, I think people in the US just aren't really used to drinking alot and the 'drinking culture' in korea just seems a bit extreme because of that >.<
good read dan. Sounds like you are having a really awesome experience. Certainly the envy of all of the foreigner bw players And most random guys out there Enjoy it, but yea good to stay grounded and always have a backup plan, and save or reinvest that money you are making.
What about the black guys in korea, they getting their share of korean chicks? THey must in the hip hop clubs... at least thats how it was when i was in germany
schooled_bc's pictures show Japan, but I found it very strange that the electricity cables aren't put under ground O_o
edit: about your gaming practice (not sure if you can answer this) did you use ums to practice? (for example with units preplaced or something like that) or perhaps you used saved games? (for example you play for some time, then save and practice certain action - for example attack, or just try different choices (expansion rather than an attack etc)) how did you practice - for example 10 games with toss fast expanding vs zerg trying to catch up, then toss doing 9/10gate 10times etc, or just random BOs each time? do you have any secret micro/macro maps to help you play better? do you have some sort of macro trainer (keyboard usage etc), or well you just know it?
"jeeyunee is the one who i played sc vs so she'd order me food rofl" i ordered u food for a game vs u? liar dont make fun of me i have lots of gosu friends who are much better than u why would i ask u for a game? yea i ordered u pizza cuz u were begging me
On June 12 2005 19:07 JeeYunee wrote: Fuck you rekrul
"jeeyunee is the one who i played sc vs so she'd order me food rofl" i ordered u food for a game vs u? liar dont make fun of me i have lots of gosu friends who are much better than u why would i ask u for a game? yea i ordered u pizza cuz u were begging me
On June 12 2005 19:07 JeeYunee wrote: Fuck you rekrul
"jeeyunee is the one who i played sc vs so she'd order me food rofl" i ordered u food for a game vs u? liar dont make fun of me i have lots of gosu friends who are much better than u why would i ask u for a game? yea i ordered u pizza cuz u were begging me
I wonder if korea's rent or hotels are expensive. I wana stay in korea for a few days to a few weeks when i go back to asia at the end of this year.
could someone fill me in
Hotels are very very cheap. You can get an amazing hotel room, big screen TV fridge full of drinks really nice bathroom big bed couch computer with internet to use etc etc etc for 50$. Rent is low but the deposit money you must pay on houses is pretty big.
On June 12 2005 19:07 JeeYunee wrote: Fuck you rekrul
"jeeyunee is the one who i played sc vs so she'd order me food rofl" i ordered u food for a game vs u? liar dont make fun of me i have lots of gosu friends who are much better than u why would i ask u for a game? yea i ordered u pizza cuz u were begging me
don't make me tell them about the bet you lost and what items you owe me that you never gave me?
you think it's a joke but it's not. you owe me bitch.
On June 12 2005 13:02 Stat.Quo wrote: What about the black guys in korea, they getting their share of korean chicks? THey must in the hip hop clubs... at least thats how it was when i was in germany
There are certain areas where there are a little bit of black guys, like itaewon and hongdae. But even in those areas they are very rare. In areas like kangnam and apgujeong it's VERY VERY rare to see them on weekdays, maybe on a friday or saturday if you go out you will see 5 of them max and one that you see is usually a DJ at one of the clubs.
A lot of korean people are racist and 'scared' towards black people. But generally the non-traditional open minded koreans are cool with them.
On June 12 2005 19:07 JeeYunee wrote: Fuck you rekrul
"jeeyunee is the one who i played sc vs so she'd order me food rofl" i ordered u food for a game vs u? liar dont make fun of me i have lots of gosu friends who are much better than u why would i ask u for a game? yea i ordered u pizza cuz u were begging me
don't make me tell them about the bet you lost and what items you owe me that you never gave me?
you think it's a joke but it's not. you owe me bitch.
50condoms. i dont give a shit if ur gonna tell them or not cuz it was a bet and true. got it whats the point?
On June 12 2005 19:07 JeeYunee wrote: Fuck you rekrul
"jeeyunee is the one who i played sc vs so she'd order me food rofl" i ordered u food for a game vs u? liar dont make fun of me i have lots of gosu friends who are much better than u why would i ask u for a game? yea i ordered u pizza cuz u were begging me
don't make me tell them about the bet you lost and what items you owe me that you never gave me?
you think it's a joke but it's not. you owe me bitch.
50condoms. i dont give a shit if ur gonna tell them or not cuz it was a bet and true. got it whats the point?
HAHAHAhahahha, I'm loving this. She's calling you out Rekrul!
BTW, not going to answer my questions? Too personal?
On June 12 2005 10:52 ManaBlue wrote: Cool to read this stuff.
My question...
You say you'll come back to the US for good eventually, but you plan on schooling yourself at least in language in Korea and going back for an unknown amount of time.
What do you think are the chances of you staying there for good? And will you even do anything more with your life in Korea other than poker and clubing, or is that the plan, so you can treat it like a vacation and figure yourself out to get serious in the US? And will you even continue in College and complete a diploma? You didn't seem keen about it in the part you talked about your first year experience.
Thanks for giving us this insight into how you're living. You're making me want to go.
On June 12 2005 10:52 ManaBlue wrote: Cool to read this stuff.
My question...
You say you'll come back to the US for good eventually, but you plan on schooling yourself at least in language in Korea and going back for an unknown amount of time.
What do you think are the chances of you staying there for good? And will you even do anything more with your life in Korea other than poker and clubing, or is that the plan, so you can treat it like a vacation and figure yourself out to get serious in the US? And will you even continue in College and complete a diploma? You didn't seem keen about it in the part you talked about your first year experience.
Thanks for giving us this insight into how you're living. You're making me want to go.
Chances of staying for good: 1% at most.
While I'm in Korea I'm thinking about going to a university but it's only thoughts right now, but perhaps the start of next year I will. Odds are I will go back to university in USA but not for some time. Work out + study korean + poker + playing a little sc + general life in korea = very time consuming, so thats all I'll do for now.
Typical meal Id have basicly every day for breakfast.
Playing with the band I played in, I was lead singer, just awesome, I was the main hit for sure lol, I made them popular :D
Bowling with some friends, notice the weird style. Style is so crazy there...
5 Story HMV
Some downtown shots..
Street I walked on to get to school....
Hah, our chill room in the house. Alot of Fifa 2004 matches were decided in this room, many many vulgar words were used here, the beauty was we didnt understand each other till about a month in. I always said shit, he started to say it too, so whenever something would happen, he'd be like "sheet", id laugh cause everyone would wonder what he was saying. But yeah, alot of heated games, we were so close, every game was decided by a goal i swear.
Damn, you're a good writer rekrul. Have you ever wondered if you could publish these in some magazine? =) I have enjoyed every single story you have written. And for all my heart I wish that you will continue writing these stories!
Hey Rekrul, it was a nice read... a couple questions from me.. What's the mentality like for Korean girls when it comes to sex? Are they more liberal or more conservative or about the same as how it is in the States. Any personal experiences you'd like to share? ^^
On June 13 2005 06:45 Hydrolisko wrote: Hey Rekrul, it was a nice read... a couple questions from me.. What's the mentality like for Korean girls when it comes to sex? Are they more liberal or more conservative or about the same as how it is in the States. Any personal experiences you'd like to share? ^^
not going to talk about myself, thats personal...but
in general 'normal' girls who don't go to night clubs are very very shy when it comes to sex and if it happens they feel it creates love
night club girls are basically as liberal as the states, but there are much more normal girls
rekrul I have a question, and please don't take it on too hard:
You seem like a nice person, willing to learn a lot, and ambitious. But somehow I sense that you are lost in your life, seeking for something you haven't been able to find. You see, I don't get how can a grown up young man moves from the states to another not so wealthy country
So my question is: In all this process of you being on your own, searching for what to do in your life, have you ever considered go to a specialist, like an Orienter or a Vocational Psychologist to help you find what you are looking for?
On June 13 2005 07:55 soundwave wrote: rekrul I have a question, and please don't take it on too hard:
You seem like a nice person, willing to learn a lot, and ambitious. But somehow I sense that you are lost in your life, seeking for something you haven't been able to find. You see, I don't get how can a grown up young man moves from the states to another not so wealthy country
So my question is: In all this process of you being on your own, searching for what to do in your life, have you ever considered go to a specialist, like an Orienter or a Vocational Psychologist to help you find what you are looking for?
From the other post I read from Rekrul, I don't think he is "lost". He is just having fun.
You see, I don't get how can a grown up young man moves from the states to another not so wealthy country
Lol I don't know how Koreans would react to this, but Korea, USA, Japan, Canada, Western Europe, it is mostly all the same in terms of wealth ( I sense that you love your country a little too much :D ) Yes people do have cars elsewhere and they do eat in restaurant etc. However, most are more liberal than the USA ( which is good IMO)
Funny experience about vocator : at my school, he gave us a " advanced test" to see what we should go in. Questions were like : ________________________ I prefer to : A- To do a scientific experience B- To built a house.
if you choose a, go into science if you choose b, go into house building ____________________________
D'uh stupid test. Ok let's say I choose science, how in hell would I know if I am going to like it for the rest of my life ?
I still does not know how they can help an individual to find their path.
Soundwave has a legitimate question, I have my own take on this but instead of posting it I put the post in my opera notebook (the thing that I never use)
And in wealth Korea although better off than China isn't in the same class as Western Europe, Canada, the USA or Japan.
On June 13 2005 09:36 MoltkeWarding wrote: Soundwave has a legitimate question, I have my own take on this but instead of posting it I put the post in my opera notebook (the thing that I never use)
And in wealth Korea although better off than China isn't in the same class as Western Europe, Canada, the USA or Japan.
Yea maybe he was talking about north korea ( now I agree it is probably shitty ) but I saw some picture and video on television about Seoul. It is like any other major cities ( well you can tell some differences that is obvious). Koreans look like any Big cities western people ( apart from their face and tiny )
On June 12 2005 09:53 SwedishHero wrote: rekrul its fucking crazy, every single picture ive seen of you , you look like a different person ,, :D
DUDE U HAVE NO IDEA HOW CRAZY THATS BEEN DRIVING ME! but since no one ever mentioned it, i didn't either. Ive seen like 9 pictures of the guy and every single one he looks dif. Sooo confusing -.-;
On June 13 2005 07:55 soundwave wrote: rekrul I have a question, and please don't take it on too hard:
You seem like a nice person, willing to learn a lot, and ambitious. But somehow I sense that you are lost in your life, seeking for something you haven't been able to find. You see, I don't get how can a grown up young man moves from the states to another not so wealthy country
So my question is: In all this process of you being on your own, searching for what to do in your life, have you ever considered go to a specialist, like an Orienter or a Vocational Psychologist to help you find what you are looking for?
Rekrul senses that you know nothing about life, and are a fucking tool. Please don't take this too hard.
On June 13 2005 07:55 soundwave wrote: rekrul I have a question, and please don't take it on too hard:
You seem like a nice person, willing to learn a lot, and ambitious. But somehow I sense that you are lost in your life, seeking for something you haven't been able to find. You see, I don't get how can a grown up young man moves from the states to another not so wealthy country
So my question is: In all this process of you being on your own, searching for what to do in your life, have you ever considered go to a specialist, like an Orienter or a Vocational Psychologist to help you find what you are looking for?[
Nobody should have to ask someone else to find out how to be happy in life
On June 13 2005 07:55 soundwave wrote: rekrul I have a question, and please don't take it on too hard:
You seem like a nice person, willing to learn a lot, and ambitious. But somehow I sense that you are lost in your life, seeking for something you haven't been able to find. You see, I don't get how can a grown up young man moves from the states to another not so wealthy country
So my question is: In all this process of you being on your own, searching for what to do in your life, have you ever considered go to a specialist, like an Orienter or a Vocational Psychologist to help you find what you are looking for?
Rekrul senses that you know nothing about life, and are a fucking tool. Please don't take this too hard.
I am not an english-speaker and I usually don't try to write the right way. I think of a French sentence to write and type it almost word for word haha.
_____________ J'ai 18 ans et j'ai faim moi je veux manger du gateau au chocolat car j'adore cela depuis longtemps -fr I have 18 years old and I have hungry me I want eat cake chocolate because I love this for longtime. -eng ___________________
On June 13 2005 07:55 soundwave wrote: rekrul I have a question, and please don't take it on too hard:
You seem like a nice person, willing to learn a lot, and ambitious. But somehow I sense that you are lost in your life, seeking for something you haven't been able to find. You see, I don't get how can a grown up young man moves from the states to another not so wealthy country
So my question is: In all this process of you being on your own, searching for what to do in your life, have you ever considered go to a specialist, like an Orienter or a Vocational Psychologist to help you find what you are looking for?
??? srry but when did the crazy psycho anilists start to puruse these forums? ^.-
If I was taking a trip to korean, and on an average day I want to take the taxi everywhere, go to a few clubs, some restaurants etc. How many days would say $2000 last me? Including hotel fee's and such.
$2000 is just a benchmark it doesn't really matter, just I am saving up for Singapore durring WCG, I might just put it off get a ton of money and go somewhere else worth while.
It was particularly interesting to read this, for several reasons. First off, learning so much of the every day things in another culture that people take for granted is always interesting. But even more so, the Asian culture in particular is far more interesting to me than any part of the world. I have spent many, many years studying and learning about Asian culture, and still love to hear about life in those places. But even more so, I feel I can relate to parts of what you wrote. To me, it seemed like you were presenting the writing as if it was a big adventure of self-discovery, an event that helped you clear your mind and help you decide a bit more about who you were and what life was really all about. A lot of us are going through stuff like that, and although it's not always a common subject for people, it is interesting to hear about it, especially for a situation as unique as yours.
Definitely keep up with the updates, I don't think there's a single person who doesn't enjoy them. But as for my own questions, you did a pretty good job of covering most of the Korean aspects, so what do you plan to do while you're back in the USA? Just visit family and relax, or anything in particular?
Anyone around the tri-state area Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan that want to get together for some SC this summer hit me up. Dan hit me up. We have about 8 LT players between Cincinnati and Dayton.
On June 12 2005 09:53 SwedishHero wrote: rekrul its fucking crazy, every single picture ive seen of you , you look like a different person ,, :D
DUDE U HAVE NO IDEA HOW CRAZY THATS BEEN DRIVING ME! but since no one ever mentioned it, i didn't either. Ive seen like 9 pictures of the guy and every single one he looks dif. Sooo confusing -.-;
hes like a mutant or something i dunno =D
man i feel you :DD, some weird CIA shit going on, he wont even comment it for us!
On June 14 2005 02:36 ChoboCop wrote: Anyone around the tri-state area Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, Illinois, Michigan that want to get together for some SC this summer hit me up. Dan hit me up. We have about 8 LT players between Cincinnati and Dayton.
I'm from Louisville (which isn't too far away from Cinci or Dayton, 1 and 2 hours respectively the way I drive). Not that I play SC really anymore, but if something gets organized I might tag along.
Dan, I read it all and told you my thoughts already. Great article, good reading. =)
What I'd like to know though.. is JeeYunee's perspective. What was her impression of Rekrul? What's it like to be a girl in a booking club? What is the impression of Koreans when it comes to foreigners (and how do they compare to the local boys)? Whats up with the 50 condoms? Actually I dont really need to know the answer to that last question.
have you ever thought about becomming a progamer again? Do you ever fear a year or so down the road you may begin to miss it and wish you had stuck it out?
There are certain towns & areas where you get to see a lot of foreigners in Seoul such as Itaewon, Insadong etc. In these areas you won't be draw any attention at at all since there are heaps of them. However in a country town outside Seoul, You may be stared at as if you have a mosquito masturbating on your face. Large proportion of foreigners are either English teachers or GIs.. some tourists as well.
On June 14 2005 17:31 mnm wrote: Dan, I read it all and told you my thoughts already. Great article, good reading. =)
What I'd like to know though.. is JeeYunee's perspective. What was her impression of Rekrul? What's it like to be a girl in a booking club? What is the impression of Koreans when it comes to foreigners (and how do they compare to the local boys)? Whats up with the 50 condoms? Actually I dont really need to know the answer to that last question.
About the girls in booking clubs.. Generally the frequent booking club goers are far more liberal and some are even considered sluts. (Korean society is more conservative than US) For both male and female, it's a time effective way to meet tons of people per night and you get to choose from them. It may end in exchanging numbers or in some cases going to hotel afterwards.
One of the reason why girls like to go to expensive booking club is because it's a quickest way to meet a rich guy. In a booking club, A wealthy man is regarded as a king and a pretty girl as a queen. So prioritywise, it's money for guys and looks for girls. Truthfully for guys one of the main reason they go to booking clubs is to get laid. Not many guys are that keen on making girlfriends through booking clubs. It's hypocritical in a way, like they'd have sex with tons of them but they still prefer a nice conservative girl for a girlfriend.
About the impression about the foreigners... This really depends and it varies from person to person. I assume you are of a philo descent and though not many people are racists other than against blacks I guess Korea might not be the best place for you.
Since Korea is against the immigration policy and does not embrace diversification there are certain stereotypes about certain race. There are heaps of Phillipines & Malaysian girls working in a sex related business in Korea and guys working in a factory with minimum wage with illegal visa. (Same goes with Chinese). There are many campaigns going on at the moment about improving the treatment toward these people and any open minded people would not treat you any different though I have to say it really depends on the way you are dressed. If you're a philo and you're dressed in a blue jacket and a worn out shoes, then you are immediately an illegal factory worker.. If you are dressed in a nice suit or attire then you may be seen as an English teacher or business men travelling to attend conference in Korea.
About whites in Korea.. Some of the Koreans envy white people and they are generally curious about them.. Some are hostile against whites especially with the late anti american trends especially among youth group further fuelled by Bush. (Old men are relatively grateful toward US as they have experienced the Korean war themselves). There are girls who are more than willing to go out with a white guy and there are some who would never consider it an option. But in general if you're a white, you'll experience many people being nice to you with no apparent reasons and some trying to strike up a conversation.
If you're a black, then you are most likely to experience a discrimination one way or another. You are immediately regarded as a GI with bad manner. It is partially due to the LA Korea town attack from blacks years ago and GIs in korea stirring up numerous troubles everywhere. However, Hiphop is big among teen & youth group and many try to be immitate the style. Hence the teens endulged in hiphop culture would be curious about you.
On June 14 2005 18:46 Smorrie wrote: are there alot foreigners in korea? like.. you see at least a few of them everyday or you're really feeling like you're the only one out there?
where i live, kang nam area i feel like i'm the only one other than my roommate
on weekdays i never see other foreigners but on friday and saturday nights i see quite a bit in my area
Seriously, If you're only wanting to visit Korea because of Starcraft, forget it... It's not like young kids are walking around with marine helmet on nor strike up a conversation with you saying " is macro more important than micro?" It is still big, but you won't notice it in your random visit to Korea unless in Pcbang or Koex mall..
EPT
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hope you it didnt happen to you
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