Activity Review, Korean Festivals, South Korea
Cherry blossoms atop a mountain in Jinhae

Jinhae’s Cherry Blossom Festival

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Korea is a country that loves a good festival. These range from the beauty of Jinhae’s Cherry Blossom Festival or the dazzling lights of Jinju’s Lantern Festival; to the charming cultural ones such as Gwangju’s Kimchi Festival or Jindo’s Moses Walk; to the downright weird such as Cheongsando’s ‘Slow Walking Festival’.

Oh, and the epicness that is the Mud Festival.

While the cold weather and work dramas have meant my touring of Korea has been limited so far, the sudden (and most welcome) warm change and finally having some money in my wallet has allowed me to get out of Busan and see a corner of Korea that doesn’t hold my girlfriend’s apartment. While I’ll admit to not having the hugest interest in cherry blossoms, I was looking forward to getting out and seeing something new.

Cherry blossoms in Jinhae, South Korea
Our first glimpse of cherry blossoms

We left my apartment at 9.30 and, after the fifty minute subway ride out to Nopo’s bus terminal, grabbed a late breakfast from Paris Baguette. We even splashed out on a cherry donut in honor of the day’s festivities. What better way to start a day at a cherry blossom festival than with something that might contain traces of cherry?

Our 11.20 bus to Jinhae never did show up, but when an 11.40 bus arrived we eagerly clambered aboard. While Kimberly wrestled with her luggage, the bus driver assured us that this was the bus to Jinhae. You can imagine our surprise then when the bus stopped and emptied out in the city of Masan – a good forty kilometers north of Jinhae!

A very stressed Kimberly put in a call to the rest of our companions, a large group of public school teachers who had rented vans for the drive down from Daejeon. Thankfully (?) they had run into atrocious traffic and we weren’t holding them up in any way, so we quickly flagged a cab and forked over the 15,000 won ($15) that would take us to Jinhae. The bus might have been a cheaper option, but given the traffic and the lines to get on board – we’d probably have been lucky to make it there in time for dinner.

The Cherry Blossom Festival

But arrive we did.

Thirty minutes of crawling through bumper to bumper traffic highlighted just how popular the cherry blossom festival is and it also gave us some great opportunities to snap photos of the cherry blossom trees lining the roadside. I was quick to swallow my skepticism about the event as I snapped off dozens of photographs of the beautiful trees, the drifting petals, and the hundreds of people gazing about them in wonderment. It’s often easy to overlook Korea’s natural beauty. It’s so artfully hidden behind generic apartment buildings, ugly tangles of power lines, and garbage rotting in the streets that it’s a rare thing to stop, take a deep breath, and realize that you’re in a truly stunning country.

After being dropped off we began to explore the many booths and food stalls choking the streets. Cherry blossoms might have been the main draw of the festival, but the people seemed more interested in the many products on display and the opportunity to eat street food, play carnival games, and soak in the atmosphere. I don’t think I’ve seen such a large number of foreigners outside of the Mud Festival before either. Hell, there were even fair haired children and German tourists on hand!

A delicious looking potato tornado
Potato tornadoes! Delicious
Kimberly poses with some cherry blossoms in her hair
Kimberly posing with a flower in her hair. There’s photos of me doing the same floating around somewhere…

The Daejeon crew’s continued delays meant they didn’t get to the cherry blossom festival proper until around 4pm – by which time Kimberly and I had been robbed blind by an ajoshi reading palms, stuffed ourselves full of sugar and carbs, and posed stupidly for far too many photographs.

When the Daejeon crew arrived it was time to make our way down the crowded ‘sideshow alley’ stretch of the festival. We stopped for delicious vegetable and squid pancakes in one tent (and a few of the more adventurous travelers started in on the soju in earnest) and then took our chances at games ranging from the traditional shooting gallery to a strange game of chance that seemed to rely solely on the whims of fish. Tasteless but colorful candy was bought and stuffed radish toys were won. Good times were had.

 

The contrast of cherry blossoms and barbed wire
The contrast of blossoms with barbed wire just caught my eye.

 

A shooting gallery at the Cherry Blossom Festival
Kowsar tries his luck at the shooting range. I think he won a yo-yo.
A strange Korean game. Fish swim to decide your prize.
It truly is a game of chance when your winnings lay in the non existent hands of fish

With bellies full and the sun beginning to dip below the horizon, the braver amongst us decided to climb the 365 stairs up the mountain that overlooks Jinhae to take in the view from up top.

With the city lighting up beneath us and the cherry blossom trees standing out against the increasingly dark skies and scenery, there were plenty of breathtaking photo opportunities before we got to the top. The temptation to not climb another two dozen or so stairs to the top of the tower on the mountain was hard to resist, but any spaghetti legs were totally worth the view from up there.

 

Posing with Kimberly on the walk up a mountain in Jinhae
Pausing halfway up the mountain for a photo opportunity.
Cherry blossoms atop a mountain in Jinhae
Yet more cherry blossoms!
Posing with new friends on top of the tower in Jinhae
The proud few who made it to the top and lived to tell the tale.
A bright orange sunset over Jinhae in South Korea
A stunning sunset from atop Jinhae Tower

By the time we weary few returned to the bottom of the mountain it was almost full dark and time for some real food. We piled into the vans and began the ninety minute (thanks to traffic) drive back to Masan where we’d be staying in the pimped out Ice Motel. I’ve stayed in my fair share of cheap love motels and this one took the cake. Twin PCs in every room, a Wii in one room, jacuzzis in every room, and a fucking stripper pole in the smoker’s room! A stripper pole!

A stripper pole in our hotel room in Jinhae.
See? A honest to God, no fooling STRIPPER POLE!
Kimberly enjoying some McDonalds in Jinhae
Enjoying an exotic foreign delicacy known as ‘McDonalds’
Molly and her friend sleep in a bathtub
Sleeping options were limited with nineteen of us in four rooms…
The girls jumping on the bed
And jumping on the bed brings things to a fitting end…

After figuring out who would bunk with who and who would have the honor of sleeping on the floor, it was time to head out for food. The logistics of handling a trip for eighteen people had begun to weigh on our fearless leaders, Jon and Sarah, and so we opted for the simple option of McDonalds for dinner followed by a Family Mart run for booze and snacks.

Truth be told though, most of us weren’t really in a partying mood any more. If Kimberly and I were tired – I dread to think how the Daejeonites were feeling after their six hour drive and 7am starts. Still, good conversation was had over beers before heavy eyelids called an end to proceedings.

We all slept in the following morning and that meant we didn’t get a chance to see any more of Jinhae. I hopped a bus back to Busan and the Daejeon crew piled back into their vans praying the ride home wouldn’t take six hours. I’m pleased to say it was closer to four.

Whether you’re a would-be botanist, a photography nut, or just a sucker for crowds and junk food – the Cherry Blossom Festival is a fun day trip. The night in Masan definitely isn’t something you need to do if you just want to soak in the sights, but given how choked the roads to and from Jinhae had been – it might have counted in our favor to avoid the them for an extra twelve hours or so.

For more information you can check out the official site of the Jinhae Cherry Blossom Festival here or the Korean Tourism website. It’s not a must see, but it’s a fun day out and a great way to welcome spring.

Busan, ESL Teaching, Life on the Road, South Korea

Progress Report

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It’s been a shade over two months since I got to Korea and it’s high time that I give everybody back home (and around the world) an update on how life in Korea has been treating me this time around. Despite having near two years of experience with this confusing and sometimes frustrating corner of the world, Korea has managed to dish up plenty of fresh challenges for me in my third stint in the land of the morning calm.

The School

My new school has been vastly different to anything I experienced during my two years in Gwangju. The hogwan (private academy) gig has often been a lauded as the ‘lazier’ of the two options, with less attention paid to what you’re teaching and how you’re teaching it. While it’s true I dealt with nosy co-teachers at my first job and a more rigorous documentation of my lesson plans at the second, I’ve never been under the same level of intense security I ‘enjoy’ at my current gig. Teachers peering through windows to be sure I’m teaching, constant harassment over whether I’ve assigned the correct homework, and an anal level of reliance on poorly written and worded teacher’s manuals have dogged my every day. I arrive for work two hours early for preparation time and, with no sign of the fifty minute break I am promised in my contract, I’ve started just disappearing for fifty minutes of this time to soak up free WiFi at Tom & Toms while eating a deliciously unhealthy stuffed pretzel.

Farewelling one of my favorite classes from my old school in late 2009

Class wise – I teach six fifty minute classes a day with a five minute break between each. My youngest students are a foursome of eight and nine year olds with little to no experience with English, and my oldest class is a pair of sixteen year old girls who spend the majority of our class together alternating between texting friends on their phones and asking me about my romantic life and my travels. It’s actually a fun class when I can get them to put their phones aside for a few minutes. My worst classes are comprised of bratty early teen boys who think they’re hilarious and who I can’t really discipline due to my school being populated entirely by women who are marginally more intimidating than the prospect of being made to write fifty lines for homework.

My experience here has largely been one of miscommunication and frustration. Little things that never came up at previous jobs seem to have gone from molehills to mountains in record time here. Having been left in charge of organizing my alien card (necessary for things such as insurance, having a phone in my name, and internet connection) – I decided to do it at my leisure. I already had a phone and an active internet connection, and so when my boss started to nag me about it I assured her it was ‘under control’ and assumed she’d leave it. Cue a dozen frantic texts and missed calls one Monday morning that forced me out of bed and off to immigration. When my boss found out I was only now handing in my paperwork she was furious – accused me of deliberately deceiving her and the like. Maybe I did – but when you hand all of your responsibilities off to somebody to do in their free time – you accept that they will do it when they are ready. If she had wanted it done by a certain time – she could have organized it herself or she could have allowed me to do it in my excess preparation time.

Other little things have caused issue. I toy with my iPhone during quiet moments of prep time and that has been frowned upon. I am charged with marking reams of homework in subjects I am not employed to teach (Math being a particular qualm of mine) and then dragged over coals if there are any mistakes at all. I’ve taken to keeping homework for an inordinate amount of time, marking it over the course of a fortnight, and handing it back to them when I am 100% sure it’s done).

All told – I dislike my work environment. The kids are great and the majority of them love me, but being the sole male and the sole Westerner in my workplace basically means I get to spend my days either in silence or engaging in conversations with students. Attempting to make small talk with the trio of women I share an office with varies from attempting to pull teeth to halting conversations that never really satisfy. I prefer to just work in quiet now.

The City

Work might suck, but I love Busan. Gwangju will always hold a very special place in my heart – but there’s a lot to be loved about Korea’s second largest city. My last entry was about the spectacular Gwangalli Beach region and with spring finally hitting us here on the peninsula, my visits to areas like Gwangalli and Haeundae are only going to increase in frequency. There’s the promise of camping trips on islands such as Bigeumdo and Oaedaldo on the horizon as well. I live for the beach.

Byron (from Byron and His Backpacks) and I rocking the Velvet Underground

The night life here is something else. Where Gwangju has a half dozen night spots, most of which are crammed together in the downtown area, Busan has four distinct night life regions that are worthy of merit. The nearest to me is Seomyeon which boasts bars such as Thursday Party and Metal City; PNU boasts a more Korean night life due to its promimity to the university; Haeundae has the beach and foreigner haunts such as The Wolfhound, Sharkies, Geckos, and Rock & Roll Bar; and KSU (my personal favorite) boasts Eva’s, Ol’ 55, Vinyl Underground, Thursday Party, HQ, and the always sleazy Kino Eye. I’ll do a more in depth on Busan’s bar scene in the not too distant future.

Being idiots at Metal City. Not very metal.

I’ve managed to get a casual game of Dungeons & Dragons going on a fortnightly basis; gotten in touch with some theatrically minded people about doing some productions; joined a book club that inexplicably doubles as a knitting club; gotten back into work on my novel; and met a swathe of cool new people and groovy characters that I’m sure will grace these pages again sometime soon.

The Girl

And there’s a girl! My old friends Liz and CJ (who tied the knot in Vegas last year) messaged me shortly after I returned to Korea to inform me they were ‘sending me a girl’ – the best friend of CJ’s sister. I agreed to help her settle in and things kind of went from there. This isn’t the venue for a blow by blow of our relationship or how it came to be, but suffice to say I got to play knight in shining armor a few times for a damsel in distress and now we’re as official as two people can get – Facebook official.

Pretty girl. Ugly suit.

We’re off to a Cherry Blossom Festival in Jinhae this weekend and two weeks later we’ll be doing some sight-seeing in Seoul as my parents are in the country as a part of a cultural scholarship they won. Beyond that there’s a 10k I’ll be running in May; the infamous Mud Festival in July; the Jeju half marathon around the same time; and a whole swag of other exciting trips in the future.

I’m contemplating visiting Beijing in my summer vacation, and a Japanese junket is not out of the question for when Korean Thanksgiving rolls around. Here’s hoping Tokyo Disney is still in one piece after the recent tragic events in the region.

My Philippines scuba trip is still on the cards for the New Year and there’s day-dreaming about a six week tour of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bali sometime next year if money allows. Exciting times and hopefully that will make for exciting reading!

Busan, South Korea

Busan’s Other Beach – Gwangalli

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For reasons that have never quite made sense to me, Busan is perhaps best known for the often crowded Haeundae Beach. Maybe being from a country where amazing beaches are a dime a dozen makes me something of a shore-front snob, but I’ve never really been that enamored of the unremarkable stretch of surf deprived beach surrounded by smoky Korean night clubs and more sleazy love motels than you can shake a stick at.

Don’t get me wrong. The Haeundae area has its charms. The always fun Wolfhound Busan is there for drinks and good Western food, there’s Rock & Roll Bar’s stunning 14th floor view of the beach, there’s the Western comforts of Bennigans and Fuzzy Navel, a pretty good Indian feed to be had at Ganga, the often talked about Sharkies (which I’ve yet to visit), a pretty damned good aquarium, and it’s close to the seaside temple I visited with my friend Heather earlier this year.

Eyesore by day. Landmark by night.

But for my money, and I reserve the right to change my mind once summer rolls around and I have more chances to explore, Gwangalli Beach in Gwangan is by far the better of the two beaches. Where Haeundae is overshadowed by unsightly sky-scrapers and chain restaurants, Gwangalli has a far less oppressive stretch of trendy bars and restaurants that offer a great view of the beach. By day the bridge in the distance might be a bit of an eyesore, but at night it’s transformed by an ever shifting light show. The far end of the beach, with an improbably ugly skyscraper marring the view, is host to a tiny amusement park by the name of ME World as well as a swathe of fish restaurants with increasingly aggressive hawkers outside attempting to lure you inside.

Beer Pong is serious business at Thursday Party

I first stumbled upon Gwangalli Beach while meeting up with my good friends Anne, Jinho, and Crystal at one of the two Thursday Party locations on the strip. They are separated by a single store-front, and both manage to be just different enough that it’s worth visiting both. I’ve got an entry in the works in praise of the very cool Thursday Party empire – but suffice to say it’s refreshing to find a bar with custom made beer pong tables, a great selection of cocktails, and owners who aren’t above spending their time shooting some darts or sharing a few beers with you.

The 12,000 won cab ride (approximately $12 Australian) was a bit heftier than I was used to paying for a night out, but as the glittering expanse of ocean came into view I was glad I’d decided against an early night. The purples and greens from the bridge mingled with the twinkling of stars and city lights in a way that, while not comparable to the ride over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, made me just a little homesick. Like most Australians I feel most at home by the water, and I resolved to spend some more time exploring the area.

I’ve recently begun seeing somebody and, when she came down to Busan for the weekend, I decided to take her out and show her Gwangali Beach and explore a little more of it for myself. Busan had turned out a pleasant enough spring day – and while the 16 degree temperatures weren’t going to have me rushing for the doubtlessly icy water – they at least meant I could stroll down the beach in a t-shirt and not feel like a lunatic. With stomachs rumbling our first port of call was Fuzzy Navel – a local Mexican chain that boasts overpriced Coronas and a better Mexican spread than you’d expect from a country where corn is a pizza mainstay and sweet potato is often used as decoration on a birthday cake.

Deliriously excited by my burrito at Fuzzy Navel

Prices are a bit more lavish than you’ll usually pay for a meal out in Korea. A plate of nachos (completed with jalapeños, refried beans, guacamole, and sour cream), a Corona, some vegetarian quesadillas, and a vegetable and refried bean burrito set us back just shy of 40,000 won. Roughly $40 Australian. But it was worth the extra cash. The sun was out and we were out on the deck admiring the ocean view and appreciating a little taste of home. It might not be a patch on the Mexican fare available in Seoul and I’m not sure cabbage was ever meant to be served atop corn chips and salsa – but a visit to Fuzzy Navel isn’t a bad way to change things up from the ddok galbi and kimbap triangles.

Decorative Cabbage. Only in Korea…

Full of delicious food and ready for the next leg of our adventure, we strolled along the waterfront until we happened upon a street lined with booths all offering the same sideshow alley game – the age old challenge pitting a man armed with darts against a wall of balloons. Gentleman that I am, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to win my lady friend a little stuffed companion, and so I sunk 10,000 won into winning her a tiny stuffed puppy that she imaginatively dubbed ‘Chris Puppy’. Buoyed by my dashing display of manliness, I then opted to show off my skills as a bull-rider at ME World.

‘Chris Puppy’ and his new owner

As far as ‘amusement parks’ go, ME World isn’t much to write home about. There’s a half dozen rides, a few sideshow games, a decent little indoor arcade, and some batting cages. The staff never seem to be at their posts but are quick to rush over if they see you fumbling with some cash and the place looks like it might just cause tetanus – but there’s something to be said for a good old fashioned fair atmosphere. But back to the bull.

You might call me hero, but I am just a man
Strangest ride I’ve ever seen. Automated panda!

I was an abject failure at the first attempt, barely lasting three seconds, but made a much better show of things second time around and drew an appreciative crowd of bemused Koreans. My display seemed to signal a renaissance for the ride as well – and it didn’t want for customers for the remainder of our time there. The girl’s own choice of ride was considerably less adventurous than my own, as she plodded around the park on a mechanized panda for a few minutes to the amusement of myself and one or two of the staff.

Before too long the sky had turned foul and it was time to head for shelter – a cup of hot chocolate at Tom & Toms and then the privacy of a DVD Bang. For those not in the know – a DVD Bang is a room you can rent for about $15. It comes with a DVD of your choice projected onto the wall, an almost comfortable couch-bed to recline on, a few free snacks if you’re lucky, and the privacy that is sometimes hard to come by in Korea. The box of tissues on the nightstand and the plastic covered pillows left us under no illusions as to what the place was usually used for – but I’ll have my readers know that there was no hanky panky to be had.

Far from it. While she spent a few hours catching some zzzzzs while I endured my second screening of 2012.

Looking a little reluctant to recline on the plastic couch of our DVD Bang

Rejuvenated from our rest we forged on for an evening of revelry in the surrounding area. A buffet dinner in Sooyoung to celebrate my friend Rhi’s birthday and then back to Thursday Party to meet Anne and Crystal. I green suited up in a belated tribute to St. Patrick; grimaced my way through an awful green beer; and then it was time to call it a day. A late night walk along the beach brought our day’s exploring to an end, but I’m sure I’ll be back in Gwangali again before too long.

The green suit rides again!

Maybe even this weekend…

South Korea

Korea’s Hallmark Holidays

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The argument that holidays such as Valentine’s Day and Halloween are manufactured by greeting card companies and supermarket chains definitely holds plenty of water back in the Western World – but marketing savvy Korea has taken the issue to dizzying new heights. While holidays such as Chuseok and the Lunar New Year embody the proud traditions of Korea, other holidays such as White Day and Pepero Day seem to be little more than manufactured holidays.

But isn’t that a part of Korea’s quirky charm? In my mind these holidays are right up there alongside bizarre fuzzy hats shaped like bear’s heads and atrocious matching couple outfits.

With White Day falling today (March 14th), I thought it’d be a good time to highlight a few of Korea’s more unusual holidays.

Valentine’s Day

A Valentine written by a Korean student
A card from one of my students in 2011. Worth a read

The mother of all Hallmark holidays exists in Korea much as it does in the Western world, but there’s a slight twist on it. With the additional holiday of White Day falling a month later – Valentine’s Day is ostensibly for women to shower men with gifts of chocolate. As far as I can tell this doesn’t stop women from expecting gifts and romance from their men, but tradition does seem to dictate that females do the majority of gift buying.

During my first year in Korea I was almost drowned in a sea of chocolate goodies from my adoring students, and even though I like to think I’ve come even farther in being everybody’s favorite teacher, it’s a sad truth that my booty has been smaller and smaller every year. That sounded like an ad for Jenny Craig.

White Day

I brought home a half dozen of these bad boys today

A month after Valentine’s Day comes White Day, which is (as you’ve probably guessed) the day where it’s the turn of men to spend inordinate amounts of money on candy. Chuppa Chip gift packs, Jelly Belly boxed sets, and all manner of cutesy teddy bears with cheesy slogans adorn every spare bit of shelf space in Family Marts and Lottemarts across the country.

While I opted for the slightly less cheesy option of giving a certain special somebody some roses for the day, I was not above buying the adoration of my students today by tossing out handfuls of cheap Korean candy at the beginning of every class. I used peppermints to buy correct answers and was not above rewarding children who called me handsome with a bland, tasteless jelly candy that they seem to gobble up here on the peninsula.

Black Day

 

One of the perks of being single on Black Day

With two holidays dedicated to sickeningly happy couples, it seems only fair that the sad singles get a day all to themselves. Black Day, falling on April 14th, is a day for single people to get together and eat jjajameyon or black noodles. I’m actually a huge fan of the dish at any time of year, but I love the image of a bunch of teary eyed and lovelorn losers sitting around a table and shoveling the black bean soaked noodles into their mouths.

Pepero Day

Mashisayo!

While people back in Australia and New Zealand celebrate Remembrance Day on November 11th, people in Korea are exchanging sticks of biscuit dipped in chocolate of varying flavors. ‘Traditionally’ this is dairy milk chocolate, but I’ve found everything from wild berry flavored to coffee.

The date (11/11) is chosen because the 1’s resemble the day’s namesake, and any teacher worth their salt can expect to come home with arm-loads of the surprisingly addictive Korean treats. I was still eating the damned things in early December 2008 when I returned to Australia after my first contract ended.

Busan, South Korea

Dirty Deeds on Texas Street

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I’ve been a bad blogger, and I apologize sincerely for the complete lack of updates on this site since I got to South Korea. I’ve been busy, it’s true, but sadly it’s not been the kind of busy that makes for particularly interesting travel tales. I’ve been drinking and living on a tiny budget; going on dates; making new friends; and finding my feet in a Korea that isn’t exactly as I’d left it. But my first pay check is just around the corner and my life is finally finding a bit of stability, so expect them to come thick and fast from here on in.

A Moon over Texas Street

As far as tourist sights go the obvious choices in Busan include Haeundae Beach, the world famous Jagalchi Fish Markets, or any of its numerous temple sites or gorgeous parks. But there’s a little known (and considerably seedier) corner of Busan that often goes overlooked by visitors to the city that labels itself Dynamic Busan.

Named after a state where everything is apparently bigger, Texas Street is a surprisingly small stretch of road across from Busan Station and smooshed into the side of Chinatown like a malignant, lascivious tumor. For a few blocks you’re almost able to forget you’re in South Korea as you walk dimly lit streets that reek of perfume, desperation, and cheap whiskey.

Byron makes a few friends at Paradise Bar on Texas Street

Filipino women wearing little more than a smile aggressively attempt to lure you into their den of iniquity whilst burly Russians seem to walk the streets looking for lonely hearts to ply with promises of sex with women who saw better days a decade or more ago.

Where the Filipino women at least disguise their wares with the unimaginative cries of ‘You want bang bang?’, the Russians instead use the universal sign of cock in vagina with their index finger thrust into a hole of their own creation.

“Hey, American,” he shouts at the two of us in an accent reminiscent of Cold War Era movies, “You want fuck my girlfriend?”

Being a Canadian and an Australia. We walk right on by. Yep, Texas Street is all class.

It’s not all pimps and prostitutes along Texas Street though. There’s Chinese and Filipino cuisine to be had in spades and you don’t need to be a trafficker of human flesh to indulge in a little of the human zoo. In a country where prostitution is ostensibly illegal, it’s on display in this particular corner of Busan in the same ostentatious way as Seoul’s infamous ‘Hooker Hill’ on the fringes of Itaewon.

On this particular night it was closing in on 3am when my good friend Byron (from Byron & His Backpacks) and I decided to make an unscheduled stop off. I’d heard tales from female friends of being asked ‘how much?’ as they’d walked Texas Street by day, and we were certainly not left alone for long as the doors flew open and women of varying degrees of attractiveness stepped out and attempted to entice us.

I’m a sucker for a new experience and Byron’s no different, so we soon found ourselves in a bar named Paradise with a menu of ridiculously overpriced drinks in front of us.

“It’s on me,” Byron assured me as he nonchalantly ordered a white martini. I ordered a Pepsi.

It wasn’t long before we each had a woman sitting beside us in our modest booth. The lights were low and generic US Hip-Hop and R&B played as our ‘girls’ introduced themselves. We were under no illusions that we were in the company of some of Texas Street’s famed ‘juicy girls’.

A juicy girl is essentially a woman you pay to tease you. She’s not going to have sex with you, but she is going to flirt with you and potentially do a little more as long as you keep buying her drinks. And while our white martinis came at $8 a pop – the girls’ drinks went for a more handsome sum of $20. The girls get to keep 4000 won of every drink that is bought for them and the remainder goes to the house.

Byron and his pretty Filipino friend hit it off, while I was more interested in what brought my Russian friend (with an unpronounceable name and more sass than I’d expect from a girl in her industry) to Korea of all places. I’m under no illusions that it probably wasn’t completely voluntary. I don’t know how long we stayed in the club, but the sun was on the rise when we stepped out into the chill morning air and decided it was time for a bite to eat and some much needed sleep.

It’s not the kind of thing I’d do again, and never as a legitimate customer, but it was an interesting (and slightly depressing) look at an often overlooked part of life abroad and life in Korea. It might be a nation where sex is a dirty word and only had in cheap love motels, but there are veins where the slime reaches the surface and it’s a stronger man than me who can turn his eyes away from it.

Two good Christian boys thoroughly overwhelmed by the sin and depravity of it all

It’s not going to be for everybody. The Russian men can be a bit intimidating in their pitch and there’s something dead in the eyes of the forty something women dressed like Ke$ha who prowl the streets after peak hour has finished. But it’s a long way from kimchi, noraebangs, and crowded markets. Sometimes that’s worth stepping outside of your comfort zone.