Me, I'm really not a fan of alcohol. My Asian body can't metabolize it anyway, and I'd much prefer to stay sober and fully enjoy the conversation and people I'm with. If I do want a drink, it would either be a glass of wine or a cocktail, something light and sweet that you don't drink for the purposes of simply getting drunk.
Now, all of my drinking experiences have only been in Korea, so I'm only accustomed to Korean drinking customs and culture. And let me tell you, it's awful and I fucking hate it. There are certainly some rules and aspects that foreigners might find interesting and completely different. For example:
- Nobody's glass is allowed to stay empty. It's considered rude to not notice that someone else's glass is waiting for you/others to pour for them. If you don't like drinking and you have no choice but to accept one, take teeny tiny sips and make sure you never finish a full glass/shot.
- You are not allowed to pour your own glass. Someone else has to do it.
- When you're accepting a glass from an elder/superior or pouring for them, always use both hands. If you're the older/superior, one hand is fine.
- Besides using both hands, if you're being super respectful, turn to your side before drinking.
There's probably more, but since I'm not an avid drinker I'm only aware of the basics. But even the basics of Korean drinking norms stress me out. The ones listed above are not so bad, and quite acceptable as a Korean. There's more, though. One other "culture" is that companies often go to a big group dinner together and always end up drinking. A lot. And there's always the boss, or senior, that will force a drink on you even if you refuse. The more you resist, the more determined they become to get you drunk. And these types of people almost always go for round two, for beer or something "lighter" than soju. And since it's the boss who suggests it, everyone has to follow without complaining, because in Korea boss equals king. Korean companies generally are not very democratic or reasonable. Sure, there are a few exceptions, but the majority of bosses in this country are dickheads with no consideration or respect for his/her employees. Especially when drinking is involved. You're definitely lucky if you can play the foreigner card.
And you know, sometimes, it's not just the boss. It's pure peer pressure. At one point people start playing drinking games, and when enough people have had their share of losing and drinking, everyone starts to target the ones who haven't lost yet. That way, every single person ends up drinking more than they intend to, whether they want to or not. If you say no until the end, you're the party pooper who ruined all the fun.
I haven't even started on what annoyed the hell out of me today. Yeah, there's more, even after all this lengthy ranting. The NOISE that people make while they play drinking games. This applies mostly to younger people in their early twenties who have the time and energy to make such a big fucking racket, leaving everyone else in the bar completely exhausted just from listening to them until someone finally can't stand it anymore and goes over to tell them to please shut the hell up. These games people play all involve some sort of obnoxious chanting, screaming, shrieking, whatever loud drunken noise you can think of that comes out from a person's mouth. It's unbelievable. I was sitting next to a Swiss girl at the pub today, and I was genuinely sorry and embarrassed and ashamed to be a fellow Korean in my twenties. I wanted anything but to associate myself with them. I asked her to please forget today, that normal Koreans are not like this at all, and that this shouldn't be your first impression of Koreans. But honestly, it was more than I could bear. And some of the chants include swear words that make the whole lot of them seem so vulgar and uncivilized. To think these people are attending university, receiving higher education which should be considered a privilege! I honestly think proper education in Korea is nearly dead. Especially when I see students these days with no manners at all, paying no attention to how they fucking annoy everyone else in the building, interrupting what should be a nice time for other people in the bar to have a drink and relax.
God, I was so pissed off today I think I discovered a new violence in myself. See, Korean drinking culture can be nice and fun, as long as you keep it moderate. Games are fun and can help everyone get along, as long as you respect the wishes of those who don't drink. And if you're going to be loud, get a fucking room or rent a house in the middle of the woods where no one else can hear. Please.
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