sidenote first: Playing around with fb, I wonder if allowing fb notes to import posts from this blog is a wise idea. Hmm. Maybe yes maybe no. Anyway... back to the post.
Lunch in Korea is WEIRD.
Well, its not weird, weird, but it is a different experience. Lunch starts at 12pm in my office/studio. (And this reminds me of the story where I had to explain to a Korean that 12pm is noon, and not 12am. I had to do 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm to her. -_-!!)
Anyway, so like around 1140~1150, somebody would say 식사을 해요 and then we would gather outside the office. (Just walking out of the automatic glass doors) And then there would be groups and group leaders. Group leaders would have different destinations for lunch, and these peeps are rotated. So members would walk out and ask, 어디에 가요. Or leaders would advertise their destination.
So by slowly walking out of the office and off the car park (reminds me of the PARKING joke), groups would have formed and headed their separate directions. So conversation starts in Korean in this group of (normally) 4~8, which is the part I sometimes hate (when they speak rapid Korean and I catch no ball) and sometimes like (when 1~2 speak to me in English/Japanese/simple-Korean).
So 1~3 minutes later, we arrive at our destination (which of course I have no idea WTH I'm eating because I just randomly join groups). And then if its a restaurant I like I go whoopie silently in my mind and if its a restaurant I hate I go f**ks**t no 선배 next time no 선배선배선배.
And so ordering starts. Which is cool if there are photos on the wall so I can just read the label off the photo, otherwise I'll be starting my prayers by nodding along with some recommendation of THE GROUP.
Note: THE GROUP normally nominates a dish, and then the 3~7 peeps nod their head in unison and everybody orders the same dish in the restaurant. This happens 80% of the time. 20% of the time, there are two nominators and two unique declarations saying they will have dish A or B. Seldom you get one person eating dish C by himself, unless of course you are a 의국인 like me. (This portion can totally go into the point in-group out-group behavior of an Introduction to Korean studies)
Next, conversation will start and I will avoid participation by taking cups and pouring water. Note: the most junior staff/youngest person ALWAYS pours water for everyone in his table. A table seats 4 peeps, so if you have 8 peeps, there will be two pour-ers. (junior-senior culture) In accordance with pouring water, its of course not always me (there are other junior staff), and they will try to help out. e.g.: 1. Distribute cutlery, 2. scoop kimchi from the kimchi bowl.
So food will arrive. And I will realize what I have ordered (what people have ordered for me). And then the race begins. Eating with Koreans is like eating with Wangyangs. They don't mince their meat, they pour it down their throat. Even spicy-pork-bone-soup is finished within 10 mins. I have to eat at full speed to match them. Wangyang will fit in perfectly here. It is so crazily fast that I was stunned from the first day. Koreans have this 빨리 culture deeply embedded in them. (By right you are supposed to start only when your senior starts and stop when he stops. But I think that rule is somehow abolished)
Then when everybody is done (the others engage in small talk while waiting), the leader says 가자? And with agreement from the floor (or sometimes the novice 의국인 is caught by surprise), peeps start to rise and leave. (Oh yeah did I mention that 50% of the time, Koreans eat cross-legged on cushions on the floor with small low-rise tables? ~!@#$%^ luckily I got used to it fast)
Then everyone starts to fork out the wallet. (If you are the senior/oldest and aiming to treat, this is where you step in. Too bad my company doesn't follow this. Normally they practice some form of treat/drink for first meetings) Then everybody forks out \6,000. (remember that we all ordered the same dish?) They (forcefully) pass it to one person, and promptly walk to wear their shoes. (Oh yeah cross-legged sittings come with smelly Hongkong feet) If its winter, you go 아!춥다! If summer, go 아!더워요~ when you are outside. LOL.
Then conversation resumes while going back to the office. 30% of the time, 80% of the people go for tea/coffee. 100% of the time, 30~80% of the people for go a smoke. Because this is a game company, 20~30% of the people go back to play games/watch Tekken competition video replays/PSP/DS/comic. And usually I'm back around 12:20pm, which tells you how fast we eat.
In addition, not ALL people participate in the lunch. 20% of the people eat cup ramen, 10% eat salad/fruits - diet (females/males!!). And they do it on a regularly basis. And 5~10% of the time, I spot my mentor sleeping in the bed in the office. Skipped lunch prolly because too engrossed in coding. Return to code after nap. Best.
