Bar Crawling in Ilsan!

Hump day!

As of today, I've been in Korea for six months. Halfway point! Or, well, at least halfway through this contract. There are times when I have trouble determining what I'm doing on the weekend, much less months or years in advance. Crazy.

In any case, I've gotten back into the swing of things here. Though the sweet 'summer intensive' schedule I've had for the last month ends on Friday, so it'll be back to full workdays afterwards. There are worse things to complain about, I know. Things are getting a little crazy busy, as we have a seminar on Saturay (boo!) so everyone's beginning to scramble to get their presentations together. On the bright side, it's here in Ilsan, so I won't have to drive for hours and hours to get there and back.

But let's talk about something more interesting! Something with booze involved! As last Saturday, I went on a pub crawl- someone the Ilsan expat facebook group (of COURSE there's one of those) organized it as a charity thing. So heck, beer and philanthropy? I can get behind that! Also, it gave me impetus to hit up some other bars here in Ilsan, so yay for that.

As I've mentioned before, there's a lot of bars in Ilsan- and in Korea in general, but not too many 'western' style ones. Korean bars are geared more towards communal drinking- which is fine...but at the same time, it can be a little annoying when all you want to do is sidle up onto a barstool and have a pint.

In any case, here's some arbitrary reviews of a couple of Ilsan's finest pubs!

First on the list was a joint called Into's. Into's is, quite simply, a sports bar. Big TVs, various jerseys and banners and other stuff on the walls, foosball (which may be the only foosball table I've seen in Korea, come to think of it), air hockey, and so on. The Korean couple that run it are really nice, too- I imagine if I were more of a sports fan, I'd be hanging out there all the time. 

 

So I met up with some friends of mine at the first bar, had two or three beers, and then it came time to head to the best-named bar in Ilsan (if not in South Korea), The Whiskey Weasel.

The Whiskey Weasel just opened like two weeks ago, and I dunno if it's really 'broken in' as a bar yet. Feels too new, I guess. It's all sleek lines and movie posters. Lots of black and red, which is trendy, I guess. The bartenders were American (at least, they SOUNDED American, as best I could figure in a really loud bar), which was a plus...but the one I talked to had to ask instructions on how to mix a White Russian. Then again, he might not've been a 'bartender' so much as 'the owner's friend who got roped in on a crazy night.'

So I hung out at the Whiskey Weasel for awhile, having beers- and in an odd turn of fate, nearly every girl I talked to that night (even in passing conversation) was Canadian. The only exception was a girl who looked vaguely like Emma Watson (or maybe Helena Bonham Carter, depending on the light), who was from Maine (which is close enough).

Next, we all geared up and went to Le Pub, which is my typical expat hangout. Le Pub was the first expat bar I learned about, and it's since become my typical hangout when I'm in the mood to go out. Now, the decor's a bit sparse (those big blank concrete walls make me think I'm drinking in a prison cell, sometimes), but other than that, it's a nice place with friendly bartenders. That, and they'll play just about any music you'll request, a fact that I haven't abused as much as I should.

Le Pub has a slightly more laid-back atmosphere...at least, whenever I go there. As the place can be pretty slow some nights. This is especially true, earlier in the evening, which is when I tend to go there, as I eventually get bored of staying in my apartment and want to go out...but then things are slow and kinda dull at the bar, so I head home before they get bumping again.

This...wasn't the case on that evening, as the joint was PACKED due to the bar crawl. And while it was good to see a bar I like doing well...it was also a pain to muscle up to the bar and get a beer from the overworked bartenders. Ah well!

In the crowded mess of things, I lost track of my friends, and therefore I decided to set out. There was one more bar on the list, an LP bar called Old Rock. I...didn't make it there.

Y'see, I got on the elevator with a couple of other expats, at which point a cute girl in a rad hat started talking to me in that wonderful 'invite random people along on your hijinks' sort of way. So I fell in with a new little group of people (neat folks, I will say) and we wound up going to this place called Bar Boom. Hat girl (who was from Canada, natch), had a slightly more discerning friend who out and asked me "Who the hell are you?" (a justified question, I will say). To which, hat girl said "This guy is awesome," so good for her.

Anyway, Bar Boom's a Korean dance club. And...honestly? The place kinda sucked. And I don't just say this as a guy who doesn't care much for mainstream dance clubs. Don't get me wrong, the music was fine enough (if you like top 40 hip hop), and the laser light rig was kind of cool, but...well, I'll be honest.

Too many dudes.

I heard someone describe the dance floor at Bar Boom as a meat market- though I'd say the term 'sausage fest' was a little more accurate. "But Mark," you say, "What about the rad hat girl who lured you there in the first place?" A good question! More idle conversation was had, but there was this guy with said gal who kept in swooping in to kiss her at random times. So, y'know, I decided to let that slide. Next time I want to pick up girls at a club, I should just go to a gay bar instead. (Though I understand the only gay bars in Korea are in Itaewon).

Ultimately, rather than continuing to dance awkwardly upon a gender imbalanced dance floor, I finished my beer and made my way home, entirely intact. Walked back into my apartment 'bout 2am, which is pretty early by Korea standards. And heck, I wasn't even that hungover on Sunday morning, either! Score. 

So stay tuned, friends! More hijinks are bound to ensue.