Pastimes

I feel as though I've been even more slack than usual in updating this blog, and for that I offer up my apologies. The fact of the matter is that I haven't been doing any memorable or worthy of posting about recently. My elementary school students head back to school this week after their month-long winter break (which is the longest break in the school calendar, unlike our two and half month summer vacation in the States), and so they have been more testy than usual. In other news, Ulsan finally has an honest-to-do rock club, "Purple Haze," which is fantastic because it means that there's finally a place I can go on the weekends to see live music (perhaps there was a place before, but I was definetely unaware of it if it existed). It's actually quite a nice, intimate little place, on the basement level of a building in Mugeodong with a pool table, foosball table, friendly staff, and a small stage where local (mostly student) bands can show off their chops.

Speaking of weekend excursions, there is one activity that I have found myself engaging in virtually every weekend since it has gotten too cold to go hiking and have neglected to address so far: norae bang. In Korean, norae bang literally means "song room," and it is basically the Korean version of karaoke. I was introduced to karaoke by some friends during my sojourn in Prague and, to my slight embarassment, became hooked. I've never actually done karaoke in the States (save for one night at the International House in Chicago, but that barely counts), so I can't compare it to the Korean experience, but I am fairly certain that the Koreans do it quite differently. First of all, rather than getting up in front of a bunch of strangers in a bar, the countless norae bang establishments in Ulsan offer private rooms for small groups of friends. The average rate here is 15,000 won/hour (a little over $15), which is a small pittance when split between eight or so people. Most places have machines that can judge the "accuracy" of an individual's performance, and groups that perform well are rewarded with free extra time. In just about every Ulsan neighborhood, a quick walk down the street will lead one past at least five different places, the majority of which don't close until the last customers decide they've had enough. There is definetely a range of quality among places, some of which are run-down and a bit seedy and others that are state-of-the-art and have "theme rooms," such as "Rock" in Mugeodong, a favorite among Ulsan University students. The most elaborate joint I've seen thus far was in Hondae, in Seoul, a three story building with large plate-glass windows facing the street (allowing passerbys to peek in on the customers) and high-ceilinged rooms with small lofts! Going to the norae bang appears to be a popular activity among Koreans regardless of age as both my youngest students and their parents love to go. Last week, Jessica and I went to one with our Korean colleagues after a staff dinner, which was a welcome surprise. I've also gotten the impression that, on the whole, Koreans take the quality of their own singing more seriously than we waygukins do. They love to sing, and they also love to sing well. Of course, there are also those who love to go just to have fun, like me. One final note, a social measure of just how popular a pastime it is: certain Orion brand snack foods come in "norae bang" specific sizes, enough to accomodate a large group of people.