Night Life

One of the ways my life is different now is through Chungju's night scene, something my co-workers have taken strides to introduce me to. Back in the States, it was never really an interest of mine to frequent bars or clubs. A former co-worker of mine, Maria, asked me once if I'd go to a club that she invited me to. "I'd have to pray about it," I confessed to her. Though I still feel largely the same way, I'm doing my best to be open. The Apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians, "I have become all things to all men that by all possible means I might save some" (9:21). It is my prayer to do the same.


The first weekend I was here, Brandon and Andy (in the pink shirt pictured at right, singing a duet with Mary, an ex-pat from upstate New York) took me to meet their social circle, English-speaking ex-patriots from three different countries, New Zealand, Australia, and the good ol' US of A. We met at a nice outdoor cafe for coffee or tea and good conversation. Then we moved the party to a bar for a couple of round of darts. I played the guys in one game, with my partner Laura, and was promptly beaten in the second by Mary and Carly. They, of course, beat two more guys in the final round of the night. After the darts, we walked to something called a "nuray-bang," a karoake bar with private rooms for you and all your friends to sing together. I didn't sing much because I knew that 99% of the songs in the playbook, which has both Korean and English selections, would be unfamiliar to me. It was an interesting experience: It almost felt like we were in someone's house and were playing with their karoake machine on a big-screen TV.



Andy and Brandon have taken me to other things besides the nuray-bang as well. Almost every night for last two weeks, we've gone out to dinner and last Saturday, Brandon and I went to a lounge to hear another ex-pat from America play acustic guitar and original music. I greatly enjoy going to dinner because I feel like I'm engaging the culture. It gives me an opportunity to use what little Korean I know, learn more Korean, and observe how differently they do things. It also allows me a chance to practice my new-found chopstick skills! The lounge was also really beautiful because it was nestled at the foot of a mountain next to an apple orchard. It was small with a capacity for no more than 35-40 people, which gave it a very intimate atmosphere. The music was peaceful and intriguing and the view, even in the dark, was beautiful from the spacious balcony windows.


My Friday nights and weekends have definitely looked different than those in the States! But we don't just go out; sometimes we've stayed in. Friday night, for example, the same friends that I met the week before held a Halloween party, complete with costumes and a scary movie. We watched "The Thing," which left a lot to be desired as far as movies go. I don't do scary movies at all, so I really didn't care for the selection. But it felt good to be included. While I was there, Chungju's resident foreignor, Matt, invited us to a party at his apartment the following evening. The party at Matt's was really fun. We had Indian food that his wife made for us, played "Apples to Apples," and watched another movie, this time "Clue." I enjoyed that movie way better, only because Clue is one of my favorite games!

In the States, I would have only done these things as special occasions or if someone invited me, which was somewhat of a rarity. Though they are definitely treats for me, it feels good to experience the life of another thriving community.