Bullet without butterfly wings
So Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, South Korea and Japan are sitting at a bar table with two USAs.
"I'm in the US military intelligence unit," one of the USA's says for the fourth time in 20 minutes. "Do you guys know what intelligence is?"
Twenty hours earlier, 2 times NZ, 1 Canada and 2 times Ireland were in Ichaewon, central Seoul - THE bar district full of drunk US soldiers and brothels. The place was quiet, as the military police were scanning each bar for jarhead haircuts, searching for those out past curfew. They were all either gone or keeping a low profile. Both of NZ and one Ireland got back to their cheap hotel on the aptly named Hooker Hill and slept a little before catching the bullet train south to Pusan. Canada and the other Ireland checked out the other bars until the sun came up.
Being a mixture of hungover and still drunk, the group whinge, snap and argue on the way to the train, arriving painfully close to late (for this tightass NZer). By lunchtime, they're on the streets of Korea's beach city. To-ing, fro-ing and arguing later, all but Canada get themselves cheap rooms in a "love motel".
A trip up a hill to a beautiful working temple in the northern part of the city and hangovers are finally forgotten.
They all head into the city for dinner and then hit the bars and split up. The girls, NZ1 and Ireland1 hit the dance bars while the boys, Canada, NZ2 and Ireland2 head for a few beers.
"Hey, white guys," someone on the street yells. It's USA1 & 2, military personel taking a weekend off. After intro's, USA2 invites the boys to a bar and soon enough, there's eight bottles of beer on the table, quickly joined by whisky, tequila and fruit (peaches and beer are the oddest nice combo ever!).
"So, what do you guys think of Americans?" USA1 asks and NZ2 thinks for a moment. Dish out his opinions and maybe get his head kicked in by the trained killer, or go easy. Well, it turns out USA1 is a really nice guy and listens, so NZ2 figures he'll be straight up and say what he thinks about Iraq, Afghanistan, gun control, religion and terrorism.
USA1 doesn't disagree much. In fact, he asks a lot of questions, no judging or anything. He even agrees with a few things the others at the table think of America and Americans. Thing is, he'll be a perfectly nice guy then come out with a comment like:
"I'm in this world to stop countries being powered by Islam!" and "I'm in it to spread democracy!" and "The USA is able to HELP everyone else in the world, so why should we let them stop us?"
Canada and NZ2 synchronise their eye rolling. US1's a really nice guy, clean-cut American GI, 22 years old, married with a 2 year old son (whose photograph was passed around the bar). He's a child of the propoganda thoug. He agreed with opposing viewpoints but couldn't give up his own, which all sounded very familiar from US tv. He's adament Iraq was involved in Sept. 11, 2001 attacks (he's military intel, so could know more than most), and the war is essential.
"Roadbumps are inevitable in a conflict."
NZ2 says goodbye and Korea doesn't want him to go. There's an arm around him and hugging, but he manages to get out the door and into a taxi. NZ2 get's dropped off at the subway station near his hotel at around 430AM and as the car drives away, he looks up at the buildings and doesn't recognise a single one. He's at the wrong station. It's now that he notices it's been raining all night and not about to stop. So, he walks for a few km's, luckily following the correct subway line, to his hotel room.
Both Irealands and NZs go to a jimjilbang, a segregated spa facility, the next day. Ireland2 and NZ2 leave all their clothes in lockers and walk naked into a large room filled with spa-pools, saunas and massage tables all in use by the hundreds of patrons. All men and boys are naked. Age ranges from young to old and the entire place is incredibly weird, at first. After a shower (everyone must wash before bathing) the boys hit the pools and saunas and after a while, it's just a bunch of naked men chilling out at a spa facility. NZ2 and Ireland2 both enjoy it, mostly. NZ2 is looking for the mens room and a staff member can't speak English so "guides" him there, with arm around him and holding his arm affectionately. That's Korean men for you: hands on with each other. NZ2 is normally okay with it but, well, he's naked and that's a weird, weird... um... is situation the correct word?
The four leave the jimjilbang and head to the beach at Haeundai, arriving at the same time as a typhoon. Battling wind, driving rain and collapsing umbrellas which soon became missiles tumbling into oncoming traffic, they get to an Indian restaurant. Needless to say, swimming today wasn't needed. The boys take turns standing in the driving rain flagging taxis, Ireland2 being successful, although both are drenched.
And they meet Canada at the train station to catch the bullet train home. Canada had stayed overnight with Korea, the man who hadn't let NZ2 go without a struggle, and had been sleeping off the alcohol he'd consumed since friday night.
It's a weekend over. Now NZ2 needs a weekend to recurperate from it.
"I'm in the US military intelligence unit," one of the USA's says for the fourth time in 20 minutes. "Do you guys know what intelligence is?"
Twenty hours earlier, 2 times NZ, 1 Canada and 2 times Ireland were in Ichaewon, central Seoul - THE bar district full of drunk US soldiers and brothels. The place was quiet, as the military police were scanning each bar for jarhead haircuts, searching for those out past curfew. They were all either gone or keeping a low profile. Both of NZ and one Ireland got back to their cheap hotel on the aptly named Hooker Hill and slept a little before catching the bullet train south to Pusan. Canada and the other Ireland checked out the other bars until the sun came up.
Being a mixture of hungover and still drunk, the group whinge, snap and argue on the way to the train, arriving painfully close to late (for this tightass NZer). By lunchtime, they're on the streets of Korea's beach city. To-ing, fro-ing and arguing later, all but Canada get themselves cheap rooms in a "love motel".
A trip up a hill to a beautiful working temple in the northern part of the city and hangovers are finally forgotten.
They all head into the city for dinner and then hit the bars and split up. The girls, NZ1 and Ireland1 hit the dance bars while the boys, Canada, NZ2 and Ireland2 head for a few beers.
"Hey, white guys," someone on the street yells. It's USA1 & 2, military personel taking a weekend off. After intro's, USA2 invites the boys to a bar and soon enough, there's eight bottles of beer on the table, quickly joined by whisky, tequila and fruit (peaches and beer are the oddest nice combo ever!).
"So, what do you guys think of Americans?" USA1 asks and NZ2 thinks for a moment. Dish out his opinions and maybe get his head kicked in by the trained killer, or go easy. Well, it turns out USA1 is a really nice guy and listens, so NZ2 figures he'll be straight up and say what he thinks about Iraq, Afghanistan, gun control, religion and terrorism.
USA1 doesn't disagree much. In fact, he asks a lot of questions, no judging or anything. He even agrees with a few things the others at the table think of America and Americans. Thing is, he'll be a perfectly nice guy then come out with a comment like:
"I'm in this world to stop countries being powered by Islam!" and "I'm in it to spread democracy!" and "The USA is able to HELP everyone else in the world, so why should we let them stop us?"
Canada and NZ2 synchronise their eye rolling. US1's a really nice guy, clean-cut American GI, 22 years old, married with a 2 year old son (whose photograph was passed around the bar). He's a child of the propoganda thoug. He agreed with opposing viewpoints but couldn't give up his own, which all sounded very familiar from US tv. He's adament Iraq was involved in Sept. 11, 2001 attacks (he's military intel, so could know more than most), and the war is essential.
"Roadbumps are inevitable in a conflict."
NZ2 says goodbye and Korea doesn't want him to go. There's an arm around him and hugging, but he manages to get out the door and into a taxi. NZ2 get's dropped off at the subway station near his hotel at around 430AM and as the car drives away, he looks up at the buildings and doesn't recognise a single one. He's at the wrong station. It's now that he notices it's been raining all night and not about to stop. So, he walks for a few km's, luckily following the correct subway line, to his hotel room.
Both Irealands and NZs go to a jimjilbang, a segregated spa facility, the next day. Ireland2 and NZ2 leave all their clothes in lockers and walk naked into a large room filled with spa-pools, saunas and massage tables all in use by the hundreds of patrons. All men and boys are naked. Age ranges from young to old and the entire place is incredibly weird, at first. After a shower (everyone must wash before bathing) the boys hit the pools and saunas and after a while, it's just a bunch of naked men chilling out at a spa facility. NZ2 and Ireland2 both enjoy it, mostly. NZ2 is looking for the mens room and a staff member can't speak English so "guides" him there, with arm around him and holding his arm affectionately. That's Korean men for you: hands on with each other. NZ2 is normally okay with it but, well, he's naked and that's a weird, weird... um... is situation the correct word?
The four leave the jimjilbang and head to the beach at Haeundai, arriving at the same time as a typhoon. Battling wind, driving rain and collapsing umbrellas which soon became missiles tumbling into oncoming traffic, they get to an Indian restaurant. Needless to say, swimming today wasn't needed. The boys take turns standing in the driving rain flagging taxis, Ireland2 being successful, although both are drenched.
And they meet Canada at the train station to catch the bullet train home. Canada had stayed overnight with Korea, the man who hadn't let NZ2 go without a struggle, and had been sleeping off the alcohol he'd consumed since friday night.
It's a weekend over. Now NZ2 needs a weekend to recurperate from it.
posted by the Emperor Fabulous at 9:29 AM
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