My Very First Hash

Man, I am broke. After spending two-thirds of my paycheck on student loans, plane tickets to Jeju Island, train tickets to Mudfest, and a white water rafting trip in August, I was left with only a few hundred Won to make it through the month. Now, with 11 days left until payday I'm practically running on fumes. I know I just have to demonstrate a little more discipline but I never had a salary before. For the past seven or eight years I've been hustling tips in restaurants so getting one huge check all of a sudden requires a certain degree of fiscal adaptability. I'll probably make it till payday but I'm gonna be eating a lot of rice.

So Happy Birthday America! For myself and just about every other U.S. citizen, common conventions such as fireworks, hot dogs, and catching fireflies is what we relish on this particular holiday. Still, the cynic in me can't help but wonder if the origin of Independence Day was more about rich, white plantation owners not wanting to pay taxes than about British oppression. But such musings are best saved for a more subjective forum...something with leather armchairs, smoking jackets, aged scotch and people who frequently use the term "old chap". The spirit of the 4th of July is about majestic twilight, smoky briquettes, beverage filled coolers, pool basketball, little kids darting around the yard with sparklers and those elongating black snakes. I hope all of my friends and family back home had just as much fun barbecuing, playing Frisbee, and watching fireworks as I did meeting foreigners and hashing.

"What is hashing?" you may be asking yourself. No Mom, it's not drugs. A hash is actually a group of people running through a city following chalk markers (hashes). It's a total blast being part of a large pack that is sprinting though open markets, down alleyways, through shops, over little dogs, and into subway tunnels. At certain spots you have to stop and belt out cool songs, drink a beer, or perform questionable acts. After the hash is over everyone gathers at a local bar for beer and food. Lot's of hashing chapters use the motto "A drinking club with a running problem." Most people who have hashed more than 5 or 6 times are given a name by the club and are referred to by that name at subsequent hashes. All of these names are on the vulgar end of the spectrum so I'll refrain from reiterating them here but if you take a look at a hashers homepage you'll get the idea.

I was surprised that I had never heard of hashing before because it is apparently very popular in cities around the world and it is a ton of fun. Just Google hashing and you'll come up with all sorts of results. The chapter in Songton is part of the Hash House Harriers. After everyone has completed the run and had an opportunity to eat a ceremony described only as "Circle" takes place. It is here that virgin runners (me) are hazed in a style similar to college fraternities, names are given to new members, and hilariously vulgar songs are belted as loud as possible. Hours after the pomp and circumstance had come to a close a compliment of hashers remained on the roof of the bar to watch fireworks exploding distantly over the Airforce base.

The night drug on hazily. I wound up in Suwon with some cool people for Galbi but nothing of any particular importance happened. Today I went to dinner with my teachers and had live octopus for the first time. It was squishy and difficult to pick up with chopsticks and though I was thoroughly repulsed I refused to reveal it to my coworkers, instead chowing down on the largest tentacle I could without so much as a grimace, as if it's something I do all the time. As far as hanging out with Korean coworkers goes I never turn down an oppurtunity and find that whatever cultural insight I can obtain from them is invaluable. At the same time communicating with someone whose first language is not English can be tiring. You take for granted the ease with which you converse with your kinsmen. When speaking to a Korean co-teacher I often find myself dumbing down my English, speaking very slowly, pantomining, or thinking of roundabout ways to explain a concept most English speakers use everyday. You wouldn't think it would be a big deal but after a few hours it becomes exhausting and you just want to shut up all together. All the more reason for me to work on my Korean. Well, five days till Mudfest. Thanks for reading.

Cool Thing About Korea #16: You can pay bills or transfer money to a friend right at an ATM.