Drinking with Coworkers 09/07/2009

The other night, I went out for dinner and drinks with the faculty and staff of my home school. We were celebrating the Vice Principal’s first day of school, and this was my first foray into drinking with coworkers.

Now, for people who aren’t currently in Korea and/or don’t know much about the traditions, drinking with coworkers can be a tricky situation. Everyone has to deal with the tradition of drinking with coworkers in Korea. It doesn’t matter if alcohol makes you deathly ill, or if it is highly against your personal beliefs – you must, at least, receive alcohol from the people at your table.

Now, I know how to receive a drink in Korea; I have been practicing for a while now. And wouldn’t you know, with the very first nip I received, I forgot to hold my cup with both hands! So there I am, receiving my drink with only one arm hanging out like an oblivious stroke patient when, out of the corner of my eye, I see one of the office staff reach over to show me how, and I realized my faux pas. I whipped my other hand up to receive, and the precious fluid was jostled from my grip and dripped down on to the various Banchan (side dishes) below. I was so embarrassed!

Later in the evening, I worked on redeeming myself when dinner turned to drinks at the “bar.” Now, I’m not really sure if one large booth in a deserted room is really called a bar, but beer is beer right? Regardless, I impressed the crowd with my ability to drink plenty and still follow the social cues in a large group of people who speak, what could be, gibberish for all I know.

Though I could play along, there was one practice I was unfamiliar with, and still do not completely understand. When someone finished his beer (say, the VP), he handed his glass to someone else at the table. The person who received held the glass for the VP to fill. Then, the receiver had to drink whatever was poured. So, one person would end up with two beers and the other would end up with no beers. Though this does explain receiving an extra glass with the service of a pitcher at bars, I still have no idea why Koreans do this. I tried asking my “sisters of the same age” at the table and all I really got was that it is a sign of respect for others.

I also picked up on the fact that it is perfectly acceptable to cheat at this game. If you can fit the remainder of the beer from your second glass into your first, go ahead and consolidate. Then, you can give the empty glass to some poor unsuspecting co-worker. Also, when you receive the glass, you can push up on the pitcher with your glass to make the other person pour you less beer. Important note: I do not know the full ramifications of having less beer poured for you – it may have connections to being humble and/or others not having respect for you, so receive beer at your own risk!

It was a strange yet familiar feeling for me – this dinner. I felt like a fly on the wall, watching everything through a Kaleidoscope from a distance: learning by reading social cues and body language without understanding a single word. Familiarity came with feeling the same camaraderie I have felt drinking with my coworkers in the past. Through my experiences, there is almost nothing better than working next to someone that you just shared belly laughs with the night before.