School night out

Last Saturday was the first official work night out.
I was told to meet at the Yoyo restaurant downtown at 10pm. Easy enough. I turned up and realised that it wasn't a staff night out but only the director MJ and my co-teacher Andy (also a Korean)were there. The female teachers weren't invited and it was in affect a lads night out. We had 3 courses of excellent Korean and Chinese food which we ate communally before my director surprised me by purchasing a bottle of whiskey and explained that his new English phrase was 'Let's get wrecked'.

As I was from Scotland I was to show them how to 'one-shot' whiskey. I don't even touch the stuff back home and my father always said stay off the whiskey as it messes with your mind, Clearly demonstrated to me by Gary when he cried at being called a monkey a few years back.

It wasn't even Scottish whiskey but some Canadian sour mash dressed up in a crystal bottle. Guessing it was expensive I didn't want to spoil the moment, so I dropped an ice cube in, swirled it and performed what the Koreans call 'oneshot'. By the time we had finished the bottle and the meal it was 2am and the choice was between a nightclub or a norae bang. A norae bang is a private room where you can sing karaoke and order drink or food.

Until 5 am I was locked in a room with two forty year old Koreans attempting to sing Korean classics an Englsh pop. I used to love norae bangs. Nights with your friends signing to classics, ordering drink and everybody joining in like an alcohol fueled concert crowd. Renditions of Wonderwall and Yellow were always particularly effective.

This time it was fun to begin with. Trying to teach them the ins and outs of With or without you' or 'My way'. However I look back in shame at my mic hogging, leg shacking dance moves and reckless attempts at singing in Korean. I remember at one point, as the disco ball lit up and I reached the climax or Led Zeppelin's 'Rock n Roll' I was on my knees playing the air guitar.

My boss decided to drive home that night, and it seemed to be completely normal thing to do. I opted for the back seat and buckled my seat belt. My eyes wouldn't stay open much longer so I concentrated on reading the road signs as we drove home at 5am after numerous beers and a bottle of whiskey.

Strangely I find 'Gay bar' by Electric Six an excellent Norae bang tune. Next time I was promised we would higher dancing girls to dance along to our singing.