GINSENG
My host parents sprung a trip on me today to Kumsan, or something like that, which is apparently the ginseng capital of Korea. We drove maybe 30 minutes to get to this place just to buy $70 worth of the stuff, eat deep fried ginseng, and drink red ginseng tea. All of that took maybe 20 minutes, tops, and then we drove back. An hour of driving through the mountains and backroads of Korea just to spend 20 minutes in some village for a bag full of roots. However, I still have the taste of ginseng in my mouth and it's midnight.
When we got back, the host sisters had the living room floor covered in newspaper and the little propane stove set up for our sam-kyeop-sal dinner (thick, Korean-style bacon). Who walks in the door right then but Sae Yeob – yes, I thought we were picking him up on Sunday, too, but apparently we are not. Does that mean we are still going to Seoul tomorrow? Who knows? Stay tuned tomorrow for the exciting conclusion.
INDIAN BOP
After dinner (and copious drinking for the men-folk), the siblings all gathered round for some Jenga, which was my present to them along with a bunch of American candy (remember??). They LOVE Jenga. However, the way they play involves a punishment system. Practically all Korean games involve the loser being physically punished. There are three styles:
1. Being flicked on the forehead
2. Being flicked on the back of the wrist/arm
3. Being Indian Bop'ped
For Indian Bop, you lay down prostrate so that your back is available to everybody that didn't lose. Then, every person slaps your back repeatedly while saying “INDIANNNN” then, with one hard, final slap, “BOP”.
Yeah, I don't get it either, I just live here. I'll try to make a video of it the next time we play because it's pretty violent and people end up with red slap-marks on their forehead/arm/back. Oh, Korea.
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