So, I can understand some Korean, but not everything. There are certain times where I find myself in a very awkward situation because I didn't know what a word meant. Well, let me tell you of a time.
Information that you might need: It was August 31st, my 21st birthday was September 1st, the day right after this.
I was at a church woman's activity, and we had just finished a big and spicy meal. It is very common to have fruit and juice to wash it all down. I am most used to a type of plum juice (maeshil) after meals. It's really good for digestion and Mark and I get it often because it's nice for heartburns as well. Well anyhow, one of the ladies came out and said we're going to have podo-ju. Podo means grape. I didn't know what ju meant. She said it was exactly like plum juice, but with grapes. It was at a church activity so I didn't think anything of it except whether it was a tea against the word of wisdom or not. She pulled out a glass jar and distributed the drinks. I drank some and HATED it! It was too sweet, odd tasting and burned my throat. It's very rude not to finish what people give you in Korea, so my solution is to finish it fast. I started chugging it! Well a friend next to me made my thoughts verbal, "Wow, this is really really strong." So I knew this wasn't normal, so it occurred to me...is this alcohol? Again, my friend, made this verbal but in Korean. The owner of it said "Of course not! It's just like plum juice." The owner of the mystery drink then told us that last year she bought a box grapes and they didn't taste very good. Grapes are expensive, so instead of wasting them, she juiced them, added sugar and kept them in that jar for a year! Luckily for me, I knew that that meant alcohol...thank goodness for a Chemist husband. I didn't know what to do or say, but I definitely couldn't finish it. I went to use the restroom and fortunately when I came back it was gone. Turns out "ju" is a suffix for alcohol. I.E. Maek-ju means beer, so-ju is a popular alcoholic beverage. I drank wine the day before I turned 21! Not only did I forsake my morals but I broke U.S. law! ;) It's a really funny experience for, and it definitely makes me think twice before I drink anything!
This is a great story. Thank you for sharing it with us. Ironically, the word soju appears on your blog two posts ago (in reference to your impromptu photographer). I'm learning important Korean words from you guys.
ReplyDeleteAnd I think many missionaries have had similar experiences. I remember having a Coke once that had been poured into a glass. We could definitely tell that the glass had not been cleaned very well because Coke should not taste like Vodka...