Soju and Saidah

Bokbunja is raspberry wine. Soju is Korean alcohol, traditionally made from rice.  It's clear and comparable to vodka.  That's what Wikipedia would have me believe; I don't know from personal experience, because I don't drink any alcohol whatsoever.

Those are the two types of booze I've seen the most here.  Plus beer.

I always decline and usually ask for "sah-ee-dah," (cider) which is like Sprite.  I do so much to the disappointment of many a new Korean friend.  I see their faces fall, and if we were in movie, you'd hear the needle of a record player scratching a record and everything around us would come to a screetching halt.  Well, perhaps I'm exaggerating just a wee bit.

Anyroad, in that moment, if I'm in a good mood, I understand that drinking is a huge part of Korean culture and that it's not the norm to encounter a teetotaler.  If I'm tired, I feel judged, like that person is saying there's something inherently wrong with me because I don't kill brain cells with alcohol.  And then I continue the story in my head, "You freak!  You can't have a good time without drinking?!"

Hahahaha.  Iinteresting to monitor your own reactions to what happens when you're abroad, eh?  And then decide how irrational you think you've been.

What do you think?