bang, bang assorted bangs

Well, this entry is a bit overdue but I've got to get it out. So last week I had my first "bang" experience. Now, before you start getting any strange thoughts, let me just clarify that this word translates to "room". We were looking to see what English language films were playing in the theatre and found that there weren't any we wanted to see or hadn't seen, so we looked into what is called a DVD Bang (It's more of an sound too). These places are fairly popular and you can find them in most of the happening areas of town. The concept is real simple. You go to one of these places where they have all these movies to rent, really, and rather than taking it home you watch it in one of the rooms they have set up for the purpose. I was with three friends so we got one of the larger rooms. It's actually a nice setup, I think it costs us about 4 bucks a piece but we were in one of the nicer parts of town so it might be cheaper elsewhere. The room is not too big but large enough. Instead of a couch or chairs there is sort of a floor bed with pillows where you can relax. The TV was one of those large wall mounted flay panel things which is much better than watching things on my dinky 12 inch laptop at home which we've done a couple times. The main drawback is that they sort of control the movie, so if you need to run to the bathroom, there is not a way to pause the film as far as I know. These are very popular with young people, and let's think a moment as to the reason why shall we... So get a movie, go into a small dark room with a friend or lover and "watch" a movie for a couple hours on essentially a bed. I'm pretty sure you can bring in drinks of your own if you wish and most you can smoke in if you so choose. Needless to say, I've heard that quite a few Koreans have some of their first non-movie watching experiences in these places. So, in some regards I'm happy that we got a larger room which I feel was a little less likely target for extracurricular activities. Evidently, they've been required by law to but windows on the door to discourage imaginable actions. Ours did have one, but one of our Korean friends said that this has not been implemented everywhere.

Ok, Bang # 2. The name eludes me on this but these are essentially Karaoke Bangs. Same idea but instead of a movie you go into a room and there are couches, a small stereo setup and a TV where you the lyrics of the song are up on the screen for you. Any of my Austin friends reading this will probably recognize the format, that one was Korean owned, you can tell by the signs which are in Korean. I've actually not been into one of these things yet, don't ask me why. I have such an outstanding singing voice and all. But I've talked to people who have gone and this is what has been described. I don't think that these things are limited to Korea but are extremely popular all throughout Asia. If you remember the scene in Lost In Translation where Bill Murray and Scarlet Johanson's character are doing the Karaoke thing in a small room, it's sort of like that minus the windows and the 20th story view. Here's the one thing, these things are everywhere. Seriously, they're as common as convenient stores. You can't walk down a block that has any commercial business and not see one. It's insane, they take this stuff very seriously over here. This also ties into what will be a future posts about all those "incredible dancing girls". That is not meant to be as suggestive as it sounds but I really want to devote a whole entry on them once I get a camera so I can offer some visual aids to go along.

Bang #3. I also can't remember the name of these. I've yet to go to one of these too and I'll limit my commentary on something I've yet to have first hand experience with. These are basically small spa's or saunas. The chinese/turkish/asian baths and saunas are very popular here as well. The thing is once you go in, you go to a locker room and strip down naked. The sexes are separated in these and the larger type "Baths" both of which usually offer different mineral baths and such. I know that I basically need a Korean chaperone to go into one of these and since I have ZERO male Korean friends at this point I'll have to wait a bit. I promise a full account of the experience if/when it finally happens. I'm actually very interested in this because I think it ties largely into issues of being overly self-conscious about our bodies. This I think is largely a western problem, but I might be speaking too soon. Realize that these things are not some crazy sexual escapade type of place (although I'm sure there are places that cater to that type of thing) but instead are sort of like public pools minus the clothing and the fact that the sexes are seggregated. My hypothesis is that being surrounded by normal non-perfect naked people, faults and all, will help decrease the level of criticism an individual places on their own bodies. I explored this in the States and found it to help me, honestly. Now, I would like to think that is the case but then you see an add on the TV for a skin whitener and you're forced to question your thoughts. Yes, they really have skin whiteners over here, and I think I understand how that came to be but another time... What really drives me nutty is the ads (I think I've mentioned this already) for plastic surgery with the image of Audrey Hepburn on them. It drive me insane to see my goddess used in such a way. So anyway, I will write more about this once I have some first hand experience and am able to talk to people about the topic in depth.

In other news. I spent Saturday night playing Gin Rummy at one of the bars with the usual suspects. Now, I don't know how to play any card games other that Blackjack and even that I have a hard time with. It's not that I have anything insanely against cards I've just never learned. I guess I was annoyed in high school when anytime the teacher paused for more than five seconds that 8 games of VC (a Vietnamese card game that caught on like wildfire with the entire school) would appear out of the blue in any given classroom. I never watched Beverly Hills 90210 either (which I always thought all the men watched just so they would have something to talk to the girls about, Sex in The City anyone??....) I've always been skeptical of anything that appealed to the masses, this is not necessarily a good quality and I'm still confused why Bush is doing so well in the polls. Anyway, once my Korean partner finally started to teach me a bit of how to play Gin are winning streak ceased and that's all I have to say about that.


I'm reading two books currently. I'm still getting through my "at home" book, The Brothers K. and for my subway reading I'm polishing off Salinger's 9 Stories which I've been trying to take in small doses becuase the pages are finite and he published so little. This has gotten me in a Salinger kick again and I'm going to re-read Catcher in the Rye once I finish Teddy. Now, does anyone have any insight on why, when you go to a bookstore here, the English language section will contain the book adaption of every major English language film but inevitably a copy of Catcher in the Rye? This is a country that is still has a rather tenuous relationship with western cultural imports and a pretty strict class system. On top of that there is still an adequate amount of censorship as far as what western things are allowed into the country. You can find all your Eminem CD's at the records store (and blaring from various speakers) but vibrators are illegal. And back to the book, here we have a book that openly and at times rather crassly, criticizes the (admittedly another country's and another time's) status quo. Strangely enough though, Catcher in the Rye might have as much significance in the here and now Korea as it did (and does) in America. I don't know, that's worth a whole entry in itself in the future. But, if anyone happens to run into a cheap copy of "Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters" (also by Salinger) would you think about sending it to me? I seem to have given out my only copy back in the States and I can't find it anywhere here.

Lastly, I just found out about this band called "TV on the Radio". I honestly am entirely unsure how to interpret this album. It's Prince, U2, Peter Gabriel and honestly I think a little bit of Morphine mixed with Gospel. I'm so entirely confused but I can't stop listening to "Staring at the Sun" (they're own original). Anyone have other opinions on the band?

"The most singular difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy a liquid. Mine started to seep through its container as early as the next morning."
J.D. Salinger
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