Still running around after a toddler with sleep issues, so I haven’t had time to blog. I wanted to wish everyone a happy new year, however and share a quick anecdote.
David and I were able to go out to dinner and a movie last night (New Year’s Eve) with my parents watching Susana. We sat down to eat and ordered drinks and the waiter asked for our ID. Apparently now in the U.S., they card anyone who looks younger than 60, just in case.
As both of our U.S. driver’s licenses have expired while we were in Korea, we are driving on an international license based on our current Korean licenses. The cops will honor the international license for driving, but not for getting a legal drink apparently. The restaurant manager said she could only accept a current U.S.-issued ID as proof of age.
So, there we sat. My 34-year-old husband and my 37-year-old self completely sober on New Year’s Eve. It never occurred to us that we would need to carry our passports to buy a beer with dinner. I asked David if there was even an age-limit for drinking in Korea. He wasn’t aware of one. I sighed as I remembered all those times sitting down to dinner in Korea and ordered a beer or bottle of soju without a second thought.
Just one example of the many little culture shocks you experience when you transition back to life in your home country.
{ 6 comments }
Asianmommy 01.02.09 at 5:54 am
Wow–what a story! Well, Happy New Year anyway!
Jon Allen 01.02.09 at 1:32 pm
That is absolutely crazy! you should have threatened to sue them for ruining your evening!
I think I would have started to make a fuss, get stroppy or walk out.
But anyway, Happy New Year. All the best for 2009.
ZenKimchi 01.04.09 at 1:41 pm
That was my big culture shock last year when visiting the U.S. Where Koreans are flexible with rules, Americans are obsessed with them. It felt like a petit police state.
Kent 01.07.09 at 10:14 pm
Oh…. now I understand why you two had alcohol-free dinner.. haha.
Happy New Year !!
Michelle 01.12.09 at 8:33 am
I, on the other hand, landed in London, had a short nap and a shower and then got completely obliterated at Sophie and Simon’s New Year’s Eve party. It was great. I couldn’t even remember how long I had been up since the day before.
Misun, Park 01.17.09 at 5:26 pm
Hi.
My name is Misun and I am a student of MyoungJi University.
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it’s form of HTML and easy to post it on your site.
So would like to I send you an e-mail about that. My e-mail address is werame@naver.com
I will wait your e-mail.
Thank you very much and have a nice day :)
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