Chicken and Beer

So last night was my first big Korean dining experience (sadly, I realized it was actually the first time I've gone out to dinner since I got here--the rest of the week I didn't have anyone to go out with and I've been so tired by 8pm that I just ate Ramen and went to bed). Anyhow, it was a great time. I met my roommate and two other people that are newish here (both are recent MBA grads, one from Booth and one from HBS) and we went out for Korean fried chicken and beer. The chicken and the beer were delicious and I had too much of both (especially the beer). The chicken was similar to what you would have in the US, as we ordered it prepared without the Korean bbq sauce they're known for (if I would have known that was what we were doing then I would have requested one order of the other style). The chicken, although sauceless, was really good though. One additional piece of Korean culture I learned about is that it is rude to pour your own drink at the table. The custom is for people to fill each others' glasses--I think it is meant to be a sign of respect (as long as you're paying attention). I'm not sure what one does if they run out of beer and no one refills their cup--is it rude to ask someone to fill you up? I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. Also, when filling a drink, the respectful approach is to pour it with two hands. That doesn't work great for beer, however, as you need that extra hand to hold the glass at an angle. At any rate, we enjoyed our chicken and overly-frothy beer for several hours. Afterward, my roommate and I went back and she opened a bottle of wine. I was super tired and didn't really want wine so I drank quickly, but the result was that my glass kept getting refilled. I love her thoughtfulness, but am paying for it today. That 90 minute commute that I already loathe is MUCH worse with a hangover (especially when dressed in full winter gear and therefore sweating like a prisoner with a tongue ring the whole time). The hangover provided me with my first real longing for non-Asian food, and it came in the form of a burning desire for a bacon egg and cheese sandwich. As much as I've enjoyed Korean food so far, a sushi roll of vegetables and a little beef is simply not the ideal hangover cure.

That's about all my exhausted brain can come up with for now. The plans for the rest of the day--finish class, do homework as quickly as possible, be annoyed for 90 minutes while en route home, and then get a good night's sleep ahead of New Year's Eve. As much as my adult mind should be able to deal with the time zone difference, I still find certain things weird like the fact that I'll be toasting to the new year at 9am Chicago time.

Happy New Year's Eve Eve!