I Got Worms

Sam Hopkins visited Seoul this weekend. It was really great to have somebody from back home to hang out with. It's not often that I can walk the streets with someone I have so much in common with - we are both Lancers, we are both Jayhawks and we are both jews.

He arrived on Saturday. I met him at the nearest subway stop to my place to find him with a wide grin and couple bottles of duty-free Maker's Mark. We came back to my apartment and caught up. He told me tales of freedom from the States and I shared anecdotes from my adventures in Asia. It didn't take long for us to break into the Makers and let the night begin.

After a few glasses of whiskey we headed down the alley to my local Korean barbecue joint where everybody was very happy to see us. We consumed some galbi (marinated pig,) some maekchu (beer,) and some soju (boozy booze.) We had planned all along to head to Hongdae to check the scene in that part of town, but alas we were a little too fucked up. I called my friends who we were supposed to meet and they came to my hood. We ended up at a place we call the German Hof which is a little beer and sausage restaurant. The night moved into oblivion as we all fell further into drunkeness.

Sam and I separated from the rest of the crew and headed to the new convenience store in my alley to get beer. We bought some tins of lager and got halfway home before we realized we needed food. We went back to the store. Sam chose some chips as I rambled on and on about how we had to get some Korean snacks while he was in Korea. I picked us out some bon-dae-gee and we headed back to my place.

Bon-dae-gee is the Korean term for silkworm pupae. They are a very popular snack over here. They are sold everywhere and the smell of roasting worms fills the air in many neighborhoods. I have always found the smell to be atrocious, but I felt like the time had come to give them a chance. My logic: they can't be worse than live octopus. Regardless of my initial impressions and opinions on the snack it is still a fact that they are fucking bugs.

We got back to my place and cracked open the can. My room instantly reeked of insect juice. I thought that I had become immune to bad smells living in Korea, but it turns out I am not. We took the two little plastic spoons the clerk provided us with and we decided to dive in. I turned on the camera and let it roll...

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I am assuming that it is evident, but I want to make a little disclaimer that we were pretty drunk at this point. there is a lot of incoherent babbling and half sentences going on, but without our level of intoxication I don't think either of us ever would have been willing to eat bugs.

We did a few takes of the video and after eating two or three, it all became a little too much for Sam. He ran to the bathroom to put the bugs that he had put in his mouth where they belong - in the toilet. In this next video, you can hear him throwing the bugs up as I do what any good host would and take care of the problem that is troubling my guest. It should also be noted that I live on the fourth floor of my building...

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All day Sunday we were both tormented by burps that tasted like these little fuckers. There are a couple opportunities to get a glimpse of them in the videos. They are swimming in a toxic stew of their own juices and shit. I am cringing as I write all this, but I will not say I regret it. I don't think I will have too many similar opportunities once it is time for me to hit the road, so I gotta keep hitting up all that Seoul offers until that time comes around. Hopefully, the next opportunity that arises has more sex with Korean girls and less bug eating...

Much love from Seoul