Cancer Curing Kimchi Club

We registered our team and the plan was set. We were competing in the bi-annual Rocky Mountain Tavern (RMT) scavenger hunt. The only thing we had left to do was come up with a name. Of course, this is always hard. So we did what anyone would do when they need to brainstorm: start drinking Soju. After an hour or so of drinking and Joel playing "Callin' Baton Rouge" over and over again, we started thinking. Not only did we need a name, but we also needed to make team shirts and a logo.

Several ideas were being tossed around. We thought about The Rub-Offs, The Non-Teachers, Biological Tape Recorders and a few less noteworthy names. It was getting a bit late, so we decided to start thinking about the shirt design and worry about the name later. The final idea was to have a list of guidelines for living in Korea on the back. Here they are: Typical Korean Operation; Tin-Pan Culture; Soju It To Me; To The Bitter End; My Film Stopped Rolling; If The Hen Cries, The House Will Collapse; Biological Tape Recorder; Overworked; 007 Teaching Privates; Homosexual Free; If You Say So; Plastic Surgery is Natural. They all carry significance and I could write a post on each one, but for now I'll leave it alone. As we were thinking about things to write on the list, Joel suggested that we include something about the myth/fact that Koreans believe that Kimchi cures cancer. It did not make the list because as we debated it possible inclusion, Joel shouted

"How about the Cancer Curing Kimchi Club?"

The room erupted in laughter and it was settled. We would be the Cancer Curing Kimchi Club. What a name! So we finished up the design, printed it out and ironed them on our white shirts. It was about 1:30 am -still early- so we decided to go to a Norabang for a little fun and soju. We sang for a couple hours with our dreadful voices and that was the evening. I had planned to go to bed early that night, but you know me, I'm usually up for some fun.

I got into bed at about 6:00am. The phone rang at 11:00am. It was Mom.

"Where have you been? I was so worried." she said with a hint of relief in her voice.

"What do you mean? I've been sleeping."

"Kristin tried calling you for hours."

"I didn't hear the phone ring, sorry."

We talked for awhile, which is always nice, and that was it. I showered, watched a Curb Enthusiasm episode (The Weatherman episode), ate cheerios and then I left for Rhett's. I got there at about 12:40pm and Joel (who had passed out there after the Norabang) and Rhett were both there, wearing their shirts. Shortly after I arrived, Mike walked in followed by Suzanna, Aaron, and Gina. We got in a cab and left for Itaewon. The hunt started at 3:00pm, so we got there early to have a few drinks and talk about our strategy. Again, we just drank and laughed, luckily Joel couldn't put on "Callin Baton Rouge" at the Canadian tavern.

The manager asked us all to sit and he began telling us the rules.

"No cheating and if the cops ask who is hosting the hunt, tell them it's Gekko's (another popular bar)."

"Also, everything has to be documented by photo and video and at least 4 team members have to be in the shot."

Cops huh? I guess I knew we would be doing some crazy stuff, but I didn't think we would have the possibility of any legal problems. He said go and with that we started our day. It was a 3:00pm and we glanced at our list.

"We should start here."

"No, we should start here and then go there."

"No, we should go here first and do those things later."

Well this is a great start I thought to myself. We eventually got started with a visit to the famed Hooker Hill. One of the challenges was to give a hooker a high-five. So we found a brothel. All of us ran inside and tried to coerce the hooker into giving us five. She declined, but Rhett managed to make it appear that she did it.




They were pissed that we were in there, but we ran out as soon as the picture was snapped. I'm not going to tell you all the challenges we did, but I'll give you the highlights. We had to bench press something, so we opted to use Gina. We had to do a cheerleader pyramid in front of KFC. We did it.

We had to get fitted for a suit. This was fun and the guy was not too happy that we were all in his small store, being loud and drunk. At least we were speaking Korean.

We had wear traditional Korean clothing, assume cooking responsibilities at a street vendor's eatery, kiss a bartender, flash a train conducter, Indian Leg wrestle in a PC bang, buy and change underwear ON the street, take topless shots, take body shots off random Koreans, chug a full bottle of Soju, take a shot with a homeless person, get a body wax, drive a taxi and a city bus, take a bath, hug a cop, mail a letter home and take a shot with the Family Guy animator. He lives in Seoul and has for about seven years. We did not do this one, but actually met him later on. I bought him a shot and we took a couple pictures together on Rhett's camera, so I'll post that later.

She shopkeep did not like the idea of us holding up these clothes.

Joel, Mike, Rhett, some guy and I all took the shirtless shot. It was fun and the bar didn't seem to mind. We tried to get more people at the bar to join in so we could get extra points, but it didn't work. At another bar though, we got a girl to flash us therefore earning us more points. I decided not to put that picture up on here, but it will be on webshots. It was not a pretty sight, so don't get excited. Luckily, we were all behind her when she raised her shirt.

I couldn't believe the driver let us drive. I was in the back taking the picture.

There she is. I think we gave her 500 won for her time.


We finally got back to the bar and took a nice group shot that gave us some serious points. We did all but five of the fifty challenges. It was so much fun and I feel more connected to the city, the people and my new friends. So all the scores were added up and we all sat down to hear the results.

"And the first loser is...Cancer Curing Kimchi Club!" the guy announced.

We were all excited. Then we all watched a slideshow of a compilation of all the teams' pictures, It was so fun. All the teams laughed, met each other and continued drinking together into the evening. Plus, second place was great, but we weren't there to win or lose. We were there to create memories. We were there to have fun in a foreign city with new people. We there to have Koreans laugh with us and at us. And according to our Second place prize, we were there for nachos and two huge pitchers of ice cold beer. Oh, Itaewon...