More cops in the alley the other day. This time the resident crazy old lady was trying to stop a fight between a drunk man and a small but rather burly housewife. Korean men, you see, don't have big statures; most adult men are relatively skinny and not usually much over 5'9. The housewives are also small but they've had a lot of, how shall I say, life experience (i.e. abuse and thankless motherhood and really tough times all-around). So the man and woman got into it pretty good, and as I was getting my shoes on to help the old crazy lady break it up, the housewife began to get the upper hand. By the end of it, the man had pulled out a few fistfuls of hair but the woman had delivered him a pretty decent beating.

I don't want to be sexist here, so I figured it was a fair fight and didn't intervene. The man was clearly the aggressor, but the woman was kindof egging him on too, in order i think to get him in more trouble when the cops came. The cops did come and as usual, everyone started trying to blame everybody else.

Now, don't think all this domestic violence I write about is representative of Seoul as a whole. I happen to live slightly in the outskirts, in one of the poorest parts of the city. It's got literally dozens and dozens of tiny brothells, seedy bars, and large families (grandparents included) all living together in very small apartments. Incomes are very low. Alcoholism is absolutely rampant.

Jordan moved to a different area of town a month or two ago. His apartment, across from mine, was really shitty (mildew smell, no good window, cramped layout, no A/C, etc..) His new area is a lot nicer. There are no drunken men stumbling around at night, no screaming domestic disputes, no garbage smell in the streets, and the families and buildings are generally just nicer and more... middle-class. Stores are more expensive too.
But I don't want to move like Jordan did. In addition to my girlfriend living within walking distance, I actually enjoy the character of the neighbourhood. On paper it's horrible in every way, but for some reason I like it. And it's cheap. Kim-bap (traditional rice/seaweed roll) is half the price compared to what it is in Jordan's part of town.

Comments

Jordan said…
I do miss the cheap Kim-bap, although the grocery stores are not much more expensive around here, and they offer a greater selection. Sanggye's domestic disputes and colourful characters were quite something. My new neighborhood only has the occasional ranting drunk, and it has a more youthful crowd on the whole: kids, university students, couples.
7:49 AM
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