Rooftop Dinner with Dr. X: Storytime

An amusing story time about new friends and Doctors ordering chicken at midnight

Some of the things that people expect when traveling to Korea are funny stories, so here is one that was random and fun… So, while in Busan towards the end of the summer season, my sister realized she had a minor health issue. She found a doctor who could help in Seoul, and I assumed that would be where things ended. However, flashforward a week later, after our trip to Jeju and my sister tells me that her Doctor (let’s call him Dr. X) asked her to go to dinner with him and his assistant. That seemed a bit random to me, but I figured I would go along with it.

I arrived there assuming we were going to a restaurant to which he said we would be going to his restaurant which was on the rooftop of the practice. He invited another patient of his, who I will call Colin and Colin’s girlfriend Ji-Seong and they came bearing makgeolli and snacks. Thus, the rooftop party began.

The night was filled with bi-lingual joking, translations, and samgyeopsal and overall good energy from the other guests and Dr. X. Dr. X and I began talking about art as I am a painter and he showed me some of his own artistic interests. Dr. X asked my sister, Colin, and I what we saw as the differences between Korean, Japanese, and Chinese people, and international perception of these different nations. At first, the question stumped me, but as I thought about it, I realized that the media understanding of the 3 nations has been sharpening over the past few years. The more I go on social media, the more Asian content creators I see speaking their native languages and attracting followings based on their specific culture and people’s growing awareness of the differences between East Asian countries.

From there we strayed to what Korean men see as socially acceptable when dating. Dr. X explained that in Korean society it is accepted for Korean men to date women of any "social caliber" while educated women are expected to date and marry someone who is more educated or seen as more accomplished than she is. In some ways, it seems similar to the American conception of acceptable matches which intrigued me.

He suddenly switched from the topic of society and announced that we should order chicken. After having had makgeolli, samgyeopsal, pajeon, and snacks, everyone cried out that he shouldn’t order chicken and he seemed to agree until suddenly he was on the phone and wondering off asking a delivery person to bring chicken.

When the chicken arrived, he began offering it out and making sure that we had all eaten enough. I have to say it was the most chicken foot like non-chicken-foot that I have ever eaten. We wrapped up the night conversing with Colin, Ji-Seong, and Dr. X’s assistant and arranged to meet them again. Overall, it was a great if unexpected night. All of the people were kind, engaging, and happy to spend an evening looking at stars on the rooftop. To the readers, I would add that you can make friends in very unexpected places in Korea (and make sure to bring a friend along for the ride).