How I ended up Pavlov-ing my husband into his first date with me pt. 1
To begin this part of the story, it is necessary to explain the Korean phenomenon known as hweshik. (hoeshik? huesheek?)
Hweshik translates to “company dinner.” In Korea, businessmen are required to go out to dinner with their coworkers to dinner at least once or twice a week. However, the strict hierarchy of Korean companies remains in place during these dinners.
If your superior tells you to drink, you must drink. If a person older than you tells you to drink, you must drink. If someone pours you a drink, you must drink that drink. You cannot go home until everyone more superior in the company has left.
Let’s just say that people tend to fall asleep in shifts, and that hangover cure drinks are sold absolutely everywhere.
Now, at that time I didn’t have hweshik. However, He did.
The night before was my birthday, and he stayed out drinking until four in the morning, and woke up two hours later for work. The next night, he had hweshik until at least 10.
I had only gotten off work an hour before, when I got a very drunk, very unexpected phone call. “I want to see you,” came his plaintive voice. “I want to talk to you! Can we meet?”
I was completely sober at the time, so I reasonably responded, “Okay, sure. What day is good for you?”
“No, I want to see you now. My hweshik is in the city today, let’s meet!”
On the phone, he sounded utterly sloshed. But in his drunkenness, I realized I had an opportunity.
“Let’s meet at the coffee shop by my apartment!” I said cheerfully.
Now was the perfect time to get some information.