Seoul has no shortage of bars and clubs, but we did most of our drinking at convenience stores. In a city with three major nightlife districts—Itaewon for military personnel and those who like sleazy bars, Gangnam for those who enjoy overpaying for everything and Hongdae for those who prefer to have fun on a night out—why would anyone choose to hang out in front of a … [Read more...]
New Year’s Eve in Madrid: Eating 12 Grapes and Drinking Thousands
When I was living in Madrid, I decided not to do much for New Year's Eve. I made that decision partly because all of my friends had left for the holidays, but largely because all the clubs in the city were charging entrance fees upwards of 100 Euros when the standard 15 to 20 Euros was already a huge rip-off. Instead ringing in the new year at a crowded club, I grabbed my … [Read more...]
How to Make Basketball Slightly Fun (and Drinking Beer Less So)
Let me get this out of the way right off the bat: I'm not a huge basketball fan. I don't especially mind watching it, but if given the choice, I would prefer to watch pretty much any other sport (and no, I'm not including golf and car racing in my definition of sport). As for actually playing basketball…pure torture. It involves a lot of running and…well, that's really all it … [Read more...]
Forget Vang Vieng—Go Tubing in the Mekong at Si Phan Don
For many backpackers, Laos is synonymous with tubing. The majority largely ignore my favorite country in Southeast Asia, apart from a small loop through the northeastern corner and the highlight of that loop is Vang Vieng. For years backpackers have been flocking to this little village of bars and guesthouses amidst hundreds of limestone peaks to spend a day tubing on the Song … [Read more...]
Signs of a Good Beer Garden: a Dedicated Vomit Sink
I recently went to a touristy beer garden in Berlin where they apparently charge customers to use the restrooms. That is bad customer service. The Pod Wawelem in Krakow, Poland clearly believes in good customer service and I'm sure some of their heavier-drinking clientele appreciate this. That said, the guy who accidentally uses this sink to wash his hands just as someone … [Read more...]