It was a dark and very smelly night as the cry went out among those who meet at The Crossroads...DALLAS!  Yes, the cry was loud, louder than the Kim-chi farts that filled the air (at midnight who can hold their wind?) 

Yes, the battle cry went out like lightening and those who were brave enough decided to follow the strong yes, even the weak and lame came. It was a cry that united Canadian with American and Korean with English and those in between.  It was a cry, which united man with woman and those in between...the cry of the DALLAS CLUB united drinker with non-drinker, smoker with non-smoker and those who were too good to go.

The Dallas brings us together in a way that no other club in Pusan can.  Why do we go?  Why do we shudder when we think about it?  WHY, Why Why? I posed this question to several patrons that cold night in January what follows is the responses I received. The names have been left out to protect the innocent.

The first answer was the most surprising. "There is no where else to go after midnight that is open and has free noodles...so what the hell." Free noodles I had no idea!  

Yes, what the hell. So we too came, drank, danced and watched we too became part of the frenzy that is known as doers of Dallas.  Yes, even me, with my firm Catholic upbringing. I became part of that group ...and for an instant it was good, yes, it was very good.  I was no longer in Korea, but in a dirty, smelly, noisy, loud bar back home.  It was good, it felt good damn it!  It was a place for me to relax without having to listen to the adjumas yell outside, or the puking boys puking and sighing.... It was a place I left all my frustrations and danced.  But, during the night I began to question others as to why they came and many were ashamed, but some said it was the only place to go.  Another man said he was born there. And yet another man said it reminded him of home.  One young lady said she went seeking carnal knowledge (at this point I went looking for the circus tent, but to no avail I did not find one.) Others who couldn't speak English only winked and wiggled I felt lost in this sea of want…
The rest of Ms. Gonda’s report seems to have been lost in the sea of want. 

Why I dislike the Dallas.

What I dislike most about the Dallas Club is the washroom. Every time I venture up those stairs I never know what evils will face me. The great crowds gather to use the foul porcelain. Thank goodness I’m a man and only have to stand in the puddles of dirty water while doing my business. But truly, it’s the trip down the stairs that I hate the most. Being thrilled at my washroom survival I inevitably forget to duck and ram my head against the slanted ceiling.

Fortunately the beer which is served by the hostesses at the Dallas is much too expensive for me to ever drink a lot of. This makes my trips to the toilet less frequent.

The hostesses are far to friendly to any man who happens to come in alone. "You must buy me whiskey," they will say to you while stroking your thigh.

The Dallas is like no other place I have ever been but I’m sure it’s like every other foreign nightclub that is located across from a major US military base.
(Doin’ the Dallas continued on page 8)
 (Doin’ the Dallas continued from page 7)
The crowd is a strange mixture of US soldiers, English teachers, Korean men and women and Russian Prostitutes. This night there were two such Russian ladies who towered over me and every other man in the place. As they walked trough the crowd all men, myself included stood, jaws agape, staring at their every move. It was during this moment that I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror and realized that I didn’t belong here. Yes I like to dance and have fun with my friends but this place is too much for me. But I can understand its appeal to those that frequent its doorway. Once inside you could be in any place in the world, San Francisco, Vancouver, or even Dallas Texas. It’s a place to go to forget about life for a while and the fact that you’re some many thousands of miles away from your families and friends.

If you do go watch your head when your leaving the bathroom.