Hallelujah, readers! We’re wrong and boy are we happy about it. Last month we published, among other things, readers’ requests for information along with some mildly sarcastic replies. Thank heavens some readers were incensed enough to correct our blasphemies. Read on.

Hi, all y’all! 

I just wanted to drop you a line from the (apparently) uncivilized backwater of Taegu. I recently noticed, while sitting at Emanon (not Emanons? -this is supposed to be noname spelled backwards, right?) reading The Exit, that in the Information, Please department was a request for a little help finding things in Taegu. Your response was not only uninformed, but rather against what I feel used to be the general grain of your publication. I thought you were trying to help people, not foster some huge rift between elitist, ultra-cosmo Pusan dwellers, and those of us who, God only knows why, choose to ‘rough it’ anywhere else. 
Well, enough of my haranguing. The comments I have for whomever it was that posed the query is that there is a great little Pakistani grocery store in Kamsamdong (a little west of Woobangtowerland) that has nine kinds of basmati rice, hundreds of (kinds of) marsala, lamb, canned goods from India, Pakistan, and elsewhere, and a very courteous staff, who really try to cater to their clientele. 
As for the other half of the question, which your staff glibly ignored, Gyodung market, near Dong-a Department Store, has dozens of discount camping supply stores with Korean brands and imports—real ‘quality’ stuff, as you seemed to be interested in. 
There really is a lot to discover in Taegu, just like anyplace, if you’re not too scared or self-righteous to give it a shot. Please let the inquisitive souls know they can contact me online ([email protected]) and I’d be more than happy to show them where these places are. 

A little disheartened,
A Taegu Hunter/Gatherer

Thanks for the great info and first-rate sarcasm. Incidentally we’ve asked Goatboy to join our staff, as much for the latter quality as the former. It seems basmati is a very hot issue among expats. Here’s the fourth letter we received on the topic:

Yea, I have Basmati rice and spices and herbs. They’re not cheap though as it cost an arm and a leg to get them here. You can reach Nancy at email, [email protected], or phone, (051)623-1901 in Deayeon 3-Dong, Pusan.

Another helpful correspondent pointed out that basmati rice and various other Indian imports are sometimes available at the Deli House in Haeundae, Pusan. Call first, he warns, as the items you seek may not always be in stock. The number is (051) 744-2422.

If you plan to use your basmati for a vegetarian dish, you may be interested in the next reader’s observations.

Since I am on a computer here at a sort of internet cafe like place here in Pusan, all the directions are in Korean. So I don’t know if this email is going through or not. After browsing through your magazine I have to ask: where did you find such a pathetic grouping of American Pussies? I mean whining takes on a whole new art form in this rag. I must say it does seem like the kind of individual that chooses to do something like teach English overseas fits a certain profile. Vegetarian (usually whiny little bitches that jumped on the bandwagon at school to be cool and especially “different” and no more give a damn about the green bullshit they spout than the man in the moon), animal rights activist (I saw some ad in your paper from a “concerned” young lady. She wants to start a fucking animal rights league here in Korea!! This is Korea. People here are not interested in late twentieth century American angst—poor little puppy, kitten, dolphin etc. In Korea people eat Rover and Puss.), know-it-all (these classrooms must be a breeding ground for pedagogues) complainers. As you can see I am not too impressed, but I must admit I am intrigued—could America’s global “image” problems be partly attributable to these “ambassadors” I don’t know but they could certainly be a factor. Anyhow much love to you all I really did enjoy reading your mag (bet you couldn’t tell from the previous) even if I ridiculed many of your articles.

Sigh. You always hurt the ones you love. Anyway, as we recently discovered, there is such a thing as a Korean animal protection agency, contrary to our claims in the February issue. In fact there are several national organizations that actively promote the humane treatment of animals, although they are all located a little north of here.

Korea Animal Protection Society
P.O. Box 3108, Joong-ang Post Office
JOONG GU SEOUL, 100 63
Tel: + 82 (2)796 9072
Fax: + 82 (2)796 8704
[email protected]

Korea Animal Rescue Association
Kyunggi-do Yangju-gun Nam-myun
SANGSU-RI 410-1, 482-870
Tel: + 82 (351)868 2851
Fax: + 82 (351)862 2259
Korea Society for the Protection of Wild Animals
Cheonglyang P.O. Box 182
SEOUL
Tel: + 82 (2)961 2668/9
Fax: + 82 (2)962 0295
Korean Veterinary Medical Association
104-41 Taeyon-dong
SODAEMUN-GU, SEOUL

Korean Zoological Society - Seoul National University
San 56-1, Shillim-dong
KWANAK-KU, SEOUL

If you want to know more about animal rights issues in Korea (and possess an iron constitution) check out http://www.f1.net.au/users/dan, a website authored by Daniel Peters of the organization, Against Animal Cruelty in Asia. Included are very graphic photos of dog slaughter in Korean markets and a great deal of disturbing information on the procedure and industry. It’s enough to turn you into a vegetarian activist know-it-all complainer.

We are truly penitent about the editorial blunders that provoked this reader’s response:

I am both shocked and appalled, shocked and appalled, by the low level of reporting that is evidenced in The Exit. I’m referring specifically to the Hockey vs. Hock-tu-ey article by the otherwise swell writer, Sheila ‘Scoop’ Windle.  
Even the casual follower of hock-tu-ey knows that the projectile is colloquially known as a loogey. That, however, is the least of the problems in the article. How could she overlook the fourth and fifth criteria in loogey judging—viscosity and color?!?! In addition, there are three competitions in the NHF—the distance, the viscosity, and the splatter contests. And, how can you even mention hock-tu-ey without referring the most famous hock-tu-ey competitor, Si Pi T’ing, who in 1984 won all three areas of competition? A feat never done before and never since repeated, and some say may never be done again!
I can not believe you would publish such a shoddily researched article. I am saddened that such an excellent journalist such as Scoop would write such a thing.
I only hope that my feeble recounting of these shortcomings will help educate most of the Westerners who might not know about this serious and athletic competition that is peculiar to Korea, and makes this land so special.

A Loyal Reader,
Jack Chase
 

Jack is absolutely right. Without loogey viscosity and color there would be no NHF. There would also be almost nothing interesting to step in around here besides vomited ramyon and the odd fish or two. Thanks for straightening us out and we hope Si Pi T’ing goes the distance in 2002.

Hey you guys at The Exit,

I just finished going through this month’s issue of the magazine and I must say: “What the hell happened here?” I mean if I wanted to read a newspaper-style magazine I would buy the Korea Herald.
The Expat used to be fun and entertaining as well as informative but this month’s issue was just plain boring. It was colorless and flavorless. I’ve been here for almost 2 years and I have to say that it was the most boring issue I ever read. Get some fun stories in there. That article about foreign policy belonged in an international journal not in an Expat issue. What happened to the Chainsaw, to the letters to the paper? About the only good thing in the paper was the new ad for the Crossroads. The articles about Taegu were good also. Come on guys, get back to what The Expat was: an entertaining magazine that was useful and fun. Please don’t become the Korea Herald II or people will truly run for the EXITs… 

Pat Dawson

Thanks, Pat. We liked that Crossroads ad a lot too.

Dear Exit

I’m a faithful reader and I think what all of you do is great. There was an article in The Expat a while ago that mentioned a place in Taegu called NIX, but there were no instructions on where it was or how to get there. I would greatly appreciate it if you could help. I’m just looking for a place to have a good drink with free pool other than PING. Please contact me at [email protected].     

THANK YOU

Uh, Goatboy? Did you catch that one?

Dear Exit,

I am very sorry for disturbing you with a plea for help last month . . . I was confused at that time, that’s why I took your paper for an angel network. As I mentioned to you last month, I’m one of your fond readers so I felt close to you. 

More power!
Sally

Dearest Sally and all of our readers out there,

Never apologize for asking for help. And please refrain from calling us an ‘angel network’. It makes us feel as if we’re about to be smote by lightning. If you have a question or concern about us or about the area, we are only too happy to try, in our own helpless and earthbound way, to be of some assistance. Just dial 015-5932-6279 to leave a message, 016-526-5747 to talk to someone in person, or email us at the. exit@bigfoot. com. 
And may the real angels be always on your side.