The Lick and the Snap

1987 in Busan, South Korea

September 16
Class and nothing special. Young-sook came over and she was bored and I fear lest I am losing her. Everyday to Yangsan and I have too much free time. Nothing happens.

September 18
Well complain about nothing happening, catch this. Alex killed in Table tennis. I met Eun-sook and we all went to the Downtown where a huge fight ensued.* What can I do?

*And now, the rest of the story...

A new nightclub opened in one of the hotels down on Haeundae Beach. It was called "Lalique." We joked that Lalique was French for "The Lick." "Let's go to 'The Lick' tonight."

The DJ at The Lick was a British bloke with favorable music taste. Since Brian and I were commonly the only foreigners in there, he would play songs we liked and we would dance dance dance. Definitely a recipe for good times.

On this night, Brian and I were dance dance dancing when I noticed a group of Korean guys staring, pointing, and mocking our dance style. After enduring them for some time, I finally snapped. I'm not typically a violent type, don't look for or get into fist fights, don't recall ever punching anyone; I'm more of a verbal brawler you might say.

Anyway, I snapped. I charged over and gave the ring leader a solid two-handed push in the chest. That alone was probably more than was needed to convey my message, but I was in another's body it seems. He reeled backwards and fell down against one of the giant speakers on the edge of the dance floor. Before he could get up I was on him. I had my left knee in his gut and my left arm around his head, my right arm punching his face and head while I cradled it. His friends grabbed at my swinging right arm trying to pull me off, but I pushed them away and kept at him.

Finally they got us separated. Brian and I--sweating and fuming--went and sat down. The snappee, not much worse for the wear, came over a few minutes later attempting to apologize in English but I wasn't having any of it. I said "죽을래 (you wanna die)"? He went back to his friends and we left The Lick.