The Ville

Good Lord it has been busy here!!!!

Business is unfortunately booming as a military prosecutor. As you read below, you will probably figure out why. I am glad that in three weeks I will be leaving the Land of the Morning Calm and heading to Bejing. I decided to once again go out on the local Korean economy. For those familiar with military installations and the nefarious establishments (e.g. Pawn Shops, Payday loan stores, "Massage" parlors and strip clubs) and activities that surface outside their gates, this entry will not surprise you in the least. Korea is no different. There is an area right outside the gate called "The Ville," which is short for village. Fifty so years ago when Camp Casey was really just a camp, Tongechon City or TDC, was just a village composed of thatched roofs, donkeys and invading North Koreans. Fast forward fifty years and pawn shops drinking establishments and other shady enterprises have replaced the the thatched roofs and the donkeys. I should also mention that the Ville is where most of my work generates. This past weekend my friend and I made our way to the Ville. Just like outside the gates of any military installation, the Ville has everything to offer from cell phone stores to very questionable pawnshops, selling all of the Army's latest TA 50 (that is tactical gear in military speak. ). However, what makes the Ville "The Ville" are the bars and the juicy girls. Juicy girls usually come from the Phillpines to work in these bars in hopes of marrying GI to go to the PXey Commissary, as well as fenagle and syphon other Army benefits out of their new found husbands. As my commander says, $20 to a Juicy Girl will get you three questions (What is your rank, how long are you in Korea, and are you married?) Unfortunately the young GIs mistake this "conversation" for love and before they know it they spend more than $20 during the "question and answer" session, marry one of these Juicy Girls. Once married, the Juicy girls then are allowed on post, to go buy up all of the eggs and meat at the Commissary to sell to their families who live off post and annoy the crap out of me as I shop. Anyway, that is the Ville. The bright side is that the Ville is pimp suit heaven. I have never seen an array of colors, materials and pushy Adashi (old man in Hongul or Adima (Hongul for old woman). They appear nice and sweet but you have to watch them. They are as shady as the Ville itself. In fact I came up with one more word for my ever growing lexicon. It is shadar.

Shadar: Noun (Sha'dar) One's inner sensor that measures the sketchiness or illigitimacy of a product, service or business establishment. Seamus's shadar registered very highly as he looked in the shop window in the Ville at a fine made Korean pimp suit and Adashi popped out of no where and attempted to corral him into the store and hustle him.
After admiring the pimp suit it was now time to head to a Ville bar, which can be very risky and shady. I had one in particular that the CID folks, who are the Army criminal investigators, gave a green light to go in. They said it was one of the better establishments and that a lot of the NCOs and Officers frequent there. It is called Cheers. As soon as my friend and I entered, my shadar immediately went off. If having three pesky Phillipinas/Juicy Girls, badgering me to buy them a drinkie two shifty eyed Korean bartenders and Russian females (who my friend and I were convinced are former KGB/Russian spies looking for some drunk GI to spill their guts to them) is one of the better places in the Ville, then I have a train wreck sort of curiosity as to what the other bars are like. It is a good thing that I ponied up $10.00 and joined the local VFW Post (Veterans of Foreign Wars). As a member, I get to drink for $2.00 and not be hastled by the elements of the global shadiness network...Ahh just another day in the Land of the Morning Calm.