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Do you see it? There are two little buttons towards the bottom of this seemingly normal drink-coaster-buzzer-for-when-your-table-is-ready thing. Now, before I explain, let me say this. I am aware of how weird it is to have found an On The Border restaurant in South Korea. It should not, by any stretch of the imagination, exist. But it does. This picture was taken there. Not only that, but the food should not, again by any stretch of the imagination, taste even remotely correct. But it did. I was there. So, other than the language barrier (and the novelty of hearing Koreans say "adios") the experience was no different from any other On The Border trip.
With the exception of those little buttons.
In the States there are three categories of waitstaff. 1) Those who suck - meaning they are never around when you need them and they mess up your order, mostly when they get cocky and decide to not write anything down. 2) Those who are okay - meaning they are exactly what you would expect. Mostly good, but still with fault here and there. 3) Those who are trigger happy - they hover over you and make you feel as though they are listening to your every conversation.
In Korea, there is one type that I have found. They do a good job precisely because it is their job to do so. They get the order right, they don't hover, and odds are VERY SLIM that they are listening to your conversation. and then there are those buttons...
We only pushed it once. And, no lie, our waiter came SPRINTING down the stairs like someone had lit a fire in his pants. It was, in a word, amazing.
Why bring this up, you ask? Because of the way things in the world travel. Over here, they are advanced in many ways. If they develop a camera, we will surely see it Stateside in about two years. It's only a matter of time before these little things start popping up in eateries in America. Probably in an On The Border.
Waitstaff, take note.
-Hogan
PS - I have love for waiters. I was one. but I was really, really, horrible...