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The one cultural difference you wish Korea understood
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nautilus



Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 6:10 pm    Post subject: The one cultural difference you wish Korea understood Reply with quote

If there was only one cultural difference you would like Korea to "get", what would it be?


for me..

The concept of personal Space

Westerners require a 2-feet radius of space in order to feel comfortable.

You do not park yourself 1mm away from a stranger or randomly occupy their table or seating when there is plenty of other places to be.
You do not stand beside them and breath down their neck. You do not stand over them while they are shopping or eating. You do not randomly bump into, touch, brush against, or rest your hand on them.

Such things are regarded as threatening. For all we know you might be a pickpocket, carrying a weapon, whatever. Deep your distance!
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Scorpion



Joined: 15 Apr 2012

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 6:25 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That dogs have emotional, social and material needs. Owning a dog is not akin to owning a table, a sofa or a pair of shoes. It is not okay to tie it up for its entire life on a two foot leash. It has needs and rights, and its owner has a moral obligation to treat it with decency. If you can't do that, you have no business owning it.
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John Stamos jr.



Joined: 07 Oct 2012
Location: Namsan

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 6:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scorpion wrote:
That dogs have emotional, social and material needs. Owning a dog is not akin to owning a table, a sofa or a pair of shoes. It is not okay to tie it up for its entire life on a two foot leash. It has needs and rights, and its owner has a moral obligation to treat it with decency. If you can't do that, you have no business owning it.


Also, don't eat it!
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lemak



Joined: 02 Jan 2011

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 7:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A three day weekend does not equate to a "very long vacation", so please don't be surprised that I will not "return to my home country" or tour the ruins of Angkor during this period.
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Smithington



Joined: 14 Dec 2011

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 7:40 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That it is perfectly okay to eat your food quietly.
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cj1976



Joined: 26 Oct 2005

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

lemak wrote:
A three day weekend does not equate to a "very long vacation", so please don't be surprised that I will not "return to my home country" or tour the ruins of Angkor during this period.


You are not diligent like the Korean peoples.
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KimchiNinja



Joined: 01 May 2012
Location: Gangnam

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 7:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Recognizing individuality would be nice.
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Zyzyfer



Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

+1 with the personal space thing. It is my #1 pet peeve here and the topic is the only time I complain about Koreans in general rather than a defined subset of people here, like taxi drivers or drunk old men or something.

Just to toss something different in there, but related to personal space nonetheless, it'd be nice if the older dudes understood the disdain for touching Westerners have. By that I mean grabbing the thigh and all that stuff. It takes every ounce of my patience to not flip out over the stuff.
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John Stamos jr.



Joined: 07 Oct 2012
Location: Namsan

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A lot of the women act like babies, especially when they don't get their way.
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nero



Joined: 11 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That foreigners come from different countries and are not clones who think the same way and have the same ideas about things.
Some foreigners like kimchi, some don't. Some like to exercise, some don't. Some can sing, some can't. Some have close ties to their families, others don't.
This 'all foreigners ________' crap drives me insane.

We are not a seething mass of sameness.

I wonder sometimes how Koreans would like it if I compared their culture to Cambodia's, or Vietnam's. I mean, you're all Asian, right?
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KimchiNinja



Joined: 01 May 2012
Location: Gangnam

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Zyzyfer wrote:
+1 with the personal space thing.


I used to work with a slobbering fat jabba-the-hut Chinese guy, and he would always stand waaaay too close while giving me his ultimately incorrect market analysis along w some heavy breathing from the flight of stairs he just ascended. Plus he always had the bottom button of his dress shirt undone yet tucked into his slacks, like it give the belly some extra space?

I found that really disturbing.

People don't stand too close to me here in KR though. Are you talking about male family members in KR fondling your leg and stuff? That happens. And hand holding. Someone disturbing I guess.
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nero



Joined: 11 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That foreigners come from different countries and are not clones who think the same way and have the same ideas about things.
Some foreigners like kimchi, some don't. Some like to exercise, some don't. Some can sing, some can't. Some have close ties to their families, others don't.
This 'all foreigners ________' crap drives me insane.

We are not a seething mass of sameness.

I wonder sometimes how Koreans would like it if I compared their culture to Cambodia's, or Vietnam's. I mean, you're all Asian, right?
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nero



Joined: 11 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

douple post.

Last edited by nero on Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
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nero



Joined: 11 Mar 2009

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

triple post
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KimchiNinja



Joined: 01 May 2012
Location: Gangnam

PostPosted: Mon Oct 29, 2012 8:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

John Stamos jr. wrote:
A lot of the women act like babies, especially when they don't get their way.


That's kinda cute though, let's keep that and ease down with the male-on-male upper thigh touching.
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