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Friend accidentally breaks string. Shop owner wants w20,000
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Swampfox10mm



Joined: 24 Mar 2011

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 7:21 pm    Post subject: Friend accidentally breaks string. Shop owner wants w20,000 Reply with quote

So my friend and I were at a local used junk market near Dongmyo this past week. We pass a shop selling some really crappy old guitars -- some without strings. He sits down, interested in trying out a used guitar that has seen many a hard years of playing. It was way way out of tune, so he spent a few minutes tuning it. While tuning it, one of the rusty strings on the old POS snapped. My friend apologizes. The woman at the shop goes ballistic. He offers to bring her a new string (he has a guitar at home) and install it for her. She refuses, and demands he pay her 20,000 won.

About this time, other Koreans begin to congregate. My friend again lets her know he will bring her a new one. She understands, but demands money in payment: 20,000 won (guitar strings are like 1,500 each or so).

She grabs him and pulls on his coat. More people come. He pulls out his phone and starts to take a photo of her grabbing him. She lets go and backs away. An ajoshi jumps in and tries to block his phone photo.

After I learned a new string costs so little, I said, "Just give her a few thousand won and lets go." But she doesn't want that. She insists that he owes her 20,000 won.

We ended up leaving as she screamed at us, with my friend shouting that he'd bring her a new string (which he is doing today -- 2, actually).

Unreasonable. Totally unreasonable.
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nautilus



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

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 7:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry but you shouldn't casually handle (or alter!) products that are on display. You're taking liberties way beyond what is normal.

I'm with the shopkeeper on this.

Get some awareness of what goes on around you and what is expected in this country.
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Dodge7



Joined: 21 Oct 2011

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 7:45 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Forget that noise about $20, give the old bag a new string, apologize and be on your way.
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Swampfox10mm



Joined: 24 Mar 2011

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 7:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

He was testing the guitar with the intent of possibly purchasing it, Naut... she agreed to his testing it.

It is rather important to test a used guitar before purchase. Especially in Korea.
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Who's Your Daddy?



Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 8:15 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'd offer 5K. If she gave me any hassle, I'd put the money back in my wallet and leave.
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Unibrow



Joined: 20 Aug 2012

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 8:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did she say it was ok to test the guitar or did your friend just start tuning it?
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Swampfox10mm



Joined: 24 Mar 2011

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 8:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Unibrow wrote:
Did she say it was ok to test the guitar or did your friend just start tuning it?


This was answered.. Yes, he asked and she let him.
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highstreet



Joined: 13 Nov 2010

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 8:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I love how all these crazy situations happen to Dodge7/Swampfox
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cj1976



Joined: 26 Oct 2005

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 9:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

A whole pack of strings would only cost about 7-10k. You should have tried to make that clear.
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Unibrow



Joined: 20 Aug 2012

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 9:05 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Only beta males apologize. Shouldn't have brought her a string. Shows weakness.
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Dodge7



Joined: 21 Oct 2011

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 10:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Unibrow wrote:
Only beta males apologize. Shouldn't have brought her a string. Shows weakness.

I disagree. A True Alpha will apologize because he is confident in himself that if his apology is not met with a smile and forgiveness, then he will proceed to go full throttle and flatten his opponent--in this case a little old lady. Do I have to teach you guys everything about life in Korea? You either show your muscle and never back down or get squashed like a bug.
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tiger fancini



Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Location: Testicles for Eyes

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 11:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dodge7 wrote:
Do I have to teach you guys everything about life in Korea?


I can imagine your course outline:

1. Hate the country
2. Marry one of its women
3. Stay there because financially you have no other option, and let the hate increase
4. Re-produce with said woman, making your offspring's nationality 50% of a nationality you really don't like and/or understand
5. Invent a tough-guy online persona and post regularly, fluctuating between suggestive machismo and pathetic weakness

Out of sheer curiosity and the obvious comic value, I might actually pay money to learn that kind of stuff from you.
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Swampfox10mm



Joined: 24 Mar 2011

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 11:09 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Actually, this situation happened to myself and a former mod of this board.

Troll on.
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nautilus



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

PostPosted: Fri Nov 02, 2012 11:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gotta love the whole western "alpha male" obsession and the fact that every guy has a different idea of what one actually is. Laughing

Apparently an alpha male is someone who is a violent trashy thug when on the streets, yet a fairy in the classroom who cannot control kids and screams cruelty at the thought of discipline.
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fermentation



Joined: 22 Jun 2009

PostPosted: Sat Nov 03, 2012 2:22 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Jesus christ, is this a forum for highschool kids?
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