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rick
Joined: 20 Feb 2003
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2003 6:37 am Post subject: japan is not that rosy |
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Well whenever you visit a place it always looks better than when you live there. You've broken your daily routine and the change feels nice. I visited Korea when I was teaching in Japan and had a similar kind of euphoric rush although for different reasons.
I've taught in both places. Some prefer one, others prefer the other. I thought Korea was way better. Yeah , Japan is cleaner but they are also a lot more anal and uptight. It is very hard to make friends there and get to know them and the cost of living was so expensive. I lived like a king in Korea compared to Japan. I also liked the food in Korea much better. Korean food rocks in my opinion, that's the thing I miss the most about living there.
Don't assume that Japan is better until you've spent more time there and can then make a valid comparison. |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2003 6:50 am Post subject: Re: Weekend in Japan - back in Korea and depressed! |
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andrew wrote: |
As soon as I arrived back in Busan for my bus trip home, I encountered the same old things again - every one of them in the first hour. |
Your problem is you live in BUSAN! I lived there for a year.. and I experienced the exact same thing as you!! Exact same thing!!
Now I live in Seoul, and the other 3 times I've went to Japan (from Seoul), I can't wait to get back to Seoul to buy affordable beer in bars, get drunk again without concerns of money, and have extremely tasty Korean galbi again).. plus in my opinion, the nightlife in Seoul is amazing for me.. because in Japan I feel I can't even get drunk much less even afford to get to the nightlife (transportation is outrageously expensive as well)..
Plus all the things you are experiencing in Busan (staring, spitting, pushing, etc.), is almost nothing comparitively.. some in Seoul think its the same, but they've definetely definetely never ever lived in Busan.. as its pretty much exactly as you say.. but up here in Seoul.. wow, I usually can't wait to get back to Korea!
(However, Japan is a pretty cool place too - and would be better - if it wasn't so expensive).. Seoul is good too.. Busan is not. |
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gang ah jee
Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2003 8:35 am Post subject: |
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ah, you have OMGISMFBINJ syndrome. common. it'll pass. |
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Duncan McCocinue
Joined: 17 May 2003
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2003 8:52 am Post subject: |
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Andrew. The only cure is to forget about any other country that you have either lived in or visited. Focus on Korea as being the the center of global envy and future world domination. All will eat gimchi!!! All will buy Samsung!!! All will scream "oooowwwaaaaahhhhh" every 6.7 seconds during game shows!!! Forget about other places and truely, fully, become Korean. Convince yourself to forget and never remember. It's the only way.
Me, I'm already making plans to open Korean hogwans in numerous strategic locations all over North America. With the blessing of amasing insight I hope to capitalize on the massive demand for the world to learn Korean. The time is near. Come brothers! Come and usher in the world's new titan of power! Be a part of the next 1000 years......be a part of the Korennium!!! |
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Derrek
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2003 7:18 pm Post subject: |
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Duncan McCocinue wrote: |
Me, I'm already making plans to open Korean hogwans in numerous strategic locations all over North America. With the blessing of amasing insight I hope to capitalize on the massive demand for the world to learn Korean. The time is near. Come brothers! Come and usher in the world's new titan of power! Be a part of the next 1000 years......be a part of the Korennium!!! |
Don't forget! When the North and South join together -- Korea will be a world superpower to rival the USA!!!!
Ask any liberal college student -- You may be on to something!
Have you ever thought of teaching at Hongik? |
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Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: Kuwait
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 12:01 am Post subject: Re: Weekend in Japan - back in Korea and depressed! |
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andrew wrote: |
I just went to Fukuoka for the weekend - it was my first time out of Korea since arriving in January.
Now I feel depressed and wish I were teaching in Japan or back home. Has anyone else experienced this feeling and how do you deal with it? I hope to visit Japan again next month if I can. Thanks! |
Sure, I love Japan, I take breaks in Osaka quite often. I think you just needed a holiday, genuinely, I don't think you'd be any happier if you actually lived in Japan. Take a longer break there next time, go to Tokyo or Osaka, cool places. Come back refreshed. |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 1:23 am Post subject: |
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I spent a weekend in Osaka recently and posted up a similar thread- its such a refreshing change!!!
However I guess If I worked in Japan long enough I might find a few things wrong there too. However, after 3 brief stopovers in the land of the rising sun, I'm prepared to say its probably a much greater place to be than Korea....The only thing stopping me is the lack of saving potential there....too expensive!! |
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andrew
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 2:41 am Post subject: |
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*****
Last edited by andrew on Fri Jul 21, 2006 7:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Duncan McCocinue
Joined: 17 May 2003
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 3:46 am Post subject: |
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Oh God.....they've got to Derrick. I bet he's sitting at home right now in his "Be the Reds" shirt spanking to the notion of becoming the only white guy in the inner circle of Korean invaders as they take over the world. Kind of like the Irish lawyer in the Godfather who managed to hang with the "family."
Korea has made very impressive progress over the past fifty years and has already established itself as an economic force. As for Korea becomming the future world power, I'd put my money on China in a second over this place.
Stop eating so much gimchi, it's getting to ya. |
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Duncan McCocinue
Joined: 17 May 2003
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Posted: Wed Jun 11, 2003 3:58 am Post subject: |
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Sorry, I just noticed that it's "Derrek" not "Derrick." Anyways, lay off the gimchi. |
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LupinIII
Joined: 27 May 2003 Location: Corea
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 5:42 am Post subject: |
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Let me second what was said above. I lived in Japan for three years, and I've been in Korea for three weeks. Spend more time in Japan, and you'll realise it's not the utopia you think it is, nor is *that* much 'better' than Korea (if at all).
What I'm loving about Korea so far: the price of just about everything, a language that you can learn to read in half an hour, more relaxed people, kids who actually try to speak English, and pop stars with good teeth!
What I loved about Japan: Japanese manners, less pollution (still a bit of a shock for someone from rural Australia), the general Japanese obsession with doing everything 'properly' (I'm a tad anal myself), and a language that's so bloody hard to read that if you can do it, it's better than magic! I also like Japanese tucker way better, but of course that's up to the individual!
Comparisons aside, I think you should just relax. I love Japan, but I don't think it's all it's cracked up to be. |
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chigtiymerdekh
Joined: 02 Jun 2003 Location: Johannesburg
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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Duncan you are the best person on here since nasty dogette. That was funny funny FUNNY . Cheers mate.
Who is Butterfly ? Is he being paid by the world famous Korean tourist Board? And does he have a beard, wear cordurouy trousers and a CD collection of Chris de Burgh albums ? Butterfly - go home , put on a Queens of the Stone Age CD, rip up your clothing and DANCE - samsh the windows while you are at it.
It IS better in Japan - well that's according to the Gorean logic not mine.
Envy, envy, envy ..hatred.
Japan and Meegook and some old Europe places ARE nirvana , oh and the Hoju-Kaenada - New Jillaend hinterland axis of peacevil - places Goreans rush to in drovezzzzzzzz.
Korea is a place people are happy to leave. Just some mistake the glittering gold (imitation) for real life and get trapped and keep getting sucked back into like bad heroin or just bad music. Tasteless but cheap enough for the undiscerning.
Osaka is boring - but it doesnt make Seoul a cool, tolerant and hip place to live either. Fukuoka- nice ; Tokyo - happening.
Pusan - uhhh. Nasty nasty nasty . |
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The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 24 Jan 2003 Location: Middle Land
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 5:54 pm Post subject: |
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I lived in Japan. I can tell you that the differences between Japan and Korea are far and few between.
Koreans call you fat? Guess what? So do Japanese. But Koreans will say it right in front of you, while Japanese will wait until you have left the train/bus/restaurant.
Japanese assume (for the most part) you have learned at least some Japanese. They are actually quite intelligent that way. They play it safe. They won't say "Meitae! Daebu gaijin!" (look! Fat white person!) if they think you can hear them.
Koreans on the other hand assume that you do not know Korean and thus make fun of you in your presense with the sometimes false belief you do not understand what they are saying. "Boda! Tung-tung hindungi ya!" (Look! Fat white person!)
So in some respects I get real angry to Japanese who, behind your back, say all sorts of nasty crap while the Koreans are more in your face about it. At least Koreans have balls.
But on the other hand it is kind of ignorant to assume we foreigners don't have the brain power to learn another language.
As for spitting, etc. Japanese do spit, they just make sure no one else sees them.
Try going to Taiwan. You think spitting is bad in Korea??
Taiwan is by far worse... |
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gang ah jee
Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 7:40 pm Post subject: |
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i'm just back from fukuoka me and i've got a nasty japangover going on. Worst thing was all the people - gaijin and japanese - constantly asking why I would choose to live in Seoul when i could just get a job in japan. i started thinking 'yeah, why the hell not?' I know why not, but still.
The fukuoka-seoul gap is tolerable. The fukuoka-busan gap is a bit too wide for my taste. Bit of soju, bit of soma and i'll be fine. |
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William Beckerson Guest
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 9:11 pm Post subject: |
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Whiner is right
Oh, and you have better chances of getting laid in Japan. Or, if not, you have better chances of getting decent porno. |
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