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Thinking of Retuning to Daegu

 
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dakdungchim



Joined: 27 Mar 2003

PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 8:52 am    Post subject: Thinking of Retuning to Daegu Reply with quote

I enjoyed my time in Daegu, and I'm thinking of returning. I had a bad schedule, but the fact that I had to see my boss only once a month made it bearable. I had a lot of great times, and had great students: several remain my friends to this day. Not being in country, I have to wonder about the political atmosphere these days, though.

What I'm picking up on, from various sources, is that things are shifting. Koreans seem to be becoming more nationalistic, legalizing the communist party, revising history, believing Korea is the best and strongest country in the world, etc. It seems like it's actually beginning to be dangerous for foreigners there. Now, I had my share of racism, prejudice, etc. and usually shot it right back to the source. A couple of weeks before I left, my university threw an anti-American festival to coincide with their Spring festival. I was pissed. Though I'm American, I support total juje (independence) for South Korea. I believe money we would save would allow us National Healthcare comparable to that of the Koreans.

My fear is that when the 120 lb. Korean student radical yells, "Focking USA!" because he can't find a girlfriend, lost at Starcraft, and sees a lone wegugin, and I fire back "nuh oi o ma ninun me chu nita, nuh oi o ma ninun jok ka" , instead of him running, 10 more will jump out, and I could end up beat, dead, arrested, deported, etc.

How bad are things these days?
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desultude



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf

PostPosted: Sun Jun 15, 2003 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I teach at a university in Daegu, and haven't experienced any problems at all. I don't have last year as a point of reference, as I arrived in February. I have heard from one teacher of one incident where a club owner downtown would not let Americans in. It appeared to be related to the Military, which hangs out in that neighborhood. I had an uncomfortable moment on a bus when a bus driver seemingly deliberately drove past my stop and the next several, but who knows what that was.

I find people here warm and friendly, save the occasional drunk, or the bitchy ajuma, once in a while. I had assumed that Seoul must be where the problems are.
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dakdungchim



Joined: 27 Mar 2003

PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 8:38 am    Post subject: No Foreigners in Clubs Reply with quote

I heard the same thing before I left, about a year ago. I can't blame some of them. I didn't get to enjoy the nightlife that much in Daegu, as i had a really bad schedule, but when I did, I saw that a lot of those GI's were freaking animals. I mean some may have been foreign teachers (not very well built), but we're talking sexual harrassment, bordering on rape toward the Korean girls. There were times when I actually thought I was in big trouble before in the Dagu clubs, because I'd push a GI off a girl who was pushing him off of her while he was feeling some very private areas of her body, and then he'd go back point me out to 5 of his friends one bu one, and I'd be like "oh shit." But, I'm still walking around . . . . I took my girlfriend there once to see, and I wouldn't even let her leave the chair.

I myself have had 100% more trouble with US military than Koreans when it came to physical altercations, most of it in foreigner nightclubs. I'll never forgive myself for not breaking this bastard's arm once. He was really harrassing the girl I was with and ended up pointing at me, saying, "What? Is he your protector?" Then he pushed me. As he did, I sort of moved and caught his arm where I would have easily been able to tear some tendons & ligaments. I didn't because I feared deportation and legal headaches. I'd never get away with standing up for myself like that in the US, but in retrospect, I'm guessing I could've gotten away with that and should've done it in Korea, because the police probably look the other way when foreigners fight. Is that true? By the way, I'm not putting down the military. I've met some really respectful and friendly people in uniform over there. I'm sure those guys pull the same shit in the US clubs.

The only physical altercation I've received from a Korean was this little old hajushi by my school's West gate who grabbed people and yelled something like, "Give me O Pekwon. . . " And some shop owner came out and yelled at him. I saw the same guy a week later getting kicked off a bus for not paying. I've been yelled at and "focking USA"
d a lot and responded it in turn. I also got it hard the day the US started bombing Afghanistan, but nothing happened. But, I don't think I'd ever want to to a club that didn't let foreigner's in it, because it would probably just be like an expensive soju tent.
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The Cube



Joined: 01 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 1:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

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