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Wombat
Joined: 28 May 2003 Location: slutville
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 7:38 pm Post subject: Cultural Embarrassment |
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Maybe I'm just being oversensitive.
I love Korean food. I eat it 90% of the time. Even the weird, smelly stuff. So why is it that, on the rare occasion I go to Macca's*, I feel scrutinsed? I mean, Koreans seem to love it. Why should I feel like a non-integrating yokel just because I want some chips every now and again? Anyone else ever feel like this? :S
Wombat
*McDonald's. |
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gang ah jee
Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: city of paper
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 7:48 pm Post subject: |
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There're probably thinking 'lucky we're cosmopolitan enough to have MacDonalds - otherwise, how would that poor foreigner eat?' |
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Wombat
Joined: 28 May 2003 Location: slutville
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 7:49 pm Post subject: |
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I think I know why it bothers me. It's because Koreans seem to have this notion that foreigners can't comprehend their culture, or that ours is so vastly different that never the twain shall meet.
Maybe it's the sterotype thing as well. "Oh look at the American (cos we're ALL American). Eating chips. Can't use chopsticks, I'll bet. Hates kimchi. Feh."
An odd thing happened the other day in the grocery store. I went to the vegetable section, picked out some green chillies, and took them to be weighed. The woman made an ENORMOUS fuss, and although I couldn't understand her entirely, I think it went something like this:
"OH MY GOD! ARE YOU BUYING CHILLIES?!?!"
"Yes."
"WOW! JEEEEZUS! BUT PEOPLE LIKE YOU DON'T EAT CHILLIES."
"Chillies. Delicious."
"HEY SIS, C'MERE! CHECK THIS OUT! THE WEIGUK IS BUYING CHILLIES!"
"Umm..."
"GREEN ONES! I'LL BET THESE BABIES ARE HOT! I WONDER IF SHE KNOWS THAT THEY'RE CHILLIES? Hey, these are chillies you know..."
"I know. I eat a lot of Indian food. It can be far hotter than Korean food."
"NO WAY! KOREAN FOOD IS POWERFUL!"
"Gimmee my goddamn chillies."
**
Weird.
Wombat |
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weatherman
Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea
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Posted: Tue Jun 17, 2003 10:11 pm Post subject: Re: Cultural Embarrassment |
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Wombat wrote: |
Maybe I'm just being oversensitive.
I love Korean food. I eat it 90% of the time. Even the weird, smelly stuff. So why is it that, on the rare occasion I go to Macca's*, I feel scrutinsed? I mean, Koreans seem to love it. Why should I feel like a non-integrating yokel just because I want some chips every now and again? Anyone else ever feel like this? |
You know, you come to a point, when you have been here so long, that you just don't care what the locals think. At least they are thinking, and if they want to make it an issue with me, I will set them straight. |
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yodanole
Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: La Florida
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 3:51 am Post subject: |
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I had a housewife physically try to confiscate my chilis in the vegetable section of the market once. She kept telling me that they were spicy. I told her that that was why I wanted to buy them. Adjummas are very protective of children. |
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blackbird
Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Location: Songtan
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 5:06 am Post subject: |
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My boss started that crap about Korean food being spicy. I asked him what the Koreans ate before people from the Americas brought hot peppers to Korea. He was speachless. Then I pointed to the bottle of hot sauce that he was holding up. It was made in Louisiana, USA. What a bunch of idiots. |
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OiGirl
Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Location: Hoke-y-gun
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 5:55 am Post subject: What does a blowfish look like? |
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I was going to ask what a blowfish looks like in the store, but decided to answer my own damn question.
In the ocean:
In the store:
On your plate:
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HardyandTiny
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 5:14 pm Post subject: |
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"Did you know that eating food from McDonalds is bad for you? You should eat vegetables and rice they are good for you. Garlic is good for you and ginseng will make you strong. Inexpensive rice from America is no good, that is bad rice. Food is very important. Why you drink so much water? Burnt meat gives you cancer. Pork is very good very strong. Salt is good for you , here take more salt. Don't drink soda, drink nothing just eat this, this is potatoe it is good for you. Take off your shoes! Please take of your damn shoes! Oh your feet are dirty, go clean your feet, use water, water is good for cleaning your feet." |
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The Lemon
Joined: 11 Jan 2003
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 5:31 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
Burnt meat gives you cancer. |
I believed for a long time that this was another one of those fan death myths, along with how Korean acid rain makes you go bald (um, no). Then I did a bit of research and it turns out eating burnt meat CAN increase the risk of stomach cancer. It's true.
However, given how much people here smoke and drink, I think there are other ways people here will be done in long before that bit of burnt kailbi gets them. |
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HardyandTiny
Joined: 03 Jun 2003
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 5:41 pm Post subject: |
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Eating any meat or oil which is simply HEATED increases your chance of getting cancer! |
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Circus Monkey
Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: In my coconut tree
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 5:57 pm Post subject: |
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Wombat wrote: |
I think I know why it bothers me. It's because Koreans seem to have this notion that foreigners can't comprehend their culture, or that ours is so vastly different that never the twain shall meet. |
Yes. It's like we cracked some secret code or something.
u can usee cHopstiX0rs!!!!!!!!!!!1~~~~~ !??!??!?!? amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1~~~~ LOLOLOLLOL~
Tiny wrote: |
"Did you know that eating food from McDonalds is bad for you? You should eat vegetables and rice they are good for you. Garlic is good for you and ginseng will make you strong. Inexpensive rice from America is no good, that is bad rice. Food is very important. Why you drink so much water? Burnt meat gives you cancer. Pork is very good very strong. Salt is good for you , here take more salt. Don't drink soda, drink nothing just eat this, this is potatoe it is good for you. Take off your shoes! Please take of your damn shoes! Oh your feet are dirty, go clean your feet, use water, water is good for cleaning your feet." |
Quiet cpa!
CM |
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The Great Wall of Whiner
Joined: 24 Jan 2003 Location: Middle Land
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 7:05 pm Post subject: |
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HardyandTiny Wrote:
Quote: |
Eating any meat or oil which is simply HEATED increases your chance of getting cancer! |
Yes. So true.
When organic matter is altered through the cooking process, it becomes a carcinogen.
Smoke in all forms is a carcinogen. Artificial heat, power lines, even the sun.
That's why I eat as little cooked food as possible. |
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EFL Teacher
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 7:30 pm Post subject: |
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As far as cancer goes, just living basically exposes one to a million carcinogens. |
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katydid
Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Location: Here kitty kitty kitty...
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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HardyandTiny wrote: |
"Did you know that eating food from McDonalds is bad for you? You should eat vegetables and rice they are good for you. Garlic is good for you and ginseng will make you strong. |
LOL You just reminded me of one of my former students, who hoarded all the garlic the two occassions we went out to dinner as a class. "Garlic is stamina food! Katy, why do you want garlic...it is for MAN!" (sigh) And you know how much they give you at a samgyupsal restaurant, right? He ate the entire thing. |
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Arthur Fonzerelli
Joined: 22 Jan 2003 Location: Suwon
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Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2003 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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HardyandTiny wrote: |
"Did you know that eating food from McDonalds is bad for you? You should eat vegetables and rice they are good for you. Garlic is good for you and ginseng will make you strong. Inexpensive rice from America is no good, that is bad rice. Food is very important. Why you drink so much water? Burnt meat gives you cancer. Pork is very good very strong. Salt is good for you , here take more salt. Don't drink soda, drink nothing just eat this, this is potatoe it is good for you. Take off your shoes! Please take of your damn shoes! Oh your feet are dirty, go clean your feet, use water, water is good for cleaning your feet." |
"Please put shoes back on, feet smell like rotten cheese..." |
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