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Refused gym membership.
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mongrel



Joined: 29 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 4:37 pm    Post subject: Refused gym membership. Reply with quote

just when i was beginning to break out of my current funk about korea this happens. went to the local gym and tried to join up. the owner ushered me into the office and said "no waygook salam". i know you can't blame everyone in korea for this, and i haven't, i've taken it on the chin and looked for another gym. maybe it was because there are a lot of women that go there and he doesn't want some rabid sex maniac there, i don't really know. i've been a member at about 5 other gyms here with no problems, apart from the ajuma who insists on closing the windows and turning off the fans. i wouldn't mind an opinion from a korean about this.
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Harpeau



Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Coquitlam, BC

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 4:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry to hear about that. I'm up in Hwarangdae. You're welcome to join me at the gymn that I attend. If it's any consolation, the guy who said no foreigners is possibly on his way to bankruptcy. Does not make much business sense, IMHO. I wonder if we're going to see separate Hangook & Waygook waterfountains.. OOPS- don't want to give them any strange ideas. Laughing

Harpeau
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Seoultrader



Joined: 18 Jun 2003
Location: Ali's Insurgent Inn, Fallujah

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 5:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have a beer on me Wink

I guess the only way not to let it get to you is by focusing on the fact that the other 5 gyms welcomed you. One excrement cranium out of six is still bad, but lwe can safely assume that the vast majority is not like this.

Makes me wonder how often crap like this would happen to minorities in the US if you took away the option of legal reprisal. (not to forget potential reverse discrimination situations where minority business owners ban whites).

In my opinion, one of the main differences between Korea and the US (or many other Western nations) is the lack of ENFORCEMENT of relevant anti-discrimination laws. The US "melting pot" is great in theory, and to a large degree it has worked with the introduction of laws facilitating peaceful and equal cohabitation but I don't think it reflects the population's real inner attitudes toward race relations.

Imagine this (absurd) hypothetical poll - ask all US whites if they would approve of a white-only USA if that was a possibility and I bet you a majority would answer "yes" assuming that they are telling the truth. Now ask other races the same question. Same results, most likely.

There are few nations in this world that have achieved a truly multicultural/racial society. My favorite role models for this is Singapore and Malaysia (and it didn't even take them so long). Anyone care to add to the list?

My point is that the US with its century+ of immigration is still in its infant stages in this regard, as is Korea (well, in Korea's case it's more like the fetus stage) but they're both on the right track. We just have the bad luck not to have been born in the year 2200, when everyone will be beige. Wink

Still, I feel for ya, bro. That just sucked.
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makushi



Joined: 08 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seoultrader wrote:
Imagine this (absurd) hypothetical poll - ask all US whites if they would approve of a white-only USA if that was a possibility and I bet you a majority would answer "yes" assuming that they are telling the truth.



A white only USA...hmm....one major downside...that would leave only white women to choose from...I cringe at the thought....and vote a NO on this iniative...

Let the flames begin... Twisted Evil
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captain kirk



Joined: 29 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 6:21 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

have to look for another gym for a month since the one across the street from work is closed for renovations. they took me in five months ago no problem. but i still recall, now you mention it, getting kicked out of a gym in a small town (population 3000) by the owner the first day for not replacing the plates exactly into place; the owner was livid, way over the top. the school director, talking to him on the phone, simply said he was a 'bad man' (nabbun saram). but downtown in this medium sized city they're more accustomed to bypassing the grudge thing, wherever it comes from and whatever it is. another thread asks, 'motto for living in korea'; how 'bout 'whatever'.
being coupled with a korean gal i guess, mongrel, you're a heat score for the odd korean who stands giving a guy the hate stare like he's tracking a flaming ball of doodoo, and that's 'you'. but it's not 'you', it's just his wonky thinking and nobody can change another person's thinking. he can't drop the hate thing, you can't drop every odd korean with that glare going, but you CAN consider him (usually a him) just something to detour around. after all he wants all this attention to the fact he apparently has this burning derision, and it's not something positive you want to buy into and believe and react to. just plain wonky and nonsensical, like being refused gym membership. with all the perks living and working here outweighing these 'inconveniences' consider this saying; hate is like acid, it corrodes all it comes into contact with so why be a vessel for it. it's the odd wonky-thinking, misguided native's problem. you have immunity. why buy it and run around inside reacting to what he wants you to think he's thinking about you with that vein popping in his forehead? better for you, better for EVERYONE. carry that crap and it'll taint your gut-opinion about everyone here, and it isn't everyone.
a cheery, post-vacation anti-rant rant. allowed some of these dudes stand stock-still like a concave solar panel channelling all their demonic powers, but good old enlightened choices always triumph over such short-cirucuits if you don't let it infect your mainframe.
there are OTHER gyms. be a patron to those that aren't patronizing. carry an open mind and don't let some dolt slam it shut with general rage.


Last edited by captain kirk on Sun Aug 03, 2003 6:23 pm; edited 1 time in total
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bucheon bum



Joined: 16 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 6:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seoultrader wrote:



There are few nations in this world that have achieved a truly multicultural/racial society. My favorite role models for this is Singapore and Malaysia (and it didn't even take them so long). Anyone care to add to the list?


Maybe Brazil. It never had the white-black issues that the USA faced after slavery. On the other hand, race plays a role socially to some degree. Also keep in mind that the reason Singapore seperated from Malaysia was race-related.
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Seoultrader



Joined: 18 Jun 2003
Location: Ali's Insurgent Inn, Fallujah

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 6:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

makushi wrote:
Seoultrader wrote:
Imagine this (absurd) hypothetical poll - ask all US whites if they would approve of a white-only USA if that was a possibility and I bet you a majority would answer "yes" assuming that they are telling the truth.



A white only USA...hmm....one major downside...that would leave only white women to choose from...I cringe at the thought....and vote a NO on this iniative...

Let the flames begin... Twisted Evil


I'm personally hoping for a virus that'll kill everyone on earth except for myself and 999 others. This group shall be comprised of 250 blacks, 250 Asians, 250 whites and 250 pre-mixed. All atheist, with every culture represented. We shall then frolick and fornicate like bunnies, produce mega-mixed offspring and live happily ever hopping from tropical island to tropical island.

As king of this tribe I'll naturally need a right hand man. You up for it, Makushi?
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makushi



Joined: 08 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 6:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seoultrader wrote:
I'm personally hoping for a virus that'll kill everyone on earth except for myself and 999 others. This group shall be comprised of 250 blacks, 250 Asians, 250 whites and 250 pre-mixed. All atheist, with every culture represented. We shall then frolick and fornicate like bunnies, produce mega-mixed offspring and live happily ever hopping from tropical island to tropical island.

As king of this tribe I'll naturally need a right hand man. You up for it, Makushi?


If the requirements are frollicking, fornicating like bunnies, and doing the island hopping thing...I volunteer my services (ah well provided my wife agrees that is)...shoot we don't even need to wait for the virus...we can just make our own cult starting here in Korea...I mean if the cloning dude can get followers here...I am sure we can Twisted Evil
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Gladiator



Joined: 23 May 2003
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 8:10 pm    Post subject: Refused Gym Membership Reply with quote

I once met a man from Cameroon who lived in Ilsan. He told me he joined a gym there only to have his membership promptly revoked when other members began complaining about the presence of a black man in the club.

It occured while the WC "Seoul Welcomes the World" PR campaign was going on.
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rapier



Joined: 16 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 8:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I guess that about 25% of gyms don't want foreigners for reasons all their own..I was refused once for having a tattoo..but other gyms didn't mind..Its unnacceptable, but it makes business sense to refuse a waegook if the majority of your members are afraid of anything different or unusual. Korea still has a long way to go, give it another 50 years...
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denz



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: soapland. alternatively - the school of rock!

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 8:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seoultrader wrote:

I'm personally hoping for a virus that'll kill everyone on earth except for myself and 999 others. This group shall be comprised of 250 blacks, 250 Asians, 250 whites and 250 pre-mixed.


um... <looks at fingers> but that's 1000!

denz
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makushi



Joined: 08 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 8:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

denz wrote:
Seoultrader wrote:

I'm personally hoping for a virus that'll kill everyone on earth except for myself and 999 others. This group shall be comprised of 250 blacks, 250 Asians, 250 whites and 250 pre-mixed.


um... <looks at fingers> but that's 1000!

denz


uhhh as the appointed right hand man, let me break you off some of the math skillz....it goes like this:

myself = 1 plus 999 others = ???

Better hurry if you want in...only got 998 spots left...and most of those are reserved for young nubile hotties from around the world....
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gang ah jee



Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 8:46 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Seoultrader wrote:
There are few nations in this world that have achieved a truly multicultural/racial society. My favorite role models for this is Singapore and Malaysia (and it didn't even take them so long). Anyone care to add to the list?


I haven't been to singapore, but i spent some time with Malay friends in Kuala Lumpur.

Malaysia looked great on street level, but talking to people there still seemed to be quite a lot of racial tension around. I was hearing that (not directly - people talking about stereotypes) Malays were lazy and stupid, that Chinese were depraved, miserly, immoral and didn't respect Malay culture, and that Indians were alcoholic cheats. New Zealand has a very large population of Malaysian-Chinese who left because of the lack of opportunities and the favouritism shown towards malays. Malays in Singapore have similar complaints. A Malay friend of mine was seeing a Chinese guy - she said that such relationships were still looked down upon and that they'd had quite a few problems because of it. This was in KL.

Malaysia and Singapore do sell themselves as multi-cultural societies, which is true. The level of integration is quite impressive, especially since I had expected the Islamic elements to be less tolerant. Still there are some problems though.
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rapier



Joined: 16 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Penang in Malaysia was very multicultural... in the sense that different cultures co-exist peacefully side by side. How much intermarriage or mixing went on there I'm not sure though.
Reminds me of "papillion", the cult novel by Henri Charriere. From his observations of life in South America, Venezuela was the place to be- totally mixed and devoid of any racism. Anyone been there?
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Zyzyfer



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

PostPosted: Sun Aug 03, 2003 11:22 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

rapier wrote:
Penang in Malaysia was very multicultural...


Knowing a couple where the guy hails from Singapore and the girl hails from Malaysia, Penang to be specific, I just find all this multicultural talk funny. While the couple are both Chinese in descent, I did get the impression from talking to the gal that she's got a harder time of it up in Penang, being Chinese-Malay and all.
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