Korean Job Discussion Forums

[schwa]

So I've got an hour to kill in Chuncheon bus terminal & head into a little snack outlet to buy a can of beer & the guy behind the counter says 'Dont go away' in good english & sits me down in his chair, provides a bottle of soju & anju & cigarettes & makes nice wide-ranging conversation & proceeds to fill my bag up with free kimbap & baked eggs & a bottle of water for my trip & even comes onto the bus once I've boarded to give me a pack of gum. A hearty wave goodbye. Yim, a good guy, 70 & a sprightly gleam in his eye.

Ah Korea, just when I was getting a tad cynical.

[rapier]

It probably takes until 70 in Korean age before a person starts to have a nice attitude, and believe things like:
"Hey that guys a foreigner, probably a bit lonely and confused. Foreigners are actually just the same as us, anyway, so why don't I try and cheer him up so he has a good impression of Korea? Being 70, I've actually left korea before and know about other countries and nationalities. They all interest me."

Uh, maybe that was a bit sour...I've actually met plenty of koreans who will pull a nice gesture out of their hat so long as you appear friendly..

[K-in-C]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Random acts of kindness happen all over the world. I must say that I have experienced many in the ROK, as well as in the USA and in my home counrty, Canada. These are the only places I've been but, hey, I'm only forty-six.

Half asleep,

Kate

[captain kirk]

bike wouldn't start. mechanic drives out. starts it. i follow him to the bike shop. he replaces a tail-light, we bolt a part on, he buys lunch. no charge. big wide open sky of a smile.

[Skarp]

Good things happen more when you're in a happy, open frame of mind.

Bad things happen more when you're in a gloomy, closed off, I hate life kind of mood.


It's a shame, cos when you're down you really need the random acts of senseless kindness to bring you back up....

And sometimes sh!t happens out of a clear blue sky...


Skarp

[K-in-C]

When you're blue you should perform the random act of kindness. Seeing someone else's face light up is a great feeling too.

Cheers,

Kate

[schwa]

I liked cap'n kirks response. (You wrote a wonderful longer response on some other thread recently -- korean mindset or I forget, poetic & right on). I think the odd positivity thread on daves is necessary for newbies cruising. Delight happens, with some frequency.

[jajdude]

Ajumma in the yogwan insisted on washing my dirty clothes, free of charge. I didn't even know until they were back all clean. She was saying "ballae" or whatever the Korean word is for laundry. I thought she was saying "bballi" (quickly) or something. Anyway that was good of her.

[camel96]

A stranger came up, introduced himself to me in a galbi restaurant the other night, said hi and went off to sit with his family. When I went up to pay after he'd left I found out he'd paid for my dinner also. Never saw the guy again. Still makes me smile when I think about it.

[whatthefunk]

I was in Seoul with some friends for a visit. I got separated from them, and so had to go back to the yeogwan alone, but got completely lost. I had the yeogwan's phone number, but my korean is pretty shady, so it was useless to me. I stopped a random guy on the street and asked him if he could call and then point me in the right direction. He called the place, and then actually walked me over to the door...a good 15 minutes from where he was. He then turned the other way and ran back to where he was going. Korea can be very nice at times.

[desultude]

Everyone rags on the ajumas. I am always being helped by them.

The other day on the bus, when I got on with a big package, one jumped up, gave me the seat next to her, and put her legs in the aisle to accomodate my bag, which she would not let me hold on my lap.

At the closing ceremonies of the Universiade, two ajumas wiped my friend's and my seats dry, and covered them with plastic before they would let us sit down. They took our give bags and showed us what was in them, and put the batteries in our gift flashlights, and showed us how to use the enclosed backscratcher and fan for applause. They did this for all of our students who were sitting with us, so it wasn't just treating the white folk nicely.

I figure all of the pushing comes from the fact that they have to get their stuff done and get home and prepare fifteen side dishes for the family before they come home. Otherwise they are so helpful.

[desultude]

Oh, and then there was the guy in Seoul who RAN ten blocks in the middle of the street in front of our taxi to lead the driver to our guest house. It was a sight to remember.

[mokpochica]

One day I got into a taxi and chatted with the young driver. He wanted to meet me some time to practice English and show me around Mokpo, and I, the suspicious cynic, just told him I didn't have a phone and there was no way of contacting me. During that taxi ride my cell phone rang (caught in my lie) and later I left the taxi quickly, embarassed and forgot to pay him his fare.

I called him later realizing that I hadn't paid him (he had given me his cell #) and when we met he wouldn't let me reimburse him for the fare, insisted on paying for coffee, and had no hard feelings. Nice guy.

We're getting married later this year.

[denz]

[mokpochica]