Job Discussion Forums

[SEndrigo]

[casual]

Seven street fights in three months!!!

Go to newcastle in England, you will see seven fights within a few hours in one bar!!!!

[parrothead]

Perhaps if Korea had musical crosswalks and everpresent supermarket muzak like Japan, then the country would have more smiley, happy people! (the powers of passive conditioning!)

[Travel Zen]

I've travelled to Japan and Korea and I find some Japanese to be cocky and a little arrogant. I find many westerners in Japan to be even more so.

Korea is not a bad place. It is racist....but so is all of Northeast Asia, including Japan.

If you want to feel some bad vibes, then go to China. Korea is paradise compared to that place.

[Big John Stud]

Travel Zen wrote:

I've travelled to Japan and Korea and I find some Japanese to be *beep* and a little arrogant. I find many westerners in Japan to be even more so. Korea is not a bad place. It is racist....but so is all of Northeast Asia, including Japan. If you want to feel some bad vibes, then go to China. Korea is paradise compared to that place.

Hello Travel Zen! Can you be a little more clear? What happened to you in China? I ask, because I was thinking of visiting the place. But after Korea, I don't ever want to go to a place like that again.

SEndrigo! With all do respects, you must be Korean bringing up history! Since the end of WWII Japan has not fought a war! Korea has against themselves!
Every country has done wrong. Look at the U.S. and the U.K. in Iraq!

The post about New Castle was funny! Seven fights in a bar! Is that true. I have a friend from New Castle. We taught together in Korea. He is melow, and gets along with everyone.

[Brooks]

gotta agree with SEndrigo.
Big John, you just sound like an apologist.

[casual]

[quote="Big John Stud"][color=red][quote="Travel Zen"]I've travelled to Japan and Korea and I find some Japanese to be *beep* and a little arrogant. I find many westerners in Japan to be[b] even more so[/b].

Korea is not a bad place. It is racist....but so is all of Northeast Asia, including Japan.

If you want to feel some bad vibes, then go to China. Korea is paradise compared to that place.[/quote][/color]

Hello Travel Zen! Can you be a little more clear? What happened to you in China? I ask, because I was thinking of visiting the place. But after Korea, I don't ever want to go to a place like that again.

SEndrigo! With all do respects, you must be Korean bringing up history! Since the end of WWII Japan has not fought a war! Korea has against themselves!
Every country has done wrong. Look at the U.S. and the U.K. in Iraq!

The post about New Castle was funny! Seven fights in a bar! Is that true. I have a friend from New Castle. We taught together in Korea. He is melow, and gets along with everyone.[/quote]

Yeah. Its quite true about Newcastle. I am from that area and if you go drinking in the bigg market, or some local bars where noone knows you you will see trouble. I am from that area too and I am quite mellow also. But overall people from the north east have a slight edge to their character!!!

[Travel Zen]

What happened in China?

You could do a search on Travel Zen for the 'China-Off Topic' Forum.

That's what happened.

Lots of ignorance, rip-offs, and bland environments and a communist crack-down on any type of individuality.

...but if you like the wild west, then China is for you.

[Tiger Beer]

Interesting thread.

All of this just 'matter of opinion'.. and a lot of people did say quite a few correct things about Korea. But I have to say.. whatever recent threads about 'getting beat to a pulp'.. it was actually one.. and if you follow it long enough, you'll find it much different than originally written - and it was maybe two swings or something.

Anyhow.. I've been in Korea for way too long now.. (off and on since 1996).. a lot of the things are true.. I especially liked the part about Korea justifying their 'hate' due to considering themselves 'victims'.. just found that interesting.

But anyhow.. Korea has a lot of positives.. it can be in your face at times.. but its also.. ahmm.. it has its moments. To throw out a positive.. at least you always know what a Korean is thinking at all times - because they ALWAYS tell you.. everytime! I appreciate that after time.

When I've been to Japan.. no one ever tells you anything.. but they'll tell everyone else.. and there is this weird loneliness/isolation to the place - you never get that in Korea - here in Korea, Koreans will ALWAYS invite you to join them and just more kind/friendliness on a personal level. Japan feels like you could walk around forever as an invisible person.

I also found the expats in Japan to be kind of weird.. too much of the 'look at me, I'm in Japan' types.. whereas in Korea, you have a lot of expats who've been all over the place traveling and such. Being in Korea, makes you want to go out and see more and more. Expats in Japan seem very Japan-centric and isolated into their Japan-centric lives way too much. Anyhow, Korea just seems rougher and funner to me.. where Japan feels kind of plastic disneylandish.. its like comparing New York to Los Angeles.. do you want the edge or do you want the image?

All that being said.. I do notice Japanese guys being cooler and Japanese women seeming more sexual-oriented than Koreans on both accounts.. I could really go either way for being in a country.. but being in Korea, I don't mind it either.

[Brooks]

there are some weird expats in Japan but I am sure there are at least some in Korea. Just look at the Korean board, although I think it is more civilized than it used to be a few years ago.

A lot of people here just work, partly because they want to make money, but sometimes people have demanding jobs where they don`t have a lot of free time. This is what I find in Tokyo, and is true whether you are foreign or Japanese.
The Japanese attitude to work is hard to adjust to. A lot of people don`t want to put work ahead of their free time/hobbies/families, but many people do since their bosses demand it.

Koreans have to work a lot too, and might even put in a few more hours than the Japanese do.

With Japanese people it is possible to be around people that pretend and hide their true feelings but inside they may not like you, but you wouldn`t know.

I think with many Koreans you will know how they feel.
You may be hated or liked, but you will know.
Koreans seem to put up with the display of negative emotions whereas in Tokyo you are supposed to repress negative feelings.
Repressing is not so good, and leads a lot of Japanese guys to drink too much.

[Big John Stud]

Tiger Beer wrote:

Interesting thread. All of this just 'matter of opinion'.. and a lot of people did say quite a few correct things about Korea. But I have to say.. whatever recent threads about 'getting beat to a pulp'.. it was actually one.. and if you follow it long enough, you'll find it much different than originally written - and it was maybe two swings or something. Anyhow.. I've been in Korea for way too long now.. (off and on since 1996).. a lot of the things are true.. I especially liked the part about Korea justifying their 'hate' due to considering themselves 'victims'.. just found that interesting. But anyhow.. Korea has a lot of positives.. it can be in your face at times.. but its also.. ahmm.. it has its moments. To throw out a positive.. at least you always know what a Korean is thinking at all times - because they ALWAYS tell you.. everytime! I appreciate that after time. When I've been to Japan.. no one ever tells you anything.. but they'll tell everyone else.. and there is this weird loneliness/isolation to the place - you never get that in Korea - here in Korea, Koreans will ALWAYS invite you to join them and just more kind/friendliness on a personal level. Japan feels like you could walk around forever as an invisible person. I also found the expats in Japan to be kind of weird.. too much of the 'look at me, I'm in Japan' types.. whereas in Korea, you have a lot of expats who've been all over the place traveling and such. Being in Korea, makes you want to go out and see more and more. Expats in Japan seem very Japan-centric and isolated into their Japan-centric lives way too much. Anyhow, Korea just seems rougher and funner to me.. where Japan feels kind of plastic disneylandish.. its like comparing New York to Los Angeles.. do you want the edge or do you want the image? All that being said.. I do notice Japanese guys being cooler and Japanese women seeming more sexual-oriented than Koreans on both accounts.. I could really go either way for being in a country.. but being in Korea, I don't mind it either.

This is an interesting post because I find getting along with Japanese a lot easier. I've never felt isolated here!
I guess part of adapting to a different culture matters on one's own personality. I do have a lot of respect for Tiger Bear to being able to adapt to Korea!
I also find a lot of expats here in Japan are either too busy with their lives or hate being here. In Korea, I found Expats willing to hang out with anyone.

[hip-hop boy78]

One of the reasons I preferred living in Japan is precisely because Japanese people leave you alone and don't bother you. It's nice to have your own freedom and not worry about other people being up in your face all day long or wanting to know your private business like a lot of Koreans do. There's only so much attention a person can take in a day. Plus all the stares you get when out and about, especially if accompanied by a Korean female. I wouldn't quite call Korean people 'friendly'. Italian people are friendly. Spanish people are friendly. Koreans? I don't think so.

[JimDunlop2]

I'm splitting this thread... If we want to talk about garbage nazis, that's fine but it should've been a new thread.

JD