Korean Job Discussion Forums

[exportedhabster]

One of the fashion outlets had a shirt that said "me love you long time". I wonder if people knew what that meant.

A clothing store window in Nammoon, Suwon reads 'gay action movies'. Why? I don't know.

I was in a coffee shop in Shincheon (the one near Chamshil) and the on the menu it listed 'sliced rat'. They meant chui po (dried fish), but they took the exact words from the dictionary.

[captain kirk]

passing towering yogwon motels at night one had a sign in neon blue with stars trailing a 'line of fire' in bursts over the handle 'INTELLIGENT MOTEL'.

[taejonguy]

At the back of my desk calendar:

Sorry! I am make an official (supposed to be I am on a business trip!)
Sorry! I am out to lunch! (Yes, but that is besides the point!)

[kimcheeking]

There's a resteraunt in Kangnam somewhere that has there menu posted outside. Aparently they sell
rainy umbrellas
mystery brown

and a couple other things that I can't remember.

[atina]

Well not really Konglish but more mispronunciation that makes me laugh..
Sometimes I give my students penalties for speaking Korean in class or during a game (called the "Korean Penalties") and so when one student was speaking Korean I just stopped and pointed at him (I caught you!) and so he replied:

Teacher, are you going to give me your "green panties" now?




Pronunciation is VERY important!

[jajdude]

Yeah this stuff is everywhere as English as a decoration.. and sometimes it is downright hilarious. I love the notebooks and pencil cases the kids bring in to class - incredibly bad English that they cannot understand. Or perhaps just quoted lyrics from Simon and Garfunkel. In Taiwan there are cigarettes named "Long Life" - funny I think. And the "Coolpis" drink should be on Jay Leno or something. And the clothing can be hilarious or just plain lousy. The coat I am wearing these days says, "I will make your ownstyle with forever suggesting a confortable and easy-care style." Hey if only my students could write like that! Really!!! Love this stuff ... keep it coming.

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Saw a sign in a yeogwan last night place near an ashtray full of cigarettes:

"Now Smoking"

[The Bobster]

This is really in the category of "Humorous Classroom Blunders," but anyway ...

I was assigning vocabulary words for the homework assignment, which was to write a sentence using. I chose the word "arouse." I had checked the dictionary, and the sexual meaning was number 3 out of 4 possible ones, so I thought it was safe enough ...

Well, sure, the kid comes back with : "My mother aroused me in bed this morning."

I'd seen his mother once or twice, quite a looker, so I told him, Hey, don't feel bad, it could happen to anybody ...

[IconsFanatic]

An advertisement promoting the Haeundae International Wind Surfing Festival:

"This Festival, cosponsored by Sailing Association of Korea and Haeundae-Gu is held on Haeundae Beach area in June. The competition is held in nine areas. Free classes for jet skies, wind surfing, and yachting are open the public. Quit promoting yourselves and puffing out your chests, This is disingenuous, at best."

(I believe that last line is a poor way of saying, "quit boasting, get out there and prove it!")

[mokpochica]

There's a peach/strawberry flavored drink that they sell at Ministop called "coolpis". Somehow it sounds really disgusting to me.

[captain kirk]

antique/furniture store in itaewon, words written on the window;

What do you seek?
Do you want to theValue
furniture and accessory?
If that is so, about here soon
enter get in value collection!

[marsha marsha marsha]

I was reading the one about Make Lion and my mind said straight away, Meg Ryan. Oh God, I was in Korea WAY too long.

My favorite is a candy bar called Mr Big. I had to take one home when I saw the big van delivering them that said "So big you have to call it Mister". AHAHAHA. It says it on the package too. Check it out on your next visit to Seben Eleben.


I live in Egypt now and here a few gems from here...

Bimbo-its a cookie like thing-knew students in Seoul that ate a few too many

Coochy-a French shoe company from what I have heard. I almost died when I rode by that store!

Angel Dust- a children's clothing store that specializes in Disney clothes

Taki- a furniture store- the name is dead on

Too many to remember actually. Ah, gotta love living abroad.

[kimcheeking]

[Tallgirl]

Well it's not really konglish, more of a cute translation. I went to the folk village in Suwon. I had to catch the bus from the village to the express bus terminal in town, so I asked at an information booth which bus I should take. The lady there was very helpful. She even wrote out directions for the driver in Korean. She told me that the note asked the driver to get me off at the bus terminal . I couldn't help giggling. She must have wondered what was wrong with me.

[keguri]

* The name of a bar in Kangnam: "Wood and Mood" (They must have thought that the two words rhyme). I always imagined if I went in there they'd be playing Barry White...

* On a notebook I bought at a 7-11: "I will rice above on a higher love. I will wait for it." Whoever wrote this must have been hungry at the time...

* On a "Pucca" notebook: "Pucca is a sweet daughter of owner of the Chinese restaurant. She is a mania to a Chinese stylish noodle. Her boyfriend is Garu. He always chased by her. You will going to expect their funny lovestory." Whoever wrote this must have been absent from class the day they covered articles, passive voice, modals, possessives, prepositions, adjectives, nouns, verbs...

* On a sweatshirt: "University of Wiconsin" (missing an "s"). Maybe they were charged by the letter? Or maybe the factory messed up on a batch of shirts and said "Hey, I know who we can sell these to..."

* And I'll never forget the time one of my male students, frustrated with his English lesson, confessed to me "I'm so hard!" instead of "It's so hard." I corrected him, but I didn't have the heart to explain...