|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
4 months left
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
|
 Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:09 pm Post subject: Seoul Ranks Last in Happiness Index |
 |
|
This is why you make your money and get out as quickly as possible.
Seoul Ranks Last in Happiness Index
Seoulites are the most unhappy city dwellers in a list of ten major world cities. The average happiness index of Seoul residents stood at 63.6, the lowest, according to a study on happiness and life satisfaction. Ten cities were included in the index: Seoul, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Berlin, Milan, Tokyo, Beijing and Stockholm. The study was conducted by the Seoul Welfare Foundation, an affiliate of the Seoul Metropolitan Government, and the National Academy of Sciences. Stockholm earned 80.1 points, the highest, followed by Toronto with 80.0, New York with 78.3 and London with 76.7. Asian cities placed in the bottom, with Tokyo and Beijing ranked eighth and ninth.
Seoul ranked last in eight out of 11 categories, including welfare, culture and education, the ecological environment, the living environment, city government, community life and civic pride. It came in seventh in the economic category, which considered job opportunities and consumer price levels. The capital of Korea took ninth place in the categories of safety and health with 37.6 points and 66.8 points. The study was conducted through a phone interview of 1,000 citizens in each city (1,014 in Milan). The life satisfaction level was graded in five degrees |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Apple Scruff
Joined: 29 Oct 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:00 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Stockholm scored #1? Sweden is the suicide capital of the world. I fart on your survey. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
manlyboy
Joined: 01 Aug 2004
Location: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
gmat
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:47 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Apple you just got owned!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
4 months left
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mashimaro
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: location, location
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:09 am Post subject: |
|
|
I wouldn't want to be a Korean in Korea.
The pressure on students when they are young, in school and hagwons all day, men go to do military training, women have very little opportunities outside being English teachers or secretaries until they get married, being practically forced to work very long hours and often on saturdays, interfering family and in laws. Would be hard to maintain happiness as your average Korean.
Living here as a white male foreigner on the other hand is pretty good though. Sure there is xenophobia and it's not perfect, but hey, which country is.. I like Korea, but I am sure glad I have a passport to leave when the time is right. Live as a Korean in Korea, I don't envy them. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
4 months left
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 12:19 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Mashimaro wrote: |
I wouldn't want to be a Korean in Korea.
The pressure on students when they are young, in school and hagwons all day, men go to do military training, women have very little opportunities outside being English teachers or secretaries until they get married, being practically forced to work very long hours and often on saturdays, interfering family and in laws. Would be hard to maintain happiness as your average Korean.
Living here as a white male foreigner on the other hand is pretty good though. Sure there is xenophobia and it's not perfect, but hey, which country is.. I like Korea, but I am sure glad I have a passport to leave when the time is right. Live as a Korean in Korea, I don't envy them. |
Men - free pass to go to prostitutes and blame it on work, have a girlfriend(s) on the side, go to SE Asia for "golf"  vacations, go drinking with their buddies and tell the wife it is business, stay at work for long hours but actual working time is short.
Women - act like you are 12 until you are 30, get money from your parents for shopping, a new cell phone every year, go to another country all expenses paid to "study", have a boyfriend(s) on the side, pop out a kid and watch TV and sleep all day.
They don't have it that bad, who doesn't have to work hard for what they get in any country, except perhaps English teachers in Korea. I'm tired of hearing how hard Koreans have it, suck it up and quit your wheeeeyyyyyyyy-ing!! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
blaseblasphemener
Joined: 01 Jun 2006
Location: There's a voice, keeps on calling me, down the road, that's where I'll always be
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 3:17 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Those suicide stats seem bogus. How can every country be European? Also, there is some South Pacific island where suicides are epidimic. In the book Tipping Point. Says kids do it for kicks. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 3:22 am Post subject: |
|
|
| 4 months left has had 4 months left for the last 12 months and has been b**ching about it the whole time. I'd say he is the one who is last on the happiness index. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
4 months left
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 3:45 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| 4 months left has had 4 months left for the last 12 months and has been b**ching about it the whole time. I'd say he is the one who is last on the happiness index. |
You got that right brother, I hate it here but piling up the cash and studying the stock market. I bi*ch but I tell it like it is and sometimes the truth hurts.
Sometimes you gotta sacrifice short term pain for a long term gain. I'm at about 5 months left and there's going to be a huge smile on my face when I am on that plane for a 3 month Asian vacation then off to teach in Brazil or Czech Republic. Just keep thinking about it to keep me sane. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 3:53 am Post subject: |
|
|
Korea seems happier to me than it used to. University students in Seoul seem like the happiest bunch to me, or maybe that's just seeing them out on weekends around Shinchon/Hongdae. That's the "happiest" part of Seoul I believe, where people tend to be friendly and seem happy.
As for the older people, forget it. It's the land of few smiles. I saw an ajumma laugh a few weeks ago, a rarity. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Homer
Guest
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 3:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| 4 months left has had 4 months left for the last 12 months and has been b**ching about it the whole time. I'd say he is the one who is last on the happiness index. |
Indeed!
As for telling it like it is and the truth..well..those are not universal 4 months. What you are doing is telling it like it is for you from your very personal standpoint. Lets not confuse that with the actual truth of how it is here because many people could tell you how it is for them and it would be completely different.
The main point is that you are focused on a goal (cash) and then want to get out of here. That's cool, and best of luck with that. Lets just hope that as you are telling people like it is, you are also making some semblance of effort to teach good lessons to your students...except for that, who gives a rats hairy butt what you think about happiness in Seoul or Korea....cheers |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
SPINOZA
Joined: 10 Jun 2005
Location: $eoul
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| jajdude wrote: |
| It's the land of few smiles. |
so you keep saying.
But others appear to have different experiences and opinions. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
4 months left
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Homer wrote: |
As for telling it like it is and the truth..well..those are not universal 4 months. What you are doing is telling it like it is for you from your very personal standpoint. Lets not confuse that with the actual truth of how it is here because many people could tell you how it is for them and it would be completely different.
The main point is that you are focused on a goal (cash) and then want to get out of here. That's cool, and best of luck with that. Lets just hope that as you are telling people like it is, you are also making some semblance of effort to teach good lessons to your students...except for that, who gives a rats hairy butt what you think about happiness in Seoul or Korea....cheers |
Ah, I think my posts are for the most part reflective of reality in Korea. Sometimes I give opinions but the other long timers here are usually married to a Korean and skew their opinions to the other side. Like I said, sometimes the truth hurts. If you don't like the topic you don't have to read it, simple as that.
It's not my opinion about happiniess in Seoul it is Seoulittes' opinions. And yes I do a good job teaching, if I didn't I wouldn't have the great position that I do. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
minorthreat
Joined: 05 Aug 2006
Location: in your base, killing your mans
|
| Posted: Fri Jan 19, 2007 4:15 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Mashimaro wrote: |
I wouldn't want to be a Korean in Korea.
The pressure on students when they are young, in school and hagwons all day, men go to do military training, women have very little opportunities outside being English teachers or secretaries until they get married, being practically forced to work very long hours and often on saturdays, interfering family and in laws. Would be hard to maintain happiness as your average Korean.
Living here as a white male foreigner on the other hand is pretty good though. Sure there is xenophobia and it's not perfect, but hey, which country is.. I like Korea, but I am sure glad I have a passport to leave when the time is right. Live as a Korean in Korea, I don't envy them. |
I agree. My take on things here can be summed up pretty simply: I like Korea, but I'm glad I'm not Korean. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
