Korean Job Discussion Forums

crazy_arcade · Joined: 05 Nov 2006

I was walking home and I saw that one of the local 5,000 won pizza joints was having a sale, 3900 won pizzas. Two new 5000 won joints just opened up on the same street so I guess they're trying to drive them out. I decided I'd pick up two.

The place was packed. I got up to the till and order two pizzas and gave the woman a 10,000 won bill. She gave me my number, didn't give me my change, and then started serving the next customer.

The first thought in my head was "this racist fucking bitch she's trying to cheat me because I'm not Korean blah blah blah blah." I felt pretty damn angry. I went back into the line and my mind was racing with anger and what I would do. I wanted to demand my money back and throw my number at her and make a scene. I got to the counter and my rational side came in. I politely asked her how much one pizza cost and then asked her why I paid more. She asked me if I hadn't received my change and then gave me my change with a sorry.

Did she try to rip me off and I caught her? I don't know. The place was super busy and it's common for mistakes to happen when things are that busy.

Now, I'm trying to figure out why my thought process immediately went negative. There really wasn't any reason for me to do so. I love Korea and I've received so much friendliness from people here that I have no reason to think the way I did. I actually feel bad about it. I think I need to drop some "friends" whose paranoid racism seems to be infiltrating me. I think I need to block this site and stop reading it's hate literature.

VanIslander · Posted: Fri Feb 09, 2007 11:59 pm Post subject:

I avoided those 5000 won pizzas because I assumed they'd taste the worst.

Don't assume so.

It was pretty tasty the one time I had it while sheltering away from the rain.

And, oh, don't assume the other thing, racism. Suspect it as a possibility not a reality until more obvious explanations are exhausted, like clerk error.

JeJuJitsu · Joined: 11 Sep 2005 Location: McDonald's

I have service counter workers short-change me an inordinate number of times. However, I don't think they are trying to rip you off, but rather your foreign-ness makes them nervous, and that's the reason for their blunder.

jaganath69 · Joined: 17 Jul 2003

For all the faults and failings of the place, I have never been ripped off monetarily by a Korean in 3 1/2 years here, except by taxi drivers. They are so much better here than in southeast Asia.

Jarome_Turner · Joined: 10 Sep 2004

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

Despite the asian sterotype, many koreans are bad at math.

twg · Joined: 02 Nov 2006 Location: Getting some fresh air...

jeffkim1972 · Joined: 10 Jan 2007 Location: Mokpo

Yes, the cashier girl was venting her lifelong frustration and hatred towards foreigners by trying to short-change you!

Please contact the local police department and have this place shut down immediately!

By the way, thank god for the 5000 won pizza places, they are awesome.

jaganath69 · Joined: 17 Jul 2003

tfunk · Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Location: Dublin, Ireland

I'm a wayguk, I'm a wayguk, I'm a wayguk, I'm a wayguk, I'm a wayguk, I'm a wayguk...

Throw a coin at me and watch me spit English!

It can get pretty tiring being the centre of your own attention, particularly when you're not in high spirits. I also find my habit of dividing everything into being either 'Western' or 'Korean' exhausting, narrow minded and pointless...but I do it anyway. I'm a walking symbol of western civilisation, man, it's all so cartoonish sometimes.

In my experience, self-centred and excessive thinking is rarely positive because this type of thought seems to be 'problem orientated' and it can't think about something positively for too long. So walking alone along the streets of Korea can get to you.

You're a bad bad person for thinking bad bad thoughts! Negative friends and negative reading material do influence your thoughts...but thoughts are overrated anyway.

kotakji · Joined: 23 Oct 2006

Was it a new 10k won bill? I've had one (non) incident because the storekeeper thought it was a 5000 bill without looking closely. I know it wasnt racism because the store is my local mart and the owners know me well (and like giving me free stuff whenever they are in the mood). Like the OP said, don't assume racism, or you will most surely find it.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Is it possible you didn't order the pizza that was on sale? One day my GF and I were walking in one of those narrow laned neighborhoods. We were holding hands. Water fell on us from above. Sure seemed like someone threw a glass of water or something on us.

In North America, I'd assume it was a) an accident b) some kids. Here I'd have to consider possible racism. I'm still going with A.

My motto is "always look for the silver lining in every cloud, but just expect it to turn out to be lead."

Young FRANKenstein · Posted: Mon Feb 12, 2007 11:31 pm Post subject:

Sody · Joined: 14 May 2006

Wow I read your post crazy_arcade and I totally relate to what you wrote. I too felt exactly the same way you did on numerous occasions. All I can say is that being ripped off sucks, and I have felt that I was ripped off a few times only to realize I was wrong later. For the most part I have been treated really well here in Korea. I hate those thoughts and I"m glad they leave me as easily as they arise.

Sody

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

The problem is that a lot of people never stop to rethink the situation or take action to correct it. so for them it is "evidence" of Korean racism when really it's just some fiction in their mind. And the more they look for it, the more phony evidence they amass until their belief become totally entrenched.