Korean Job Discussion Forums

[poet13]

So one of the teachers here has spent the morning 'fixing' the radio from our smoking room. He has snipped, cut, chopped, sliced, and diced the power cord at both plug-in ends. He has, with the skill and care of the finest neurosurgeon, dissected the radio so that there are pieces all over not only his desk, but the desk next to his. Each piece is laid out according to it's position in the radio, and in the order in which it came out. With great confidence he has explained, pointing to this and that, and from this to that, what exactly is wrong with the radio. Not that I understand the words, but I do understand the tone.

The school caretaker guy stopped by a few minutes ago with the new batteries it needed.

It has been running on batteries cause the power cord was lost a couple of years ago. So what power cord did he dissect? Apparently leftover from a broken, cordless razor. Just happened to be coiled up on the table behind the radio collecting dust.

My students are so fortunate to have a true genius to guide them, educate them, and help them achieve their fullest potential.
I can't stop smiling.

[Benicio]

Like back in '98 when a teacher wanted me to record an English speech for her students to practice. The other teacher at my school, who was in charge of the audio/visual equipment, brought in a boom box with recording capabilities.
Here's where the problem was: it only had a plug in that required an external microphone for recording. It didn't have its own mic.
I tried, numerous times, to explain to them that it wouldn't work without an external mic. They refused to believe me. They, there were a group standing around by now, kept telling me that I had to speak into the hole where the mic plug in was. It was genius!
Finally, I spoke in to the hole and then hit playback. Nothing!
They were shocked and spent close to 30 minutes trying to work with the thing to get it going. I just sat there and read a book, trying to keep my sanity.
Well, the A/V guy disappears and then reappears with a microphone. Whoa!
He plugs it in and proudly announces that he "fixed the problem"!

[Zolt]

Heee, heehehe he.

While your story is hilarious, I'm a little ashamed to admit that I've done exactly the same kind of thing on occasion. Well, some people are just going around looking for any excuse to take things apart.

...

Then again, some other people are just spending their time looking for ways to impress their colleagues & friends.


Anyway, this thread has the makings of a classic!

[Beej]

There is that story about Pusan National University that is a classic. I dont know if its true or just an urban legend.
A new foreign teacher there noticed that there were so many lockers with built in combo locks. Yet the locks were all busted out and the lockers were just used as unlockable storage.

The teacher asked someone why all the locks were broken and was told that the combinations from the manufacture didnt work. The teacher asked for a combination and tried to open one of the intact lockers. He opened it no problem. The Koreans were dumbfounded.

The Koreans didnt realize the combo locks go right-left-right. They had tried to open them just going in one direction.

[poet13]

I read about the locker incident on another thread here. That may have been the best mechanical genius story I've ever heard about Korea.

[tzechuk]

Hahahahahahaha!!!!!!

[leebumlik69]

[seoulsucker]

Koreaccum's Razor: All things being equal, the simplest solution is the one that should be discarded first.

I want 500원 per use of this one

[RACETRAITOR]

[Dev]

Ah, come on! Hite doesn't cut it for me. I have to see this to get really thirsty.[/list]

[Dev]

BTW, Koreans are always full of useful information - especially at the dining table.

I've been told,

- I shouldn't focus on my main dish while it's still hot. I should eat my cold side dishes at regular intervals while eating my main dish.

- The soup goes on the right and the rice goes on the left. It DOES make a difference.

- I can't enjoy the full flavor of meat without wrapping it in a tasteless leaf.

Thanks guys for your invaluable eating tips. Now my life is so improved.

[poet13]

Ya gotta admit though. There is a certain childish pleasure in ocassionally stuffing a ball of wrapped meat and lettuce the size of you head into your mouth and then trying to talk....

[kkrumrei]

this is more along the lines of food as opposed to technology.

At my school, during lunch, I am constantly told how healthy the foods are and what they are good for. This is fine - I like to think I'm being healthy. But after a five straight weeks of it, I began to grow somewhat dubious. How can every single food be healthy for a different aspect of my body? It was the walnuts that finally drove me to action - there was a dish of walnuts and peanuts in a honey sauce, and I was confidently told how good these are for my brain. So I asked why, how etc. I expected at least an attempt at some sort of quasi-scientific answer.

After a flurry of deliberation in Korean, I was told with equal confidence that they know the dish is good for my brain because the walnuts look like a half of a brain! When I was visibly skeptical, they assured me "our parents told us this!" When I asked how their parents knew anything about walnuts and brains, I was told "Their parents told them."

Now, I'll admit I hold some beliefs that are completely unprovable. That's not my criticizm here. It's the confidence that amazes me the most! I would love to think that they were joking. If they were then kudos to them, and our senses of humour are so different that I can't pick up on their sarcasm.

[JeJuJitsu]

[trubadour]

Funny stories,..great new joke, btw.

Korean people do or say stuff which is apparently stupid.

Ha ha ha!

Stupid forigners and stupid Koreans - a perfect match.








Edit: nuts are a great source of protien which, like fish,
is supposed to be good for your brain. [HINT]