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zeeseong
Joined: 23 Mar 2007
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 Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:17 am Post subject: What was your first impression of Korea when you got here? |
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What did you think of Korea?
What was most embarrassing?
What was most disappointing?
What was most satisfying? |
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captain kirk
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:30 am Post subject: |
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The things that most stood out, for me, were the truly Asian bits. Grandmother-aged women sitting on the curb selling fresh fish propped in front of them. Stuff like that which was so down to earth it went directly to my appreciation of the genuine, no bones about it.
Most disappointing, well, that gets covered on Dave's here just about on the hour.
Most embarrassing? Not speaking Korean well, when it could be so easy, got to get Spartan on that.
Most surprising? The genuine things, as mentioned above. Can't be faked, that's the real welcome and reward and it takes some looking but, once you find it, you're home for a moment, wherever that may be. |
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mervsdamun
Joined: 06 Jun 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 7:44 am Post subject: |
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The first impression was how crap the old Gimpo/Kimpo airport was (Seoul�s international airport at that time). I had breakfast at the airport with my recruiter and was surprised by the fact that kimchi wasn�t as spicy as I thought it would be.
Embarrassing� not sure.
Disappointment� the bland urban architecture and the sea of apartment blocks.
Also, the lack of (what I would consider) good manners, very impolite students (imagined things to be completely different) and the ease with which people were able to bend the truth.
Satisfying� the food overall was much better then I thought it would be. I enjoyed exploring the country and getting to know the people better.
Enjoyed the markets, especially in the smaller places around the country. Enjoyed the nightlife. Enjoyed being able to pop up to the local store and buy a beer at 4 am. |
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stevemcgarrett
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 8:15 am Post subject: |
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My first thought when I arrived in Korea the first time 14 years ago was, "Dang, I should have purchased a roundtrip ticket."
My thoughts now, on the second stay, can best be metaphorically represented as chalk marks on a prison cell. |
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Bibbitybop
Joined: 22 Feb 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 10:03 am Post subject: Re: What was your first impression of Korea when you got her |
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| zeeseong wrote: |
1. What did you think of Korea?
2. What was most embarrassing?
3. What was most disappointing?
4. What was most satisfying? |
(numbers mine)
1. Different, strange, adventure, nice.
2. Couldn't speak the language.
3. Lack of cheese on dishes.
4. Money and great women.
I prepared before I came here. Korea is easy to live in. |
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Vicissitude
Joined: 27 Feb 2007
Location: Chef School
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 10:37 am Post subject: Re: What was your first impression of Korea when you got her |
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| zeeseong wrote: |
What did you think of Korea?
What was most embarrassing?
What was most disappointing?
What was most satisfying? |
1.) I thought the people were too quiet and not very helpful, especially when I tried to speak in English OR Korean. It didn't matter either way, people just laughed out loud at me.
2.) Embarrassing? See above. It's embarassing to be laughed at when you need real help from the local people who have about zero tolerance for native English speakers who can't speak Korean fluently - straight off the plane from day one. It was equally as embarassing to come into a class of adult students, say a greeting and hear no response whatsoever. I would come into the room and say, "hello, good morning/afternoon/evening." Yet, there would be no response. So I would say, "how are you this morning/afternoon/evening?" Still, there would be no response, even from the more advanced level students. I thought these people hated me for no reason whatsoever until I learned very quickly from my coworkers that it was all too typical of Korea for Koreans not to respond to such greetings. To be ignored. I tried to teach them typical greetings but it was such a crap shoot. So that I just stopped greeting altogether. Why bother if they aren't going to respond? Do I need the embarassment? No!
3.) Disappointing? See above. I was seriously disappointed with the lack of manners or helpfulness. But I would say it was equally as disappointing to see that people rarely spoke English anywhere simply because they thought it was maybe embarassing for them to do so. I later learned that many Koreans think English is a "dirty" language.
4.) Satisfying? A student brought me a whole Paris Cheesecake plus cookies and some of her home cooked food on my second day of teaching. I was always getting gifts from students while my coworkers got just about zilch. |
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Snowkr
Joined: 03 Jun 2005
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:02 pm Post subject: |
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My first impression of Korea was how much better it was than China... where I had recently come from. The scenery on the 3 hour drive home from the airport reminded me of my home in Virginia.
Most embarrassing moments must not have been too bad because I can't remember them. I was embarrassed more by how American military behaved in public and I often let the Koreans think I was from Canada, like most of my friends there.
Most disappointing was the racism factor. I found Koreans to be stereotypically more racist than the Chinese. As a young, caucasion female, this did not directly affect me but I had many friends who were affected by it.
The most satisfying things outweighed all the bad. Korea is so much safer than the states. Aside from racial intolerance, I found Koreans to be among the kindest and most hospitable people I'd ever encountered. I love that there is a church on every street corner and signs posted in Seoul that say Jesus Loves You. I couldn't tolerate the food but there were always plenty of opportunities to eat western food. Most of all, after hearing horror stories from other teachers, I was really satisfied with my hogwan experience... great school, nice parents, good kids and a good director who stayed on top of everything. |
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lastat06513
Joined: 18 Mar 2003
Location: Sensus amo Caesar , etiamnunc victus amo uni plebian
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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When I first landed at Kimpo International Airport, the first things I smelled was rotten cabbage (which turned out to be Kimchi) and manure, which I found out to be human waste in some parts (especially around Baet Bal) of the country.
When I first took a "kimchi bus", the first thing I smelled was Kimchi and soju.... |
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andrew
Joined: 30 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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.....
Last edited by andrew on Fri Mar 20, 2009 6:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 2:43 pm Post subject: Re: What was your first impression of Korea when you got her |
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| zeeseong wrote: |
| What was most embarrassing? |
I came expecting to cope with differences so wasn't embarrassed by much except for my initial difficulty sitting on floor mats for long periods of time, being the only one at the table shifting often, getting up to stretch legs, trying to get cramps out... took a couple of months to become comfortable with sitting on the floor.
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| What was most disappointing? |
I was not disappointed at all because I didn't have high expectations: I knew that there would be a lot of differences between here and home and I was gonna appreciate them, see them as interesting, not judge them, and can honestly say that not a single moment of disappointment can I recall until the second year when I travelled to some famous temple to find it a facsimile of others I'd already visited, and in fact, while nice enough wasn't as nice as other temples I've been to. I still go to temples I haven't visited before, as I enjoy the walks and the sights, is a nice afternoon with a friend, but I no longer get disappointed as I did that one time I had high expectations for something special.
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| What was most satisfying? |
The most satisying was the food from the get go. I had tears the first time I had haemul tang, it was that good. Soon-dae stew, dubujjigae, dukalbi, mmmm. The island's beaches also were fully satisfying on my morning jaunts. And the month after month of bright clear blue skies were a constant source of satisfaction. |
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SuperHero
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Superhero Hideout
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 3:20 pm Post subject: |
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Why do cars come in only three colors: black, white & silver?
why are there no garbage cans?
Hey, no one is fat here! |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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What did you think of Korea?
What was most embarrassing?
What was most disappointing?
What was most satisfying? |
I arrived in March '94 and was too excited/jet lagged to sleep, and I had been put up in a motel in Yusong, so I went out for a walk--and was smart enough not to cross any streets. I just walked around the block. Fortunately, there was a bar on the other side of the block, behind the motel, so I peeked in the window and mustered the courage to go in and order a beer.
It was slightly embarrassing having to point at things because there was not an English word in sight, but the waitress was friendly and helpful, so everything went well.
The next morning, a Sunday, I went out early again and took a walk. It was beautiful because it was snowing. Then I got up the courage to go scope out my new workplace. I hailed a cab and handed the driver the name card the boss had given me. Off we went to Koong-dong. I thought, "Ick. I ended up in an old part of the city." There was trash everywhere. I came back in the afternoon, after everything had been cleaned up and the area looked fine. I ended up living there for more than 4 years.
I think the only disappointment was that when I looked out my apartment window, everything looked Western, except for the writing on signs. There were a dozen red neon crosses and no sign of a Buddhist temple. I thought that was disappointing.
The other thing I found disappointing...the first time I went out to buy a pizza. I REALLY wanted something that tasted like home. The pizza came and the sauce was ketchup and there was corn all over the pizza. VERY disappointing.
Most satisfying was meeting the students at the hakwon. I taught almost all adult classes (mainly uni students) and had a great time. They were bright and friendly and a lot of fun to be around. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 5:40 pm Post subject: Re: What was your first impression of Korea when you got her |
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What was most embarrassing?
Finding out I was pretty well the only non-Christian around for the first few weeks.
What was most disappointing?
The architecture of high-rise apartments as far as the eye could see (Suwon). Depressing might be a better word.
What was most satisfying?
Finding out there was a punk scene pretty much identical to the one I left at home and meeting a ton of like-minded Koreans. |
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pdx
Joined: 19 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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Think of Korea: It was a nice temperature, yet muggy. The Incheon airport was much easier to navigate than I anticipated (I was so worried it wouldn't work out), and everyone seemed nice. I knew it would be big and bright, and I arrived at night and that's what I got.
Embarassing: the first day I was here my friend (who had been here two weeks) and I went around trying to find a bed for me for the apartment. After living in Mexico and being at least able to get by with spanish, it was a reality to not know ANY Korean words and try to get a used twin size bed. Ugh. During the day we had to end up asking for directions (a pack of school boys, a retail clerk who refused to even look at us, and finally some nice guys at a gas station), and even had some old ajumma try to help us (even though at that point, in the subway station we knew exactly where we were going).
Disappointing: I'd echo the point about the apartment buildings. For some reason (I have no idea why because I saw SO many photos before coming here) I thought that so much of Seoul would be brand new and sleek and clean (why did I even think that?) So it was disappointing when things were so dirty and the apartment buildings were all those nasty white old looking apartments.
Most satisfying: Liking Korean food, definitely. All my life I've never been that into Asian food (Don't care much for Chinese, Thai, haven't ever tried Japanese, etc.) and so I was worried, but I LOVE Korean food, and that was really a relief.
My roommate and I have talked lately about how or perceptions and views have changed since we got here. Since the weather is warming up and things are livelier and the smells are all back in action, it reminds me of the time of year I arrived here. |
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Corporal
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 11:39 pm Post subject: |
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| What's that stench? |
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