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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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 Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 8:02 pm Post subject: Why do Koreans associate speaking English with waving? |
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I was watching a few educational programmes yesterday and noticed the English teachers, Koreans and foreigners, all waving like idiots at the beginning and end. I noticed the same thing with a Korean woman manning an 'English cafe' at a bookfair - waving back and forth with her hands at her side like an idiot with everyone who came up. Do they really think that this is something that westerners habitually do? I've come up with some theories as for why this may be:
- Koreans know westerners don't bow but think they have to do something with their bodies when greeting and can't think of anything else to do.
- Koreans think that interacting in English with anyone of any age demands the exact same respect, deference, and formality that middle school girls would show to their peers on the playground.
- An essential part of Han is looking like an idiot to foreigners while having absolutely no idea what an idiot one looks like.
- Koreans think that speaking English is just plain silly, goofy, and ridiculous, and this can't be emphasised enough.
Any other ideas? I'm happy to interact with Koreans according to Korean manners or western manners, but it's sure annoying when they expect to interact with me in a manner that no westerner above the age of 12 would. |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 8:12 pm Post subject: Re: Why do Koreans associate speaking English with waving? |
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| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
- Koreans know westerners don't bow but think they have to do something with their bodies when greeting and can't think of anything else to do.
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That's probably it right there.
Korean exec: We want to do something distinctly western for the show. I know you guys don't bow. What do you do instead.
Waeg: Uh, we shake hands?
Korean exec: No, that won't work on TV.
Waeg: Okay, we wave?
Korean exec: Okay, great. At the beginning and end of every show, you will wave.
Waeg: But we don't do that on TV shows. It's unnatural.
Korean exec: We bow, so you must wave. It is uniquely western.
Later...
Korean exec: You're not waving enthusiastically enough. Use two hands. And also, use your whole body. |
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Yu_Bum_suk
Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject: Re: Why do Koreans associate speaking English with waving? |
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| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
| Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
- Koreans know westerners don't bow but think they have to do something with their bodies when greeting and can't think of anything else to do.
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That's probably it right there.
Korean exec: We want to do something distinctly western for the show. I know you guys don't bow. What do you do instead.
Waeg: Uh, we shake hands?
Korean exec: No, that won't work on TV.
Waeg: Okay, we wave?
Korean exec: Okay, great. At the beginning and end of every show, you will wave.
Waeg: But we don't do that on TV shows. It's unnatural.
Korean exec: We bow, so you must wave. It is uniquely western.
Later...
Korean exec: You're not waving enthusiastically enough. Use two hands. And also, use your whole body. |
That's probably how it works. But most Koreans have watched at least a few western-produced educational programmes and documentaries. Does the presenter of Deadliest Car Chases start off waving and saying 'Hi Everyone!'? Tyra Banks acts like an assclown sometimes but not like English teachers in Korea do. It's like as if they don't want something truly western, don't want something Korean, and instead want their own ridiculous brand of Engerlishee. |
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mountain goat
Joined: 18 Dec 2006
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 9:35 pm Post subject: |
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| My co teacher told me that she has always taught the kids to say hi and wave and not to bow because it might confuse us simple foreigners, I dont know whether this is a common thought or just her. |
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Vollrath
Joined: 29 May 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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| that's also the reason we get pickles with every foreign dish here. |
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YoshaMazov
Joined: 10 May 2007
Location: Suwon
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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| I'd imagine the waves are the same as helloimfinethankyouandyou. The kids are taught westerners don't bow, so they just wave. We get pickles with everything because Koreans have horribly weak stomachs, and they think the pickles neutralize everything. |
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Vollrath
Joined: 29 May 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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| YoshaMazov wrote: |
| I'd imagine the waves are the same as helloimfinethankyouandyou. The kids are taught westerners don't bow, so they just wave. We get pickles with everything because Koreans have horribly weak stomachs, and they think the pickles neutralize everything. |
weak stomachs? you've never had a hot dalkgalbi and soju session with a korean, have you?
any 'reasons' koreans tell you about pickles is hot air. they're there because they're the foreign 'kimchi'. it didn't occur to whoever first made that yummy dish of corn pizza or sweet sugary spaghetti that westerners don't have anything that functions the same way kimchi does in korean cuisine. so they improvised. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Vollrath wrote: |
| YoshaMazov wrote: |
| I'd imagine the waves are the same as helloimfinethankyouandyou. The kids are taught westerners don't bow, so they just wave. We get pickles with everything because Koreans have horribly weak stomachs, and they think the pickles neutralize everything. |
weak stomachs? you've never had a hot dalkgalbi and soju session with a korean, have you? |
Do you mean the ones they often puke after? |
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peachgaru
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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I HATE the waving. Since I came last week I've been welcomed by Hellos! and Hi!s on the street, paired with that exaggerated wave- often right in my face. And not by children. By grown men or high school boys. I really really really makes gets on my nerves.
Are they making fun of me for being a western girl, flirting, or both?
Either way it makes me want to kick them in the . . . . |
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Alyallen
Joined: 29 Mar 2004
Location: The 4th Greatest Place on Earth = Jeonju!!!
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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| peachgaru wrote: |
I HATE the waving. Since I came last week I've been welcomed by Hellos! and Hi!s on the street, paired with that exaggerated wave- often right in my face. And not by children. By grown men or high school boys. I really really really makes gets on my nerves.
Are they making fun of me for being a western girl, flirting, or both?
Either way it makes me want to kick them in the . . . . |
Hahahah....
I try to make it clear to my children that waving like a demonic moron is not normal under ANY circumstances....Unless you are a demonic moron, which in that case you are free to wave furiously...
Urggghhh....I just remembered the student teachers will be coming to my school next week. I should count how many times those pests wave to the students...It's like WHO DOES THAT??!! |
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blynch
Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Location: UCLA
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:25 pm Post subject: |
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| ajgeddes wrote: |
| Vollrath wrote: |
| YoshaMazov wrote: |
| I'd imagine the waves are the same as helloimfinethankyouandyou. The kids are taught westerners don't bow, so they just wave. We get pickles with everything because Koreans have horribly weak stomachs, and they think the pickles neutralize everything. |
weak stomachs? you've never had a hot dalkgalbi and soju session with a korean, have you? |
Do you mean the ones they often puke after? |
funny shit...
Last edited by blynch on Wed May 30, 2007 11:26 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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blynch
Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Location: UCLA
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:26 pm Post subject: |
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| peachgaru wrote: |
I HATE the waving. Since I came last week I've been welcomed by Hellos! and Hi!s on the street, paired with that exaggerated wave- often right in my face. And not by children. By grown men or high school boys. I really really really makes gets on my nerves.
Are they making fun of me for being a western girl, flirting, or both?
Either way it makes me want to kick them in the . . . . |
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zappadelta
Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:27 pm Post subject: |
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| I teach my students that waving is Konglish. Since then, it has died down a bit. |
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peachgaru
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Alyallen wrote: |
| peachgaru wrote: |
I HATE the waving. Since I came last week I've been welcomed by Hellos! and Hi!s on the street, paired with that exaggerated wave- often right in my face. And not by children. By grown men or high school boys. I really really really makes gets on my nerves.
Are they making fun of me for being a western girl, flirting, or both?
Either way it makes me want to kick them in the . . . . |
Hahahah....
I try to make it clear to my children that waving like a demonic moron is not normal under ANY circumstances....Unless you are a demonic moron, which in that case you are free to wave furiously...
Urggghhh....I just remembered the student teachers will be coming to my school next week. I should count how many times those pests wave to the students...It's like WHO DOES THAT??!! |
With children, the waving has not been a problem. I recieve a lot of hellows but they are usually very quiet and reserved little hi's. Except for one group of high school girls who went wild like they had never seen a foreigner before. This was in the market: "HI HELLO HOW ARE YOU I'M FINE THANK YOU YOU SO PWETTY SO PWETTY HI PWETTY"  All of this with the spasmatic wave. Girls please, you're all at least 16 years old.
Its the men who have absolutely NO excuse to do that dumb*ss wave. |
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blynch
Joined: 25 Oct 2006
Location: UCLA
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| Posted: Wed May 30, 2007 11:29 pm Post subject: |
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| peachgaru wrote: |
| Alyallen wrote: |
| peachgaru wrote: |
I HATE the waving. Since I came last week I've been welcomed by Hellos! and Hi!s on the street, paired with that exaggerated wave- often right in my face. And not by children. By grown men or high school boys. I really really really makes gets on my nerves.
Are they making fun of me for being a western girl, flirting, or both?
Either way it makes me want to kick them in the . . . . |
Hahahah....
I try to make it clear to my children that waving like a demonic moron is not normal under ANY circumstances....Unless you are a demonic moron, which in that case you are free to wave furiously...
Urggghhh....I just remembered the student teachers will be coming to my school next week. I should count how many times those pests wave to the students...It's like WHO DOES THAT??!! |
With children, the waving has not been a problem. I recieve a lot of hellows but they are usually very quiet and reserved little hi's. Except for one group of high school girls who went wild like they had never seen a foreigner before. This was in the market: "HI HELLO HOW ARE YOU I'M FINE THANK YOU YOU SO PWETTY SO PWETTY HI PWETTY" All of this with the spasmatic wave. Girls please, you're all at least 16 years old.
Its the men who have absolutely NO excuse to do that dumb*ss wave. |
It seems we have another princess on this board |
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