Korean Job Discussion Forums

[traxxe]

So I'm taller than most Korean men, and bigger. I am fat but there is a lot of muscle too. I also have a beard.

Last night I was walking home after playing basketball with my friend Lauren and a Korean church friend. We had split up and I run into two men, one is pretty well built but short and the other is not. They both seem to be in their 40s.

One man walks up to me, grabs my arm to start feeling for muscle. I try to keep walking and they raise their voices. Then one reaches down, it looks like he is giving me head and tries to pick me up. They were both intoxicated probably and of course couldn't pick me up. So I thought I would try to leave them rather than beat the shit out of them. I pick one up who is trying to lift me and set him to the side and start walking off.

The bigger guy grabs my hand hard, digs his nails into my skin and points to the table nearby. He challenges me to an arm wrestling match right then and there in the middle of a couples meal. I oblige, beat him twice. Beat his friend once. I figure if I could avoid a fight, great. I wasn't going to lose though.

Then one guy gets mad because I beat his big Korean friend twice and raises his fists as if to fight. The other guy hits my arm and tries to get up to fight me. I threw him down on his ass and shoved the other guy so hard he stumbled over and fell. I said no several times, bowed, tried to get out of it. Turned and walked away.

One guy gets up, red-faced and comes towards me and I layed him out. The other guy wants no part of me anymore and just whines and shouts. I just walked home and a few Korean people there held them and intervened.

****

This is like the fifth time stupid stuff like this has happened in the six weeks I've been here. I guess it is because I'm big and they want to prove themselves or some crap. Though this is the only time I struck someone, I feel bad about it. In America I would of kicked the shit out of them both, but I'm trying to be peaceful. Some Koreans are making it hard though.

The first time, my second day here I was eating chicken and a guy walks over me and asks if I work out. I nod. He arm wrestles me and loses twice but doesn't start a fight. (What is it with people trying to arm wrestle me?)

The second time this bigger Korean man while I'm at Insadong's art market gets in front of me and tenses his muscles as if to keep me from walking. I go to walk around him and he side-steps in my path and tries to look intimidating. My friend is laughing, tells me to kiss his cheek. I just stepped into the street and went around. Though I was pissy.

Later at the market near Seoul station a guy grabs me, starts feeling my arms and exclaiming I'm big. He then starts trying to shove me. It was so crowded though, I just walked away and he could not or did not follow.

The only other time I was on a subway and I had given an old ajumma my seat and was standing. When a seat opened up I took it, a guy whom was two away from me. I sat next to his woman I guess... tries to stand up and starts screaming at me where I sit. I look up and kind of laugh. I guess I'm just not intimidated, anyway. The old lady gets up and starts hitting him with her umbrella that I had given my seat to earlier. Then starts yelling at him until he cowers back in his seat. His woman just looks embarrassed.

Oh well, I guess I can just call it an experience and say I'm 5-0 against Koreans in Arm Wrestling.

It's starting to get old though. The line from Pulp Fiction comes to mind. ""You're the weak, and I am the tyranny of evil men. But I'm trying real hard to be the shepherd."

Peace

[swetepete]

Wow, that sucks.
Maybe you should learn the Korean for "would you care to make a small wager on the outcome of this arm-wrestle, Little One?"

[Freaka]

Oy! I have no idea why the Korean men want to arm wrestle you all the time, but your stories made me laugh!

I'm sorry that you've gotten into unnecessary scuffles with these macho men types. Can you spot the drunk arm wrestlers from a mile away now? (lol)

[dogbert]

[spliff]

[kimchi_pizza]

Good on ya big guy! I think you handled yourself pretty well. Yea, you stand out and you'll probably be a target for other's insecurities. I just hope that if you ever feel really angry then feel free to rant on this forum rather than pounding a drunken Korean man's head into kimchi.

I just bet you're an intimidating man in person and some men will use you to test their own courage. If you don't mind losing a bit, lose an arm wrestling match and I bet your opponent will be so thrilled that he'll buy you a beer (and brag to half the neighborhood). It'll probably help diffuse the situation at least. It's up to you, just know when to pick your battles and keep a cool head.

[traxxe]

These are a couple of pictures of me, one is from Saturday and one right before I came here.

Do I just scream, confront and arm wrestle me? I guess I'm one of the few fat white men here or something

[endo]

My absolute favorite Korean macho man story didn't occur to me personally, but instead it happend to a friend of mine here.


He was running on an outdoor track in Ilsan. I think he was attempting to run a few miles so he had to do several laps.

Now while he was doing these laps he kept passing the Koreans. So a few Korean males started to feel insecure and decided to sprint for a lap just so that they could pass my friend.

Now they passed him alright, but then stopped shortly after. So naturally my friend passed them again.



But it's just funny to think of the mindset of there guys. "Yeah, I beat the waygook in a forty meters dash" (while the waygook in running several miles).

[pest2]

No, I have not been challenged to arm wrestle here. Yes, I have experienced many angry aggressive Korean men. Who ever said the word, "insecurity" pretty much nailed it. Also, being drunk in Korea is license for Koreans to do just about anything.

[Julius]

Well handled, definitely. U kept control and composure.

The temptation to lash out right at the beginning when they started feeling up your arm must have been pretty great.

Must be a shock to koreans when they try that stuff in the west and get laid out immediately without any recourse to one-sided courts.

[Freaka]

Traxxe! You're a stud! That's why the Korean guys want to challenge you all the time!

Great pix!

[cbclark4]

Not to purposely sterotype, but you must get a lot of WWE and Smackdown comments from your students.

And I don't know if my statement stereotypes you or your students

cbc

[dmbfan]

[Julius]

[eamo]

I guess your size and your beard, maybe, draws attention to you. I'm very average sized so I don't get a lot of insecure Koreans trying to prove themselves. You handled those situations very well, BTW.

Napoleon syndrome, or small-man syndrome, abounds in this country. Those small Korean men who make good money tend to rise above it because they can get respect through their wealth, big car etc. Korean men who are small and have crappy jobs are usually the culprits.