Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Morton]

As with all things in life i have experienced good and bad things. My lack of Korean is holding me back but i am taking lessons.

Yesterday, at Nong Hyub bank, i asked how to send money back home to Scotland. I was told i would have to go to the other branch 5 minutes down the road. I thanked the women and went on my way.
Unfortunately the other branch was shut. I went back to the original bank and told the woman what had happened. She wrote down that the bank shut at 4.30. I asked her why didn't she tell me that before. She looked a bit sheepish and laughed slightly.
I tried to brush it off but then the woman working next to her said something and laughed aloud. Not cool.
I had a few words with the woman about how i felt and she apologized. I told her that laughing at other peoples predicaments is not a very nice thing to do. She apologized again. I decided to leave.

Today i went to the other branch of Nong Hyub to transfer the money to Scotland. It went without a hitch and the man couldn't have been nicer. As before, there was next to no English used but we got through it together.

Perhaps i could have handled yesterday a bit more diplomatically but i've never seen a Korean laughing when someone Korean is complaining. I've read about it in many books though.

[mrsquirrel]

Only the bigger branches can transfer out.

I had the same problem here.

How good was the ladies English? Did you speak to her in Korean or English?

[shantaram]

I paid a bill yesterday at Shinhan bank and got laughed at by the teller's colleague because I couldn't understand the tally, which was rattled off at me really fast. At that point I was so tired, having already been 'HELLO!'ed at a score of times on the street and even had 'f you' shouted at me a handful of times by a middle school student, I took my change and walked out without another word. I then got stalked by a girl on roller-blades who wanted to know if I was a foreigner. After finally turning off the main street I realised I had left my jacket in the bank, and had to go back down the main street to get it from the girl I'd walked out on initially. This place has really got to me in the last few days.

[ajgeddes]

You know, maybe the other girl was laughing making fun of her co-worker. Koreans laugh when they are embarrassed.

[Morton]

Shantaram: I know how you feel. You're not alone. I'm just trying to roll with it but it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a haaardddd rainnnnns gonna fall. (I've been listening to Dylan alot recently )

I was speaking mostly in English but trying some basic Korean.

I get the laughing when they are embarassed but her friend should have kept her bib out of it.

[Qinella]

[RACETRAITOR]

I've gone out of my way to enforce that laughter is not always a welcomed response.

One time I told an adult phone English student that I was sick and throwing up (or something) and he laughed politely. I told him point-blank that his laughter, no matter how it was intended, was insulting, to which he laughed again. It was very difficult to explain to him, but he finally got it. That's one down, 39 999 999 to go.

[airmax95]

[Anyong Bluth]

[airmax95]

[JZer]

[kigolo1881]

Next time have a little foresight on what time it was.
Most if not all banks close at 4:30pm and most transactions such as payin bills are halted by 4pm.

*Maybe she assumed that you knew when the banks close and just told you where you should go the next day.

Grow thicker skin if you want to survive here, just bc someone else chuckled and giggled, its not the end of the world and there's no reason to start a fight or an argument; they wouldnt even understand you.

Best thing, you should have laughed out loud too!

[The Bobster]

[Morton]

Thanks for the replys.

I'm still getting used to the laughing when you're embarrased thing. It's a real struggle. I read the Culture Shock book too but it still takes some getting used to.

I'm a bit embarassed to go back into the bank. Maybe i should go in there laughing hysterically.

[jajdude]