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lostandforgotten
Joined: 19 Sep 2006
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Posted: Wed Aug 15, 2007 9:35 pm Post subject: Koreans think black and white |
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Have you met a Korean who realizes that a grey zone exists for many people in different parts of the world? Is Korea only for those who fit in this black and white scheme? If you fit into neither of these black and white molds, should you leave Korea for a more multicultural society where a grey area exists at large? |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:52 am Post subject: |
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America elected George W. Bush. Twice.
He's not a very dynamic thinker, fwik. |
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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: Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:14 am Post subject: |
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it is funny how students can list 15 different colours, including gold, silver and cream, light green, dark blue, ....
and yet they don't know the word for the colour "grey"(or "gray")
how apt! |
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exit86
Joined: 17 May 2006
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:45 am Post subject: |
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I think there is a very good chance that you may have stumbled upon something here.
Has anyone else happened upon the realization--through commonplace observation--that a great deal of the cars in this country have a marked tendency to be four-door family cars, SUV's or minivans in the wonderfully exciting colors of either black, white, or gray/silver--just like the movie "Pleasantville."
(DISCLAIMER: Let it be noted that such an observation is not based upon formal scientific/ sociological testing and data collection, but through simple everyday experience. The author of this post makes no claims whatsoever for the above-mentioned phenomenon to be 100% exact and universally true, but more-or-less and, in a very general sense, interesting and worthy of note. Please proceed with this in mind. Thank you sincerely.)
Of course other autos are colored according to their relative function (blue bongos/work trucks, yellow children's busses, etc), but black, white, and gray are usually the colors you'll be seeing on the highway.
On a recent visit to Hyundai motors down in Ulsan, I toured the yard where they park the cars to be shipped out for sale. All of the cars in the parking lot bound for foreign countries were a veritable rainbow of colors.
The cars ready for domestic sale--in an adjoining lot--were a
boring array of . . . . . you guessed it: black, white, and gray.
So, I asked our trusty Hyundai representative:
"Why are all of your Korean-sale cars black, white, and gray?"
His reply was, "Well, that's because that is what the Korean consumer prefers."
I then asked, "Why not offer colored cars?"
His reply, "Because Koreans prefer black, white, and gray."
My follow-up, "But how do you know they prefer those colors if you've never given them a wider choice of colors?"
His answer, "Because Koreans prefer black, white, and gray."
Me: "But why do they buy those colors?"
Him: "Because that's what we sell."
Me: "Why do you sell only those colors?"
Him: "Because that's what they buy."
Sounds sorta like an Abbott and Costello skit doesn't it.
Its funny because a while back in 2000 Daewoo Motors took a very bold step by putting out a yellow model of their Matiz in Korea; and, guess what happened? They sold quite well. Take a look around and you'll surely spot one of those colored beauties on a street nearest you.
It is amazing what happens if people are given a choice.
Last edited by exit86 on Fri Aug 17, 2007 1:11 am; edited 3 times in total |
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princess
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:50 am Post subject: |
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I usually do a double take when a car of actual color passes me. Someone on my street actually owns a yellow visto. Just the other day, a pink car passed by me on the street. I saw plenty of cars of color in Japan. |
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Captain Corea

Joined: 28 Feb 2005 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 4:08 am Post subject: Re: Koreans think black and white |
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lostandforgotten wrote: |
Have you met a Korean who realizes that a grey zone exists for many people in different parts of the world? Is Korea only for those who fit in this black and white scheme? If you fit into neither of these black and white molds, should you leave Korea for a more multicultural society where a grey area exists at large? |
Wow, you are simply amazing! You figured it out!!!
There is absolutely no compromise in Korea. You've solved the problem - pass GO and collect 100won.  |
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Billy Pilgrim

Joined: 08 Sep 2004
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 4:16 am Post subject: |
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Sometimes I feel as if neg-head anti-Korean posters aren't even trying any more. What the hell kind of wind up is this? I expect better. |
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Yesterday

Joined: 15 Aug 2003 Location: Land of the Morning DongChim (Kancho)
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 4:49 am Post subject: |
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exit86 wrote: |
It is amazing what happens if people are given a choice. |
I have thought the same thing as exit86 - many a time over the years... why ONLY black, grey/silver white cars on the road...
you know - it goes for many things...
Korean guys only wearing pale shirts/ties - pale blue, pale yellow, pale peach, pale pink, shirts...
Just to make my company confused - I shipped over a heap of dark shirts - dark blue, dark green, black etc...
same with mens underwear (panties) - up until about 1 ~ 1/2 years ago - ALL korean men/boys wore - pale blue...
because - this is the ONLY choice koreans had to choose from....
the SUDDEN HIT and popularity in boxer shorts and a sudden explosion in underwear shops opening up - and now that has changed -
Koreans were finally given a choice of underwear color - and Koreans have been lapping it up.... with Korean men now prefering boxer shorts and a range of colors - even rainbow panties...
BUT the shirts and cars are still the same...
any other examples....
Exit86 - we must think alike - because 5 years ago - when my brother asked me where I was living - I also told him "Pleasantville, Korea"...
Last edited by Yesterday on Thu Aug 16, 2007 12:30 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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just4u
Joined: 30 May 2007 Location: Georgia, USA
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 11:48 am Post subject: |
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Maybe I'm having a blonde moment, but this thread caught my eye and I'm trying to figure out how in the world the second post relates to the first.
I'm also trying to figure out the needless sarcasm in the sixth...do you all just enjoy being mean to each other? |
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Homer Guest
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
pass GO and collect 100won |
Perhaps 10 won is more adequate for this "discovery" of profound sociological thought..... |
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server1a
Joined: 02 Jun 2007
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:24 pm Post subject: |
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Black and White. . . sounds like dealing with my staff here.
Winter Vacation: "Take the entire thing off! See Korea."
Summer Vacation: "No classes to teach, but you have to stay in the office every day!" |
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The_Conservative
Joined: 15 Mar 2007
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 6:44 pm Post subject: Re: Koreans think black and white |
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lostandforgotten wrote: |
Have you met a Korean who realizes that a grey zone exists for many people in different parts of the world? Is Korea only for those who fit in this black and white scheme? If you fit into neither of these black and white molds, should you leave Korea for a more multicultural society where a grey area exists at large? |
Have you met a whiner who realizes that a grey zone exists for many people in different parts of the world and that people do things differently in different cultures?
Are whiners only those whose thinking is black and white? If you are a whiner should you leave Korea and go back home where people do things the right way even though because of your whining you are completely unemployable? |
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Demophobe

Joined: 17 May 2004
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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exit86 wrote: |
I think you may be onto something here.
Has anyone else noticed that all of the cars here |
Stopped reading here. All threads that lead off with this line aren't worth the bytes used to put them up. There's a generality you can take to the bank. |
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IncognitoHFX

Joined: 06 May 2007 Location: Yeongtong, Suwon
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:38 pm Post subject: |
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I'm way beyond black and white. I think in Window's default settings.
16 colours baby.
Any colour inbetween is dead to me. |
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twg

Joined: 02 Nov 2006 Location: Getting some fresh air...
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Posted: Thu Aug 16, 2007 8:53 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
Koreans think black and white |
I thought that was dogs? |
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