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What really is the BEST thing about residing in Korea...?
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The reason I like my life here is...
the regular(sic) package of green banknotes I receive.
31%
 31%  [ 12 ]
my cherub-like students, with their insatiable desire for knowledge.
5%
 5%  [ 2 ]
because I copulate regularly with my Korean English teacher.
5%
 5%  [ 2 ]
the inexpensive intoxicants.
10%
 10%  [ 4 ]
because I have a penthouse pad in Apkujeong.
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
my weekends in "Gecko's", followed by Hongdae.
0%
 0%  [ 0 ]
the continuous supply of copulation partners, be they foreigners, or R.O.K. citizens.
15%
 15%  [ 6 ]
the many cultural diversions, and general happy-go-lucky attitude of the people.
23%
 23%  [ 9 ]
because I only have _ days/weeks/months left here.
7%
 7%  [ 3 ]
Total Votes : 38

Author Message
Avram Iancu



Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Location: Changwon

PostPosted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 1:34 pm    Post subject: What really is the BEST thing about residing in Korea...? Reply with quote

A quick wee poll on this wonderful Halloween Friday...

What really keeps you here, and with a happy countenance to boot...
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peppermint



Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.

PostPosted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 3:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Somebody's gonna complain because there's no "all of the above" button- you know that right?

For me-hmm, steady cash, interesting students and marginally better weather than home.


Last edited by peppermint on Thu Oct 30, 2003 3:40 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Avram Iancu



Joined: 05 Jul 2003
Location: Changwon

PostPosted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 3:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Indeed Pepper...

Perhaps if we ever meet, I could add you to the burgeoning list...

Have a tremendous weekend.
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Joe Thanks



Joined: 01 Oct 2003
Location: Dudleyville

PostPosted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 4:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

It's the first choice combined with the admirable traits I find Koreans to embue (they got some downright evil traits too, but that's for another thread): living hard, playing hard, partying hard, working hard and dying hard.

I respect that.

Cheers,

Joe
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weened



Joined: 10 Feb 2003
Location: May you live to be a thousand years.

PostPosted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 6:52 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yup, there's so much missing from the poll that would speak to me. Superstar status just can't be beat. Fun with Fashion is another, although that could apply to any megalopolis. And, as mentioned, all of the above. Had some bibimpop today, almost cried. (I'm not there now)
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desultude



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf

PostPosted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 7:04 pm    Post subject: man make-up Reply with quote

My sister in L.A. told me about this article. My question is, do any of you know any Korean men that actually wear make-up? I don't, but maybe they are good at it, so I don't see it.

Quote:
Korean men adopt cosmetic values
October 21, 2003

South Korea's image-conscious modern male has overcome his inhibitions to embrace the benefits of make-up.

The handsome young men walk past each other in the blinding sunlight. Their shoulders lightly brush, and they turn their heads for a closer inspection.

"Wow, he's got great skin," murmurs one, while the other casually informs him, "It's just that I've changed skin lotion."

The scene is from a television advertisement, hawking what is euphemistically called a "color lotion" for men. Actually, it's a liquid foundation designed, as the ad says, to "cover the imperfections".

Cosmetics merchants in the West still fantasise about the day that men will wear make-up but in South Korea, the future is here.

Color Lotion was introduced last year with a lavish advertising campaign starring World Cup soccer star Ahn Jung-hwan - the David Beckham of South Korea. The lotion chalked up $US4 million ($A5.8 million) in sales in the first six months, surprising its manufacturer.

Meanwhile, the chairman of one of the country's largest cosmetics companies recently published his confessional memoirs with the title The CEO Who Wears Make-up.


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"Why shouldn't men want to look beautiful and take care of their skin?" asked Yu Sang-ok, 70, the head of Coreana Cosmetics. "Especially as they grow older, they have to wear make-up if they don't want to look shabby."

In fact, Korean men have been touching up their appearances long before the term "metrosexual" was coined by trend-spotters in the West to describe heterosexual men who willingly spend money on their looks.

Most politicians older than 50 dye their hair. President Roh Moo-hyun and his predecessor, Kim Dae-jung, are distinguished by prominent heads of jet black hair - as is North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, although his regime is sufficiently secretive that one cannot say with certainty whether his hair is dyed.

Kim Min-yoo, an Estee Lauder salesman at a department store here, says that prominent figures have been using make-up as well, but discreetly.

"It's always existed. Men would wear a little of their wives' or girlfriends' make-up. It is just that now it is out in the open and respectable," said Mr Kim, who wears his hair streaked with copper highlights and admits to applying a little powder and eyebrow pencil on special occasions.

Seoul's plastic surgeons, boutiques, hairdressers and cosmetics merchants attract customers from throughout the region.

The advertising for men's make-up here features young, girlish models - called "kkotminam", or flower men. But market research indicates that the best customers are middle-aged businessmen.

"We thought this would be popular with teenagers and men in their 20s, but we discovered to our surprise that it was men in their 40s who were most concerned about their skin being rough from the effects of ageing, heavy smoking and stress," said Chong Pu-kyung, who helped develop Color Lotion for Somang Cosmetics.

Until Color Lotion was released last year, men's cosmetics consisted of aftershaves, moisturisers, acne treatments and "whitening" creams, a ubiquitous product in Asia. The very idea of a foundation designed to cover the skin was considered too effeminate to be marketed to men.

But the product's success broke through the psychological barriers against real make-up and it has since been emulated by other cosmetics companies.

Somang, meanwhile, is beginning to market its product in China, Vietnam, Mongolia and in Japan, where men's makeup is even more widely accepted.

- Los Angeles Times
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kimchikowboy



Joined: 24 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 8:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pee wherever you want Wink !
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just because



Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964

PostPosted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 8:37 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

PC Bangs, with online games and CHEAP, CHEAP prices
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Corporal



Joined: 25 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

How easy it is to make money doing something no one else would pay you for back in your home country. At least, not as much.
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dogbert



Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: Killbox 90210

PostPosted: Thu Oct 30, 2003 9:53 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I make less money doing here what I had been doing back home. Downwardly mobile.
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rapier



Joined: 16 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 2:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You can save more money than in other esl countries, and with relative ease: you are in a foreign country and can avoid the rat race implications of being in the west; you have access to a host of exciting travel destinations nearby; the women are gorgeous, the food is great. Thats about it.
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HardyandTiny



Joined: 03 Jun 2003

PostPosted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 2:44 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

very safe palce
good money-many opportunities
keeps ya on your toes
basics are cheap
few drugs
few guns (no guns?)
so easy to get things done (telepone, repair, internet)
outstanding service industry-maybe the best
transportation is cheap and efficient
there is more freedom in some ways (driving, talking things out)
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Chillin' Villain



Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Location: Goo Row

PostPosted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 2:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I gotta say (despite all the "freaky waegook" threads), that one of the things I like best about living here is the people (Koreans too, but usually other foreigners) I meet. There are just a LOT of damned interesting, intelligent, and talented people here- short or long-termers. It's not always this easy to meet new mates like this at home, as much as a lot of us like to glorify it. (That point made, I would like to admit/concede that I live in Edmonton, a city whose claims to fame include shopping complexes with indoor submarines Embarassed ).

Also, despite many of the things that piss me off about 'em as a whole, Koreans can be pretty super, great, and radical gnarley at times. Beer and soju is usually involved at those times. Laughing
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Mr. Pink



Joined: 21 Oct 2003
Location: China

PostPosted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 5:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I like the fact that the kids in Korea show respect. I hate the fact that North American students have god like rights. That they can tell you to F-off, and as a teacher, you can't do crap about it. Sure the few bad teachers that do "sexual" stuff have made it so you can't even have contact with the students physically, lest you be fired, sued, or both.

I like the fact I don't see punka$$ kids hanging out on street corners begging for money, or for that matter other kinds of bums saying "hey can you spare some change?"

I also hate paying high taxes and reading about how the current government wastes the money. In Korea I don't care what they do with my taxes, and I don't care what one gov't blames on the past gov't.

Guess I also hate tipping and sales taxes added AFTER the price. They do have VAT here, but you know it is 10%, and it is only on luxary type goods and services. So getting a hair cut costs your 10,000 won, not 10,000 won + 1,0000 tax + 2,0000 tip etc.

What keeps me here is the fact I am conservative, and that works well in Korean society. Also I can save huge amounts of money here compared to in my home country. I guess I might make more on paper outside of Korea, but with taxes, housing and car payments so high back home, Korea is a nice country to save up for that first home.

Also I married a Korean, and she can work and network here, and that has huge advantages too. Back home, she would prolly be some Walmart greeter or something just as useless because her degree isn't from Canada/America/England etc.

~edited reference to now deleted post by waterbaby 2/11~
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matthews_world



Joined: 15 Feb 2003

PostPosted: Fri Oct 31, 2003 6:14 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I voted for the culture aspect but I'd hafta say that 'autonomy' is the best part of Korea.

This helps because I am introverted in nature.

I can walk down the street and not be bothered by "Hi! How ya doin" from 'friendly' Americans. I can be left alone. Americans just talk to much and they're as loud and obnoxious as heck.

It's nice that Koreans, the ones who don't speak English, seldom look at me on the streets or in the subway. I can conduct my business no questions asked.

If I pass a way-gook, I'll simply walk on by.

Of course, Koreans are friendly, don't get me wrong. They are seemingly less offensive than my kind.


Very Happy Very Happy Very Happy
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