Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ernie]

i haven't been to too many galleries in my life, but is it customary in other parts of the world to stand in a line INSIDE the gallery? i like to enjoy art at my own pace, and don't feel inclined to shuffle past everything like i'm walking to my execution... is this another 'custom' that i don't understand?

[VanIslander]

[merkurix]

OP, when I read this it made my blood boil as this has happened to me several times. THe last time that happened to me was at a noisy bar when a few friends and I were talking and this, college-aged (but-prepubescent looking) Korean nerdfcuk came all the way from across the bar and told us to "shut up" (in English) He scampers back to his table of buddies and hi-fives them all like it was a dare or something. In the dark lit bar, they probably could only see our foreign faces. My friends and I were tall and my other two friends were massive (one having been an amateur boxing competitor in his home country) walked up to these guys table and just squeezed in right next to them after being shocked and asking, "Did he just come all the way here to tell us to 'shut-up?'". Their shocked expressions were classic and unforgettable.

Interestingly, no one yelled or fought. We simply asked 'why?' They were to shocked to answer. They tried to shock us, we shocked them right back.

Many of these people are large-jawed but no bite. They put up a massive and powerful looking facade, but it's made out of playing cards. Don't sit there and take it. Bark back and their tough looking house-a-cards will come tumbling down. If one doesn't stand their ground in this country, they are gonna get walked over.

[Gwangjuboy]

I once had an elderly man tell me to be quiet on a bus and I wasn't even sayimg anything. He regretted it after though.

[littlelisa]

I was on the KTX this weekend talking to my Korean friends. We were talking in English, and my Korean friend was shushed by another Korean. That's the only time I've ever seen anyone shushed/been shushed, though.

[Underwaterbob]

Once in a bar a group of us were talking and were told in Korean very rudely to "Shut up" and "You're in Korea so speak Korean."

Honestly, I think people back home would do the same to a group of Koreans sitting in a bar blathering in Korean. At least where I'm from.

[kermo]

I've been given the Evil Eye for talking with a friend on a bus.

Actually, the whole bus ride was a bit of a weird experience. My female friend and I were headed to Everland, standing in line in Gangnam. Some ajosshi started playing Queue Police, telling everyone where to stand. When the bus pulled up, my friend dropped her cigarette and stamped it out. The self-appointed Queue Police was highly offended (dropping a cigarette butt on a curb? How dare she!) and made her pick it up. A nearby ajumma joined in the verbal smackdown.

The Empress of Etiquette sat at the front of the bus, and we found a seat a few rows back. We were happily chatting, but she expected us to be much more grave and penitent, and kept turning around to silently register her disdain. We tried ignoring her, but she had clearly set her lasers to stun. I cheerfully (and cheekily) asked "Oni, wei kerae?" but she didn't answer. Just continued to give us the death stare, which only gave us the giggles. We tried to just converse normally and quietly, but near the end of the journey, an empty coke can slipped out of my bag and started rattling around the aisle as the bus swerved back and forth-- her silent fury was palpable (and pretty hilarious.)

A MUCH louder and crazier version happened not long ago on a bus to Bundang. A few friends and I were chatting happily, but not at an obnoxious decibal level. Some ajosshi wanted my pals, the bosomy blonde girls, to pay attention to him, so he reached across the aisle, poked one of them and said "ODI?" (a weird question, presumably meaning "Where are you from?") I told him (in Korean) we weren't inclined to chat with him. He started roaring and cursing, telling us that if we didn't want to speak with him, we weren't allowed to chat at all!

This incident rapidly escalated into a foaming tirade at us, an attempted intervention on the part of the bus-driver, and many many many more curse words. I wrote about it a while ago (in praise of the valiant bus driver) but I will have to dig up the link.

[Justin Hale]

As tempting as it is to say "ugh! Those bloody Koreans!", some foreigners really are stupidly loud and annoying.

I sympathize with the OP because he or she is adament that there was no excessive volume and certainly didn't touch anything, but as for the rest of the stories, I'm willing to bet some involved douchebaggy behavior and the Korean was justified in telling you to STFU!

[Masta_Don]

It's also possible that she told you, your friend, and a few dozen Koreans as well to be quiet. But keep up the persecution complex, you're liable to make a few friends on here.

[Carmy]

[Masta_Don]

[Carmy]

[Don Calliente]

Happened to me a few times on busses in restaurants etc.

If me or my friends have done nothing wrong, I just tell em to mind their own business.

If that doesn't work after a while I get fed up with the obvious xenaphobia (some elder Koreans really don't like hearing foriegn languages in public places or restaurants, they feel threatened) I tell them shibal sekkiya and I don't care what the consequences are.

F*ck em. Same goes for any country treating foriengers like that. If we tried that in London there'd be riots on our hands....

[mj roach]

was on the ferry from cheju to wando
sitting inside downstairs talking
and laughing with my friend

when one of the guys working that deck
came up and started in with a very
stern lecture about korean manners

going on and on about how cultured korean
society is when a group of koreans
1/2 drunk came roaring down

having a great laughing time bellowing and
carrying on we just looked back and forth
between the group and the guy

while he continued his lecture on korean civility
and decorum oblivious to the group
when he finallly woke up

to what was going on he stammered turned
red and wandered off muttering and later
earned us a sheepish bow on landing

[newton kabiddles]

carmy, a you a woman?