Korean Job Discussion Forums

meangradin · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

anyone have a similar experience?

Out for dinner with friends from all over the world, and someone makes a minor criticism of Korea (ie, Korean high school students are very clever, but the system seems to let them down once they get to university by not being more challenging) All of a sudden the Koreans at the table go silent and are noticably upest. WTF! I love living in Korea, and I now consider it my home, but people should be allowed to express their opinions, especially considering we are all friends.

On the other hand, some of my Korean colleagues/friends are 150% behind bringing in "real" teachers from the Phillipines and India to help make Korea "better", and are not shy about expressing their negative opinions of "Western" teachers.

cunning_stunt · Joined: 16 Dec 2007

On the other hand , when out to dinner with my co workers I brought up the stupidity of the Korean education system , and how these crazy hours turned the kids into zombies rather than receptive learners ....and they all agreed .

aarontendo · Joined: 08 Feb 2006 Location: Daegu-ish

Being a foreigner criticizing isn't always the best thing to do, doesn't matter how much you love the country.

It's sorta the same for me. When other Americans complain about my country I take it in stride, I might agree or disagree with em but it doesn't really bother me. When Koreans complain then I come to my country's defense.

meangradin · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

i can see what you mean regarding other people criticizing your country, but I love being an ex pat., so for me, nationalism is a laughable concept.

Oh, and in no way do i want to imply that all koreans are hypersensitive, just some of them, which in the before mentioned example was particularily baffling as we are all close friends.

reactionary · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Location: korreia

it really hurts my game with the ladies

ryouga013 · Joined: 14 Sep 2007

Actually, my coworkers will openly criticize a lot about Korea with me. Quotes like "They are killing the children" "It's so dirty" "Korean children aren't taught how to interact or to discuss in the classroom"
oh... wait, these are mostly about the education system... hmmm...

reactionary · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Location: korreia

haha yeah. seems like it's PC to bash the education system.

also PC to bash whoever the president is.

and D-war.

beyond that? not so much.

meangradin · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

again, i agree with your observation about bashing the educational system; everyone does it. Imagine my surprise when I bash it, and...

cunning_stunt · Joined: 16 Dec 2007

I always bash Korea with my students.....the pop culture especially ....they love it . Teenagers : god bless that sacred age of rebellion .

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

meangradin · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

It's funny you mention D war, as I once had a class that refused to talk, that is until I said that transformers was much better than d war. I couldn't get them to shut up about it for weeks. For the record, they were both awful.

viipuri · Joined: 12 Jun 2007 Location: Seoul, Centre of it all

...reminds me of an experience I had back in 2003 with one of my co-workers from South Carolina: I made a comment about George W. Bush in the negative, and he literally said "Don't insult my president - we voted him for him and no-one has a right to do that!" ...left me dumbfounded... Bush is an elected official, not a god, afterall...

With respect to the situation, yes, you have to be very careful with topics related to Korea...most seem to take it as a general insult on their country...so I always thow in something similar about my own country to balance it out...

meangradin · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

absolutely not. I meant it as small talk, as I was only repeating what had been discussed with me by Koreans on numerous occasions.

On a side note, do you think it is appropriate and good for Korea to have students "relaxing" in their university years? Does not logic dictate that the university years should be the most productive in a persons academic life. Also, have you ever taught at a university in Korea. Well, I have, bith in Korea and Canada. You know in Korea, for the most part, a teacher is unable to fail a student. Don't believe me, then search this board.

cunning_stunt · Joined: 16 Dec 2007

I once told an american person matter of factly that the war of Iraq was obviously all about oil and weapons money and that the american government were the single greatest terror machine on the planet with their current iraqi genocide ...and he got offended . Silly , little man .

meangradin · Joined: 10 Mar 2006

An american once told me that hockey is lame and it made me cry