Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Bingo]

What's that about? Everyday I see Korean women running here and there, and without fail they run like seven year old girls. And at my last hogwan, when a Korean female teacher phoned the parents of a child they would inevitably use a little girl voice. I would nudge the Westerner sitting next to me and we'd both roll our eyes in disbelief. Then there's the teachers who have to introduce themselves around a table at those Korean teacher / native speaker meetings at public schools (after open class etc.). After introducing themselves, they go into a fit of giggles and the hand over mouth thing. The other Korean females join in the giggling. They are in their late 20's, 30's and 40's. What the hell is going on here?

[pkang0202]

Its women who are acting feminine. I think its refreshing.

Its quite the change from the girls back home who have gone years without ever putting on a dress or skirt. Or the girls that will try to burp louder than you or do their best to be "one of the guys."

[caniff]

[nicholas_chiasson]

You ever run in platform heels? I haven't tried it in years, but it isn't easy. Anyway, I remember when I was 5 and my sister was 6 we used to put on my grandmothers platform shoes and try to race down the stairs. Then my mom beat my for wearing girl's shoes. Such is life. But it is impossible to run in high heels.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

The (34-year-old) teacher who sits beside me this year seems to have a good balance between cutesyness, being expressionful, and reasonably mature. Pity she's married. The (24-year-old) teacher across from me isn't putting on an act when she acts just like a schoolgirl. She really is that nervous dealing with adults that she automatically slips into sing-song voice and does the 13-year-old mannerisms.

It's one thing to put up with in the staff room, but when some of my 16-18-year-old high school students start acting half their age it gets a bit much ('teachah, pop song today? We want a pop song! Game today? Candy today? Waeyo!? Teachah, paper pinishee, candy? Ouhhhh! [stomps feet]')

[philipjames]

I've noticed that countless times as well. I simply can't explain the running thing, but the tendency to talk like little girls when talking to customers (parents) might be a Confucianist thing. I'm not sure though. I just know that it's annoying.

Korean men, on the other hand, go out of their way to sound onerous and terribly, terribly serious. They try to make their voices as intimidating and loud as possible. Just watch any Korean television program.
Freaky....and equally as annoying.

High school boys here seem trapped in between. They are males, and expected to be manly and overbearing as possible, but they seem to want to be as girlish and effeminate as possible.

It's all fucked up man.

[JustJohn]

I'll take a stab at the running.

I think the first thing is that people are more self conscious about it back home. Here nobody worries about drawing attention to themselves when dashing to catch a bus or whatever.

Then you add in that Korean women are always trying to be cute, and you get hundreds of women running around everywhere with that little girl scamper.

[sineface]

[nicholas_chiasson]

humans are happiest with extremes, as FOX news and NPR show.

[sistersarah]

very good post sineface....

I can be feminine without speaking an octave above where my voice normally is and taking silly pictures with my cheeks puffed out. I don't grunt or burp or try to be one of the guys, either....

The Korean women friends I have are very classy ladies who don't whine, wear lacy shirts, or act like children. I know it's so easy to generalize, but c'mon pkang...

[Paddycakes]

I can see why a lot of white female expats feel so threatened by the feminine K-girls.

Life is one big sexual competition at its root, and your average North American female with her crude Valley Girl accent, sweat pants and bag of Doritos just can't compete.

I'm not saying all white western women like this are. Some are great. But on average... an-joe-ah.

[pkang0202]

Sineface,

I'm just saying, most, not all but a great majority, of Korean girls that I've seen won't be caught dead outside without makeup, earrings, and high heels.

Most of the girls I know back home don't stress looks as much. Yes, they'll get all "doll-ed up" when they have to, but if they are just going outside to run errands or visit friends, they'll just put their hair in a pony tail and go.

Most of the Korean girls I know will put on makeup, fix their hair, and pick out nice clothes on an everyday basis. Regardless of whether they are going to a cocktail party or to Costco.

Its true. How many western girls you know that wear high heels everyday for a weeks at a time? I know a lot of Korean girls who wear high heels everyday for weeks at a time.

[Newbie]

[endo]

[DCJames]