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justaguy
Joined: 01 Jan 2008
Location: seoul
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 Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 3:17 am Post subject: |
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| I've noticed some people mentioned Yeosu. It is a beautiful place worth checking out. Especially now because The World Expo will be constructed there in the near future. See it before it's covered with stone and concrete. |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 3:55 am Post subject: |
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| JongnoGuru wrote: |
| bogey666 wrote: |
| genezorm wrote: |
i couldn't see many starbucks and the people seemed primitive, after that i never left seoul again |
this is a contender on the list of some of the most pathetic things I've ever heard.
I couldn't see any STARBUCKS?
(I miss an overpriced 4 dollar cup of coffee like I miss having a hole in my head)
If I could I'd ship you back stateside immediately.
but, to each their own, eh? |
Better ship him AND 49 million Koreans back stateside immediately. They loooove their Starbucks and they... wait, did you say "a 4-dollar cup" of coffee?? My God, that's hobo prices to Koreans!! They loooooove their Starbucks, and they pretty much detest the countryside and the people in it and themselves for coming from it. Korea consists of two places: 서울 and 시골. |
The ironic thing is that I want to be closer to Seoul not because I'm some nightclubing, Starbucks drinking, COEX frequenting big city type, but because Seoul has a far wider range of interesting people, including all the tree-hugging back to nature types who have the same hippy dreams as me.
Yeosu's countryside is certainly cleaner and prettier, but like most small cities in Korea it's far from interesting in terms of culture and diversity. |
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bogey666
Joined: 17 Mar 2008
Location: Korea, the ass free zone
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 7:05 am Post subject: |
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| kiwiduncan wrote: |
| JongnoGuru wrote: |
| bogey666 wrote: |
| genezorm wrote: |
i couldn't see many starbucks and the people seemed primitive, after that i never left seoul again |
this is a contender on the list of some of the most pathetic things I've ever heard.
I couldn't see any STARBUCKS?
(I miss an overpriced 4 dollar cup of coffee like I miss having a hole in my head)
If I could I'd ship you back stateside immediately.
but, to each their own, eh? |
Better ship him AND 49 million Koreans back stateside immediately. They loooove their Starbucks and they... wait, did you say "a 4-dollar cup" of coffee?? My God, that's hobo prices to Koreans!! They loooooove their Starbucks, and they pretty much detest the countryside and the people in it and themselves for coming from it. Korea consists of two places: 서울 and 시골. |
The ironic thing is that I want to be closer to Seoul not because I'm some nightclubing, Starbucks drinking, COEX frequenting big city type, but because Seoul has a far wider range of interesting people, including all the tree-hugging back to nature types who have the same hippy dreams as me.
Yeosu's countryside is certainly cleaner and prettier, but like most small cities in Korea it's far from interesting in terms of culture and diversity. |
that's a perfectly acceptable reason and an attraction to vitality of ALL sorts I would never ever question... or jeer.
but hightailing it out of somewhere because you couldn't see any fucking STARBUCKS?
sorry - that just kind of struck a nerve  |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 7:29 am Post subject: |
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I lived in Seoul and Busan and briefly in other places for camps. By and large, whenever I left Seoul, I pretty much always regretted it and couldn't wait to get back to Seoul! Mostly because everywhere outside of Seoul ONLY has the mass-produced Seoul stuff and nothing else whatsover than that (outside of regional nature stuff that is - just talking city-scapes).
That being said, I DID like Yeosu, JinJu, and Seokjo. I wouldn't want to live in those cities, but I liked them.
Daegu was one of the cities I hated most. Ultra-conservative and super-nationalistic. Most other cities were just bland and dull and nothing happening, but Daegu had that lethal combination of really obnoxious people who told me 'speak Korean, you are in Korea' and a couple other things that boils my blood when I'm just talking to a friend in a subway.
Actually whenever I hear a lot of complaints about Korea on the message boards, I always do a little research of where they live in Korea, and I always find out there are NOT living in Seoul. Whenever I do read about someone who complains about Seoul, I read a bit more of theirs as well, and again find they too are NOT living in Seoul either. |
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kiwiduncan
Joined: 18 Jun 2007
Location: New Zealand
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 7:36 am Post subject: |
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| bogey666 wrote: |
| kiwiduncan wrote: |
| JongnoGuru wrote: |
| bogey666 wrote: |
| genezorm wrote: |
i couldn't see many starbucks and the people seemed primitive, after that i never left seoul again |
this is a contender on the list of some of the most pathetic things I've ever heard.
I couldn't see any STARBUCKS?
(I miss an overpriced 4 dollar cup of coffee like I miss having a hole in my head)
If I could I'd ship you back stateside immediately.
but, to each their own, eh? |
Better ship him AND 49 million Koreans back stateside immediately. They loooove their Starbucks and they... wait, did you say "a 4-dollar cup" of coffee?? My God, that's hobo prices to Koreans!! They loooooove their Starbucks, and they pretty much detest the countryside and the people in it and themselves for coming from it. Korea consists of two places: 서울 and 시골. |
The ironic thing is that I want to be closer to Seoul not because I'm some nightclubing, Starbucks drinking, COEX frequenting big city type, but because Seoul has a far wider range of interesting people, including all the tree-hugging back to nature types who have the same hippy dreams as me.
Yeosu's countryside is certainly cleaner and prettier, but like most small cities in Korea it's far from interesting in terms of culture and diversity. |
that's a perfectly acceptable reason and an attraction to vitality of ALL sorts I would never ever question... or jeer.
but hightailing it out of somewhere because you couldn't see any fucking STARBUCKS?
sorry - that just kind of struck a nerve |
Please note, dear readers, that this quoting of quotes of quotes can make things a little confused sometimes.
I for one would rather drink my own urine than spend a whole Saturday sitting around in Starbucks nursing a syrup-laden iced green tea and vanilla frapuchino and taking photos of my new shoes. |
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Cohiba
Joined: 01 Feb 2005
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| Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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| genezorm wrote: |
one time i went to some small city daejon or
daegu or something like that, and it was like i stepped into a time
warp, i couldn't see many starbucks and the people seemed primitive,
after that i never left seoul again |
I totally agree with this. Koreans are insular as it is, but out of Seoul it
is like going back in time to the Chosun Dynasty or something. They are
totally ignorant about anything non-Korean. (And proud of it. That is
the really scary thing!) |
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Rum Jungle
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: North Asia
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 7:20 am Post subject: |
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They loooooove their Starbucks, and they pretty much detest the countryside and the people in it and themselves for coming from it. Korea consists of two places: 서울 and 시골.[/quote]
Seoul v Sh*t? My hangeul aint that good. U think Korea consists of two places or Koreans think of 2 places, city v countryside? |
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Rum Jungle
Joined: 18 Nov 2005
Location: North Asia
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 8:22 am Post subject: |
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| Cohiba wrote: |
| genezorm wrote: |
one time i went to some small city daejon or
daegu or something like that, and it was like i stepped into a time
warp, i couldn't see many starbucks and the people seemed primitive,
after that i never left seoul again |
I totally agree with this. Koreans are insular as it is, but out of Seoul it
is like going back in time to the Chosun Dynasty or something. They are
totally ignorant about anything non-Korean. (And proud of it. That is
the really scary thing!) |
Cohiba, you have some rule...x.2 x f.3 = Korean sophistication is -3 where...I forget, the number of miles outside Seoul...  |
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JongnoGuru
Joined: 25 May 2004
Location: peeing on your doorstep
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 8:57 am Post subject: |
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| Rum Jungle wrote: |
| JongnoGuru wrote: |
| They loooooove their Starbucks, and they pretty much detest the countryside and the people in it and themselves for coming from it. Korea consists of two places: 서울 and 시골. |
Seoul v Sh*t? My hangeul aint that good. U think Korea consists of two places or Koreans think of 2 places, city v countryside? |
I said Korea consists of two places: "Seoul" and "Countryside" (shi-gol). It's what Koreans think, and so do I. It's rare that a single city (the capital in Korea's case) so utterly dominates national life. Government, politics, business, education, culture, arts, fashion, POPULATION, etc. It's not just my personal armchair observation, Koreans have long realised the primacy of Seoul and the extreme lopsidedness of their country's development. This is precisely what's behind the constant yammering for "balanced regional development" and the moves to decentralise the government (relocating various agencies out in the boonies, moving the Blue House to... where the heck was it going?)
Education -- Aside from science & research institutions like Postech and Kaist, both very new, Korea's top universities are in the capital and always have been, and we don't need to re-examine the towering importance Koreans place on attending one of those top unis. You'll find that's not the case in the UK, Germany, Italy, US, Canada, Australia, etc.
This isn't to say that Koreans (or I) think that anywhere outside of Seoul sucks, but simply that this is an abnormally unipolar country. There's Centre (Seoul) and beyond it there's X. Of course, everyone knows that X consists of many different places, but Centre is constant and clearly defined, while X (with the exception of historical regions) tends to become amorphous and shapeless and much of a muchness in the national psyche, in policymaking and so forth. |
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Bagpipes11
Joined: 10 Nov 2006
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 11:18 am Post subject: |
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I spent two years in Seoul when I first came to Korea and I was never more tired in my life. I had a great group of friends who are still there but in order for us all to get together it would take half of your freakin day on the train just to meet up.
I moved to Daegu and spent three years there. I can agree that the city doesn't have as much to offer as Seoul or Busan. Daeguites are a little more on the conservative side than elsewhere. However, I guess that I was lucky enough to meet a lot of great people.
Some of the best friends I have ever met were in Daegu. And the best part of it was....nobody was more than 20 minutes away.
For newcomers to Daegu, it may seem hard to meet people. That is understandable. But there are good people there. |
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DaeguKid
Joined: 09 Dec 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 6:29 pm Post subject: |
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Seoul and Toronto are one in the same to me...love to visit, hate to live. What a freaking ZOO! Animals everywhere....reasons why I could not live there...takes forever to meet your friends. It is a continual line-up. It is expensive. It is a rat race like no other in this country. There are some serious freaks that live there, Korean and waygook. For me, I have no problem experiencing all of this, but only for a weekend.
What I like about the Gu...easy to get around. two subway lines and one downtown...3 main waygook watering holes. You want to track your friends, make some friends, not hard. Just go to one of the three. You don't want to, go to another bar, there are hundreds of them. What's the big deal? In terms of goods and services, I am pretty sure the Gu has everything I can get in Seoul, and if it doesn't so be it, life goes on or I can pick it up on my next time up there. And finally I guarantee the waygook community in the Gu is better than any other in this country. Guaranteed! There is always something going on for the masses, everyone is welcome, and we always go to bat for each other if need be. Been here long enough to have seen it many times.
I have read a few Daegu bashers here on this site...so be it. But if you want to have fun the next time down or up here, don't stand in the corner with your thumb up your ass expecting people to make an effort to talk to you. I have witnessed this before and for someone to say they don't like the place but continue to be a mute and stand in the corner, you bring your crappy negative attitude on by yourself. Try smiling.
Me personally, when i go to another city, I make it a point to glow. Attract people to me, create more fun...not stand there and tell my buddy how much I hate where we are at and how we should be home...pathetic.
DK |
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crazyforeigner
Joined: 05 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 8:54 pm Post subject: |
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| I doubt I will ever regret leaving Seoul |
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esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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| crazyforeigner wrote: |
| I doubt I will ever regret leaving Seoul |
I doubt that I will either once I have left Korea, but I haven't been to another location on this tiny peninsula that I would consider living for even 1 year of my life. To each their own in this respect. |
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DongtanTony
Joined: 22 Feb 2008
Location: Bundang
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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I just don't get it....
I came to the other side of the planet expecting "western" conveniences...restaurants...and pubs.
| Quote: |
| But if you want to have fun the next time down or up here, don't stand in the corner with your thumb up your ass expecting people to make an effort to talk to you. I have witnessed this before and for someone to say they don't like the place but continue to be a mute and stand in the corner, you bring your crappy negative attitude on by yourself. Try smiling. |
How true that is.
I had a great time in and around Daegu my first year...Gumi city actually, about 20 minutes up the road by train.
If you "need" the conveniences of Seoul...you'd have ripped your teeth out in Gumi...but I had the greatest time down in that region.
To each their own...but come on people, get out of Seoul a little more. |
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lucas_p
Joined: 17 Sep 2007
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| Posted: Fri May 16, 2008 10:29 pm Post subject: |
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| DongtanTony wrote: |
I just don't get it....
I came to the other side of the planet expecting "western" conveniences...restaurants...and pubs.
| Quote: |
| But if you want to have fun the next time down or up here, don't stand in the corner with your thumb up your ass expecting people to make an effort to talk to you. I have witnessed this before and for someone to say they don't like the place but continue to be a mute and stand in the corner, you bring your crappy negative attitude on by yourself. Try smiling. |
How true that is.
I had a great time in and around Daegu my first year...Gumi city actually, about 20 minutes up the road by train.
If you "need" the conveniences of Seoul...you'd have ripped your teeth out in Gumi...but I had the greatest time down in that region.
To each their own...but come on people, get out of Seoul a little more. |
Yeah, don't you find that funny. So many consider themselves world travelers and adventurous, but damn if they could live 10 miles from the modern Western conveniences Seoul offers without bitching and moaning and withering away.
Too many threads are gripes about not finding a particular item from back home -- and these are the same folks who bash Koreans for needing kimchi and ramen and acting like they would back home after traveling to another country for more than a week, puhleeeeze.
It becomes even more obvious that most, at least on these boards, don't come to Korea for the "experience" or "adventure". |
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