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Yu_Bum_suk

Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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Stormy wrote: |
OP your post reminds me of the old "eat your vegies, think of all the starving people in Africa" argument. Very silly & simplistic, but the sort of logic that might appeal to children.
I hope you never have any problems in your time in Korea & post about them because you just know people are going to directly link to & quote from this thread right? |
Yeah, that's just what I was thinking. That worked up to the point at which I asked my mom 'But if we eat it won't they still be starving?'. |
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skeeterses
Joined: 25 Oct 2007
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:12 pm Post subject: |
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I have to agree that the Starving Baby in Africa argument is pretty low indeed.
First off, there's poverty in other places besides 3rd world countries. In America, over 1 million people have to sleep on the streets on any given night. I sure wouldn't go up to a homeless person in America and pull the starving African argument with him. |
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Newbie

Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:27 pm Post subject: |
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Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
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I didn't get paid, I'm sooooo lucky. |
Isn't there a quantitative difference between that and these:
a) Waaaah, that ajumma beat me out for a seat on the subway!
b) Mommmmmmy, that middle school girl shouted 'Hello' at me. Make her stop. |
Shocked. You're usually not this dumb
#1 No one complains about losing the seat to the ajumma. The complaint is that fithy, dog-mannered ajumma (that certain ajumma. not all of them) steamrolled everyone to get it. Not, it doesn't hurt, but jeebus, slow down. After all, we all know Koreans are the old people in the world who give up their seats for their elders, so what's the rush?
#2 Idiot, idiot, idiot. One girl sreaming hello is cute. Ten 15 year old boys screaming "hellooooo!! hahahahah... howareuimfinthankyou....hahahaha.....nice to meet you....hahahahah" is just annoying and goes to show how hard it can be to be an English teacher cuz so few Koreans have any respect for the language or ANY other culture at all. |
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esetters21

Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
Stormy wrote: |
OP your post reminds me of the old "eat your vegies, think of all the starving people in Africa" argument. Very silly & simplistic, but the sort of logic that might appeal to children.
I hope you never have any problems in your time in Korea & post about them because you just know people are going to directly link to & quote from this thread right? |
Yeah, that's just what I was thinking. That worked up to the point at which I asked my mom 'But if we eat it won't they still be starving?'. |
I remember it being "starving people in China" when I was growing up. Same thing I guess, and is a lame reason to justify a no whiner thread. I assume that the OP is a Noob that needs to move past the honeymoon stage of Korea. Maybe I'm wrong . |
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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 10:06 pm Post subject: |
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It is natural to want to maximise the life that providence gave us.. Any hiccups and we're quite entitled to grouse.
That said, perhaps there is an inverse relationship between being blessed and moaning. The poor folks of Africa are very stoic and it takes real hardship before they start performing.
This phenomenon has to be taken into account when devising security to prevent burglary. You think, ah no burglar will to all the trouble of shimmying up that wall. Fact is the burglar has a pedigree of uncomplaining derring-do and won't hesitate. For him it's the work of a moment. You think ah noone will steal that battery, it's too heavy to cart for 10km to the deprived dwelling area. Think again.
Neither a moaner nor complainer be is the motto of people of Africa.
So don't use the poor starving children of Africa on your children when they won't eat all up. |
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Kimchieluver

Joined: 02 Mar 2005
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Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 11:19 pm Post subject: Re: To the spoilt teachers out there who choose to whine... |
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murr wrote: |
Have you considered that possibly 90% of the world's adult population is either unemployed, or engaged in back-breaking labour for pitiful wages? And here we are, earning FAT salaries (by global standards) for an extremely comfortable job. We are in a very privileged position, and anyone who chooses to complain about their work situation needs to look beyond themselves, and start appreciating what they have. It's embarrassing the way some of the teachers here moan.
Spend a few months traveling through Africa, witness how happy so many of these people are despite their sometimes shocking circumstances, and then consider your situation here in Korea.
This is not meant as a sermon. It is as much a reminder to myself to be appreciative for what I have. |
Your whole argument is flawed. Most of the suffering people you mention don't or can't have internet access to rant or vent on. |
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thematrixiam

Joined: 31 Oct 2007
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:05 am Post subject: |
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Score, sounds like a few things have been settled.
Earnings to xenophobia complaints have no relevance.
Bitching is universal.
Po (aka slang for poor) peeps (aka slang for people) can't bitch on their own because they can't afford the interrant (aka internet), so we should do it more often because they can't.
All I know is I like bitching if I have felt pain. As most people do. My old boss owes me five grand. I worked hard for that.
I also worked remotely hard in Uni, and am still paying it off, to have a potentially cushy job so i can bitch about it on Dave's.
I will say it again, bitching is universal. Sure it may not sound as good when someone that has money bitches, compared to those less fortunate. But I am just doing my part as a middle class man to help create a smaller gap between numbers of Po folk and da rich folk.
Sure I got a shitty grade in my economics course. But from what I learned, the po folk need the rich folk and the middle class folk to have their cushy jobs and bitch, so as to eventually gain the same level of living through basic principles of social evolution.
Bitching helps us push forward. It deals with stress, and if done correctly can form unions of bitchy people and get things done to move society forward. Sure some bitchy people are just tools, and will most likely get their asses kicked in a bar some where for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. All that means is that their level of bitching has not come up to speed with what is acceptable.
The only way we are going to get acceptable bitching, that will push forward and advance civilization, and thus get po folk more food and better jobs, is to also have shitty bitching. Through shitty bitching we as a society can learn from our bitching mistakes and develop our techniques to move forward faster as a society of effective bitchers.
I think that made sense.... if not, meh. Just bitch about it. |
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cruisemonkey

Joined: 04 Jul 2005 Location: Hopefully, the same place as my luggage.
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:21 am Post subject: |
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LOL... I, for one, am thankful Korea allows me to bitch (quietly). Bitching in K-land is an art form - in which one gets what one wants and one's superiors 'save face'.  |
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Froggy Parker
Joined: 21 Nov 2007
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:39 am Post subject: Re: To the spoilt teachers out there who choose to whine... |
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murr wrote: |
Have you considered that possibly 90% of the world's adult population is either unemployed, or engaged in back-breaking labour for pitiful wages? And here we are, earning FAT salaries (by global standards) for an extremely comfortable job. We are in a very privileged position, and anyone who chooses to complain about their work situation needs to look beyond themselves, and start appreciating what they have. It's embarrassing the way some of the teachers here moan.
Spend a few months traveling through Africa, witness how happy so many of these people are despite their sometimes shocking circumstances, and then consider your situation here in Korea.
This is not meant as a sermon. It is as much a reminder to myself to be appreciative for what I have. |
Thus no one should ever complain about anything.
Hey, murr, the relativity movement was like 50 years ago. Get a fucking clue. |
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ESL Milk "Everyday
Joined: 12 Sep 2007
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:27 am Post subject: |
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Ummm... this isn't really related, but about the kids coming up to us and saying hello... beyond the kids being rude sometimes, does anyone else sometimes feel like this is the parents actively trying to humiliate foreigners? |
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thematrixiam

Joined: 31 Oct 2007
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:40 am Post subject: |
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ESL Milk "Everyday wrote: |
Ummm... this isn't really related, but about the kids coming up to us and saying hello... beyond the kids being rude sometimes, does anyone else sometimes feel like this is the parents actively trying to humiliate foreigners? |
probably not intentionally... but I do sometimes get the feeling like I am mickey mouse or some other Disney freak at Disney land.
I'm all for smiling and letting them have their kids take pictures with the funny looking waygook. But it's when they shove their fingers in your butt to get your attention, that's just wrong. |
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Rae

Joined: 10 Oct 2007
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:32 pm Post subject: |
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I understand what you're saying, but it's at par with calling Hitler a good man because he never cheated on his wife.
Anyone that compares themselves to the worst-case scenario comes out looking good. But that's not realistic and there's no equal means of measurement. It's just a thing friends say to each other when someone's in a shthole and by pointing out their neighbor's (even bigger) shthole it's supposed to make them feel better.
The problem here is the hole is quite vast, we all share it, and although there's some people that found a corner with a lot less *beep*, it's still a *beep* hole. Oh, I forgot to mention the clever message board constructed in the middle of the hole.
Unhappy people talk the loudest ... so yeh .. what did you expect? |
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bluelake

Joined: 01 Dec 2005
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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Yu_Bum_suk wrote: |
Stormy wrote: |
OP your post reminds me of the old "eat your vegies, think of all the starving people in Africa" argument. Very silly & simplistic, but the sort of logic that might appeal to children.
I hope you never have any problems in your time in Korea & post about them because you just know people are going to directly link to & quote from this thread right? |
Yeah, that's just what I was thinking. That worked up to the point at which I asked my mom 'But if we eat it won't they still be starving?'. |
Back when I heard it from my folks it was "starving children in China"; I just looked at them, held up my plate and said, "Here, send them this."
I've probably lived and worked in Korea more than most on this board; heck, I tell my university students, "Welcome to Korea!" I love Korea. However, I do not consider myself an "apologist" as some on this board occasionally label others. Over the years, I've had plenty of gripes about things here (still do); then again, I've had plenty of gripes about my home country (still do). I vent about things from time to time, but it is usually with close colleagues or my wife. |
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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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Posted: Sat Jun 07, 2008 9:33 pm Post subject: |
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My late father was always one to shooka shooka the salt in liberal doses all over his food. The rationale that we'd hear every evening was that time ago people would work the whole day for a lick of salt.
Also from Africa I think. It's horrific that I can't remember the detail, given
the times I heard the story. |
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nautilus

Joined: 26 Nov 2005 Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 2:14 am Post subject: |
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People in Africa are starving because they are beset with such insanely corrupt governments. Eating salt or no makes no diff. |
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