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khyber
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Compunction Junction
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 Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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i walked past an elementary school to wait at my bus stop...everyday at least once...sometimes i swear the whole playground echos it
While i'm waiting at my bus stop boys will run to the concrete fence and take a piss.
NExt time, maybe i'll peek around the pillar and say "oh....go chu issayo!"...
or would that be a little too freaky |
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Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait
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| Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 10:16 pm Post subject: |
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People act according to how they feel. If they talk about you, it's because they are curious, no biggie, though I appreciate it is very irritating at times. I don't think it is apt to compare Korea to the USA in this regard, because the USA is the world, it would be nearly impossible to find a situation in USA where one customer of a photo developers would be a different color or nationality to all the other, same race and nationality, customers expected for that day, in fact, I can't think of many countries where that would happen. Not Japan, rural China maybe.
And, certainly in Seoul, it doesn't happen all the time, just occasionally. I went to a watchmenders yesterday in Jamsil and handed in my watch for repair. He asked me my name, took my phone number, and told me he'd have it done by monday. He didn't make me feel any different to any of his other customers. My dry cleaner knows my name too, and my cobbler did his best to pronounce my name and gave up, he called me 'Englanduh' now. |
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Psy
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Location: Hongdae
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| Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 10:22 pm Post subject: |
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I hate myself for responding, but you are not getting my points.
I don't say it's racism.
I do understand that the word exists and why it exists and what it means when it is used. I never said anything about "hating" or "being out to get me", reading comprehension be damned.
As far as time, I've been studying Korean for over fifteen years and have lived here six. I don't need your patronizing. And you don't understand me anyway, obviously.
Anyhoo, my original points were:
1. I don't understand why so often the fact that I'm not Korean has to be pointed out. When I go to buy a pair of replacement suit pants does the assistant, when he calls another store to see if they're in stock, have to say "I have a waegooksaram customer here who..."? Again, think about it: would the clerk be inclined to say, "I have a one-eyed woman here" or "I have a midget here" or "I have a mixed-blood kid here", etc.? Or, even taking your assertion that it might be a positive stereotype/label, should he say "I have a gorgeous green-eyed woman here"? Yes, it's a small thing, but I'm going to rant about it now anyway.
2. When I am in the country of my citizenship, I resent being called or referred to as a "foreigner" by Koreans. I dislike the idea that Koreans are Koreans wherever they are and that the other 99% of us are "foreigners", wherever we are. This is not a matter of the word itself, but the worldview it represents, which I find reinforces ideas at odds with what I consider to be the more preferable view that we are human beings first, ethnicities second (or third or so on) |
1. Let me just say one thing. You state that you have lived here for six years and studied for fifteen and you do not understand? You must have had at least hundreds if not thousands of experiences such as this. You must have studied all about Korean cultures, mannerisms, and customs and you still do not understand. Korea is a homogenous, collectivistic society, unlike most Western individualistic ones. You are different, I'm sorry to say. But so what. What I am curious is why this bothers you so much and why you feel the need to understand. It may be entirely possible that they point out that you are a waegookin, so that you must be treated with extra special care, or they need a worker to come forward who can translate English. How would I know. This rant is of a rant of a rant not worth ranting about.
2. Too bad, this is how the world is today. I don't have to tell you this. Most of the time we can't do sh*t about it. But you won't be able to get to know the 50 bazillion human beings on this planet at a personal level, so I go around telling people I'm American. Not a human being from the planet Earth. |
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Kwangjuchicken
Joined: 01 Sep 2003
Location: I was abducted by aliens on my way to Korea and forced to be an EFL teacher on this crazy planet.
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| Posted: Tue Dec 16, 2003 10:36 pm Post subject: |
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............................ so I go around telling people I'm American. Not a human being from the planet Earth.[/quote]
Just to be on the safe side, I tell them both.  |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 2:07 am Post subject: |
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Kchicken,
Thats ridiculous. Yes its called an Alien registration card and therefore you could consider yourself an "alien" because of it.
Alien does mean "not of this place or not from here" in essence thats pretty muhc what we are..guest workers that are NOT from Korea.
Its immigration lingo..who gives a rats hairy hindquarters...not me.
You can CHOOSE to be offended but this and take it at face value. Thats your choice. No one can dispute it.
I prefer to take another road and put things in perspective here. Or in their proper context if you will. But hey, thats just me.  |
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Tiberious aka Sparkles
Joined: 23 Jan 2003
Location: I'm one cool cat!
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| Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 4:39 am Post subject: |
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I think dude was kidding. The only aliens around here are the Mormons.
(I am naughty? yes? no?)
Sparkles*_* |
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dogbert
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: Killbox 90210
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| Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:17 pm Post subject: |
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I'm curious why you feel the need to be so patronizing. |
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Psy
Joined: 11 Sep 2003
Location: Hongdae
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| Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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| dogbert wrote: |
| I'm curious why you feel the need to be so patronizing. |
I don't know. Sometimes I can be a jerk, sometimes a real jerk, but most of the time an a**hole. I get riled up too easily sometimes when I see some things that are very offensive.
I'm a nice guy, really.  |
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jaebea
Joined: 21 Sep 2003
Location: SYD
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| Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:32 pm Post subject: |
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Don't feel too bad about it Psy, I still find your posts a refreshing addition to what I usually read around here.. :D
jae. |
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dogbert
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: Killbox 90210
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| Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2003 11:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Psy wrote: |
| dogbert wrote: |
| I'm curious why you feel the need to be so patronizing. |
I don't know. Sometimes I can be a jerk, sometimes a real jerk, but most of the time an a**hole. I get riled up too easily sometimes when I see some things that are very offensive.
I'm a nice guy, really. |
Well, thanks for the honest answer. |
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scarneck
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2003 8:52 am Post subject: |
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So, if not a "foreigner", what DO you want to be called?..how do you think most Koreans act when they see my neck?...a big red scar!!  |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2003 10:19 am Post subject: |
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| You got a point there scarneck. But I have heard worse than "foreigner" a few times as well. Understanding a little Korean I have heard some of the swear words and other derogatory expressions that generalize all foreigners (or all Americans?) as this or that (add you own insult). These probably come mainly from nationalistic and narrow-minded Koreans who have never travelled and think their country is wonderful and the rest of the planet sucks! Well let them live in their ignorance! Fortunately I figure that includes only a small percentage. Same as one might find in any country I guess. Well I have the idea that I never want to visit certain countries in the Middle East given their apparent hatred of Americans, or the western world. (I'm Canadian. So , close enough!) |
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