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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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 Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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| Cheonmunka wrote: |
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| People are much more friendly, at least from the outside. This is still fine unless you plan on living there for life. |
What does this mean? |
I hear that rumor as well.
I'm living in Japan, and I'm kinda clueless as to its meaning.
My experience with Japanese, is that they are just kinda 'cool' and a bit 'aloof'... and just very 'respectful of space'.
My differences in experiences with Japan and Korea. You are a male guy, and you enter some drinking area. For whatever reason a guy comes up to you.
If its a Korean guy, the experiences goes like this:
WHERE YOU FROM? YOU LIKE KOREA? YOU LIKE KOREAN WOMEN? This will be coupled by 100s of glass clicking and ONE SHOT with him trying to put his hand on your knee every two seconds.
If its with a Japanese guy, the experience goes like this:
A nod, an acknowledgement. They will feel out if you speak Japanese, then speak what little English they know. They might ask you a few things non-assuming... then almost always say 'well have a good time' and leave you be.
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If that latter is unfriendly, then thats exactly what I like. To me, I prefer someone who gives me respect and doesn't make things either annoying or uncomfortable or make me be the one to find breathing room elsewhere. |
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yawarakaijin
Joined: 08 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Cheonmunka wrote: |
| Quote: |
| People are much more friendly, at least from the outside. This is still fine unless you plan on living there for life. |
What does this mean? |
In Japan many people find that attitudes change towards you when you finally start to really integrate into the society.
When you are young and fresh here, speak horribly pronounced Japanese, you will find yourself being invited out constantly as you are different, entertainment lets say.
I have heard from many, and have begun to experience it myself, that Japanese people really don't get a foreigner trying to fit in and "be" Japanese. They find it peculiar and wonder why on earth anybody would want to "pretend" to be Japanese when they so obviously are not.
The language itself has a lot of inuendo and "commonly understood" phrases that foreigners just are'nt supposed to get. You will find yourself being treated differently and people will start holding their tongues around you when they know you are near fluent in Japanese. There is an ugly side here, you need to have very fluent Japanese to really be able to pick up on it. I often get the feeling they dont like being around foreigners that understand their "dark" side. |
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Easter Clark
Joined: 18 Nov 2007
Location: Hiding from Yie Eun-woong
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| Posted: Tue Jul 22, 2008 7:03 pm Post subject: |
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I was in Japan for a year from 2003-2004. Not once was I asked if I liked Japanese food.  |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 3:46 am Post subject: |
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| yawarakaijin wrote: |
| I have heard from many, and have begun to experience it myself, that Japanese people really don't get a foreigner trying to fit in and "be" Japanese. They find it peculiar and wonder why on earth anybody would want to "pretend" to be Japanese when they so obviously are not. |
I really think you'd have the same experience in Korea - IF there were foreigners who really were really trying to be and act Korean.
I knew many foreigners in Korea who DID become fluent, but had no desire to look, act, or try to be Korean.
The fact that foreigners DO try to act and look and be Japanese is kind of a testament to the coolness of the culture.
I think we'd all find it pretty strange if some Korean guy moved to Texas, bought horses and dogs, hungout ONLY with large white guys, got a big 4x4 vehicle, started yelling yee-haw, chewed tobacco, and starting riding bulls at the rodeo, when just a few years earlier he was just some random soju-drinking kimchee-eating Korean hanging out in Wherever-Dong, Korea. |
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Its just a ride
Joined: 25 Dec 2007
Location: A galaxy far, far away.
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| Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:52 am Post subject: |
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| Even though I was working for Nova (left before it crashed), the quality of life was much better in Japan. I'm only still here in Korea for the 13th month pay, at which time the Gangwon education board will return my soul so I can get on with my life again. |
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little mixed girl
Joined: 11 Jun 2003
Location: shin hyesung's bed~
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| Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:45 am Post subject: |
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| Tiger Beer wrote: |
| Cheonmunka wrote: |
| Quote: |
| People are much more friendly, at least from the outside. This is still fine unless you plan on living there for life. |
What does this mean? |
I hear that rumor as well.
I'm living in Japan, and I'm kinda clueless as to its meaning.
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i don't think i could live long term in either korea or japan.
but, in japan, what i've seen is that there are some japanese people who are very eager to have a foreign (usually white) friend.
they invite this person to their gatherings and really just show them off.
usually the foreigner knows only basic japanese, which gives the japanese person the excuse to practice (and show off to others) their english skills.
this type of fake friendship might be great if you're in japan for a few months or a year, but if you're here for longer, you want something deeper.
and usually, it doesn't get deeper.
you'll meet your coworkers after work and talk about the same things 90% of the time.
if you can speak japanese, eat japanese food or use chopsticks, you'll be praised. i've been told too many times how "sugoi" it is that i can use chopsticks. i've been asked if i can eat japanese food.
i've had a grown woman old enough to be my mom ask me if there are potato chips in "gaikoku".
anything that's not japan is "gaikoku".
anyways, people start hitting up against things, and japanese people try to only push the good and avoid the bad.
the ones that only focus on the bad, are the ones that are looking to get out of japan ASAP.
it can get really frustrating if you know japanese and are working with japanese people full time...especially when they don't explain why they do this or that in that manner... |
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visitorq
Joined: 11 Jan 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 9:22 am Post subject: |
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| I think to really appreciate Japan one has to have a finely attuned appreciation of 'the absurd'. It really is a great country with fascinating people, but as a foreigner you've gotta just be able to find humor in a lot of the bizarre social relations. That's what the Japanese are doing being all those polite/concerned expressions on their faces: grinning! |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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| little mixed girl wrote: |
but, in japan, what i've seen is that there are some japanese people who are very eager to have a foreign (usually white) friend.
they invite this person to their gatherings and really just show them off.
usually the foreigner knows only basic japanese, which gives the japanese person the excuse to practice (and show off to others) their english skills.
this type of fake friendship might be great if you're in japan for a few months or a year, but if you're here for longer, you want something deeper.
and usually, it doesn't get deeper. |
Same in Korea.
I LONG AGO avoided ALL SITUATIONS like that. If I don't have something in common with someone, I have no intention whatsoever of accepting any kind of invitation with them. It's a nice gesture on their part as a show of hospitality, but I simply don't enjoy it whatsoever myself.
Same if I was back in the States though.
I'm always surprised by people who do accept those invitations and expect some kind of other situation to develop than a purely symbolic gesture-filled one. There is nothing in common there.
I think what happens when someone DOES learn Korean/Japanese, then it becomes a fact that you have nothing in common, and thats where people get disillusioned.
They key to living abroad is to be able to identify those who you have the most in common with (even if they are mostly foreigners or Japanese/Koreans who've traveled abroad, lived abroad extensively) and just enjoy those friendships. |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 7:09 pm Post subject: |
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| yawarakaijin wrote: |
| There is an ugly side here |
What is it? |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 8:05 pm Post subject: |
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| nautilus wrote: |
| yawarakaijin wrote: |
| There is an ugly side here |
What is it? |
Please do tell! |
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tigerbluekitty
Joined: 19 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jul 26, 2008 11:23 pm Post subject: |
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| little mixed girl wrote: |
same type of stuff as in korea.
again, don't come to japan and think that it's some shining place that's the anti-korea. |
You've never lived and worked in Korea. Would you stop giving stupid comparisons if you've never truly experienced both countries fully?
You act like some crazy obsessed K-pop fan girl who doesn't really know how Korea's really like. |
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yawarakaijin
Joined: 08 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 2:59 pm Post subject: |
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| nautilus wrote: |
| yawarakaijin wrote: |
| There is an ugly side here |
What is it? |
Nothing so sinisnter. I meant that the culture/country has its ugly sides just as yours or mine does. Everyone knows about the ugly sides of American culture, its not a shock to anyone. Japan is all anime, temples, nature and geisha. Once you live here, get a grasp of the language, you realize they possess the same/similar ugly aspects as we do. |
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Konglishman
Joined: 14 Sep 2007
Location: Nanjing
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| Posted: Sun Jul 27, 2008 9:54 pm Post subject: |
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| The few times that I have visited Japan, generally speaking, I have found the Japanese to have a kind of good samaritan spirit when it comes to helping strangers. This is, of course, in total contrast to Koreans who tend to be reluctant to help strangers out. |
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