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esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:07 am Post subject: How many times have Koreans asked... |
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Please share some of the most common things that you have experienced over and over again while living here that you get asked.
My staff lunch (only the 2nd one at my new school) today with the English dpt. offered up these:
Isn't Korean food (Kimchi Jigae) too spicy for you?
How long have you been using chopsticks?
What is your favorite Korean food?
These are fairly common, but I got some new ones today.
So, this is the 2nd time that you have eaten Korean food?
WTF, I have lived in Korea for 3 years and you know that.
Did you own a gun back home in America?
Umm...no we aren't all members of the NRA.
What do you do on the weekends?
Well I spend time with my gf or my friends.
Wow! you have a gf? Is your gf an American teacher too?
If being fluent in English and working for the US Embassy makes her more American, then yes she is.
I know that you guys have some funny ones, so please share  . |
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Ultimo Hombre
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Location: BEER STORE
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:12 am Post subject: |
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The Korean food being too spicy is probably my biggest pet peeve in this country. I mean some of it is damn spicy but come on, Indian food is way spicier and so is most Mexican. Both of which use better tasting spices than that red pepper paste they slather on everything.
I'm just going to start reacting how I think they would like me to react whenever I eat Korean food. Jump up, scream, and run for water.
I loathe that question. |
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offtheoche
Joined: 21 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:48 am Post subject: |
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Koreans sometimes ask me...."oh...you can eat noodles?". My usual response is....yes...I love Chinese food.  |
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esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:52 am Post subject: |
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| offtheoche wrote: |
| Koreans sometimes ask me...."oh...you can eat noodles?". My usual response is....yes...I love Chinese food. |
Good response, but can you eat noodles using chopsticks?  |
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Jeff's Cigarettes
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:55 am Post subject: |
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| What boring conversation. Myself, I rarely talk to anybody at school unless it's something worthwhile talking about. I've gotten the spicy and chopsticks question only once. Answers are : some things are spicy and some are not. I've been using chopsticks longer than than a lot of my students are old. The teachers at my school take an example from me and are cool. |
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esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:59 am Post subject: |
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| Jeff's Cigarettes wrote: |
| What boring conversation. Myself, I rarely talk to anybody at school unless it's something worthwhile talking about. I've gotten the spicy and chopsticks question only once. Answers are : some things are spicy and some are not. I've been using chopsticks longer than than a lot of my students are old. The teachers at my school take an example from me and are cool. |
Yeah, well you are too cool for school then. The point of the topic is to hear some funny questions along with the usuals. My teachers are cool too, but I'm not a hermit that doesn't converse with the people I work with. Too each their own in this respect. |
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Jeff's Cigarettes
Joined: 27 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:03 am Post subject: |
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| esetters21 wrote: |
Yeah, well you are too cool for school then. |
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Suwon Sister
Joined: 10 Jun 2008
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:08 am Post subject: |
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Are you an English teacher?
Is your husband in the military?
How old are you?
Why are you here?
Where are you from?
Are you hungry?
Why can't you speak Korean? Why don't you learn? What's taking you so long to learn?
Becky |
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Ultimo Hombre
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Location: BEER STORE
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:11 am Post subject: |
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| My coworker got sick one day (vomit) and our director asked her the next day if she was pregnant. |
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seoulsucker
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Location: The Land of the Hesitant Cutoff
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:17 am Post subject: |
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| A male coworker asked me if I shave my balls. When he asked why, I told him it was to save on the electricity bill. |
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esetters21
Joined: 30 Apr 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:18 am Post subject: |
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| seoulsucker wrote: |
| A male coworker asked me if I shave my balls. When he asked why, I told him it was to save on the electricity bill. |
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SaveTheWhales
Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:25 am Post subject: |
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| "Have you eaten lunch?" |
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Lukychrm42
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Cheonan
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 4:05 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, I think the "Have you eaten lunch" is like "How are you"?
Every day my coworkers talk for at least ten minutes about what I've eaten, and tell anyone who might not have heard it already that I'm a vegetarian.
Oddly enough, I'm still waiting for someone to ask my blood type.
But yes, conversation often seems to center on food.
I want to know why every little thing has to have (so much) sugar in it!! |
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Straphanger
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Chilgok, Korea
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 4:42 am Post subject: Re: How many times have Koreans asked... |
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| esetters21 wrote: |
Isn't Korean food (Kimchi Jigae) too spicy for you?
How long have you been using chopsticks?
What is your favorite Korean food? |
These days, people just say these things as observations. "damn, look at that kid go to town on the guk-su" or "Who the hell taught him to cook samgyapsal?"
The oddest one I got was "Habla espanol?"
I've had:
"So which house do you think has the best kimchi here?"
"Do you like your pork in chiggae, boh-sum, galbi, or samgyapsal?"
"Did you drink a bottle of soju before you came here?"
And my favourite (making a beer run):
"YAH! No more Cass Red! Hite! Hite! We drink too muchee, cannot play...the tennis!" |
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curlygirl
Joined: 26 Mar 2007
Location: Pundang, Seohyeon dong
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| Posted: Wed Oct 29, 2008 4:44 am Post subject: |
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K teacher: Do you watch Korean dramas?
Me: Hmmm...(considers sarcastic reply) No!
K teacher: Why not?
Me: 자막 없으면 이해가 안돼요. (If it doesn't have subtitles I can't understand it)
K teacher: (the f**king obvious beginning to dawn on them) Oh...
I can't remember how many times I've been asked this question. I consider myself to be a high beginner Korean learner. Can you imagine asking this question to someone who is just beginning to learn English?
Native English speaker: Do you watch English language TV programs?
Lithuanian native speaker: Of course not. I've only been here a short time. As you know, because you see me every day, I don't speak or understand your language very well. How can I possibly watch your television programs?
Native English speaker: You're right. That was an insanely stupid question and I'm surprised that I was daft enough to ask it.
"Sigh" I've been asked this question at least a half dozen times. |
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