Korean Job Discussion Forums

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

The little children age 3-10 and the adults who let them believe they're little emperors and princesses.

The old farts can really get in the way sometimes but at least they can plead senility and spend six or seven decades working their asses off so that we can have everything we do today.

jkelly80 · Joined: 13 Jun 2007 Location: you boys like mexico?

The 우리 mentality.

Mix1 · Joined: 08 May 2007

Groupthink mentality.

KOREAN_MAN · Joined: 01 Oct 2006

Lack of discipline in child-rearing by Korean parents. Also, the moderators of this site. (Joking!) Very Happy

okokok · Joined: 27 Aug 2006

I walk quickly and with a purpose and nobody gets out of my way unless I bowl them over. Koreans are very skilled at blocking the flow. I also really dislike people walking in busy areas while not looking where they are going. I also hate when Koreans walk while reading books, watching tv, playing a video game, or text messaging. Koreans simply getting out of my way would make my life here much more bearable.

Yu_Bum_suk · Joined: 25 Dec 2004

Intrepid · Joined: 13 May 2004 Location: Yongin

The gum cracking.
Some foreigners do this, as well, but I can't remember when I've been on a bus or subway without some idiot cracking her gum.

ghohn · Joined: 08 Jan 2008

roadwork · Joined: 24 Nov 2008 Location: Goin' up the country

travelingfool · Joined: 10 Mar 2008 Location: Parents' basement

The lack of respect teachers get even if they come with the best of intentions, are well trained, and take their jobs seriously. "FT's are only here because they couldn't get jobs in their home countries". If a FT does something even remotely untoward we are all guilty no matter how much evidence there is to the contrary.

skconqueror · Joined: 31 Jul 2005

curlygirl · Joined: 26 Mar 2007 Location: Pundang, Seohyeon dong

What bugs me most is being asked the exact same set of questions by every Korean when I eat with them for the first time. You ALL know the questions I'm talking about:

1. Can you use chopsticks?
2. Isn't that too spicy for you?
3. Have you heard of 김치/떡/갈비 etc? (Because I'm eating a meal with them they'll already know that I've lived here for 2 years. COME ON! GROW A BRAIN ALREADY! Have you heard of pizza? What about hamburger? Really? You have? Amazing.)

Not by any means the worst thing about living here (the good things far outweigh the bad, which is why I love this place), but this thread is "what bugs you the most".

I can easily brush off all the daily annoyances but this standard set of questions just really sets my teeth on edge.

strange_brew · Joined: 12 Oct 2008

Leaving the doors and windows open everywhere, even in winter! This may make sense in the summer, but in the winter? Come on, you don't need airflow throughout the building and the fan won't kill you. It just raises your electric and heating bills because your first layer of insulation is gone. For a winter nation, they sure aren't very winterised.

Also, the lack of people who don't stop their cars when people are walking at a crosswalk. I walk slower and make them stop, but it seems people speed up as if the car has the right of way.

Zulethe · Joined: 04 Jul 2008

I got so damned tired of the "diversity" crap lectures in America. At one in particular, this Mexican chick stood up and gave us all a cry-me-a-river up bringing speech.

Of course, all eyes were affixed on the white devil - me.

I stood up and said, "Excuse me but did you know that hispanics are not a minority in Phoenix, and if anything, I should be talking about what it's like to be a minority."

And my point is?

God I miss diversity. I even miss you illegal Mexicans standing out front Home-Depot looking for work.

I miss the bum who threatens me when I only give him a quarter instead of a dollar.

I do like the job and country, but if my entire school were to pass me in a crowded mall, I wouldn't even notice them.

They all look same same. Even the women, while beautiful, are losing their appeal due to same same.

I had one kid in my class for four months. I thought he was a new kid so when I asked him he told me no, he got a haircut.

Maybe it's time to start thinking about Seoul next year, Argh!

GreenlightmeansGO · Joined: 11 Dec 2006 Location: Daegu

Just thought I'd add something. My pet peeve right now has to do with the co-worker who sits in-front-of me. I sit with my back to the windows, which take on mirror-like qualities when it's dark outside. As a result, my co-worker is constantly looking at herself in the 'mirror': turning her head slowly, tilting her head forward, pouting her cheeks, fixing her hair etc.

It would be okay if it was just to check-up on her appearance now and then, but she looks over my shoulder at her reflection every minute! Whenever she does it, I think she's looking at me, so there's a lot of me glancing up to meet her eyes, followed by moments of awkwardness.