Korean Job Discussion Forums

[eIn07912]

not in korea. no, never. that never goes on here...

..so the other day, we got a bit off topic in one of my classes, how it got started im not sure, but i asked my class and coteacher if they eat the local food or korean food when they travel. almost all, including the coteacher said they only eat korean food. well, i blasted them all for it. i said u can eat korean food any day of the year, part of traveling is to experience the culture, food, lifestyle, blah blah blah, we all know this speech.

that same evening myself, the same coteacher, and few other teachers were eating shabu-shabu at a local place. one of the older male korean teachers offered me soju. i politely declined saying that i dont like to drink during the week really. which is true, i dont. he kept offering over and over again through the night, so i finally just downed a shot so he'd leave me alone. that same coteacher who told me she only eats korean food when she travels turns to me and says "u r in korea, u should do korean thing.. when in rome..." i just starred at her. "ur kidding right" i asked. "what?" she said

i then proceeded to point out her hypocrisy. im a foreigner in korea, so i should eat and drink as koreans, if thats ur argument fair enough. but if ur korean, u shouldnt have to do the same thing when ur in a foreign country? "but we r korean" was her answer. as well as a number of the other teachers sitting around that understood the conversation. "so when U travel, its not 'when in rome' " i asked. "but we r korean" is all i got back.

so there u have it. stop the presses, its breaking news im sure. but apparently when anyone else comes to their country, we r supposed to do everything their way, but when they go anywhere they have the special privilege to continue to do things the korean way.

its reasons such as this (and that there r korean hotels abroad) that when i travel and see koreans, i avoid them at all cost.

[Xuanzang]

They might as well have howled and said, "we are Klingons!"

[blackjack]

what the hell are you doing talking about that type of stuff in class? If they want to eat Korean food overseas then so be it.

Plus if you don't want to drink do what the locals do, click classes pretend to take a sip, and put it back down.

[weatherman]

Some other poster said this first, but forget who:

When in Rome, do the Romans,

When in Korea, do the Koreans.....

Simple isn't it?


Why didn't you ask for an explanation of why "but we are Koreans" gives them an exception?

[Benicio]

eIn07912, you have just just described probably one the most irritatingly arrogant things about most Korean people- the hipocrisy of them insisting on a "When in Rome..." attitude for all non-Koreans here while at the same time believing it's perfectly fine to behave just like they are in Korea no matter where they are in the world.

I'm starting to believe that Koreans just don't really understand the concept of hypocrisy- how it is logically/morally wrong and totally undermines the integrity of a person.

Most Koreans believe that if something is a benefit to them, then it is good. It matters not that it is a total contradiction to what they have stated previously or profess to others as what is "right". They feel that contradicting yourself is good if it benefits you.
If you point out to them that they are contradictory and hypocritical, then they just get upset with you. They act as if you are wrong for "challenging" them.

The "we are Korean" is just their way of shutting you down. Translation: "We are Korean, so we are right in the way that we think and act. You are not Korean, so you would not understand. You should just stop talking now".

You totally blasted their whole reasoning with simple logic. This didn't matter to them at all because most Koreans do not value logic over personal benefit. To them, what benefits them is always the most logical.
Logic & integrity be damned!

Now, once you understand this, it's much easier to understand Koreans and deal with their contradictions.

[eIn07912]

[eIn07912]

[Leslie Cheswyck]

It's like when the coyote paints the tunnel and the road runner runs right through it. And then you try to chase after him and wham, you run into the wall. I mean, you got 'em. And they run right through your f*cking wall.

[eIn07912]

[eIn07912]

[harlowethrombey]

went out drinking the other night with some teachers. a couple of the younger guys wanted me to stay and I use the excuse that I go to the gym in the morning before school to leave.

"no, I cant drink me, I have to wake up at 5 to go to the gym!'

of course, actually I just dont feel very professional getting hammered on Wednesday night. I know our jobs arent exactly mind-bendingly difficult, but a soju hangover makes hitting grammar points especially arduous.

[Benicio]

eIn07912, I wasn't trying to talk down to you. You seem to know enough about what is going on.
The contradictions & hypocrisy that go along with the super nationalism are truly irritating!
Suspending logic to pursue self-benefit and nationalistic promotion is infuriating, nonsensical, and well illogical.
But it is quite simple when you understand that pursuing what benefits you, even if it is an illogical contradiction, is the most logical choice for a society that was not founded on the basis of Greek philosophy.

It's funny to hear a Korean tell you that westerners are overly reliant on logic and ignore their emotions.
To Koreans, emotionalism and personal feelings are far more important than logic & reason. Knowing that, it's much easier to understand some of the nonsensical things they say and do.

[Ukon]

I honestly wonder if they don't understand the question if they answer "korean food of course!". The success of numerous western food brands would tell you otherwise.....They'd eat Dunkin Donuts and Outback at home, but never in the states?

[eIn07912]

[Robot_Teacher]

I'm getting strange reactions time after time for proving I can eat Korean food. Keep in mind I'm in the country; not city and in an area just 1st receiving EPIK teachers with no foreign hagwon teachers present. The teachers actually thought I couldn't eat Korean food and acted concerned in an uncomfortable way that I might get sick based on the things they said on many occasions. They just still can't believe I can eat Korean food and use a pair of chopsticks as if I were Korean. I really am good with chopsticks as I learned years ago and can handle spicy foods and accustomed to eating many different cuisines due to my extensive travel experiences as well as overseas military service. It's very different not being under an American entity such as Uncle Sam or an American company. I'm on my own now.

I had a stomach flu 2 weeks ago and believe it was from spoiled fried chicken as I know the tell tale signs when this happens, took a sick day, and my main co-teacher actually says, "Yes, I know eating Korean food made you sick." I said, "No, it's not Korean food being bad for me, every where in the world people get salmonella on occasion such as from spoiled chicken or fish. Korean food is good as long as it's prepared properly. As anywhere else, things go wrong in restaurants on occasion."

I did notice Asian people in airports checking in huge boxes and excessive amounts of luggage so I've suspected they do pack lots of their own food for traveling. They really think Korean food is for Koreans only and foreigners can't stomach it nor is it proper foreigner subsistence. Of course, more educated people don't think so inwardly.