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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:13 am Post subject: free sample descrimination in Gangnam |
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So, I was walking down the main street of Gangnam today and was on my way to exit 6 of the station. Outside the Body Shop there was a stand set up with free samples of a drink: Miero BeautyN - Skin balance. (미에로 뷰티 엔- 스킨 밸런스). It seems to be an electrolyte replacement type drink, marketed to women to make their skin beautiful.
I was thirsty, so thought, great, don't need to buy a drink. I walked up to the woman giving them away and she started to hand one to me, looked at me, and pulled it away. For a second I thought maybe I'd misunderstood and they weren't free, then she said "Korean only".....wtf? I was so surprised that words failed me. I was just getting my words back to argue in my very broken Korean, when she repeated..."for Korean people only". Then the guy who was restocking the table gave me one and shot the girl a look that said "shut up". I thanked him, gave the woman a really dirty look, and was on my way.
Lucky that electrolyte replacement drinks aren't really my thing, otherwise I'd be torn as to whether to boycott them! I'm wonder if this is a company policy and the guy just wanted to avoid a scene, or if the girl is just a racist idiot (or both!).
Anyone else see/get a drink from this stall today, or experience something similar at another time? |
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Blueberry
Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Location: Wonju
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:41 am Post subject: |
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Yes, she's just a racist, perhaps angry that she's doing a job paying 3,000 won an hour, and probably knows that we make a wee bit more in her country.
But the guy did give you one, so why would you boycott them? There will be plenty of times here when you won't get "saved" by a non-racist Korean, so save your boycotts for those instances. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:42 am Post subject: Re: free sample descrimination in Gangnam |
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| Ruthdes wrote: |
So, I was walking down the main street of Gangnam today and was on my way to exit 6 of the station. Outside the Body Shop there was a stand set up with free samples of a drink: Miero BeautyN - Skin balance. (미에로 뷰티 엔- 스킨 밸런스). It seems to be an electrolyte replacement type drink, marketed to women to make their skin beautiful.
I was thirsty, so thought, great, don't need to buy a drink. I walked up to the woman giving them away and she started to hand one to me, looked at me, and pulled it away. For a second I thought maybe I'd misunderstood and they weren't free, then she said "Korean only".....wtf? I was so surprised that words failed me. I was just getting my words back to argue in my very broken Korean, when she repeated..."for Korean people only". Then the guy who was restocking the table gave me one and shot the girl a look that said "shut up". I thanked him, gave the woman a really dirty look, and was on my way.
Lucky that electrolyte replacement drinks aren't really my thing, otherwise I'd be torn as to whether to boycott them! I'm wonder if this is a company policy and the guy just wanted to avoid a scene, or if the girl is just a racist idiot (or both!).
Anyone else see/get a drink from this stall today, or experience something similar at another time? |
I am sorry that happened to you. She was probably thinking that since you're a wayguk saram 외국 사람 that you wouldn't buy their products, and so you wouldn't be part of the target market. That said, it's still a form of discrimination, and foreigners buy all kinds of products in Korea, and it's bad for Korea's image, and that's why the Korean male chastized the female for her narrow-mindedness, because he feels mistreating a foreign woman is not good for Korea's image and unkind.
Have a nice day, ma'am...... Stuff happens...
Last edited by Adventurer on Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:44 am Post subject: |
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| True, but if the company was directing her to not give samples to white people (and presumably other non-asian looking people and/or non-Korean speaking people), the boycott would be in order. If it was just her, it wouldn't be. It's academic in any case, it's not the sort of drink I would pay for. |
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okokok
Joined: 27 Aug 2006
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 1:53 am Post subject: |
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Reminds me of when I was walking down the sidewalk at Hyehwa. There was a girl working her microphone yammering away, and a counter set up, and on this counter there were a few pieces of paper and a cell phone. I don't know what she was selling/marketing. Anyways, some dude from Bangladesh or thereabouts walks up and grabs the cell phone and starts examining it. She rips it out of his hand and yells on the microphone for everyone to hear, "NO! Mine!!! MINE!!!!" The dude was still standing there so she shouts (again into the microphone). "GO AWAY!!!".
Long story short... don't worry about those people. They have absolutely no training whatsoever and zero professionalism of any kind. |
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diver
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 2:32 am Post subject: |
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| Ruthdes wrote: |
| True, but if the company was directing her to not give samples to white people (and presumably other non-asian looking people and/or non-Korean speaking people), the boycott would be in order. If it was just her, it wouldn't be. It's academic in any case, it's not the sort of drink I would pay for. |
Fire off an email to Body Shop HQ. Let them know the location, date and time that this happened to you. |
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Ultimo Hombre
Joined: 13 Oct 2008
Location: BEER STORE
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 2:35 am Post subject: |
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| This happened to me once before, but it was because the drink was for women only and not Koreans only. I was slightly embarassed. Sheesh, this site is full of horror stories. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 2:39 am Post subject: |
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| Ultimo Hombre wrote: |
| This happened to me once before, but it was because the drink was for women only and not Koreans only. I was slightly embarassed. Sheesh, this site is full of horror stories. |
Hey, at least, this isn't the norm. It's a story because it is generally unusual to deal with this. If this was extremely commonplace then it wouldn't be surprising. It happens here and there. If the OP wants to e-mail Body Shop Headquarters and tell them what happened and give the time and the place for what happened, she could. |
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ajgeddes
Joined: 28 Apr 2004
Location: Yongsan
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 2:59 am Post subject: |
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| This happened to me once about two years ago. It was around when Prime Max first came out. People were giving out free samples (shopping bags with 4 cans in it, and a t-shirt) to everyone walking by. It was really close to my apartment, so I watched for a minute and noticed they were trying to give it to everybody and not just a certain group of people. So, I walked up to get my free sample and they blatantly ignored me. The bitch just kept facing a different direction, so I would stand right in front of her again. She wouldn't give me one. So, this business guy who got one just gave me his and walked right back up and just walked back up to the same girl and she gave him a second one. So, he was able to get two within about 10 seconds, but she wouldn't give me one. Anyways, moral of the story, the bitch was crazy, but others noticed it and made up for it. |
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asams
Joined: 17 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:21 am Post subject: |
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| Does anyone else get the feeling that Korea is like a watered down version of America in the mid 20th century? I use that term watered down because so far no fire hoses have been sprayed at me, but we are frowned upon and disliked by quite a few. |
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Adventurer
Joined: 28 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 3:28 am Post subject: |
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| asams wrote: |
| Does anyone else get the feeling that Korea is like a watered down version of America in the mid 20th century? I use that term watered down because so far no fire hoses have been sprayed at me, but we are frowned upon and disliked by quite a few. |
Well, I told a fellow who is coming from Kentucky to think of himself going to another place with its own rednecks as well, but they happen to be in Asia, and how a certain state with rednecks would have been in the late 70s, I reckon. Of course, I do not say that to belittle the folks from any Red State or those in Korea.
There are closed-minded people in every country. It was nice that the business man stood against this prejudice and so did the guy who was nice to nice Ruth.
Many Americans and other foreigners have given a lot for Korea to be where it is today. Some people should remember that. Remember, 1/3rd of Koreans are anti-American and 2/3rds are not. Focus on the majority who are not like those people and those who were kind and made sure Ruth and ajgeddes got their samples!
Don't sweat the small stuff... Don't take it personally.... |
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Blueberry
Joined: 15 Apr 2009
Location: Wonju
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:03 am Post subject: |
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| Adventurer wrote: |
| asams wrote: |
| Does anyone else get the feeling that Korea is like a watered down version of America in the mid 20th century? I use that term watered down because so far no fire hoses have been sprayed at me, but we are frowned upon and disliked by quite a few. |
Well, I told a fellow who is coming from Kentucky to think of himself going to another place with its own rednecks as well, but they happen to be in Asia, and how a certain state with rednecks would have been in the late 70s, I reckon. Of course, I do not say that to belittle the folks from any Red State or those in Korea.
There are closed-minded people in every country. It was nice that the business man stood against this prejudice and so did the guy who was nice to nice Ruth.
Many Americans and other foreigners have given a lot for Korea to be where it is today. Some people should remember that. Remember, 1/3rd of Koreans are anti-American and 2/3rds are not. Focus on the majority who are not like those people and those who were kind and made sure Ruth and ajgeddes got their samples!
Don't sweat the small stuff... Don't take it personally.... |
Well put, though I would say 1/3 of Seoulites are. Go to small town Korea and it's literally not wise to be having a drink by yourself at 2AM....drunk dudes coming up, crowding you, wanting to be pals and a minute later they are screaming and want to fight. Never tough alone, but 3 or 4 Koreans dudes together, at any age, are trouble. |
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Jane
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:10 am Post subject: |
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Not being given a free sample because of waegukness?
Put it this way, I don't even bother reaching anymore for free stuff, cuz I've been refused so many times. OP, what happened to you will happen to you again. Guaranteed! |
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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:31 am Post subject: |
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| Jane wrote: |
Not being given a free sample because of waegukness?
Put it this way, I don't even bother reaching anymore for free stuff, cuz I've been refused so many times. OP, what happened to you will happen to you again. Guaranteed! |
Really? This is the first time this has happened to me in over a year. I'm not upset about it. I was more surprised, then annoyed. I was glad that it was resolved with sense so quickly. Really.....they are just shooting themselves in the foot. What is the justification? I might like it. I might buy it. What possible business sense can they have for denying me a free sample? |
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gangwonbound
Joined: 27 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Thu Apr 30, 2009 6:39 am Post subject: |
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| The product is probably marketed toward Korean people. Since most of the foreigner teachers in Korea are FOREIGN they probably didn't think it was right to give it to you...Also I think Korean's are the bigger market for this stuff...Economic times these days are too good so someone has most probably said don't give it to foreigner's because it will save us some money. |
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