Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Jane]

[Leslie Cheswyck]

I paint the invisible wall. I wallpaper it. I hang paintings on it. There, it's not so invisible any more.

[PatrickGHBusan]

Jane...interesting article. But Mr Pinks point still stands and is alive and well. The support network in Korea within the family is amazing.

[VanIslander]

The wall is not invisible!

I saw it before I came here and told myself I'd accept the role of GUEST and live the international EXPAT lifestyle and only go native in some respects, like when eating out in restaurants with Koreans.

Some bang their heads against the wall continually while others don't see it even though it's there, so to them it's indeed invisible - until they hit it.

Everyone can choose for themselves to what degree they want to try and be Korean. There are costs and benefits with whatever one tries to do or not do.

I have had no intentions to be here seven years but it's just turned out that way; I'm becoming a long timer though by no means a committed lifer, gone from here perhaps next year, or the year after. I enjoy this country, its food and nature and the job and the free time I have, as well as the interesting aspects of the people and the culture as observed as an outsider; once I feel I've become in any way part of their society it'll be time to move on I think; I feel no social pressure here and that's a liberating thing.

To each their own.

[brainfreeze]

Not that Korea is the only one that has this problem. There are a lot of young people in America and Canada at this moment who made poor university decisions and are in so much debt that they will never be able to pay it off. They unfortunately will be living with their parents until their 40s or 50s.

If you want to see some of these people check out jdunderground.com

[Mr. Pink]

[Mr. Pink]

[brainfreeze]

[brainfreeze]

[halfmanhalfbiscuit]

Core subjects (English, maths)-no sweat. Can't so much pick and choose, but the jobs exist.

Optional specialisms, even History,both in NZ and the UK-good luck.

[Cheonmunka]

About Lee, he did this at a time when there were no permanent resident visas such as the F5 or even the F2 (for males.) I wonder that had something to do with it. Also, he earned a lot of money in Korea. Maybe he felt he was better off here than anywhere else.

But in the eyes of strangers and people who don't know him and rude pointing kids he's just another 외국사람. Maybe he's getting sick of that.

[EzeWong]

I'm sure other Asian Americans can chime in on this. Even as an Asian American, born and raise, people ask me all the time "where are you from?". I say America and they usually say "No I mean, like where are you from?". Black and white people usually don't get probed for more details like Asian Americans (they are just accepted as American). But somehow, being Asian has never made me a real American. People never think that I was born in America, they think I came from China or Japan. I've never really been accepted as American, always some kind of exotic kung fu, cat eating, foreigner.

Even Americans, a great melting pot nation, has it's issues too.

Korea will never accept a white immigrant as TRULY Korean. Nor do I think that's reasonable expectation. People judge on skin color and it's a very noticeable difference. Try the reverse, throw a Korean into Germany. That Korean is not going to become "German". Being part of the nation is just a small part of what people percieve. It's all the heritage and biological background of growing up wtih the nation.

I feel sad sometimes that people wouldn't be understanding of that. But it's just reality.

[brainfreeze]

[fermentation]

Why would you want to be Korean anyway?

Koreans tell me all the time that no matter how hard I try, I will never be accepted as part of American society. Its funny because that's exactly what they do to foreigners who try to be Korean. They also do that to Korean-Americans in regards to their "American-ness." Its quite amusing to see Koreans tell Korean-Americans that they are not "really American."

[eamo]

Thank God for the 'invisible wall'!!!

I pretty much daily remind myself how lucky I was to not be born Korean. Koreans have to put up with so much BS throughout their lives. Intense pressures and years and years wasted on futile nonsense......

..........as a foreigner in Korea, I'm exempt from all that! Woohoo!!