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maryjanes
Joined: 22 Jul 2009
Location: Cheongju
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 Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 10:39 am Post subject: Korea only works if you're a North American man - discuss |
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Having had a few chats lately, I've come to the conclusion that being an ESL teacher in Korea only really works if you're a male from the US or Canada.
There are exceptions, but they're few and far between. The people who get the most out of being here are male, and the males who get the best experience here are of the North American variety.
Am I completely wrong? |
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js99
Joined: 25 May 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:06 am Post subject: |
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Despite generalizations thrown around in the media regarding people from other places, after a certain amount of years I can honestly say that there are some Koreans who don't generalize about all foreigners.
But this goes with anywhere you go, a certain preference given to certain types of people- it sucks but thats human nature.
What makes you draw this kind of conclusion? |
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stevieg4ever
Joined: 11 Feb 2006
Location: London, England
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 11:26 am Post subject: |
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I don't think so. When I was at Sogang, albeit for a short time, most of my fellow students were non white, as I am. We all had our own stories about what Korea and speaking Korean means to us, the good things about Korea and also what is difficult.
But it all depends by what you mean by the the phrase 'getting the most out of being here'.
I eventually left my PS position to go travelling. Whilst in Cambodia i met a tall, blonde, blue eyed above average looking American was staying in the hostel. He too had been in Korea on a military expedition of some variety and he was a typical Korea basher. It is all relative. |
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Morning_Star
Joined: 21 Jan 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:53 pm Post subject: ... |
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North American men are neglected in Korea because Korean women don't date foreigners and the foreign women there wouldn't stoop so low. Being a woman is much more advantageous.
Proof: all the bitter men on this site. |
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OnTheOtherSide
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 12:59 pm Post subject: Re: ... |
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| Morning_Star wrote: |
North American men are neglected in Korea because Korean women don't date foreigners and the foreign women there wouldn't stoop so low. Being a woman is much more advantageous.
Proof: all the bitter men on this site. |
Haha. Yeah right. The average American guy gos to Korea and his dating life gos off the charts. I had more opportunities than I had time for a couple months in.
"Foreign women wouldn't stoop so low." What are you talking about? Most foreign women I knew only dated foreign men and were not into Korean men. |
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benji
Joined: 21 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:09 pm Post subject: Re: ... |
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| OnTheOtherSide wrote: |
| Morning_Star wrote: |
North American men are neglected in Korea because Korean women don't date foreigners and the foreign women there wouldn't stoop so low. Being a woman is much more advantageous.
Proof: all the bitter men on this site. |
Haha. Yeah right. The average American guy gos to Korea and his dating life gos off the charts. I had more opportunities than I had time for a couple months in.
"Foreign women wouldn't stoop so low." What are you talking about? Most foreign women I knew only dated foreign men and were not into Korean men. |
Sarcasm doesnt play well over the internet I suppose. |
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AgentM
Joined: 07 Jun 2009
Location: British Columbia, Canada
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:10 pm Post subject: Re: ... |
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| OnTheOtherSide wrote: |
| Morning_Star wrote: |
North American men are neglected in Korea because Korean women don't date foreigners and the foreign women there wouldn't stoop so low. Being a woman is much more advantageous.
Proof: all the bitter men on this site. |
Haha. Yeah right. The average American guy gos to Korea and his dating life gos off the charts. I had more opportunities than I had time for a couple months in.
"Foreign women wouldn't stoop so low." What are you talking about? Most foreign women I knew only dated foreign men and were not into Korean men. |
Not to mention that even just on this site there are a number of guys who are married to Korean women! I don't think that Morning Star has been paying attention. |
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Sergio Stefanuto
Joined: 14 May 2009
Location: UK
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 1:12 pm Post subject: Re: Korea only works if you're a North American man - discus |
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| maryjanes wrote: |
Having had a few chats lately, I've come to the conclusion that being an ESL teacher in Korea only really works if you're a male from the US or Canada.
There are exceptions, but they're few and far between. The people who get the most out of being here are male, and the males who get the best experience here are of the North American variety.
Am I completely wrong? |
Well, thanks for taking the time to share those thoughts with us, Maryjanes - an incisive and essential summary. |
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Teelo
Joined: 09 Oct 2008
Location: Wellington, NZ
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject: |
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| First time I lived in Korea (when I was 12), I frequently had other kids yelling at me "F*** you megu". |
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redaxe
Joined: 01 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 2:43 pm Post subject: |
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Mostly agree. The degree of sexism here has always made me wonder why any non-Asian female would ever want to come to this country if she were capable of finding a job back home. It doesn't help that most of them think Korean guys are gross. And the ones that do like Korean guys are usually pretty gross themselves.
Also I wouldn't restrict it to North America but include the UK and A/NZ as well.
Last edited by redaxe on Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:32 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Forward Observer
Joined: 13 Jan 2009
Location: FOB Gloria
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 3:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Teelo wrote: |
| First time I lived in Korea (when I was 12), I frequently had other kids yelling at me "F*** you megu". |
That sucks man. Why did you come back though? |
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bassexpander
Joined: 13 Sep 2007
Location: Someplace you'd rather be.
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 3:21 pm Post subject: |
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| But they sure advertise as wanting women for the jobs over men..... |
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DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP
Joined: 28 May 2009
Location: Electron cloud
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:21 pm Post subject: |
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I'm not from N.A. and I'm doing just fine.
That's all. |
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xingyiman
Joined: 12 Jan 2006
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:49 pm Post subject: Re: ... |
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| Morning_Star wrote: |
North American men are neglected in Korea because Korean women don't date foreigners and the foreign women there wouldn't stoop so low. Being a woman is much more advantageous.
Proof: all the bitter men on this site. |
This happens quite frequently outside of Seoul in the rural areas but in Seoul it's quite easy to get a girlfriend. In the rural areas you must learn the language fluently and then you'll have them beating down your door. Western women don't fair well in Korea because most(not all) that come here can't compete in attractiveness with the local Korean women who fix themselves up all the time wearing tight pants and high heels(and the thin figures to complement said accessories). Also their forceful attitudes are generally frowned upon by Koreans and western guys alike. |
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Ruthdes
Joined: 16 Oct 2008
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Aug 03, 2009 4:51 pm Post subject: |
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| redaxe wrote: |
Mostly agree. The degree of sexism here has always made me wonder why any non-Asian female would ever want to come to this country if she were capable of finding a job back home. It doesn't help that most of them think Korean guys are gross. And the ones that do like Korean guys are usually pretty gross themselves.
Also I wouldn't restrict it to North America but include the UK and A/NZ as well. |
Really? I haven't personally experienced any worse sexism here than anywhere else. I can see the sexism that Korean women have to deal with: e.g. having to get married by 28 or being labeled as undesirable, etc, but as an unmarried 30 year old, I seem to be exempt from that requirement because I am not Korean (maybe if I were ethnically Asian it would be different). The worst I can think of is occasionally having a student assume that I'm not intelligent or that I don't know anything about Korean culture. I'm not sure if that is sexism, racism, ageism or what though. Maybe a combination. It only happens with a minority of students though. Usually the high level management ajosshi-types, but occasionally a younger man, and sometimes even a woman. It doesn't matter where you go. There will always be some people who are arses.
I actually feel more judged because of my nationality, rather than my sex. As an Australian I have to get past a mental wall which has written on it: "can't understand accent!". After 10 minutes I get "oh! But your accent is very mild!"...ah no. Just b/c I don't speak like Steve Irwin doesn't mean that I have a British accent. |
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