Korean Job Discussion Forums

[beckert10]

I have written a series of essays about Korea, parts 1-3, with part 4 still to come. Check it out at:
http://thebohemianexperiment.com/2010/01/13/the-kimchi-chronicles-volume-i-a-stranger-arrives-in-a-strange-land/

Yes, this is a bit of a shameless plug, but I am genuinely interested in getting feedback because my work has been a bit polarizing among the expat community.

[DorkothyParker]

Read the first one. It seems okay. Thus far it's not very polarizing other than the fact that you seem somewhat rude and judgmental. Also you clearly make bad decisions.

I don't think you quite captured the shaken feeling one has when first arriving, but you came fairly close.

I'll read more, but I wish you weren't such a jerk. (Not you but the essay you who is clearly you but also not as multi-dimensional at this point. Though, I don't know you so this face of you might be nearest to your regular day-to-day face of you and you might be one-dimensional. I know not.)

[beckert10]

How, exactly, do I make bad decisions?

I am a bit of a jerk, I admit, but only superficially. I suppose once you get to know me I have a softer side.

Thanks for reading.

[balzor]

[beckert10]

There's the polarizing stuff! Well played!

[languistic]

I'm sure your family and friends are convinced you have your finger on the pulse of the nation.

[Privateer]

Just the title puts me off, sorry.

[Senior]

[PatrickGHBusan]

The title kills the endeavor right off the bat...but still out of respect for your effort I read through it...

1- I have second that you judge far too much, come off as close minded and arrogant. In a cultural essay that makes for bad reading and saps any hope of credibility.

2- Your decisions and judgements leave a lot to be desired for someone who tags himself as a cultural observer. You do not observe, you demean people...big difference.

3- Your work is polarizing...it is one sided and at some points somewhat egotistical.

4- The work reads like you wrote it one time, never reviewed your work and left it as is....

Out of the numerous works published by expats on Korea this ranks (so far) pretty low and fits into the 'angry expat' that blames any and all for his troubles category. It would have been far more interesting for the reader had you taken the time to consider how you sound and taken a more objective perspective....

The sad thing is that at some points you show promise, especially when you attempt to capture the texture and feel of places and moments. But these endeavors are typically ruined by a quick sarcastic judgemental jab on your part. Its like you write a promising description thats on the cusp of being alive and vibrant and really capturing something meaningful and then decide...they hell with it...this is too much work...lets bash.

Too bad.

[beckert10]

I'm not going to bother to defend myself. What I wrote were my feelings at the time I put them down. Many people seem to want to criticize my work, which is fine. But I invite you to take it all with a grain of salt... I wrote these for fun, not as a definitive guide to living and working in Korea. Lighten up. The online community has a propensity for self-righteousness they are often not bold and/or well spoken enough to display in person. Go ahead and criticize if you'd like...but if you want to be taken seriously then show me something better. One up me through actions, not petty words on an online forum. Now you may say this is unreasonable...that by posting on a public forum I was inviting myself to scrutiny. True. But for every person who has said what I've done wrong, not one of them has been able to show me how a "better" version would look. I look forward to being humbled by your works of genius.

[aboxofchocolates]

"I’ve never seen this many Asians in one place, except maybe when free furniture was left on the curb near my apartment in Boston."

Wow, that was really racist! And only eight lines in.

As far as 'write your own rambling racist (and probably sexist and classist) blog and see if you can do better', thank you, no.

[The Bobster]

[banjois]

I just kinda found them a duller version of what I've seen on a bunch of different blogs.

[Radius]

am i the only one who liked it?? i thought it was a entertaining read.

[PatrickGHBusan]

beckert10,

First of all, basic research can provide you with numerosu examples of what other people have done in the field of cultural-travelogue observation.

Secondly, you ASKED for comments and now are bitter when you do not agree with whats posted.

Thirdly, who is self-righeous in here? Bobster has made a comment I could not agree with more. Did you ever consider that you put this blog-travelogue of your up for reading in a place where many long term residents of Korea post?

You make some pretty bad generalisations in your writing and there are several places where racism seems just below the surface. Did you consider that when you put your feelings on a page...those feelings might generate responses?

Your work in my opinion is a decent start. If you wish to write in any serious capacity you better get use to criticism and to work at your craft. If on the other hand you just wanted to expose your inner instant reaction feelings to living in Korea well then you did that with all the flaws that it implies. What the entires read like are knee-jerk, spur of the moment blurbs to things you experienced and reacted to. Thats not cultural commentary or any sort of cultural observation its basic, emotional response without much thought or perspective.

I agree with Bobster that the story can gain a semblance of broader value if the author (you) shows he evolved and learned something beyond the initial broad statements. The tone has indeed been set right off the bat and while this tone can be excused by raw emotions of moving abroad in a different environment, should it persists it will become a way of thinking by the author and hence hold very little redeeming value.

The interest would be if you show yourself to have grown, evolved and understood things as you stayed in Korea.