Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Radius]

Does it ever get to you? It gets to me. Especially when im with my girl.

I guess im relatively new here only being here 3 months or so, but how long does it take to get over these obnoxious stares you get in the streets and basically everywhere you go....and times that by ten if you walking around with a Korean woman.

I didnt care in the beginning, but now its getting under me skin. . . making me feel self-conscience for some reason.

I know im going to hear the "get used to it" statements, but im basically asking you how long it took you to not care anymore, if you even did in the first place. I hate it when it made my gf uncomfortable, bc then it made me feel even more uncomfortable. she's over it now, but i still feel uncomfortable.

So how do you handle it? funny stories welcome

[Senior]

Just stare back.

Oh, yea, and get used to it.

[English Matt]

What bugs me is when I stare back at somebody who is staring at me and they start getting visibly agitated and confused as to why I am staring at them......

[Cerulean]

I've been here a long time and I haven't gotten used to it completely. I just don't notice it as much anymore.

[kaosjin]

Radius,
The creepy feeling you are experiencing comes and goes. I know that at times it is difficult to handle, but the worst thing you can do is let it get to you. I have been here for nearly ten years and it is one of the hardest things to get use to here. I guess it comes with the mood I am in. The better my mood, the least I notice or care.
Keep your chin up and be happy.

[wylies99]

When they glare it bothers me, and when they stare at my crotch it bothers me a lot. It's rude behavior.

[Olivencia]

http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=169527&highlight=Olivencia

[Hobophobic]

A few options -
1. pick your nose and offer wide eyed while nodding approvingly
2. imitate Brad Pitt's 12 monkeys character - twitch and talk to yourself
3. say ' kimchi' and imitate a camera click
4. look down in shame and then highfive yourself while repeating 2
5. look over your shoulder, then back at the starrer, point to self questioningly
as if to say 'who me?' act surprised, then smile and wink and blow a kiss.

6. keep any bug in a container in your bag, and take it out and start talking
7. take off a shoe and hug it saying 'saranghaeyo..bogoshipaeyo jugulgogatae'
8. have a thumb war with yourself and jump up and down when you win
9. randomly say every foreign word you know while rubbing your stomach
and patting the top of your head.
10. Fuse any of the above together...

and good luck...almost 10 years in and it still gets to me from time to time...

[sheba]

I lived in a small town... I was totally fine with all the stares at first, found their curiosity quite amusing. Sometimes I would stare at them too, it was strange seeing little old ladies with giant bags of rice on their head, or people dressed in hanbok. But then after a couple years in the same small town where it now felt like 'home', I had settled and everything was second nature to me... people STILL STARED AT ME!! Thats when it started to bother me.

And it doesnt matter how many years we stay, we will ALWAYS look different, even if we are fluent in Korean and know all there is to know about their culture, marry a korean and have generations of babies here... they will stare. And I have to admit, it was the same for Asians back home too.... though not quite as obvious I would think (hope?).

Ive found that I never got used to the stares... it still bothers me, its just how much I get annoyed by it that changes. For me its all about attitude, if I catch someone staring and they look away quickly blushing, or they smile and try to communicate with me then Im fine... but if they sit there gawking or looking me up and down and dont care whether I notice or if it bothers me (especially if they have a sour look on their face like they just stepped in dog poo)... well that just pisses me right off!

Im trying not to rant cos I had an especially annoying staring session today....

[PigeonFart]

Uncivilized peasants.

I just moved to Seoul where it rarely happens. It used to drive me insane. I wanted to slap the [Mod Edit].

[Hobophobic]