| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
|
 Posted: Wed May 12, 2010 11:49 am Post subject: |
 |
|
| noraebang wrote: |
| Although people make more money when they move to the US or Europe, freedom from tyranny and religion might often be their strongest motivation. |
That's just modern reinterpretation to make people feel better about their ancestors. Most people don't care about tyranny and religion, they just want to escape poverty. Rich people leave if they feel their wealth being threatened. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
ticktocktocktick
Joined: 31 Mar 2009
|
| Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 1:03 am Post subject: Re: Zulethe's top 10 characteristics of the typical Eng. Tea |
|
|
| Zulethe wrote: |
2. Continuously makes plans to study Korean and after two years only knows five words other than food words.
|
Surely your average English teacher only stays for a year? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TheChingu
Joined: 08 May 2010
|
| Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 1:50 am Post subject: |
|
|
This post reeks of bitterness.
I think we need to meet half way culturally with the people of whatever country we are in.
When I first got here all my teachers and administrators expected me to be fluent in Korean, though all they spoke in English was hello.
I am frustrated that to this day most of the teachers that actually talk to me think I only eat hamburgers and only speak English. I speak Spanish which is completely useless to me here but at least it proves I'm not completely ignorant of other languages.
My co-teacher's impression of me has greatly improved with my learning Korean, but I guess they still think I'm just some dumb westerner.
I have never tried to "be" Korean. I'm 6 foot 4 (193cm) and white, I am not nor will I ever be one of them. I eat the food, try to be polite when possible. Smile like its my damn job, but I am not going to shave my arms or walk around in slippers in my own house.
If a Korean came to my country I wouldn't expect them to eat sandwiches, potato chips, and stop bowing just to appease me.
So don't be so harsh on those who are trying to adjust. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
NYC_Gal
Joined: 08 Dec 2009
|
| Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 2:06 am Post subject: |
|
|
| TheChingu wrote: |
This post reeks of bitterness.
I think we need to meet half way culturally with the people of whatever country we are in.
When I first got here all my teachers and administrators expected me to be fluent in Korean, though all they spoke in English was hello.
I am frustrated that to this day most of the teachers that actually talk to me think I only eat hamburgers and only speak English. I speak Spanish which is completely useless to me here but at least it proves I'm not completely ignorant of other languages.
My co-teacher's impression of me has greatly improved with my learning Korean, but I guess they still think I'm just some dumb westerner.
I have never tried to "be" Korean. I'm 6 foot 4 (193cm) and white, I am not nor will I ever be one of them. I eat the food, try to be polite when possible. Smile like its my damn job, but I am not going to shave my arms or walk around in slippers in my own house.
If a Korean came to my country I wouldn't expect them to eat sandwiches, potato chips, and stop bowing just to appease me.
So don't be so harsh on those who are trying to adjust. |
One of my gyopo friends speaks Spanish, so we can talk and neither westerners or Koreans understand 
One of my students is from Colombia.
I also spoke to a Kimbap shop owner in Busan.
I take my shoes off indoors, but only because I have to use squatters and walk through the phlegmy streets. Mmm love the sound of someone loogie-ing it up. Lung butter! |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
corinthian
Joined: 21 Sep 2009
|
| Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 7:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| oh boy another thread with a bunch of people trying to show off for the title of Best Expat 2010 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
|
| Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 8:56 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Sody wrote: |
L
But you see so many bitter and angry people on the Korea forums because everyone has such high aspirations and expections before they come to Korea. This might be because Koreans are always bragging about how wonderful they are and how awesome their country is. Either there is some ESL video or it's some recruiter who is a liar.
. |
So you are saying that a lot of people who come here hung out with Koreans back HOME who were always bragging about how wonderful they were and how awesome their country was?
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mr. BlackCat
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Location: Insert witty remark HERE
|
| Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 9:21 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| noraebang wrote: |
| Mr. BlackCat wrote: |
| I'm just amazed that some people believe that the main reason people, anywhere in the world, move to another place is "to take in the culture". You think Mexicans go to the US for Brittany Spears? Muslims to Europe for the wine? |
Mexicans and Arabs are dirt poor. Americans, Brits, and Canadians come from the richest countries in the world, and many have the luxury of trying out a new experience before settling down into a career. The differences are obvious. Mexican immigrants often say "I came to provide a better life for my family." Very few English teachers who come to Korea have that same motivation, at least not to the same degree. There are also droves of English teachers going to places like Thailand, China, and Vietnam where they are paid even less. They want to experience the world.
My grandma moved to Canada to be free from a caste system, escape a poor socialist dump, to leave behind tonnes of mysticism and religious fanaticism, sexism, and what have you. Wealth is ultimately an outcome of leaving any of that crap behind, since freer countries allow you to create, produce, and improve upon your position. Although people make more money when they move to the US or Europe, freedom from tyranny and religion might often be their strongest motivation. |
Mexicans and Arabs aren't dirt poor. Many of them are poor, some may be even dirt poor, but that's besides the point.
People move all over the world for all sorts of different reasons, but the reason they choose where they end up, more often than not, is money. There's a reason your family ended up in Canada, as did mine. If they were solely trying to escape tyranny then there are any number of countries they could choose from. But only some offer economic opportunities. It's not a bad thing, far from it. In fact, it'd be stupid not to do it. So maybe there are foreigners in Vietnam, Thailand, China. But by far the most are in Korea, with Japan a close second (or maybe the other way around, it makes no difference); MONEY. Some of us wanted adventure, some wanted Asian culture in general, some wanted to get away from home, but we all ended up where we would be paid, while still able to acheive those other goals to some degree. We do come from rich countries, although that hardly means we are individually rich or that there are huge opportunities there. But even so, we chose to pursue some goals in our lives and if money wasn't an issue I seriously doubt there'd be more than a few hundred ESL teachers in Korea instead of Thailand, Vietnam, etc. Frankly, I doubt most people from Western countries would know enough about Korea to choose it solely for it's culture, especially when Japan and China are right there. Ethnic Koreans are excepted of course. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
detourne_me
Joined: 26 May 2006
|
| Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 9:35 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| corinthian wrote: |
| oh boy another thread with a bunch of people trying to show off for the title of Best Expat 2010 |
we really should make an award for that... call it "The Smarmies" or "The Conceities" - can think of a few nominees already |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
orosee
Joined: 07 Mar 2008
Location: Hannam-dong, Seoul
|
| Posted: Thu May 13, 2010 9:49 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| husker16 wrote: |
| The thing the foreigners have most in common, especially evident in this thread...they like to judge people. |
I was going to write something when I read this, so I let it go 
To survive abroad try to follow some simple guidelines:
- remain yourself
- don't ask or expect everyone/everything else to change for you
- only complain if you have reason to expect someone to come up with a solution
If you manage to balance the three you can pretty much stay forever, anywhere. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Oreovictim
Joined: 23 Aug 2006
|
| Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 5:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| orosee wrote: |
| husker16 wrote: |
| The thing the foreigners have most in common, especially evident in this thread...they like to judge people. |
I was going to write something when I read this, so I let it go
To survive abroad try to follow some simple guidelines:
- remain yourself
- don't ask or expect everyone/everything else to change for you
- only complain if you have reason to expect someone to come up with a solution
If you manage to balance the three you can pretty much stay forever, anywhere. |
Those are good. There's also another one that my friend said about surviving here. (Works for any country, really.)
- In Korea, you have to let things roll off your shoulders. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
VFRinterceptor
Joined: 22 Jun 2009
|
| Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 9:37 pm Post subject: Re: Zulethe's top 10 characteristics of the typical Eng. Tea |
|
|
| Zulethe wrote: |
10. Goes to college with no career plans in sight and racks up a lot of debt.
9. Learns that he/she can�t get a job with no career plans so goes to Korea
8. Loves Korea so much and posts about it on Daves
7. Six months later posts again about how much he/she hates Korea and is never coming back
6. Leaves Korea and gets a real job and realizes that working an actual 40 hours a week sucks
5. Posts on Daves how he/she is desperate to come back to Korea
4. Has been smoking pot so posts again on Daves about how to beat the test
3. Comes to Korea and immediately finds other westerners to hang out with/makes no attempts to meet any Korean friends
2. Continuously makes plans to study Korean and after two years only knows five words other than food words.
1. And the number one characteristic of the typical Englishee teacher:
Blogs about cultural differences and becomes the resident expert on Korean culture although he/she only hangs out with western people and only eats at western restaurants. His/her biggest preoccupation is wondering when the new Taco Bell is going to open in Itaewon.
Sound familiar anyone? |
#11. Makes a top ten list. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Seoul'n'Corea
Joined: 06 Nov 2008
|
| Posted: Fri May 14, 2010 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: Zulethe's top 10 characteristics of the typical Eng. Tea |
|
|
| Zulethe wrote: |
10. Goes to college with no career plans in sight and racks up a lot of debt.
9. Learns that he/she can�t get a job with no career plans so goes to Korea
8. Loves Korea so much and posts about it on Daves
7. Six months later posts again about how much he/she hates Korea and is never coming back
6. Leaves Korea and gets a real job and realizes that working an actual 40 hours a week sucks
5. Posts on Daves how he/she is desperate to come back to Korea
4. Has been smoking pot so posts again on Daves about how to beat the test
3. Comes to Korea and immediately finds other westerners to hang out with/makes no attempts to meet any Korean friends
2. Continuously makes plans to study Korean and after two years only knows five words other than food words.
1. And the number one characteristic of the typical Englishee teacher:
Blogs about cultural differences and becomes the resident expert on Korean culture although he/she only hangs out with western people and only eats at western restaurants. His/her biggest preoccupation is wondering when the new Taco Bell is going to open in Itaewon.
Sound familiar anyone? |
Excellent over-generalization you have here!!
Most Foreign-teachers with SMOE I have met here don't fit any of these categories. Most can speak some Korean, don't hate Korea and actually like / enjoy the food here. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
asylum seeker
Joined: 22 Jul 2007
Location: On your computer screen.
|
| Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 7:29 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I give this trolling attempt a 2 out of 10- must try harder. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Zulethe
Joined: 04 Jul 2008
|
| Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 5:20 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| asylum seeker wrote: |
| I give this trolling attempt a 2 out of 10- must try harder. |
I do say sir, I highly resent this comment. I spent all night formulating that list. This list was aired on the Tonight show with David Letterman. Many man hours were spent researching this.
For you to imply trolling is mere conjecture.
I stand by my list.
Zulethe |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Zulethe
Joined: 04 Jul 2008
|
| Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 9:37 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Zulethe wrote: |
| asylum seeker wrote: |
| I give this trolling attempt a 2 out of 10- must try harder. |
I do say sir, I highly resent this comment. I spent all night formulating that list. This list was aired on the Tonight show with David Letterman. Many man hours were spent researching this.
For you to imply trolling is mere conjecture.
I stand by my list.
Zulethe |
I googled my user name and what would you know...my Korean discussion posts came up. When I googled my real name NADA. So because of the millions who have been exposed to this post, I have decided to resurrect it for the good of those who may not have seen it.
sincerely Zulethe |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
