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False Descriptions of Korea in Foreign Textbooks
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redaxe

Joined: 01 Dec 2008

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 6:35 am Post subject:

le-paul wrote:

you should read what they put in korean books about the USA - its either very inciteful or very ignorant...

Not to mention all the stuff about Jews in that one book 먼나라 이웃나라:

http://monnarakorea.blogspot.com/2007/01/chapter-8-one-must-know-jews-to-truly.html

This book boasts TEN MILLION readers. How many people are there in Korea again? Just shy of 50 million?

schlotzy

Joined: 10 Mar 2010
Location: South Korea

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 7:06 pm Post subject:

le-paul wrote:

you should read what they put in korean books about the USA - its either very inciteful or very ignorant...
this is from a book i use regularly.
In the usa people ...(im quoting here)
'always live in houses'
'always have a car if they are older than 18'
'always have their own bathroom at home'
'dont consider watching movies or listening to music a hobby'
'know less about classical music than koreans'
'because americans are so overweight - most hobbies involve exercise'
'most american restaurants serve snacks to stop americans from starving while they are waiting for food'
'americans are worried about germs so dont share food from the same bowl'
in US shopping malls have cinemas so a husband can watch a movie while a wife shops'
'In the US soccer is not a professional sport - (no explanation)'
etc etc
Thats just the first 4 chapters...

Im not from the US myself, but Im not sure that they got this info all correct either

LOL wow!! That's classic. I'm Canadian myself, but yeah, wow. I don't understand the one about music and movies not being a hobby at all. I'm sure a lot of people consider that to be a hobby. Strangee. Same with the soccer one....no sense at all!

I'm sure there are also several textbooks that say:
-Americans can't eat spicy food
-Americans can't use chopsticks
-Kimchi and other Korean dishes are too spicy for Americans

redaxe

Joined: 01 Dec 2008

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 7:37 pm Post subject:

schlotzy wrote:

le-paul wrote:

I don't consider listening to music or watching movies a hobby unless you do it a LOT more than other people do, and you actually collect them or something. Everyone listens to music and watches movies. But like if you collect vinyl records or old/cult/foreign films or something, then I think you could consider it a hobby.

I think Koreans just consider casual movie viewing and music listening as hobbies because most Koreans don't actually have any real hobbies.

pangaea

Joined: 20 Dec 2007

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 9:15 pm Post subject:

le_paul wrote:

Quote:

Some of those are laugable. The rest are just irritating.

Steelrails

Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System

Posted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 9:58 pm Post subject:

le-paul wrote:

'In the US soccer is not a professional sport - (no explanation)'

I don't know why, but this one made me chuckle.

Proof positive that despite America's many faults we still have some sense when it comes to the right thing to do with 22 people on a field.

I kid I kid soccer fans and Euros.

Quote:

in US shopping malls have cinemas so a husband can watch a movie while a wife shops'

I think those Korean textbooks are operating off of ones left over from the 1950s and American newsreels and old TV stuff.

'In America 4 out of 5 doctors recommend Chesterfield Cigarettes'

ThingsComeAround

Joined: 07 Nov 2008

Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 4:15 am Post subject:

redaxe wrote:

I think Koreans just consider casual movie viewing and music listening as hobbies because most Koreans don't actually have any real hobbies.

Yes

schlotzy

Joined: 10 Mar 2010
Location: South Korea

Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 5:56 am Post subject:

redaxe wrote:

schlotzy wrote:

le-paul wrote:

I guess I just think of a hobby as something you really enjoy doing and that you do a lot. Regardless of how often other people do or if a lot of others do it. But yeah, I get what you mean.

That being said, one thing I've noticed here is that most of my high school kids seem to only listen to popular music, whether it be English or Korean. When I ask my kids who their favourite singer is, I've always heard of every single singer. It's always Girls Generation, or Lady Gaga or something. Nothing is ever indie, underground, not mainstream, etc. Maybe that's where the difference lies...

Wishmaster

Joined: 06 Feb 2003

Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 9:40 am Post subject:

Well, they were spot on about soccer. I'll give them that.

wormholes101

Joined: 11 Mar 2003

Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 1:41 pm Post subject:

Patrick Bateman wrote:

Quote:

while some Chinese ones describe Korea as one of its past tributary countries.

I admit my knowledge of Asian history isn't great, but isn't that true?

"In the month of August, the envoy of the Tartars (=Manchu's) came to Seoul to collect the taxation which was laid upon the Korean nation."

http://www.hendrick-hamel.henny-savenije.pe.kr/holland6.htm

Hotwire

Joined: 29 Aug 2010
Location: Multiverse

Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 7:24 pm Post subject:

wormholes101 wrote:

Patrick Bateman wrote:

Quote:

while some Chinese ones describe Korea as one of its past tributary countries.

I admit my knowledge of Asian history isn't great, but isn't that true?

Sorry but ever time I read Hamel and this quote in particular I think of all us former or present hakwan teachers and almost pee myself laughing -

Quote:

So we had to reconcile ourselves to staying in this country for the rest of our lives. To the custom of the country he invited us accordingly to amuse him with dancing, singing and clownish behavior. Though we fulfilled this obligation with little talent and as little enthusiasm, our performance was to the liking of the king and his court.

Aslo for all of those tall foriegners who have palyed for the public school vollyball team - you'll know what I'm talking about

Quote:

The army commander said that, if one decided to kill us, it had to be in a man to man fight, in which each of us had to fight against two Koreans, who were armed in the same way.

geldedgoat

Joined: 05 Mar 2009

Posted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 11:00 pm Post subject:

Oh good stuff... the Sea of Japan nonsense never fails to amuse me. My strategy in dealing with that when and if it crops up in casual conversation (which it invariably does, and most of the time not of my doing) is to insist that it be called the West Sea or South Sea.

Son Deureo!

Joined: 30 Apr 2003

Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 2:55 am Post subject:

I just tell Koreans that as far as I (an American) am concerned the East Sea is the Atlantic Ocean.

redaxe

Joined: 01 Dec 2008

Posted: Sun Oct 10, 2010 11:09 am Post subject:

geldedgoat wrote:

Oh good stuff... the Sea of Japan nonsense never fails to amuse me. My strategy in dealing with that when and if it crops up in casual conversation (which it invariably does, and most of the time not of my doing) is to insist that it be called the West Sea or South Sea.

How about "Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sea?"

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