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| How do you deal with the stares? |
| Do nothing |
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54% |
[ 57 ] |
| Stare back |
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22% |
[ 23 ] |
| Stare back and make a silly face |
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6% |
[ 7 ] |
| Say something in English |
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7% |
[ 8 ] |
| Say something in Korean |
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8% |
[ 9 ] |
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| Total Votes : 104 |
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NilesQ
Joined: 27 Nov 2006
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 Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 8:52 am Post subject: |
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When people say "Waw, wae-gook-een ee da" and look at me, I say "odi ay yo?" and look around trying to spot the foreigner.
I get reactions from them busting out laughing their a$$es off, to total confusion.
Either way, it's fun for me. Remember, if we weren't strange and unique to them, life here wouldn't be so interesting.
I can't understand why people get so offended by the staring. There are towns in Canada where a Korean landing in town would be huge news and everyone would want a look. |
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Stalin84
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Location: Haebangchon, Seoul
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| Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 8:56 am Post subject: |
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| NilesQ wrote: |
| When people say "Waw, wae-gook-een ee da" and look at me, I say "odi ay yo?" and look around trying to spot the foreigner. |
I did that once to a bunch of kids on the street after they yelled waegukin at me. They thought it was funny but the Adjumma beside them was genuinely concerned.
I bet she thought that I didn't know I was a foreigner and someone needed to tell me. |
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carleverson
Joined: 04 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 4:01 pm Post subject: |
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If being stared at really wasn't that big of a deal, this thread wouldn't be as long as it is.
Looks like people have issues here. |
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chellovek
Joined: 29 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 4:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Catfisher wrote: |
| Stalin84 wrote: |
| NilesQ wrote: |
| When people say "Waw, wae-gook-een ee da" and look at me, I say "odi ay yo?" and look around trying to spot the foreigner. |
I did that once to a bunch of kids on the street after they yelled waegukin at me. They thought it was funny but the Adjumma beside them was genuinely concerned.
I bet she thought that I didn't know I was a foreigner and someone needed to tell me. |
Another reason is because they're being loud, obnoxious and making a total ass out of their drunken selves. Or, even more so, just because they (mostly female) are so damned fat! |
Preach on! I'm really diggin' your anti-annoying foreigner and anti-fat vibe! |
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Catfisher
Joined: 10 Nov 2010
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| Posted: Sun Dec 05, 2010 5:10 pm Post subject: |
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| chellovek wrote: |
| Catfisher wrote: |
| Stalin84 wrote: |
| NilesQ wrote: |
| When people say "Waw, wae-gook-een ee da" and look at me, I say "odi ay yo?" and look around trying to spot the foreigner. |
I did that once to a bunch of kids on the street after they yelled waegukin at me. They thought it was funny but the Adjumma beside them was genuinely concerned.
I bet she thought that I didn't know I was a foreigner and someone needed to tell me. |
Another reason is because they're being loud, obnoxious and making a total ass out of their drunken selves. Or, even more so, just because they (mostly female) are so damned fat! |
Preach on! I'm really diggin' your anti-annoying foreigner and anti-fat vibe! |
It's not so much an anti-fat/foreigner/fat foreigner vibe as much as it is an observation. Don't believe me? Try going to Rocky Mountain Tavern on a Friday or Saturday night. There, you will see all sorts of embarassments to the human race. |
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rooster_2006
Joined: 14 Oct 2007
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:04 am Post subject: |
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| interestedinhanguk wrote: |
| If I hear someone give an audible "외국인!!" with a gasp to their companions, I like to shoot right back with a gasp and saying "한국인!!" (I know it's not original). The humor is usually lost though, especially since it's young children who say it (I still do the same). I still get to make myself laugh a little. |
The only problem is that no matter how well you pronounce 한국인, they don't understand what you just said because they're expecting you to reply in English.
They give you a blank stare and think "what does hahngooook-eeen" mean? I didn't learn that in English class...
The humor is completely lost and they never make the connection.
And then everybody thinks you're the idiot.
I really don't have a good remedy to the annoying-pointing-and-laughing kids. Perhaps if I bulk up, shave my head, carry a boot knife on my belt, and get a few facial Swastika tattoos, they'll start leaving me alone. |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:42 am Post subject: |
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Another thing to consider is that life is boring for some people out there. Imagine in small town Korea you're going to the same Family Mart (Dairy Queen) and seeing the same people. Suddenly someone foreign moves in who looks nothing like anyone else. Out of sheer boredom you might at least be a little curious.
As for the big cities, seriously I notice foreigners staring at each other more than Koreans do. Get in a subway car. 1-2 Koreans will stare at the foreigners for longer than a glance. Get two crowds of waygooks in there and they are definitely checking each other out. Either that or desperately trying not to make contact (which is kinda the same as staring- its unnatural). I mean how many times has the drunken dudes night out featured such comments as "We could take em..."
I should also add that I stare at Koreans a lot too. Let's be real, Koreans do look pretty similar. Half the time they look familiar and I have to stare for a few seconds to see who they are. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
I should also add that I stare at Koreans a lot too. . |
Yes, staring at Koreans is fine. But being stared at by Koreans is a psychologically damaging experience which requires years of specialized therapy to overcome. Or pages on pages of posting on Dave's. We've only had a few hundred threads about it...there's still plenty of mileage to extract. |
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TheresaTheresa
Joined: 24 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:02 pm Post subject: Re: How do you deal with getting stared at? |
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| Louis VI wrote: |
| yesman wrote: |
| Here, we're like monkeys in a zoo. |
Throw feces and laugh. Or exit for the wild yonder and leave zoo goers behind. There's no lock on our cage. |
Well said. Very monkeys of Madagascar. I like.  |
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NYC_Gal
Joined: 08 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:52 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Steelrails wrote: |
I should also add that I stare at Koreans a lot too. . |
Yes, staring at Koreans is fine. But being stared at by Koreans is a psychologically damaging experience which requires years of specialized therapy to overcome. Or pages on pages of posting on Dave's. We've only had a few hundred threads about it...there's still plenty of mileage to extract. |
Again:
Staring is one thing. Glaring is rude. I was walking with a student and this ajossi was glaring at me as we passed him. I wasn't dressed like a slob. My student asked why he was angry with me. I said he was old and hated his life, so was angry at everyone. She said he never glared at other people (he lives on her street) so I said maybe he doesn't want me to be her friend. She said he was babo. Her mom loves me. Best student ever. |
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b-class rambler
Joined: 25 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 7:59 pm Post subject: |
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| carleverson wrote: |
If being stared at really wasn't that big of a deal, this thread wouldn't be as long as it is.
Looks like people have issues here. |
Indeed. It's clear from some of the input here that an option the OP should have included in his poll was "I don't"  |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 8:30 pm Post subject: Re: How do you deal with getting stared at? |
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| TheresaTheresa wrote: |
| Louis VI wrote: |
| yesman wrote: |
| Here, we're like monkeys in a zoo. |
Throw feces and laugh. Or exit for the wild yonder and leave zoo goers behind. There's no lock on our cage. |
Well said. Very monkeys of Madagascar. I like. |
| Quote: |
| Yes, staring at Koreans is fine. But being stared at by Koreans is a psychologically damaging experience which requires years of specialized therapy to overcome. |
I think both groups who stare are treating the other like some sort of glorified exhibit for their amusement. Some Koreans think we are something to be looked over and commented on and have everything we do scrutinized. The same goes for some of us when it comes to Koreans.
As for glaring I would submit that we do our fair share of glaring as well and certainly there are a fair number of us that walk around in "grrrrrrr" mode with out ipod blasting, giving the evil eye to whoever dares cross our path.
When Koreans glare at me, I just ignore it. It's rude of them but whatever. People have glared at me for any number of reasons throughout my life. |
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Stalin84
Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Location: Haebangchon, Seoul
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 8:41 pm Post subject: |
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Like many in this thread, I don't really understand why Koreans stare so much. Most of them have seen foreign looking people every day in their lives, whether it be on TV or in real life (those who live in Seoul). Yet they still persist like there is no tomorrow.
If you ask Koreans why they do this they'll tell you that it's because they're not used to seeing foreigners. That's total BS. I wonder what the real reason is? |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 8:48 pm Post subject: |
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People stare at me? Must have stopped noticing after the first five years or so.  |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Mon Dec 06, 2010 9:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Stalin84 wrote: |
Like many in this thread, I don't really understand why Koreans stare so much. Most of them have seen foreign looking people every day in their lives, whether it be on TV or in real life (those who live in Seoul). Yet they still persist like there is no tomorrow.
If you ask Koreans why they do this they'll tell you that it's because they're not used to seeing foreigners. That's total BS. I wonder what the real reason is? |
Really? You mean in their social groups and regular interactions they are dealing with foreigners and people who don't speak Korean?
And do you follow these people around? How do you know how many foreigners they see?
Relax. You're being stared at. We get paid to be stared at. |
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