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rumdiary
Joined: 05 Jun 2006
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 Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 8:11 pm Post subject: |
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| southernman wrote: |
Yes I have to agree, what you see is what you get, no games in general.
Saying that my first landlord was a fifty something ajuma after a few months I realised my paypacket was 60 000 Won short. I went to my bosses wife to get an explanation she was on to things straight away. It turned out my landlord was collecting money for my utilities twice. My Acadamy was paying from my pay, then my landlord was coming to me to get the same ammount from me.
My bosses wife rang her up (in front of me) and read her the riot act. Then calmly turned to me, smiled, and said no problems the money will be in your bank this afternoon and it was. Ah, it still brings back a smile.
Ajuma's rock... they can dish out the ocassional elbow or trolley slam but they also receive the return elbow or trolley slam without grumble (with stoicism) and maybe actually give you a little nod of respect or is it surprise  |
I would bet money your boss was the one pocketing money. She probably called her own apartment and screamed into her answering machine for added effect. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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| rumdiary wrote: |
| southernman wrote: |
Yes I have to agree, what you see is what you get, no games in general.
Saying that my first landlord was a fifty something ajuma after a few months I realised my paypacket was 60 000 Won short. I went to my bosses wife to get an explanation she was on to things straight away. It turned out my landlord was collecting money for my utilities twice. My Acadamy was paying from my pay, then my landlord was coming to me to get the same ammount from me.
My bosses wife rang her up (in front of me) and read her the riot act. Then calmly turned to me, smiled, and said no problems the money will be in your bank this afternoon and it was. Ah, it still brings back a smile.
Ajuma's rock... they can dish out the ocassional elbow or trolley slam but they also receive the return elbow or trolley slam without grumble (with stoicism) and maybe actually give you a little nod of respect or is it surprise |
I would bet money your boss was the one pocketing money. She probably called her own apartment and screamed into her answering machine for added effect. |
That's what I was thinking, I find most ajummas are pretty honest when it comes to monetary exchanges. |
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southernman
Joined: 15 Jan 2010
Location: On the mainland again
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| Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 9:10 pm Post subject: |
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| jvalmer wrote: |
| rumdiary wrote: |
| southernman wrote: |
Yes I have to agree, what you see is what you get, no games in general.
Saying that my first landlord was a fifty something ajuma after a few months I realised my paypacket was 60 000 Won short. I went to my bosses wife to get an explanation she was on to things straight away. It turned out my landlord was collecting money for my utilities twice. My Acadamy was paying from my pay, then my landlord was coming to me to get the same ammount from me.
My bosses wife rang her up (in front of me) and read her the riot act. Then calmly turned to me, smiled, and said no problems the money will be in your bank this afternoon and it was. Ah, it still brings back a smile.
Ajuma's rock... they can dish out the ocassional elbow or trolley slam but they also receive the return elbow or trolley slam without grumble (with stoicism) and maybe actually give you a little nod of respect or is it surprise |
I would bet money your boss was the one pocketing money. She probably called her own apartment and screamed into her answering machine for added effect. |
That's what I was thinking, I find most ajummas are pretty honest when it comes to monetary exchanges. |
Must admit I had my doubts at first as well, if she was, then the follow up was very impressive.
I had to leave my apartment that weekend, the landlady kicked me out and my boss said two weeks after I left that the old landlady had rung him asking for two weeks of rent. He refused so she then wanted it from me. I also refused which he laughed about and agreed with me.
So I tend to believe my old employers. She also covered for me once when I didn't show up for work, she called around to my apartment to check up on me then told all my co-teachers and her husband that I was quite sick. The next day at work my co-teachers and boss suggested I take another day off to make sure I was ok. Mrs Kim I still think fondly of you to this day |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 4:55 am Post subject: |
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I guess we should classify them into 'working adjuma', 'landlord adjuma', and 'educated & refined adjuma'. There aren't many of the latter, but my MIL is one of them. She's awesome! 
Did I miss any adjuma classifications/categories?
BTW, adjumas saved my butt on more than one occasion when I was a newb in Korea. |
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misher
Joined: 14 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 7:32 am Post subject: |
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Other than the occasional shove on the subway ajummas have been damn god to me since I arrived here.
Even the shoves I can understand. Many of these women had to put up with tons of crap in the 60s 70s and 80s and are therefore resourceful and strong willed. I have a lot of respect for them actually.
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| This is true. Proper diet, education and globalization will put an end to this special breed. Modern Korean women will not be nearly as tough, resourceful , and cunning as their mother's generation. This new crop of Korean women will be feeble, whiny and pampered. But they will dress better. |
Agreed and pretty much right on the money. |
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rumdiary
Joined: 05 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 2:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Died By Bear wrote: |
I guess we should classify them into 'working adjuma', 'landlord adjuma', and 'educated & refined adjuma'. There aren't many of the latter, but my MIL is one of them. She's awesome!
Did I miss any adjuma classifications/categories?
BTW, adjumas saved my butt on more than one occasion when I was a newb in Korea. |
A couple of years ago my friend got back to his apartment very late, and very drunk. He realized he had lost his keys at some point and passed out in the lobby of his apartment. He woke up across the shoulders of his landlady adjumma. She was carrying him fireman style while climbing three flights of stairs to his apartment. |
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Skyblue
Joined: 02 Mar 2007
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 6:27 pm Post subject: |
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| I like them too. I'm still looking for a bar in my town where I can pick one up after work now and then ... |
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Globutron
Joined: 13 Feb 2010
Location: England/Anyang
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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I live in a market, I feel quite bad for all the ajummas sitting around in the -15C or whatever, doing nothing. Nothing to keep their metabolism going and their bodies warm. They just sit there in pure ice, from when I leave at 10am to when I come home as late as 10pm.
Dunno how they manage. |
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rumdiary
Joined: 05 Jun 2006
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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| Globutron wrote: |
I live in a market, I feel quite bad for all the ajummas sitting around in the -15C or whatever, doing nothing. Nothing to keep their metabolism going and their bodies warm. They just sit there in pure ice, from when I leave at 10am to when I come home as late as 10pm.
Dunno how they manage. |
They're probably looking right back and feeling sorry for you and your inability to generate your own heat. A weak man with nothing more substantial than the ability to speak his own language. Any one of them could kill you with her own hands, turn your skull into a bowl and go home and sleep like a baby. On the floor. With no blankets. |
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oldfatfarang
Joined: 19 May 2005
Location: On the road to somewhere.
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 9:49 pm Post subject: |
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| Globutron wrote: |
I live in a market, I feel quite bad for all the ajummas sitting around in the -15C or whatever, doing nothing. Nothing to keep their metabolism going and their bodies warm. They just sit there in pure ice, from when I leave at 10am to when I come home as late as 10pm.
Dunno how they manage. |
I also live in the back of a large traditional market. I pass these old girls everyday. Many of the vegetable sellers, sitting unmoving in the cold, seem to drink a fair bit of soju or makoli. I also see them buying their 'supplies' in my neighborhood Korean supermarket. I think some (many) of these old girls just drink to blot out their terriblly poor existance.
I'm not talking about the adjummas who run the food stalls/ hole in the wall eateries etc. These girls are busy. Hardly stop for anything, let alone drinking.
Good luck. |
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Panda
Joined: 25 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sun Jan 16, 2011 10:28 pm Post subject: |
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| Globutron wrote: |
I live in a market, I feel quite bad for all the ajummas sitting around in the -15C or whatever, doing nothing. Nothing to keep their metabolism going and their bodies warm. They just sit there in pure ice, from when I leave at 10am to when I come home as late as 10pm.
Dunno how they manage. |
I also feel bad for those ajummas, Many of them earn peanuts from dirty and heavy labor...
A surney recently conducted by Korean statistical bureau among 5000 people from 10 countries showed that korean women born in 1950s are the least happiest.
But those younger ajummas who are now in their 30-40s are pretty much happier and seem to enjoy life a lot more... |
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Globutron
Joined: 13 Feb 2010
Location: England/Anyang
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| Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 4:08 am Post subject: |
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| rumdiary wrote: |
| Globutron wrote: |
I live in a market, I feel quite bad for all the ajummas sitting around in the -15C or whatever, doing nothing. Nothing to keep their metabolism going and their bodies warm. They just sit there in pure ice, from when I leave at 10am to when I come home as late as 10pm.
Dunno how they manage. |
They're probably looking right back and feeling sorry for you and your inability to generate your own heat. A weak man with nothing more substantial than the ability to speak his own language. Any one of them could kill you with her own hands, turn your skull into a bowl and go home and sleep like a baby. On the floor. With no blankets. |
Ahhhhahaha. I was always suspicious of this.
I tend to make a large circle around them out of arms length.
It is impressive overall. I also hear, as most will know, that in the rankings of the most hours worked in the world, Korea comes first by far - with the biggest gap of them all between Korea at number one and... Poland or something position 2. 1200 ish hours MORE per year than position 2.
But... I think they must include these ajummas who are just sitting around freezing. Or burning, depending on their metabolism/alcohol intake. |
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MollyBloom
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Location: James Joyce's pants
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| Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 5:42 am Post subject: |
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I, too, have had wonderful experiences with ajummas. My favorite ones have been small 김밥집 or corner store owners. When I lived in Daechi-dong, I used to go to the KimBabCheonGuk near my apt. and the ladies there would hook me up with extra food because I came in so much. My co-workers would get pissed because they favored me, so they would always want me to order their food! Once the owner kicked some middle school students out of a table so I could sit down.
When I moved, I went to a very small restaurant in my new neighborhood. This was when I just got into dramas and was doing more Korean language learning, and the ajumma there would gossip with me about celebrities and music. I made sure to learn a few Trot names just to make her happy! 
My last landlord's wife was pretty awesome. She taught me how to cook some amazing traditional Korean dishes. 짱~ |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 6:43 am Post subject: |
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rumdiary - awesome story!
| MollyBloom wrote: |
| bragging about her mad skillz |
잘났다 |
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drinkyogurtsoju
Joined: 09 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jan 17, 2011 10:09 am Post subject: |
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| it's called 'jung' man. koreans sometimes look cold (mostly younger people), but once you became good freinds, chances are, they will be life long freinds. |
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