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t bear
Joined: 24 Aug 2003
Location: south central rok
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 Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2004 1:02 am Post subject: |
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I'm in a small town, and if I see a foriegner, hell I stare and say to my boyfriend, 'waygookin'. In nine months here I've seen a foriegners maybe ten times, apart from pre-organised meetings with one of the other foriegn teachers in the area. Im suprised and I've seen many foriegners in my life, I can only imagine what the local bumpkins are thinking.
I find the worst jaw-dropping stand still in your tracks stares come from either small children or old ajoshis. |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2004 1:07 am Post subject: |
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The problem is that if you react to it, you just draw more attention to yourself... acknowledge, mimic or stare back and you're asking for a sudden gaggle of kids laughing or running behind you.... Or with adults, you risk an amused response or giggle.
Just switch off to it, save your energy... |
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Harpeau
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
Location: Coquitlam, BC
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2004 1:31 am Post subject: |
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Next week, it'll be 7 years since I crossed the puddle and came to Korea. What bothers me is that in many cases the theory of reciprocity is hardly ever appied here. My Korean friend who went to Canada a while ago is probably a Canadian by now, but the best that I can do is become a "Denizen". And I'm still an outsider "etranger". Sort of sucks.
One funny incident happened in Budapest of all places. A 9 year old Korean boy was in this pool floating by me. Well, I pointed at him and said: "Waygook Saram, Waygook Saram". I guess you would have had to have been there to appreciate the humor of the moment. |
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jajdude
Joined: 18 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Tue Mar 30, 2004 2:38 am Post subject: |
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| I get annoyed but not always. Sometimes I just feel sorry they have so little contact with the outside world even though they are becoming a prosperous economy and all that. I miss variety sometimes. Last visit to Itaewon actually put me in a bit of a culture shock. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 3:56 am Post subject: |
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| Harpeau wrote: |
Next week, it'll be 7 years since I crossed the puddle and came to Korea. What bothers me is that in many cases the theory of reciprocity is hardly ever appied here. My Korean friend who went to Canada a while ago is probably a Canadian by now, but the best that I can do is become a "Denizen". And I'm still an outsider "etranger". Sort of sucks.
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I don't see why this "sucks" to use your words. Had you the choice, would you give up your current citizenship to become a citizen of Korea? |
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The Man known as The Man
Joined: 29 Mar 2003
Location: 3 cheers for Ted Haggard oh yeah!
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 12:36 pm Post subject: |
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| aussie col wrote: |
It's funnier to point back and say "Look, a Japanese person". Ilbon if I remember correctly but don't quote me on it.
Koreans don't like being called Japanese... but I find it funny.  |
This is great.
Whatever the context,like some old bag adjumma trying to push me aside, I am going to put a sincere face,bow andsay"konichiwa" |
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Korea Newfie
Joined: 27 Mar 2003
Location: Newfoundland and Labrador
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 5:36 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Harpeau wrote: |
Next week, it'll be 7 years since I crossed the puddle and came to Korea. What bothers me is that in many cases the theory of reciprocity is hardly ever appied here. My Korean friend who went to Canada a while ago is probably a Canadian by now, but the best that I can do is become a "Denizen". And I'm still an outsider "etranger". Sort of sucks.
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I don't see why this "sucks" to use your words. Had you the choice, would you give up your current citizenship to become a citizen of Korea? |
I think it was a commentary on the fact that his friend can gain the acceptance there that he never can here...
As for my $0.02, I usually do one of two things, neither of which is taking the high road and ignoring the comment. If they say, "Oh, waygook saram ee da!" The I say, "Oh, Hangook saram ee da!" If they say, "Oh, Migook saram ee da!" Then I say, "Oh, Ilbon saram ee da!" Never ceases to draw odd looks, which never cease to entertain me. |
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emailandrewnow
Joined: 31 Mar 2004
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 8:12 pm Post subject: Kids who point and stare... |
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Nowadays, every time some little kid points at me and says "Mummy! There's a foreigner!" I just point right back, without smiling or anything.
EMbarasses the kid and the mother. They should know it's rude to point. Little %^&*@*#^&%.... |
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kangnamdragon
Joined: 17 Jan 2003
Location: Kangnam, Seoul, Korea
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 8:15 pm Post subject: Re: Kids who point and stare... |
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| emailandrewnow wrote: |
EMbarasses the kid and the mother. They should know it's rude to point. Little %^&*@*#^&%.... |
In which culture is it rude to point? |
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emailandrewnow
Joined: 31 Mar 2004
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 8:20 pm Post subject: REVENGE |
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When I was on vacation in S.E. Asia recently, I saw some Koreans...so I decided to turn the tables.
I said "Annyong Hasseyo" and "Ya! Hanguk Saram"...quite loudly, but I did it so they couldn't tell who said it. I blended into the crowd of Western tourists...leaving the poor Koreans looking around in puzzlement. "Who said that? What's going on??" Oh, it was such a great feeling!!!
From now on, I'll do that anywhere I see Koreans outside Korea!!! Works a treat! Everytime they do it to me in Korea, I think of the fun I'll have next time I'm away on vacation....! |
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djsmnc
Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Location: Dave's ESL Cafe
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| Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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| Haha, I taught my best friend to yell "Annyong haseyo!" whenever we drove by Koreans in our hometown. Of course, speaking Korean works well on the Korean uni chicks back home. Friends said I have yellow fever because of it though. Whatever, had a white American girlfriend almost the whole time there anyway... |
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SuperHero
Joined: 10 Dec 2003
Location: Superhero Hideout
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| Posted: Thu Apr 01, 2004 12:02 am Post subject: Re: Oh my! There's a foreigner! |
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| The Lemon wrote: |
| I'm going to try an experiment this week, where I stick a loaf of bread in our baby carrier, wrap it in a blanket, put a cap on the top, and trundle it around the university and see how many times I hear, "Oh aeggi yeppuda.." Thank you. This bun has been in the oven for awhile. |
That's funny |
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Beeg
Joined: 05 Oct 2003
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| Posted: Fri Apr 02, 2004 4:15 am Post subject: |
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man'o man. Couple of months ago I went to visit a friends house out in the country north of Degeu. Was the first place I have ever been in Korea where you could not hear the sound of cars.
Well anyway, the reaction of the locals was quite spectacular. Walking through his village people were quite litterally dropping whatever was in their hands. I think I must have been the first ever foreigner they had ever seen. |
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