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Waegook Dramas
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SojuQueen



Joined: 29 Dec 2010
Location: Land of the cold winters

PostPosted: Fri Jan 21, 2011 11:31 pm    Post subject: Waegook Dramas Reply with quote

Being in South Korea for over six months I have met so many people. But he more people I meet, the more dramas that there seem to be. I have a "trusted" groups of friends, but it seems to me that sooner or later everyone just starts to hate each other.

It also seems to me that many foreigners adapt to the whole Korean stalker attitude, where they will talk about anyone, at any time without any care. Of course I understand and tolerate this attitude from Koreans, as we are sort of an entertainment for them, but it always surprises me this attitude from other foreigners. Especially the lying to each other back and forth.
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Stalin84



Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Location: Haebangchon, Seoul

PostPosted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 12:11 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stop hanging out with fresh off the boat, 22 year olds? I don't really see that kind of behaviour with the people I know unless it's warranted.
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chellovek



Joined: 29 Feb 2008

PostPosted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 12:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with the above. My foreign friends have all been easy-going and pleasant people. Same with my Korean friends. There's an element of chance whether the people you meet will be nice, your best bet is to spend time hanging out in different places and meeting different people. Most will be ho-hum but it's all worth it when you come across some really decent down-to-Earth folk.

Last edited by chellovek on Sat Jan 22, 2011 5:03 am; edited 1 time in total
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interestedinhanguk



Joined: 23 Aug 2010

PostPosted: Sat Jan 22, 2011 4:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Find the foreigners who don't spend all their time hanging out in the local foreigner bar.
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sweet_potato



Joined: 05 Jul 2009

PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 10:16 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

i think it's because when foreigners come to korea by themselves, they latch onto other foreigners so that they're not alone. ie, they make friends with everyone, incl people who they'd never bother with at home. eventually shit hits the fan, and everyone starts gossiping.
i have to agree with what the people said above. when i stopped going to the same bars with the same people every night, they started talking about me too. but whatever, you know, after some time, you find who you want to be friends with, and find more interesting things to do Smile
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redaxe



Joined: 01 Dec 2008

PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

If there's one thing I've learned about drama, it's that the people who complain about it the most always turn out to be the biggest instigators. And the people who complain about gossip are the biggest gossipers.

If you really don't like it, don't get involved and don't talk about it. It's really that easy. But most people just pretend that they don't like it when deep down inside they LOVE it. They secretly want every day of their life to be like an episode of Jersey Shore.
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FMPJ



Joined: 03 Jun 2008

PostPosted: Thu Jan 27, 2011 11:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Rule to live by:

Don't hang out with anybody here who you wouldn't hang out with at home.

Has served me well.
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rickpidero



Joined: 03 Sep 2009

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 1:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Come'on, those kinds of things happen in all walks of life. Don't blame it on the kinds of people that come to Korea or "fresh of the boat" people.

Best advice I've seen is from the post above: 'don't hangout with people you wouldn't hangout with at home.'
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computermichael



Joined: 01 Jul 2010
Location: Anyang

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 3:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I love making fun of wieners, nancy boys, and CDI staff in general. It's even better when somebody believes one of the lies I start. There's been this sissy in a skinny tie strutting around the street with all of the hagwons on in Anyang, and I'd like to steal his tie and pee on it.

Furthermore, the best threads on this forum are the ones that spotlight creepy and stupid foreigners. There should be more of those and less of the ones asking where to buy Kimchi in Seongnam.
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Stalin84



Joined: 30 Dec 2009
Location: Haebangchon, Seoul

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 4:25 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

rickpidero wrote:
Come'on, those kinds of things happen in all walks of life. Don't blame it on the kinds of people that come to Korea or "fresh of the boat" people.

Best advice I've seen is from the post above: 'don't hangout with people you wouldn't hangout with at home.'


I always hated how hard people on Dave's try to pigeonhole the "kind of people" that come to Korea. I find the variety of foreigners here to be about the same as the variety of degree holders in our home countries with the exception of those who chose to come to Korea are a little bit more outgoing on average. The pigeonholing comes from the fact that foreigners are few and far between here (in relation to Koreans) and their behaviour/characteristics are far more illuminated in contrast.

That being said, I stick to my "fresh of the boat" comment. The younger they are, the more likely they are to be dramatic, loud and drunk. It's true everywhere with people that age.

The nature of my hagwon means I don't work with anyone who is "fresh off the boat" (I'm the only one there with less than four/five years experience it seems). I know if I did, half of them would have been fired already for showing up to work drunk/not showing up at all.
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PatrickGHBusan



Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -

PostPosted: Fri Jan 28, 2011 6:19 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stalin84 wrote:
Stop hanging out with fresh off the boat, 22 year olds? I don't really see that kind of behaviour with the people I know unless it's warranted.


Ding Ding...we have a winner! Wink

OP, the points you make: people gossiping about others or bad mouthing others is not exactly exclusive to Koreans.... Laughing

Heck, sit in at an office party back home and get ready for your ears to burn.

As for the drama or disagreement thing, consider this: in Korea many of us you hang out with other westerners out of cultural need (i.e. because we want to feel like we are home to some degree or share some commonality on issues) but the pool you choose from is drastcially smaller than it would be back home.

Add to this, most people engage in such meetings on the weekend at the bar or with co-workers. The pool just got smaller.

So, out of necessity for some, people befriend each other.

Now ask yourself, if you were home, would you have hung out with or become friends with this person you now are having a beer with at the bar?

Another point is group dynamics. If you hang out with a group of negative whiners, then don<t expect your mindset to remain positive for very long!

I have to echo what was said earlier in the thread: choose who you hang out with more carefully.
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rickpidero



Joined: 03 Sep 2009

PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 4:12 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Stalin84 wrote:
rickpidero wrote:
Come'on, those kinds of things happen in all walks of life. Don't blame it on the kinds of people that come to Korea or "fresh of the boat" people.

Best advice I've seen is from the post above: 'don't hangout with people you wouldn't hangout with at home.'


I always hated how hard people on Dave's try to pigeonhole the "kind of people" that come to Korea. I find the variety of foreigners here to be about the same as the variety of degree holders in our home countries with the exception of those who chose to come to Korea are a little bit more outgoing on average. The pigeonholing comes from the fact that foreigners are few and far between here (in relation to Koreans) and their behaviour/characteristics are far more illuminated in contrast.

That being said, I stick to my "fresh of the boat" comment. The younger they are, the more likely they are to be dramatic, loud and drunk. It's true everywhere with people that age.

The nature of my hagwon means I don't work with anyone who is "fresh off the boat" (I'm the only one there with less than four/five years experience it seems). I know if I did, half of them would have been fired already for showing up to work drunk/not showing up at all.


Yes for sure, it can get a bit annoying reading some of these threads (which is really just a dumb guilty pleasure).

Fair enough. I guess though, not all 'fresh off the boat' people are are 22 year old idiots. But, there are those who come here seeking uni 2.0, so makes sense as well.
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cyui



Joined: 10 Jan 2011

PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hang out by yourself as I find plenty of drama from within.

Old hagwon director was one of those "kind" ( 35-years'old, too) so talk about "fresh-off the boat" in life.

Jersey Shore? Really? I was thinking more like CSI.
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gypsymaria



Joined: 08 Jun 2010
Location: Anyang-si, Gyeonggi-do

PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've dealt with this kind of "drama" myself, with the other teachers at my school. Mostly, I just avoid them now, unless we're at work or going out to dinner as a group. We all seem to get along better that way. Granted, they aren't the sorts of people I would seek out as friends back home, so that's a big reason for it. We just have very different interests and personalities.

I've started making friends with a Korean lady who works in the library part of the same English center where I work. She's already introduced me to some of HER friends, and I think if we can get our schedules aligned again, this could be the start of something awesome.

I've also met a few other foreigners, mostly via Dave's, that seem pretty cool. I don't even get out of my work-to-home-to-work routine much, so if I can make drama-free friends here, you can too!
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cyui



Joined: 10 Jan 2011

PostPosted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah, but how do you go about dealing with them at work?

You still have to deal with them 8 hours a day.
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