Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ryleeys]

Frankly, I'd rather live in a place where random people (both children and adults) say "hi" to me than a city where eye contact can get you shot (southeast DC, New York, Detroit...)

[Butterfly]

I glare at one of them with a furious look on my face, and walk towards him. It scares the p1ss out of them. I did this to a group of kids a while back in my neighborhood, and they haven't bothered me since having seen me several times.

That's the kids who are just being rude and trying to show off to their friends by being rude and disrespectful to you, not common in my experience, just occasionally. The ones who are really sweet, usually girls, I always say hi back and smile.

[Universalis]

I agree with jenny33. Obviously, their parents don't teach them that pointing and yelling at a foreigner/another living, breathing human being is wrong, so it's up to their unfortunate target to let them know what they're doing is just not cool.

Sometime I ignore them, but most of the time I tell them to take a hike.

Bad attitude? Sure... maybe. But my friendly, naive foreigner soaking up all the attention phase ended sometime in 1998.

Brian

[mourningclam]

Some of the supposed "adults" sometimes irritate the situation. About two years ago I was on a crowded elevator, of course the only foriegner present. There was this one woman, I reckon to be in her 20s, teaching this little girl the middle finger and the words "f**k you" right in front of me. I wish I knew some of the Korean that I know now.

[weatherman]

It is very situational, but mostly I ignore the buggers, a hard stare works wonders if it is the right things to do, but ingoring them works best. Another poster brought up the aspect of social skills in learning a language, and I couldn't agree more. Even really good speakers of English I find sometimes have no clue about social skills within the language they are using.

[shawner88]

[Gwangjuboy]

I think the reaction depends on one's mood most of the time. When I am feeling good the greetings don't bother me. However, If I want some space, and I'm in anti social mode, then it has the potential to drive me mad!

[rapier]

They always say "Hi" to me in that questioning intonation. I always reply "No, just happy".

[shawner88]

[chronicpride]

[Arthur Fonzerelli]

the only way to silence them is to traumatize them so dramatically that they become speechless and just kind of hough out silent cries of confusion and trama....

this can be accomplished by the following ways:

1. make him/her watch violent Quinton Tarantino movies over and over again for a 24 hour period.

2. tie the kid to a chair and plant a bomb to his chest..let the kid be able to see the timer...then as the time for explosion nears act like you fall asleep...

3. tell the kid his parents work for you and you might fire them...well heck, you will fire them..that'll mean the kid and his family will be broke and the parent's won't be able to support the kid and will have to give him/her up for adoption...

[rapier]

[JennyJJ]

Rapier makes a great point - just put the situation in your own culture and see if it is appropriate. Most often it isn't.

Excusing the behavior because it is "just kids" only leads to - what happens often at my unversity: a 26 year old female going, "Hhhhiiiiiieeee" giggle giggle hee hee he he he. So, where in the process should you stop that behavior and show someone what is appropriate? I'd say when you teach it. Or as soon as possible after that.

[ladyandthetramp]

I can't speak for other countries, but in America, do you think it's appropriate for a child to run up to a first-generation Mexican immigrant, yell "hola," and run away laughing?

If you see that, do you think it is cute? Or do you think the child is being rude and needs to be taught what isn't acceptable?

[uberscheisse]

man... scanning this thread proves to me that the esl teacher community is plagued by a bunch of blubbering va_ginas. pull your socks up and stop the whining. they're kids.