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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
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 Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:56 am Post subject: |
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| mkpopcorn wrote: |
| And that's when I want to say f**k you, get off your high horse. Most foreigners here are d**ks...thats all there is to it. |
There's gotta be more to it than that. People tend to conform to the society they are in somewhat, and this society has a rather repressed, cold feel to it on the surface. Walking around, you don't see many random warm greetings or even smiles or nods, so to try to blend in somewhat, some foreigners seem to unconsciously adopt this way as well.
In addition, plenty of oddballs do end up here so it's always a bit of a crapshoot making eye contact because once you do there is a certain pressure to connect or speak when really you just don't want to, which ends up in retarded small talk, which is especially lame when you get the self absorbed types who talk your ear off about random stuff about them. Either way I usually at least give a friendly nod but in general I do not want to stop to hear out loud cry for help soul searching or random frat boy puffery. Sometimes the gamble just isn't worth it. |
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DBXD
Joined: 16 May 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| Mix1 wrote: |
| mkpopcorn wrote: |
| And that's when I want to say f**k you, get off your high horse. Most foreigners here are d**ks...thats all there is to it. |
There's gotta be more to it than that. People tend to conform to the society they are in somewhat, and this society has a rather repressed, cold feel to it on the surface. Walking around, you don't see many random warm greetings or even smiles or nods, so to try to blend in somewhat, some foreigners seem to unconsciously adopt this way as well.
In addition, plenty of oddballs do end up here so it's always a bit of a crapshoot making eye contact because once you do there is a certain pressure to connect or speak when really you just don't want to, which ends up in retarded small talk, which is especially lame when you get the self absorbed types who talk your ear off about random stuff about them. Either way I usually at least give a friendly nod but in general I do not want to stop to hear out loud cry for help soul searching or random frat boy puffery. Sometimes the gamble just isn't worth it. |
I agree with this. |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 4:53 am Post subject: |
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| Zyzyfer wrote: |
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| Now, if I'm walking down the street ANYWHERE and I'm all alone and another human being is walking towards me, I'm going to say something. I'm not a psychopath. |
Why would not saying anything being psychopathic? I don't get where it was established that verbally acknowledging the existence of other people on the street was ever required. |
http://youtu.be/7vEB7e5i3mg
I'm just saying, you're on a sidewalk, not another human anywhere, and then one appears. The odds are that you or he is going to make eye contact/acknowledge the other one, and in that case, yeah, you acknowledge them back. |
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HarryMorgan
Joined: 02 May 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:30 am Post subject: |
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Seinfeld drop, always hits the spot. Didn't look past youtube for video, but this Curb exchange might be more fitting:
Larry: I waved to a guy in a Prius and he didn't wave back.
Jeff: I don't wave to people in the same car as me.
Larry: We're Prius drivers; we're a special breed.
Inserting opinion: I think all westerners should acknowledge other westerners in areas that aren't over-populated with westerners. I nod, but some sort of hand signal should be established, just to confuse Korean people and make them paranoid that we're planning something. It would never work, but might be an interesting experiment.
Last edited by HarryMorgan on Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:51 am; edited 1 time in total |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| HarryMorgan wrote: |
Seinfeld drop, always hits the spot. Didn't look past youtube for video, but this Curb exchange might be more fitting:
Larry: I waved to a guy in a Prius and he didn't wave back.
Jeff: I don't wave to people in the same car as me.
Larry: We're Prius drivers; we're a special breed. |
+1! |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 5:08 pm Post subject: |
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| nathanrutledge wrote: |
| Zyzyfer wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Now, if I'm walking down the street ANYWHERE and I'm all alone and another human being is walking towards me, I'm going to say something. I'm not a psychopath. |
Why would not saying anything being psychopathic? I don't get where it was established that verbally acknowledging the existence of other people on the street was ever required. |
http://youtu.be/7vEB7e5i3mg
I'm just saying, you're on a sidewalk, not another human anywhere, and then one appears. The odds are that you or he is going to make eye contact/acknowledge the other one, and in that case, yeah, you acknowledge them back. |
Well odds are also in that this other human being (in most of our cases) is going to be Korean and most Koreans don't usually make eye contact with/acknowledge a stranger. |
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brento1138
Joined: 17 Nov 2004
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| Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 6:02 pm Post subject: |
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| mkpopcorn wrote: |
| Squire wrote: |
| If ANYONE says hello to you in the street (or anywhere else for that matter) you should smile/nod and say hello back. If you don't you're a c*nt. |
Agreed. But, 9/10 of foreigners I have seen, after smiling and saying hi, will mutter back, look away or glare. Its like they are angry that...gasp...another foreigner wants to be friendly. And that's when I want to say f**k you, get off your high horse. Most foreigners here are d**ks...thats all there is to it. |
Hey mkpopcorn...
What you've got are several foreigners that live here permanently, lived here for several years, and don't really care to meet anyone new (especially the one-year-contract people). They know enough people. They've got their circle of friends. I feel the foreigner scene now is not how it was a few years ago, where everyone was looking around trying to meet new people... like backpackers who happen to teach English. No, you've got several "professionals" living, teaching, married, with kids, etc.
All those people who mutter, look away, are not bad people. They just maybe feel uncomfortable with random interaction, which I believe is fine. They are not in "friend making mode" at that point when you're smiling at them. They are in "get from point A to point B mode" most likely. I am a west coaster, such as yourself, and do understand where you're coming from with saying that it's called being friendly. Yeah, true. But remember, this is a city with an extended area (agglomeration) of 22 million people. Chances are, that person you just passed, you will never see again... ever.
Back in Vancouver, a random person would often come up to me, I'd look at the person and in a one second try to judge if the person seems decent. Usually it'd be someone asking me for change (sorry) or a cigarette (don't smoke) or a drug addict wanting to tell me his conspiracy theory in exchange for a dollar (not interested)... but once in a while (OK, rarely) it would be a normal person asking a normal question. But that was back home...
Here in Korea, I always respond to foreigners because I assume they're decent people (usually educated, work the same job as me, same circumstances, etc.) And I'm a friendly guy to them. Just the other day I helped a random French woman figure out how to use the subway card system.
My advice is to be patient, get a group of friends established so that you don't really care about the random foreigner walking past you. I know you're new to Korea, but just try not to get bitter. Try to be yourself, and don't think everyone is against you, misinterpreting looks of indifference as glares. Rather, wait until you meet some good people, and form a nice circle of friends. Then you won't care about the shy folk. And I don't blame you for being a bit pissed at the foreigners here, especially your workmates.. they should have been way nicer to you when you got the job, took you out and about, and introduced you to people. Shame on them. |
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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: Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:51 am Post subject: |
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I've noticed one really good thing about this subject in general..
The best thing about being in the heart of the financial district is when you run across other guys in their late 30's 40's, all you do is give each other a quick glance/acknowledgement hello look, and everybody's happy.
It's just weird as you get older because you just don't give a damn if the other guy wants to say hi or not. You got way bigger fish to fry.
Maybe I'm wrong, of course we got the odballs another poster mentioned. Weird freaks and frat boys and drug dealer hipsters that think of Korea as if they were on the set with a leading role.
The problem with the eye contact in Korea is that there are a lot of people living in Korea that really don't belong anywhere but in therapy. Serious mental cases, and most people know this so good luck trying to change their minds. If I sense a crazy person, I don't even give them the time of day. People who make that mistake, usually only do it once or twice before they learn their lesson. |
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Fraser
Joined: 09 Mar 2011
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Fraser
Joined: 09 Mar 2011
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rchristo10
Joined: 14 Jul 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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Having lived in Asia for many years, I guess I've gotten used to seeing minorities. Still, I'll acknowledge a person if waved or smiled at, but I honestly don't see a need for it. Once you've been here for so long (and realize the overwhelming number minorities in Asia), it sorta loses its sparkle and makes you wonder if you're being a racist.
Places like Itaewon don't really call for waving between Koreans and in many ways I don't feel like it needs to happen in mainstream society either. Perhaps living in the boondocks would facilitate throwing a hello at strangers, but fortunately I live in Seoul.
But, I agree, when someone smiles at you or acknowledges you, there's no need to be a douche--smile/ wave back. But again, it's not such a necessity and burgeoning on racism.
Besides, people should be thinking about more important things than whether some stranger on the street will or will not say hello. |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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I'm trying to imagine a couple of Asian dudes passing each other on the sidewalk in London and making a point of acknowledging each other because they're Asian.
| nathanrutledge wrote: |
| I'm just saying, you're on a sidewalk, not another human anywhere, and then one appears. The odds are that you or he is going to make eye contact/acknowledge the other one, and in that case, yeah, you acknowledge them back. |
Yeah fair enough. You did mention verbally acknowledgement initially. I'd honestly be weirded out if I'm on some small side street and a lone guy walking the other way blurts out a what's up at me or something. A nod, yeah fine whatever. |
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Openfire
Joined: 11 Nov 2010
Location: Seoul, South Korea
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| I dont make eye contact. if it happens it happens but I don't go out of my way. they are just like any other person in korea and don't deserve special treatment from me. lol wow that sounds bad...but...in honesty..I don't like places where there are tooooooo many foreigners. I avoid Iteawon like a disease. Hongdae is awesome...cocoon is my favourite club. and the foreigners around there are pretty cool! |
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Vegas76
Joined: 23 Jun 2011
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| Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 1:20 am Post subject: |
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| Fraser wrote: |
| Time to create the Seoul High-Fiving White Guys Club |
Just had to acknowledge the obscure 'Almost Live!' reference. Seattle in the 90's, man...good times. Hey, Billy Quan wanted me to tell you to mind your manners  |
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