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hapkido1996
Joined: 05 Jul 2011
Location: Anyang, Gyeong-gi
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 Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 5:27 am Post subject: |
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| shifty wrote: |
| hapkido1996 wrote: |
| I've worked with several slackers who have a hedonistic calculus for calculating just how little they can get away with doing and still keep their job. |
Given your vast exposure of 15 years I have no reason to doubt you. But the operative word is 'several' which surely has to equate to an insignificant minority. |
Are minorities insignificant? Minorities don't have any significant impact? A friend of mine was talking last night about how bothered he was about a woman with a child who backed away and didn't get on the elevator with him. I asked him how many Koreans had ridden on elevators with him in the past without hesitation. He never compared the number of Koreans who weren't affected by his appearance (the overwhelming majority) with the number who has reacted negatively to his presence (the vast minority).
Likewise, well-behaved foreigners don't stand out in Koreans' memories nearly as much as the few who make asses of themselves. Minority or not, it doesn't matter. If you want to make an ass of yourself in public, go back home, where people know you're just a random feck-up, instead of taking you as a representative of your whole nationality/culture/race. (Generic 'you', of course. Nothing personal intended.) The world of little brown people doesn't exist for your amusement.
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| I'm sure you mean well. |
Of course. Goes without saying. |
Wasn't even your post. But I can understand. You have to fight...for your right...to parTAAAYYY! To parTAYYY!! To parTAAYYYY!!!! 
This thread could use some theme music.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mnZM-FcrUU&feature=related |
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shifty
Joined: 21 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 8:06 am Post subject: |
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| hapkido1996 wrote: |
| Likewise, well-behaved foreigners don't stand out in Koreans' memories nearly as much as the few who make asses of themselves. Minority or not, it doesn't matter. |
We shouldn't underestimate the unknown Korean. A few ugly incidents won't dent their overall impression. In any case, there are other factors at play such as nationalism, inferiority complex and zenophobia that have the greater polarising effect.
An analogy is an 8 year old kid playing with a gun. He makes a loud noise and looks fierce, but he knows it's never for real. Koreans may witness unpleasant truths, but deepdown they know it's human.
I'm 56 years old and have always loved this song. It's really good. Thanks for bringing this version to my attention, it's a lot different from the studio version.
But otherwise glad to see you have a sense of humor with the theme music idea. |
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hapkido1996
Joined: 05 Jul 2011
Location: Anyang, Gyeong-gi
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 8:33 am Post subject: |
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| I try not to take anything too seriously, shifty. I know my posts may not look like it sometimes, but I'm not really a hard-ass. And I'm only a few years behind ya. Watch out! I'm catching up! |
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ajosshi
Joined: 17 Jan 2011
Location: ajosshi.com
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="chrisinkorea2011"]
| ajosshi wrote: |
| chrisinkorea2011 wrote: |
I agree with a lot being said in this topic. The thing is (like stated) many foreigners come here just to have a year long spring break. Now keep in mind when i first got here i was like yeah have fun for a couple of months, but that whole seeing foreigners be over the top idiot drunks really turned it off for me. Ive seen many foreign guys here too try to play the foreign card and get as many girls as possible and try to appeal to them just because they are foreign. Its pretty sad that they have to use "look im a foreigner, date me!" attempt, because they couldnt get laid back in their home country.
as well as too many foreigners just not caring about what they teach kids or how it turns out for them. Ex. i have a picture of a foreign teacher having 1st or 2nd graders giving a camera the middle finger. this guy works somewhere in seoul. (he is a friend of a friend) and in my eyes a total piece of S**t and shouldnt be working here, let alone with kids anywhere.[/quote]
send me that photo and give me the name of the hagwon. i will pay him a visit. |
lol i have it on laptop at school, but il send u the pic, if you give me your email!. its something that is annoying as hell to be honest. The guy who is a mutual friend was a midnight runner which made me question the party he hung out with. |
[email protected] |
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MollyBloom
Joined: 21 Jul 2006
Location: James Joyce's pants
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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The question that always comes up is this: "If you saw a foreigner on the street, would you say hello or smile?"
I love that one. Personally, I don't care. If someone says hello, to me, I'll say it back. I don't really think it's a big deal, considering there aren't that many of us compared to the number of Koreans. I'm not going to get on a bus and purposely sit next to the only foreigner. However, if someone did sit next to me and chatted me up, as long as they aren't creepy, I'm all for it. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 4:49 pm Post subject: |
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| hapkido1996 wrote: |
[
Are minorities insignificant? Minorities don't have any significant impact? |
Minorities which don't have any political power whatsoever and of whom the vast majority will be gone back to their own countries in a few years? Such as E2 visa holders in other words?
Well in that case then yes to both your questions above. |
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hapkido1996
Joined: 05 Jul 2011
Location: Anyang, Gyeong-gi
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 9:01 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
Minorities which don't have any political power whatsoever and of whom the vast majority will be gone back to their own countries in a few years? Such as E2 visa holders in other words?
Well in that case then yes to both your questions above. |
Their impact is insignificant only if you think that the people affected by them are insignificant, which seems a pretty arrogant attitude. You don't care how Koreans are affected by the minority of ill-behaved foreigners who pass through here? I do.
Remember the dredlocked dude on the bus? Did he have an insignificant effect? That's the kind of people I'm talking about. The fact that he's in the minority doesn't mean that his behavior is insignificant. Likewise:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XK1HtBraWKk&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LJG6kC5Pl4&feature=related
Spreading awareness of this sort of thing among ourselves is one way to try to prevent it. That's my only motivation. I'm not out to insult anyone in particular. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 9:20 pm Post subject: |
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| hapkido1996 wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
Minorities which don't have any political power whatsoever and of whom the vast majority will be gone back to their own countries in a few years? Such as E2 visa holders in other words?
Well in that case then yes to both your questions above. |
Their impact is insignificant only if you think that the people affected by them are insignificant, which seems a pretty arrogant attitude. You don't care how Koreans are affected by the minority of ill-behaved foreigners who pass through here? I do.
Remember the dredlocked dude on the bus? Did he have an insignificant effect? . |
What effect did he have? I haven't noticed any changes in how Koreans behave towards me. What new laws and restrictions were put in place because of him? It was just one more incident between two idiots which will soon be forgotten.
And Koreans have been dealing with ill-behaved foreigners for years, just as foreigners have been dealing with ill-behaved Koreans for years. Thankfully both groups seem to be quite in the minority. |
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hapkido1996
Joined: 05 Jul 2011
Location: Anyang, Gyeong-gi
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 9:35 pm Post subject: |
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Are you only concerned about what effects you, then? Don't care about Koreans at all?
What effects? How about providing fuel for anti-foreigner sentiment? Confirming for the racist and/or nationalist-minded that their narrow-minded and hateful views are correct? As for the dredlocked dude's story, there were news stories about at least one other black guy who was refused access to a bus after that incident. It's not going to get any better as long as people like that keep re-stoking the fire.
But maybe it's asking too much for us to police ourselves. Not enough of us give a crap, maybe.
Anyway, I'm just beating a dead horse now. This is my last post on the topic. No point in repeating myself. I'm not a preacher. |
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Spongebob Squarepants
Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Location: You wanna see my caring face?, ROK
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:28 pm Post subject: |
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I've taught outside of Korea as well, but overall the demographic of foreigners here fits one of several categories. Generally speaking I have had decent encounters with other foreigners I've met at random.
I have met a handful here who were out and out weirdos or individuals who I wouldn't go anywhere near if I had the choice. I encountered one particularly strange older fellow at KOTESOL once who lacked any form of manners whatsoever, and who would have been solidly put in his place if he had acted up back home, but appearances can be deceiving.
I recently met a white American dude in his early thirties wearing a hoodie, and with a shaved head and piercings and all. It turns out he has a graduate degree in linguistics and is one of the most articulate and insightful people I've ever met in Seoul.
There's nothing wrong with being on your guard, and my teaching days in Thailand have given me a suspicion of others I encounter that I can't quite shake, but going around saying 'oh that guy's got tats and wears ed hardy's tees so he must be a slacker' doesn't quite do the subtleties of the human race justice. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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| Spongebob Squarepants wrote: |
I've taught outside of Korea as well, but overall the demographic of foreigners here fits one of several categories. Generally speaking I have had decent encounters with other foreigners I've met at random.
I have met a handful here who were out and out weirdos or individuals who I wouldn't go anywhere near if I had the choice. I encountered one particularly strange older fellow at KOTESOL once who lacked any form of manners whatsoever, and who would have been solidly put in his place if he had acted up back home, but appearances can be deceiving.
I recently met a white American dude in his early thirties wearing a hoodie, and with a shaved head and piercings and all. It turns out he has a graduate degree in linguistics and is one of the most articulate and insightful people I've ever met in Seoul.
There's nothing wrong with being on your guard, and my teaching days in Thailand have given me a suspicion of others I encounter that I can't quite shake, but going around saying 'oh that guy's got tats and wears ed hardy's tees so he must be a slacker' doesn't quite do the subtleties of the human race justice. |
What went down in Thailand? Just curious about the atmosphere teaching in other countries. |
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austrian123
Joined: 15 Oct 2010
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:40 pm Post subject: Re: Do too many foreigners turn you off? |
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| Zulethe wrote: |
When I first came to Korea in 1993, it was truly a paradise. I absolutely loved it and was commonly picked up by girls on the streets. Now, with all of the foreigners, there is just something wrong with Korea. Do you think this is a good or a bad thing? I'm thinking about making my move to a country that hasn't been tainted so much by the presence of weiguks.
I can't really put my finger on it. No, I'm not the kind of guy that wants to be the ONLY foreigner around but I do think that the massive presence of foreigners in Korea has ruined its appeal as an attractive teaching destination. |
Nothing is wrong with Korea. After 15 years, the bad press that foreigners have received here has finally educated koreans about the type of foreigners who come to Korea to teach English. Secondly, there are soooo many foreigners now, Koreans are used to them..... |
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myenglishisno
Joined: 08 Mar 2011
Location: Geumchon
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| Posted: Sun Sep 18, 2011 11:55 pm Post subject: Re: Do too many foreigners turn you off? |
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| austrian123 wrote: |
Nothing is wrong with Korea. After 15 years, the bad press that foreigners have received here has finally educated koreans about the type of foreigners who come to Korea to teach English. Secondly, there are soooo many foreigners now, Koreans are used to them..... |
Most foreigners here are just aged college students. The more I meet, the more I realize this. |
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Koreadays
Joined: 20 May 2008
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 2:25 am Post subject: Re: Do too many foreigners turn you off? |
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| Zulethe wrote: |
When I first came to Korea in 1993, it was truly a paradise. I absolutely loved it and was commonly picked up by girls on the streets. Now, with all of the foreigners, there is just something wrong with Korea. Do you think this is a good or a bad thing? I'm thinking about making my move to a country that hasn't been tainted so much by the presence of weiguks.
I can't really put my finger on it. No, I'm not the kind of guy that wants to be the ONLY foreigner around but I do think that the massive presence of foreigners in Korea has ruined its appeal as an attractive teaching destination. |
+1
I even hate seeing foreigners on vacation too
I'm anti foreigner now lol |
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happiness
Joined: 04 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2011 2:38 am Post subject: |
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| I speak Korean, and that has set me apart. The more fratboys who make trouble here, the more chance for me to make money or influence. One coins, two sides, no? |
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