|
Korean Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
|
 Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 5:51 am Post subject: |
 |
|
| Underwaterbob wrote: |
| Japan is certainly ahead of Korea in many areas: public cleanliness being near the top of the heap, but at the same time, I found racism to be a little more ingrained in Japan as well. They're not as brazen as Koreans with their racism for sure, but at the same time, it seems a little more ubiquitous and subtle than in Korea where oftentimes it just feels like ignorance rather than racism. |
Could be.
Still, as long as they are polite to my face, I'm not that concerned about how racist they are or aren't, at least in random daily interactions. They certainly win in the politeness category and seem much less abrasive overall. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
Shimokitazawa
Joined: 14 Dec 2007
Location: Seoul
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 5:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Mix1 wrote: |
| Still, as long as they are polite to my face, I'm not that concerned about how racist they are or aren't, at least in random daily interactions. |
Come on, they don't like you. Period. You're a foreigner.
Now you know. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 10:23 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Shimokitazawa wrote: |
| Mix1 wrote: |
| Still, as long as they are polite to my face, I'm not that concerned about how racist they are or aren't, at least in random daily interactions. |
Come on, they don't like you. Period. You're a foreigner.
Now you know. |
Not sure if you're being serious, but the same could be argued with regard to Korea and some other countries, particularly in Asia. But even if that were true and foreigners are widely disliked in Japan, I still don't care much. Politeness, fake or not, still smooths social interactions. It made for a great vacation anyway.
And even if they really felt that way, they do an excellent job of hiding it, to the point where its almost undetectable, so props to them for that. Maybe we should thank them even more. 
Last edited by Mix1 on Fri Nov 07, 2014 10:27 pm; edited 1 time in total |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2014 10:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| double post |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
catman
Joined: 18 Jul 2004
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 3:04 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Outside of the cost of living I don't think any ESL teacher would prefer Korea over Japan. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
|
| Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2014 4:13 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| catman wrote: |
| Outside of the cost of living I don't think any ESL teacher would prefer Korea over Japan. |
The ground is literally more stable in Korea.  |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Brooks
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 12:14 am Post subject: |
|
|
Funny. I go to Korea and like the differences.
Better beer selection in Seoul.
You can't meet many friendly foreigners in Tokyo since they are so obsessed with making money or "experiencing" Japan.
There is no equivilent to Itaewon in Japan.
At least Koreans have emotions. Japanese can be so cold, fake and lie through their teeth. They have no moral compass.
Japanese are proud and too concerned with face, thin-skinned and a large minority look down on Europeans and others from the West.
And of course feel they are better than the Koreans and Chinese.
I do prefer drunk Japanese to drunk Koreans, since I never know if Koreans are going to get violent. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 3:57 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Brooks wrote: |
| Japanese are proud and too concerned with face, thin-skinned and a large minority look down on Europeans and others from the West. And of course feel they are better than the Koreans and Chinese. |
I remember drinking in Osaka one time with two other buddies. Then a mid-aged drunk Japanese guy stumbles to our table. Once he found out all of us were visiting, from Korea, and that we all worked there, he kept on asking why we'd want to live there. Then started ranting about how superior the Japanese are to all other Asians. Then he started saying Koreans were a bunch of Nazis. I'm thinking that's rich coming from a guy who's nation allied with the Nazis... lol |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
tophatcat
Joined: 09 Aug 2006
Location: under the hat
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 4:05 am Post subject: |
|
|
| jvalmer wrote: |
| catman wrote: |
| Outside of the cost of living I don't think any ESL teacher would prefer Korea over Japan. |
The ground is literally more stable in Korea. |
until you stand on a ventilation grate and it collapses in and kills you and many others…
 |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
basic69isokay
Joined: 28 Sep 2014
Location: korea
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 7:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
Tokyo was really cool. Good food. Quiet, clean, calm.
Fashion is what Koreans try to emulate 5 years later.
But, expensive. And the people were a bit.......cold?
Would I live there? No. Korea's a big challenge to put up with the culture, but most people are financially satisfied. As a teacher in Japan, it might be the opposite. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Brooks
Joined: 08 Apr 2003
|
| Posted: Fri Nov 14, 2014 5:02 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Yes.
I work 4 jobs now and got unemployment insurance in the spring.
It is hard to even get a limited contract job.
The grass is browner over here.
I am making my exit plan. Without research and presentations it is hard to even get part-time work at universities. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 1:36 am Post subject: |
|
|
| jvalmer wrote: |
| Brooks wrote: |
| Japanese are proud and too concerned with face, thin-skinned and a large minority look down on Europeans and others from the West. And of course feel they are better than the Koreans and Chinese. |
I remember drinking in Osaka one time with two other buddies. Then a mid-aged drunk Japanese guy stumbles to our table. Once he found out all of us were visiting, from Korea, and that we all worked there, he kept on asking why we'd want to live there. Then started ranting about how superior the Japanese are to all other Asians. Then he started saying Koreans were a bunch of Nazis. I'm thinking that's rich coming from a guy who's nation allied with the Nazis... lol |
Sounds pretty tame compared to most of the annoying drunk rambling Korean adjosshis. If you mentioned to them you worked in Japan, imagine the response: "WHY?? They are monkeys! Liars! Korea #1!"
They hate each other; no big surprise. Plus, as someone else mentioned, you never know when the adjussis will lose their temper. I think the main difference is Koreans have more of a chip on their shoulder whereas Japanese seemed more comfortable in their own skin, or at least less confrontational anyway. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 2:01 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Brooks wrote: |
Japanese are proud and too concerned with face, thin-skinned and a large minority look down on Europeans and others from the West.
And of course feel they are better than the Koreans and Chinese.
|
If you've ever been to breakfast buffets in decent Japanese hotels, you can see why. Nobody pushing and shoving and spilling, or filling their plates to the absolute maximum or shoving the food into their faces as loudly and quickly as possible or leaving food and trash everywhere. No stealing food or packing it to go. No comparison: manners-wise, the Japanese rule. We were struck by the sheer contrast between them and Koreans or Chinese we've seen on vacations.
Does that make them better? No, but it sure could give them some ammo for thinking that way. Plus most of the products in Korea and China are rip-offs of Japanese products. They were the first to modernize in Asia and they seem to know it.
As far as them looking down on westerners, yes I could sense that sometimes, but again, I can sort of see why they could think that way, even if not all of it is justified.
I've not lived there so I'm just going on first impressions, but pretty much most of my friends and people I know who do live there, much prefer it to Korea in most ways... except the costs. By the way, if you live in Seoul and go out a lot, prices aren't that cheap either. There's plenty of rip-offs in Korea as well. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Stain
Joined: 08 Jan 2014
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 9:55 am Post subject: |
|
|
| I think what can be gotten from this is that a majority of people from any country, except those who are from oppressive regimes (and sometimes, even them), feel like they are better than people from other countries. Leaders use this to improve their individual circumstances. Besides prostitution, being a leader is the oldest profession in the world. Their positions are not dissimilar. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
The Cosmic Hum
Joined: 09 May 2003
Location: Sonic Space
|
| Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 8:34 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Stain wrote: |
| I think what can be gotten from this is that a majority of people from any country, except those who are from oppressive regimes (and sometimes, even them), feel like they are better than people from other countries. Leaders use this to improve their individual circumstances. Besides prostitution, being a leader is the oldest profession in the world. Their positions are not dissimilar. |
What are you doing?
This kind of thinking will lead to even more thinking. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
