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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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| Would you have kids here? |
| No way |
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78% |
[ 37 ] |
| I already am |
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14% |
[ 7 ] |
| Depends what the "boss" says |
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6% |
[ 3 ] |
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| Total Votes : 47 |
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Demophobe
Joined: 17 May 2004
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 Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 5:29 am Post subject: |
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Ghosts....
Last edited by Demophobe on Mon Jul 09, 2007 1:11 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Newbie
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 5:33 am Post subject: |
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| Homer wrote: |
Newbie,
Good response.
I lived in TO for a while before coming here. Have friends there too.
I do see your point. However I still think your view of Korea is limited and that you are basing your judgement on incomplete information (not that I pretend to have complete info myself!). |
Yeah, definitely, my view of Korea is limited. I fully realize that.
It's not a problem with the cultural/social element of raising a kid in Korea that concerns me, it's just the long hours at school that I don't think I would want my kids to endure. |
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Newbie
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 5:44 am Post subject: |
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| Demophobe wrote: |
Yeah...sell that to the tourists. You said "easy money", "party-like atmosphere", beautiful women", "rubbish eduactional system" and then in the same breath say that you want to marry a Korean BECAUSE you respect her culture.... |
I reckon (actually, I guess not really reckon, but, know for a fact) that what I said was "HALF the reason why I would marry a Korean is that I like their culture". But don't worry, I'm not offended my the mis-quote, it happens to the best of us.
| Demophobe wrote: |
You then proceed to deny needing any research (in the smallest sense of the word) to post on a sensitive issue which affects many here (I guess it's petty to you, or it sounds insightful) because it would make you a loser.
Quite contrary, actually. Think about it. |
I see what you're saying here, but, again, I'm gonna have to throw out the idea that this is just a simple forum for chatting, not my doctorate that I'm writing. So when I am asking a question, asking for peoples' opinions, I don't think research is entirely necessary.
AND, as I PM'd you, the whole reason for this post was that after saying what I did say to my friend, I realized I may have been wrong and so thought it would be a good idea to check with other foreigners for their opinions.
And now, thanks to folks like you, I won't make that statement to my friends anymore. I'll be able to tell them that there ARE Westerners that would raise their kids here. Thanks for the help! |
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Homer
Guest
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 7:10 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| it's just the long hours at school that I don't think I would want my kids to endure. |
I can understand that.
However long hours at school are not so bad unless they are made worse by additional long hours at hakwons.
The basic education system is not all that bad. As a parent you can have an influence on it (at home) or send your kid to a different school (international school con: costs more).
As a former teacher back in Canada, I can tell you our education system is not all roses and the shorter hours you mention often lead to an education full of holes, a less then average knowlege of writting in your own language, patchy historical knowledge and a few other problems.
Kids back home are also taught that they can do and be anything. While in theory this is fantastic in reality this has side effects.
Parents have less and less time to supervise their kids and also take the my kid is always right and its always the teachers fault approach.
They also expect the teacher to educate their children as well as teach them.
This leds to less and less respect in the classroom where many kids tell their teachers to piss off in a variety of vulgar ways....
So shorter hours yes...but at a price for many. |
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caniff
Joined: 03 Feb 2004
Location: All over the map
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 9:07 am Post subject: |
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Homer, have you ever seen pictures of deep ocean creatures? There is a bunch of websites with photos. Man, there's some crazy shizzute down there!!  |
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panthermodern
Joined: 08 Feb 2003
Location: Taxronto
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 9:26 am Post subject: |
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No
Two Words:
Child
Abuse |
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Harin
Joined: 03 May 2004
Location: Garden of Eden
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 9:31 am Post subject: |
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| I must say that Korean Education system is pretty tough on kids. I seriously thought about killing myself because of my grades. I was afraid of disappointing my parents and not getting into one of those good universities in Seoul. |
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cellphone
Joined: 18 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 10:02 am Post subject: |
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I'd like to hear what Itaewonguy would say on this. He's one user I've seen write on things and from what I remember he said he was married with a kid and in Korea. He usually writes up useful opinions on topics such as this.
The question I would have is, what does anyone think about raising half-white/half-Korean children in Korea? No doubt Korean kids are pretty bad towards one another, would be much more ruthless to someone who is only half. While I would like to imagine this is only sometimes, it has however been observed in other Asian countries as well, and Korea is definately no exception. Anyways would like to hear a thorough response from others who've done it or know about it extensively. |
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itaewonguy
Joined: 25 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 12:11 pm Post subject: |
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half white and half asian... emmm yes it can be a problem. thats what my wife tells me.. then again we both went to school in the 80's I would like to think things have changed now.. but I doubt it..
western schools are the same.. abuse from other classmates..
if you wear glasses, or you're fat, you're a nerd..
BUT! if you're pretty.. or cool, blar blar.. all is good...
My wife is happy that our daughter is very pretty. so she has that to her advantage.. half Italian korean looks paid off for her..BUT thats not enough in school.. I remember school as do all of you.. doesnt matter what you are or where you are.. can be tough fitting in..
We raise our daughter to fight back.. not pyscially. but if someone teases her.. we will teach her come back lines to attack with.. of course she is only 6. so we havent gotten into that yet.. Of course Im the kind of father and my wife is like me.. if anyone goes to far with my daughter they will have the angry WAYGOOK in their face,, and telling them to not even look at my daughter crossed eyed! of course I can not fight her battles for her on the playground all the time.. I have only heard one complaint from her that she was hit by an older girl 9 years old.. I asked my wife why..
they were fighting. I told my daughter to not provoke. etc..things happen.
but I have noticed many koreans hit! and I have seen boys hit girls many times. That will be a big mistake for any boy to punch my daughter in the stomach or face! ooooooooo I will explode on his arse!! then I will explode on his parents!!! hope it never happens.. but I will go off!!!
she is very popular amoung the kids around the apartment.. they always coming over to the house and she is always out playing.. she has many friends.. but thats her character she is very social..and popluar I guess..
advice I can give is.. let your kids be confident and be social.. never look down on who you are.. I tell my daugther everyday she is special...
elementary school.. my wife wants us to run back home so she wont get teased.. ahaahaha.. I'm sure she wont..
Of course I will make it easier on her.. we will put her in school under her korean name.. and I will not attend any PTA meetings.. of course the cycle of friends she does have will know.. anyway I think will be cool..
remember.. we have hakwons now.. all korean kids have seen a foreigner now.. its not like 10 years ago..
or better yet 20 years ago..
kids would tease you if you were from a broken home..
now korea is the highest divorce rate nation in the world..
korea is moving on..
I believe she will be considered cool.. to have a western father..
not looked down on it.. she will be prepared.. If it gets out of control in the future.. I will train her to use come back lines that destroy.. yes childish I know.. but its the parents Im fighting really isnt it. home education is where racism comes from.. in our house we love all nations and its people.. my daugther is taught that way..
anyway school yard is a battle field.. I will prepare her for defence.. thats all..
education.. hakwons.. blar blar.. forget it..
I dont care if she is not an A student.. becuase she wont go to college here anyway! I would much rather she had her college experience in a foreign country.. europe or back home.. so top grades will not matter as much.. I dont want her to be an ivy leaguer.. .only if she wants..
I want her to be happy! koreans forget that your child hood memories are the most important to you when you get older..
I dont EVER want my daughter to look back at her days of 6 - 18 as spending 16 hours in a classroom!
I look back at my childhood I was lucky.. I did many things.. tried many new things.. korean kids havent even seen a horse! let alone ride one.
ran through the grass hills, climbed trees, swam in rivers.. etc.. etc,,
of course I never experienced what korean kids go through in schools..
I will give her both.. I want to help write her history by giving her chances.. thats what my mum taught me..
korean mothers need some advice from our mums I think...
is korea a good country to raise kids.. well least there are no GUNS and drugs in the schools! teenage pregnancy, gangs.
I also plan on sending her back home to school for a few years too later on..
anyway.. thats it.. |
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peppermint
Joined: 13 May 2003
Location: traversing the minefields of caddishness.
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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Okay guys- from the inside of a public school, I'm getting a different perspective.
The Korean education system is one of the last bastions of ultra conservatism. If you don't believe me, ask an elementary school kid what they think of Japan.
Just because Korean kids are used ot seeing foreigners, doesn't mean they will be more accepting of mixed race kids. I teach a sweet little guy, who's gyoppo and recently moved back to Korea. He's considered outcast because of his English skills- though admittedly they are much better than that of his Korean teacher.
I don't plan on having kids, here or anywhere else, but if I did, they certainly wouldn't be going through the public school system here. |
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chronicpride
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 1:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Homer wrote: |
| However I still think your view of Korea is limited and that you are basing your judgement on incomplete information |
I think you just captured the essence of the Korean forums here. I think this quote applies to over 70% of debates on the board. A lot of chest-thumping about in-Korea tenure and cultural enlightenment, but judgements based on biased and incomplete information, nevertheless. |
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Demophobe
Joined: 17 May 2004
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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@itaewonguy:
Great post. Thanks... |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: North Shore NZ
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| Just because Korean kids are used ot seeing foreigners, doesn't mean they will be more accepting of mixed race kids. I teach a sweet little guy, who's gyoppo and recently moved back to Korea. He's considered outcast because of his English skills- though admittedly they are much better than that of his Korean teacher |
I however have had an opposite experience. I teach an exchange student who is half Korean/half British, raised in Japan. He can speak fluent Japanese and English but has only started to learn Korean. He's very popular with the students at my school and has a lot of friends. I teach in an affluent part of Seoul and many students have lived abroad and almost all attend English academies. I suppose that they have a better appreciation of foreign cultures and don't treat them with distrust and hostility.
I have a son and plan to return to New Zealand by the time he is ready to enter elementary school. The main reason is the environment. To be blunt Seoul is dirty, unattractive and polluted. While I love living here I'm not a kid and as Itaewonguy pointed out I want my son to have the same outdoor opportunities that I had growing up. I read somewhere that living in Seoul is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Pollution related diseases haven't really been studied here as it is a relatively recent phenomonen. Some other negative points for me are the large class sizes, lack of facilities such as grass fields and 'multiple choice tests'. |
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hellofaniceguy
Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: On your computer screen!
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 3:04 pm Post subject: |
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I hear all the time...
in korea, education is important! Family values are important, korean mothers think education is important..
well, like European mothers, North American mothers, Japanese as well as all other mothers don't think the same way?!?!?!?!?
Of course education is important!
Koreans are long on rhetoric and short on specifics..."the education system must be changed I hear all the time" FROM korean parents. Well, do something then!
I don't see the koreans any more smarter than others throughout the world who don't attend school as much as koreans do!! I don't see koreans living longer than others in the world just because they eat kimchee.
My point is, the public school system sucks. And it's not the school system, it's the teachers! And the teachers doing the same 'ol things because they won't stand up for a positive change!
Raising children in korea is not a good idea. Look at how they turn out. Obviously something is not working right.
I not trying to sound negitive, so don't misunderstand.
But, korea is a great place JUST for koreans. But if they want the world to invest, visit, contribute, accept... it's a two way street. |
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adventureman
Joined: 18 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2004 4:02 pm Post subject: |
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| peppermint wrote: |
Okay guys- from the inside of a public school, I'm getting a different perspective.
The Korean education system is one of the last bastions of ultra conservatism. If you don't believe me, ask an elementary school kid what they think of Japan.
Just because Korean kids are used ot seeing foreigners, doesn't mean they will be more accepting of mixed race kids. I teach a sweet little guy, who's gyoppo and recently moved back to Korea. He's considered outcast because of his English skills- though admittedly they are much better than that of his Korean teacher.
I don't plan on having kids, here or anywhere else, but if I did, they certainly wouldn't be going through the public school system here. |
What that wonderful Elementary English ciriculum that blatantly encourages racial stereotypes, Pepermint? |
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