Korean Job Discussion Forums

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

Marathe wrote:

[Manner of Speaking]

One time two other native teachers at my school took their classes out for some soju and fried chicken, and I joined them later. One of the students was a Poli Sci major and he commented on the upcoming national "erection" in Korea, and he asked his teacher if there were "erections" in his country too.

So he told him, yes, in Canada we have many many erections. "Under federal law", he said, "everyone must have an erection at least once every four years. This is the national erection, in which everyone participates. "But", he went on, "in addition to the national erection, there are also local smaller erections going on across Canada all the time. You see, not everyone in Canada has an erection at the same time."

All the students at the table listened intently and nodded solemnly, and couldn't understand why me and the other teacher were pi**ing ourselves laughing.

[Holyjoe]

Having gotten fed up with the old "why did you come here?" questions over and over again, I decided to start telling people that the reason I left Scotland was because the Loch Ness Monster (4km long, 1km tall) was eating people after dark and the whole country was scared of him.

I had them all going for a good wee while until one bright spark checked it out on the internet...

[inexhile]

I told my corean GF that we Kiwi's can't have sex for at least 2 hours after eating chicken. Hey, there was a Newcastle Utd game on........as far as I know she still believes it.

[Gord]

[mokpochica]

Here are some I've heard...

1. That foreigners (especially in the US) are not close to their families and don't have love like Koreans have for their families.

The upside to this is that the homestay family I lived with told me that I proved them wrong on this myth and they didn't believe it anymore.

2. That we have no interest in learning Korean and cannot read Korean characters. (Maybe true for a few of us, but certainly not all of us!)

3. That we are hard of hearing. (OK, I never actually heard anyone say this, but by the way that Korean kids sometimes yell in English or Korean at me it seems that's what they think. hehe)

4. That we are dirty because we don't go to the mogyotang and 'push' the dirt off of our skin (i.e. scrub layers of dead and not so dead skin off).

5. That we don't like spicy food---While this may be true of some of our grandparents I think most people enjoy spicy food at least once in a while.


And for a trick I've played on my students...when they see me and my Korean boyfriend outside of school I tell them that he is American and they should speak only English to him because he can't understand Korean. Sometimes I tell them he's Korean-American and was adopted if they really seem suspicious. It's pretty cute to see them trying to figure out if I'm telling the truth and then timidly speaking to him in English.

[steroidmaximus]

After getting annoyed for being told that I use chopsticks well, that I eat Korean food well, and that I speak Korean well, I Stated to my college class that my great great grandmother was Korean, and that's why I can read and speak Korean, use chopsticks, eat Kimchi and garlic. . . .lots of head knodding and ah's followed that one. I said hey look at my nose, it isn't big like other foreigners, so I must have Korean blood. I do find that one unusual, considering the size of shnozes I see on some Koreans.

Anyway, not a very ethical thing, taking advantage of ignorance. But entertaining!

[Dan]

have you ever tried telling them that people of other countries like to eat spicy food?

that like pisses koreans off. for some reason, they believe they have cornered the market on spicy food. but the only spicy foods koreans know is garlic and go choo. in south america theres like a million different kinds of peppers, but somehow every korean i know gets really reserved and quiet if you are to tell them that people of other nations eat even hotter foods.

[the_beaver]

[girl]

_____and holyjoe: hilarious stories!!!! i couldn't stop laughing....keep em coming

[mokpochica]

[jajdude]

Myths foreigners believe about Korea? Well those who haven't been here probably never think about the place at all but perhaps lump it together with other nations in the "I know nothing about there" category. As someone who has spent a few years here I think I'm guilty of many generalizations, stereotypes or myths regarding them.

[Joe Thanks]

[DJTwoTone]

Marathe,

you've been saying that since i've known you, why don't you put it into practice.

[some waygug-in]

Hillarious! Great stuff. And I thought my "erections" were private affairs.



I once thought of this one to tell to those annoying people on the subway who clamp on to you and ask you the same questions you've been asked over and over and over again.

Hello.. where you from?

Antarctica.


Really? What's job?


Yeah, I'm an exchange student.

How old you?

One, since Antarctica isn't really in any one time zone, we don't really have time like the rest of the world, so everybody is one.

You married?

Yes, I have 6 wives back home and I am looking for another 6 to take with me from Korea.

What you major at university?

Document forgery and how to fool immigration anywhere, anytime.

You like Kimchi?

Yes, but you need to make it more spicy. It doesn't have enough spice in it.



See what kind of looks you can get from them.