Korean Job Discussion Forums

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

I'm doing a unit on cultural understanding and I seem to be drawing a blank on the common mistakes foreigners make when they first arrive.

Three things that spring to mind are:

The two hand thing or at least recieving stuff with the right. I sometimes take things with my left hand.

Palm up when asking some one to come here.

Leaving their shoes on when they aren't supposed to.

danielcraig · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Location: Indiana, USA

Pooring for yourself/not pouring for your elder.

peppermint · Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 5:45 pm Post subject:

run out to Kyobo and grab yourself a copy of Ugly Korean/ugly american

sadsac · Joined: 22 Dec 2003 Location: Gwangwang

Being irrated when older people push in and expect to be served first. Motorcycles on the pedestrian walkways. No personal space. Smile

ladyandthetramp · Joined: 21 Nov 2003

Getting upset with people because they don't speak English.

whatthefunk · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Location: Dont have a clue

Going to Pohang.

Paji eh Wong · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

blowing their nose at the table

Saxiif · Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: Seongnam

Blatantly lying about their background.

chronicpride · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Referring to themselves and other expats as 'waygooks'. And then using the term to Koreans and getting confused stares. Or, oh my god, those guys said 'waygook', they must be talking about me. Meanwhile they were just talking about a random foreign country.

I can just picture the flipside if Koreans were in the West and walking around saying to each other 'hey, fellow 'foreign country'! Us 'foreign countries' have to stay together! Lets go have a drink at the 'foreign country' bar with some other 'foreign countries'. Laughing

Or referring to Korean language as Hangeul. 'Do you know how to speak the korean alphabet?'

pecan · Joined: 01 Jul 2004

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

Feeling violated, on guard, and ready to 'hit back' re; people bumping into you or walking in your path. It's like a school of fish and one fish getting into a burning flap and thrashing around taking it personally. Or it becomes a racist issue, 'they are walking in my way because they don't respect me because I'm white'. Yikes.

tomato · Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 1:35 pm Post subject:

Hello, Crazy Lemon Girl!

A good book on the subject is Ugly Koreans, Ugly Americans by Min Byoung-chul.

The publisher's Website is at:

http://www.bcm.co.kr

hellofaniceguy · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: On your computer screen!

Common mistakes?
Coming to korea for one thing....and having expectations.
It's best to have no expectations and one won't be disappointed.
One does not have to follow korean style...they are not korean. People say to me...follow korean style...I'm not korean I tell them, I'm from the human race; treat everyone with respect, kindness, diginity and you'll get the same in return...unless the person is uneducated.

peppermint · Posted: Sun Sep 19, 2004 3:47 pm Post subject:

I got a lecture for " being too Korean" the other day. ( I was basically just being polite, by either Korean or western standards) I'm really not sure how to interpret that. Confused

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Calling a woman "pumpkin" in Korean to imply she's cute.

Calling a woman a "bomb" in Korean to imply she's sexy.

Playing the "I got your nose" game with a child in front of his mother and showing him your thumb between your index and middle finger.

Assuming because it's very easy to get a date with any number of Korean women, it will be easy to make a girlfriend out of one. Oh no, brother.

"I like Seoul. It's Tokyo Lite."