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Trinny
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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 Posted: Fri May 09, 2003 11:02 am Post subject: Stupid questions about Korea and your home country? |
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What are the stupid questions about Korea you've been asked by the folks in home country?
And:
What are the stupid questions about your country you got from Koreans?
The most common question I got in Canada:
My partner in conversation: Where are you from?
Me: I am from Korea.
My partner in conversation: Sooooooooooooooooo, Are you from North Korea or South Korea?
Me: South Korea. If I were a North Korean, I wouldn't have made it here.
My partner in conversation: Oh! 
Then follows silence!
My partner is now just blinking his/her eyes with puzzled expression on the face. At this point, I quickly change subjects of conversation so that I won't have to let them feel lost or awkward any more. As a rule of thumb, their dogs, cats, kids, jobs, gardens are the topics I can use to get back to "normal" conversation mode. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri May 09, 2003 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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kimcheeking
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| Posted: Fri May 09, 2003 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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Canada has only one season, right? Well it feels that way sometimes, I'm from winterpeg, but it's not true.
from my parents: "Do they have baby clothes?" my response "NO, the babies run around naked all the time, even in winter." |
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The Lemon
Joined: 11 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Fri May 09, 2003 6:10 pm Post subject: |
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| My partner in conversation: Sooooooooooooooooo, Are you from North Korea or South Korea? |
The North-South geopolitical illiteracy on the part of people back home is a frustrating one. It's not like it's a secret: North, bad. South, not nearly as bad. Geez people, watch the news sometime, or read the rest of the paper, not just the sports pages.
Korean misconceptions of North America are shaped by the movies they watch. Some Koreans I know imagine it to be all movie stars and Disney World. A few years ago I showed some students a video I did of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia (an average suburb) and Wallace, Nova Scotia, a fishing village with a population of about 250. Many illusions were shattered that day. Chief among them is that most Westerners are attractive. |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2003 4:58 am Post subject: |
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| kimcheeking wrote: |
Canada has only one season, right? Well it feels that way sometimes, I'm from winterpeg, but it's not true.
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What kind of an idiot would say that?
EVERYONE knows Winnipeg has TWO seasons-
Winter and mosquito...
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blackbird
Joined: 28 Apr 2003
Location: Songtan
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2003 5:29 am Post subject: |
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You must be very happy to eat rice because America doesn't have any rice, right?
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Yes, I get that too. Then I inform them that America produces more rice than Korea. We sell the rice oil to Asia and feed what is left to the cows and pigs. You should see their faces. |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2003 6:04 am Post subject: |
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I'm so over the stupid conversation thing. I've learned to steer clear, change the subject or give ambiguous one- word replies. Its just too much hard work trying to show every other Korean how silly, ill- informed or small minded they can be. Just stick to light- hearted stuff. You can't set the world to rights...
As a small example today my boss (he of the overgrown schoolboy james bond wannabe) was sincerely educating me on how to tackle a rearing cobra by grabbing it around the throat. Wow, do you have snakes in korea? I asked? An awkward no came the reply, and we decided it was time to leave. Little does he know I caught, handled and kept egyptian and spitting cobras as a boy.. but I couldn't be bothered telling him all about it. I know he's a clueless walter mitty and thats enough for me...More important things to get my head round. |
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On the other hand
Joined: 19 Apr 2003
Location: I walk along the avenue
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2003 8:47 am Post subject: |
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| Yeah, the "North or South" question. I used to think that anyone asking it must be pretty dim. But then it occured to me that they probably are aware that its Communist but just lump it in in with other Asian Communist countries like Vietnam and China, in which there are foreigners teaching English. |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2003 8:58 am Post subject: |
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I'm from New Zealand... most people I talk to have trouble locating it if they're not from Australia. But if they do they're suprised that I don't walk around in grass skirt, if it's really like in once were warriors or if there really are hobbits running around nz. However that new zealand government spends a lot of money of tourist literature which heavily promotes the stuff that is the topics of questions no. 1 and 3 we've really only got ourselves to blame.
Yeah the whole north/south thinkg I was sorting out some stuff with my bank the other day and part of the bank's 'security procedures' they had to call me back. After me giving my phone number (including the country code) they wanted to know if was in north or south korea.
CLG |
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Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sat May 10, 2003 10:05 pm Post subject: |
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I really hate that too.. are you in North Korea or South Korea?
Even enlighted travelers who've been everywhere.. particularly when traveling.. every trip out of Korea.. i meet a bunch of englighted backpackers and they always ask.. oh teaching in Korea.. hmm.. are you in North Korea or South Korea? |
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The Lemon
Joined: 11 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun May 11, 2003 2:42 am Post subject: |
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The worst I ever encountered was two years ago when I was sending a box to myself via surface from Eastern Canada to Kwangju.
I had written on the box, "South Korea". The lady at Canada Post's main office, who didn't quite have it together, was trying to determine what the charge would be. I listened to her mumble to herself as she tried to run the computer:
"Let's see... Korea... Korea.... South Korea... there's Republic of Korea, and Democratic People's Republic of Korea.... must be Democratic..."
"That'll be $493.62, please."
She had taken so long to figure this out, and she was going to ship my box to Pyongyang. By this point a long and impatient line had formed behind me, and I was in no mood to give the Canada Post lady geopolitical lessons in the post office queue. I took my box and went to the Canada Post branch in the mall. The much more competent lady there sent my box away for about $80. Much better.  |
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Korea Newfie
Joined: 27 Mar 2003
Location: Newfoundland and Labrador
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| Posted: Sun May 11, 2003 5:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Bulsajo wrote: |
| kimcheeking wrote: |
Canada has only one season, right? Well it feels that way sometimes, I'm from winterpeg, but it's not true.
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What kind of an idiot would say that?
EVERYONE knows Winnipeg has TWO seasons-
Winter and mosquito...
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Come on guys, don't spread this around, it'll reinforce the Korean notion that only they have 4 seasons. Everybody knows we have 4 seasons in Canada:
Almost winter.
Winter.
Still winter.
Construction.
Regarding the question about North or South, I get that too. However, I'm willing to give those people (well, some of them...) the benefit of the doubt, and assume that they're just making conversation, and wouldn't ask if they thought about it.
As for how I deal with the dumb questions from Koreans, I just go along with them. I figure they're likely just looking for confirmation of what they already believe to be the truth, and will disregard anything I tell them in opposition to it. Therefore, I have fun with them, for my own amusement. For example, if asked if my parents are divorced (they're not) I say they were never married. When asked how many guns I have, I say I have two and my father has three (well, actually that's true...  ). When asked about drug dealers, I say my brother (I don't have a brother) is one, but only weed, not cocaine  . You can imagine the looks I get. (Note: I only do this when I think they're looking for the frequent Korea-is-best conversation. If I think they're genuinely interested, I'll break it down for them.) |
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Trinny
Joined: 01 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun May 11, 2003 6:44 pm Post subject: |
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Most frequent questions Koreans ask me, when they find out I am actually living in Canada.
1) Are you in Toronto or Vancouver?
2) Ottawa? Where is that?
3) How do you go about getting your kimchi in your "hometown" (They are referring to Ottawa)? This question usually comes after I told them there are not many Koreans in Ottawa.
4) What! You don't eat Kimchi any more? Are you sure you are a Korean? |
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Bulsajo
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun May 11, 2003 7:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Trinny wrote: |
3) How do you go about getting your kimchi in your "hometown" (They are referring to Ottawa)? This question usually comes after I told them there are not many Koreans in Ottawa.
4) What! You don't eat Kimchi any more? Are you sure you are a Korean? |
When my wife doesn't feel like making it from scratch, we load up on a big jar from arum shikbum on Bank St. |
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Sliver
Joined: 04 May 2003
Location: The third dimension
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| Posted: Sun May 11, 2003 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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Usually asked to me in Korean
Do they speak English in Australia?? Wow .....
Errr Da
And from a conversation with a guy from Minesotta.
A: Where are you from?
B: I am from Australia.
A: What state is that in?
AAAAhhhhhh!!!!!!
No it was a real question not a piss take. |
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