Korean Job Discussion Forums

tomato

For those of you who are new to ESL Cafe, a whiner is a person who does not enjoy Korea and a loser is a person who does.

We often get messages from a person in his or her home country asking "Should I come to Korea?" We don't know what to say, because we don't know whether that person will become a whiner or a loser.

That's why I wrote a test. From my observations of foreign teachers, both in real life and on the Internet, I compiled a list of questions to ask a prospective foreign teacher. Take a look at the test:

http://eslideas.hypermart.net/inventory.html

and tell me what you think. If you can suggest more questions for the test, please do.

Oh, by the way: Don't compliment me on the Java Script; that's someone else's work.

pocariboy73 · Joined: 23 Jan 2003

So that begs the question Tomato.......R U a whiner or a loser? Laughing

J.B. Clamence · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

That's it? Six questions?

Well, of all the silly pet theories that go flying around on this board (The end of the world is coming! Time to eat all your reserves of kimchee!!), I have to hand it to you, at least you tried to back it up with some "science". Kudos.

Circus Monkey · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: In my coconut tree

tomato,

You are creating a false dilemma here: forcing us to choose between "whiner" and "loser" while a person may complain about some aspects of Korea and yet still like the country.

CM

Bruce Willis · Joined: 27 Jan 2003 Location: HaeundaeBeach. Busan

The monkey is right, Mr. Tomato.
Any foreigner who comes to Korea will find a
ton of stuff to hate and a whole lot of stuff to love
about Korea. So there could never be a distinction
between a whiner and a completely assimilated and
acculturated lover of Korea and its beautiful women,
fantastic music and song-bongs, delicious food, gorgeous-
looking natural scenic beauty (no, I'm not talking about
the women), and let's not forget, those oh-so fair and
friendly hogwhon owners. Just take your name
for instance, or you could choose a thousand other topics.
Korea has fantastic tomato juice in big plastic bottles.
It is very sweet. In America, it is not sweet at all, it
just tastes like a tomato. Koreans will tell you that it
is artificially sweetened in Korea. So Joe Nature-Boy is
going to come over here and complain that he is being
poisoned by the artificial sweeteners and preservatives of
Korea. Most Canadians and Americans probably love the
stuff. If you can get your hands on the crushed strawberry
juice, not found in America, that stuff takes like Ambrosia,
it is so fine.
Meanwhile, I truly wish that somebody on this board would
name themselves Rodney Dangerfield and start whining all over
the place, "I tell ya I get no respect, no respect, at all ... and
then give some reason he's getting disrespected in Asia."
Rodney Dangerfield made a whole comedy career out of doing
that, and Jay Leno basically made the big-time by doing the same
thing, just complaining about stupid things and people in America.
People find it hilarious. If you can find a copy of the movie, "Back
to School," where Rodney Dangerfield's son in college convinces
him to go back and get a degree, it will leave you rolling on the
floor laughing. The most classic scene is where he goes into an
American History lecture and the Professor is the ex-Reverend
Sam Kinison. Kinison was subsequently killed in a crash going from
Hollywood to do a gig in Vegas. I mean that's in real life, not the
movie. I dare any college professor in Korea to give the lecture given by
Kinison on Vietnam and Korea. You'll probably be on a plane the
next day to North America, but nevertheless, give it a try. It is
total side-splitting hilarity. Laughing

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

I just don't see it so black and white. I love Korea, but yet I will be the first to rant about the hypocrisies that go on around here, like you can read in today's Korea Herald editorial about monetary reform. I think being able to be critical of something for legitimate, logical reasons makes a whole lot of us between your whiner and loser.

Cthulhu · Joined: 02 Feb 2003

CM,

I must have misread you all this time. You mean you still like the country? Say it ain't so! Shocked

kimchikowboy · Joined: 24 Jan 2003

Sorry, I have to disagree on terminology. Only short-timers who like Korea are labelled losers. Long-timers are generally saddled with the moniker of "apologist."

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Whiners and apologists are such relative terms, I think there are a lot of people on this board who have been accused of both at one time or another over the years. On some issues I'm a definite 'whiner', on others a fervent 'apologist'.

It's like that old George Carlin joke- "Ever notice how everyone who drives slower than you is an idiot, and everyone who drives faster than you is an a$$hole?"

Circus Monkey · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: In my coconut tree

Cthulhu,

Sure, why not? Maybe I'm getting mellower with age but I can still lob a coconut once in a while. BTW, nice avatar.

Cthulhu · Joined: 02 Feb 2003

tomato · Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2003 3:58 pm Post subject:

Hello, Pocariboy!

In reply to your question, I'm a loser.

Circus Monkey · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: In my coconut tree

Admitting is the first step to recovery tomato. Smile

CM

here it is · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

tomato...whiner or loser...you look suspiciously like an apple...

Zyzyfer · Posted: Mon Feb 03, 2003 8:10 pm Post subject:

I wanna sit on the fence.