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tzechuk
Joined: 20 Dec 2004
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 Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 5:15 am Post subject: |
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I just found this and it leads me to believe that it is just a Korean thing and not Asia-wide.
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| You should avoid writing a person's name in red. This indicates death because a deceased person's name is crossed off with red ink in the town register upon his death. However, a Korean name seal is always printed in red. |
Not trying to start a debate but for all the years I have lived in Hong Kong, I was never told not to write people's name in red, nor did I see people's names written in red at funerals (and I've been to quite a few, including my grandparents', great-grandma's and great uncle/aunts etc.). So I do believe that it's just a Korean thing. |
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Atkinson
Joined: 15 Oct 2004
Location: Land of the Golden Twist-tie
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| Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 5:38 am Post subject: |
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Everything I do in and out of school, including marking, I do in green pen.
And I think the minus sign should be banned from schools. It's too negative. |
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JacktheCat
Joined: 08 May 2004
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| Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 7:03 am Post subject: |
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| tzechuk wrote: |
I just found this and it leads me to believe that it is just a Korean thing and not Asia-wide.
| Quote: |
| You should avoid writing a person's name in red. This indicates death because a deceased person's name is crossed off with red ink in the town register upon his death. However, a Korean name seal is always printed in red. |
Not trying to start a debate but for all the years I have lived in Hong Kong, I was never told not to write people's name in red, nor did I see people's names written in red at funerals (and I've been to quite a few, including my grandparents', great-grandma's and great uncle/aunts etc.). So I do believe that it's just a Korean thing. |
Really? Maybe they don't have it in Hong Kong. But I learned about it in my Asian Studies Courses.
And was warned about it at both the universities I taught at in China. |
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peony
Joined: 30 Mar 2005
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| Posted: Mon Apr 04, 2005 7:23 am Post subject: |
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i refuse to sign my name in red ink. when they pass me a red pen at the store when im signing my credit card slip, i tell them to get me another color pen. i think everyone telling me all the time that its only for the dead has made me wary and its stuck in my head, irrational but i guess that goes for all superstitions
i have chinese friends and they tell me they dont sign their names in red ink either |
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Atkinson
Joined: 15 Oct 2004
Location: Land of the Golden Twist-tie
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| Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 4:05 am Post subject: |
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| When my students see that I'm about to write somebody's name in red in the whiteboard, they tell me it's bad. If I do write the name, they don't seem to care much, though. |
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coolsage
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: The overcast afternoon of the soul
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| Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 6:48 am Post subject: |
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| Why buy into this 'red' hooey, or perpetuate some pre-medieval superstition? Until the 90's, red cars were illegal in Korea, and some older people still consider them 'rude'. Surely this is a 'tradition' that can be dispensed with, and Koreans will get over it. There are bigger fish to fry-- like Dokdo. |
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chiaa
Joined: 23 Aug 2003
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| Posted: Fri Apr 08, 2005 9:39 am Post subject: |
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| Derrek wrote: |
People in the US need to get off of the big "sensitivity" thing.
Every time I go back, I'm almost sick by how much people are paranoid about saying the wrong thing.
Freedom of speech? Give me a break!
You can thank the majority of Democrat-voting bleeding heart wackos for getting us into that rut.
It's to the point where it's almost out of vogue to say, "handicapped" because it's "too negative."
Ever noticed how they've gone back and changed old movies and TV shows to make them more "culturally sensitive" to today's crowd? It's nutty. |
My god! They went ahead and redid Blazing Saddles? |
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Atkinson
Joined: 15 Oct 2004
Location: Land of the Golden Twist-tie
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| Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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| coolsage wrote: |
| Why buy into this 'red' hooey, or perpetuate some pre-medieval superstition? |
Because I'm here to teach English, and learn Korean, and learn about Koreans. I'm not here to judge Koreans for their long-standing traditions or "correct" them. That's why I "buy into this 'red' hooey" which likely predates medieval times by some millenia.
The Germans have a great term for this, besserwisser, which literally means a "know-better." It describes someone who tells others how their way of doing things is wrong, especially doing so from a position of ignorance. |
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Hanson
Joined: 20 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 9:31 pm Post subject: |
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Am I the only one who thinks this is a little trivial?
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For Christ's sake, people... what part of "Forum for general discussion on issues related to *living* in South Korea. No off-topic posts here either!" do you not understand?
Brian
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Wow, I guess the Prozac ran out! |
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Merlyn
Joined: 08 Dec 2004
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Sun Apr 10, 2005 10:49 pm Post subject: |
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Because I'm here to teach English, and learn Korean, and learn about Koreans. I'm not here to judge Koreans for their long-standing traditions or "correct" them. That's why I "buy into this 'red' hooey" which likely predates medieval times by some millenia.
The Germans have a great term for this, besserwisser, which literally means a "know-better." It describes someone who tells others how their way of doing things is wrong, especially doing so from a position of ignorance.
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Is it really that ignorant to be skeptical over the idea that names written in red will lead to death, etc? |
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Atkinson
Joined: 15 Oct 2004
Location: Land of the Golden Twist-tie
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| Posted: Mon Apr 11, 2005 4:36 am Post subject: |
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| Merlyn wrote: |
| Atkinson wrote: |
| coolsage wrote: |
| Why buy into this 'red' hooey, or perpetuate some pre-medieval superstition? Until the 90's, red cars were illegal in Korea, and some older people still consider them 'rude'. Surely this is a 'tradition' that can be dispensed with, and Koreans will get over it. There are bigger fish to fry-- like Dokdo. |
Because I'm here to teach English, and learn Korean, and learn about Koreans. I'm not here to judge Koreans for their long-standing traditions or "correct" them. That's why I "buy into this 'red' hooey" which likely predates medieval times by some millenia.
The Germans have a great term for this, besserwisser, which literally means a "know-better." It describes someone who tells others how their way of doing things is wrong, especially doing so from a position of ignorance. |
Is it really that ignorant to be skeptical over the idea that names written in red will lead to death, etc? |
The skepticism is healthy.
To clarify, the ignorance I am referring to is the judgement of another people's tradition, suggesting it "can be dispensed with," and that they should be able to "get over it."
The "hooey" I am buying into is choosing not to write Korean people's names in red, respectful of the fact that many of my hosts (and the people who pay the bills, for that matter  ) are not comfortable with it.
And if I ever get sick of avoiding red, I'll just tell the kids it "doesn't count" if the name is written in western characters.  |
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coolsage
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: The overcast afternoon of the soul
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| Posted: Wed Apr 13, 2005 9:21 am Post subject: |
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| And aborting female fetuses is 'tradition' here as well, as is beating students with a 'love stick'. Are you supportive or selective with regard to Korean 'traditions'? |
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Atkinson
Joined: 15 Oct 2004
Location: Land of the Golden Twist-tie
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| Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:31 am Post subject: |
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| coolsage wrote: |
| And aborting female fetuses is 'tradition' here as well, as is beating students with a 'love stick'. Are you supportive or selective with regard to Korean 'traditions'? |
I don't abort female fetuses, nor do I beat anyone with sticks. |
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