Korean Job Discussion Forums

[captain kirk]

The manager, when he eats kimpab, makes hearty gob smacking noises that sounds as wet and wild as wild monkeys going at it on a hot day. I have converted my initial, frenzied disgust into gob smacking noises myself. I find food tastes better. More properly aerated? When a cultured person arrives I'll go back to pecking at my food like a bird.

[Ya-ta Boy]

Sure seems to be a lot of cranky people in Korea today. Is it the heat and humidity?

[Rteacher]

I think Van Islander's points are probably the most accurate. When I started my first hogwan gig the director informed me at lunch time that Koreans smack their lips and make loud noises when they eat, and he expressed his hope that I wouldn't be offended by it. (... Little did he know that from a young age I developed an almost zero-tolerance policy to that kind of stuff - especially when my father chewed steak noisily with his mouth wide open... I could hardly stand it, but I learned to channel some of my anger into violent contact sports like (meeguk) football and wrestling...
Of course, it's always gross to see supposedly civilized humans chomping on the rotting carcasses of dead animals - be it at MacDonalds or anywhere...

[schwa]

Sometimes just the act of eating -- pushing stuff in our faces, chawing on it, gulping it down -- strikes me as absurd & humorous.

[pegpig]

[thepeel]

Even if it is a 'cultural norm', that doesn't make it any less disgusting. Just because something is "cultural" doesn't mean that it isn't stupid.

One could easily argue that seeing a prostitute after a days work is a cultural norm here, but that hardly makes is right. Or, perhaps beating the piss out of your wife is a cultural norm in some Muslim (and other) socieites, but that is also wrong.

Culture is used as an excuse to justify every stupid thing that all societies do.

[The evil penguin]

Back to the actual original topic: How does viewing the disgusting half chewed contents of the wide open mouths of a couple of obnoxiously annoying kids help to sell a damn fridge???

[keithinkorea]

[indiercj]

Ah~ the question of speaking with ones mouth full and making noises while chewing food. The barbarian aspect of Korean society. What a refreshing subject it is.

I would say, even in the western you would probably need at least 2 or more generations of people without the experience nor the knowledge of starvation to make it the norm to feel guily for this kind of behavior.

Sorry for that. Our parents still have the memory from the wonderfull porridge made of whatever your parents have send us which they fought their turns in long lines. My father who is a well known professor in Korea had to beg in front of unknown GIs in his youth to get some candy bars.

I am all against making noises at the table. It makes me quite uncomfortable at times, but honestly I would like you to understand that I just can't blame my old man for enjoying his meal. I know how hard he is fighting his past whenever a tasty porridge is served.

So, to all of you. I'll say, get over it.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Get over it. It's the Korean way. My parents, the past, wah wah wah.

Got anything I've never heard before?

[jajdude]

I eat in the kitchen with the Koreans and 2 Chinese/Korean at my hagwon, during a 35 minute break, not every day, but when I do, I eat fast and get outta there, usually, unless the noise does not bother me. Sometimes it is bad. I don't get it. I do not consider it good manners to make an unnecassry racket while eating.

[itaewonguy]

[desultude]

[desultude]

[xtchr]

I thought I was becoming inured to the eating styles here, but evidently I'm not doing as well as I thought. Just last week 15 of my colleagues were eating corn on the cob while talking, laughing, etc, and making loud smacking noises while they devoured each and every kernel like it was the last food on earth. I'm glad they enjoy their food, and I realise it's not that important in the grand scheme of things, but it was thoroughly gross.