Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Dan]

I've given this a lot of thought. Probably more than all you "pampered" folks. (thats a joke) i've never mentioned my horror stories, but believe me, if someone has a terrible korea story, its me.

so i'm not a foreigner on the outside, so i don't deal with the stares and what not, but I don't think those are the reasons why this place drives so many of us nuts.

Here it is:
Because deep down, we know that no matter what happens, we won't be able to change the opinions, and behavior of Koreans. Living and working in Korea is like a constant effort to move a mountain. You know the mountain needs moving, so you push, but the mountain always wins.

The folks who have given up, or have accepted the mountain, seem to be enjoying themselves more than most.

I'm getting there. My father-in-law loves pro wrestling and instead of trying to convince him its fake, which would be the right thing to do, but at the same time, completely fruitless. I sit there, stare at the screen and think of what i'm going to do on the weekend.

hows my hypothesis?

[Hank Scorpio]

[GottaBeKD]

Don't let the fact that it's fake ruin it's appeal though. I am not a fan of wrestling at all, but I accept that it has merits eventhough it is obviously fake.

Any drama on T.V. is clearly fake, but people get caught up in it, and are "ooo"'d and "awwww"'d by it nonetheless. Anyone who has been to vegas, and enjoyed some of the high-budget magician shows (more accurately called illusionist shows) can appreciate that even the 'fake' has appeal.

The fake nature of wrestling allows it to break limits that boxing does not. Coordination of moves, character-build up, illegal teamplay, and spectacular timing, are all dependant on it being staged, and these are all factors that give wrestling appeal to it's viewers.

I compare it to animation more than anything else. Animation is also "fake", Goku in Dragonball Z is not really flying through the air at incredible speeds.. But this fake nature allows the animation to do countless things that would be impossible otherwise.

That said, I am not a fan of wrestling at all, but I can understand it's appeal independant of it's fake nature.

[Jasmine]

Here's a little piece of advice that will make your time in Korea much easier. Learn to pick your battles!!!
You have to decide what's really worth fighting for and let everything else roll off your back! Most things just aren't worth the stress. Forget principle and pride. you're not going to change anything. just relax and have a good time.
[/u]

[Hank Scorpio]

Hey, I'm not dogging anyone that enjoys wrestling. Different strokes, and all that. I just think it's silly and not entertaining.

Boxing I enjoy, because it's actual competition. Wrestling, on the other hand, is a soap opera for men.

[jaderedux]

Damn I thought it was for me.....buff, sweaty men in spandex....where is the downside ?



Jade

[Ya-ta Boy]

Since everyone else so far has only responded to your example, not your hypothesis, I thought I'd give it a shot.

Here it is:
Because deep down, we know that no matter what happens, we won't be able to change the opinions, and behavior of Koreans. Living and working in Korea is like a constant effort to move a mountain. You know the mountain needs moving, so you push, but the mountain always wins.


The folks who have given up, or have accepted the mountain, seem to be enjoying themselves more than most.

In my opinion, you came closest in your sentence about those who have 'accepted the mountain'. It seems to me that those who get the most frustrated are those who haven't accepted that Korea is really a different culture, with everything that entails. I think this happens when people compare things here with the way they are 'back home'. There is an arrogance about expecting people to change their ideas/behaviors because you make a suggestion about a 'better way'.

My Korean friends all openly admit that there are serious social problems here. I find I get much less upset if I trust the Koreans to address those problems themselves.

An example: Everyone knows (I think) that Koreans are not exactly fair to darker skinned people. It helps to keep in mind that there is a serious movement by a variety of civic groups, and now by Pres.-elect Roh, to rectify the situation. Koreans are, step by step, working to improve the situation.

We Westerners from multi-ethnic countries have largely dealt with the legal aspects of this problem. That happened slowly in a historical/cultural process of our own. The struggle took a full hundred years in the US.

For other kinds of frustrations, like last-minute schedule changes, I've learned to just roll my eyes and deal with it. I try to read Dilbert every day to remind myself that ignorant, incompetent bosses exist everywhere.

[william beckerson]

[captain kirk]

i agree with the observation 'learn to pick your battles' and let everything else roll off, slide off. foreign teachers can get real 'pent up' feeling and wanting to do a 'good job' since they have been 'asked over' as a 'foreign expert' on english...can want to 'move mountains' in the work place. give the boss some suggestions and then get frustrated when he/she doesn't immediately, or ever, respond. this is a status conscious culture with levels of hierarchy which means one's 'sphere of influence' is limited. i've come from canada, worked in korea, then gone to taiwan. lately, after some years of this, it struck me 'why not have an open mind, let go, i mean, what else do i have to do?'. be pushy, push from within my own culture's rules and scenarios? travel to korea and see there are korean ways. in taiwan there are taiwanese ways. i have my canadian ways. not one is 'right'. because each country get along very well, thank you, without 'help from outsiders' who are on a mission to 'move mountains'.
it's kind of liberating just to relax. or try, anyway.

[Captain Obvious 2.0]

[weatherman]

You have a really good point. Nothing really changes in Korea, or at a snails pace, that to have change the whole populace at basically the same time needs to be thinking and feeling the issue. But how? I have noticed that any change is often viewed that the purity of their Korean-ness is being threaten. Like their Korean-ness is some kind of unchanging fossil! The best way to make change I feel would be to attach prestige and higher social statue to it. It seems like these are the real issues that drive Koreans to do things.

I don't really try to change people, it isn't worth the effort. As the Jasmine said, know what you can do and can't do, and let the rest roll away.

[The Man known as The Man]

[Crois]

Are you telling me wrestling is fake??? No it isnt. It is real just like Santa and the boogy man...

[wylde]

[djsmnc]

There's a few things that stress me out on occasion, but not much at all. I have a lot of fun here...I think nothing of the more difficult days....stay positive, get out a lot, and Korea can be a lot of fun.