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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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indytrucks
Joined: 09 Apr 2003
Location: The Shelf
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 Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 3:32 pm Post subject: |
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| cellphone wrote: |
Only on this Korea forum could a topic about foreigners being assaulted be spinned out of control into a dogooder tirade that it really is more important to use "appropriate" and "accurate" race labels than to keep the subject of our safety at hand. |
Of all the mind-numbingly, fork-in-the-eye worthy, halfwitted comments in this thread, this one takes the cake.
We're talking about flippin' Itaewon here, not flippin' Baghdad. |
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Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 3:56 pm Post subject: |
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.....
Last edited by Butterfly on Sun Oct 09, 2005 1:53 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Barking Mad Lord Snapcase
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 7:11 pm Post subject: |
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| Cedar wrote: |
3. Learn the bloody local language and behavioral patterns so you can end up laughing with the initially aggressive dweebs. |
After three months? 
(On this board, " " is considered the pinnacle of eloquence and intellectual discourse, so hopefully I have wrapped up the entire argument rather nicely. Right, Homer & Corporal?) |
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fidel
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
Location: North Shore NZ
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Butterfly wrote: |
| fidel wrote: |
| Sorry Cedar but you're talking bollocks! There are knobs in every country who will start a fight regardless of your language ability and understanding local customs! People will sucker punch you for NO reason other than for a few laughs and because it's cool to do so. |
Never happened to me, or anyone I know here. Sucker punched for no reason? Nah.
There is abuse, very very occasionally, for no reason, and on the occasion that it has happened to me, I have taken it as an opportunity to show my magnanimity and poise, to make the perpetrators wriggle with embarrassment. It's fun, you should try it. Show your power, if you have any. |
It's never happened to me either nor anyone I know but you would be naive to believe it doesn't happen especially when males and alcohol are involved. There are crazies, soju heads, young punks, beligerent foreigners and yes 'racist' Koreans. Contrary to what you might think its a little unusual for there to be a pre-fight, sit around the table singing coom bye ya session. Random things happen and there's no need to get your knickers in a twist! |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Tue Sep 20, 2005 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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| fidel wrote: |
It's never happened to me either nor anyone I know but you would be naive to believe it doesn't happen especially when males and alcohol are involved. There are crazies, soju heads, young punks, beligerent foreigners and yes 'racist' Koreans. Contrary to what you might think its a little unusual for there to be a pre-fight, sit around the table singing coom bye ya session. Random things happen and there's no need to get your knickers in a twist! |
I don't doubt that their are racist pricks that are looking for trouble and it's horrible when it happens. But it seems to me that this 'major safety issue' could by and large be avoided by:
1. Avoiding situations where they are likely to occur. PDAs of any type after dark in Soju infested areas just isn't a good idea.
2. When dealing with racist idiots don't inflame the situation. If someone's giving you the stare down, leave. Ignore them. Returning agression is just going to esculate the situation.
3. Unless your Korean is really good it's best to assume that you don't know what the hell it is that drunken guy yelling about. Chances are that the drunk guy has no idea either. No point getting hot and heavy over it.
4. If you get a random smack out of nowhere for no reason don't fight back. Not only will any local in the vicinity assume that you are the agressor but a good hollywood action will mean that you get money of the guy later. Punching the sucker into a bloody pulp will mean jail time possible deportation and definetly having to pay money to towards the other guys hospital fees.
In short it goes against just about everything a man is trained to do in the west when it comes to dealing with guys who give their SO. shit. But if you don't like the rules don't get suckered into playing them. |
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Butterfly
Joined: 02 Mar 2003
Location: Kuwait
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| Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 1:46 am Post subject: |
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edit
Last edited by Butterfly on Sun Oct 09, 2005 1:52 am; edited 1 time in total |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 4:49 am Post subject: |
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A Korean woman friend related this story about her coworker. My friend worked for Marks & Spencers... I guess they used to have some stores in Korea (but not the food hall). A VP from England came to visit. He was a pretty nice guy. Although he could have had a limo take him everywhere, he insisted on riding the subway. He wanted to see Seoul in that manner. So one of the women in the office was his guide. She was 30something. He was 50something. They were on the subway and some ajumma started to get up in her business "YOU SHOULD BE DATING A KOREAN MAN AND SOMEONE CLOSER TO YOUR AGE!" She tried to explain this was just a coworker from England but no one was buying... a couple other ajumas also got into the fight.
That said, I can't say I've ever experienced anything negative with my GF. We're a bit discrete but we do hold hands and she does put her head on my shoulder to snooze on the subway. (Typical Korean woman... works 6 days a week, 10-12 hour days, and her ideal date is just sleep in my air conditioned apartment.)
But yeah. Nada.
I used to do some work for a translator and she had a pretty big rack. The occasional ajushi would check her out. Once an ajushi was following us for a bit. He'd pass us. Sit down. Watch us go by. Hustle ahead of us. Sit down. Watch us go by... But that's about the weirdest thing that every happened to me. |
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Cedar
Joined: 11 Mar 2003
Location: In front of my computer, again.
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| Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 4:57 am Post subject: |
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| fidel wrote: |
| Cedar wrote: |
| bigverne wrote: |
| Quote: |
| 3. Learn the bloody local language and behavioral patterns |
Would you say this to an Asian immigrant attacked by a bunch of white racists? Silly pakis, if only they could speak English properly, the skinheads would leave them alone! (That is essentially what you are saying). |
What I am saying applies to the Korean context. I have no experience with England, or white racists in any other country. What I am saying is, if you talk to Koreans in their language in the culturally appropriate way, you generally end up diffusing the situation. (But if you use your Korean skills to answer "hey F--- wad" with "what you saying, mother f------" you're missing the point). |
Sorry Cedar but you're talking bollocks! There are knobs in every country who will start a fight regardless of your language ability and understanding local customs! People will sucker punch you for NO reason other than for a few laughs and because it's cool to do so. |
Fidel,
While what I am saying will NOT keep you safe in ANY situation (jerks and cruel heartless people exist everywhere), would you like to insist that in all situations people WILL be jerks? No, of course not. When you were back home didn't you ever respond in your mutual language to some guy who'd started "something" with you and next thing you know you guys are doing the old backslapping "hee-haw let me buy you a drink" thing? All I am saying is that (knowing Koreans as I do, and having met far too many drunk Koreans) generally if you answer them in the appropriate way, they stop being aggressive. Of course, it does mean you have to sound relaxed and non-threatening (and non-threatened) all at the same time, which after a (potentially) insulting comment or little shove can be hard for many people with testosterone poisoning to handle. |
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chiaa
Joined: 23 Aug 2003
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| Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2005 5:02 am Post subject: |
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| You put their head through a fucking table and they will stop being aggresive. |
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