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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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bulgogiboy
Joined: 12 Nov 2003
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 Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 12:07 pm Post subject: |
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Yeah, they take it as an easy way out, they just don't think about how rude it is. No way would they do that to another Korean!
Had my revenge one time though: I went into a beef restaurant with my Kyopo co-worker, who spoke virtually no Korean. The waitress did the usual routine. Then to my pleasure I told her(in Korean of course), that my friend couldn't speak Korean and they'd be dealing with me for the evening. That gave them a shock, I can tell you! After that, they totally ignored my Kyopo friend and directed all conversation towards me. I wasn't happy at my friend getting ignored, but it was nice to experience what my regular Korean friends get treated like when they go to a restaurant.
It's the little things... |
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noelinkorea
Joined: 09 Apr 2003
Location: Shinchon, Seoul
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2005 2:37 am Post subject: me |
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Someone mentioned being complimented about speaking English well to another native speaker. I am a New Zealander of European descent, and a few years back while travelling I was complimented by an American woman on just how well I spoke English, and she asked how I learnt it so well - I was pretty shocked, but just told her my parents had taught it to me from an early age.
Another time, another American women asked whether I was Japanese (this was IN New Zealand, by the way)...that was more of a shocker...
Here in Korea, I have a close kyopo friend who I often go out with. We both study Korean and speak to a similar degree, but Koreans always comment positively about my level, and complain about hers (to our faces)...yet we have the same ability...all about looks... |
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bulgogiboy
Joined: 12 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2005 4:51 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, I suppose it's a weird thing for them. Koreans who can't speak Korean. Kyopos can get a rough time, sometimes people don't trust their ability as native-speakers and they expect them to speak fluent Korean.
If you met a blonde-haired, blue-eyed North American(or UK, NZ,etc) born person who had been raised in a non-anglophonic country and spoke broken English, and had trouble understanding you maybe you'd get frustrated easier with them than an Asian with the same ability. It's hard to say because that's a pretty unusual situation.
I've heard people like that exist in places like Japan. I think I'd be like: buddy come on, you know you can speak English, quit showing off your Japanese.
At least our kyopo friends can go 'undercover' when they walk along the streets,etc. The only time the cover is blown is when they open their mouth... |
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Mashimaro
Joined: 31 Jan 2003
Location: location, location
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| Posted: Sat Sep 24, 2005 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Privateer wrote: |
he was saying '�츮 ����' a lot and it did jar a little, though it passed without comment from the Korean audience. Could have been that Robert Harley chap.
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If it was Robert 'Holley' then he is a naturalised korean and as such would have every right to say '�츮 ����' etc. |
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bulgogiboy
Joined: 12 Nov 2003
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 1:24 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, but you're never EVER going to be accepted as a native in countries like Korea,China,Japan,etc, if you're clearly of a different race like he is. It doesn't matter what your passport says or how well you speak their language. You'll ALWAYS be a 'waeguk' in their eyes.
I think Korea's alright, but I just can't understand why somebody would make themself a citizen of a country where they're never going to be fully accepted as equal, at the very least your facial features are going to seperate you from others. It's not like a German guy becoming a naturalised Austrian or a Brit changing to US citizenship, where they actually have a shared language, similiarities in culture and they don't stand out like a sore thumb. And it's not like he's some poor guy from a developing country who wants citizenship to escape his poverty-stricken life. You can work as long as you want in Korea and never need to lose your original nationality.
Each to his own, I just think it's a strange choice.
Does that mean he has to do compulsory military service? Or is he too old? |
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denverdeath
Joined: 21 May 2005
Location: Boo-sahn
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 4:20 am Post subject: |
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| bulgogiboy wrote: |
Yeah, but you're never EVER going to be accepted as a native in countries like Korea,China,Japan,etc, if you're clearly of a different race like he is. It doesn't matter what your passport says or how well you speak their language. You'll ALWAYS be a 'waeguk' in their eyes.
I think Korea's alright, but I just can't understand why somebody would make themself a citizen of a country where they're never going to be fully accepted as equal, at the very least your facial features are going to seperate you from others. It's not like a German guy becoming a naturalised Austrian or a Brit changing to US citizenship, where they actually have a shared language, similiarities in culture and they don't stand out like a sore thumb. And it's not like he's some poor guy from a developing country who wants citizenship to escape his poverty-stricken life. You can work as long as you want in Korea and never need to lose your original nationality.
Each to his own, I just think it's a strange choice.
Does that mean he has to do compulsory military service? Or is he too old? |
Blood thing and country-of-origin aside, you might be surprised at how many Koreans respect the guy. He started as a Morman missionary(I think), so he had a language advantage from the get-go. A prestigious(?) international lawyer. A somewhat famous TV actor - dramas at that! Married to a Korean. A little older now. At least two of those things are respected highly by many Koreans.
Citizenship? Maybe he thought he'd take what he thought he deserved and worked hard for or paid for or something? Maybe he really wanted to be a Korean? If our child chooses Korean over Cdn when the time comes, I'll respect that decision. I'm sure it wasn't the easiest decision for him(Harley) to make, but I bet it makes his life here a lot easier even if he's not a "blood" Korean. Many people have to make that decision nowadays as many nations are limiting or doing away with the dual-citizenship option.
Sorry, don't know if he has/had to do military service... |
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joe_doufu
Joined: 09 May 2005
Location: Elsewhere
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 4:32 am Post subject: |
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| Was he American? He probably changed his nationality so he wouldn't have to pay US income taxes. |
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denverdeath
Joined: 21 May 2005
Location: Boo-sahn
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 4:42 am Post subject: |
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| joe_doufu wrote: |
| Was he American? He probably changed his nationality so he wouldn't have to pay US income taxes. |
Yes, he was American. Good (pseudo)Christian boys don't do that kind of thing, do they? Then again, I guess there's nothing illegal in doing that, is there? |
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denverdeath
Joined: 21 May 2005
Location: Boo-sahn
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 4:54 am Post subject: |
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Sorry, Mashimaro spelled his name correctly as "Holley." I forgot about his hakwons:
http://kfs.gwangju.kr/index.htm
Don't know if they're respected or not.  |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 5:25 am Post subject: |
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| joe_doufu wrote: |
| Was he American? He probably changed his nationality so he wouldn't have to pay US income taxes. |
If so then he must be very wealthy. The first $76,000/yr earned abroad by US citizens is exempt from US income taxes. |
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denverdeath
Joined: 21 May 2005
Location: Boo-sahn
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 5:51 am Post subject: |
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| I'll bet he makes close to that much from his school alone...could be wrong though. |
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Hollywoodaction
Joined: 02 Jul 2004
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 8:27 am Post subject: |
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| kimchikowboy wrote: |
| Given the times I've been in a classroom of Korean teachers of English where none of them actually spoke any English, I would say it was a legit question. |
Good one. 
But I think it may also have something to do with the ridiculous notion that Korean is too hard for foreigners. |
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EFLtrainer
Joined: 04 May 2005
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| periwinkle wrote: |
| Do you think the teacher was joking? Really dry sense of humor, and it just fell flat? I just can't think of why the teacher would ask you a question like that! |
I can: must keep underling in his place.
Possible. |
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EFLtrainer
Joined: 04 May 2005
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 8:49 am Post subject: |
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| Hollywoodaction wrote: |
| But I think it may also have something to do with the ridiculous notion that Korean is too hard for foreigners. |
Yeah. I love the contradiction: Korean (or at least hangul) is the most scientific language (alphabet) in the world!! So.... why would it be difficult to acquire?
Of course, the whole idea that so many confuse the creation of the alphabet with the creation of the language... 
I once shocked a class by informing them that, yes, it is very impressive that the King and hundreds(?) of advisors created hangul, but don't you think it is also impressive that one Native American created the writing system for his language.... all on his own.... and he weren't no Harvard-educated Indian, neither? 
| Quote: |
| 1821-Sequioa introduces the written language for the Cherokee called the Cherokee Syllabary |
http://groups.msn.com/cherokeehistoryandcustoms
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Sequoyah never learned to read or write English... ...captivated by whiteman's... ..."talking leaves." He began work on developing a Cherokee writing system in 1809. ....Sequoyah became a recluse in his obsession to perfect the writing system. He endured constant ridicule by friends and even family members, who said he was insane or practicing witchcraft.
...Finally, after twelve years of labor, ridicule and abuse he finally reduced the complex language into 86 symbols, each representing a unique sound of Cherokee speech. In 1821, after a demonstration of the system to amazed tribal elders, the Cherokee Nation adopted his alphabet, now called a 'syllabary'. Thousands of Cherokees learned to read and write within a few years.
... 1827, the Cherokee National Council appropriated funds to print the first Indian newspaper published in the United States.
....The inaugural issue of the newspaper, "Tsa la gi Tsu lehisanunhi" or "Cherokee Phoenix", printed in parallel columns in Cherokee and English appeared on February 21, 1828."
...Indian people were freed from the bonds of illiteracy by a poor, crippled, uneducated and ridiculed half-breed. His single-handed achievement marks the only known instance of an individual creating a totally new system of writing. Today, his legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of his beloved Cherokee people. |
http://www.manataka.org/page81.html
Last edited by EFLtrainer on Sun Sep 25, 2005 8:59 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Cedar
Joined: 11 Mar 2003
Location: In front of my computer, again.
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| Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2005 8:53 am Post subject: |
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| Actually recent research suggests that Sejong may have created the alphabet on his own. Or at least with very little help. |
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