Korean Job Discussion Forums

[London10]

Thanks for the feedback in the 'if you actually like Korea' thread. I would be interested in knowing the things that you poeple in KOrea don't like about Korea particulary concerning Korean people. Even if overwelmingly you like Korea I would be interested in knowing the things you don't like.

[jajdude]

Well this whole board is full of things people dislike. It could be a bad job. It could be being isolated. It could be a number of things about living in a very foreign country, doing a job that is not so easy, dealing with a foreign culture and language. Specifically, it could be the way one feels as an outsider all the time. It could be the apparent lack of friendliness. It could be the inability to have a little chat with people everywhere anytime because English is scarce here. It could be feeling like you are on a different planet. It could be the strange food or lack of food you like. It could be homesickness, missing people back here you are from.

It's a lot of things, and all are (justiafiably) put forth on this board.

I don't know many people here. But I know no one who loves it. It could be the city one is in.

[tomato]

�� Duplicity. Parents and co-workers may not confront you personally, but they will complain about you to your director.

�� Ignorance in the area of foreign language pedagogy. You will be lucky if you can find an English school director who knows anything but business management.

�� Modesty. A guy can't go outside with no shirt on even in the hottest weather.

�� Lack of Mexican food. Taco Bell once tried to move into Korea, but they didn't do very well, so they moved back out.

�� Lack of classical music. Korean Broadcasting Service broadcasted classical music until recently, but they discontinued that--probably for the same reason.

�� Lack of respect for foreigners learning Korean. Some Koreans would probably insist on speaking English to you if you pointed a gun at them.

[Wangja]

[Dan The Chainsawman]

Tomato:

*�� Duplicity. Parents and co-workers may not confront you personally, but they will complain about you to your director. *

This happened to me all the time in the states. Being unable to grow a pair of balls and confront your coworkers or the teachers of your children over concerns you may have certainly is not a trait solely held by Koreans.

[crazylemongirl]

Lack of planning/Organization skills. In my experience, it's like pulling teeth trying to get Koreans to do things in a timely manner. This also leads to stuff getting foisted onto you at the last possible minute. Any forward plans can be changed at a moments notice. 'expect the unexpected'

Lack of 'personal space' this covers more than just the physical conception of it. When I go to the gym, I expect to be left alone. Not to have some adjuma come up and touch me, and tell me I'm doing it wrong (in their view). At work people tend to know all my business. For instance when I had a health check, everyone was all concerned over an irregularlity that ws picked up. Because the teacher left the results on her desk for all to see (after I handed it to her in a sealed envelope)

Getting certain aspects of the culture rammed down my throat. I've given up some of my time and money to go and learn Korean and lived in Korea for three years and yet I've lost count of the number of 'cultural field trips' I've been on to various anti-japanese/josen dynsaty places or heard about Dokdo. Honestly most of the josen stuff bores me tears, it's just not of any interest to me. However getting anyone to talk about the Korean collaberations during the Japanese era/Korean War/Park Jeong-Hui/the transition to democracy during the 80s/IMF which I find really interesting is met with a stony wall of silence.

Immigration, Immigration, Immigration. There is no clear information on how to get a visa and what the rules of the visa are. Clerks are often rude, and interrupt the regulations as they see fit. The e-2 visas suck. You are bonded to one employer for a year at a time. This gives a lot of employers way too much power to treat you like crap, since they know that you can't get a new job without their say so. Also having to get their permission for secondary employment is stupid. And having to bring in all this paper to re-new your visa every year is such a pain in the ass. Would be great if Korea moved to a system like Japan where you get a 'work visa' for more than one year at a time which lets you work anywhere.

[mysteriousdeltarays]

A silly one about their idea of how things must be done is how you eat or how you drink. Even buy a coffee they say oh too much water... well I like it that way... duh ... inflexible notions about personal tastes

[Lemonade]

1. I really don't like Korean food. It's some of the most repulsive food I've ever eaten in my life. I can't stand the fact that people put their chop sticks in their mouth and then share the same foods. Aren't you people concerned about diseases including tubuculosis?! I'll NEVER get use to that.

2. There is such a lack of good ethnic Mexican food. Once went to Itaewon and ate at a Mexican resturant that was totally run by Vietnamese .

3. There is a poor sense of manners from Koreans in general.

I start work and the boss doesn't introduce me around or give me a tour. Koreans can't say "excuse me." You come to class and say "hello, how are you" and your students look at you with a confused stare and no answer (I'm changing this in them slowly but surely). Koreans don't hold open elevator doors for you if you are running to catch them open. Korean drivers.... UGGGGG......GRRRR..... have to be careful on the streets and even the darn sidewalks, for crying out loud, because these rude people think they own the whole world and pedestrians are just nothing but potential speed bumbs. What posses a person to drive a car on sidewalks and then beep their horns loudly at pedestrians who are in THEIR way. They WILL run your ass over if you don't get out of the way. When carrying large packages people don't bother to help or open doors..... forget that. Did I mention that Koreans never say, "excuse me, I'm sorry?" I could go on and on about manners..................... NO manners.... impolite ..... VERY impolite!!!!!!!

4. Oh the expats here are generally a bunch of "f... ups" as my Korean friend likes to say all the time. Some of them need mental hospitals or they are off their medications..... truely insane. Some of them want to be just like Koreans and they think Korean culture is ALL that so they take this ATTITUDE against you because you come from the same culture as them..... go figure. The vast majority of them are alcoholics who need serious help from professionals. They see Korea as a heaven because it's socially acceptable to drink large sums and walk around anywhere with booze. So many expats don't fit the definition of a serious career professional AT ALL. So many of them are ugly inside and OUT. I could continue.

5. There is an unwillingness on the part of everyone to admit that you MUST rely on Korean friends for help with the most basic of needs. I'm very independant and I find this the most bothersome of all. I have to learn Korean but my class doesn't start until March. It will take years to learn and by the time I feel comfortable I'll probably be off to the Middle East (Dubai) or Taiwan or South America..... can't wait.

[Qinella]

[Tiger Beer]

[SPINOZA]

I like Seoul and my job a lot and am generally very happy, but the whole stuff about spicy food gets right on my nerves.

That's an understatement actually. This is a national problem. Something has just GOT to be done about this because even educated Koreans say things like "oh no, I don't think you'll like that, it's very spicey". Jesus Christ, educate yourselves about other countries for HEAVEN'S sake!! Your country is not the sole country on Earth that has spicy food. England has a lot of Indian people - certain curries would rip your head off! The USA has a lot of Mexican food and other ridiculously hot things - we have all, every single waegook in this country, eaten spicy food many times. I can even cook spicy food. My favorite dishes I cook back home are chilli spaghetti bolognese and chicken and cauliflower curry.

HOW MUCH F-ING CLEARER DO YOU WANT THIS?

Me and my friend are gonna get some t-shirts saying "OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE SPICY FOOD TOO!" in Korean on them.

We're so sick of it. Yesterday, me and two friends ate together 3 times - snack, lunch and dinner. On every single occasion we were warned about spicy food. Once, I was with a bunch of Korean teachers. One lady, lovely though she is, actually told the server to ignore my request for Bokumbap on the grounds that it'll be too spicy for me. I had to reiterate my desire for Bokumbap in the most ridiculous and unnecessary fashion. I know they're only trying to be helpful, bless them, but please...we need a national lobby, a program, educating the Koreans about spice. And no - I don't need or want a bloody fork thank you. I've been eating with chopsticks perfectly well for the last 10 minutes, why on earth would I suddenly require a fork? I know I'm rude, but I don't even use manners anymore when offered a fork. I just stare at Ajuma as though she's from Neptune and then casually shake my head. They're lovely people the Koreans and they don't mean to offend, but, blimey, I'm not a spastic.

[Qinella]

[Summer Wine]

[indytrucks]

[tomato]

Thanks, Qinella, my sentiments exactly!

For three hours a day, I am the head teacher in the four-year-old classroom in the kindergarten. So I should have a lot to say. But would any Korean ever listen to me? Why heck no!

When prospective customers come to my kindergarten classroom, I become an outcast. My Korean opponent--I mean assistant--wedges herself between the prospective customer and me.

When parents visit the kindergarten for holiday celebrations, they huddle together with the Korean teaching assistants and leave me stranded.

After all, what can I possibly say that is worth listening to?