Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

OK. I am tired of trying to hide it. I admit I lived in a trailer--and while I have never been snooty enought to call it a mobile home, I have never particularly bragged about it. But I'm tired of the subterfuge.

Before that, I lived in a converted chicken coop. It was well converted, so I don't think anyone could tell unless they were told. But it had been a chicken coop.

My bottom end was the three weeks I lived in an abandoned caboose. No lights. No electricity. No running water. No 'facilities'.

Whew! I feel much better having gotten that off my chest.

RACETRAITOR · Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea

Are you kidding? That just gives you street cred. And you have Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles to thank for that.

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

"Trailer trash"?? Uh-uh - not me... There were times though when I could charitably be described as "organic tent garbage, having lived in a "backyard tent settlement" of vegetarian street sadhus and cultural revolutionaries for a couple years...

I've also lived in a room connected to stables for show horses for a couple months, in a fancy conversion van, in a small pick-up truck with a camper top, and (briefly) in a tool shed adjacent to a hippie boarding house.

Of course, for many years I lived in ashrams at Krishna temples around the world (always sleeping on the floor...) Sometimes I'd sleep in the temple room or in adjacent nursuries housing sacred tulasi plants (who could even tolerate my snoring...)

laogaiguk · Joined: 06 Dec 2005 Location: somewhere in Korea

The Great Toad · Joined: 12 Jun 2004

When I went to ma Edermacation Callage skool I done lived in a Trailer. And I am dag burned Smarter than most any of you gall burned hippie gopher grease smokers.

numazawa · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Location: The Concrete Barnyard

Converted chicken-coop? Hey, don't knock them, I've seen some nice ones. Did you know that a guy who grew up in one of those went on to start up the magazine "Wired"?

vox · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Location: Jeollabukdo

We just had a really messy apartment hallway. And a hooker who lived next door for a while until we called the social workers on her for starving her kids. Actually we had 14-yr old crackheads climbing over our balcony walls to get to her place. Sometimes my dad and I would chase them off with broomsticks or bats. It was a family sport, sort of the way other families go out and play softball.

Sorry I know that's not close but I had a great laugh writing and reminiscing.

kermo · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 12:08 am Post subject:

I used to live in an 80-year-old three story with 7 other people, in a neighbourhood known as "Hell's Half Acre." The professions on that street consisted of "Working Girl," "Thief," "Pimp," "Dealer," "Welfare Mom," "Failed Gigalo," "Beleagured Landlady" and then there was one fella, an ex-soldier, who actually had a tax-paying sort of job in a garment factory. I was there as a missionary/relief working for the kids in that area, and it was the friendliest neighbourhood I ever lived in. They kept some weird hours, but they always had time for a good ol' chat on the porch. Sometimes they would anoint me with rum.

canuckistan

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

Which is worse, living in a trailer or living in your parents' basement?

Which of those is more common?

Which gives you more street cred?

Which are people more likely to admit?

and why?

Trailer dwelling to me sounds like a matter of broader circumstances, and if you grew up there, what are you going to do about it? It's home. And they pull trailers together and make little enclaves, neighbourhoods, with streets, where the mail gets delivered, and people meet for activities & there's a community. And I would think they live a lot lighter and less resource-wasteful on the land, too.

Parents' basement dwellers... lazy, feckless & stupid, no? And there's the whole troll-like existence. "She lives under the stairs". Why don't they live above-ground like the rest of humanity? Or the rest of their family? Those people upstairs, where there's presumably a bedroom the basement dweller can use.

vox · Joined: 13 Feb 2005 Location: Jeollabukdo

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

"Which is...", "Which of..." ,"Which gives..." "Which are..." - Why not just admit that you're on a "which" hunt, J.Guru?

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

numazawa · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Location: The Concrete Barnyard

Well, just let me say, I've been down since I began to crawl. If it weren't for bad luck, you know, I wouldn't have any luck at all. Hard luck and trouble have been my only friend, and I've been on my own ever since I was ten. I can't read; I never learned how to write. My whole life has been just one big fight.

Wine and women are all I crave. Indeed, I should not be surprised if a big-legged woman is going to carry me to my grave. Yes, if it weren't for bad luck -- real bad luck -- I wouldn't have any luck at all.

Rteacher · Joined: 23 May 2005 Location: Western MA, USA

Yeah, I think the term "trailer trash" generally is used as an ethnic/regional slur, and specifically refers to "redneck" types with perceived low morals with respect to sex, drugs/alcohol. Many Koreans probably see EFL teachers as "apartment trash"...

There will be less stigma on people living in their parents basements/garages/attics as student loans keep getting more expensive and and decent paying jobs keep getting harder to find...

Paula Jones embodied the concept of trailer trash - and the Republicans have capitalized on their considerable numbers and stupidity... Chris Elliot's character in "Get a Life" set the standard of excellence for parents' garage loft-dwellers ...