Korean Job Discussion Forums

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

Just a re-occuring thought I've had.. but don't you find Koreans to be a very serious people.. and it begins to rub off on you.. and you find yourself smiling less and less? It really becomes apparent when you go Southeast Asia for awhile.. and everyone is smiling and laughing and telling jokes and light-humored.

So do you think it rubs off on the foreigners living here as well? Are you becoming more serious or less serious and becoming more light-hearted or less light-hearted when dealing with others?

ALSO.. another thought.. after having been to Japan somewhat recently on a visa run.. (they are also quite serious people).. but as I rode the subways, etc.. I could also feel a tinge of depression and sadness in some of the faces of some of the people. Another thought, Koreans don't really laugh that much.. but I also seldom see looks of depression or sadness or anything else. Whats up with that?

Zyzyfer · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2003 5:04 pm Post subject:

A pal of mine came here to check out Korea, and he noted that everyone was frowning. I played the apology card for a while, but he just kept saying it and saying it and saying it. Finally, I took the dork out for kalbi and soju. That shut him up good.

In all seriousness, yea, there's a bustle here in the cities that I don't like. In Australia, for example, if I wanted to kick back and take it easy, society as a whole was more forgiving of my relaxation. Here, if I spend the day in the PC room, and anybody finds out about it, I feel like I've incurred the wrath of the Tiki God or something.

The Lemon · Joined: 11 Jan 2003

whatthefunk · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Location: Dont have a clue

In my hagwan, we have a wall with all the kids pictures on it and if they do their homework or something else good, they get a sticker by their picture. None of the kids are smiling in the pictures so I asked a coworker why they don't smile for pictures. She said that they were serious pictures because they involved school so it be 'unprofessional' for the kids to smile (god forbid a 7 year old be unprofessional). So maybe they don't want to have smilies just because it would be kind of silly for them? I don't know...

Zyzyfer · Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2003 5:48 pm Post subject:

What I find funny is that Korean people always say I look unhappy. That's funny as all get-out.

leeroy12 · Joined: 01 Jul 2003

Generally, I find it very hard to guess the emotions of my korean students here in London. While the girls will smile, giggle and chat about purile bullshit in a kind of mock, psuedo cutesy-happiness - it seems like they tend to keep their inner emotions deep within.

So they don't seem unhappy or happy, just neutral. This is in sharp contrast to the Latin Americans, whose culture dictates that they must display a polarised emotion at all times (with attached and communicable justification for these feelings).

I believe it's considered impolite, or childish to display your emotions - as if you don't it may seem as if you don't have them under control. Or something.

HardyandTiny · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

Every year you spend in Korea is a two years off your life. If you marry a Korean, each year with her is three years off your life. This is the stress center of the universe.
This is not the hub of east asia, it's the stress center of east asia.
Noone visits Korea.
Make some money and get the hell out of here. I'm staying here two more years to pull in the bucks and make some more money in the US stock market.
Get the hell out and travel, relax.
Malaysia, that place...anti-semitic, no Israelis allowed, you have to be kidding me!
I went to Pangkor a few years ago and it was the same dumb crap...Islamic prayers blasting over megaphones at various times of the day. They don't care what your belief is, they just blast out their belief.

Cthulhu · Joined: 02 Feb 2003

Tancred · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 3:02 am Post subject:

wasn't there some law passed in Singapore a few years ago that made it a misdemeanor if you were found frowning? T.

Tancred · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 3:49 am Post subject:

actually...you know what i think the problem is...and i'm sorry to always bring this up, because i do have many other interests...but i think that this disillusionment has a lot to do with the fact that there's such an insanely low amount of drugs in this country. And such a prejudiced attitude against them.

Maybe it's the crowd that i hang with...they're mostly adult students of mine and not exactly the hippest of the pack i'm sure, but they hold a steadfast condemnation of drugs in even their mildest forms. I thought this kind of closeminded conservativism only existed in scary feel-good Hollywood movies and Republican party conventions...but here it is in the flesh...these people condemn something that they've never even had the pleasure of partaking in...that's the problem as i see it. And to be honest, i just don't think they know any better. Granted, this is yet another generalization, but i can only be objective about what i can be subjective about since that's all i really know, so anyway...that's why i think they're so uptight...or that kind of attitude is conducive to take things seriously, i mean...

T.

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

kiwiboy_nz_99 · Joined: 05 Jul 2003 Location: ...Enlightenment...

Well, I've been here two and a half years and the longer I stay the less I know about the culture. but I have heard Koreans themselves talk about this. Isn't part of the culture to not show emotions in public or with strangers? No idea really, but word to Tancreds theory, this place could really use a massive injection disco biscuits and herbal remedies ... seen

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

I think Koreans do show a lot of emotion in public. You can see it daily. But then they are also reserved towards strangers and foreigners - perhaps most people are, not just Koreans. A lot of the emotion seems to be the unwanted sort, arguing or whatever, and all those demonstrations. And at sports events, especially international, the nationalistic feeling expressed can be weird as a foreigner. I agree it's a pretty stressful country, and they are not big on smiling or being warm towards people they don't know well. It seems more competitive here than anywhere else I've been.

canuckistan · Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2003 4:46 pm Post subject:

There are a few of us foreign teachers at our school and the teacher's room is a grim place indeed. We're always the ones cracking light-hearted jokes. Very little happy banter amongst the Korean teachers, everyone is so serious. Haven't figured this out yet.