Korean Job Discussion Forums

[seoulunitarian]

I was just reminded by one of Patchy's posts in the General Forum concerning two all-time favorite insults of the Korea apologists (both Korean and foreign): (1) "if you don't like it, then go home", and (2) "most ESL teachers are only here because they would be working in Wal-Mart or McDs back home."

I really cannot understand why either of these seems to the apologists to be a viable insult. First, I wonder if anyone anywhere really likes everything about the culture they live in, even if it's their own. Almost every post I see on Dave's which is negative in tone is a complaint about one or many issues, but not about the whole Korean culture. I think everyone here could name at least one thing they like about Korea. The question is, does one have to like everything in a culture to remain in that culture, and the ridiculously obvious answer is of course not - its impossible to agree with everything.

The second "insult" is even more strange to me. I've always (1) looked up to people who try to improve their economic situation, and (2) have never though it insulting to work at minimum wage jobs. At least they're working. Never in a million years would I fault a Korean immigrant who moved to America, Canada, or Australia for a better job. I would look up to them. Ridiculing individual economic situations, when a person is working hard at whatever they do, is tantamount to ridiculing a handicapped person because they are handicapped. Some very educated, intelligent people do menial labor either of choice or necessity.

Anyway, can anyone here see the reasoning behind these insults? If so, let me in on it.

Peace,
Daniel

[PaperTiger]

Well, it's like this. Patchy is a troll...perhaps a foreign born, adopted, or educated abroad Korean. Getting re-integrated back into Korean society can sometimes be a tricky proposition, especially if you only LOOK like a Korean but can't think or talk like one.

Patchy's insecure, so he or she needs to say bad stuff about total strangers. I came to Korea because I was sick of working in a cubicle and dealing with the stifling idiocy of corporate culture and the havok it wreaks on people's personalities.

[Nowhere Man]

I'm not familiar with the specific situation you're referring to, but I think number 1 is a fair statement.

Everybody complains, and it's easier to get critical when it's not your culture, but some people take whinging to a professional level.

Of course, I wouldn't automatically assume someone posting a complaint falls into that category, but the industry (especially in the hagwons) is fraught with people not dealing well with life in Asia (Asia, not just Korea).

So, I just tend to ignore/avoid those threads/people.

That said, I think I did go through that kind of period when I first arrived. In a way, it's just a stage everyone goes through.

That that said, it's a bit tiresome when the next wave of newbies arrive and post the same age-old gripes.

It would be great if such issues were "stickied" so people could see that everyone's had a bad hagwon owner, been dong-chimmed, tip-toed through the soju flowers, faced fan death, and heard that chopsticks increase your IQ. Likewise, the stock apologist arguments would also get "stickied".

Many people who should leave do so. Imagine if everyone who hated the experience stayed...

I think number 2 is symptomatic of number 1. "I'm having a bad time with this, so the whole thing blows and everyone involved is a loser."

http://www.johnsesl.com/templates/reading/cultureshock/

[RACETRAITOR]

Among friends back home, I always hear people complaining about how immigrants don't do enough to assimilate to the host culture or learn the language. I always bring up the fact that we're not much better when we move to foreign countries.

If a Korean moved to your country and complained loudly while refusing to speak English, you probably wouldn't feel so great either.

[Satori]

[EFLtrainer]

It's also worth noting that the VAST majority of expats in the US, for example, have zero intention of ever returning to their home countries, while the percentage of "teachers" here in Korea planning to stay more than a few-to-five years or so, is an exceptionally small percentage of the total that come through. And ost of those married into the culture.

I think someone planning to make a life in a foreign country has a responsibility to learn the language.

[rothkowitz]

this got off-topic really quick....

My mum still says things like "slack arab" and "works like a black'.Actually the latter just means hard-working.

[seoulsucker]