Korean Job Discussion Forums

[LexLibra]

Here's what I don't get: why are Koreans obsessed with having the exact same thing all of the time, with absolutely no variations allowed? My Honey always gets seafood salad when we go to this take-home buffet. So I offered to make him seafood salad at home. He refused to eat it because it wasn't exactly the same as the kind we get at the buffet. I got to thinking and he has done this before. He refuses to eat hamburgers off the grill because they don't taste like McDonald's hamburgers. We went to Uno's once and he didn't eat the pasta because the sauce didn't taste exactly like the kind I use at home (which is Prego, so he doesn't distinguish between quality variations, he's just upset because it's not EXACTLY the same). To be fair, whenever he makes kimchi-jjigye or anything else, it always tastes exactly the same (which makes me marvel). So my question is this: has anyone else noticed this in Korean friends/SO/spouses before? If so, what is at the root of it? Why would he eschew a far superior home-grilled burger because it doesn't taste like a pre-fab McD's one? Why snub quality because it doesn't match the crap you usually eat/buy/get? Help me out here.

[Wrench]

Meh who knows its Korea.

[Corporal]

[tomato]

LexLibra, I'm that way too.
I seem to be a victim of the Asperger syndrome,
and I have read that this is a common trait among Aspies.

Could it be that your mate is also an Aspie?

[Satori]

[Qinella]

[LexLibra]

Please don't hijack my thread. I'm no Korea-hater. But in fact I believe I am asking why this preference for sameness permeates Korean culture, from "couple outfits" to every company man wearing the same suit with the same shoes/haircut/winter coat/glasses, to so many halmonie wanting the same tight-curl perm, etc. And now I have noticed that my Korean husband only eats food that tastes exactly like what he has been exposed to before. You can see where this leaves me as wife and cook. I cannot produce a hamburger that tastes like McDonald's (nor would I want to), and I am sorry that he is shutting himself off from trying something new and better. My big picture question was: why? And have you noticed the same thing? No need to assume I am bashing Koreans with my question.

[Qinella]

Didn't say you were Korea bashing... Ah.. I asked if you were generalizing based on one person, which is a pretty incredulous thing to do. So, the answer is yes, then?

[ella]

Have you tried http://www.topsecretrecipes.com/home.asp? You can actually get the same taste for a lot of fast food and commercially made food.

[LexLibra]

Quinella, I was asking YOU if you had similar experiences. I wasn't making any statements. So you have not, and don't think this kind of thing is endemic? I will therefore accept that only my husband and a few people who are referred to as "Aspies" have this trait. Glad I asked.

[plattwaz]

Yes, I have noticed the sameness of Koreans -- the things you mentioned, as well as other things, which of course at 7am as I get ready for work, escape me. But I do spend a lot of time rolling my eyes about it.

It's annoying, but I'm just glad I do not have to fit into that mold -- that's my conclusion every time.

As for your husband, well what we do at my house is that one of us cooks. You don't want it, don't like it -- make your own!

[Qinella]

[princess]

I guess what you are experiencing is no worse than Americans who can't go to Korea until they find out that YES THERE IS A BURGER KING THERE!!! I wish I had a million bucks every time an American asks me that. Also, some Koreans can't board a plane at Incheon without their HUGE boxes of ramyon. hahaha!!!

[dogbert]

[RACETRAITOR]

My woman is actually very adventurous when it comes to food. When we visited Canada for three weeks, we only went to a Korean restaurant once, and she ate only the Chinese and Japanese food that was there. So it leads me to ask:

Why are ALL Koreans so adventurous?