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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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 Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:17 am Post subject: Korean: see whitey --> speak English (to a Korean) |
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This happened twice last week, and I thought it was weird.
First incident: I was walking to my apartment door, and a few doors down the hallway there was this 30ish woman who spotted me (no neighborly wave or anything vulgar like that) as she was opening her own door. She got hers open first, quickly glanced at me again, and entered the apartment with a "Heeeyyyyyy!!!!" Do Koreans ever greet each other with "HEY!", or for that matter, enthusiasm?
I think that was for my benefit! 
Incident #2! A couple days later, I'm on the elevator with two other people. One of them, again a 30ish lass, gets off on the same floor as me. She did the only polite thing in that scenario, which is to walk two paces ahead of me to avoid conversation and hope I go the other way. Turns out, my apartment is directly across the hall from hers. So, as she's punching in the access code, she looks at me and says something about us being neighbors, and giggled a bit. I was like yep.. she opened the door and "HI!!" for whoever was inside.
I think similar things have happened before, like ajoshis saying "okay" or some other ubiquitous English utterance as I pass, but found these two incidents to particularly strange.
Q.
This thread is sponsored by the Department of Original Observations and Solipsistic Hearsay (DOOSH). |
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flotsam
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:30 am Post subject: |
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Every single motherfudgin' day.
I refer to us as walking conversation-starters. |
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Woland
Joined: 10 May 2006
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:07 am Post subject: Re: Korean: see whitey --> speak English (to a Korean) |
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| Qinella wrote: |
This happened twice last week, and I thought it was weird.
First incident: I was walking to my apartment door, and a few doors down the hallway there was this 30ish woman who spotted me (no neighborly wave or anything vulgar like that) as she was opening her own door. She got hers open first, quickly glanced at me again, and entered the apartment with a "Heeeyyyyyy!!!!" Do Koreans ever greet each other with "HEY!", or for that matter, enthusiasm?
I think that was for my benefit!
Incident #2! A couple days later, I'm on the elevator with two other people. One of them, again a 30ish lass, gets off on the same floor as me. She did the only polite thing in that scenario, which is to walk two paces ahead of me to avoid conversation and hope I go the other way. Turns out, my apartment is directly across the hall from hers. So, as she's punching in the access code, she looks at me and says something about us being neighbors, and giggled a bit. I was like yep.. she opened the door and "HI!!" for whoever was inside.
I think similar things have happened before, like ajoshis saying "okay" or some other ubiquitous English utterance as I pass, but found these two incidents to particularly strange.
Q. |
Jeeez, Q - They were flirting with you! |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:15 am Post subject: Re: Korean: see whitey --> speak English (to a Korean) |
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| Woland wrote: |
| Qinella wrote: |
This happened twice last week, and I thought it was weird.
First incident: I was walking to my apartment door, and a few doors down the hallway there was this 30ish woman who spotted me (no neighborly wave or anything vulgar like that) as she was opening her own door. She got hers open first, quickly glanced at me again, and entered the apartment with a "Heeeyyyyyy!!!!" Do Koreans ever greet each other with "HEY!", or for that matter, enthusiasm?
I think that was for my benefit!
Incident #2! A couple days later, I'm on the elevator with two other people. One of them, again a 30ish lass, gets off on the same floor as me. She did the only polite thing in that scenario, which is to walk two paces ahead of me to avoid conversation and hope I go the other way. Turns out, my apartment is directly across the hall from hers. So, as she's punching in the access code, she looks at me and says something about us being neighbors, and giggled a bit. I was like yep.. she opened the door and "HI!!" for whoever was inside.
I think similar things have happened before, like ajoshis saying "okay" or some other ubiquitous English utterance as I pass, but found these two incidents to particularly strange.
Q. |
Jeeez, Q - They were flirting with you! |
I don't think there are any lesbians in Korea... |
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Whitey Otez
Joined: 31 May 2003
Location: The suburbs of Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:17 am Post subject: |
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That's right, dude. You see me, use your best English.
And your neighbor will be your girlfriend in a few weeks if you play it a little cooler next time.  |
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bnrockin
Joined: 27 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:05 am Post subject: Re: Korean: see whitey --> speak English (to a Korean) |
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| Qinella wrote: |
I don't think there are any lesbians in Korea... |
Right of course not....Only people in the western world are born gay and lesbian, not Korea! |
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Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:16 pm Post subject: |
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| flotsam wrote: |
Every single motherfudgin' day.
I refer to us as walking conversation-starters. |
I actaully start talking to them  , that is if they didn't do it behind my back  . |
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Gwangjuboy
Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Location: England
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:46 pm Post subject: |
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It's actually very annoying. I remember waiting for a seat at a restaurant last week and two Korean girls suddenly started speaking in broken English. Middle school, and high school students do it often. I think they are trying to take the p-iss out of us when they behave like that. I am pretty sure it's malicious. It's even worse in the 당구장. Often some peasant like adjoshi (Cambodian farm hands are more socially developed)will start impressing his bum friends with "nice shot! nicee! okay okay! good play! On the subway I once questioned a couple of guys who suddenly started speaking in English.
여기요, 궁금한게 있어요. 아까 한국말로 얘기 하고 있었는데 왜 갑자기 영어로 얘기하세요? 외국인 앞에서 영어로 말하는게 재미있어요?
Excuse me, earlier you were speaking in Korean. Why did you suddenly start speaking in English? Is it fun to speak English in front of a foreigner? |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Gwangjuboy wrote: |
It's actually very annoying. I remember waiting for a seat at a restaurant last week and two Korean girls suddenly started speaking in broken English. Middle school, and high school students do it often. I think they are trying to take the p-iss out of us when they behave like that. I am pretty sure it's malicious. It's even worse in the 당구장. Often some peasant like adjoshi (Cambodian farm hands are more socially developed)will start impressing his bum friends with "nice shot! nicee! okay okay! good play! On the subway I once questioned a couple of guys who suddenly started speaking in English.
여기요, 궁금한게 있어요. 아까 한국말로 얘기 하고 있었는데 왜 갑자기 영어로 얘기하세요? 외국인 앞에서 영어로 말하는게 재미있어요?
Excuse me, earlier you were speaking in Korean. Why did you suddenly start speaking in English? Is it fun to speak English in front of a foreigner? |
Maybe because their teacher told them it is rude to speak another language in front of a foreigner who may or may not understand?
Think of it this way. If you were sitting with a group of friends and two of them suddenly started speaking Japanese to each other (assuming no one else in the group knows Japanese) wouldn't you think that was rude? |
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captain planet
Joined: 18 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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| roosterpunch yourself. it will make everything better. |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Gwangjuboy wrote: |
It's actually very annoying. I remember waiting for a seat at a restaurant last week and two Korean girls suddenly started speaking in broken English. Middle school, and high school students do it often. I think they are trying to take the p-iss out of us when they behave like that. I am pretty sure it's malicious. It's even worse in the 당구장. Often some peasant like adjoshi (Cambodian farm hands are more socially developed)will start impressing his bum friends with "nice shot! nicee! okay okay! good play! On the subway I once questioned a couple of guys who suddenly started speaking in English.
여기요, 궁금한게 있어요. 아까 한국말로 얘기 하고 있었는데 왜 갑자기 영어로 얘기하세요? 외국인 앞에서 영어로 말하는게 재미있어요?
Excuse me, earlier you were speaking in Korean. Why did you suddenly start speaking in English? Is it fun to speak English in front of a foreigner? |
What was his response? |
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flotsam
Joined: 28 Mar 2006
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 7:57 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
Maybe because their teacher told them it is rude to speak another language in front of a foreigner who may or may not understand?
Think of it this way. If you were sitting with a group of friends and two of them suddenly started speaking Japanese to each other (assuming no one else in the group knows Japanese) wouldn't you think that was rude? |
That's among friends--not on the subway.
And what do you really think the chances of the first paragraph actually happening are? Come on. |
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Satori
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Location: Above it all
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Gwangjuboy wrote: |
It's actually very annoying. I remember waiting for a seat at a restaurant last week and two Korean girls suddenly started speaking in broken English. Middle school, and high school students do it often. I think they are trying to take the p-iss out of us when they behave like that. I am pretty sure it's malicious. It's even worse in the 당구장. Often some peasant like adjoshi (Cambodian farm hands are more socially developed)will start impressing his bum friends with "nice shot! nicee! okay okay! good play! On the subway I once questioned a couple of guys who suddenly started speaking in English.
여기요, 궁금한게 있어요. 아까 한국말로 얘기 하고 있었는데 왜 갑자기 영어로 얘기하세요? 외국인 앞에서 영어로 말하는게 재미있어요?
Excuse me, earlier you were speaking in Korean. Why did you suddenly start speaking in English? Is it fun to speak English in front of a foreigner? |
Maybe because their teacher told them it is rude to speak another language in front of a foreigner who may or may not understand?
Think of it this way. If you were sitting with a group of friends and two of them suddenly started speaking Japanese to each other (assuming no one else in the group knows Japanese) wouldn't you think that was rude? |
I doubt any teacher would have said that, unless he was a complete idiot. There is no politeness in changing your language for a person who is not with your group. Inside the group yes, outside, no. |
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mindmetoo
Joined: 02 Feb 2004
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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| I more muse about the Korean Jesus freaks that think whitey = fundy Christian loser. |
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Gwangjuboy
Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Location: England
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| Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 10:34 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Maybe because their teacher told them it is rude to speak another language in front of a foreigner who may or may not understand? |
I think that's very naive.
| Quote: |
| Think of it this way. If you were sitting with a group of friends and two of them suddenly started speaking Japanese to each other (assuming no one else in the group knows Japanese) wouldn't you think that was rude? |
Then by the same token these Koreans who speak English would often in fact be offending many more people in the subway car who are Korean too but don't understand English. Do you seriously believe that they do it because they are worried about offending us when they have a conversation in their native tongue, in their own country? I don't think you believe that. |
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