Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SPINOZA]

Instead of moaning like a socio-racially weak creature born of malignant science, do as the Koreans do x2.

Koreans don't say sorry when they bump you? Neither do I, especially kids, as I literally push the little sods out of my way.

Koreans push and shove in the subway, on the street? So do I - barging through, literally vaporizing, stabbing and choking and burning and crushing and exterminating the subhuman feces that lies in my path. I will SMASH any resistance.

Sharpen those umbrellas, people. Pile into the subway as the rabble tries to exit with your numerous shopping bags.

[flotsam]

[Gwangjuboy]

I have on occasion found myself behaving in the same way. I literally push people out of the way when they walk in lines of six. I don't even look at them. The other day an ajoshi gave me no room on the pavement so I thrust my umbrella out in front of me (like a shield) and rammed it into him. I find it so frustrating that Korea's subway system is extremely modern but the majority of people who travel on it don't know how to use it properly.

[flotsam]

[djsmnc]

noobs

[tomato]

The same thing goes in the classroom.
If the other teachers arrive fifteen minutes before classtime, so should you.
If you run worksheets off the copy machine, that is all the preparation time you need.
Who do you think you are--spending more preparation time than anyone else and trying to be better than anyone else?

Forget about classroom activities. If you spend time planning games, songs, and manipulative activities, the director isn't going to appreciate it anyway.
If you buy picture books in the English bookstore, you're wasting your time and money.

What do you need all that fol-de-rol for anyway?
The textbook and the teacher's manual give you all the material you need.
If you think you can improve on the authors of the textbook, you are guilty of blasphemy.

You say that games, songs, and picture books are more fun than memorizing the textbook?
You're not here to have fun, you're here to please the director.

You say that games, songs, and picture books are more educational than memorizing the textbook?
You're not here to teach English, you're here to please the director.

[Real Reality]

[jinju]

I do that too. My 3 favorite targets:

1. The biggest idiots: standing in the middle of the door, but not getting off. Blocking people who do want to get off. Good thing is they are usually facing the door so putting a shoulder into them causes them to stumble forward. I try to knock them over. Hopefully they learn a lesson.

2. People who stand in the middle of the door when the doors open and try to get on before people have the chance to get off. Again, its fun to ram into them.

3. Idiots who stop at the op of the stairs or generally anywhere suddenly and impede traffic. The good thing is I have momentum on my side and I just keep walking through them.

Its a game. Its fun.

[Satori]

I did an experiment once. I was on the platform of a subway, at night, absolutely no one around but this one other guy, about 30 metres away, but walking right towards me. Heaps of space for both of use, and if we had both just taken a tinsy weensy step to the side we could have passed easily. But no, he continues walking on his direct line towards me, with heaps of time to see me and heaps of space. So it was experiment time. I just continued to walk straight also, and as we closed to ten metres still no change, so I sped up, two metres, no change but he'd looked me in the eye by this stage. One metre accelerate and drop shoulder, right into the chest, boom, one unhappy ajoshi, and one smiling social scientist...

[wowser]

I had one of those 'I hate Korea' days. They don't happen too often, but when they do.....

I was in a department store while sales were on. It was hot, people were being obscenely rude. Using the escalators was horrible as people would just stop and not bother to take an extra step forward. There were people standing, trying to use their cell phones right in the exit area. I tried saying excuse me (in Korean) but people were looking at me like I was from mars.

In the actual shopping area girls were walking around three abreast. It appeared that people were aiming at me trying to whack me in the boobs. At one point I snapped. I said to myself, the next princess or ajuma that refuses to move or who purposefully shoves me I am going to shoulder-ram. I am not violent- but I was mighty hacked off- violence seemed a good solution...

Then I saw her. In the distance, there was a stupid woman standing 1/4 of the way into an isle and not moving. I thought she was probably engrossed in a phone conversation, completely oblivious to all the people who had to move around her. Grrrr 'Princess in Prada'- she was my target. I put my head down and hit her with my shoulder. It *^&&%$ hurt. Turns out it was a mannequin....

[the eye]

Guys, I've been guilty of this type of 'when in rome' behavior, but what i've finally realized is that I had the whole concept out of whack. Furthermore, my intentions were not the same as them 'roman's', anyway.

What i mean is, Koreans don't WANT to smash into you, impede you. But what i'm reading here is that you all WANT to cause harm. You all want to "teach a lesson" in civility, community.
Sure we all realize that Korean operate under a different set of rules. Sure we all realize that foreigners are not the only recipients of selfish behavior. We are just the only people who refuse to properly adhere to this 'when in rome' behavior.

If we really want to act like Koreans, we would give way to those who are older, or those who are walking with companions, and those who are oblivious to their surroundings. That's what Koreans do.
Another hint...If they sense you looking at their approach, you've already signalled your yield. You lose.
That is how they act 'in rome'.


By intentionally using force against force, tring to change self-centered behavior, you've taken it to a new level....a lower level, you've now lowered yourself below the behavior you object to.

I'm not preaching. As I said, I'm also guilty of it. It's just something I've realized.

I've been trying to correct this with myself. There's no way you can win by doing the same. And if you think it makes you feel better, like a quick anger release, well, just wait until someone twice your size does it to you.

Not to mention the reputation we are building for ourselves.

[Neil]

As someone who finds it impossable to sleep on public transport, my subway peeve is the ones who can't spend a short journey without napping. Usually using my shoulder as a pillow.

On good days, I think, well they work/study long hours and probably don't get rest at home.

On bad days, I say, well it's their own fault for drinking soju/playing starcraft until 4am and a sharp nudge should stir them and avoid any possible drool on my shirt.

[Ilsanman]

I am exceptioanlly merciless when it comes to ajummas. I don't hesitate to bowl them over. I try to avoid the kids, since they are too young to understand and they are just copying their parents.

With ajosshis, I usually stick out my umbrella and they always move. Nobody wants an umbrella in the breadbasket.

[semphoon]

[seoulsista]