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cuckoo for kimchi

Joined: 27 Jul 2006 Location: somewhere lost in time and space...or korea
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:32 am Post subject: Does anyone have ANYTHING GOOD to say about Korea???? |
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I am kind of new to reading these forums.....they are actually pretty interesting....nay....some down right hilarious......not just on this site...but a couple of others I have read. No one says anything good about Korea.
Granted I would not say my experience here has been always the most enjoyable all the time..(screaming kids that don't listen, boredom, loneliness, getting the occasioanl bout of the s^%ts, coffee being way overpriced...finding a good cup of coffee, haven't had good pizza since i have been here, getting stared at, people staring in my basket at Homeplus, living in a pathetically small one room,etc). It has not been all bad.
Somedays I love *"teaching"*, some days I hate it. I have been teaching an adult class...they have taken me out for drinks on many occasions, gone out of their way to take me places, helped me in situations where I need someone to translate---because I am a dumb foreigner who cannot speak Korean.
There acutually HAVE some good times had here (not in a bar).
PLEASE someone share good experiences....so as not to scare all the foreigners from coming here to *"teach"*
*I know---it is not teaching really, it's babysitting. |
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SuperFly

Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Location: In the doghouse
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:35 am Post subject: |
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During my first week in Korea I was lost in the subway (1995). I asked the first Korean guy I saw for help. He turned out to be Korean American and he hooked me up and was really cool about it. Nice guy, I was so shocked that he spoke perfect English...nice guy. |
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ChopChaeJoe
Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:44 am Post subject: |
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People are generally friendly to me. If not friendly, then at least tame and polite. If I need directions, someone is going to help me, probably even guide me to where I need to go. I like Koreans.
Now there are many things that bother me about Koreans.... but then this is not the place. |
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dulouz
Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Location: Uranus
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 7:44 am Post subject: |
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I have plenty of good things to say about Koreans and Korea.
Number 1 is shipbuilding. I'm an ole salt, I know a good ship when I see one.
There are more but I'll leave you in suspense. |
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seoulsista
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:13 am Post subject: |
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I think it's just not in people's nature to get on a board and say lots of positive things about Korea. I don't know that if it were any other place in question that people would get on and talk about it's positives either. Alot of people want to come here and gripe because they don't want to seem like an ass in front of all the people they know.
I had a good week. My school was off but I wasn't willing to pay the outrageous prices for a ticket anywhere so I went to a couple different parks, went hiking a bunch. Sometimes I am down on Korea but this week was great. I spoke to a bunch of different people in Korean and English sometimes a combination of both. Took some pictures , which is always strange but nice. But I am not going to come on here and talk about it because I know no one could care less. It's pretty mundane and not very remarkable and what response would people give me?
I did on the other hand see a guy beating his girlfriend from my window today. That's something I might post about. That's negative. But to come on here and say "I had a really nice conversation with an ajossi and ajumma about the four distinct seasons of Korea at the park today!" Yawn. |
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Son Deureo!
Joined: 30 Apr 2003
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:16 am Post subject: |
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There are plenty of good things to say about Korea, and Seoul.
Restaurants are so cheap that cooking is optional.
Healthier diet. I lost a lot of weight in my first year without even trying.
There's always a job available (at least for us). They may not always be the best in quality, and there are a lot of dead ends if you're thinking long term, but unemployment is never a serious concern.
Population density = convenience. You never have to walk very far to buy food, get snacks and booze, rent a video, or get any number of other things. Plus most things are open late if not 24/7.
Koreans police themselves. You may have to worry about getting cheated by your boss, but you won't have to worry about getting mugged on the street.
Great public transportation and cheap cabs. You don't need a car.
Because this is a small, compact country, there is a wide variety of easy weekend getaways that are very doable in a regular 2-day weekend.
Great vacation destinations within a $500 or so plane ride.
Low cost of living plus low taxes means easy saving potential. I save about $1000 per month, and I don't feel like I'm denying myself very much.
Women. Gorgeous women everywhere you look. Dating them has its pitfulls but damn are they nice to look at.
Most of these have been covered multiple times in other threads, but hey, you asked, so why not go over them again. Korea is definitely not for everyone, but there is a lot to like about it.
Don't take my word for it, come on over and see for yourself. |
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Grotto

Joined: 21 Mar 2004
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:19 am Post subject: |
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cheap and efficient public transportation
good food at very reasonable prices
kickass folk villages
nice beaches(cold oceans)
friendly and safe
you get to leave in a year  |
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W.T.Carl
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:44 am Post subject: |
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I truely enjoyed my last sojourn in Korea. Although I worked for a pirate, I was treated semifairly ( it helps if your a pro at what you do- they seem to respect that). Most of the people I dealt with were great, from the guy who ran the local Chinese place to the teachers and admin at the schools I was farmed out to. The beer was good and so the food. And the females were very interesting. Yes, I LIKE KOREA AND THE KOREAN PEOPLE. |
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dulouz
Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Location: Uranus
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:46 am Post subject: |
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Quote: |
Koreans police themselves. You may have to worry about getting cheated by your boss, but you won't have to worry about getting mugged on the street.
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I will dearly miss that. |
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SuperFly

Joined: 09 Jul 2003 Location: In the doghouse
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 8:54 am Post subject: |
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Son Deureo! wrote: |
Koreans police themselves. You may have to worry about getting cheated by your boss, but you won't have to worry about getting mugged on the street. |
You mean like in that k-movie where the child kidnapper-killer gets cut up into tiny peices by the parents of the kids?  |
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dulouz
Joined: 04 Feb 2003 Location: Uranus
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 9:18 am Post subject: |
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Quote: |
You mean like in that k-movie where the child kidnapper-killer gets cut up into tiny peices by the parents of the kids? |
I missed that movie but I'd kind of appreciate that going on. |
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Grotto

Joined: 21 Mar 2004
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 9:43 am Post subject: |
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Korea right...we are talking about Korean beer here? God you poor bugger! You must be American to think that swill is any good Korean beer is atrocious!  |
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Alan_Partridge
Joined: 24 Aug 2005 Location: in the posh part of town
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 9:46 am Post subject: |
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SuperFly wrote: |
Son Deureo! wrote: |
Koreans police themselves. You may have to worry about getting cheated by your boss, but you won't have to worry about getting mugged on the street. |
You mean like in that k-movie where the child kidnapper-killer gets cut up into tiny peices by the parents of the kids?  |
Ahh, you mean the "lady Vengeance" movie? I watched that recently, and have developed a major crush on the lead (lee young ae, i think?) she can cut me into pieces any day...
edit...I go through cycles of loving and hating this place, and at the moment I'm very much in love with Korea...can't put my finger on why, but I have mild panic attacks when I think of leaving, so something's working in my favour... |
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Roch
Joined: 24 Apr 2003 Location: Seoul
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:18 am Post subject: |
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Grotto wrote: |
:shock: :o :shock: :roll: Korea right...we are talking about Korean beer here? God :shock: you poor bugger! You must be American to think that swill is any good :lol: Korean beer is atrocious! 8) |
Grotto,
The United States has many more excellent beers than Canada. The mass-produced U.S. beers that many Canadians are fond of putting down are light lagers that were the result of rationing in hops in World War 2. Unfortunately for many Canadians and other critics of mass-produced light lagers, the end of the war did not bring with it the end of these light lagers.
Fortunately, there are many excellent beers in every state in the U.S. Canadians and others who think all beer made in the U.S. is of poor quality should try the ones made by the smaller and micro-sized breweries. |
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Grotto

Joined: 21 Mar 2004
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Posted: Fri Aug 04, 2006 10:42 am Post subject: |
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I have had some decent brews in the States. There was a really nice one that I had in New York State John...something or other
I was more in shock that anyone could call Korean beer 'good' Its pitiful! |
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