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Asking for directions...

 
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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994

PostPosted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 7:56 pm    Post subject: Asking for directions... Reply with quote

It's lunch hour here and I'm just killing time. Two students come in to the office. They actually live in the small town where I teach (most commute in from the bigger cities near here), so I thought I'd get some recommendations.

I asked which of the 7 or 8 chicken places in town is best. The unanimous vote was 위드 치킨 (With Chicken). All well and good. Now I don't have to sample each place.

Then I made my mistake. I asked where the place is located.

I now have 3 maps from 2 guys, all of them different. The one bank in town is located in three different places in relation to the one grocery store and one cop shop.

ARGGGG!
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BigBuds



Joined: 15 Sep 2005
Location: Changwon

PostPosted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 2:42 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've found that many Koreans have no sense of direction.

My wife is absolutely useless when it comes to giving directions. Our local convenience store is about 50 meters away and she always points in the wrong direction when she talks about it or tries to tell one of our friends where it is.


Last edited by BigBuds on Wed Sep 20, 2006 3:18 am; edited 1 time in total
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elynnor



Joined: 08 Feb 2006

PostPosted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 2:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

...

Last edited by elynnor on Fri Oct 06, 2006 11:21 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Ya-ta Boy



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994

PostPosted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 3:01 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
I've found that many Korean have no sense of direction.


Someone said Koreans relate to the physical world differently. I would be more open to this idea if someone would explain what this other way is. I'm still stuck relating to north, south, east, west, up, down, left and right. If there is another way it would be interesting to hear about. Until then, I'm mystified as to how the only bank in town can drift around in location when someone is trying to tell what is near it.
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Lizara



Joined: 14 Apr 2004
Location: Seoul

PostPosted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 3:05 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I love when you want to go somewhere and the only map you can find has no streets and nothing to indicate distances and is basically a big white space showing your destination above and to the right of the closest subway station, and somewhere below a Galleria...
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Return Jones



Joined: 06 Feb 2004
Location: I will see you in far-off places

PostPosted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ya-ta Boy wrote:
Quote:
I've found that many Korean have no sense of direction.


Someone said Koreans relate to the physical world differently. I would be more open to this idea if someone would explain what this other way is. I'm still stuck relating to north, south, east, west, up, down, left and right. If there is another way it would be interesting to hear about. Until then, I'm mystified as to how the only bank in town can drift around in location when someone is trying to tell what is near it.


I said that here: http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/korea/viewtopic.php?t=58788&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight=return+jones+north&start=15

Koreans navigate by landmarks, traffic lights, etc. From experience, north, south, east, west, mean very little to Koreans when giving directions. As I mentioned in my linked post, most of the world orients a map by putting north at the top, Koreans don't necessarily do this. They orient maps and directions by the way one happens to be facing (subway station neighbourhood maps). North, south, etc are not highly relevant to them. Not saying it's bad, but I must admit I find it a bit awkward sometimes. Interesting how so many place names in Korea use the n,s,e,w orientation, however. Perhaps it's a lost art. Anyway, I think that answers your query.
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djsmnc



Joined: 20 Jan 2003
Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

PostPosted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Don't ask people directions. They will blindly attack you.
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happeningthang



Joined: 26 Apr 2003

PostPosted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 6:34 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

djsmnc wrote:
Don't ask people directions. They will blindly attack you.


B..but ...How do they know where you are?
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