Korean Job Discussion Forums

[vox]

Do you know how to? If so, are you glad or do you regret it?

I knew I'd appreciate being able to respond. But I had no idea the numbers I'd encounter in my little town in Jeollanamdo. As soon as I became versed, it's like a veneer disappeared. I'm learning that most of the locals get quite foul-mouthed at night and start up with people over nothing.

That's funny but it's also annoying. Aish.

[Newbie]

I love knowing when they bad mouth me. Especially little kids, cuz ain't nothing quite like the looks on their faces when you let out a "ayyyy, sheekurah!".

Equally fun is embarrassing the kind high school girls who say "ooh, chal-seng-getda", with a "kumohwah."

[Mashimaro]

I haven't heard anything negative yet.. Occasionally I'll hear something positive. If you are fat you might hear people saying that, as most of us know Koreans like to state the obvious.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

It's a little like how sausages are made.. I think I'm better off not knowing..

Ken:>

[Satori]

[vox]

Well this is it..

since I've learned some stuff, I keep coming across instances where people say 'f**ker' (shipseya)for next to nothing (things like crossing someone's path ahead of them, that sort of thing, as happened last night and the other day) and I'm kind of regretting it because I'm ready to belt someone now. But at the same time, I'm kind of glad for the chance to respond. So I'm of two minds about it really.

[Moldy Rutabaga]

Four years, admittedly. I had a terrible day so I'm going to be cynical. I do know some Korean, but I'm not fluent and I can't overhear conversations. And I would still rather not know what people are saying about me than have my blood pressure raised all day.

Ken:>

[flakfizer]

The best place to overhear swearing is in a PC bang full of middle school boys playing the same on-line game. It's non-stop and I pity you if you are sitting in the midst of them.

[Demophobe]

[Homer]

[Wrench]

To be honest with you I love the language barrier.

[Privateer]

Look at the other side: how often do people around you talk about you politely using the honorific forms? Do you recognise it when they do?

Also it depends on the situation I guess. Co-workers or people serving you in a shop for instance will normally use polite forms when talking about you (even though 99% of the time they assume you don't understand). On the other hand, if for some reason strangers in a bar started talking about you using honorifics would seem overly formal - but I don't hang out in bars with Koreans a lot these days so I wouldn't know for sure.

[Hater Depot]

[quote[When you learn more, you will find they rarely say anything, and if they do say something, it's usually simply displaying a tendancy for over-generalization and stereotyping; a.k.a., ignorance.[/quote]

Heh. I was one the elevator a few days ago when some woman and her mother got on. Immediately the woman was like, a foreigner!, oooh I want to talk to him but I can't speak English.. oh goshdarnit, I should've studied harder.. then her mother was like, just try speaking Konglish, haha. Then it was my floor.

More on topic -- one of my students called me a *beep* in Korean last week because I made him change seats. Actually he is a really great kid, it was just one of those stupid, unthinking things kids can do sometimes. By the end of the hour he was definitely regretting it.

[vox]

edited