Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Newbie]

First of all, let me just say that I do not mean this message to disrespect anyone and I am not trying to slag Korea, I completely love living in Korea ... but ...

I just finished my first year and I'm coming back for another. Korea has been a blast ... a complete party.... I love drinking to 8 in the morning ... I love Korean women hitting on me like there is no tomorrow ... but (and I am sure that I am wrong) is not this country complete bullocks?!? Honestly, I would love if y'all prove me otherwise, but as far as I've been able to tell, this country is so weak. Nothing rare that makes this country unique. As far as I've been able to tell this place has done its best to grab the best of the US, Japan, and China, and tried to make its own place.

First, lets speak on the fact that they owe their very existence to the US and the UN, yet there are so many here that completely hate the US (@#$%, doesn't anyone in this country study history??)

Second, they seem so completetly insecure ... come one, grow some balls and stand up for something!!!

Third ... stop the physical abuse of women in public (yes,yes, in private too)

Two years ago I was looking into going to Japan to teach Englishh because I was fascinated with Japan ... their history, their honour, their whole unique culture ... for economic reasons I decided to go to Korea instead ... I don't regret this, but it seems to me that Korea has about 1/82 of the culture that Japan has to offer. No honour, no pride, nothing about them seems unique at all!

Honeslty, I would love for some of you 5year+ guys to come and prove me wrong ... and as such, where can I actually learn more about the more honorific side of Korean culture. Please help me

[tokki]

Maybe Im just way off base here, but it seems to me that if you did less drinking till 8 in the morning and less wh*ring then perhaps you would have been able to learn more about Korea and the culture. Are you one of those foreigners who cant say more than hello, bye, thanks and pass the soju in Korean despite having spent a year here?

[Newbie]

DUDE!!! First off: I hate the goddam whinners that spend time in Korea, have nothing good to say about it and yet stick around.

Second, I know more Korean than you gave me credit for ... I can have a decent conversation ... well, decent in my mind, but I'm sure the Koreans find it funny.

Third, yes, I spent too many nights drinking till 8 in the morning.

Fourth, I like your arogance and sarcasm, can you please actually try to answer my question about where I can go to find some decent insights into Korean culture... thanks.

[ryleeys]

Buy a book on a wide variety of topics,
Visit some temples,
Visit a museum,
Ask a Korean friend to show you cool stuff,
Get on a random bus and see where it takes you.


Sound fair?

[Newbie]

Buying a book sounds good. But I might have too many books as it stands.

Visiting temples was fun about the first or second time, then it got a bit reduntant (sp?)

The museums were alright, but nothing mind blowing.

Still gotta try the Korean friend thing.

Random bus sounds fun ... but not so sure how that will help me learn more about their culture. I'll give it a try though.

Thanks for the advice

[ryleeys]

My guess is that if you have read books, visited temples, and been to museums, you're either doing the wrong ones, or your opinions about Korea aren't going to change.

Just try and look a little deeper... not everything that Korea has is borrowed from elsewhere. I'd say they borrow the same percentage as other countries including China and the US... there's quite a bit of native development in Korea.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

Borrowed culture is not really an issue, you could say nothing white america has done was unique to america because they are all immigrants from Europe, but that's kind of meaningless as they have been there a long time and developed a culture of their own.

For example, Buddhism originated in India, but has been here a long time and probably there is a higher per capita rate of buddhism here than in India now, as India has the massive popularity of Hinduism to complete with Buddhism. Korean Buddhism has developed a uniquely Korean flavour sinse coming here thousands of years ago.

Have you looked into Pansori and other tradition music and dance forms?

Have you been to Insa Dong and checked out the art?

But my biggest recommendation for getting more of a cultural experience is to learn the language.

[Mr. Pink]

[ryleeys]

A few points:

Korea does owe some of its existance to the US and UN, but I should also point out that Korea is a divided country because of the US and USSR.

History lesson of the day:

Koreans are considered Tangusic people... in the times before "civilization" and such, the Han people were migrating from the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers to the south (Chinese mostly, but some Southeast Asians are Han)... meanwhile, you saw a horde of Tangusic people that streamed out of Manchuria and down across the Korean penninsula and eventually into Japan, displacing the native Ainu.

Additionally, the Japanese owe a fair amount of their knowledge of Buddhism to Korea as well as China. During the introduction of Buddhism during the 7th century, specifically at the Hyuru-ji (Spelling?) temple in 623, the Japanese only knew that one buddha existed. Then, they began studying that Koreans didn't die of small pox and the Japanese did... well, the Koreans prayed to the healing buddha. So the Japanese built the Kyuru-ji temple and began making "mandaras" that would show all the possible buddhas that did and could exist. I also believe that the idea of a fukukenjaku buddha (the one with a thousand arms that show all the different aspects of buddha) came from Korea to Japan.
This of course isn't to say that Japan is based on Korean culture, it isn't.

All of the nations of East Asia have shown a tremendous ability to interact and share ideas while maintaing very distinct and different (and extremely vibrant) cultures.

Finally, yes, Koreans are rude to strangers and spit and it is a serious "fault" (by western standards) of Korean culture. But have you ever met a people that are nicer to their friends? Only 10 weeks into my contract and I've practically been adopted by two families. Plus the two restaurants that a frequent on a regular basis, the owners are unbelievably polite to me.



Look deeper son, look deeper.

[kiwiboy_nz_99]

[Mr. Pink]

[Tiger Beer]

[tomato]

Hello, Newbie!

Let me ask you a very general question: what are you interested in?
Here in Korea, there is more than one person can possibly encompass in one lifetime, so we will have to narrow it down.

I'm interested in music, especially children's songs. One of the first things I did was go to the library and start collecting kiddy songs.
When children wander into my classroom between classes, I show them how to play the easiest songs on the xylophone. I have started to learn to play these songs on Korean folk instruments, but I haven't had much time.

Of course, this might not be applicable to you if you aren't interested in children's songs. But if you have any interest which could be pursued in a foreign country, by all means, pursue that interest here. I have a friend who is quite a gourmet cook. If you serve her anything Korean or otherwise, she could tell you not only the main ingredient, but all the ingredients in the sauce. She seems to be happier than most foreigners in Korea.

Rocks and minerals? They have rocks and minerals in Korea!
Trees and flowers? They have trees and flowers in Korea!
Fine arts? They have fine arts in Korea!

Whatever your interest is, look it up in the library, and you will stay constructively occupied for a long time.

[On the other hand]

[toomuchtime]