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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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NYC_Gal
Joined: 08 Dec 2009
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 Posted: Thu Oct 14, 2010 6:05 pm Post subject: |
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| Just start showing up late for meetings with a stack of papers in your arms to show that you've been "so busy" too. |
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Privateer
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Location: Easy Street.
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| Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 3:57 am Post subject: Re: "Korean Time" frustrations... |
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| jhicks99 wrote: |
I teach kinder at a hakwon in Seoul. We follow a loose schedule in that we basically have to manage how we teach our material over an entire day. There is only a schedule for special classes like gym. There are no Korean teachers at our school so it's all on us. Anyway, I usually save quite a bit of work for after lunch, I find time goes by much quicker when we're doing the whole learning thing. So I walk into class after lunch to see the manager doing one of those standardized tests with my kids (I was not informed of this). She tells me it will be 10 minutes, no biggie, I can squeeze in the work after that no problem. 20 minutes later (I am sitting there doing nothing all this time) I ask how much longer, she tells me just 5 minutes... After 15 more minutes the first student finishes, 15 minutes later the rest of the class was all done. My Friday's are insanely busy so I really want to get through our reading and writing today... but now I have all of 15 minutes left to teach, 5 of which is just cleaning up.
My point, she knew it was going to take longer than 10 minutes, MUCH longer, yet still told me 10 minutes. I notice this happening a lot when meeting Korean friends. I've probably spent hundreds of hours of the past year and a half standing at various subway exits (Sinchon exit 4, Hongdae exit 5, Gangnam exit 6/7 are all particularly painful memories for me, I'm sure you've seen me standing there at some point) waiting for people who are late. Almost every time, no matter who the person, "I'll be 5 minutes" is always an extra 15 minutes AT LEAST.
Am I the only one who notices how incredibly non-punctual a lot of locals are here and how they always completely underestimate how long they're really going to be? Is there something about Korean culture I don't know that causes people to have no concept of being on time or what 5 minutes really is?
The transportation system is remarkably reliable, it just baffles my mind as I always manage to always be on time and if I am late, I am fairly certain of how long it will take me to get there and always send a text or call as soon as I'm aware I might not be on time as a heads up.
Maybe I'm just venting, but this isn't an isolated incident for me, it happens nearly every freaking time... |
I automatically double any estimated time of arrival my s/o gives me. If it's 6 and she says she'll be there at 8, that means 9 or more likely 10. I've even told her she has this habit, but it's as if she can't help herself. It's the sort of mentality we all have when it's the boss demanding to know when the work will be finished - we all give unrealistic times because we think that'll please them. |
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kimdeal54
Joined: 28 Feb 2008
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| Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2010 9:29 pm Post subject: Re: "Korean Time" frustrations... |
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| redaxe wrote: |
| Young FRANKenstein wrote: |
| jhicks99 wrote: |
| My point, she knew it was going to take longer than 10 minutes, MUCH longer, yet still told me 10 minutes. |
This is not "Korean time". It's called life.
Try getting married and asking your wife how much longer she'll be getting ready to go out for dinner. "I'm coming down right now" translates to another 15 minute wait.
Not exactly a trait we can pin on the Koreans. |
Yeah honestly, given how un-punctual people in some other cultures are, I think that complaining about "Korean time" is really just looking for something to complain about. In the grand scheme of things, Koreans are not that bad about being late. Lateness is very, very low on the list of my complaints about the country.
If you think "Korean time" is bad, try "African time." |
Right.  And add Caribbean time to that too. |
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