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Mr. BlackCat
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Location: Insert witty remark HERE
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 Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 4:23 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| eamo wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| winterfall wrote: |
I don't mind Itaewon, sometimes I just need a real burger. But I can't hang around there all the time. IMO, the people that do go frequently also do that with pretty much else in their lives. They hang around / do the most foreigner targeted locations / activities.
They either can't cope with or aren't willing to try to integrate themselves into Korea. They're also the ones that spend most, if not all of their time complaining about Korea. I wonder why they stay.
Just calling it the way I see it. |
Or they're used to cosmopolitan dining possibilities and aren't content with Korean, bad Italian, and poor imitation Japanese as their only options. |
Which leads us back to the above question.."I wonder why they stay."
Surely someone used to "cosmopolitan dining possibilities" doesn't have to scrabble with us uncultured peons for the jobs here. |
Because some people enjoy quality western food now and then, you wonder why they stay in Korea?
What a strangely harsh way to look at something..... |
Only that wasn't the complete context of the discussion.
We were talking about people who either can't cope with or refuse to integrate themselves into living in Korea. The observation was then made that in this case that they probably "aren't content with Korean, bad Italian and poor imitation Japanese food as their only options."
To which I merely pointed out that such people who refuse to attempt to cope with day to day living in Korea and who can only find Korean, bad italian and poor imitation Japanese food would probably be much happier elsewhere. It was not a statement that they SHOULD go, more of a question as to why they stay in a place that they (apparently) can't find good food in nor for that matter why they stay in a country they find unappealing.
Care to take first crack at the answer? Here I'll help you out. The answer is not likely be a significant other who happens to be Korean. I don't see too many Koreans (or for the matter people of ANY nationality) lining up to date someone who dislikes their country, food and people and who is not shy about letting it be known. Sure there are exceptions...but that is why they are exceptions. |
Let's summarize the above exchange that I already summarized and you denied happened:
winterfall: Foreigners who go to Itaewon do all foreigner things and don't integrate into Korea.
northway: Or maybe they just want the food there.
UM: If you want more than just the standard Korean restaurants you think you're too good for the rest of us and I wonder why you're even in Korea in the first place.
eamo: Uh, because people want to eat something other than Korean they should leave Korea?
UM: No no. The context was people who eat foreign food automatically hate Korea. Don't you get it? If you eat a burger once a month in a particular location of the city of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, then you cannot integrate into Korean society. I'm merely asking why they would live here. I'm not saying they shouldn't. Oh no. I'm just pointing out that they would be happy in a country other than Korea because they ate a burger one day. That's all!
So yes, I admit I misquoted you saying these people should leave. You simply wondered why they don't. Kind of like how Fox News wonders if Obama is a Muslim. In either case, you're suggesting that someone who chooses to eat something that is not strictly Korean is demonstratably not comfortable in Korea and thus might be happier if they left. If that's the case I think about 90% of Seoulites would be on the first planes out of here. You were agreeing with winterfall who made the giant leap from people eating in Itaewon--->only hang out with foreigners---->can't integrate into Korean society----> Are unhappy here.
And I also remind you and others, people are here for all sorts of reasons. The food might not be #1. Heck, the culture at large might not be up there on their list. What place do you have to judge them? Oh, you're not here specifically for the reasons I'm here and you don't act exactly as I do? GET OUT! Give me a break. No one on this board was the first foreigner in Korea, it's all been done. No other foreigner owes you anything.
Again, I have to ask: Would you go up to a Chinese person in SF and 'wonder' if they should go back to China when their eating noodles? Do you ask a Lebanese guy in Toronto why he doesn't go back to Lebanon if he's eating hummus? Do you question an Aussie in London if he's spreading Veggiemite on his toa.....Ok, maybe that last one. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 5:38 pm Post subject: |
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| Mr. BlackCat wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| eamo wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| winterfall wrote: |
I don't mind Itaewon, sometimes I just need a real burger. But I can't hang around there all the time. IMO, the people that do go frequently also do that with pretty much else in their lives. They hang around / do the most foreigner targeted locations / activities.
They either can't cope with or aren't willing to try to integrate themselves into Korea. They're also the ones that spend most, if not all of their time complaining about Korea. I wonder why they stay.
Just calling it the way I see it. |
Or they're used to cosmopolitan dining possibilities and aren't content with Korean, bad Italian, and poor imitation Japanese as their only options. |
Which leads us back to the above question.."I wonder why they stay."
Surely someone used to "cosmopolitan dining possibilities" doesn't have to scrabble with us uncultured peons for the jobs here. |
Because some people enjoy quality western food now and then, you wonder why they stay in Korea?
What a strangely harsh way to look at something..... |
Only that wasn't the complete context of the discussion.
We were talking about people who either can't cope with or refuse to integrate themselves into living in Korea. The observation was then made that in this case that they probably "aren't content with Korean, bad Italian and poor imitation Japanese food as their only options."
To which I merely pointed out that such people who refuse to attempt to cope with day to day living in Korea and who can only find Korean, bad italian and poor imitation Japanese food would probably be much happier elsewhere. It was not a statement that they SHOULD go, more of a question as to why they stay in a place that they (apparently) can't find good food in nor for that matter why they stay in a country they find unappealing.
Care to take first crack at the answer? Here I'll help you out. The answer is not likely be a significant other who happens to be Korean. I don't see too many Koreans (or for the matter people of ANY nationality) lining up to date someone who dislikes their country, food and people and who is not shy about letting it be known. Sure there are exceptions...but that is why they are exceptions. |
Let's summarize the above exchange that I already summarized and you denied happened:
winterfall: Foreigners who go to Itaewon do all foreigner things and don't integrate into Korea.
northway: Or maybe they just want the food there.
UM: If you want more than just the standard Korean restaurants you think you're too good for the rest of us and I wonder why you're even in Korea in the first place.
eamo: Uh, because people want to eat something other than Korean they should leave Korea?
UM: No no. The context was people who eat foreign food automatically hate Korea. Don't you get it? If you eat a burger once a month in a particular location of the city of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, then you cannot integrate into Korean society. I'm merely asking why they would live here. I'm not saying they shouldn't. Oh no. I'm just pointing out that they would be happy in a country other than Korea because they ate a burger one day. That's all!
So yes, I admit I misquoted you saying these people should leave. You simply wondered why they don't. Kind of like how Fox News wonders if Obama is a Muslim. In either case, you're suggesting that someone who chooses to eat something that is not strictly Korean is demonstratably not comfortable in Korea and thus might be happier if they left. . |
Not at all. And you are misquoting me again. I never said anything like "people who eat foreign food automatically hate Korea." I enjoy a unKoreanized burger here as much as the next guy.
In regards to the context I said quite clearly "We were talking about people who either can't cope with or refuse to integrate themselves into living in Korea." How does that translate into "people who eat foreign food here hate Korea"? Here I'll break it down for you. If you can't cope with living in Korea, then it's not just the food you will have trouble with but most other things. Coping is not just about dealing with different foods as you should well know. And it was COPING which was the thrust of my post. I even made food a different issue.
"To which I merely pointed out that such people who refuse to attempt to cope with day to day living in Korea and who can only find Korean, bad italian and poor imitation Japanese food would probably be much happier elsewhere."
The bolded part is what is important. And I will state here for the record that if the ONLY problem one has with living in Korea is the selection of food...that doesn't mean he's unhappy or should leave. I've spent nearly all my teaching career here in rural areas and there are times I've wished for a good Harvey's type burger or a pizza without a corn topping. Even a Indian curry would be nice to have. But the advantages so far outweight this disadvantage so I deal with it.
But getting back to the issue at hand I can (vaguely) see how you might have misunderstood. So to show you there's no hard feelings on my part, should we ever met in real life I'll be more than happy to stand you to a burger of your choice in the 'Twon'. Accept or decline as you wish. |
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Mr. BlackCat
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Location: Insert witty remark HERE
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 8:08 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Mr. BlackCat wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| eamo wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| northway wrote: |
| winterfall wrote: |
I don't mind Itaewon, sometimes I just need a real burger. But I can't hang around there all the time. IMO, the people that do go frequently also do that with pretty much else in their lives. They hang around / do the most foreigner targeted locations / activities.
They either can't cope with or aren't willing to try to integrate themselves into Korea. They're also the ones that spend most, if not all of their time complaining about Korea. I wonder why they stay.
Just calling it the way I see it. |
Or they're used to cosmopolitan dining possibilities and aren't content with Korean, bad Italian, and poor imitation Japanese as their only options. |
Which leads us back to the above question.."I wonder why they stay."
Surely someone used to "cosmopolitan dining possibilities" doesn't have to scrabble with us uncultured peons for the jobs here. |
Because some people enjoy quality western food now and then, you wonder why they stay in Korea?
What a strangely harsh way to look at something..... |
Only that wasn't the complete context of the discussion.
We were talking about people who either can't cope with or refuse to integrate themselves into living in Korea. The observation was then made that in this case that they probably "aren't content with Korean, bad Italian and poor imitation Japanese food as their only options."
To which I merely pointed out that such people who refuse to attempt to cope with day to day living in Korea and who can only find Korean, bad italian and poor imitation Japanese food would probably be much happier elsewhere. It was not a statement that they SHOULD go, more of a question as to why they stay in a place that they (apparently) can't find good food in nor for that matter why they stay in a country they find unappealing.
Care to take first crack at the answer? Here I'll help you out. The answer is not likely be a significant other who happens to be Korean. I don't see too many Koreans (or for the matter people of ANY nationality) lining up to date someone who dislikes their country, food and people and who is not shy about letting it be known. Sure there are exceptions...but that is why they are exceptions. |
Let's summarize the above exchange that I already summarized and you denied happened:
winterfall: Foreigners who go to Itaewon do all foreigner things and don't integrate into Korea.
northway: Or maybe they just want the food there.
UM: If you want more than just the standard Korean restaurants you think you're too good for the rest of us and I wonder why you're even in Korea in the first place.
eamo: Uh, because people want to eat something other than Korean they should leave Korea?
UM: No no. The context was people who eat foreign food automatically hate Korea. Don't you get it? If you eat a burger once a month in a particular location of the city of Seoul, the capital of South Korea, then you cannot integrate into Korean society. I'm merely asking why they would live here. I'm not saying they shouldn't. Oh no. I'm just pointing out that they would be happy in a country other than Korea because they ate a burger one day. That's all!
So yes, I admit I misquoted you saying these people should leave. You simply wondered why they don't. Kind of like how Fox News wonders if Obama is a Muslim. In either case, you're suggesting that someone who chooses to eat something that is not strictly Korean is demonstratably not comfortable in Korea and thus might be happier if they left. . |
Not at all. And you are misquoting me again. I never said anything like "people who eat foreign food automatically hate Korea." I enjoy a unKoreanized burger here as much as the next guy.
In regards to the context I said quite clearly "We were talking about people who either can't cope with or refuse to integrate themselves into living in Korea." How does that translate into "people who eat foreign food here hate Korea"? Here I'll break it down for you. If you can't cope with living in Korea, then it's not just the food you will have trouble with but most other things. Coping is not just about dealing with different foods as you should well know. And it was COPING which was the thrust of my post. I even made food a different issue.
"To which I merely pointed out that such people who refuse to attempt to cope with day to day living in Korea and who can only find Korean, bad italian and poor imitation Japanese food would probably be much happier elsewhere."
The bolded part is what is important. And I will state here for the record that if the ONLY problem one has with living in Korea is the selection of food...that doesn't mean he's unhappy or should leave. I've spent nearly all my teaching career here in rural areas and there are times I've wished for a good Harvey's type burger or a pizza without a corn topping. Even a Indian curry would be nice to have. But the advantages so far outweight this disadvantage so I deal with it.
But getting back to the issue at hand I can (vaguely) see how you might have misunderstood. So to show you there's no hard feelings on my part, should we ever met in real life I'll be more than happy to stand you to a burger of your choice in the 'Twon'. Accept or decline as you wish. |
Y'know, UM, I initially wrote in my last post that I bet you're a fun guy but come off as something else for me on this board. I erased it in fear that I seemed to be conceding the point but here you are actually proving that theory. Unless you're being sarcastic, in which case DIE HELL BURN! haha.
I still don't see the difference in what you wrote and how I took it but maybe that's the internet's fault. Let's agree to disagree...on the point that I'm right. haha.
You come off as sort of a phallus, but so do I. At least you stand by your point and can articulate it. It's almost like we're in this foreigner-type of area in Seoul where differnt types get to meet and exchange ideas in a friendly atmosphere. If only that area existed.
Keep up the pink bunny fight, man. |
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Mr. BlackCat
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Location: Insert witty remark HERE
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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double
Last edited by Mr. BlackCat on Wed May 25, 2011 5:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Mr. BlackCat
Joined: 30 Nov 2005
Location: Insert witty remark HERE
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 8:18 pm Post subject: |
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triple
Last edited by Mr. BlackCat on Wed May 25, 2011 5:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 9:03 pm Post subject: |
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| All this yelling about Itaewon and it isn't even about girls/prostitutes. A 14 page thread on Itaewon should at least have arguing over that. |
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northway
Joined: 05 Jul 2010
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 9:35 pm Post subject: |
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| Steelrails wrote: |
| All this yelling about Itaewon and it isn't even about girls/prostitutes. A 14 page thread on Itaewon should at least have arguing over that. |
The smallest red light district in Korea doesn't deserve too much attention. |
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crossmr
Joined: 22 Nov 2008
Location: Hwayangdong, Seoul
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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| But the fact remains, why do I need to explain why I go to a certain part of town at all? I don't care if you love Itaewon or hate it, I just don't understand (well, yes I do) people like you who have to belittle those that go there for whatever reason. |
Then why did you come here to explain it?
Where did I belittle anyone?
I belittled your list, not you.
The question was asked as to why some people don't like it, I don't think this is a mystery and it often comes up in any thread that mention itaewon.
Many people don't seem to enjoy itaewon for whatever reason. This kind of a list comes across as a "you'd be crazy not to love itaewon for all these reasons". But honestly for a lot of those things it's more inconvenient for me to go to itaewon then to get it somewhere else.
But again you go to try and cherry pick and example. Okay a bulgarian restaurant that serves rabbit, now does the chef have to wear blue jeans on tuesday as well for this example to fall only to itaewon?
I originally said "most" not all, I will admit that you can probably cherry pick a few examples of specific restaurants or something that aren't available elsewhere, but in the same vein you can probably cherry pick a few restaurants or venues that are only available somewhere else as well.
That list of things you can get is really only compelling if it's also a list of things you need. |
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murmanjake
Joined: 21 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Tue May 24, 2011 11:56 pm Post subject: |
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man oh man this thread's a doozy
All you Itaewon naysayers at least gotta admit that it's really not any dirtier than any other part of Korea. Unless by dirty you mean it has lots of foreigners. Then I guess you're right. |
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coffeeman
Joined: 24 Nov 2005
Location: Korea
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| Posted: Wed May 25, 2011 5:46 am Post subject: |
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Here's why people don't like Itaewon.
http://youtu.be/v2kIVScZaKo
At night you can see scenes like this. During the day, it's an okay place to eat and shop. |
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rainism
Joined: 13 Apr 2011
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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| they must be hating it an awful lot because this last weekend, I spent Sat night in Itaewon and it was 95% Korean on the street and in the outside restaurants and right around that percentage in the most popular clubs like B1 and Helios. (in B1, it may have been 98% Korean). |
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Zyzyfer
Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Indeed. Koreans are quite keen on the gentrification taking place and Itaewon is becoming "in." I don't particularly care but I hope it doesn't get too crowded. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 9:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Why do some people hate getting kicked in the teeth? |
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cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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| Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2011 10:10 pm Post subject: |
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I went to Itaewon on Saturday. I had a pretty good time playing darts at drinking double Jim & Cokes for 6,000. To be honest, after the 3rd or 4th drink, I could have been almost anywhere and still had a great time. To be bothered about Itaewon, Hongdae or any other place just means you're too busy worrying about what other people are doing. Itaewon does have it's fair share of tossers, but name me one area with multiple drinking establishments that doesn't. You just get different types of tosser.
So, relax, order a large one and have a good evening - wherever you may be. |
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Caffeinated
Joined: 11 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2011 4:32 am Post subject: |
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I go there mainly for the foreign food shops and restaurants, but the idiot ratio goes up on weekends. Streets are covered with trash and vomit on weekend mornings, and recently I encountered a Korean urinating on the open sidewalk instead of against some wall or behind a tree.  |
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