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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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kimchi_pizza
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Location: "Get back on the bus! Here it comes!"
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 Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 7:07 am Post subject: |
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In reference to "O'bama's" Irish ties....
it's full of stars:
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Can someone please explain how a country like Ireland, small and relatively powerless on the global stage, has so many relatives.
Is everyone in the world related to an Irishman? Are the Irish the Borg or something? |
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=138281 |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Sat Dec 06, 2008 7:38 pm Post subject: |
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several great quotes by sojourner1 on a thread about the lack of creativity in Korea:
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I too clearly know too well what the OP is saying, but the contrasting part is Korea is opening its' mind to new ideas, new challenges, and overall change. This largely has to do with what its' government puts it up to do with the English education and technological development which is for economic purposes; not cultural. Korea is a collective that goes along with its' government and corporate programs as well as the traditional ideology of Confucianism though it's no longer studied or practiced in temples. Despite all these changes coming about with the intent of putting Korea in a position to make money, it can and will continue to change in ways both bad and good. If you look at it, mom and dads time period of growing up in 1950's seems similarly bland, boring, and less developed culturally speaking. Korea has taught me a lot about how it used to be in America in some ways good and other ways just badly behind so it's boring after you've got 3 to 6 months under your belt.
Some people do love the simplicity, low crime rate, and lower level of confrontation so they end up marrying Korea or staying many years. I'm not sure how you carry a friendship on a personal level, what you get out of said friendship, and how you actually become a functioning satisfied member of this society, but the few white guys I know married to Koreans marry women who are smart, more culturally developed, educated, and who have traveled. I've had one regular friendship, but it ended up being based only on his interest to learn English and western ideas such as how my logic is different than Koreans. He was fascinated with trying to learn how to think outside the box as an individual to better understand English, but couldn't do it since he's not really genuinly interested on a personal level as this is only an attempt to advance into a professional career opportunity.
During our beer hof talks, I talked him into doing a 3 month study abroad in London since he mentioned traveling abroad to learn more English, but was terrified to leave Korea for fear the food and language situation might be intolerable. He went 3 months after I gave him links off the internet to Korean orgs and restaurants in London and the US. He went to London since it's more concentrated and an in your face experience. He came back middle of this year and claimed Korea is boring, but he must come home to get a job since he had just graduated as an engineer at 35 years old. What he was doing was not to be a more free man than your average Korean nor have Western friends, but to increase his chances at a good job since it takes English ability to get a good job in Korea even though they may never use it. English is one of the modern Korean merit systems criteria to achieve professional career status. Talk about a boring perspective Koreans are living.
While Korea is one the very most technologically advanced small countries, it's culturally deficient or simply behind. They can build a car, but they can't have relax with a good sense of humor. 3 nights ago, I was in a typical hole in the wall jiggae sit on the floor Korean restaurant with my school as well as people I've never seen before and some sort of auxillary blue collar worker who does work for the school was sitting in front of me with his wife and I noticed she was fighting him for the bottle of soju. I watched for a few seconds as she fought to pour it for him as he was drunk and trying to pour it himself so I couldn't help, but to start laughing as it was funny. I said, "That was really funny, have you had enough?" She gave me a cold serious look, didn't admit the situation, nor laugh it off like a westerner would so I laughed some more, but the couple didn't acknowledge anything had happened as they were super embarrassed. I seen it no reason to be embarrassed, but a funny instance of being human that should be laughed off. They were actually super tense and serious at an informal evening dinner that ended up being a soaked drinking party I didn't want any part of as it's boring to party in a plain white light sit on the floor restaurant with no music drinking the worst quality of alcohol so I Just drank water and nibbled and talked very little as no one sitting around me knew any English, at least they didn't acknowledge.
Most Koreans tend to not carry the capacity to be best friends on a very personal level like you could carry in many other countries in my experience nor even engage is small talk with strangers, but if Koreans live outside of Korea, then can be just like anyone else. Those who have traveled or lived outside of Korea tend to have more developed ideas like humor, friendship from a western perspective, adventurous ideas, creative problem solving skills, and understand how non-Korean people think and do as individuals.
The bland empty people running like operative units of a collective is what makes Korea so hollow and boring. It gets mentally tiresome to live in such isolation for longer periods of time with no sense of community nor social life on a daily basis with strangers who stay strangers who always remain as cold as robots. It's like robots with mortal human bodies who bottle up their angers, fears, real personality, personal thoughts, and fail to be individuals. Only the kids, who are often joyful, optimistic, friendly and like to say Hi, keep me going in this environment, but kids do not satisfy my need in living life as a functioning individual in a functioning compatible community. Korea is indeed only for the Koreans while we're invited to teach English, not be warmly accepted into their society and communities. This is a job, not a really fun and warm experience that keeps my heart captivated though some Koreans try to be respectful and welcoming to us since they know it must be a lonely road in a strange country that feels cold as ice. |
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DaveMcK
Joined: 22 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:13 pm Post subject: |
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| Hanson wrote: |
| BRawk wrote: |
Almost 4 years ago now, I sent my first cash transfer back to canada at 770won/1$ to cover bills and to build some savings.
Today I transferred at the rate of 980won/$1! That's horrible! Effectively I have taken a hit of almost 25%!!!
It's not the same deal it used to be. Newbies should be aware that they won't be saving the same kind of dough that people who were here in the past did. |
To which whatever replied:
| whatever wrote: |
| [img]http://mr.troligt.com/leet/dawson-crying.jpg[/img] |
Brilliant! |
I keep coming back and looking at this. Holy shitballs, it's phuckin hilarious. |
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yingwenlaoshi
Joined: 12 Feb 2007
Location: ... location, location!
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| Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2008 8:15 pm Post subject: |
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| DaveMcK wrote: |
| Hanson wrote: |
| BRawk wrote: |
Almost 4 years ago now, I sent my first cash transfer back to canada at 770won/1$ to cover bills and to build some savings.
Today I transferred at the rate of 980won/$1! That's horrible! Effectively I have taken a hit of almost 25%!!!
It's not the same deal it used to be. Newbies should be aware that they won't be saving the same kind of dough that people who were here in the past did. |
To which whatever replied:
| whatever wrote: |
| [img]http://mr.troligt.com/leet/dawson-crying.jpg[/img] |
Brilliant! |
I keep coming back and looking at this. Holy shitballs, it's phuckin hilarious. |
Companies haven't caught up. |
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Are they the lemmings
Joined: 15 Feb 2007
Location: Not here anymore. JongnoGuru was the only thing that kept me here.
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| Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:05 am Post subject: |
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| faunaki wrote: |
| I'm a lady so this is my advice - wear your best colon and dress up nicely. A good colon can weaken most women. |
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IncognitoHFX
Joined: 06 May 2007
Location: Yeongtong, Suwon
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| Posted: Mon Dec 15, 2008 4:25 am Post subject: |
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I can't find the thread, so I can't quote it exactly. I read this at work and laughed so hard I had to sneak out of my office for a bit until the giggle fit was over.
In this post, the OP was wondering if it was okay to date one of his High School students. Another poster wrote:
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| Get on it like a rat in a drainpipe before some pink wearing fag does |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Wed Dec 17, 2008 4:49 am Post subject: |
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From the Taking the job seriously? thread:
| Silk wrote: |
My first year was at a decent hagwon.
2nd year was at a good P. H. S.
I'll never ever teach at a P. H. S. again. People warned me about the students not learning anything, but I said I didn't care(which I don't). However, I didn't realize how much I'd care about wasting my breath in front of the class.
I'd rather dig my own grave than dig a hole for no reason. My third and last year will be at a hagwon, the hours, peace of mind, and student interaction trumps vacation/workload for anyone who is human. |
Smooth as silk! (I'm gonna use that expression. It perfectly says how I feel on the matter.) |
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Hanson
Joined: 20 Oct 2004
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| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2008 9:42 pm Post subject: |
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From http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=143242&sid=b929c2582b820d3f82dd3020dafabce9
"I've been thinking Religion is a bad idea"
| RACETRAITOR wrote: |
It really shouldn't affect your religious beliefs if you find that priests are molesting boys, or that the majority of Christians seem to be less moral than non-Christians. All that should really matter is whether you think there's a cloud somewhere where an old man who is binded to a long-haired hippie and a ghost is sitting and watching humanity, occasionally intervening in humanity when it suits their interests, and that this three-person being has existed as is since before the universe began. If you don't believe that, maybe Christianity isn't for you.
There are other religions, but when you take a step back and look at Odinism, ancient Greek religion, Hinduism, etc, you start to see just how arbitrary all of these religions are.
Also, don't read anything Rteacher posts. Your sanity will thank you. He only posts on here when he's not at the airport trying to give people weird literature or shaving his head so there's only a little ponytail on the back. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 3:14 am Post subject: |
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on the thread about Koreans' thinking about dogs and cats being around pregnant women and children under age 5
| Faunaki wrote: |
| Ks have no idea when it comes to animals. The only thing they know how to do is eat them. |
 how true! |
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champagne@caviar
Joined: 08 Dec 2008
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| Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 4:47 pm Post subject: |
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alas, i didn't save who said it, i just preserved the quote. apologies:
"As you may or may not know, I am a foreigner--unemployable and useless in my home country--and I have come here to suck off the nipple of Korea in my state of absolute wretched hopelessness. Being lazy, drug-addled and a chronic alcoholic predator of Korean women, I have been incapable of upgrading my education. A beef eater, I have grown horns and talons and moo at the moon at night. All is lost." |
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Faunaki
Joined: 15 Jun 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 7:14 pm Post subject: |
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| Are they the lemmings wrote: |
| faunaki wrote: |
| I'm a lady so this is my advice - wear your best colon and dress up nicely. A good colon can weaken most women. |
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I don't see why that's funny. I meant every word of it. |
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GreenlightmeansGO
Joined: 11 Dec 2006
Location: Daegu
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| Posted: Tue Jan 06, 2009 8:12 pm Post subject: |
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I'm glad you stick by your colon comment. May you be regular and pass pleasantly-shaped stools. I wish I could be so lucky. Some Korean food destroys my best colon.
PS. Look up the word 'cologne'. You may also want to look up the word 'colon'. |
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VanIslander
Joined: 18 Aug 2003
Location: Geoje, Hadong, Tongyeong,... now in a small coastal island town outside Gyeongsangnamdo!
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| Posted: Wed Jan 14, 2009 1:59 am Post subject: |
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Stated in response to a poster who mentions that posters griping about korean cars seem to be motivated more by a general bad attitude toward Korea than by specific criticisms with Korean cars:
| IncognitoHFX wrote: |
| I don't read Dave's nearly as much these days because it makes me feel like I have a storm cloud over my head. |
I agree. And this is a great way to put it. |
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postfundie
Joined: 28 May 2004
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| Posted: Sat Feb 28, 2009 12:56 pm Post subject: |
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This one is from the "guys with Korean wives" thread
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martinpil wrote:
I mean you can at least havea proper conversation with one from home, can't you?
Who the hell has proper conversations with any women? |
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the_beaver
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 4:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Faunaki wrote: |
| Are they the lemmings wrote: |
| faunaki wrote: |
| I'm a lady so this is my advice - wear your best colon and dress up nicely. A good colon can weaken most women. |
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I don't see why that's funny. I meant every word of it. |
cologne: a person's sense of smell is made happy.
colon: a German porno star's sense of smell is made happy. |
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