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| Does not studying Korean make me a loser if I plan to stay in Korea long term? |
| Yes |
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40% |
[ 17 ] |
| No |
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40% |
[ 17 ] |
| Depends |
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19% |
[ 8 ] |
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| Total Votes : 42 |
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| Author |
Message |
cj1976
Joined: 26 Oct 2005
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 Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 4:58 am Post subject: |
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| Obviously, knowing the language is a bonus, but I just think that some people would begin to expect more of me. I asked my wife if she wanted me to concentrate on learning Korean, but she preferred if I work and save instead. I think she understands the limited application of Korean compared to the time and effort. |
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candy bar
Joined: 03 Dec 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 6:28 am Post subject: |
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| cj1976 wrote: |
| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
| cj1976 wrote: |
| I personally don't think it is worth the time and money needed to become totally fluent in Korean. TBH, it would probably make my life more of a hassle as I would be expected to fall into line with some of the BS Korean social customs I try to avoid. Not knowing how to speak Korean frees me from the crushing obligations of Korean society. Also, I have no doubt my employer would suddenly find more work for me to do, and I would have to attend more mind-numbing 'meetings'. |
Now that is interesting, why would knowing Korean tie you to the "crushing obligations of Korean society" and what are those obligations anyway?
I know Korean and it has not limited me, in fact in Korea it gave far more options. Guess we all have different perspectives. |
The weddings, family functions, work meetings, kowtowing, ass-kissing, sitting-on-the-floor-drinking-soju BS I can get out of because I don't speak Korean well enough. You give Koreans an inch and they will take a mile! I guess you were really into Korean culture, but I am the opposite. |
Yes. This is another thing that turned me off from learning the language early on. Also, I hadn't initially planned on staying in Korea for much more than a year. A week before our wedding, the now in-laws, except for a few, and their friends had begun a verbal and written list of all the plans they had in store for the wife and I.
A near summarization of some of the thing:
Several different apartments we should choose from that they had picked out which they thought were suitable for us to go ahead and get a loan to buy~~~ The decision that we should probably have 2 children most important that the first should be a boy and the second we could decide which we wanted~~~ The importance that I should be at all their social functions of which I don't care for most of the time~~~ AND the BIGGY, drum roll *$>@!#%$ it would be 100% necessary that I learn Korean as fast as possible so I could become as much as possible like a Korean. To help out they were already setting me up with the aunts, uncles, cousins, friends of friends, etc., to do language exchanges for FREE.
One week after the wedding, and a short discussion with the wife about the BIG PLANS, my wife and I met up with some of these people during a holiday gathering and she solidly explained my views about the BIG PLANS. I understood enough of what she told them and managed to squeeze in a few Korean words that I knew to get the point across. Stay out of our (wife and I) personal life! Since then, we have enjoyed a happy marriage and everything has been going smooth. Now whether it's just a put on or not I can't say for sure, but it seems as though all of them like and now respect me for being my own man and standing my ground.
Personally and financially, without a doubt, taking the route of investing my time in ventures other than learning Korean has proven to be the better of the decisions for me. But I'm not saying this is the route for everyone.
Wife is as happy and snug as a bug in a rug. And me, well things are going sweet for the candy bar. |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:29 am Post subject: |
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| cj1976 wrote: |
| Obviously, knowing the language is a bonus, but I just think that some people would begin to expect more of me. I asked my wife if she wanted me to concentrate on learning Korean, but she preferred if I work and save instead. I think she understands the limited application of Korean compared to the time and effort. |
No worries.
I just did not and do not see this as an either / or (ie effort of learning Korean = less savings in terms of $$). I managed to do both and I am no superman!
To each his own and as I said, this is such a highly personnal issue that no one can be right or wrong with this. |
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candy bar
Joined: 03 Dec 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 8:44 am Post subject: |
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| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
| cj1976 wrote: |
| Obviously, knowing the language is a bonus, but I just think that some people would begin to expect more of me. I asked my wife if she wanted me to concentrate on learning Korean, but she preferred if I work and save instead. I think she understands the limited application of Korean compared to the time and effort. |
No worries.
I just did not and do not see this as an either / or (ie effort of learning Korean = less savings in terms of $$). I managed to do both and I am no superman!
To each his own and as I said, this is such a highly personnal issue that no one can be right or wrong with this. |
I agree. No right or wrong. |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 10:54 am Post subject: |
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| candy bar wrote: |
| cj1976 wrote: |
| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
| cj1976 wrote: |
| I personally don't think it is worth the time and money needed to become totally fluent in Korean. TBH, it would probably make my life more of a hassle as I would be expected to fall into line with some of the BS Korean social customs I try to avoid. Not knowing how to speak Korean frees me from the crushing obligations of Korean society. Also, I have no doubt my employer would suddenly find more work for me to do, and I would have to attend more mind-numbing 'meetings'. |
Now that is interesting, why would knowing Korean tie you to the "crushing obligations of Korean society" and what are those obligations anyway?
I know Korean and it has not limited me, in fact in Korea it gave far more options. Guess we all have different perspectives. |
The weddings, family functions, work meetings, kowtowing, ass-kissing, sitting-on-the-floor-drinking-soju BS I can get out of because I don't speak Korean well enough. You give Koreans an inch and they will take a mile! I guess you were really into Korean culture, but I am the opposite. |
Yes. This is another thing that turned me off from learning the language early on. Also, I hadn't initially planned on staying in Korea for much more than a year. A week before our wedding, the now in-laws, except for a few, and their friends had begun a verbal and written list of all the plans they had in store for the wife and I.
A near summarization of some of the thing:
Several different apartments we should choose from that they had picked out which they thought were suitable for us to go ahead and get a loan to buy~~~ The decision that we should probably have 2 children most important that the first should be a boy and the second we could decide which we wanted~~~ The importance that I should be at all their social functions of which I don't care for most of the time~~~ AND the BIGGY, drum roll *$>@!#%$ it would be 100% necessary that I learn Korean as fast as possible so I could become as much as possible like a Korean. To help out they were already setting me up with the aunts, uncles, cousins, friends of friends, etc., to do language exchanges for FREE.
One week after the wedding, and a short discussion with the wife about the BIG PLANS, my wife and I met up with some of these people during a holiday gathering and she solidly explained my views about the BIG PLANS. I understood enough of what she told them and managed to squeeze in a few Korean words that I knew to get the point across. Stay out of our (wife and I) personal life! Since then, we have enjoyed a happy marriage and everything has been going smooth. Now whether it's just a put on or not I can't say for sure, but it seems as though all of them like and now respect me for being my own man and standing my ground.
Personally and financially, without a doubt, taking the route of investing my time in ventures other than learning Korean has proven to be the better of the decisions for me. But I'm not saying this is the route for everyone.
Wife is as happy and snug as a bug in a rug. And me, well things are going sweet for the candy bar. |
I see a very heavy teaching schedule for you in your near future.
Commit or eject. Don't submit to the grey area. Hope your girl has a strong and forceful personality. |
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candy bar
Joined: 03 Dec 2012
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| Posted: Wed Jul 10, 2013 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Died By Bear wrote: |
| candy bar wrote: |
| cj1976 wrote: |
| PatrickGHBusan wrote: |
| cj1976 wrote: |
| I personally don't think it is worth the time and money needed to become totally fluent in Korean. TBH, it would probably make my life more of a hassle as I would be expected to fall into line with some of the BS Korean social customs I try to avoid. Not knowing how to speak Korean frees me from the crushing obligations of Korean society. Also, I have no doubt my employer would suddenly find more work for me to do, and I would have to attend more mind-numbing 'meetings'. |
Now that is interesting, why would knowing Korean tie you to the "crushing obligations of Korean society" and what are those obligations anyway?
I know Korean and it has not limited me, in fact in Korea it gave far more options. Guess we all have different perspectives. |
The weddings, family functions, work meetings, kowtowing, ass-kissing, sitting-on-the-floor-drinking-soju BS I can get out of because I don't speak Korean well enough. You give Koreans an inch and they will take a mile! I guess you were really into Korean culture, but I am the opposite. |
Yes. This is another thing that turned me off from learning the language early on. Also, I hadn't initially planned on staying in Korea for much more than a year. A week before our wedding, the now in-laws, except for a few, and their friends had begun a verbal and written list of all the plans they had in store for the wife and I.
A near summarization of some of the thing:
Several different apartments we should choose from that they had picked out which they thought were suitable for us to go ahead and get a loan to buy~~~ The decision that we should probably have 2 children most important that the first should be a boy and the second we could decide which we wanted~~~ The importance that I should be at all their social functions of which I don't care for most of the time~~~ AND the BIGGY, drum roll *$>@!#%$ it would be 100% necessary that I learn Korean as fast as possible so I could become as much as possible like a Korean. To help out they were already setting me up with the aunts, uncles, cousins, friends of friends, etc., to do language exchanges for FREE.
One week after the wedding, and a short discussion with the wife about the BIG PLANS, my wife and I met up with some of these people during a holiday gathering and she solidly explained my views about the BIG PLANS. I understood enough of what she told them and managed to squeeze in a few Korean words that I knew to get the point across. Stay out of our (wife and I) personal life! Since then, we have enjoyed a happy marriage and everything has been going smooth. Now whether it's just a put on or not I can't say for sure, but it seems as though all of them like and now respect me for being my own man and standing my ground.
Personally and financially, without a doubt, taking the route of investing my time in ventures other than learning Korean has proven to be the better of the decisions for me. But I'm not saying this is the route for everyone.
Wife is as happy and snug as a bug in a rug. And me, well things are going sweet for the candy bar. |
I see a very heavy teaching schedule for you in your near future.
Commit or eject. Don't submit to the grey area. Hope your girl has a strong and forceful personality. |
So how is it you see this heavy schedule?
So why do I need my girl to be strong and forceful?
My teaching schedule is about 20 hours per week. I do a couple of editing jobs each month. I have had this schedule during 9 years of marriage. Well yes she has a strong personality but it's not really necessary because I don't let others impose their will upon us. |
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