Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Porter_Goss]

[Yaya]

Well, the saying goes that NEVER loan money you cannot afford to lose. If a friend asks me for money, I think long and hard and then loan him or her an amount that won't hurt me should I never get it back.

[Apple Scruff]

[VanIslander]

[Apple Scruff]

[Qinella]

[JongnoGuru]

Sort of off-topic, sort of on. I loaned a friend a decent sum, the equivalent of 400,000 won in today's money. (this was years before I came to Korea) On the day he was supposed to pay me back, he had me visit him at his apartment. I get there and he's got a bunch of his personal belongings laid out on display. A painting, turntable, watch, camera, etc. And then the spiel. He says he can get my money for me, but he hasn't been to the bank yet. Says he's had a life-long psychological problem with handing over money in repayment of debts. ( yeah, me too --> ) And he's asking me if I would please take something of his instead, all the items being worth more than the money he owes me. Weird, weird.

Very illogical. But as it happens, I was in the market for a camera, and the one he was offering in lieu of cash was worth much more (even used) than the money. Worth more than I could afford that was for sure, I was looking at much cheaper models. So I said give me the camera, I'll have a shop check it out, make sure it's in good working condition, and get them to offer me a price. If it's more than what I'm owed, I'll keep the camera. If not, I'm coming back and will want something else or my money. Deal? Shake.

The shop offered me, like, almost twice the money I was owed. I call my friend and say I'm keeping the camera, and does he want to know what they offered? No. He doesn't. It was enough for him that he didn't have to physically take money from his possession and place it in mine. How far do such nutters get in this world? That one's a fairly prominent television producer in Europe now.

[red headed stranger]