Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jaganath69]

Since today is the first free Saturday I have had in some time, my Masters coursework being finished, I decided to take my 6 month old son downtown for a walk to grab a book and give his mum a well-earned break. Being a nice day, I opted for the bus. First bad choice, it's a school day and the nearby girls' middle and high schools were kicking out. We got on the crowded bus, I had my son in a sling on my chest and headed for the back of the vehicle, what with it being crowded. All the seats were occupied by high school kids and none of the little oxygen thieves would give up their spot for me. Now I don't want to turn this into a rant on Korean kids, teens in my country hold no virtue on good behavior and I would gladly strangle a few. But what kind of self-centered, f#cked-up b@stards do they breed here? I've been taught from an early age to give up my seat for nursing mums, the elderly and the incapacitated. These sh#te-brained morons continued jabbering like gibbons and playing their obnoxious ballads on their hand phones without regard to myself or the two elderly women standing there.

One more thing. Touching babies. I know things are a bit more relaxed here and I don't mind the odd stranger coming up and having a touch as long as they kind of establish their presence first, but when it's done by a random teen who is out of my line of sight and she grabs my sleeping kid's leg and tries to yank it she will cop and earful, if not more. What is more, the silly b#tch was wearing a patch for pinkeye, a condition contracted from having faeces particles in your eye. Do you honestly think I'm gonna let you touch my kid if you are suffering from a malady that is the result of rubbing the contents of your or someone else's bum in your face? No wonder I grabbed her wrist and put it into a lock. Dirty, filth rude little buggers. I hope there is a war after I leave and you all get a lung full of anthrax or sarin and expire in a slow, painful manner.

End of rant.

[CentralCali]

I was with you until this bit:

[jaganath69]

[indytrucks]

[The_Eyeball_Kid]

Kids don't give up their seats here because their parents give their own seats for them! There have been countless times I've seen this happen on the subway. In fact, I once saw one mother demand that her daughter stand up so her princely little son could sit down.

In all my born days, the notion of my sitting down whilst my mother was standing, or anyone older than me was standing, is not one I could possibly conceptualize without an insane giggle at the topsy-turviness of it.

Confucians?! I *beep* 'em.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I took 8 Korean high school girls to Canada for a week and it was hilarious to watch them ambush little white kids. In fact it started at our lay-over at Narita Airport with a little Australian boy. And yes, in one park they even got a couple with a stroller. It's also a fantastic way for them to practice simple conversation skills.

My friends' little white kids sure got a lot of attention that week. I did have to put a stop to their constantly stuffing food in the little kids' faces, however.

[jaganath69]

[bijjy]

I'd be mad if I had a child and strangers randomly touched him/her too. I think part of the reason ppl do that more in Korea is, kids are thought of as more a 'community-raised property.' You know, the whole 'collectivist culture' thing. Kids run around on the street unsupervised, and spend so much of their time being raised by other people (hagwon teachers, taekwondo teachers, piano teachers) that Koreans think of kids as everyones' kids. But in our western, individualist cultures, we feel more protective ownership over our kids and feel more threatened when strangers invade our / their space.

[Major Kong]

I understand your anger. I'm pissed just thinking about youngsters "playing" with my child. Older Korean people do care about young ones. Next time, grab the offensive ones and say "An-Day!" or slap their hand away without assaulting them.

[indytrucks]

[CentralCali]

My sense of humor is fine and dandy. I don't see the humor in wishing a horrible death on an entire population.

[Kimchi Cowboy]

[shaunew]

When I have my son out, I let no one touch him. I don't care if it's an 80 year old grandma. I don't know if they are sick or where their hands have been. They could have been touching some chicken or fish and not wash their hands and get my son sick.

[SuperFly]

Jaga, maybe it's because I haven't had any children yet...but I wouldn't let a random Korean or otherwise come near my child. Anyone (regardless of intention) with an incoming extremity would be duly stopped by using any means neccessary, period.

[Ilsanman]

I said this before, and I was told I was overreacting.

My wife and I are having a daughter in about 1-2 weeks, and we're going to have a big problem with this. Especially in Bucheon, the home of the nosiest ajummas and ajosshis in Korea.