Korean Job Discussion Forums

[chrisbacke]

So I'm left-handed, on my way to Seoul in the next couple of weeks, and a little scared. A couple different guidebooks make it sound like eating with your left hand (or doing anything with it really) is 'dirty' because of its supposed use in the restroom. I am a total lefty (eat, drink, etc.) - should I be worried? I've practiced eating with my right hand and it's not pretty...

Is it noticed when you're using your left hand, or it is one of those older traditions that's dying (but to keep up with a certain company)?

[RACETRAITOR]

Cut off your left hand.

[drkalbi]

I'm a lefty. I've lived in Korea for 5 years and no problems.

[ultra]

[joeyinasia]

I'm a lefty all the way. I haven't had a problem in six years here. Some books go overboard. Take them with a grain of salt...like anything.

[Spryguy]

I'm a lefty and my students actually noticed it today.

Once I told them that Albert Einstein was left handed, and that many Canadians were, they all started trying to use their left hand to show me they were too.

The kids are great, and pretty much anything you do they're going to love. Don't worry about the old Korean men, because they probably won't talk to you any more than they have to anyway.

[Trioxin_Failure]

Don't worry, this isn't the middle east and your left hand is not your wiping hand here.
Most koreans are actually quite interested and surprised to notice i'm right handed (though I've learned to use both in a pinch, but can oddly write better chinese characters right handedly while being unable to make those english letters at a decent pace in the same manner)
Left-handedness is becoming more acceptable here and they have stopped hitting you in the hand when you write that way like they did to me back in the 80's
You do have a higher chance of death however, 10-20% I think, but it's the same for left handed people in most of the world. Just watch yourself on the roadways

[discostar23]

I'm left handed and have this poor 5 year old n my class who is also. I say "poor" because his mother is forcing him to learn to write with his right hand. (geez what is this the 50's).

[lastat06513]

I'm a lefty
And the same is said about people who choose to work and live in the middle east, I didn't encounter any problems....

[mistermasan]

lefty here. in china it was cute. i'd be sitting in some dirt floored shop in a small village eating noodles/eggs/tomatoes and the little old ladies walking by would stop, gawk (as always) and sometimes they come in and take the chopsticks out of my left hand, place them in my right and watch me eat a few strands. it was funny to me. they'd be happy knowing they protected their country from the invasion of lefties and i switch the chopsticks back after they padded on down the street.

[moosehead]

i'm also a lefty - southpaw it's called in the southern u.s. - which brings up a chance to discuss different names for people's differences

it's just another topic you can add to talk about in a class that might be low level learners and need something to discuss. anytime i'm in a new class and catch a glimpse of a student using his/her left hand i point out that i am also left handed and smile, encouraging them to be proud of being different.

recently i had a first grader (elem) who could write - simultaneously - with both hands - !! wow - what a kid!!

LEFTIES RULE THE WORLD!! (others just haven't figured it out yet!)

[ernie]

"You're using the wrong hand!"
"At least i'm in the right mind!"

[smilesalot]

I'm left handed and haven't had a single problem. I had one students whose mom was trying to make him write right handed, but when ever the Korean teacher was out of the room I'd let him writing with his left hand ! I have a set of twins in my class and one of them is left handed and the other is right handed, their mom doesn't seem to have any problems with it. You're going to be just fine, trust me, the hand you write with is the least of your worries.

[Atavistic]

[smilesalot]

I hope they aren't mirror twins, one is a girl (the right handed one) and the other is a boy (the left handed one). I thought it was a little odd too, not just because of the left handed thing, but male/female twin pairs are very rare in Asian countries, but we also have a older sister/younger brother pair who are both left handed. Oddly enough, I have two set of mirror twin cousins (one set on my mom's side, one on my dad's) and a younger sister who is left handed. We're all well traveled and have never had any problems (though, none of us have been to the middle east yet, that would be interesting).