Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mnhnhyouh]

I have noticed a few funny (not serious) little differences between the way things are done here and in the west, here are two examples...

In Korea you say "noisy" (시끄라) in the west we say be quiet or shut up (close your mouth)

Korean stock reports on the news have a red arrow for rising prices and a green one for falling prices.

Do you have any more like this, not things like slurping etc.?

h

[BreakfastInBed]

Maybe not quite in the same spirit, but I've been shocked at the number of people I've met whose family's dream is to sell their house and move into an apartment. Practically an afront to God for a midwestern American boy like myself. Really highlighted some fundemental differences for me.

[excitinghead]

[ryouga013]

Korea: Hazard lights can mean I am going to be speeding, staying still, or moving slowly.
West: In the west they mean "I have a problem with my car" usually.

Korea:Washing fruit very well >> not washing the hands your eating it with
West: Washing your hands >> not washing the fruit other than many brushing it off

Korea: order too much food at an expensive place, don't bring it home
West: order too much food at a cheap unhealthy place, then order more, go home sick.
(maybe this leftovers idea is related to the Japanese "Happiness is in the leftovers" saying)

[jay-shi]

One thing that strikes me is answering a negative question with a positive response and vice-versa. I know to expect it by now but it still confuses me to no end.

-So, Min Soo you didn't bring your textbook?

-Yes.

-So, you did bring your book?

-No, teacher me book no.

[DrunkenMaster]

Waving goodbye in the west: one hand making an up and down motion with the palm down.
"Come here" in Korea: same motion

Maybe not exactly opposites, but close.

Walking on the right versus walking on the left in stairs and hallways. The Korean government started a public awareness campaign to change it to the other side, although the little yellow feet telling people what side to walk on haven't changed.

[mnhnhyouh]

[ajgeddes]

[smurfetta]

In the west: The number nine is written like this: 9

In Korea: Many Koreans write the number nine in the flipped direction. I asked a student once why they did that and she told me that it was faster.

[Dome Vans]

I know a lot of Koreans here who crack their knuckles and fingers a lot. I asked them about it, apparently they said that it makes their finger joints stronger the more they do it. A common fact in Korea.

I mentioned in the West that doing that will lead to arthritis and when they get to the age of 50-60 they won't be able to pick things up.



That was the look I got.

[smurfetta]

A Korean colleague told me that I used my spoon differently from them.

Koreans: They scoop up food away from themselves.

Me: I scoop up my food towards myself.

[Ilsanman]

Sales say 90-20% off. We do opposite.

[victorology]

[jkelly80]

In regards to the left/right thing, my co teacher told me that the Japanese implemented the walking on the left thing during their occupation of Korea b/c that's how they used to walk in Japan.

The swords they used were apparently more suited to slashing away from the body rather than across as in feudal Europe, so the pattern of walking was styled off the feudal necessity of combat. I'm not sure if this is true, but the Japanese did walk on the left until after WWII, when they slowly switched.

Apparently this was rather ingrained in Korea, and it's been hard to shake. This is all from my co teacher, who is not an anthropologist, as far as I know.

[majolica]

the house thing is definitely wierd for me too... i have a hard time placing the economic level of my students because i can't figure out whether they live in apartment (good), apartment (bad), new house (good), shack (bad)... in my town the differences are very slight but very defined. some of the houses that i see look really nice and I wouldn't mind owning them, but apparently those students are "poor" for living there... same for apartments.

i don't think they do this in seoul, but the four turn traffic light is crazy! each side of the road in at an intersection gets its own turn at a green light, which means pedestrians only get one chance to cross the road in a turn... and although every car, scooter, bike and ajosshi with push-cart will blithely ignore the signals, all the pedestrians patiently wait like 20 minutes to cross the intersection. and stare at you like you're crazy for jaywalking.