Korean Job Discussion Forums

Pootie · Joined: 02 Jun 2003

By DUDES! And I'm a guy...or are they just being EXTREMELY nice? I was walking to Haepjong station and it was raining and I asked him for directions, he gave them, and 30 seconds later he comes running up to hold the umbrella for me and walk with me the 1/2 mile it took to get there. It was barely raining, and I heard it's a common thing for them to do, but I started asking him basic questions just to pass the time, and his English was so/so...and I asked him how old he was, what do you do, etc...and he kept making it clear that he wasn't married, and I never asked him that, he seemed knda odd. Then, today, I was at the Subway (God whats with the rain?) and again I didn't have an umbrella and this guy sees me waiting under the overpass and hands me his umbrella so I can leave the Subway and he will get out of the Subway and have to walk in the rain. I'm chasing him down the stairs with my wallet open wanting to pay him and he wouldn't take a cent. I'm sure this guy wasn't queer, just amazingly nice, WOW!...the funniest part of the whole thing is I look down and the umbrella said Playboy on it with the big playboy decal. A local giving an American a playboy umbrella to walk with...how appropriate is that?

LiquidSunshine · Joined: 31 Mar 2003

my vote...just being nice in both cases.

Son Deureo! · Joined: 30 Apr 2003

They're not only being nice to you, but they are very worried about what the rain will do to you if you don't have an umbrella.

It's common belief that the acid rain of Korea will make your hair fall out over time. I've had people hand umbrellas to me out car door windows, and Korean friends NEVER let me walk outside without an umbrella if it's raining.

panthermodern · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Location: Taxronto

if the rain don't kill you the fans will.

Pootie · Joined: 02 Jun 2003

The second guy was a total gentlemen, probably the nicest gesture anyone has ever done for me. The first seemed kinda effeminate (not that an Asian Jesse Ventura has ever exhisted) The first guy told me 3 times he was single. Didn't really ask, and he was quiet.

Cedar · Posted: Thu Jun 12, 2003 4:02 pm Post subject:

Pootie,
it's just as likely he was mentioning his single status cause he's desparate to find a girl, and hoped you'd set him up with one of the thousands of Jennifer Love Hewitt look-alike girls that you work with.

tardisrider · Joined: 13 Mar 2003 Location: Seoul

Oh, no! That man just looked at me! He looked at me with those dark, sensual eyes! Like he's going to turn me into one of those good-for-nothing homosexuals! I'm not gay! I'm not! I swear I'm not! Look at him! Just look at the way he's peering into my soul! Oh, G/d, I think it's catching! Look at the way his big, muscular thighs are just ready wrap themselves around me! Oh, he's just the most disgusting thing I've ever had on my mind!

katydid · Joined: 02 Feb 2003 Location: Here kitty kitty kitty...

I wouldn't think much of it either, and as Cedar said, maybe he was hoping you would hook him up with someone you know, or something like that. Maybe he was also saying "Hey I am single so if you want to go to a bar to check out the scenery sometime, invite me!"
I once was waiting to cross the street to go to the bus stop near campus. It was raining just a little, but no big deal. This woman with an umbrella came right next to me and stood very close to me so I was underneath her umbrella. I didn't think much of it right then -- I thought she did that just because most Koreans lack a sense of personal space, but when the light changed green and I began crossing the street I noticed she was walking right next to me, making sure I would not get wet.
Nice gesture. Smile

kylehawkins2000 · Joined: 08 Apr 2003

I keep getting very open remarks made to me (in Korean AND english) about my ol' 'block and tackle' at the bathhouse/health club I go to. It's a little unnerving. They don't say anything bad......it just makes me blush. There is certainaly a very different ettiquette in such matters here compared with at home. I think that the locker-room ettiquette at home is probably a result of our collective homophobia. I certainly never received any compliments on my 'unit' back home.....and if I did I would have certainly been suspicious of the persons motivations....here I don't really think about it.......it's just different. My Korean (male friends) sometimes hold my hand or grab my inner thigh. I know they are not homosexual, but for me I feel a little uncomfortable.....I wish i didn't but I guess I'm just homophobic.....can't get it out of my system.....just ingrained in me from our f'd up culture I guess.

Pootie · Joined: 02 Jun 2003

yeah, I want to go to a bath house, but it's a little unnerving about the situation. Another thing about that, is that I'm from the states, the southern states, and right out of college...and I'm a guy. Another thing is, in the states, it's become become really popular for women to shave completely, and if you have sexual relations, it's become popular for men to do that as well, it's just a cleaner look, I guess. Am I gonna be looked at like I'm a freak, or is it popular to groom in this culture as well?

Cedar · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 7:47 am Post subject:

Pootie,
my good friend had a double pierced *beep*. He had a ring in the end and a stud through it from one side to the other. I am sure you could not get looks any more alarmed than he did when he went to the bathhouse!

For his first two years here he didn't use the bathhouse, despite wanting to, but then he got a hagwon job where they gave him a room with no bathing facilities, just a grungy hallway communal toilet. So, he had no choice, but he did try to hit the bathhouse on like Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and other really slack times.

jajdude · Joined: 18 Jan 2003

I've been hit on twice by gay guys in about 4 years in Korea. Now if only the females would try it more often. Wink

sparkx · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: thekimchipot.com

Pootie - They want ya man...they all want ya. Trust no one....Some of these Korean men may even have the strength to pull your pants down without their oma's help! Be safe.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

Tiger Beer · Joined: 07 Feb 2003

I can't count the number of times I've been caught in the rain without an umbrella.. and generally some Korean guy comes out of nowhere to save the day.. and 9 times out of 10 they'll take you to wherever you are going! - subway, across the street, etc.

9 times out of 10.. I think they'd do it to anyone.. but for some reason us foreigners seem to be caught without an umbrella significantly more often than a Korean.. not sure why.. but it seems to happen to me alot anyhow..