Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Ekaia]

I've been to over 100 cities around the world, seen things you've never seen, heard things you've never heard and met people you have never met.

Among all the cultures and people I've had the pleasure of encountering Koreans have got to be the most boring, plain, unadventurous, narrow-minded and LEAST creative bunch ever.

[caniff]

[jkelly80]

This thread is going to get totes ridics.

[PeteJB]

Please tell us about your 100 city tours.

[bangbayed]

*newbie yawn*

[Observe]

--

[gangpae]

You ain't never been to Lloydminster baby!

[sojourner1]

I too clearly know too well what the OP is saying, but the contrasting part is Korea is opening its' mind to new ideas, new challenges, and overall change. This largely has to do with what its' government puts it up to do with the English education and technological development which is for economic purposes; not cultural. Korea is a collective that goes along with its' government and corporate programs as well as the traditional ideology of Confucianism though it's no longer studied or practiced in temples. Despite all these changes coming about with the intent of putting Korea in a position to make money, it can and will continue to change in ways both bad and good. If you look at it, mom and dads time period of growing up in 1950's seems similarly bland, boring, and less developed culturally speaking. Korea has taught me a lot about how it used to be in America in some ways good and other ways just badly behind so it's boring after you've got 3 to 6 months under your belt.

Some people do love the simplicity, low crime rate, and lower level of confrontation so they end up marrying Korea or staying many years. I'm not sure how you carry a friendship on a personal level, what you get out of said friendship, and how you actually become a functioning satisfied member of this society, but the few white guys I know married to Koreans marry women who are smart, more culturally developed, educated, and who have traveled. I've had one regular friendship, but it ended up being based only on his interest to learn English and western ideas such as how my logic is different than Koreans. He was fascinated with trying to learn how to think outside the box as an individual to better understand English, but couldn't do it since he's not really genuinly interested on a personal level as this is only an attempt to advance into a professional career opportunity.

During our beer hof talks, I talked him into doing a 3 month study abroad in London since he mentioned traveling abroad to learn more English, but was terrified to leave Korea for fear the food and language situation might be intolerable. He went 3 months after I gave him links off the internet to Korean orgs and restaurants in London and the US. He went to London since it's more concentrated and an in your face experience. He came back middle of this year and claimed Korea is boring, but he must come home to get a job since he had just graduated as an engineer at 35 years old. What he was doing was not to be a more free man than your average Korean nor have Western friends, but to increase his chances at a good job since it takes English ability to get a good job in Korea even though they may never use it. English is one of the modern Korean merit systems criteria to achieve professional career status. Talk about a boring perspective Koreans are living.

While Korea is one the very most technologically advanced small countries, it's culturally deficient or simply behind. They can build a car, but they can't have relax with a good sense of humor. 3 nights ago, I was in a typical hole in the wall jiggae sit on the floor Korean restaurant with my school as well as people I've never seen before and some sort of auxillary blue collar worker who does work for the school was sitting in front of me with his wife and I noticed she was fighting him for the bottle of soju. I watched for a few seconds as she fought to pour it for him as he was drunk and trying to pour it himself so I couldn't help, but to start laughing as it was funny. I said, "That was really funny, have you had enough?" She gave me a cold serious look, didn't admit the situation, nor laugh it off like a westerner would so I laughed some more, but the couple didn't acknowledge anything had happened as they were super embarrassed. I seen it no reason to be embarrassed, but a funny instance of being human that should be laughed off. They were actually super tense and serious at an informal evening dinner that ended up being a soaked drinking party I didn't want any part of as it's boring to party in a plain white light sit on the floor restaurant with no music drinking the worst quality of alcohol so I Just drank water and nibbled and talked very little as no one sitting around me knew any English, at least they didn't acknowledge.

Most Koreans tend to not carry the capacity to be best friends on a very personal level like you could carry in many other countries in my experience nor even engage is small talk with strangers, but if Koreans live outside of Korea, then can be just like anyone else. Those who have traveled or lived outside of Korea tend to have more developed ideas like humor, friendship from a western perspective, adventurous ideas, creative problem solving skills, and understand how non-Korean people think and do as individuals.

The bland empty people running like operative units of a collective is what makes Korea so hollow and boring. It gets mentally tiresome to live in such isolation for longer periods of time with no sense of community nor social life on a daily basis with strangers who stay strangers who always remain as cold as robots. It's like robots with mortal human bodies who bottle up their angers, fears, real personality, personal thoughts, and fail to be individuals. Only the kids, who are often joyful, optimistic, friendly and like to say Hi, keep me going in this environment, but kids do not satisfy my need in living life as a functioning individual in a functioning compatible community. Korea is indeed only for the Koreans while we're invited to teach English, not be warmly accepted into their society and communities. This is a job, not a really fun and warm experience that keeps my heart captivated though some Koreans try to be respectful and welcoming to us since they know it must be a lonely road in a strange country that feels cold as ice.

[dingo_man]

[mheartley]

I would say the Chinese are still far less creative than Koreans, the Koreans have a couple of decades head start on them regarding that. But I agree that other aspects of Korea really do irritate, there are a lot of complexes and contradictions and a ridiculous amount of social programming in their psyche. I think Freud would have had a field day in modern-day Korea.

[sarbonn]

[Ukon]

They seem like normal people to me...

Some of you people need to get out more....

[Ukon]

[man_of_words]

[man_of_words]