Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Carla]

Hehehe. We all get that little devil on our shoulder sometimes. You know the one, the one that's not evil, just a little twisted.

Well, the first time I went to Korea, I was there with a home town friend so we were in tune with a lot of stuff. Well, one day we were getting annoyed on the subway about easedroppers.

So we made a plan...

I knew some Viet and Japanese. She knew some German and French. We both knew some Spanish. So, we swapped important words and would just chat in chopped up sentences using a random combination of languages. The sentence would literally be "guy blue shirt cute" or "let's go shop." It was something interesting to do to pass the time and the confused looks on the faces of the easedroppers was priceless.....

[Straphanger]

[John_ESL_White]

[Carla]

Don't worry about it John. Some people just try to use anything to cause trouble. And while I admit I don't know everything, I've never personally met a teacher in Japan or Korea that had military experience. I'm sure there are some, just I haven't found one. And just to clarify, I wasn't using a "countermeasure," I was just having some fun with a friend.

[plynx]

[JongnoGuru]

Not much use for it these days, but in earlier, more uncertain times, under previous regimes, and then again during the IMF Crisis, some of us old Korea hands would slip into a conversational code when out in public. It didn't involve mixing foreign languages, just substituting certain keywords that were bound to spark the attention, misunderstanding, and ire of random Koreans sitting nearby. Again, I want to stress there's much less need for it today, but it used to be that random Koreans would latch onto something you said, typically about their country, assume the worst and want to pick an argument or a fight.


North & South Korea, Seoul (and its main districts), Pyongyang, U.S., Japan, Washington, Tokyo, names of presidents, names of intelligence agencies, kimchee, soju... the list goes on.

[Carla]

That's funny Jongno, I never thought of doing particularly that. But then again, this was the time when I would have to go around the protesters to get to the subway everyday to go to work, so maybe poking the bear at that particular time would not have been good. It was just mainly to see funny looks on college students and business men. LOL

[John_ESL_White]

This reminds me of a night at a makali joint where a patron commented to my korean friend. He said that I must not be from an English speaking country because I was speaking 'Konglish' and that he was a uni prof at KNU. lol .... I'm from the US; have a neutral accent, etc. I was speaking 'Konglish' because the group of Koreans I was with were lower intermediate English-e speakers....

Anyway, after the guy made the comment, I approached him and started a conversation - in real time English- but he couldn't keep up. I mean, he REALLY couldn't keep up with simple things like, "Does you family live here or in Seoul", and "Do you have to commute far to work"......

I gave him an honorary "Konglish-E" degree after that.

[lebowski]

[Carla]

Actually lebowski, when I have something to say privately to someone in a public area, I will pick a different language if they know one to say it.

[lebowski]

And saying that you are going shopping must be said in private, because ...you... don't... want... people ...to know...

There's a man who leads a life of danger
To everyone he meets he stays a stranger
With every move he makes another chance he takes
Odds are he won't live to see tomorrow

Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number and taken away your name

Beware of pretty faces that you find
A pretty face can hide an evil mind
Ah, be careful what you say
Or you'll give yourself away
Odds are you won't live to see tomorrow

Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number and taken away your name

Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number and taken away your name

Swingin' on the Riviera one day
And then layin' in the Bombay alley next day
Oh no, you let the wrong word slip
While kissing persuasive lips
The odds are you won't live to see tomorrow

Secret agent man, secret agent man
They've given you a number and taken away your name

[The Great Toad]

Mmmm well I am not just a former Arab Gulf Savior Knight Errant USMC Hero I am also a super secret sleeper Bourne Identity agent too. However I never bother hiding the fact since the actual chance of me given orders ever is sooooo rare - much easier to use North Korea CIA snoops. I could see that happening though you know like years past you use the president (dictator) of South Korea's name in a sentence then later laugh-- the whole conversation, but the name, would be unknown English but I could see some ardent supporter jump in and assume the worse. Thus Guru would use the codes. I myself am forbidden by the State department to ever use Kim Chee and any presidents' name in the same sentence as this is immediately picked up by the South Korean Predator type Internet spy Mainframe and analyzed for sedation against King E Mung Bock.

[John_ESL_White]

[Carla]

LOL. OMG! I haven't heard that song in years. Excellent!

No, going shopping is not that private, but it's the fact some people are trying to find out what you are saying that's the intrusion. Overhearing is one thing, easedropping is not. It's kind of like the difference between randomly being in someone's field of vision and someone coming to within 3 or 4 feet of you and staring at you.

[John_ESL_White]