Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MollyBloom]

I have been thinking about the recent bowing thread so I decided to pay attention at my school and see who bows to who. But I realized today that a lot of my co-workers, older people included, bow to me! I was sick today and went home after my classes, and I had to have my VP sign me out, and he bowed to me (he was sitting down at his desk)! The ajummas in my office who are 30-40 bow to me too...not constantly, but in the morning and when I go home. I'm only 28 and I think I am definitely one of the youngest employees there. But it's strange, isn't it? Why are they doing it?

[T-J]

Are you wearing funny looking shoes?

[moosehead]

2 of the other NETs (men under 30) have nodded their heads at me in the informal, semi-bow kind of way - I found it pretty unnerving. They are both married to Ks and I'm wondering if they are losing themselves ??

[cdninkorea]

I had a student once who, whenever he would see me, would stop in his tracks, smile, and give me a near 90 degree bow.

He was a great student, and while I appreciated his politeness, it did make me a bit uncomfortable. It took me months to get him to stop bowing so deep.

[fadedgirl]

At the first school I worked at, they required the students to bow to the teacher and say "Thank you teacher" when they left. I would bow to them too.
It's such a part of me now that I make my current students do it.

I do a weird half-bow/half-wave when I leave my friends now.

[MollyBloom]

[ppcg4]

I've found it awkward too, so I just give the head nod, with a touch of bow. It's really not my thing, but I can't give a weird look every time I get one.

I usually get them from nervous parents of my students. It's like a nervous twitch for Koreans when they meet a native English speaker and are nervous about their English skills.

[travel zen]

When I traveled to the hotels and even the restaurants, I would get bows and it gave me a warm feeling

The hotel I stayed at for 1 month had two guys in their 20's always bowing deep and acting very professional and mature. If they bowed, I couldn't help but bow back in the same way...I'd feel ashamed if I didn't. Weird no?

[yingwenlaoshi]

Be wary of some of these over-the-top bowers. They tend to be backstabbers.

I hate it sometimes. Like the women who do that snake-like bow trying to look all flimsy, rag-dolly with the mentally-disabled-sounding, lispy, baby voice. Fk I hate that. "Anyong hathaynyaaaaaaaah." Dirtbags.

[Goku]

I find that people who bow to me are those with good manners or have deep respect for what I do. Granted the VP has never bowed to me... but I haven't proven worthy of earning her respect regardless because she's never seen my classes so I can totally understand.

Anyways, I have older teachers bow to me to, older women if they like me or if they are polite. It's actually the younger teachers who are the new generation and not informed of politeness that don't bother. And it always seems so bizzare, that me the foreigner, has better showmanship of Korean manners than they do. It blows of them out of the water...

[todlaw]

Good Lord..bowing down to a whitey..what is this world coming to

[aboxofchocolates]

[Ya-ta Boy]

All sorts of people bow to me. The funniest are my current students...they bow, smile, wave and salute all at the same time. I've had students bow to me while driving--which is kinda scary: I worried they'd knock themselves out on the steering wheel and run over me. My current boss is a cold fish and doesn't bow to anyone, probably not even his own parents. Except for that, lots of people bow to me. The sweetest was when I was living in Hongdae. I'd go out to the PC bang in those days and regularly met a little old grandmother walking with her tiny little toddler grandson. She'd smile when she got close enough to recognize me and then push the kid's head so he'd bow. It was cute.

[jkelly80]

What really weirds me out is when old-old Koreans (maybe 70+) bow or try to give me their seats on the subway/bus. This hasn't happened often, though.

[Underwaterbob]

My greetings and goodbyes have become a convoluted mess of bowing, waving and saying hello and goodbye in both languages since I can't be bothered to pay attention to who I'm talking to anymore.