Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Stalin84]

Strange, rather amusing situation here. I thought it could go in the "weird/crazy examples of Korean pride" thread but I'll make a new thread for it because its a little off that topic.

Anyway, I'm leaving before March and my public school wants to have a going away party. I've been with them for almost two years and they are genuinely sad to see me go (I think).

When I first came to the school we all went out to Pizza Hut to commemorate the occasion. They also took into account that I was a vegetarian and a Westerner. Fair enough. I really don't need special attention so I didn't mind that every subsequent restaurant trip we have taken since then has been to Korean meat restaurants with floor seating. I always find there are enough yummy side dishes to keep me going.

Now that I'm leaving, the department head told me to choose a restaurant to have a farewell meal at. They know that I know more about good eats in Suwon than they do as they're always surprised at all the different kinds of foods I eat. I've also kidnapped some co-workers and dragged them out to Thai, Indian, Japanese, etc.

The idea is that I could suggest any kind of food as it is my farewell shindig. I started running ideas by them a week ago and every single one of them were shot down. Even the vegetarian-Korean restaurant. The excuse has always been _______, _______ and _______ don't like that kind of food so we can't go there.

Anyway, after I exhausted all options they (they) finally reached a decision. The Kalbi restaurant downtown where we usually eat.

What I'm curious about is something that's been beaten to death around here yet not really explained sufficiently... why do a lot of people in Korea refuse to try out foreign food or eat something that is out of the norm? I eat none of the same foods I eat before I came to Korea while I'm here and change my culinary tastes around every few years. My meal chooses usually start with "I feel like ________ (nationality), tonight."

Yet my co-workers are very, very insistent about only eating Korean food. They take it even further, they won't eat a Korean restaurant that serves vegetarian Korean food nor will they eat at a restaurant with chairs. It has to be Korean food, it has to be floor seating.

Is this just a general preference thing, a tradition, what?

I've heard about this with Koreans that go abroad too. I mean, I like Korean food and all but I don't want to eat it every single meal of every single day. Doesn't one get bored of stuff with rice in it after awhile? It'd be like only eating varieties of sandwiches for the rest of your natural life.

On the bright side, I'm going to go out for Indian with some of my co-teachers whom I'm closer to on a different date.

[supernaut]

You could say you don't want to go there.

I mean you've towed the line for 2 years, say you don't mind going for galbi as long as you get to sit at a table or something. Take a stand, it's your dinner.


I refuse to sit on the floor when I go out with friends. With co-workers I make the exception, but I often joke with co-workers that my only rule for eating out with friends is avoiding sitting on the floor.

[Goon-Yang]

Just say "I thought Korea was an advanced country. I guess they haven't discovered chairs yet"

[CentralCali]

[SanchoPanza]

[littlelisa]

That kind of sucks, OP. You know, I would just not go. I would say "Thanks for trying to arrange a farewell dinner for me, but just like _____ teacher doesn't like (insert type of food here), I don't like/eat galbi. Thank you for the thought, though. I think if it's too troublesome to arrange a restaurant where everyone will be happy, it's better to just cancel it. It's ok, I understand."

If you do it in a polite way, they'll probably get the point without getting upset, and most likely agree to one of the other restaurants you suggested. It's a dinner for you. How come they get to veto things and you don't?

[blackjack]

My dad refuses to eat anything Asian other than the nasty chinese takeaway stuff they call Chinese in NZ. If you are raised on one type of food for most of your life, it's a hard habit to break.

And if you think about what gunk passes for foreign food here I can see why they might be less adventurous.

And for the people refusing to sit on the floor why?

[supernaut]

easy its more comfortable to sit on a chair, hahah

if i have 2 galbi joints and one has chair and the other is a floor sit.....ill take chairs anyday

[DosEquisXX]

[Moldy Rutabaga]

I appreciate staff dinners, but I've given up on going to anywhere but a Korean restaurant. They are not going to budge. If there are fourteen foreign instructors and two Korean administrators, it's going to be hanshik, every time, until kingdom come. I am very impressed that you made anyone try something else even once. The only exceptions I have ever seen were Chinese food or pizza. I don't mind sitting on the floor, though, especially in winter when the floor is warm.

OP, perhaps to keep the peace you might propose a lunch at work, if there is a nice staff room or a lounge. You could order in and then perhaps you could order from a few places and everyone could have what they want.

[GoldMember]

They can't eat where you want because it doesn't suit the:

bus driver
janitor
kitchen cleaner

Guess where you sit on the pecking order.

[anjinsan]

This is precisely why I dread any type of business "lunch" with
Korean colleagues.
In my experience as well, it is ALWAYS Korean food--usually Samgyupsal.
I personally can't stand that greasy, gross, fat-ass fatback;
but, I gotta sit there and pretend I am enjoying the "meal" when everyone knows I am not because I suck at telling lies.
When asked out to a meal, I'll often hijack it and suggest VIPS or Outback and say I'll pay; but, just as with the OP, it never goes.

Same, same, same, same, same, same, same--someone please shoot me!

[creeper1]

[jizza]

If I can offer some perspective...
with an anecdote..

My brother went to China and I was asking him about his plans for his birthday. He's not one to make a big deal about his birthday but for this one he said that he was treating his friends to dinner. he said that in China its not really about YOU, or YOUR day, but more about everyone. you and your friends. instead of them treating him, he was the one to treat other people. invite them out, pay for them, make sure they're taken care of and happy.

This, in contrast to the western style "me me" birthdays where everything is based on YOU-what YOU want to eat, where YOU want to go, what YOU wanna do. They treat you and your happiness is paramount.

So, maybe you should think this way: instead of viewing this as YOUR day, where your preferences should be accomodated to.. think about it in a Korean way: it's not so much about you as it is about the people around you, the group, celebrating you. Therefore you take their preferences into account and think more about what they would like to do.

Also, as for non-Korean food in Korea, there simply isn't much variety. This isn't like America where you can get Thai, Japanese, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian on every corner in a big city. Not only are Koreans probably not used to non-Korean foods but a lot of the Western places are expensive and other places are simply non-existent or very rare.
I don't think its strange at all that they don't want to eat at a non-korean place. If you consider what the best restaurants in Korea are, 99% of them are probably korean.

Also, do you really want your last meal in Korea to be of non-Korean food?

[kimchi_pizza]