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Who's Your Daddy?
Joined: 30 May 2010
Location: Victoria, Canada.
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 Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:07 am Post subject: Foreigners' are Stupid? |
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When I first arrived in Korea, I had a hogwon boss show me the TV remote:
TV on
TV off
Are you okay?
Sh|t I thought, this guy thinks I'm retarded.
I can't remember where I was but it was something like a clothes shop. It went something like this.
Me looking at T-shirts.
Salesclerk: "T-shirt"
Wow, I was having trouble figuring it out there! Thanks for the help.
Similar stuff, when I'm eating at the cafeteria; "strawberry" or "Korean strawberry."
So, after a long time in this country, I'm still surprised how some of the locals think that I'm a moron.
Not sure what more to say, maybe you guys/gals have some stories, or comments (not about me being stupid!) |
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air76
Joined: 13 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:16 am Post subject: |
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The classic: "Oh, you can use chopsticks."
My favorite: A co-worker once spent 20 minutes showing me how to use a Korean match. He would take a match out, hold it up, close the box, strike the match on the side of the box and then blow out the match. I kept looking at him confused, trying to figure out what he was showing me and how it was different. I honestly was trying to figure it out because I'd only been in Korea 2 months or so and so I didn't realize that they thought we were stupid. So, it turns out that what was special was that you can light the match on the box. He adamantly refused to believe that this was how matches worked in the US. What did he think, that we have to carry a stick down to the village fire and then walk back home?
Honorable mention: One of my university students to me "How can you drive a Korean car, you are American?" |
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nautilus
Joined: 26 Nov 2005
Location: Je jump, Tu jump, oui jump!
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:16 am Post subject: Re: Foreigners' are Stupid? |
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| Who's Your Daddy? wrote: |
TV on
TV off
Are you okay? |
lol.  |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:17 am Post subject: |
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Did anyone point at this:
and say
?
 |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:27 am Post subject: |
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| Browsing in the wine section for a few minutes in Shinsegae/Lotte department store, picking up bottles of wine, looking at the labels and then putting them back. A shop assistant came up and asked me if I was looking for wine. I said yes politely, thinking it was maybe just a language thing when she gestured at the bottle I was holding at the time, which had an Italian flag on it, and said wine from Italy on it in English, and said, This wine is from Italia.' At least she didn't tell me it was red. |
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air76
Joined: 13 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:32 am Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Browsing in the wine section for a few minutes in Shinsegae/Lotte department store, picking up bottles of wine, looking at the labels and then putting them back. A shop assistant came up and asked me if I was looking for wine. I said yes politely, thinking it was maybe just a language thing when she gestured at the bottle I was holding at the time, which had an Italian flag on it, and said wine from Italy on it in English, and said, This wine is from Italia.' At least she didn't tell me it was red. |
I don't think that this was so much a case of Koreans thinking foreigners are stupid, but more so the cultural need to hover over you when you are in their shop.
I would honestly guesstimate that over our time in Korea we've saved at least 1,000,000 Won, if not more, by not buying things in shops where the clerks wouldn't allow us to browse in peace. My favorite is when they don't say a word but follow you around, 10cm behind you, breathing onto your shoulder. "Favorite" meaning that I want to scream.
I really don't understand how this practice doesn't bother Koreans. |
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nukeday
Joined: 13 May 2010
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:33 am Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Browsing in the wine section for a few minutes in Shinsegae/Lotte department store, picking up bottles of wine, looking at the labels and then putting them back. A shop assistant came up and asked me if I was looking for wine. I said yes politely, thinking it was maybe just a language thing when she gestured at the bottle I was holding at the time, which had an Italian flag on it, and said wine from Italy on it in English, and said, This wine is from Italia.' At least she didn't tell me it was red. |
She probably says that to Korean customers as well. I mean, it's not like she's a sommelier or something, even though it's her job to sell wine. I doubt she'd even be able to tell you if it was dry or sweet. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:37 am Post subject: |
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| Actually those girls in the posh department stores are supposed to be sommeliers, their pics are on the walls next to certificates. Although having said that, my GF was looking for port once and someone tried to palm her off with a bottle of sherry saying it was the same thing. |
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sulperman
Joined: 14 Oct 2008
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 12:57 am Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
Did anyone point at this:
and say
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I did. |
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whiteshoes
Joined: 14 Apr 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 1:16 am Post subject: Re: Foreigners' are Stupid? |
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| Who's Your Daddy? wrote: |
When I first arrived in Korea, I had a hogwon boss show me the TV remote:
TV on
TV off
Are you okay?
Sh|t I thought, this guy thinks I'm retarded.
I can't remember where I was but it was something like a clothes shop. It went something like this.
Me looking at T-shirts.
Salesclerk: "T-shirt"
Wow, I was having trouble figuring it out there! Thanks for the help.
Similar stuff, when I'm eating at the cafeteria; "strawberry" or "Korean strawberry."
So, after a long time in this country, I'm still surprised how some of the locals think that I'm a moron.
Not sure what more to say, maybe you guys/gals have some stories, or comments (not about me being stupid!) |
I don't think that's them thinking your stupid. I think it's them practicing their English on you. More than that, I think it's them trying to help you using the little English they do know. |
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air76
Joined: 13 Nov 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 1:25 am Post subject: Re: Foreigners' are Stupid? |
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| whiteshoes wrote: |
| I don't think that's them thinking your stupid. I think it's them practicing their English on you. More than that, I think it's them trying to help you using the little English they do know. |
Wishful thinking mate...they may not think we're stupid, but they definitely think that a million and one things only exist in Korea and that there is a "Korean" way that things work that is somehow different.
While their intentions are certainly benevolent, it doesn't change the fact that this behavior is patronizing.
I think it's also due to the fact that Koreans need an "engineer" to come and install, fix, modify every little thing. Most Koreans don't have much knowledge outside of their field of expertise, and therefore they are shocked that a foreigner who is not a computer engineer can install their own software or that someone who is not a mechanic can change a tire. The worst case of this is at the doctor. Korean doctors refuse to believe that a non-doctor could possibly know what is wrong with them and what type of treatment they need. Dealing with doctors here is one of the most patronizing and frustrating experiences of all in my opinion.
To add to the original topic....an old co-worker of ours was shocked that we could drive around Korea without a GPS unit. We explained that we had a road atlas and she was flabbergasted that we could navigate the country with a map. |
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NYC_Gal
Joined: 08 Dec 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 1:29 am Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
Did anyone point at this:
and say
?
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YES |
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The Gipkik
Joined: 30 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 1:42 am Post subject: |
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| I don't know. I think it's the Englishee practice coupled with a deep seated belief that Korean culture is something utterly unique and without precedent. This is the way we do it here. This is the way we think here. As an outsider you couldn't get it without our careful and paternalistic/maternalistic guidance. Tunnel vision syndrome. |
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Milwaukiedave
Joined: 02 Oct 2004
Location: Goseong
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 1:53 am Post subject: |
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| air76 wrote: |
I don't think that this was so much a case of Koreans thinking foreigners are stupid, but more so the cultural need to hover over you when you are in their shop.
I would honestly guesstimate that over our time in Korea we've saved at least 1,000,000 Won, if not more, by not buying things in shops where the clerks wouldn't allow us to browse in peace. My favorite is when they don't say a word but follow you around, 10cm behind you, breathing onto your shoulder. "Favorite" meaning that I want to scream.
I really don't understand how this practice doesn't bother Koreans. |
Actually I turn around and tell them to go away. It's like buying a used car. They are on top of you every minute.
Oh and when I did go to buy a used car in Korea, after dealing with the salesman that was screwing us around, I simply told him, "you're fired" (Not that he was technically employed anyone, but I wanted to voice my displeasure. In any event, it made me feel better.). |
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fugitive chicken
Joined: 20 Apr 2010
Location: Bucheon
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 1:54 am Post subject: |
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| A couple of Korean co-workers used to try to lead me by the hand as if I would wander away from them like a young child. |
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