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pyeongtaekcody2
Joined: 26 Jan 2011
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 Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:25 am Post subject: Stupid People, Everywhere. |
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This will most likely come off as more than a rant. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been through this.
I'm leaving for Korea for the first time in a couple days, and could not be more excited. However, the weeks and months leading up to me departing has been filled with these moronic people who I work with/am around which seem to think Korea is some war torn 3rd world country. I majored in Geography, so I feel as though I know a bit more than most people when it comes to this sort of thing. I'm constantly hearing things like:
"Yea, Good luck with that dude,"
"You're not going to last a month."
"So, are they like, putting you with a host family?"
Even my current boss said something along the lines of "You're going to miss a developed country." I'm generally a nice guy, so its hard for me to tell these people just how I feel. Even if I try to explain to them the situation, they don't follow. (I'm from the American South, so this doesn't help the situation). Are people this big of idiots in other countries? I'm not sure if it can get any worse. I believe this is American Ethnocentrism at its finest, or maybe just stupidity. Either way, I can't wait to get to Korea. |
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nukeday
Joined: 13 May 2010
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:27 am Post subject: |
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Do me a favor. Bookmark this thread. Read it again in 6 months.
Pyeongtaek, eh? Good luck. |
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pyeongtaekcody2
Joined: 26 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 7:40 am Post subject: |
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| nukeday wrote: |
Do me a favor. Bookmark this thread. Read it again in 6 months.
Pyeongtaek, eh? Good luck. |
Will do. Pyeongtaek that bad?? Everyone I've contacted that are actually living there says its not bad at all, and has everything you need. I'll let ya know in 10 days. |
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akcrono
Joined: 11 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:00 am Post subject: |
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As you go through life, you will notice one very big fact: people are idiots. This includes you and me ("we all do dumb things"). People's voting habits, plans for life, failure to adopt a reasonable standard of proof for information recieved (where people get information). There are countless other examples. There are tons of stupid people in America and there are tons of stupid people in Korea. The best anyone can do is to try to be aware, as a majority of stupidity seems to come from being oblivious.
EDIT: My mom was the only one who thought Korea was still poor. Most people seemed to have a harder time making the distinction between North and South Korea, which is probably even dumber.
Last edited by akcrono on Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:03 am; edited 1 time in total |
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young_clinton
Joined: 09 Sep 2009
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:02 am Post subject: |
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| Should I wash my hands of EPIK? |
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silkhighway
Joined: 24 Oct 2010
Location: Canada
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:23 am Post subject: Re: Stupid People, Everywhere. |
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| pyeongtaekcody2 wrote: |
This will most likely come off as more than a rant. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been through this.
I'm leaving for Korea for the first time in a couple days, and could not be more excited. However, the weeks and months leading up to me departing has been filled with these moronic people who I work with/am around which seem to think Korea is some war torn 3rd world country. I majored in Geography, so I feel as though I know a bit more than most people when it comes to this sort of thing. I'm constantly hearing things like:
"Yea, Good luck with that dude,"
"You're not going to last a month."
"So, are they like, putting you with a host family?"
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I never had that reaction. Maybe they are morons, or maybe they know you better than you know yourself? :0 |
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akcrono
Joined: 11 Mar 2010
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:24 am Post subject: |
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| young_clinton wrote: |
| Should I wash my hands of EPIK? |
Lol no. Just learn to deal with another fact of life. |
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lemak
Joined: 02 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:26 am Post subject: |
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| pyeongtaekcody2 wrote: |
| nukeday wrote: |
Do me a favor. Bookmark this thread. Read it again in 6 months.
Pyeongtaek, eh? Good luck. |
Will do. Pyeongtaek that bad?? Everyone I've contacted that are actually living there says its not bad at all, and has everything you need. I'll let ya know in 10 days. |
Pyeongtaek is alright. There's other threads about it. All in all it's significantly cleaner and friendlier than Seoul, no traffic issues. Can get between the two in under an hour. You can more or less buy everything in Pyeongtaek that you can in any other city at identical price. Significantly more eating options than 90% of other cities in Korea and it's loads easier to get stuff done both as a foreigner and in English than most places in the ROK. Don't come expecting somewhere uber globalized and cosmopolitan like Singapore or Hong Kong and you'll be fine. |
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pyeongtaekcody2
Joined: 26 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 8:34 am Post subject: |
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| lemak wrote: |
| pyeongtaekcody2 wrote: |
| nukeday wrote: |
Do me a favor. Bookmark this thread. Read it again in 6 months.
Pyeongtaek, eh? Good luck. |
Will do. Pyeongtaek that bad?? Everyone I've contacted that are actually living there says its not bad at all, and has everything you need. I'll let ya know in 10 days. |
Pyeongtaek is alright. There's other threads about it. All in all it's significantly cleaner and friendlier than Seoul, no traffic issues. Can get between the two in under an hour. You can more or less buy everything in Pyeongtaek that you can in any other city at identical price. Significantly more eating options than 90% of other cities in Korea and it's loads easier to get stuff done both as a foreigner and in English than most places in the ROK. Don't come expecting somewhere uber globalized and cosmopolitan like Singapore or Hong Kong and you'll be fine. |
This is what people living there have been saying, looking forward to it! |
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nukeday
Joined: 13 May 2010
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:00 am Post subject: |
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| akcrono wrote: |
EDIT: My mom was the only one who thought Korea was still poor. Most people seemed to have a harder time making the distinction between North and South Korea, which is probably even dumber. |
Most people I talked to didn't think it was possible to be an English teacher in South Korea, but this was before it was being mentioned in the mainstream media from time to time. |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 11:51 am Post subject: |
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| nukeday wrote: |
Do me a favor. Bookmark this thread. Read it again in 6 months.
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Good advice. OP, even if you think you know a lot about Korea you'll still run into culture shock. Oh, and don't be too hard on others for not knowing about Korea. Korea doesn't do a very good job of positively marketing itself overseas. Even their own government had admitted that fact. So all people know is what they've seen on the news. |
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pyeongtaekcody2
Joined: 26 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 12:37 pm Post subject: |
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| sojusucks wrote: |
| nukeday wrote: |
Do me a favor. Bookmark this thread. Read it again in 6 months.
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Good advice. OP, even if you think you know a lot about Korea you'll still run into culture shock. Oh, and don't be too hard on others for not knowing about Korea. Korea doesn't do a very good job of positively marketing itself overseas. Even their own government had admitted that fact. So all people know is what they've seen on the news. |
This is true, i'll def keep this in mind. Id say the first few week are going to be way tough..maybe months? |
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PatrickGHBusan
Joined: 24 Jun 2008
Location: Busan (1997-2008) Canada 2008 -
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 1:47 pm Post subject: |
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| nukeday wrote: |
Do me a favor. Bookmark this thread. Read it again in 6 months.
Pyeongtaek, eh? Good luck. |
Have you actually worked there or lived there or are you just being an idiot about it and trying to make the OP feel bad about his choice?
I have been to that city and while its not Seoul or Busan, its not a hellhole either and it is in full development mode with the US base transfer there.
If you lived and worked there nukeday they be helpful and tell the OP about places he can go to to eat, go out, shop....tell him how to get to the train station...you know...USEFUL stuff. |
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pyeongtaekcody2
Joined: 26 Jan 2011
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 2:14 pm Post subject: |
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| I've seen pictures of Pyeongtaek. I've lived in a small mountain town in East Tennessee for the past 5 years, and it looks as though it makes it look small. I don't really need skyscrapers and bars at every corner to be happy, I'm looking forward for the overall experience. I think its awesome I get to work abroad in the first place. |
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flakfizer
Joined: 12 Nov 2004
Location: scaling the Cliffs of Insanity with a frayed rope.
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| Posted: Sat Jan 29, 2011 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
"Yea, Good luck with that dude,"
"You're not going to last a month."
"So, are they like, putting you with a host family?" |
How is any of that moronic? Some people don't last very long in Korea. Some people do stay with host families (at least Fulbright "scholars" used to).
But if the OP did in fact major in geography, then teaching English in Korea is probably the way to go. |
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