Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Demophobe]

Is there such a thing?

I have noticed a few peculiarities about Koreans on and using the telephones, and am interested to hear from others who have some experience in other countries.

Some generalities about Koreans and telephones: (These are generalities, and do not hold true in every situation, though it seems fairly prevalent)

1. They let the phone ring for a really, really long time.(It seems they will let it go until the busy signal comes) I have lived in all manner of apartments, from a one-room to a two-bedroom dwelling. In a one-room, how far can one be from the phone? Why would it need to ring so long? Do they believe that you will stop your shower to answer or immediately recover from your head injury incurred after the slip? Miraculously escape from under the toppled fridge to get the phone? I always know if it was a foreigner that called me, as they let it fing perhaps 8 times, then hang up.

2. When they get a wrong number, they tend not to apologize, but utter some incredulous things in Doppler-mode as the reciever is being put down back into the cradle. " ��...�̻� ��....." or " ���̾�....�ֱ׷�...?". "Strange?"..not really. You dialed the wrong number. "Why?" Because you dialed the wrong number. This, or they just hang up. Then, 10 seconds later they call back, as if they have just hit "redial", the same thing happens again. In all fairness, they do apologize about 20% of the time.

3. I answer "��������?". They say "��������?". I say "��?" Then the conversation begins. I thought that when answering, we are already confirming our presence on the phone.

4. If you don't supply continuous feedback in the form of "��,��..." every few seconds, the caller stops and asks "��������?", as if they believe you are not there. This could be because the connection between cell phones has failed, but it also happens when a business on a land line calls my land line. Hmmm....

5. Talking to Beethoven. Why do they yell or speak so loud? Maybe they are honestly hard of hearing, as it seems most older people do this, though some young people too, as if they want everyone around to hear them. I have seen them be discreet too many times and I have been discreet too many times to believe that there is any need to be so loud. The cell phones these days are remarkably sensitive, both in microphone and earpiece, facilitating a normally-toned conversation.

6. They will buy a headphone/earpiece for the cell phone, designed for hands-free operation, but then will hold the microphone end (strung down the same line and the earpiece) up to their mouths in the same fashion as if they were holding the entire telephone. Doesn't doing this defeat the purpose? It's supposed to be hands-free, and I have seen bus drivers and taxi drivers using this feature correctly, having discreet conversations while being busy with both hands.

Maybe I am just nitpicking here, I dunno. These habits seem odd to me though, and in some cases just plain rude.

Can anyone who has spent extended periods in Japan, China, Taiwan, etc... tell of their similar/different telephone experiences?

[Mashimaro]

[Korea Newfie]

[frogrocket]

I'm impressed with the Korean that is actually spoken by you guys...

(I apologize in advance for my lack of Korean)

These are my conversations...

Me: Hello?
Them: Yobeseyo?
Me: ENGLISH
Them: BLAH BLAH BLAH Yobeseyo?
Me: ENGLISH...I SPEAK ENGLISH!!!!!!!
Me:...*hang up*

They call back...and the conversation repeats itself...this can occur up to 3 or 4 times.

OR I also like to give the wrong name to some freaky Koreans who were friends (stalkers) with the old English teachers that lived here....these are my FAVOURITE conversations!

Me: Hello?
Them: ...uhhhh...hello?
Me: yes?!??!
Them: uhhhhhhh...is Sarah there?
Me: Sarah...sorry you have the wrong number...bye...*click*


BAH HA HA HA!

[peppergirl]

[just because]

What I will do is if a Korean rings up it goes like this:

Them:Yoboseyo
Me: E JibEh HanGuk saRamE ObSoYo.
Them: After 5 seconds, yoboseyo
Me: Same a before
Them: JinCha or ISangHaeYo and then hang up...

They will ring agian.

I will scream at them....I am not Korean, don't ring again

[Grotto]

phone rings
yabasayo....ne..........ne...............ne hangs up.

repeat.

I just find it hilarious that both parties can sense when the conversation is over and they hang up....I can just imagine someone on the other end spluttering away....... but I wasnt finished

[Pyongshin Sangja]

How do you spell ooooooooooouuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnhhhhhhhhhh? God, they sound like they are getting punched in the gut.