Korean Job Discussion Forums

denz · Posted: Wed Apr 16, 2003 4:50 am Post subject: yesh well

yeah yeah, i mentioned my girlfriend. i must be a lech (whatever that is). like you know anything about me, dawg? she's a gamer though. and she'd mess you up, old skool.

you say many in the esl gang "seem to believe that their experience is the only 'foreign' experience in korea". i don't recall anyone saying that. you're obviously a crack head. a lot of us are fully aware of the raw deal that other migrant workers get here in korea. you are in error if you believe you are the only "enlightened one". that said, you're right, it's screwed. BUT that does not disentitle us from celebrating the things we enjoy about this country... actually, sorry... what was i thinking? <nasty dog voice> grrrr korea is 100% bad and grrrowl 100% evil and woof 100% nationalistic. celebrate nothing! AND, oh my god, there is probably lead in that paint!

so tell me, now that you are back on the other side of the pond, are you out there in merry old england (or wherever) helping out the hard done by foreigners and migrant workers in your community? i bet you're not.

in fact, i know you're not.

denz

narsty dog · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

thanks denz . 'nz' part for new zealand is it ?? mmmm.

i dont want to get into a flame war , boring for others and me too.

a lech is a lecher . look it up , you ll see the meaning.

i m glad you know what i m doing - it s certainly more influential than what you are doing - as you ll soon see.

jaderedux · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: Lurking outside Seoul

Oh dear....you say I live in shoebox...I mention I don't and I still get whacked. Sorry dear but not all of us live in a hovel or shoebox. I live in a nice place (rent free) I am good teacher. It is hard but rewarding work. Yes, I get treated better than some workers. What should I do...? Throw up my hands and not teach....give all my money away? Invite abused workers to live in my home....What do you suggest?

I assume you open your home to all those who are abused. I am sure you always protect the rights of others and give all your money to the poor. Trust me being 100% pure is tough work it is no wonder you are a little cranky.

Sweetie, the world is full of crap, racism, sexism, nationalism and hatred. I used to be angry, self righteous and constantly boring my friends with my superior " look how much I recognize suffering" attitude." How dare you be happy when others suffer. Mostly I just made myself tortured and alienated my friends. I scowled and growled at everyone who had the bad taste to enjoy life...by GOD DON'T YOU KNOW PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING??? HOW DARE YOU.

Well life ain't like that. It is far too short. So why is it so horrible that amidst the things that are terrible here people have found kindness, generousity, gentleness, love, laughter and joy. I have a Korean BF...does that make me a lech too? Or is that just some sexist remark on your part? Some people (read Korean) here have been so generous to me. There is a great and noble history...the people here have survived great adversity. Is is a perfect spotless history? Probably not! But can you name one country with a perfect history or present for that matter of fact.

Life is lived by individuals not groups. I try to find something good everywhere I go. Guess that makes me naive. I have travelled alot. In England there are great things and things I abhor same for France, Spain, Japan, Turkey. Do I dwell on them. No! Do I buy into them and say they are right? NO! I try very hard to treat people as individuals not view them according to their nationality.

You talk about nationalism but......then you paint Korea and Koreans with a broad brush of the same paint. Confused

I am not stupid there are alot of problems here. Guess what there are alot of problems in America and Canada and New Zealand and Australia. But I can only be a morally decent person. I can't save the world but I can be kind to the people I meet. I can treat people with respect even if they don't treat me in kind. I try to empathize and do what I can for those who don't have the same luck I have. But do I rent my clothes....wear a hair shirt and scratch my face and wail to heavens about injustice every day...no..I don't..why because it doesn't do anything for them or me. Are you so arrogant that you think your self righteous anger and sarcasm is going to change something.

So while I see the bad this world dishes up I also see the joy, kindness and generosity that blindsides once in awhile. It happens here and it happens everywhere. Horrors happen here and they happen everywhere. I choose to find the good and try to change what I can in my small insignifcant way. What a sad life it must be being so angry and negative....scowling and despising someone else's attempts at finding the good and finding a small niche of happiness in a crazy world.

I hope someday you learn to enjoy the sun on your face. All your anger is not going to save anyone. I wish you only the best.

Jade....(no doubt the naive fool)

Butterfly · Joined: 02 Mar 2003 Location: Kuwait

Circus Monkey · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: In my coconut tree

I'm surprised that everyone can think of so many positive things about Korea.

CM

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

I was quite impressed today by how well koreans recycle all their waste- its all divided up by everyone in the appartment and collected separately. impressive- they're very organised about it. All the organic stuff goes to feed pigs, etc etc. I haven't seen the neighborhood doing this so well elsewhere, certainly not in England. Respect!

Blue Flower · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 3:52 am Post subject:

I have managed to find a few things that i love in the short while i've been here: the yummy, spongey cake things at the little stores, with fake cream in the middle, the fact that my boss is always giving me yummy food/coffee/kitchen towells, or other random stuff. I can sit in a PC Bang for hours and not be bankupt at the end of it. The beautiful magnolia flowers and cherry blossoms that are in bloom at the moment. The fact that my family are 12 hours away (though in later months this of course will be one of my rants). I only work about 20 classes of 40 mins a week, apart from the staring, most people are really friendly and helpful. No one seems to be malicious. Though I live alone, I have not felt scared once, even when i watch S.V.U late at night (usually i am a real wimp). The old lady who sits outside the flower shop downstairs from my house, and laughs everytime she sees me - that doesn't annoy me, it just makes me laugh too. - Can you tell that I am in a "I love this place" mood???

Alias · Joined: 24 Jan 2003

Blue Flower · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 4:36 am Post subject:

Good - so I'm not the only one. I thought she was laughing at me because I dress a bit "different".

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

Today at my hagwon I was waiting in for one of my elementary school classes to start. Well they have an after hours class kindergarten class (read daycare) and it was damn hot so I took off my jacket.

Anyway this kid comes sneaking up to me giggling and touches my arm with her index finger and runs of again giggling. I can only assume it's the freckles and pale skin which freak them out...

Kind of sweet really

CLG

sickboy · Joined: 26 Jan 2003 Location: Miari Texas

1. Women. Easy as.
2. No bandwith cap on the broadband (if anyone is looking for a few hundred underground hiphop albums, msg me)
3. Booze 24/7/52
4. I can spit anytime I want to
5. All the toilets have ashtrays
6. Good DJs
7. Kalbi houses
8. Cheap cigarettes
9. Waking up on the subway, feeling embarassed, then seeing a man in a suit beside you, in the handicap seats, still passed out, then not feeling embarassed
10. A kick ass job

igotthisguitar · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 7:34 am Post subject:

>. As i feel this is an equally valid topic for discussion, and i wouldn't want the actions of one too many shady Hagwon Directors or bigoted Koreans destroy the more positive international image of their country, here's my list ( certainly in no particular order ) of the things i generally enjoy Laughing

1) Jim Jill Bangs ( Korean Saunas )
2 ) Soju, makolli ( hey that reminds me ... i really should go finish up that bottle in the fridge )

3 ) My fabulous "One More Cup of Coffee" gf ( even as i type she's entirely under her own volition sweeping the floor again for like the 10th time today ... enuff already !!! Laughing

)
4 ) Korean cuisine ( Poshin-tang & stinky poop dishes aside Crying or Very sad

)

5 ) Complementary food & drinks for occasionally helping ppl out w/ their English ... Wink

6 ) Shopping to general service specials & events
7 ) Playing poker with other English teachers. Had a gas losing another $50,000 last Sunday night Laughing

8 ) Public Holidays & Hanbok Dress Cool

9 ) the BBC ( besides my in home internet connection, its one of the few contacts i have with the "outside" world ).
10 ) Cheap decent-quality haircuts & smokes ( gawd, i WAS down to like 5 a day Shocked

)

11 ) Learning Hanguk mal really actually ain't that tough Wink

12 ) Yak Guks ( drug stores ) and all those neat little bottles of "medical" tonics ...

13 ) The cops basically leave people alone Very Happy

14 ) Friendliness of the people
15 ) Smiling / laughing kids Smile

16 ) Buddhist temples and historic sites
17 ) Cool, colourful & intriguing train rides
18 ) They recycle here en masse ( pretty much HAVE TO i guess )

19 ) My Canadian cat FELIX has adapted quite nicely ( to his self-contained apartment environment )

20 ) With my contract coming to a grinding halt, i got a nice BIG break coming up soon. This technically leaves me free to pursue any number of options Very Happy

21 ) i NEVER surrended my return ticket to Canada !!!

jurassic5 · Joined: 02 Apr 2003 Location: PA

oh yea, i forgot to add one:

being one of the most "wired" countries in the world. you gotta love the cell phone technology compared to the states.

eamo · Joined: 08 Mar 2003 Location: Shepherd's Bush, 1964.

Igotthisguitar,

You mentioned good, cheap haircuts. Give me the name of your barber because they always give me a korean-style haircut which means shaving way too much above the ears.

Fine for a korean but not for me. I look totally goofy after a Korean hair cut.

igotthisguitar · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2003 8:19 pm Post subject:

Man, i dunno what to say about the haircuts. Mori kada challa chewsayo ... i usually go the short ( tell em' SUNNIM style ) route. Never before realized how thoroughly liberating a $5 buzzcut actually could be Wink