Korean Job Discussion Forums

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

-thats how i feel here sometimes, because whatever misunderstanding, mishap or miscommunication that can possibly happen seems to happen to me on a regular basis.Know what i mean? Getting the most basic of things done can turn into an annoying, timewasting trauma that can turn your hard earned time off into a boiling cauldron of frustration.
learn more korean, i hear you say. But sometimes you can learn the most simple of phrases and no Korean appears to understand.

Today: Mr. Bean attempts to spend a nice sunny afternoon at the seaside. He thinks he has the pronunciation correct (he-an kongwon,=seaside park). the taxi driver nods. half an hour later after being stuck in traffic, he drops me at the forest park. I protest but he doesn't understand so I just go with it, and decide to spend the afternoon in this park. Soon it becomes obvious that a million rollerblading Koreans and their kids have the same idea, so its time to leave.
I take the wrong bus. I get off somewhere. i take what appears to be the right bus. NOpe. Eventually I just look for a subwyay to get off at. Nope. eventually i just get off. I walk to what appears to be the subway. 20 mins later I realise its just a vast underground market disguised as a subway. I re-emerge onto the street again. Ask a taxi "ji-ha-chol, choo-sayo". he nods. 25 mins later after being stuck in slow moving traffic, he stops at the steel factory. "Nooooo!!! I cry. Subway! JI-HA-CHOL! TRAIN! I bawl, making train-like movements with my hands frantically. Ohhh! he seems to get the idea. He drives another 10 mins. Still no subway. eventually i just get out and walk, asking people. End up in another underground market. Get another bus. Finally found the subway. But, its now 5.30, nearly sundown and time to go home.
Korea wins again!! another Sunday wasted...
Anyone else have such difficulties just trying to get around???

Zed · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Shakedown Street

I was trying to get to I-chon-yeok from Hannam bridge area once and the taxi driver took me all over the $%^&* place before I lost it and pulled out the map. AHHHH, I-chon-yeok. I didn't want to pull out the map just to direct him to that station. My Korean is good enough for that. He was embarassed by my frustration and wouldn't let me pay for the ride. Silver lining.

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Mr.Bean asks for a coffee. "Hot coffee, dopda, dopda". 10 mins later he brings me a cold ice float. NNNOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!! You know, dopda...Hot,hot!!!!!
Mr. bean arranges to meet girl at Onsu station. No sign. Calls half an hour later. She's at Oksu!!! Mr Bean travels a long time to get there, but she is fed up waiting and has gone home.
Mr bean runs home screaming and tearing hair out in a distressed state.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

Mr. Bean we have all been there and done that. I find a good deal of planning things out in multipule ways is always the best thing to do. I find if I leave my day up to my lack of good language skills, I will be have a Beaner of a day. Plan, think how you can do solve a problem yourself and plan some more.

kimcheeking · Guest

the_beaver · Joined: 15 Jan 2003

rapier · Joined: 16 Feb 2003

Mr. bean asks for bus to Gimpo. Tourist info. attendant puts him on correct bus. Bus goes through Gimpo, but because it is an express, is not allowed to stop there. Mr Bean yells GIMPO!, GIMPO! at driver, and starts to eat his tie, before bashing his brains out on the handrail in frustration. Mr bean gets off bus in gwangwhamun an hour later.

matthewwoodford · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Location: Location, location, location.

Try 'doo goh oon' coffee (as kimcheeking pointed out) and ask for 'chun cheol yeok' as in 'shinchon chun cheol yeok ka chuseyo!'. I always found jiyacheol didn't work either, but then a train is not a subway.

I think you have to first get exactly the right phrase, second make sure your pronunciation is bang on, third say it loudly and confidently, and finally hope the person you're speaking to doesn't automatically register everything you say as English and gaze at you baffled. Laughing

Matt

matthewwoodford · Joined: 01 Oct 2003 Location: Location, location, location.

whatthefunk · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Location: Dont have a clue

My kids sometimes call me Mr. Bean...

waggo · Joined: 18 May 2003 Location: pusan baby!

Rapier...why dont you learn some Korean?

All you are saying is that you are a foreigner in a country where they dont speak English .
What is so amazing about your above experiences that you feel you have to write about them ten times a day?
Even if nothing "interesting" has happened to you are starting "Which nationality do you hate most?" posts.
Seriously if you actually spent as much time learning Korean as you do posting on here you would probably be fluent by next Tuesday.

Harpeau · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Coquitlam, BC

One thing that I find helpful When I'm having a Mr. Beanie Day I simply call the KNTO Tourist Information hotline (02)1330 and say English operator. I then tell her what I want and hand the phone to whoever and she tells that person what I need. Stress free, easy as pie! They're also very easy to please and there are no dumb questions.

They're open from 9-8pm 7 days per week.
1330 in all cities, but only Seoul (02)1330 has an English operator (ask for English operator)

Harpeau

Dalton · Joined: 26 Mar 2003

I phoned KTO for info about the immigration office last Saturday.
I took the bus to avoid crowded subways and sightsee. Big Mistake. After 45 minutes to travel a few subway stops I got off the bus and completed my trip on the subway. 30 min to travel the remaining 75% of my trip across the city. Got out at exit 7 walked 100 meters and turned left looking for the building 'you can't miss'. About 30 min later I emerged from my interesting sidestreet odyssey. I spotted a real estate office and asked them. It was a right turn that I needed to make. When I got to immi they were closed. KTO has been good for other info though like a nearby pool for instance.

Dan · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Sunny Glendale, CA

gomurr · Joined: 04 Feb 2003

Sounds like you got taken on a Wayguk ride by the taxi driver. That happened to me once in Seoul. I went to immigration and on the way back to the nearest subway which is close. I decided to take a taxi to save time. I siad where I wanted to go in Korean, the name of the subway and even showed the guy a map. Guy says ok and starts off. I'm not paying attention but a few minutes later I'm beginning to wonder and realise he's turning onto the expressway. Me and the taxi driver then got into a big argument and I had to wait until he got off the expressway before getting out. A 1,500 won trip took 5,000 and an additional 15min of time wasted. I called him every dirty name I know in Korean and I know he understood me.