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Junior

Joined: 18 Nov 2005 Location: the eye
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:13 pm Post subject: Advice to give Koreans going to Australia |
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I have 2 k-friends (married women) going to Australia for 2 weeks holiday. They're a little nervous, so I gave them a few cultural pointers. Am I right?
1) Don't yell out "here" to waiters and waitresses in restaurants. A small wave and eye contact is sufficient.
2) don't make any slurping or other noise when eating with weyguks, its considered rude.
3) don't attempt to share your plate or partake of theirs: weyguks eat only from their own bowls.
4) Don't grab hold of their drinks or try to pour their drinks for them. each persons drink is their own private property.
5) Weygooks respect eachothers personal space. Don't cross the line too much.
6) Waygooks are individuals above any group, and freely come and go as they wish. Their is no real group mentality or rules.
7) Australia wants good relations with all Asians. Thus you can find communities of koreans, Japanese and Chinese etc in Australia. If you have trouble communicating there will like be a korean australian not too far away that may be able to help you out.
They have hired a korean-australian english speaker to help guide them around Australia. "You don't need him. Be adventurous. You'll be fine".
9) Don't do any hitchhiking whatsoever in Australia.
10) The cities are cosmopolitan and more comfortable. but beware, you may encounter some anti foreigner racism out in the sticks.
11) Australians are not really polite as such, be prepared. There are no social formalities like in Korea..
They were amazed that Australians would be so different from Korea.  |
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xtchr
Joined: 23 Nov 2004
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:22 pm Post subject: Re: Advice to give Koreans going to Australia |
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Junior wrote: |
11) Australians are not really polite as such, be prepared. There are no social formalities like in Korea..
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I assume you are joking with the last one. Every country has certain social formalities, and amazingly, there are even a few polite Australians. |
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Fat_Elvis

Joined: 17 Aug 2006 Location: In the ghetto
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:55 pm Post subject: |
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With regard to point 3 I think Australians are now quite accustomed to Asian banquet style dining and it is normal to share food Korean style in Asian restaurants. |
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ajgeddes

Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Location: Yongsan
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:01 pm Post subject: |
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Do you ever feel stupid for saying "weygooks"? I hate when people make slurping sounds when eating with foreign countries. |
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ChimpumCallao

Joined: 17 May 2005 Location: your mom
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:03 pm Post subject: |
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how about
dont call people foreigners when you are in their country |
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RACETRAITOR
Joined: 24 Oct 2005 Location: Seoul, South Korea
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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12) Stay away from Cronulla Beach. |
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rothkowitz
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:34 pm Post subject: |
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13.Try cider(not lemonade.....)and a chicken kebab.
Cronulla Beach didn't involve Asians. |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994
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Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2007 11:45 pm Post subject: |
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Quote: |
3) don't attempt to share your plate or partake of theirs: weyguks eat only from their own bowls.
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Have you ever met a Korean crass enough to take food from a stranger's plate? I haven't.
Remind them of when it is correct to say 'please', 'thank you', 'excuse me' and 'you're welcome'. Better to err on the side of saying them too often than not enough. |
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re:cursive
Joined: 04 Jan 2006
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 2:07 am Post subject: Re: Advice to give Koreans going to Australia |
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Junior wrote: |
3) don't attempt to share your plate or partake of theirs: weyguks eat only from their own bowls. |
Depends on who you are with. There's nothing wrong with having a shared meal or trying something from another persons plate. Just ask first.
Junior wrote: |
4) Don't grab hold of their drinks or try to pour their drinks for them. each persons drink is their own private property. |
Nothing wrong with pouring a drink for someone. But, again, ask first. Unless you know them well that is.
Junior wrote: |
7) Australia wants good relations with all Asians. Thus you can find communities of koreans, Japanese and Chinese etc in Australia. If you have trouble communicating there will like be a korean australian not too far away that may be able to help you out. They have hired a korean-australian english speaker to help guide them around Australia. "You don't need him. Be adventurous. You'll be fine". |
It's true that there is a fairly large representative of Asians in Australia but they won't necessarilly be at your beck and call. It depends on what part of Australia they go to as well. I'd agree that if they can speak OK English and are reasonably outgoing, they won't need a guide. but they might benefit from one. Depends on the person really.
Junior wrote: |
9) Don't do any hitchhiking whatsoever in Australia. |
Probably good advice. But really, Australia is relatively safe as far as hitch hiking goes. Sure there's been a couple of psychos that gave the practice a bad name but many people continue to stick their thumbs out on the side of the road with no real problems. It can be a useful way to travel the highways on a budget. Again, it depends on the person.
Junior wrote: |
11) Australians are not really polite as such, be prepared. There are no social formalities like in Korea.. |
Australia has social customs, they're just not as formal as they are here. An obvious one is if someone buys them a round at the pub, they should buy a round as well. |
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Hater Depot
Joined: 29 Mar 2005
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:00 am Post subject: |
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Quote: |
1) Don't yell out "here" to waiters and waitresses in restaurants. A small wave and eye contact is sufficient. |
OK, I really don't believe more than a small handful of Koreans abroad have ever yelled out "Here". That just doesn't pass the smell test to me. |
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rothkowitz
Joined: 27 Apr 2006
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:12 am Post subject: |
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Perhaps tell them don't leave their drinks unattended in nightclubs.That was a big thing when I was last in OZ.
And keep walking when druggies ask you for money. |
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Kimchi Cha Cha

Joined: 15 May 2003 Location: was Suncheon, now Brisbane
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:18 am Post subject: Re: Advice to give Koreans going to Australia |
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Junior wrote: |
11) Australians are not really polite as such, be prepared. There are no social formalities like in Korea..
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I'd say Australians are casual yet polite. While we barely ever say terms like Sir or Madam, politeness goes a fair way when dealing with people you don't know well and people aren't too happy if you don't include 'please', 'thank you' and 'excuse me' when needed. |
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Yu_Bum_suk

Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:45 am Post subject: |
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Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
Quote: |
3) don't attempt to share your plate or partake of theirs: weyguks eat only from their own bowls.
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Have you ever met a Korean crass enough to take food from a stranger's plate? I haven't. |
The problem is that with Koreans strangers, especially waegooks, can go from stranger to 'good friend' much too quickly. |
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Yu_Bum_suk

Joined: 25 Dec 2004
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 3:51 am Post subject: |
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Really, if you can teach them not to eat with their mouths open and say 'I would like __________' or 'may I have ________' it will be a major victory. Believe me, as I know from personal experience, there's nothing more embarrassing than taking a 17-year-old student to a western country and watching her say to the bemused waiter 'give me candy' after your other students have emptied the candy jar. |
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Zoidberg

Joined: 29 Mar 2006 Location: Somewhere too hot for my delicate marine constitution
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Posted: Fri Jan 12, 2007 4:11 am Post subject: |
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If they feel homesick while in Sydney, they should go to Strathfield. I feel like I'm in some sort of ethnically diverse version of Pohang when I'm there. Which is often, since I live there. |
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