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Moldy Rutabaga
Joined: 01 Jul 2003
Location: Ansan, Korea
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 Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 7:23 pm Post subject: Today's drunk man abuses mixed couple story: Busan Station |
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Had yet another why-the-#&@-did-I-leave-Mexico-day yesterday. My wife and I were at Busan Station for a train Sunday afternoon, and we were early and decided to walk around the park fronting the station for a while. Bad idea. It seems to be a place for drunk men to congregate, and within seconds someone was glaring at my wife and asking if I was her boyfriend. Because I'm her husband, she said no, and we walked away, avoiding eye contact.
We had to stop our walk because he kept following us, making shouts of disgust and yelling "what's so great about foreigners!" and other witticisms in Korean that I'm better off not knowing. We ignored him and went into the station to customer service, and he followed us there. As we waited for security, he stood there, continuing to yell at us for not showing respect. (I had done something very foolish-- I had given him a look of disgust on the escalator, and he took this to be an insult; very sharp vision for such a drunk man..)
To the station's credit, the women at the counter ignored him, and security hustled him out of the building, still yelling. My wife took it in humor, but it really rattled me; I envisioned others joining in and giving me a beating, and then Korean justice being served (the foreigner being arrested for starting it). I'm glad it remained a minor incident.
Ken:> |
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hack
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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Props to you for not escalating this-I know I would have and I guess that's why if I hook up with a Korean woman I tend to stay low key ie not venture too far in public. I've been with friends who date Koreans and it's all I can do to keep my mouth shut every time they get stared and glared at.
The racism in this country is often blatantly disgusting and I'm sick of it. Today I marked a university senior paper in which the topic was "Where would you like to travel after you graduate?" One of the students replied that he hated Americans (I'm the only canuck on staff- of the other 11, 7 are from the US-wonder how he likes their classes?), Chinese and Japanese. No reason, he just hates them so he'll never travel there.
But then, I guess it's their country and they can do what they want right? Well, if you're happy living in a society that condones it, sooner or later it will happen to you and then we'll see how you feel |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 7:50 pm Post subject: |
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Great handling of the situation, especially by your wife. Drunken idiots suck and I'm glad to see that security dealt with him.
Sometimes things suck here, but don't let the drunk man ruin your lives. |
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itaewonguy
Joined: 25 Mar 2003
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 7:54 pm Post subject: |
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yah dude props for staying cool.. becuase I know myself I would have been in his face and made the issue worse! I just cant help it..
I am loose canon when it comes to racist ignorant korean men..
my wife hopes to god everyday no one crosses our path in this nature becuase she knows I will be off like a rocket!!
straight away my opening line is..
" SIPSEKE, WHAT DID YOU SAY ???
then its on like donkey kong!!
hahahhaha
got to stay cool!!!! |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 7:55 pm Post subject: |
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What gets me is that these guys expect respect because they are older, yet they behave the worst of everyone.
I don't quite buy the idea that historically Korea has been invaded so many times etc etc- cos if it had, the people would have learned some standard international manners by now. |
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crazylemongirl
Joined: 23 Mar 2003
Location: almost there...
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:00 pm Post subject: |
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| rapier wrote: |
| What gets me is that these guys expect respect because they are older, yet they behave the worst of everyon. |
Actually in my experience it's the mid 50s that tend to be the worst behaved. Those old enough to remember the war are generally the most polite of the lot. |
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just because
Joined: 01 Aug 2003
Location: Changwon - 4964
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 8:33 pm Post subject: |
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Drunk idiots are everywhere...you just stand out from the crowd and are an easy target...
You did well |
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desultude
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Location: Dangling my toes in the Persian Gulf
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:30 pm Post subject: |
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You certainly did the right thing.
I know there is agressive racism here sometimes, but, having come of age in the Southern part of the U.S., mixed couples being abused is not so shocking to me.
I suppose if you are from a fairly tolerant, racism free country, this must be shocking, otherwise, the shocking part is simply being white and being on the receiving end of it.
I am not trying to diminish your experience- I am sure it was awful, and I do know the feeling of being on the receiving end of prejudice bullshit- but just trying to give it perspective. Racism is a pretty universal problem, and Korea is not uniquely bad in this way. |
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steroidmaximus
Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Location: GangWon-Do
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:31 pm Post subject: |
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| I believe it may have been rapier (?) who once said: it'd be worth 600 bux just to smack an idiot like that a few times in the head. |
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Alias
Joined: 24 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2005 9:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Its good that your wife has a thick skin like that and doesn't like some drunk a-hole get to her. |
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rapier
Joined: 16 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 3:42 am Post subject: |
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| steroidmaximus wrote: |
| I believe it may have been rapier (?) who once said: it'd be worth 600 bux just to smack an idiot like that a few times in the head. |
 I believe that was indeed me. ^^ 600.000W is nothing to hesitate over. But you don't want to break a jaw, I believe thats about 15M won. |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 5:16 am Post subject: |
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| desultude wrote: |
You certainly did the right thing.
I know there is agressive racism here sometimes, but, having come of age in the Southern part of the U.S., mixed couples being abused is not so shocking to me.
I suppose if you are from a fairly tolerant, racism free country, this must be shocking, otherwise, the shocking part is simply being white and being on the receiving end of it.
I am not trying to diminish your experience- I am sure it was awful, and I do know the feeling of being on the receiving end of prejudice *beep*- but just trying to give it perspective. Racism is a pretty universal problem, and Korea is not uniquely bad in this way. |
Yep, this is true. People complain about racism in Korea, but I think it's mainly because they come from white-dominant societies and hence are usually not on the receiving end of it. So the racism from back home goes unnoticed.
All the subtle hints we get that people fear/dislike us, well, that's all pretty normal for minorities in southern US. As a sociology major, I read numerous reports of subtle racism, and of course overt forms, during college. Now I am actually experiencing them first-hand, and it's really fascinating and enlightening.
In the South, I can't tell you how many people I know who thought "nigger" was the only word for black people and constantly talk about how horrible Mexicans are for "stealing our jobs" and "harassing our women". Last part sound familiar? But also, there's a lot of racism towards whites in the South. I was harrassed by black kids a few times in middle school, and in high school they dominated the hallways. They'd hang out with their shirts off (!!??) and tease/lunge at white guys, especially guys that had girlfriends, to embarrass them.
Rrrrrracism. |
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Corky
Joined: 06 Jan 2004
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 6:14 am Post subject: |
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If they just paid the Korean teachers the same amount of money they paid us, we'd all go away.
Wait a sec. Getting mixed up with the Mexicans again. |
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The Great Toad
Joined: 12 Jun 2004
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 7:45 am Post subject: |
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Last edited by The Great Toad on Sat Nov 05, 2005 6:31 am; edited 1 time in total |
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steroidmaximus
Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Location: GangWon-Do
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| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 4:40 pm Post subject: |
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But you don't want to break a jaw, I believe thats about 15M won.
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it's all about value for your buck. Or Won.
But yeah a very memorable quote, thank you. |
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