Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SPINOZA]

Before I ask my question, please bear with me as I tell a fascinating tale involving Sam Gyop Sal, Soju and two male servers.

Last night, I ate some Sam Gyop Sal locally by myself and also got some Soju. I don't generally touch the latter on Sundays because there's nothing worse than a Monday morning hangover, but last night I used the fact that it was Xmas Day as an excuse to get a bit merry.

I finished my meal and went up to pay. It was 9,000. A few minutes earlier, when I requested more lettuce, garlic, kimchie, adjoshi babbled something to me in Korean that I didn't get, although I was sure I heard the K-word for "expensive" (I wondered whether he meant they were gonna charge me more for having extra gear - they don't usually). Anyway, 9,000, I asked? It's usually 6. What's going on, lads? A Korean couple gazed at each other in disbelief that (a) a waygook can dispute a price in Korean and (b) he has the audacity to challenge the judgement of older, male Koreans. Like the total f_cking idiot that I am, I forgot about the Soju. It was 3,000 more than usual because of the Soju. I didn't even realize til I'd left! I paid up and fooked off, reasonably politely thankfully - saying thanks and bye. But I was rude when I asked why it was 9,000 - beligerent, c0cky, drunk, asking "why nine?" when it ought to have been totally bloody obvious! I realized when I was outside, 5 mins later, why it was 9k and I felt very guilty and stupid.

My question, straight to the point now, without further ado, is quite simply the following: We're all very familiar with theses that state Koreans hate foreigners. My observations don't suggest that at all, but that's just me. Actually, to be fair, I've met the two biggest jerk-off Koreans in the last week - one a girl in Family Mart, rude little b1tch, and one a rude guy in a raw fish restaurant - little tw@t. But...last night there's no doubt that I CONTRIBUTED to Koreans disliking foreigners, asssuming that's actually true. My behaviour sucked a big one.

* To what extent, if at all, do we foreigners contribute to our poor treatment here? We all accept that Koreans piling into the elevator when people are trying to get out is irritating to say the very least...give an example of some real jerk-off waygook behaviour you think annoys the heck out of the Koreans.

* Give an example of when YOU have been a total arsehole to a Korean or bunch of Koreans that you've really regretted.

[bellum99]

Talking loudly together in a restaurant and calling the waitress with a whistle. I saw this once in a family restaurant. The restaurant actually left a circle of empty tables around them. The owner and waitresses didn't know what to do. Everyone visibly relaxed when these oafs left (I was with them and must be considered part of it, though I did try to be more quiet.)

[Ya-ta Boy]

You are lucky you found a place that will let you order for one person. Lots will make you order two and in my experience three servings. I will go for the two orders, but not the three.

[riley]

said to say but I have been a dick to people when there was little reason for it. (from my point of view later)

[chiaa]

I contributed last night at Gecko's Christmas dinner.

It was me, my wife, the mother in law and junior (2 years old). Gecko's was packed and they decided to sit us at a two person table that basically was right in the middle of the twently minute wait buffet line. I politely asked the guy if he could move us to another table. He ignored me and went and got an extra seat and the high-chair for this two person table. When he returned with the chairs I told him again that I did not want to sit here. He told me we have no tables left. I then got pissed (he was lying) and asked him why he would sit three people and a child in a high chair at a two person table right in the middle of the food line. Just a dumb look on his face. I would have complained about the table even if the little one was there. I am not one of those parents....

So I am an asshole for getting my money back and going to a resturant that had a table that would fit all of us, would not have people bumping into my son's high chair every four seconds and staff that were not pricks.

By they way, when we left there were at least ten sets of tickets that have not been picked up yet so they easily could have swapped tables.

[shakuhachi]

Of course, foreign behavior must be considered part of the problem. If a foreigner messes up in some bar or restaurant, then that bar or restaurant will be poisoned towards foreigners for all time. However, it is also the case that Koreans believe wild rumors, and thus foreigners may be hated for no reason at all.

[RACETRAITOR]

One of my students complained to me once that she was waiting in line to use the sink in a subway washroom, when two foreign chicks budded in at the front to use the sink, and happened in conversation to mention the bag of chips my student was holding, saying how they'd never eat anything so unhealthy. That put her off a bit, because she thought that since we come from more "advanced" countries, we must act more civilised.

[Hater Depot]

Imagine if, in your home country, there was a transient population of young foreigners who come in to work a fairly easy, well-remunerated job who appear to spend a large portion of their time drinking and chasing after girls and making little to no effort to learn your language or be involved in the community.

In any country those foreigners would quickly earn a less-than-stellar reputation. The biased media and out of control nationalist pride aside, if you want respect you must earn it.

[fidel]

[Mashimaro]

[Col.Brandon]

Chiaa, in my opinion you were just being assertive. It's OK to stand up for what you feel is right. I find that as I've gotten older I have much less patience for the kinds of situations you described and won't hesitate to put my foot down.

A situation where something is blatantly senseless will especially get my blood boiling; I think it's right to call someone out when they're being obtuse.

------------------

Bad Foreigner moment? I was rushing up an escalator and an elderly couple were standing side-by-side blocking my way. As you know, it's considered polite for people to stand on the right side to let people through. However, these oldies were blissfully unaware that there were any other people in the universe, but I should have made allowances for their age. Instead, I shouldered past the old lady (saying "be-care jusayo") which was enough to bowl her over - luckily her husband caught her. I wasn't proud of that.

[SPINOZA]

[Shooter McGavin]

[periwinkle]

Sorry, Spinoza, but it sounds like an innocent mistake. Go back there again and be nice and they'll be happy for your business.

The worst thing I ever did was at a McDonald's near my old uni campus. It was 10pm, I had a headache, and I was starving. I just wanted a shake to tide me over on the 45 min. bus ride home. Anyway, I'd been getting a lot of crap from the staff at this location, evern though foreign teachers go in there all the time. I really had to swallow my pride while the staff in the back craned their necks to get a good look at me. Then they all started speaking broken English to each other. The kicker was that after they poured the shake, they left it sit on the counter for a couple of minutes (I felt it was deliberate- they wanted to f- with me). I tried to get the counter person's attention, but she was helping another customer and just ignored me. There was only myself and 1 other customer in there at the time, so being busy wasn't a valid excuse for "forgetting" about the shake.

Well, I finally left with my shake, but I was so angry. I had had enough of the bull shit treatment at that location, and I was tired of being made a laughingstock. I went back in there, asked for a glass of water, and just as she was handing me the cup, I let it drop on the counter.

I know it was bad behavior, and I didn't go back that McDonald's for 6 months. Maybe I made myself and/or foreigners look bad, but sometimes you're pushed so far that you just snap. I'm really not that sorry I did it, either. I'm not a big fan of a bunch of chumps making a fool of me.

[Yu_Bum_suk]

- just running away from a drunken ajoshi because I didn't want him following me home.

- shoving a different drunken ajoshi out of my apartment when he wanted to come in.

- pushing a drunken ajoshi away from me at a subway station.

- telling a younger, polite Korean friend of mine that ajoshis are creeps when a drunken ajoshi was following us around a market.

- ignoring and walking away from a drunken ajoshi trying to give me urgent advice about something or other.

- casually telling a drunken ajoshi hung-me upsayo ... gasayo when he was trying to berate a K-girl I was with on a bus.


What do you think would happen if you beat the living shit out of a drunken ajoshi on holiday in Thailand?