Korean Job Discussion Forums

[periwinkle]

We've had threads about crazy co-workers, but what are some of the crazy things your friends have done here?

My friend is soooooooo "Oba"- everything gets turned into a drama. Yesterday he went to a gas station and repeated that he only wanted man won worth of gas put into his car. Well, they put 15,000 worth into his car. He flipped, and told the attendant he had only wanted man won. Then he demanded to speak to the manager. Anyway, he told the manager he wouldn't pay- said he didn't have the cash. And he didn't pay the extra 5000 won!

He also had a fit at the toll booth going to Inchon a/p. Actually, he needed to get off the hwy near Gimpo a/p, but he missed it, and couldn't get off before the toll booth. They wanted him to pay the toll, lost or not, it didn't matter. So he went over to the Hwy offices while I sat in the car for 20 min. and waited. He complained and complained, and finally he got the fee (3000 won or so)- out of their petty cash fund!!

Another time we were at Bennigan's, and I told him about how some ajumma had a 2 yr. old standing on the counter peeing into the sink (there was a child-sized urinal next to the sink, btw). Well, he was outraged, so he calls over a manager and tells the manager he needs to get someone into the ladies' room to clean the sink and counter. Oh, man, sometimes I just want to disappear when he goes on these tirades!

[captain kirk]

He was (don't know if he's still here in K) from New Brunswick, had his teaching degree and working in our haggie a few weeks 'til he left (not enough perks). One night he drank and drank, by himself (he was laughing about it telling the story the next day). Soju I guess it was. This guy's about 30 and so he's forgetting about having to go to work the next day and just keeps on chugging soju in his apt (in his description he makes loose lipped unable to speak slobbery animal sounds). Sun comes up and he's still on the vapours, he looks out the window and sees some guys on the street doing something, fixing something or carrying something. So he goes down and offers to help totally plastered, totally friendly. Didn't go to work. They still wanted to hire him at the hagwon. That was the hilarious thing, he thought.

Another time this same guy. How's it going? Haha, I was in jail last night. Why? Threw a beer bottle at a taxi. Huh? Yeah, I was pissed off. Bastard wouldn't pick us up. So I threw the bottle at him and broke his tailight. Cops came, took me to jail for the night. Phoned the hagwon owner. She came down to the copshop and bailed me out. I'm not fired but she (the hagwon owner) was a little embarrassed. Some people vent on dave's, others pitch beerbottles at taxis.

[Demophobe]

3AM and my friend was living in the uni apts (his wife was a teacher, he was doing not much). Across from the housing complex was a basketball court where drunken students would party most of the night, occasionally playing ball.

My buddy was quite sick of this one night and went to the court sporting his hunting knife he brought from Aus with him. He drove the knife into the basketball, quickly ending the game. Students run. Cops come. A heavily tatooed, shirtless pitbull of a man vs. 3 cops. They were scared to come near him and siply asked him to return home with his knife.

Tired of paying a shared bill for the heat in the complex, he bought multiple vice-grips and pinched off the water to what he percieved as the principle abusers of the heat. The boiler blew up a few hours later. No one could explain all the vice grips laying around the blown-out boiler.

He loved Captain Q...the antifreeze/whiskey that's as cheap as soju. He was drinking in his wife's (mine as well) office all day, playing games and chatting on the computer. A teacher was sick for his evening classes, so this guy says he will do it....completely cranked. I could hear him all over the school..."exciting and scary" one student told me after.

He was a nut, but actually a very affable guy. Wherever you are Leaf, keep being yourself. Last I heard, he was off to build things for the Aboriginals in the outback.

[cdninkorea]

Two things I've done (not a friend; me) in Korea:

One day I was getting out of the subway train and in a hurry. There was a long line for the 'up' escalator and the stairs, but the 'down' escalator was empty. So what did I do? Yup, I ran up the 'down' escalator.

Or, earlier this month I had to move from central Seoul to northern Seoul, and lots of stuff didn't fit in the taxi. So I left it in storage and brought it up, piece by piece, on the subway.

You want to get weird looks in the subway? Try going the wrong way on the escalator. If that doesn't work you can always bring a 5' high ironing board on it.

[seoulsucker]

My first week in Korea, a severely alcoholic coteacher at my school had a nervous breakdown and got fired. Here's where it gets good. He showed up the next day and taught to an empty classroom for a good 4 or 5 hours, handing out papers, swimming on the carpet, and talking in complete gibberish. It was priceless.

[paperbag princess]

i'm crazy, i'll readily admit it; when korean men tell me to be quiet in the subway/bus, i loose my temper.

[Ya-ta Boy]

These are worthy of the Freakiest Waygook Thread. It's no wonder we have the reputation we do. I especially liked the one about going up the down escalator.

[Demophobe]

[Homer]

Had a teacher from BC show up for his first day hammered. He was about 40 and he used to take a snork from a metal flask regularly during the day. He also put the moves on the cleaning lady and got slapped and turned around in the process.

One day, the cops showed up at the school along with a Canadian official and they basically took him away....never found out why...

[Qinella]

When I moved to Korea, I quickly made friends with a married guy in his late 20s. We hung out a lot, but to make a long intro short, I told him to stop talking to me because he was freaking me out and crowding me (coming over drunk, crying at 1am telling me how much he missed me, stuff like that).

So one day, after five months of not talking, we ran into each other on the street. I casually told him to call me some time. Well, he did. He called me at 1am when my girlfriend was over. I just gave the phone to her to explain that we were busy.

Girlfriend leaves around 2:45, I kick back and prepare to finish my vodka, and about fifteen minutes later he's at my door. Arg. I opened the door to find him, holding a 2-pack of orange juice bottles, and three of his friends. At 3am. On a weeknight. I told them they couldn't come in, but he tried to barge his way in past me. So I was forced to pick him up and carry him over to the corner so I could shut the door.

He started beating on the door, yelling for me to open it. "I'm sorry! Please, I just want to talk! I'm sorry Shane!" I was a bit drunk at this time, too, having spent the night drinking vodka, and so I burst open the door and physically threatened him. I told them all to f off, never come over again, and that I'd call the police if they didn't leave.

As soon as I closed the door, the kicking and beating and wailing resumed. So, I called the police and had them dispatch someone out to my apartment. I yelled through the door that the cops were coming, and after a few cries of "sibal gaesaeki!" things died down. The cops called again to confirm my address and I told them not to worry about it. It seemed dumbarse and his band of drunken dwarves had left.

Of course, the mayhem quickly resumed. In all, he stayed in front of my apartment for over an hour, until about 4:30 am, yelling and screaming. My neighbors never once came out or said anything or called the cops. Nothing. I should mention it was really cold outside, and raining, and his friends just stood out in the freezing rain the whole time waiting on him. What freaks!

When I got up the next day, I saw broken glass that had been swept up, orange juice splattered all over the place, and two orange juice bottles sitting next to my door. Apparently in his rage he'd smashed the orange juice bottles, and then made his way to the store to buy new ones.

The whole area heard about it, too. I know this, because everywhere I went, the shopkeepers were asking me to retell the story to them.

Q.

[Mills]

My best-mate is a helicopter pilot stationed in Japan. He is single, on a ship for the better part of a year, and makes big $$$. When he gets time off he goes a little overboard; girls, alcohol, gambling, jay-walking, ect... I would love to go into the details, but that's just foolish. I'm just lucky to be part of his entourage when we comes Korea.