Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Qinella]

The girl I'm dating works for Korean Air so she gets big discounts, and consequently travels a lot. She's been mostly to European countries, and Australia/NZ. She told me something I found pretty funny: in every country she's visited, there've been a ton of people who yell "Konichiwa!" at her as she's walking down the street. Waiters at restaurants and people at other places will approach her with "Ni Hao" or "Konichiwa" and then initiate with the following conversation:

Are you from Japan?
No.
Oh.. China?
No.
Really? Hmm... Taiwan?
No.
Um... Thailand?
Sigh... I'm from Korea.


A lot of times, people don't even know where Korea is. In EUROPE. Yes, that's right, it's not just stupid Americans who think Korea is a village near Mongolia.

She said she finds it very annoying, the whole Konichiwa/Ni Hao thing. She got so tired of correcting people that now she just acknowledges them with a slight eyebrow raise and ignores them.


I thought it was somewhat ironic, because a lot of westerners like to complain about receiving the same type of treatment in Korea. I've complained about it before. A lot of us think about how people in our country would never be so uncultured and barbaric. Apparently it's just an aspect of human nature, if it transcends cultural boundaries so uniformly.

Q.

[essexboy]

ok, proof may be further accrued for the case against Americans ( a huge generalisation i know, but i apologise to the large numbers who are very clever ) in this little anecdote:

I am from Essex, hence the username. Anyone that knows the UK will know that people from Essex and the South East have the strongest English accent you could ever encounter.

Whilst in Itaewon, i was talking to an American girl from Boston (Massachusets?) and after conversation on the Charles Dickens book i happened to be reading and how she and i were finding korean life, she said "I would love to go and see his house one day, have you been to England?"

[Alan Partidge]

I've been asked by an American if we speak English in NZ.

I've been asked by Koreans if I'm from....most English speaking countries, Germany and Russia. This is a fair question I think.

When I told a neighbour in NZ that I was going to Korea she said, " You might bring home a won ton wife." Won tons are popular Chinese food in NZ.

Ignorance is everywhere I suppose.

[kiwiliz]

Ignorance is everywhere I suppose. said Alan

Agreed here! I have travelled alot, been called Australiand and even South African alot....NZ v South Africa accent?? jsut cna't see it myself...and the number of people who think there are Koalas in NZ...or who dont' even know exactly where it is.
But hy! atleast while we are here we can do our best to make sure some Korea kids grow up knowing a thing or three about our home countries..it just might help

[semphoon]

I worked at a summer camp in the USA. A co-worker (college student) asked me "what's the capital of London?"

[Natalia]

[doggyji]

He he, yeah... now it's an established fact that Korea is so much unknown. It's pretty much overshadowed by Japan and China in the region. I never get asked if I'm from Korea. Many assume I'm Chinese. I don't care. Anyway I wouldn't ask you if you are from Belgium or Lithuania even after trying 10 different countries to guess.

[doggyji]

DP again... why did I click on "quote"......sorry

[RACETRAITOR]

I have a Korean-American friend who was contacted on MySpace by an American otaku-type. He started using Japanese phrases and talking about how Asians are great, and she told him to fark off.

Once I was contacted by a European white supremacist who was asking me about Japanese nationalist skinhead music. He sent me an interview with questions like "What do Japanese nationalist skinheads think of China?" I told him to fark himself, as I was in Korea.

[Hater Depot]

Lately I have been getting "Are you Indian?" and "Are you Iranian?" Even some of my students initially guess that I'm an Arab. Must be those Semitic good looks.

[The Bobster]

[Chinaski]

No matter how many times I tell my students I'm from New Zealand, not the Netherlands, they keep asking me about Holland, Hiddinck and Advocaat. Whenever I respond with 'Sorry, I don't know I'm from NZ, not the Netherlands', I'm met with a look of complete disappointment in their eyes.

But, as has been oft mentioned already, ignorance isn't just a trait held by Korean students - its everywhere.

[WorldWide]

-Ask an american what is the capital of Canada and you'll get the wrong answer about 85% of the time.

-Ask americans who is the leader of Canada and what is his/her title and you'll get a blank stare 95% of the time.


To all you americans on this site, I assume most of you are intelligent, seeing as a degree is required to teach in Korea. Try and answer these 2 questions without using google or asking anyone. Honour system time! If you can come up with the correct answers on your own, then I applaud you. If not, I suggest you stop making inflamitory remarks about other people's ignorance.

[Qinella]

[SweetBear]