Korean Job Discussion Forums

Wombat · Joined: 28 May 2003 Location: slutville

Alright, everyone. I can't help myself. I have to rant and rave for at least a paragraph.

I just got back from Carrefour. It was pretty quiet in there. I strolled calmly through the aisles, wincing at the ear-shattering loudness of the girls with the microphones. I was plied with lousy ice ko-pi, meat samples, roe, and every other thing. I selected a big bunch of grapes, despite the exortionate cost of them. I steadied myself for the worst section of any shop - the hair/makeup area. I realised today that I was in the unfortunate position of needing some hair conditioner, and that meant I would have to brave those weird, painted women in the shops. I gritted my teeth, grabbed something which looked like conditioner, and made my way to the checkout.

So, I'm standing in line with my two items. Some woman makes her presence known by ramming her shopping cart into the backs of my ankles, whilst looking in the complete oposite direction. She then proceeds to continue pushing the cart, thus forcing me through the check-out corral. When she's forced me out onto the other side, she jams herself at the end of the conveyor belt whilst babbling away in Korean to the checkout lady. As I'm putting my change back in my wallet, she starts picking up my stuff and looking around vacantly saying "Igo, andaeyo? Igo....." and then hands my grapes back to the checkout woman, who has apparently forgotten that she JUST SOLD THEM TO ME. I look at this obnoxious woman and say in English, "Just WAIT a minute," because I am helpless for a suitable phrase in Korean. She looks at me vaguely and continues waving the grapes around. I take them gingerly from her, as well as my hair conditioner (which is now heaped underneath all her stuff) and walk our, annoyed.

What IS IT with Koreans and pushiness? I've been here a long time, and it still really bothers me. And on the walk home, the streets reeked of sewerage; I don't know if it's the heat or what, but everything absolutely stinks in my neighbourhood. Boy, do I hate Korea today!

Phew. I feel better now.

Wombat

canuckistan · Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 1:44 am Post subject:

Ever seen what happens when species of animal overpopulates an area? They start getting real mean and agressive towards each other in the competition for increasingly limited food resources. Korea is like Darwin's survival of the fittest. Or pushiest.

BTM · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Back in the saddle.

I'm speechless. I've killed people for even thinking about doing stuff less obnoxious than that.

Not including that guy I shot in Reno, just to watch him die.

Corporal · Joined: 25 Jan 2003

I hear ya Wombat.

My shopping days always seem to go like that.

As far as saying "just wait a minute", I usually go with "ki-da-ryo!" which is not that polite, but so what, if she's bumping your ankles or butt she deserves it.

Cthulhu · Joined: 02 Feb 2003

Yeah, I get that all the time at Carrefour or Homeplus. You can take the ajuma out of the market but you can't take the market out of the ajuma. Just the other day I had an old woman jump ahead of myself and another family because she only had one item. Funny thing is, I only had three and the people behind me only had four. If she'd asked first (to me or to the others) I wouldn't have minded but no, she just forced her way in. I get the pushy people with carts too, but these days I either give a look of death or push back.

bucheon bum · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

yikes. I've experienced rude pushiness but nothing like that, especially at my local carrefour, which is ALWAYS dead as can be. Its so dead that I always wonder if there is something sketchy about the place because E-mart and Home Plus are always busy. Maybe the local residents are anti-french or something Smile

.

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

Moldy Rutabaga · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Location: Ansan, Korea

At times, I've gotten away with a lot in Korea by playing stupid-- I've walked across busy streets and pretended not to understand traffic rules--I've dodged Jehovah's Witnesses by pretending to only understand Spanish.

But it also helps if we keep a cool head and remember that some people are simply in their own mindset and world, and aren't purposely being mean. And if it helps anybody, I find that Busan isn't nearly so bad for this sort of behavior.

Ken:> http://keneckert.byus.net

hellofaniceguy · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Location: On your computer screen!

In your case I'm not a nice guy at all. I push the cart right back into whom ever pushed it into me. Done it a number of times. And I don't push it gently. They, koreans, certaintly don't like it when someone does it to them, yet these same people act rudely all the time. I don't get it.

Trinny · Joined: 01 Feb 2003

It is easy to guess. It is all about me, me, ME!

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

I just heard that the Broncos have a new play for their playbook- the Halmoni Rush.

Zyzyfer · Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2003 6:13 pm Post subject:

Cool, I woulda spouted all kinds of rude phrases at that woman, and given her the evil eye of gloomy doom.

"Wait a minute", fairly politely, anyways, is "Jjahmgahnmahnyo"...sucky romanization.

weatherman · Joined: 14 Jan 2003 Location: Korea

One question. Why did you take her being pushy with you? I would have let her know what direction her behavior should have taken...This has nothing to do about being a bad foreigner or about not understanding Korean culture. Stand up for yourself.

HardyandTiny · Joined: 03 Jun 2003

Leslie Cheswyck · Joined: 31 May 2003 Location: University of Western Chile

"I don't think that cart is gonna fit up my ass, sir...but I know it'll fit up yours."

I think next time I meet the check-out counter proctologist I'll just "misunderstand" his intentions and "accept" the cart he's offering, fill it up with my stuff, and go. I always use one of those little handbaskets, so he'll be put out.