Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Manghchi]

Many Native English Speakers living in Korea say they are very uncomfortable with Koreans staring at them. They say wherever they go, whatever they do in Korea they can�t get away from people�s staring. Whenever I heard this complaint, I felt sorry for them. But when they stay long enough to get accustomed to people�s staring, I see some are changing to enjoy being a star.

My friend Brenda told me she went to a restaurant with some of her Korean students. When she tried to eat Kimchi, she was questioned, �Oh, do you like Kimchi?� When she picked up potato dish, �You like potatoes? It�s good for your health� �Oh, you can use chopsticks?� She said it was very funny.

When I was in Korea, the most common question that I was asked by some of my students or parents who knew I had native English speaker friends was �What do they eat?� My answer was always this �The same as you do!�

Some years ago, I traveled to Azores Island, far off Western Europe to visit my friend. I took a plane to get there, and it took about 2.5 hours. Local people didn�t seem to be familiar with an Asian woman�s face. I felt almost everyone on the streets was looking at me. Of all those, especially I can�t forget about an old grandmother. From far distance, she kept watching and walking towards me. When she passed me, I looked back to see if she was still watching me. Yes, she stopped and watching me. I hoped I was the first Asian woman for her to see in her entire life. I waved at her and took off my sunglasses to help her see me more clearly.

http://maangchi.blogspot.com/

[VanIslander]

The first black man my father saw was the darkest skinned person he's ever seen since, in a half century of living in Canada afterwards! It was exactly fifty years ago when as a young man he, and many other young Hungarian men, were on a flight from England to their new country of Canada (left their homeland during the failed, bloody Hungarian Revolt against the Soviets).

My father said he made an effort to not stare, just glance, but a minute into the flight he had to stare, with jaw dropped and mouth gaping wide open: the black guy spoke flawless Hungarian! (turns out he had been adopted and raised by a Hungarian American couple, and was hired as an interpreter for the flight and immigration paperwork to follow).

It's a natural reaction.

[demianamar]

So I saw this post and simply had to reply because one of my biggest complaints while being in Korea was that I couldn't get used to being stared at. Now, having returned to North America, with so many different kinds of nationalities that I so missed seeing, I find myself looking at people as though it's for the first time I'm realizing how many kinds of people from all over live in one place. The point is, I have to consciously stop myself from glaring at people remembering how it annoyed me, and fearing they'll think I'm creepy. But I have a whole new understanding for the Koreans who simply may have never seen a foreigner, particularly one that didn't look 'typical'...whatever that may be. Too bad I didn't come to this conclusion months ago when I would let little, harmless things ruin a perfectly good part of my day.

By the way, similar to the OP being asked what 'we' eat, I've been asked, "what do Koreans wear?" "how do they talk?" "what do they eat?". Which is a great reminder not to pick on our host country too much, because the people at home may be the same, if not worse off in their own knowledge of the world outside.

[crazylemongirl]

Korea was the first place I remember seeing an african-american person and I remember staring at a group of women thinking 'wow they like they are from ricky lake.' I also didn't realize my friend was mexican until she told me though apparently she has a very common hispanic name.

So I don't really have a problem being stared at because I had my 'wow a _____ person' moment myself!

[Gaber]

Saw a Black man in what I assume was some sort of muslim dress at yongsan in the weekend, had to fight my staring impulse. Jet black with a white turban.

Don't have a problem with staring, though pointing crosses a line for me.

[djsmnc]

I saw a hairless ape in the mirror today. My jaw dropped and so did his.

[StAxX SOuL]

It's nature... human's are curious creatures, if we weren't then we wouldn't develop as we do

It's simply an extension to that... no idea why people end up being offended

[John Henry]

They stare because I am such a handsome teacher.

[rothkowitz]

They stare because I represent danger.

[periwinkle]

[billybrobby]

Why does the OP sound like a book report? I kept waiting for it to end with "and that's why Laura Ingalls Wilder means so much to me."





...yeah, i know why.

[Qinella]

Oooh you've been to the Azores? What did you think about it?

[jajdude]

After years in Korea (and elsewhere in Asia), used to being surrounded by Asians, visiting Montreal and Ottawa a few years ago had an effect on me. Beautiful white and black women, French and English and other languages, numerous races, and much more was quite a change in environment. A few times I couldn't help staring, I was just so estranged by living in Korea, I forgot what it was like to see beautiful western women everywhere, black people, Hebrews, whoever, to hear English and other languages daily, to have so many food options available, to have newspapers and magazines galore, decent beer, and to have all that open space free of crowdedness.

Variety is still scarce here.

[pastafarian]

[SuperFly]

I was the first black dog in Korea. I actually did a few tv shows back in the early days. You may remember me from such movies as "Hold my paws while I die" and "Doggy Love" Back then, Korean people had never seen a black dog, they would stare at me for a long time. Sometimes their mouths would salivate, but I attributed that to my good looks.

Now Korea has many black dogs. In fact, we call it the "Black dog invasion" many of these dogs are unqualified to be good companions and are in Korea illegally.