Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Tjames426]

Early this evening, I was shopping at the Cheoungju Emart after my afternoon class. Yes, for some reason, my Hagwon does allow me to have Friday night free.

As I was headed to the checkout, I noticed a Korean lad about 9 - 11 was following me. He finally caught up with me, then asked, "Where are you from?"

I was so proud of this lad. This boy was not afraid to walk right up to a big ugly foreigner and speak English in a public place. I answered his question. Then, I asked him, "Where he was from."

Truly, this is one of the most hopeful signs I have seen in Korea. Koreans not afraid to interact and speak with Foreigners. Koreans who are curious and desiring to have English practice.

Sadly, it is mostly the preteen generation that I have seen this from so far. Perhaps in 10 years or so Korea will be different from what it is now.

[Qinella]

That's awesome, man.. you must have blown his mind with such a weird question. If someone said "Where he was from?" to me I'd probably just start drooling.

I don't mean to sound cynical or rude, but are you new to Korea? Forgive me if you're not, but I think most people who have been here more than 6 months or so want nothing less than every Korean running up to us trying to speak English. That would suck a fat ass. I'd start learning Spanish or something pronto just to pretend I don't speak English.

[kangnam mafioso]

actually i find this behavior most annoying most of the time.

1. don't follow me around in grocery stores (unless you're some drop-dead gorgeous babe)

2. don't say "hi" on the street when you're standing around with your pre-teen friends and then laugh when i answer back

3. don't freaking stare at me in a rude way.

i know that sounds a bit jaded and there are times when a korean (of any age/ gender) can approach you and try to make conversation (and vice versa) and it isn't awkward but most of the time it just feels forced or stupid.

if i'm sitting at a bar alone and a korean is sitting there, it might feel natural to maybe strike up a conversation. grocery stores and subways and elevators are another matter.

although -- and this is truly an exception -- once i was on the subway going over the hangang and happened to be sitting next to this very attractive korean college student. i noticed she was reading the world herald tribune in an erudite manner. the subway car wasn't crowded. after a few moments, i politely asked her if she was an english teacher (as most koreans wouldn't be caught dead reading any sort of english newspaper on the train). she laughed and replied that she was studying english at the university. she asked me a few questions and we went on to have a very pleasant conversation about her experience studying abroad in canada.

why can't foreigners have more of these types of exchanges and less of the retarded kind?

[Cheonmunka]

I can't help my moods. Sometimes I like free spirited kids saying stuff. But, I will ignore them when it's not a direct question. When direct and not shouted across the way, I'm happy to talk to 'em for a minute.

[SirFink]

[tomato]

Tjames426, you brought up a moot question.

Was that child at E-Mast praiseworthy for being a devoted English student, while you were praiseworthy for encouraging that child's interest?
Or was that child blameworthy for being disrespectful, while you were blameworthy for not defending your pride?
When you arrive at the Pearly Gates, God will decide that.

Different foreigners appreciate different things and different foreigners resent different things.
A few years ago, someone wrote in saying that he was in seventh heaven.
His adult students passed a hat around and bought him a handphone. Now they call him up on evenings and weekends and talk, talk, talk.
He enjoyed this because he just loved to talk, talk, talk.

Other people wrote back to him saying that they were using him for free English instruction.

Was this teacher praiseworthy for being so appreciative, so devoted to his students, and so extraverted?
Or was he an unsuspecting stooge, as the respondents would have us believe?
When he arrives at the Pearly Gates, God will decide that.

Conversely, a participant on this forum could draw fire for resenting what other people would not resent.
Among the foreigners who study Korean, some resent Koreans adults speaking English to them, some don't.
You are looking at one foreigner who does.
When a Korean speaks to me in English, I hear that as implying that I am too stupid and lazy to learn Korean, so there is no point in even trying.
I have even amassed a spiteful comebacks.

When I shared those spiteful comebacks on this forum, several people wrote back, telling me that I was just being paranoid.

Am I really a paranoia case?
Or am I being self-assertive, while those who DON'T resent English-speaking Koreans are spineless jellyfish?
When I arrive at the Pearly Gates, God will decide that.

[jennateacher]

Late last night I got in to Incheon. I had a very hard time finding a way to get to yongsan station, The Koreans kept telling me to get into bus lines that went where they thought I wanted to go not where I really wanted to go. Not a happy evening.

This morning I was having coffee in yongsan station while waiting for my train home. There was one other lady in the cafe. When she was ready to leave she stopped by my table and asked a favor. She wanted my reciept so she could get an hour of parking. It was an honest conversation, not someone trying to show off or practice. I happily gave her my reciept. A very happy morning.

The way I am aproached on the street determines my response.

[jcan]

About a month ago I was walking outside my hagwan when a 30-something Korean woman frantically ran up to me and was like, "ooooh! excuse me! Hello! I am an English-ee teacher but my English-ee is very not good! I want to be your friend!" Yeah, I'm sure she wanted to be my friend because I had such a great personality.
Anyway I didn't really know how to get out of it politely so I gave her my number, and we went to dinner the following Saturday. Got a pamphlet about God, engaged in some awkward conversation, corrected grammar mistakes when asked, and secretly swore to myself that I would never answer another one of her calls.

[alkun]

I agree that is depends on the situation. Normally when I am shopping I hate having little children come up and practice the two words of English they know. I don't get angry with the children its not their fault, its their parents pushing them to see if their money is being spent wisely. Depending on my mood will depend if I speak in English, French of Korean with the kids.

As for adults I agree with TOMATO. I want to learn and practice Korean to help myself while living here. I don't like it when Koreans who can barely speak English, try and only speak English to me instead of trying in Korean.

As a side note, TOMATO do you ever get store owners who just toss calculators or point at the cash registers instead of speaking to you using the numbers? I hate this. I usually throw the calculators back at them. Its a basic way to practice. One reason why I love Japan, no matter where you go they always say the numbers to you in Japanese.

[tomato]

I'm in an unusually good mood right now.
I've just been to the city library, where I was reading easy books in the kiddy room.
I overheard a girl singing the Bach G major minuet.
I also overheard her mommy tell another child's that she learned that piece in violin class.
I wrote that mommy a note telling her that I played the violin and piano, and asking her to contact me for a moment musicale.
The girl's mommy introduced the other mommy to me as the girl's piano teacher.
We had a lot to talk about.

Now I feel assured that I am intelligent enough to talk about something besides do you like kimchi.

[poet13]

I just came from home-mart.

There was a boy of maybe 7 with his parents. They poked, prodded, pushed, finally turned him to face me, and then resorted to just shoving him in my direction. Standing in front of me while I chose potatoes, this poor terrified boy suffered through regurgitating the "Hellos", and "Where are you from?" his parents called to him from four or five meters away.
"Hola! Como esta? Me llamo XXXX. Soy de Canada.", was my reply.

On the other hand, a few minutes later over at the meat counter, one of the ladies working there hacked and butchered her way through a greeting, and then with the help of the entire meat department, made it known that her son is one of my students, and that he likes me very much. Then she weighed my pork, opened the bag again, and threw in a couple of hundred more grams for free.

Like the others said, it's how I am approached that determines how I respond. Of course, big, luscious, boobies help.

Sincerely,

Married, not dead.

[SPINOZA]

I thought Tomato was bonkers previously but the more time goes on, the more he appears to have a point.

I try to avoid rudeness, but if I'm in one of my moods I'll be most unimpressed with a bunch of staring Koreans seeing a white god for the first time. Always happens when you try a new restaurant.

Anyway, I pretend I'm German these days.

독일에서 왔으니까 영어를 잘 못하는데 한국말 조금 해요.

The problem with that though is that I've encountered Koreans who think English is the native language of almost the entire world.....Brazil, Spain, Germany, you name it!

Happily, most of the time, folks in shops just say the price, but as always the bad times weigh heaviest on one's mind, like the Emart adjuma who just turned the price display to me in the most annoying fashion possible. I stared at her for 5 seconds or more and politely asked her to speak, which she did......then I muttered an obsenity under my breath in English! That's how to destroy someone folks.....the muttering under one's breath of something unpleasant in English!

Gotta be careful though if your Korean sucks ass like mine. Ever got pissed off at a Korean for not using Korean to you for something easy like a price.....and subsequently not understood something in fast, normal Korean? I have. It sucked.

[oneofthesarahs]

Something I've noticed: everytime I'm in Seoul, everyone assumes I can't speak Korean. In my small town, everyone assumes I can speak Korean.

Which sucks on both ends. Can't practice Korean in Seoul, can't understand a word anyone says here. Oh, woe is me. My brain is still in the stage where it processes everything in Korean very, very slowly. So if someone tells me that the price is say, 4,500 won, my brain hears the 4,000 but can't quite make it to the 500. Needless to say, not many people get exact change from me.

[Wrench]

Koreans have no idea how fast they speak. They get frustrated with englishee.. At least we slow down for them, I wish they had the same curtesey for us. I just gave up on Korean.

I just ignore kids they talk to me I end up walking past them. If they have legit reason then I respond if its the usual BS I speak, Polish, French or, German (don't speak much french or german but its enough for me to get them of my back)

[tomato]