Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ghost]

A foreigner recently arrived in a small regional city in Korea had a rather shocking experience recently when looking for somewhere to eat.

Upon finding a restaurant which was open, said foreigner opened the door and began looking for somewhere to sit. At that moment, foreigner noticed two of the restaurant workers sitting down, eating their meal (this was at about 5pm on Saturday afternoon). Foreigner starts to try to talk with a couple of words in Korean and the rest in English - but to no avail, because the two seated (eating) female workers start shouting and gesticulating for foreigner to leave the establishment!

Foreigner hardly knows any Korean at this stage but the tone and meaning were plainly obvious - not welcome in that place....

For the long timers here (in Korea) - maybe (hopefully) there is an explanation for that behaviour from the two Korean women (who appeared to be aged around 35-45) - for example, maybe some Restaurants do not officially open their doors to customers until later on a Saturday? The restaurant in question was one of those places with all those tiny little tables at just above floor level, where you sit and eat on the floor.

Interesting that the culture is so different in Korea compared with other countries. Ghost recalls being in Turkey the first time (in 1996) and not speaking any Turkish - but being welcomed and given the ''red carpet treatment" everywhere it went in Turkey - being offered mini glasses of tea, and pieces of baklava (delicious pastry) even though ghost spoke no Turkish on that first occasion (since then has learned Turkish to intermediate level). The point is - one does not need to learn the language in some countries to be made felt welcome. In Korea some places appear to pay little attention to make foreigners feel welcome. A rather cold, uncaring attitude is manifest on the part of the average Korean worker vis a vis foreigner, and this is a pity, because many foreigners will not be in a position to forge and consolidate meaningful links with Koreans - and those are the things which make foreigners feel good and eager to get up in the morning in a foreign land.

In any even, foreigner just wishes that the way Koreans greet one were more courteous, because it is depressing and unsettling to be treated in the way the foreigner was treated. In another store, where foreigner wished to purchase some items (a clothes store) - the two female employees again quickly made it knows that they were not interested in trying to fathom what foreigner required.

These two incidents (on the same day!) bring up an interesting point. That is - in small regional towns, most of the Korean shop owners speak no English whatsoever, and it would be up to us (foreign EFL teachers) to learn enough Korean to, hopefully, integrate better and feel more welcomed.

That is certainly what this foreigner aims to do.

Thanks for any feedback you may have about similar incidents.

Ghost

[wylies99]

Proper response to those two "workers"?

"Eat me, mofo's" and then show them the cash they're not gonna get

[Smee]

Foreigner told - we're eating, come back later.

[LuminairE]

ghost, do you honestly have to refer to yourself in the third person?
and there's a dozen valid reasons why they could have wanted you to leave. if you can't understand what they said, then don't judge them outright... for all you know they were yelling at you to get out because they knew the restaurant was about to burst into flames.

always be creative before being judgemental.

[ghost]

[Adventurer]

[Travelous Maximus]

Korean restaurants are for Koreans only.

[Canadian Club]

Maybe the person walked in without taking his/her shoes off.

[kimchi_pizza]

I'm pretty certain you just arrived in Korea so here's the only time I'll offer ya advice: Drop the pretentious tone and stop referring to yourself in the third person. It's annoying and it puts the reader off. I read the first couple'a lines of your posts and quickly moved on. I guessing you just got outta university as well. Relax kiddo, give it some time before offer'n advice or you're look'n at an early burnout and midnight runner.

As for your experience, it's extremely rare to come across a situation like that in Korea (Japan? maybe, I did.). They may've sensed your smug superiority and automatically put of by it. Relax, go in with a slight smile and you MIGHT receive better service. G'luck.

[ChuckECheese]

My advice is that stick your finger down your throat and throw-up in the middle of the restaurant and leave quickly.

[jinju]

I once had my camera with me and I was treated rudely. I told the guy "I work for a large magazine and Im going to write about how rude Koreans are and mention your place of business. Koreans will hate you for making them look bad". He was begging me not to.

[mindmetoo]

[Milwaukiedave]

I agree, that sort of things is rare. There are some times I feel put off when I walk in to a store in terms of getting help. Sometimes it's the language barrier, but other times it could be outright ignorance on their part. The media has done a good job of demonizing US soliders, so there's a chance you could have been mistaken for one.

Try to let it go and hopefully the next place you walk into will be more friendly.

[ella]

It happens. I had a door closed in my face in a restaurant in Insadong. Sometimes we're paying for the behavior of previous foreigners, too; you can't blame it entirely on xenophobia.

[Ecumenist]