Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Bramble]

I wanted to post another response in that thread, but I have no idea what happened to it. This topic has been bothering me a lot since I read about it earlier today.

To the OP: It�s great that you�ve decided to be friends with the girl � but I think you have to remember that she�s still a kid. I�m not trying to insult you, but it honestly sounds as if you�re relating to her more as a peer would.

I feel that as an adult, you shouldn�t be helping a student deal with a breakup by offering to do her hair. You shouldn�t be sending the message that appearances are what matter, or reinforcing the idea that being rejected by some boy is a reflection of her worth as a person. As an adult, you should also have the sensitivity to realize that learning about a new, emotionally charged subject is traumatic. We�ve had years to educate ourselves about all the injustice in the world and digest the information at our own pace � she�s learning about it for the first time and it�s still raw.

Imagine how callous you must sound to her � not wanting to hear about a massacre of innocent people because you�re busy eating your lunch. What if a member of her family had just died and she was looking to you for support? Maybe that�s how she feels about the victims of the crimes she�s reading about. I�m sure you want to encourage her to keep on educating herself about the bad things that have happened�and still happen�in the world around her, right? I�m sure you don�t want to model apathy or indifference or punish her for caring � but that�s the way she probably perceives it.

Regarding her negative view of Japan, is she against the whole country�including kids her own age, who had nothing to do with the war or colonialism? Is she nationalistic? If not, maybe she�s not a �bigot.� If she is, could you balance the conversation by bringing up some social issues that are of great interest to you and encouraging her to make the connection? I think you said she was bright�if so, it shouldn�t be too difficult to convince her that no nation has a clean past or a monopoly on barbaric actions. I�m sure you could also find some examples of Japanese citizens who are against the way their government is behaving (i.e., not taking full responsibility for war crimes).

I don�t know what else to say, but I really hope this helps in some small way. It was sad to see a group of adults on a message board belittling a kid they didn�t even know, basically just for being unusually sensitive.

[xeno439]

What the *beep* is this all about? Oddest post I've seen on here.

[Bramble]

It would make more sense if the original thread hadn't disappeared. The mods' decisions are really incomprehensible sometimes ...

[Alyallen]

Bramble, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one. I remember the original post for the most part and I don't see what's the problem. He's her English teacher. Continually bringing up Japan has nothing to do with what he was teaching. After the class, why should he have to hear about massacres and on top that SEE PICTURES?! Let's keep in mind that he had asked her not to discuss that topic with him. How callous must she seem to him when she can't respect his wishes and doesn't listen to her teacher?

Personally, I don't think the OP did anything wrong. The girl is a bit off but he's not her guidance counselor, so there's not much he could do.

[mj roach]

As I understood it, she (he) prefered not to look at pictures of mutilated bodies while eating. Seems reasonable enough.

[horang]

I remember I made posting on a thread like this but gone.

Leave her alone because she will soon be pro-Japanese, enjoying J-pops and J-fashion. Most of Koreans are pro-Japanese in their hearts, just don't express. But I do.
Japanese love Korean food, dramas, music, and really know of us well, and especially treat me very well. Leave politics to politicians.

[wylies99]

So, we CAN respond to threads that have been pulled? okay, here goes-Okay I'm going to respond to a couple of threads that are no longer on Dave's.

1) No. It was red.


2) I don't know. I wasn't really there, but I heard about it from a stranger in a bar in Itaewon, so it MUST be true.



3) I'm not sure exactly how I got home, but my wallet was gone and my butt was very sore. That's how I learned to not drink something called "Slammers."



4) You don't really blow on it. It's just a nickname.

[Bramble]