Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Qinella]

This has happened to me a few times: I go into a restaurant and order. The food comes, and seconds later the caring ajumma brings me a fork.

Okay, this happened the other day when I was at a place near the Yongsan military base, so I can sort of understand. But it has happened a few others times. I think it's a bit annoying, the assumption, but generally I think they do it out of good will.

But one time it really did ruin my good mood, and my face turned red because of being humiliated/offended. I was in the kickass 원할머니 보쌈 Won Halmoni Bossam shop grubbing out before work. I had already been eating, with chopsticks, for about 5 minutes or so when suddenly the waitress brought over a fork on a platter. She was always so nice to me, so I tried to be as pleasant as possible when asking why on earth she had done that when I'd been using chopsticks no problem, and had done so every time I'd come before. She meekly explained that the group of salarymen at the other table hitting the soj during lunch break had spied me and commanded her to bring me a fork.

Now, again, it was most likely a thoughtful act from their perspective, but quite embarrassing for me.

Does this happen to others of you as well? How do you react to it?


Chop, Chop!
Q.

[kingplaya4]

You must be really, really drunk or really, really bored to post this. Sorry I fail to see how this is a big deal, and you know its not racist or anything like that.

Being that a lot of people don't even finish their contracts your average foreigner a Korean sees has been here a couple of months, can't speak a lick of Korean, and probably looks awkward with chopsticks.

[chasmmi]

A few days back I ordered Ojingo Dolsotbab and after a few mintues the ajjuma brought me an extra bowl of rice because she thought it was too spicy for me.

Made me laugh because I can outspice about 95% of Korean people at least. However she was just being nice and as it was 9pm and I hadnt eaten yet that day Iwas starving so an extra portion of rice for free was just marvellous.

(Even if it did kill some of the spiciness )

[Qinella]

[kingplaya4]

sorry I was just putting my own state of mind onto you. Still you got to admit, pretty lame topic.

Most times when I'm new at a restaurant they do offer me a fork, and I always say anpeelyohayo. (don't need but that might be wrong please correct if so). But anyway even with my poor Korean they smile and put the fork back. I even feel like a shit for doing this sometime, but after not using a fork for over a year now, I really don't feel like using it. Plus, they never bother offering it again after first refusal, so its worth their shocked feelings or whatever they feel.

[kingplaya4]

Just to add, no I don't think they go through a long thought process about how long a given foreigner has been here. They probably think "Oh a foreigner, most of them only know a few words of Korean and seem like a fish out of water here. They probably would be more comfortable with a fork."

Most Koreans are pretty nice to me here, I could go on a litany of complaints like other posters, but most if not all of these are things they do to each other and have little or nothing to do with me being a foreigner.

I know that last paragraph doesn't especially apply here, but there is so much negativity on this board about Korea, that the rare times I post I like to be a bit of a defender.

[Atavistic]

When it happens to me, I just stick the fork to the side. Most of the time I get, "Oh! You use chopsticks very well!" instead. I was once told by a man that I held my chopsticks very gracefully. A few days later, by the way, he gave me Cinese characters that perfectly match my name in Hangul. One was the 아 from 우아(하다).

[Qinella]

[HighTreason]

I similar thing happened to me, but it was a completely different situation because I'm not in Korea... There is a Korean section of Aurora (suburb of Denver) that I go to and eat Korean food and whatnot to get in the "mood" for when I go there

Anyway, I was happily eating my food one day and was more than half done with it when the woman who appeared to run the joint came up and offered me a fork. Perhaps my chopstick form is not the best in the world yet, but I can honestly say that I was not struggling at all to eat my food... Almost everyone else in there was Korean, but there were a couple other non-koreans. Did she offer them forks, too? Or did she just suddenly notice that I look like an idiot...? I don't really know because my Korean is barely good enough for greetings and ordering food and she couldn't speak English well. I have to admit, I was a bit offended, but I don't hold it against her. She was obviously being nice, but I don't know what prompted it.

[Qinella]

[mikowee]

Even knowing that I come from a Korean family, a lot of people here are surprised that I can use chopsticks and eat Korean food

[Atavistic]

[princess]

It only happened to me once in 5 years, and it was when I first came here. I didn't need the fork though, as I had been using chopsticks in the states to practice before I even got here.

[jessie-b]

Yes, they bring a fork.

[yingwenlaoshi]