Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Kyrei]

To counter all the negativity on this board, I decided to start a thread of positivity. Please note, positivity is highly uncharacteristic of me as I am often described by friends and family as crotchety old fart, a curmudgeon no less, but I am trying to change.

On the bus today, as it came to a jarring halt, a halmoni jostled me with her elbow, smacking me in the head (I was still sitting). She immediately turned to me and without batting an eyelid at my obvious foreign-ness said 미안합니다 and then she even smiled.

Wasn't that nice? I thought so. Got a story of how nice people are to you? Then share it! Keep things in balance.

Also, let's see how long this thread will survive before it is buried in angst.

[schwa]

Old woman elbows me in the head & says sorry.
Um, thats the best you got?

[Kyrei]

[shrug] its a start. Thought I'd set the bar low and let others raise it.

** edited for bad typing **

[Newbie]

[SPINOZA]

Near Emart, near my house, there's a narrow little path I use to get to my house. I had a big bag of shopping and I'm rather a big, wide person at the best of times. A woman - in her 40s - approaches from the other end. Uh-oh, what do I do? Squeeze in and let her pass like a good gent, or merciless drive through, destroying everything in my path? I let her pass. Shock, horror! She thanked me, with a hearty KAMSAHAMNIDA and I got a big smile.

[indytrucks]

Going out for dinner tonight with some friends. The weather's not great, rainy, windy. The thought of being inside a noisy restaurant, cooking a nice bit of samgyeopsal with some rice, kimchi, lettuce, and a bit of soju, with some good company, gives me a warm fuzzy.

[cypher]

I was walking to school one day, and I don't know if it was allergies or the wind but my eyes were really watering, and this young lady walking beside me asked if I was okay. I thought that was really sweet.

[zappadelta]

I made a post about this a year or so ago. Last year, I had a situation come up where I had to go home for a week or 2. I had just been working at my public school for about a month and a half. Well, I needed about 1.5 million to fly home, and the principal and teachers at the school all chipped in to pay for my ticket. It was the most generous act that someone has done for me, especially from people who didn't really know me well at the time.

[happygirl]

the apartment provided by my boss was on the 1st floor, ie. like the bat cave. dark, 1/2 a window and tiny.

the teachers at 1 of my schools could see how it was depressing me after only 1 month. the lead teacher took me upstairs to the 3rd floor to show me the apt there. i almost cried. big windows, tons of light, wonderful.

all the teachers got together and asked the boss to rent it to me. i'd told them i would pay for it myself if he would let me.

3 days later, the lead teacher (now one of my best friends), took me outside and told me that he wouldn't take any $. offered the apt to me for free. been here 10 months. it has been great. he and his wife have been so kind. they live next door so i see them all the time. sometimes she even folds my clothes that are hanging out to dry.

i'm going to miss these guys

[dangsangirl]

This is not as impressive as getting an apartment for free but regularly brightens up my day anyway! I lose umbrellas constantly and when I do have one I never have it when I need it. Almost everytime I get stuck out in the rain some kind soul shares their umbrella with me. Interestingly is always a female but ranging in age from students to ajummas. Sweet.

[Woland]

The ajosshi at the little punshik I stop at sometimes for lunch near my university is always super friendly, chats with me in a nice way in Korean, makes a mean jae yuk dop pap, and, I think, gives me extra.

[tomato]

The new sign language teacher at the Gyeonggido Association for the Deaf is very good.
She makes sure that we get plenty of practice time during class, but she also spends adequate time on discussion.
We also have adequate time for free conversation.

She is also respectful toward foreigners.
I did not have to prove to her that I wasn't a helpless infant.

She is also very helpful.
After class, she helped me find an item I needed in the office library.

[conor]

I love the people. Learn as much Korean as you can. I've studied Korean for a little over 2 years and I think it makes a big difference. Speaking in their native tongue shows that you care. I've turned a lot of frowns into smiles with a simple phrase.

[joyfulgirl]

[nene]

Yeah, I wish I had jumped into the language too, but with four months left, it seems a bit futile. I've got two stories, one from my first night here, the other from yesterday afternoon...

My first night here I was trying to find a payphone to call my folks to let them know I was safe, and this ended up being quite a challenge. I found a phone, but needed a calling card to use it. So I went into the math academy across the street - this is around 11pm - and gestured to the best of my ability "calling card", but it didn't work. They quickly volunteered to call their friend who speaks better English, who then showed up two minutes later, drove me and my girlfriend to a convenience store, bought us a calling card and dropped us off back at the phone. That was a sweet beginning.

Yesterday afternoon I'm on a packed subway on my way home from a department store with two heavy bags and a full backpack, and after a stop or two this young woman smiles and gives me her seat. I figured she was off at the next stop, but she stayed on another 5 or 6.

Some good people here - I wish I could engage their culture more...