Korean Job Discussion Forums

twg · Joined: 02 Nov 2006 Location: Getting some fresh air...

You know... maybe it's just me coming down from my vacation high, but I've noticed a constant low level of irritation at everything since I got back.

Nothing has happened since I got back that I've never experienced before, so I'm at a loss to explain the feeling... Like there's a sock stuck between the toes of my mind.

North Korean sub-sonic death ray? Kimchi parasites?

Mad Kimchi Disease?!

Worth investigating.

Anyway, any one else notice that they have this low level of constant irritability? Could explain a lot of the ways people act here

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

Maybe it's the weather. The teachers at my school who don't have air con are crankier than those of us who do. (Subjective opinion, that.)

GoldMember · Joined: 24 Oct 2006

It's called being "Normal". People here are very irritating, sometimes I think, they must stay awake at night thinking of ways to be irritating.
MMMmmm, what can I do today that is irritating. I know!, I won't let people get out of elevators, I'll push and get in first, before the others get out OR I'll block the sidewalk with my SUV, forcing pedestrians to walk into incoming traffic.
The day you think Korea is "Normal" is the day you need to start taking lots of medication.

yingwenlaoshi · Joined: 12 Feb 2007 Location: ... location, location!

Yes. Irritating. Very. Can't escape it here.

The Perfect Cup of Coffee · Joined: 17 Jun 2007

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

GoldMember · Joined: 24 Oct 2006

"The Perfect Cup of Coffee"-Of course, Be my guest!

The Perfect Cup of Coffee · Joined: 17 Jun 2007

Done! Thnx. Almost fried my computer by spitting my morning espresso-strength coffee all over my keyboard after reading your quote.

skconqueror · Joined: 31 Jul 2005

reactionary · Joined: 22 Oct 2006 Location: korreia

I try to think of ways to be annoying back. Like when I try to get out of the subway and there are people who want to shove in before they let people out, I'll kind of get in their way and dance with them a bit before shoving past them. Same with elevators. Shove in lines too. Shoving is fun. When in Rome...

I've taken up the Korean habit of spitting, especially when sick, and especially when I'm somewhere like Apgujeong. "Yes dear, that's a very fancy and upscale westernized cafe. HOIK!"

Also, speak to people in banmal as much as possible, especially when someone calls out to you in English.

"Hello."
"Yah!"

. If they call you on it, feign the ignorant foreigner with no Korean knowledge card. Then keep speaking banmal. They love it.

rubric · Joined: 28 Oct 2006 Location: Pongdongfongyong

Julius · Joined: 27 Jul 2006

Thats a sort of defining word for Korea.

Theres no violent crime. People will no steal your things. Walking at night is safe.

But korea is generally quite irritating.

ChopChaeJoe · Joined: 05 Mar 2006 Location: Seoul

Korea: friendliest people I ever met, rudest people I ever met. Swishing back and forth gets mindnumbing. It could be that you're just focusing on one side right now.

articulate_ink · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 8:06 pm Post subject:

Culture shock comes in waves or cycles. It's not a one-time thing you get over the first time around, never to see it again. That said, I'm not sure a low-grade state of lingering irritation is exactly the same phenomenon. Koreans are often friendly and delightful when you get to know them, and today I'm reluctant to tar them all with the same brush (this will change, but let me enjoy it while it lasts)... some of the public behavior, though, is hard to deal with.

When people crowd toward open subway doors and I am trying to alight, I shoulder my way through them. I flattened an ajumma's boob the other day. Sorry, lady, your fault, not mine. I've got bony elbows and shoulders. I hurt. Hmm, lesson learned through classical conditioning, maybe let people EXIT the subway first?

When people stare, my new thing is to just keep staring back at them until they look away. I don't do this with the littlest kids, but everyone else is fair game for the Blue-Eyed Gaze of Death. If you raise your eyebrows just a little bit, it adds to the effect.

There's not a lot I can do about the loudspeakers in the supermarket (or, worse, the ones on the trucks that park across the street), the porch vultures at the convenience store opposite my building, the uniquely smoky stench of doggies being turned into dinner at the restaurant next door, the breaking in line, the willingness to provide service to those who do the breaking, the walking VERY VERY SLOWLY, the blocking the aisle in the store with the shopping cart, the loud hacking expulsion of lung oysters, the reek of garlic and metabolized alcohol on the subway... not a lot that I can do, apart from what I've already done, which is decide to leave when my contract ends.

I notice that a lot of the irritating behavior relates to noise and obstructions. Because this is such a crowded country, with so many rough edges, I wonder if Koreans grow up with a strong buffer for these sorts of things. Most of us from the Western world are used to relatively much quieter cities and public spaces, so we don't tolerate the change easily. When I visited Venezuela, my friend's family would turn the TV up and then shout over it. Back then, an hour of that kind of conversation would make me need to go lie down. I think it's similar here: way too much noise by the standards we're used to, and we end up feeling drained by overstimulation.

sojourner1 · Posted: Sat Aug 25, 2007 8:10 pm Post subject:

Yea, I avoid shopping as much as I can because it's irritating as well as crowded stand up only buses and trains. People would rather knock each other down than to be polite and considerate of others. I can't figure out if they are going left or right when approaching. I get rammed by shopping carts and giant purses allot. Often, there won't be enough room, but people will still push hard to get through a tight squeeze, even hurting a frail woman or small child in the process. People just don't have any respect or regards for those they personally don't know. This was a real shocker for me when I first got here as I was raised to respect strangers in public places and be considerate of others. At least where you acknowledge their existence and give them a little space to move on.

I know this is irritating aggressive behavior, but it is not meant to be offensive, people here are just aggressive in competing for physical space and resources as it's a tight squeeze. Most don't know what it's like to have plenty of space to work with in everyday life so they are used to pushing and squeezing through each other.

There seems to be a lack of developed space (i.e. walk ways, retail shopping space, and most other facilities) for all these masses of people in the cities. You might have 2 stores (E-mart and Homeplus) serving 500,000 people that might only serve 40,000 folks back at home with the same floor space and resources. The extreme competition is one reason why Korea is very expensive. It's easy to feel like you're living in an over crowded fish bowl. Yes, it feels rather close and stifling which does make me feel irritated due to be accustomed to having adequate space so I do stay in my apartment more than I should in attempting to get some space, relaxation, and peace of mind. I find I usually stay home all weekend due to how nervous and irritating the crowds and hectic traffic makes me as I took several weekend trips only to find I was dead exhausted and stressed out by Monday morning.