Another quagmire about Korean people: are they polite or rude?
Its hard to say, really. Just when you've about decided one way, someone surprises you. Old women will push you out of the way to get on the bus, when you were ahead of them in line. Taxis won't stop to pick you up. A bus driver will give you an irritated look, as if you are holding up his day by getting on his bus. And then an old man will smile and give up his seat for you. Or a woman will walk out of her way to give you directions.
One thing is sure, Koreans love children. My friend has an adorable blond son about 3, who figured this out and uses it to his advantage. Often when they rode a crowded subway, someone would get up to offer them a seat. And sometimes, older people sitting around him would offer him a little snack (they'd probably be arrested in the States). My friend's son, being the intelligent cunning young child that he his, has started walking up and down the car whenever they ride, looking at everyone with his cute little eyes until someone gives him a seat or snack. "I'm so hungry!" he exclaims. My friend offers him snacks from her purse, but these obviously are not as exciting as snacks from strangers. And, most of the time, it works.
20090611
Pictures!!!
My friend Ocean
Bike trip to the edge (of NK)
Ocean's boyfriend Danny (we gave him that name...can't remember his real one)
20090610
Korea-- summary
I feel like I don't have as many exciting stories now as when i first got to Korea, possibly because everything seems more normal now. Bizzarre English signs are really just-- usual. Okay some of them are still funny-- like the banner posted on campus, "FREE ENGLISH TALKING" and a building I noticed today "WORLD BEST STEM CELL COMPANY."
I think sometimes about how I would describe Korea- or, Seoul-- to someone. Its quite western, sort of. It has all our fast food comforts (though most dishes have a slight kimchi twang). There are stores that look comfortingly like Wal Mart on the inside. The cars they drive look the same as the cars we drive*. They dress about the same, sort of. I've never seen a Korean woman wearing ripped jeans or burkenstocks, and I've never seen an American over the age of 6 wearing sparkly heart hose (or a man wearing a sparly lilac tie, or anyone wear tulle or more than 3 neon colors at once... am I showing fashion-bias here?).
But just when you get to thinking Koreans arenot really that different from us Amurricuns, you find out something really bizzarre and you don't know what to think. Like, a friend being mistaken for a wh*** because she's wearing a spaghetti strap shirt, while Korean women parade around in almost-too-short-to-be-called-skirts and no one bats an eye. Also, Korea has a TV show where foreign women who speak Korean wear neon leggings (I know they didn't pick those out themselves), talk about cute Korean guys, and every once in a while get up and dance. On the other hand, is that really any stranger than watching people dress up to sing and dance in front of a berating panel, or watching fat people run around, or spouses tell each other they've been cheating on national TV?
There are alot of other cultural things I don't understand or see the merit of, but a friend of mine predicted that in a few decades things are going to look very different in Korea as the older generation passes and the younger one, with more Western values, emerges. And is that really good or not?
*Clarification: The cars look the same to the untrained eye. Husband is keenly aware of the Korean cars' differences and, in his mind, shortcomings. But really they're about the same.
I think sometimes about how I would describe Korea- or, Seoul-- to someone. Its quite western, sort of. It has all our fast food comforts (though most dishes have a slight kimchi twang). There are stores that look comfortingly like Wal Mart on the inside. The cars they drive look the same as the cars we drive*. They dress about the same, sort of. I've never seen a Korean woman wearing ripped jeans or burkenstocks, and I've never seen an American over the age of 6 wearing sparkly heart hose (or a man wearing a sparly lilac tie, or anyone wear tulle or more than 3 neon colors at once... am I showing fashion-bias here?).
But just when you get to thinking Koreans arenot really that different from us Amurricuns, you find out something really bizzarre and you don't know what to think. Like, a friend being mistaken for a wh*** because she's wearing a spaghetti strap shirt, while Korean women parade around in almost-too-short-to-be-called-skirts and no one bats an eye. Also, Korea has a TV show where foreign women who speak Korean wear neon leggings (I know they didn't pick those out themselves), talk about cute Korean guys, and every once in a while get up and dance. On the other hand, is that really any stranger than watching people dress up to sing and dance in front of a berating panel, or watching fat people run around, or spouses tell each other they've been cheating on national TV?
There are alot of other cultural things I don't understand or see the merit of, but a friend of mine predicted that in a few decades things are going to look very different in Korea as the older generation passes and the younger one, with more Western values, emerges. And is that really good or not?
*Clarification: The cars look the same to the untrained eye. Husband is keenly aware of the Korean cars' differences and, in his mind, shortcomings. But really they're about the same.
20090607
Job Search
With 1/52 of a year left until I'm effectively done with classes, its time to start looking for a job. This process is hindered by the facts that... A) because of an agreement between the US and ROK about military spouses, I'm not allowed to work in Korea. B) They speak Korean in Korea. C) The post offers a limited number of positions, most of which go to Koreans and none which involved any of the skills I acquired in college.
One job posting I did find that I'm qualifies for: "Defense Army Commissary Sales Store Technician." Job description: Operating an electronic check out system to record unit prices, proper accounts, purchase totals, surcharge, and change due. Determine proper prices by unit marking, price scanning, or reference to price lists. Accept cash or other negotiable instruments according to established procedures. Aka, grocery cashier.
We'll see.
One job posting I did find that I'm qualifies for: "Defense Army Commissary Sales Store Technician." Job description: Operating an electronic check out system to record unit prices, proper accounts, purchase totals, surcharge, and change due. Determine proper prices by unit marking, price scanning, or reference to price lists. Accept cash or other negotiable instruments according to established procedures. Aka, grocery cashier.
We'll see.
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