Thursday, April 28, 2005
Rant Part 2...
Thanks for the note Terri. Your pearls of wisdom have downgraded my mood from apoplectic wobbly to quietly seething. Plus I'm glad to say I haven't been sexually harassed thus far!
I'm putting my frustrations down to the fact that I go out and try to get to know Korea and find out about the people, language and culture. The downside is that sometimes you discover things you really didn't want to know about. I knew about all the shit stuff that happens here but never let it bother me before. It's just that I've taken it all to heart the last few days. Still, two years before I cracked is pretty good. In India it only took five weeks.
The only other option is to do what the majority of westerners do in Korea, it seems. That is to hang out exclusively with each other, occasionally enjoy the local cuisine, but other than that, try to block out the fact that you're far from home. Far too many people have been here almost as long as I have (and some even longer) and know bugger all about Korea, much less care. They're probably less likely to get randomly assaulted, or understand when they're being insulted or snubbed, but the difference is that I'm making an effort. So many people seem to put so much effort into recreating their homes here, and then hiding in their little protective bubbles (mini-Canada, mini-America, mini-Britain, mini-Oz).
If you're so desperate to talk English, eat McDonalds and drink Molson/Budweiser/Newcastle Brown/VB/Steinlager etc., then why the hell did you leave your country in the first place??? And please don't say it's because the money's good - you could get a good few thousand dollars selling your body parts on the black market. They'll send shady surgeons to your house and do it, you'd never even have to come anywhere near Korea! Which means that someone who actually is interested in finding out about other nations and cultures can come and work here instead. Between you lot and the Yank soldiers, is it any wonder the locals think we're a bunch of arrogant wankers?
I'm putting my frustrations down to the fact that I go out and try to get to know Korea and find out about the people, language and culture. The downside is that sometimes you discover things you really didn't want to know about. I knew about all the shit stuff that happens here but never let it bother me before. It's just that I've taken it all to heart the last few days. Still, two years before I cracked is pretty good. In India it only took five weeks.
The only other option is to do what the majority of westerners do in Korea, it seems. That is to hang out exclusively with each other, occasionally enjoy the local cuisine, but other than that, try to block out the fact that you're far from home. Far too many people have been here almost as long as I have (and some even longer) and know bugger all about Korea, much less care. They're probably less likely to get randomly assaulted, or understand when they're being insulted or snubbed, but the difference is that I'm making an effort. So many people seem to put so much effort into recreating their homes here, and then hiding in their little protective bubbles (mini-Canada, mini-America, mini-Britain, mini-Oz).
If you're so desperate to talk English, eat McDonalds and drink Molson/Budweiser/Newcastle Brown/VB/Steinlager etc., then why the hell did you leave your country in the first place??? And please don't say it's because the money's good - you could get a good few thousand dollars selling your body parts on the black market. They'll send shady surgeons to your house and do it, you'd never even have to come anywhere near Korea! Which means that someone who actually is interested in finding out about other nations and cultures can come and work here instead. Between you lot and the Yank soldiers, is it any wonder the locals think we're a bunch of arrogant wankers?
# posted by Stuart Reid @ 12:50 PM 
