Any Korean members or natives? Have questions about S.Korea & culture/language.

[runningfishy]

Any Korean members or natives on NT? Have questions about S.Korea & culture/language.

Know of any forums where I can interact w/ English speakers that are Korean natives?  I'm currently in the USA, but wanted to spend time living there, either through study abroad programs, or host family type of stuff.  I understand that going through the university to be a better network. (no clue on the Hangul)

You can PM me, if you don't mind as I'd like to e-mail or chat w/ you.

-Thanks.

 

[k town trash]

wanna live in seoul?

 

[runningfishy]

Originally Posted by K Town Trash

wanna live in seoul?

Perhaps.  Hoping to visit there first, in 2012.  But thinking about a study abroad program.  Just curious if I'll have a legit future there.
  

 

[themaliciouskid]

The study abroad to Seoul that I did was through a program called Langubridge. Staying in Seoul was the best month of my life. I highly recommend their program.

No, I'm not Korean at all. However, I can read, speak the language at a level 2/3 functionally fluent level, and I've learned a lot about the culture.
The only forum I can think of that you might be interested in is Soompi, but as a whole it's geared toward the K-Entertainment industry.

Hope that helps. If you have any more questions feel free to pm me or reply here 

 

[runningfishy]

I've already completed my undergrad, but I feel like I missed out the opportunity to travel during my time at school.  I had a couple of opportunities and I passed on it.

Now that I'm in the real-world, I feel like I want to change.  I'm caught in between a lot of things.  I've picked up a couple of books to see if the language can gel w/ me.  I realize it'll take time, but I might as well start.  In the end, I'll have to make sure I've saved up enough, or have fundings to pursue something.

It'd be good if I can find a US company there or something.

 

[mojodmonky1]

hey OP.

Feel free to PM me if you dont want all your personal info out there.

What school did you get your undergrad from? Are you a white fella?

If you went to a decent "name" university and you are a fairly clean cut white guy who wants to work short term (1 year or less) in Korea teaching English let me know. My pops friend runs a private tutoring company and told me that they are always looking for qualified native English speakers who want to teach there. You do NOT have to know a lick of Korean. The pay isnt that great (I think its around $2,000/mo) but I believe they provide housing so atleast you dont have to spend money on that. If you just want to travel a bit and explore the country though, it might be a good opportunity.

As far as Korea (in particular, Seoul) goes...

Compared to some other parts of the world that I've been to, oddly enough English does not get you as far. When I've been to different parts of Europe, I had no problem getting by without speaking the native tongue. In Korea, while many people do understand English, its not as universal as some other foreign major metro cities. That being said, you should still be able to get by and a lot of the stuff (like the Subway system and maps) are written in Korean and English. If you venture outside of Seoul into some of the smaller cities, it may be a tad more challenging to get by.

I have a 5 year olds proficiency (and that is being generous) in speaking Korean, but I have no problem getting around really. If you have a knack for languages, you should be able to pick up the language fairly easily. Korean is not that hard to learn (or so I've been told). When I was a kid, I would go and spend my summers in Korea every few years and after 2-3 months of being there I would sound virtually fluent. It was a vicious cycle though cause when I got back to the states I would hardly use my Korean at all (I speak English to my parents) and would soon forget the Korean I learned.

One thing worth mentioning about Korea. PREPARE YOUR LIVER. Booze (Beer and Soju) is cheap. Drinking is very much a part of Korean culture. I was most recently in Korea this past Spring and my liver suffered greatly.

I personally have this love/hate thing with Korea and Seoul. As a kid I hated it, mostly because I was there in the summer time. As with much of Asia, Seoul summers are brutally hot and HUMID. Being born and raised in SoCal, I did not really know what humid summers were like until I went there. It sucks. I also really hate the people there. Koreans for the most part are rude, racist, and a host of other bad qualities. If youre white, youre ok. If youre black???? no bueno. I recently got into a discussion with my pop about Korean people being, for lack of a better word... a-holes. I think I now have a better understanding of it. Its not that they are rude persay, they are just rude by western standards. Their cultural norms are a bit different, but once you get the hang of it and stop characterizing them by western beliefs and standards, it makes more sense (or so ive been told).

 

[themaliciouskid]

Edit: ^^ I also very much agree with Mojodmonky1. Like everything he said, and I'm not a white fella lol. But even if you're not you won't really have that much of a hard time.. it'll just be awkward with people staring at you all the time.. & maybe someone asking to touch your skin or hair etc. since they don't see foreigners that often (well more often now because of the English teaching thing). I had also thought of going to teach in Korea. Do you have any more info about that Mojodmonky1?
Yeah I feel you on that one. I completed my undergrad too, and also in the real world now. I wanted to go back to Seoul, but it's just not going to pan out anytime soon.

If you want to learn Korean, it's pretty easy to learn the alphabet since it's similar to English. It just looks weird at first. You can probably learn the characters in a weekend if you apply yourself.

But to really become well versed in it, it's best to be right in the mix with other Koreans speaking all of the time. I learned the most just by living there and being in the middle of everything. So now even if I don't understand some of the words in the sentence I'll still get the gist without needing too much guidance and I'm only at level 2 or 3. I also think you should find some Korean churches even if religion isn't your thing. They usually have Korean school on the weekends. Before I got my real-world job recently, I went to Korean school every Saturday. Not only do you learn the language, but you learn a lot of cultural tidbits and how to cook the food as well.

As far as finding a US company over there... good luck. Samsung, LG, and every other Korean company you can think of has a pretty big foothold over there. If you really want to work for a US company in Korea it might be better to get hired here in the states and then transfer to Korea. Or apply for a position while you're in the states for a position that will be in Korea eventually. The job market over there is even more competitive than it is here in the states, and they really value graduating from the top schools... if you ever get the chance to live there for any amount of time you'll see what I mean. You really won't understand it or the driving force behind it in their culture until you are there.

 

[mojodmonky1]

@ TheMaliciousKid - regarding the teaching thing... I am not trying to be racist/offensive, but to be honest, if you are black, you are going to have a much more difficult time finding employment (especially in that field).

The problem is, a lot of native Koreans are closet racists (they also hate fat/obese people too, but thats a different topic). The parents who send their kids to these private English tutors would prefer that they learn from what they believe to be a stereotypical American (the clean cut white fella). Now if you are a black man with a Hah-bah-doo (Harvard) degree, that might change things a bit as Koreans are also very image conscious (like you mentioned about graduating from top schools). Its quite amusing sometimes. I went to a low level state school myself (cal state long beach) whereas my siblings went to slightly better schools (UCLA, Duke, and UCLA). When they would ask where we went to school, I would get the

look, my brother and sister who went to UCLA would get the

and my brother who went to Duke would get the

. Its as if they were pre-judging us purely based on where we got our degrees.

 

[doyung9]

Posting for later.

Adopted Korean living in US, been thinking about taking the trip back this year to find Moms.

 

[themaliciouskid]

I pretty much already know about all of S. Korea's prejudice's and experienced some of them first hand. I had actually started applying and got accepted to teach in Korea after being interviewed, etc. The only reason I'm not going through with it is because I got hired in a much higher paying job stateside.

I was really just looking for more info on the school(s) that you personally had connections with. Like where are they located, are they hagwons or public schools, do they pay more if you're certified to teach ESL etc.
The school thing is pretty much what I was referring to in my last post to the OP. I know all about it lol.

 

[mojodmonky1]

^ hahahaha gotcha.

It is a hagwon, but I dont know much about it tbh. My pops just mentioned it at dinner awhile back and asked if I knew anyone who wanted to work in Korea. I can ask my pop about it next time I see him.

 

[runningfishy]

wait.

@Mojomonky1, aren't the guy w/ the wife and you working at the small company? Were you the guy that wrote on my thread about playing the 'game'? lol

 

[an dee 51o]

Originally Posted by doyung9

Posting for later.

Adopted Korean living in US, been thinking about taking the trip back this year to find Moms.

+1 Growing up, I never wanted to meet my biological mom, but I've been really thinking about her a lot recently.

Just got Rosetta Stone for Korean, and I'm really trying to learn. I have lots of Korean friends, so I'm conversational, but I still can't read. I think teaching in Korea for a year would be beneficial.

Mojo, I might be hitting you up about this soon.

 

[doyung9]

Originally Posted by an dee 51o

Originally Posted by doyung9

Posting for later.

Adopted Korean living in US, been thinking about taking the trip back this year to find Moms.

+1 Growing up, I never wanted to meet my biological mom, but I've been really thinking about her a lot recently.

Just got Rosetta Stone for Korean, and I'm really trying to learn. I have lots of Korean friends, so I'm conversational, but I still can't read. I think teaching in Korea for a year would be beneficial.

Mojo, I might be hitting you up about this soon.

More so, I feel like I owe it to her to go home and let her know I'm okay. That the baby she sent across the world 25 years ago became a man and made something of himself. Yeah, I know, corny, but I guess you'd have to be in my shoes to understand. It's weird, to think about someone who has so much in common with you but that you know absolutely nothing about.

 

[runningfishy]

^^ I've watched a lot of dramas about kids being given up for adoption. Could you shed some light?

 

[runningfishy]

At the university level, I had taken Korean Studies as part of my electives and have always been captured by it. I love the arts and culture, but more so, the mannerism and etiquette they have in society. I suppose in hindsight, Asia still maintains this integrity and this is what I’m extremely fond of. I missed out on the opportunity to travel during my summers at school and reluctantly passed off on student exchange programs. Now looking back, I regret it. It was costly at the time, but I didn’t make a genuine effort to pursue it. Oh well.

Now, after working for a few years in the real world, I’ve come to realize that I wanted more, and wanted to see life. I’ve been busting my behind for the past 4-5 years at work. I’ve never had a legitimate vacation; but then, this is the reality of life here in the USA. I guess I’m at cross roads between doing something in life and pursuing stability in my career/job. I’m not young, so I feel like Kobe Bryant, trying to do everything before its too late.

I realize the standard of living is diff’t in Korea, but a stepping stone for me would be for me to start learning the language and to actually take a trip in 2012. I have this plan at as a motivator for me. If I like it, maybe I’ll go through my university as a network for a student exchange via a Master’s Degree, if not, I can continue my life here.

I’d love to have a traditional Korean wedding, but I’m not sure how their approach is towards someone like me. I’m mixed asian w/ fair complexion. I know what is meant by being a closet racist. lolz

-Thanks.

Any suggestions or forums, welcomed.

 

[yeah]

Originally Posted by Mojodmonky1

I also really hate the people there. Koreans for the most part are rude, racist, and a host of other bad qualities. If youre white, youre ok. If youre black???? no bueno.

 

[tylertrent]

Originally Posted by Yeah

Originally Posted by Mojodmonky1

I also really hate the people there. Koreans for the most part are rude, racist, and a host of other bad qualities. If youre white, youre ok. If youre black???? no bueno.

how do Koreans feel about other Asians?

 

[doyung9]

Originally Posted by RunningFishy

^^ I've watched a lot of dramas about kids being given up for adoption. Could you shed some light?

Guess it depends man. For me, I can't complain. My parents are my parents (my birth mother is just that, my birth mother. She's not Mom.)

It's surreal, to say the least. There are definitely "movie of the week" moments. I remember the day I came home from elementary school and asked my mom why I looked different than her (parents are Caucasian). I also remember a woman telling me in the 2nd grade that my real parents didn't want me so they threw me away, that's why I live here now (yeah, being adopted in a small town can get ugly).

I guess it depends on how much you really wanna know bro. I literally could write a book on this. Also, I've had somewhat of an interesting life as well, being that I grew up raised by white parents in a predominantly white town, yet I've always had black friends, way more than any of my friends in high school or college had. For a long time it was that I "wanted to be black" according to my friends. Mind you, I worn Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Gap all through high school

... If I can say anything man, it's the cultural boundaries that have always been the loudest to me growing up. Because culture contrasts so much brighter than skin color.

 

[bdeazy]

My friend Paul just got back from Korea, teaching English to elementary school students.