Comments on: Dogs and Cats http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/ Korea... in Blog Format Fri, 16 May 2008 03:00:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Ut videam http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100637 Ut videam Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:22:19 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100637 Ah, toseuteu. So bad... but <em>soooooo</em> good! :) Ah, toseuteu. So bad… but soooooo good! :)

]]> By: globalvillageidiot http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100631 globalvillageidiot Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:13:15 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100631 "Please put more sugar on my “toast." Worry not about the sugar nor the marbled faux ham in your "toast". Same goes for the half stick of margarine it gets cooked with. The accompanying bottle of soy milk cancels out all the bad stuff! “Please put more sugar on my “toast.”

Worry not about the sugar nor the marbled faux ham in your “toast”. Same goes for the half stick of margarine it gets cooked with. The accompanying bottle of soy milk cancels out all the bad stuff!

]]> By: globalvillageidiot http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100629 globalvillageidiot Wed, 08 Aug 2007 14:07:10 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100629 "One rather vapid Korean co-teacher I had a few years back once told me that Koreans are afraid of cats because of their eyes." Someguy, I've heard that from many students over the years. Your coworker likely believed it too. I gather that while most South Koreans no longer believe that North Koreans have the eyes of wolves - as was suggested/taught until the 90s - many still seem to think that cats' eyes are evil/dangerous/scary. So are, as we are all aware, electric fans... "Maybe so, but I’m still confounded over the addition of sweeteners to thing that (to the American palate) are supposed to be salty or savory. Things like chips, beans, tomato juice, pickles (well… sweet pickles are known in the West, but we have dill pickles, too)…" Exactly. I don't get it. Never will. I've commented on the sugary BBQ chips and pizza pickles in the past, but the tomato juice is nothing short of a tragedy. Vile stuff. Good luck finding a decent Bloody Mary outside of Itaewon... “One rather vapid Korean co-teacher I had a few years back once told me that Koreans are afraid of cats because of their eyes.”

Someguy, I’ve heard that from many students over the years. Your coworker likely believed it too. I gather that while most South Koreans no longer believe that North Koreans have the eyes of wolves - as was suggested/taught until the 90s - many still seem to think that cats’ eyes are evil/dangerous/scary. So are, as we are all aware, electric fans…

“Maybe so, but I’m still confounded over the addition of sweeteners to thing that (to the American palate) are supposed to be salty or savory. Things like chips, beans, tomato juice, pickles (well… sweet pickles are known in the West, but we have dill pickles, too)…”

Exactly. I don’t get it. Never will. I’ve commented on the sugary BBQ chips and pizza pickles in the past, but the tomato juice is nothing short of a tragedy. Vile stuff. Good luck finding a decent Bloody Mary outside of Itaewon…

]]> By: Careb http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100620 Careb Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:27:34 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100620 nary a word in that fluff piece about the need to spay and neuter strays and house pets coz "throwing them out" makes it everyone's problem when the heat starts. there's been quite a cat population explosion in my neighborhood in the last two years ... yet of course no one seems to know what i'm talking about when i suggest that removing the testicles of cats and dogs would of great benefit to society. nah, having stray cats that get in nasty bloody fights all night and wake up at dawn to beg for food or rip through every trash bag in the street for a chunk of KFC—THAT'S A GOOD THING!! nary a word in that fluff piece about the need to spay and neuter strays and house pets coz “throwing them out” makes it everyone’s problem when the heat starts. there’s been quite a cat population explosion in my neighborhood in the last two years … yet of course no one seems to know what i’m talking about when i suggest that removing the testicles of cats and dogs would of great benefit to society. nah, having stray cats that get in nasty bloody fights all night and wake up at dawn to beg for food or rip through every trash bag in the street for a chunk of KFC—THAT’S A GOOD THING!!

]]> By: peninsular aborigine http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100606 peninsular aborigine Wed, 08 Aug 2007 08:12:14 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100606 I think we have to cut WJK some slack - he's stuck in the Seoul of his youth on this one. He probably has it right for his era. And what about those delightfully colored, boxed "sweets" of Korea that aren't sweet at all? Please put more sugar on my "toast." I think we have to cut WJK some slack - he’s stuck in the Seoul of his youth on this one. He probably has it right for his era.

And what about those delightfully colored, boxed “sweets” of Korea that aren’t sweet at all?

Please put more sugar on my “toast.”

]]> By: SomeguyinKorea http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100588 SomeguyinKorea Wed, 08 Aug 2007 06:09:19 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100588 "Dunkin Donuts, Krispe Kreme" ...which are making a killing in Korea (especially Krispe Kreme with it's double glazed donuts (ie. extra sweet)) So, they don't eat cake for dessert... Koreans still eat cake. Ever try the potato chips? Sweet. Korean barbecue? Sweet. Korean beer? Sweet. Korean alcohol (soju)? Sweet. So, Koreans don't like sugar? Yeah, right. “Dunkin Donuts, Krispe Kreme”

…which are making a killing in Korea (especially Krispe Kreme with it’s double glazed donuts (ie. extra sweet))

So, they don’t eat cake for dessert… Koreans still eat cake.

Ever try the potato chips? Sweet.

Korean barbecue?
Sweet.

Korean beer?
Sweet.

Korean alcohol (soju)?
Sweet.

So, Koreans don’t like sugar? Yeah, right.

]]> By: WangKon936 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100576 WangKon936 Wed, 08 Aug 2007 05:01:33 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100576 A lot of Korean women are actually scared of cats. Something to do with their eyes I believe. Foreign observers noticed that Korean shamans would catch and kill cats because they believed cats to bring bad luck or something of that nature, so their could be a cultural force at play here, although the influence is quite primordial. As for me? I think dogs just have more personality. According to Pulp Fiction, that's why it's so hard to eat them, because they have so much "personality." A lot of Korean women are actually scared of cats. Something to do with their eyes I believe. Foreign observers noticed that Korean shamans would catch and kill cats because they believed cats to bring bad luck or something of that nature, so their could be a cultural force at play here, although the influence is quite primordial.

As for me? I think dogs just have more personality. According to Pulp Fiction, that’s why it’s so hard to eat them, because they have so much “personality.”

]]> By: Zonath http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100574 Zonath Wed, 08 Aug 2007 04:56:11 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100574 <blockquote>I’m still insistant the Koreans have a weaker sugar tooth than the west</blockquote> Maybe so, but I'm still confounded over the addition of sweeteners to thing that (to the American palate) are <i>supposed</i> to be salty or savory. Things like chips, beans, tomato juice, pickles (well... sweet pickles <i>are</i> known in the West, but we have dill pickles, too)... It seems that while there may be less tolerance for really sweet things in Korea, but the sheer <i>variety</i> of foods which are sweet is much broader.

I’m still insistant the Koreans have a weaker sugar tooth than the west

Maybe so, but I’m still confounded over the addition of sweeteners to thing that (to the American palate) are supposed to be salty or savory. Things like chips, beans, tomato juice, pickles (well… sweet pickles are known in the West, but we have dill pickles, too)… It seems that while there may be less tolerance for really sweet things in Korea, but the sheer variety of foods which are sweet is much broader.

]]> By: wjk http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100549 wjk Wed, 08 Aug 2007 02:57:43 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100549 and any apple pie that is not made by McDonald's, I assure you Koreans would not be getting 2nds of it. and any apple pie that is not made by McDonald’s, I assure you Koreans would not be getting 2nds of it.

]]> By: Noah Body http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100547 Noah Body Wed, 08 Aug 2007 02:46:39 +0000 http://www.rjkoehler.com/2007/08/08/dogs-and-cats/#comment-100547 I would be more impressed with Koreans' "love" for dogs if it was accompanied by any sort of training. Waaaay too many dog owners in this country do not train their pets nearly enough. And they think spaying and neutering is "cruel." > Traditionally, Koreans tend > to prefer dogs over cats? Really? Is there a tradition of dogs-as-pets in Korea? I thought dogs were considered more like tolerated scavengers. I cannot recall seeing paintings of noblemen with their pets, like in European paintings. I totally could be wrong here (have not read much about pets in Korean history), but that is the impression I have. > Koreans will seldom abandon > "man's best friend," but seem > to rather easily throw out cats. Uh, no. Abandoned dogs are a real problem in Korea (as in the West... maybe more so). People buy puppies because they are "cute", but as the animal gets bigger or more unruly (because they are not trained well), off to the countryside it goes. Oh, Robert - plenty of cats get cooked in Korea, too. But they are used for medicine, not dinner. My previous landlord's mother used to do that, back in Andong. Mongolian love dogs and hate cats, but for very different reasons. A dog could be a reincarnated relative, so you better be good to it. Cats are just "evil". I would be more impressed with Koreans’ “love” for dogs if it was accompanied by any sort of training. Waaaay too many dog owners in this country do not train their pets nearly enough. And they think spaying and neutering is “cruel.”

> Traditionally, Koreans tend
> to prefer dogs over cats?

Really? Is there a tradition of dogs-as-pets in Korea? I thought dogs were considered more like tolerated scavengers. I cannot recall seeing paintings of noblemen with their pets, like in European paintings. I totally could be wrong here (have not read much about pets in Korean history), but that is the impression I have.

> Koreans will seldom abandon
> “man’s best friend,” but seem
> to rather easily throw out cats.

Uh, no. Abandoned dogs are a real problem in Korea (as in the West… maybe more so). People buy puppies because they are “cute”, but as the animal gets bigger or more unruly (because they are not trained well), off to the countryside it goes.

Oh, Robert - plenty of cats get cooked in Korea, too. But they are used for medicine, not dinner. My previous landlord’s mother used to do that, back in Andong.

Mongolian love dogs and hate cats, but for very different reasons. A dog could be a reincarnated relative, so you better be good to it. Cats are just “evil”.

]]>