- Korea wants to be the eighth largest exporter by 2014.
- Well, Seo Eun-mi does have an interesting look about her.
- From the KT: “First, we Koreans have to make the utmost effort to root out widespread prejudice against foreigners, especially those from developing countries. We also must shake off double standards in which white people from advance countries are treated well, but colored people from poor states face discrimination.”
- The JoongAng Ilbo has an interesting piece on Seoul Station and the old Defense Security Command building, two early-modern architectural landmarks being converted into cultural facilities.
- Boy, the Sejong City project hasn’t even started and I already hate it.
- Christian Dior perfume creator Francois Demachy is trying to capture the “scent of Korea.” I’ll leave it at that.
Odds and Ends 12/1/09
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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
“Boy, the Sejong City project hasn’t even started and I already hate it. ”
That’s because you’re Koreanized and full of “hate.”
“Seo Eun-mi does have an interesting look about her.”
Well… it could be because she’s a Korean wearing a Manchu qi pao… but sometimes I like the qi pao better than the hanbok…
tbonetylr,
I think you are confusing “hate” with “passion.” Koreans feel very strongly about things and that manifests itself as “hate” sometimes.
If you have ever had any Koreans be nice to you, then you’d know they go to another extreme to be hospitable. Perhaps you have never experienced that, hence your less than balanced assessment.
It’s good that there is now public discourse on racism against non-Koreans in the ROK. However, it’s asinine that there are continuing statements that while the darker people get the racism, whitey gets treated like a king.
While those from less developed/affluent countries do generally get treated like dogs, white people also get there share of the Korean “pure blood” angst. It may not be the same amount, but it is there.
What I see is not just the recognition that some Koreans treat darker people like dirt, but seemingly some resentment that white people are percieved to be getting the “royal treatment”. One is true and the other is BS. I’m guessing that some, like the Anti-English Spectrum nuts, think that the proper solution is to treat white people like dirt, too.
Anyway, I feel that the resentment towards white English teachers is that, with such an ultra-competitive job market, it’s so hard for your average Kim to get a good job. As for Western university graduates, it’s relatively easy to get a job teaching English. Some people REALLY resent that.
They never take into to consideration that:
-teaching English is not the dream job for most westerners here. It’s just something for now.
-for the most part, we are not laughing all the way to the bank. contrary to popular belief, the large majority of us are not getting rich in this profession.
-living in Korea is not easy. It’s a real challenge that many locals do not percieve because they are so used to it.
If the haters really understood this, they might not resent us so much.
As for the darked-skinned 3D workers, nobody envies or resents them. I certainly hope the current discourse works to help them.
It sucks that white people from developing countries get treated like shit, but coloured people from advanced countries get treated like kings. THAT really pisses me off.
Wangkon — tbonetylr is just a tad bitter. It’s tough being an English teacher in Korea, I suppose.
Wangkon,
Unfortunately some of my North American neighbors don’t even get along with their own people. Many of us actually like Koreans and Korea. Don’t let the few paint your perception of the majority.
“We also must shake off double standards in which white people from advance countries are treated well, but colored people from poor states face discrimination.”
Lissen, don’ get me started on ‘dem colords!
‘I like the qi pao better than the hanbok…’
the chi pao is the ugliest traditional clothing i’ve ever seen. can’t touch the beauty of the hanbok. not even close.
‘is trying to capture the “scent of Korea.” I’ll leave it at that. ‘
can’t science capture the essence of a fart?
Pawi,
A. Nobody cares what you think, despite your Amma telling you otherwise.
B. Lay off the fucking drugs, son. The hanbok resembles a peasant’s maternity dress, which is all well and good given it hides the sugar sack-like rolls of most adjumas. The qi pao, on the other hand, is a form fitting garment that accentuates the curves of women who wear it, as long as it ain’t sported by a fuller-figured lass (as they unfortunately so often are). Anyhow, I wonder how many qi paos have been sold world-wide compared to the Korean national dress?
‘Nobody cares what you think’ aarom
well, then why did you write?
you’re an idiot.
One of the derivatives of 유자 should be included for the “scent of Korea” . I *love* “yu-ja”. I’m not sure what else the guy could use without it being more Chinese. Maybe some kind of old dry wood smell or a little pine bark (?)
chi pao or cheap whore?
Pawi, because everything you shit out on here you do with a puffed out chest like it is a morsel of holy revelation itself. Its just up to the likes of me to tell you how it really is when you repeatedly stoop to such nonsense.
eau d’sewer?
@1
“That’s because you’re Koreanized and full of “hate.” ”
Wangkon, that was a typo. He meant “full of ‘han’”…
@15
Would be better “eau d’allium” (you know latin, I bet)
One thing I find agreeable is that very few Koreans wear scent.
pawi,
Did you happen to know that the hanbok shares some stylistic similarities to the hanfu, or the court dress of of the Han, Sui and Tang Dynasties.
It’s interesting that the woman hanbok’s jeogori was so much longer during Three Kingdom’s time and then got really short during Unified Silla time… just like the hanfu… hey, I’m just saying.
To balance things out, the Japanese kimono shares many stylistic similarities with Southern Chinese court dresses…
Mistranslation in the scent article: should people referred to Koreans as the “Latins of Asia” not the “Latinos of Asia.” For what it’s worth.
That was “should be” — apparently I have trouble writing in comment boxes, so please excuse the ongoing typos, missing words, etc.
Quote from the article:
Today’s Korean word:
Gwanchigeumyung (관치금융) – political interference of public authorities in the financial operations and personnel appointment of private financial institutions
And people chide me for claiming that Korea Inc.’s industrial policy hasn’t fundamentally changed since the PCH days! Plus ca change, baby, plus ca change.
DLB
Don’t mind me, I just want to test out this Gravatar thing.
“People told me that Koreans are kind of like ‘Asian Latinos’ when I told them about my planned trip to South Korea,” he said. “They meant that Koreans are extremely passionate. (…) I heard that Koreans react to things in a distinctive manner and show passionate behaviors, and it’s true.”
Latinos or Latins, as pointed out earlier: partially ok with that, being a Latin myself. “Passionate” is a little different from “Emotional”. And Koreans are the latter. They react emotionally to things, but don’t necessarily have “passion” for things.
Sounds like subtleties, but the latins around will probably figure it out.
Ahh, the scent of Korea: A piquant mixture of cigarettes, instant coffee, garlic, kerosene, and a hint of untreated sewage wending its way to the local river.
I guess the same could be said for your average Latino gangbanger in East L.A. , etc….(unless you call random drivebys a “passion.”)
Brendon, is the natural scent of any urban area all that aromatic?
Perfume of L.A. would be a bit smoggy…. NYC probably a bit sewage-like as well… Missouri? I dunno… outhouses? Essence of chain gangs?…
NYC — rotting garbage. Seriously. Hate it so much. I will trade it LA’s smog any day.
Well, at least Port Authority smells like bread and coffee most of the time…the area by Times Square though, not sure how it is now, but when I used to commute to work nearby there…god damn.
I wonder what Brendon Carr smells like?
I don’t like the Qi Pao. Any person who cites that it’s “form fitting” is revealing he’s got taste as deep and rich as a 13 yo teenager’s.
Qi pao isn’t bad by any stretch, however. It’s amazing how a 전통garb can seem so modern. Perhaps I ought to read up on the history of it sometime.
BTW, aaronm, mother in Korean is 어머 yet you romanize it as “Amma”. Why? Surely you can’t be that ignorant of the language. Or, maybe you are.
Mother in Korean is eomeo, right. But Koreans insist on spelling top and hot as tap and hat in hangeul because they’ve been thoroughly Yankified, so is it really so wrong to suggest that the vowels in aaronm’s romanization aren’t that far off? I don’t know why he double up on the m, though. It’s sort of what it sounds like when kids are crying for their eomeo’s, though.
“scent of Korea.”
If only it always smelled like the blossoming acacia’s in late spring.
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