From Newsgroup: soc.culture.korean

Organization: Www.catracing.org

As mentioned I lived in Korea for 13.5 years.

What was your best or favorite memory of living there?

What was your worst experience/s living there?

I have commented on FB posts that to me, living in Korea was a lot like owning a boat. The best moments was the moment I arrived and the moment the plane lifted off the runway 13.5 years later.

I did have enjoyable moments in between, but all in all, it was a time in my life I could very easily just have skipped.

I did not make one friend that I stay in touch with.

People seemed to go out of their way to make things as difficult as posible even when you present them with an easy soltution and because they have never tried it that way they refuse to. "You must understand our unique situtation."

People watched you to make the smallest of mistakes, so they could be the ones to correct you, which just came off as akward. (Why are you watching me this closely to have even noticed that).

People whome you considered friends were the ones you would find were the ones who made the lists, and would threaten to report you for those transgressions as a way of asserting dominance, settle personal disagreements, etc.

ALWAYS ASSUME YOUR MESSAGES ARE BEING SAVED, AND YOUR PHONE CALLS RECORDED!

As above, people using the criminal justice system instead of settling issues in civil court. Expensive vs. the state covering the costs of prosecution.
The assumption that the accused will reach out for an "appology settlement" to make it go away, not understanding that while it may go away criminaly, foreigners still have to deal with Immigration.

No freedom of speech / expressiong. 1) Privacy of face (Privacy is expected
in public). 2) Fake news laws, 3) Historical narritives being controlled by the government and if you question it can be criminaly or civily tried.

Korean's LOVE to argue, over the smallest most nonsensical things to save
face.

Rules for thee and not for me.. This is both actual civil rules, but also cultural rules. Which most Koreans don't follow. The most infuriating is
when you saw something that would normally be appropriate in a hierarchial context due to age / seniority / rank / standing, but being told you are being rude because as a foreigner you will always be below another Korean regardless of any other marker. You almost feel like the corner stray is higher in society than you.

At first it didn't bother me, because I could avoid most situations were these might have come into play, but when situtations happened and the rose colored glasses came off. It was time to get the heck out!

What was your experience?

Rug Rat (Brent Hendricks)
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