EPTi went to japan twice.
the first time i loved tokyo.
the second time i hated tokyo and yearned for the countryside.
and i only spent about 2 weeks for each trip, who knows what could happen in a whole academic semester?
A Japanese in Korea (pt 2) - Page 3
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kainzero
United States5211 Posts
i went to japan twice. the first time i loved tokyo. the second time i hated tokyo and yearned for the countryside. and i only spent about 2 weeks for each trip, who knows what could happen in a whole academic semester? | ||
Rekrul
Korea (South)17174 Posts
On February 18 2011 13:21 NeverGG wrote: I came here with crazily inflated visions of Korea as some kind of amazing promised land. It's alright here and you can do some really uniquely Korean things - plus a lot of necessities such as public transport/food etc can be really cheap and yet still awesome. However, it's the same as anywhere else in the world - it has its good sides and bad sides. 'I want to become... Korean. i want to live... as a Korean.' Sorry to burst your bubble, but you (as a foreigner) will never be fully accepted as one. It's not even worth trying and I can't see why anyone would want to assimilate themselves so completely into another culture. I was a total koreaboo before I came here, but as the years pass I've found myself watching more British/American/Japanese things, focusing far more on my foreign-based hobbies and not going out of my way to see/do anything typically Korean. I loved Japan too - it was amazingly clean as you mentioned. Also it was really fun to try some different food for once, and to experience Fukuoka's shopping scene. Going to have to disagree with that one, once you speak korean fluently they treat you just like one of their own (after getting to know u), which is as close as it gets. Being accepted as part of a group only has to do with the ability to communicate and shared feelings. Has nothing to do with appearance. | ||
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kaisen
United States601 Posts
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don_kyuhote
3006 Posts
Some Koreans get a little creeped out when they see a white man speaking fluent Korean. | ||
NeverGG
United Kingdom5399 Posts
On February 18 2011 16:21 Rekrul wrote: Going to have to disagree with that one, once you speak korean fluently they treat you just like one of their own (after getting to know u), which is as close as it gets. Being accepted as part of a group only has to do with the ability to communicate and shared feelings. Has nothing to do with appearance. I think being able to speak Korean definitely helps and it goes a long way to showing Korean people that you really want to be involved. However, from a physical and cultural standpoint there is literally no way you can 'become' Korean. I've heard of many peoples' experiences of believing they were accepted here, but actually finding out that they were only being used as language tools or the token foreign friend. Also of families who refuse to accept non-Korean spouses for a long time after marriage or even child-birth. Also I think that unless you have specific features that Korean people like they're going to consider you too weird to hang out with. I've tried to make friends with quite a lot of Koreans in the past, but even if I pretend to like drinking etc and don't mention any of my other hobbies at all they always seem to suddenly go quiet and never contact me again. | ||
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JiSu
Korea (South)140 Posts
On February 18 2011 16:40 don_kyuhote wrote: Since you're ethnically Japanese, if you speak fluently enough, you can fake around like you are Korean! Some Koreans get a little creeped out when they see a white man speaking fluent Korean. Haha I don't know if you watch WGM We Got Married but one of the episodes where an Afghanistan guy was pretending to be a foreigner when he is a medical school student in Korea visited JoKwon(2AM) and GaIn(Brown Eyed Girls). It was very funny. On February 18 2011 17:23 NeverGG wrote: I think being able to speak Korean definitely helps and it goes a long way to showing Korean people that you really want to be involved. However, from a physical and cultural standpoint there is literally no way you can 'become' Korean. I've heard of many peoples' experiences of believing they were accepted here, but actually finding out that they were only being used as language tools or the token foreign friend. Also of families who refuse to accept non-Korean spouses for a long time after marriage or even child-birth. Also I think that unless you have specific features that Korean people like they're going to consider you too weird to hang out with. I've tried to make friends with quite a lot of Koreans in the past, but even if I pretend to like drinking etc and don't mention any of my other hobbies at all they always seem to suddenly go quiet and never contact me again. Not everyone is like this~ | ||
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Rekrul
Korea (South)17174 Posts
On February 18 2011 17:23 NeverGG wrote: I think being able to speak Korean definitely helps and it goes a long way to showing Korean people that you really want to be involved. However, from a physical and cultural standpoint there is literally no way you can 'become' Korean. Much as I couldn't walk into the ghetto and fit in despite me and them both being "american." I've heard of many peoples' experiences of believing they were accepted here, but actually finding out that they were only being used as language tools or the token foreign friend. Also of families who refuse to accept non-Korean spouses for a long time after marriage or even child-birth. Yeah, that definitely happens, but thats due to the white person being oblivious to whats happening to them in their own world. I mean, how many *real* friends do you have in the world? If you ask anyone that question the number isn't often higher than 10. Every new 'friendship' begins due to some common interest or usefulness from one person to the other, or both. I mean, imagine a foreigner new to Korea obviously they will be more than glad to meet and hang out with any new friends they can find and learn about Korea and do some social networking. Much as the Koreans that meet them might think yeah he/she is a nice guy plus I can learn some english plus I can look cool with the token white friend. It's mutually beneficial (foreigners can learn korean from the korean too ....) and I don't see how that is them being "used." Sounds more like normal to me. It is through the initial 'not real' bonds that people loosen up and show their true colors then truly decide if they like the person. Also I think that unless you have specific features that Korean people like they're going to consider you too weird to hang out with. People are superficial everywhere in the world. Though I will agree slightly as I do believe it is korean culture to be more openly superficial in general, I think they are truly no more superficial than anywhere in the world. They just don't 'fake it' to be nice as often as people from western cultures do (this being a very broad statement..I think in general koreans are very warm and accepting of anyone if you can communicate with them.) I've tried to make friends with quite a lot of Koreans in the past, but even if I pretend to like drinking etc and don't mention any of my other hobbies at all they always seem to suddenly go quiet and never contact me again. Well, if you're pretending to be someone you're not and not showing them any of your true qualities of course they are going to think you are weird. Even the dumbest of people can instinctively pick all that up subconsciously and be turned off. Anyways, to the OP: Anyone who wants to immerse themselves in a culture can do it. One thing I am 100% positive about in Korea is that once you demonstrate to Koreans that you actually care and want to learn and respect their culture and social norms, they will totally accept you. Just don't go overboard and start listening to K-pop and watching K-dramas and trying to talk about that trash with Koreans. Just chill out, nibble on their kimchi, sip on their soju, learn a lil of their language, keep an open mind, and you'll be treated like a Korean in no time. | ||
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lastmotion
368 Posts
edit: someone said it already =/ On February 18 2011 16:40 don_kyuhote wrote: Since you're ethnically Japanese, if you speak fluently enough, you can fake around like you are Korean! Some Koreans get a little creeped out when they see a white man speaking fluent Korean. | ||
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pr0bez
United States50 Posts
On the other hand, some older people I talked to had their own opinions about Korea(ns). Living one of the most korean districts, Okubo, one old Japanese man lamented, "Those koreans, always wearing their sweat pants and baseball caps... | ||
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Rekrul
Korea (South)17174 Posts
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StorkHwaiting
United States3465 Posts
On February 18 2011 21:48 pr0bez wrote: when I studied in Japan, I noticed Korean media was extremely popular among youth. A lot of people I talked to followed Korean TV shows, and didn't follow Japanese shows at all. On the other hand, some older people I talked to had their own opinions about Korea(ns). Living one of the most korean districts, Okubo, one old Japanese man lamented, "Those koreans, always wearing their sweat pants and baseball caps... It's probably because Korean TV shows, while cliche as hell, are still much better written and acted than Japanese shows. I don't know what's wrong with Japan culturally that they produce such abhorrently bad actors/actresses. Maybe it's their tradition of Noh or something, but all their acting is so exaggerated and hyperbolic. I feel like I'm watching some kind of freakshow adult Sesame Street every time I watch a Japanese flick. | ||
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mizU
United States12125 Posts
I think after I get my recommendation done, get my transcript, and finish my essay, I'll be golden. Oh and I have to pay the $300 application fee. | ||
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FireBlast!
United Kingdom5251 Posts
Also, take everything anyone says about Korea with a pinch of salt. It's a beautiful mess of a country that is completely confused about what it wants to be, lying on a mind-fuck border between holistic traditions and hypercapitalism; everything everyone says about it is true, but never the whole story. Hopefully you can go and write your own accounts  | ||
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mizU
United States12125 Posts
On February 19 2011 02:37 FireBlast! wrote: Good luck. And wow thats a hefty application fee. Also, take everything anyone says about Korea with a pinch of salt. It's a beautiful mess of a country that is completely confused about what it wants to be, lying on a mind-fuck border between holistic traditions and hypercapitalism; everything everyone says about it is true, but never the whole story. Hopefully you can go and write your own accounts I'm assuming that they make it such a high application fee so people don't just apply on a whim, and they get legit, serious applicants. After all, studying abroad is a fairly large commitment, and if you decide to withdraw, the university gets f***ed over also. And thanks. I do hope I'll get the opportunity to. :D | ||
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yoonyoon
Korea (South)1065 Posts
On February 18 2011 06:28 tube wrote: not all korean music is shitty k-poop.. ever heard of bands like nell or clazziquai? Nell♥ Just had to throw that in On February 18 2011 06:59 blubbdavid wrote: Koreans and Japanese are not alike, especially when it comes to women. Korean (young) women are cold and proud, while Japanese women are affectionate. I don't think you know Korean women lol You've never been bombarded with aegyo before, have you? On February 18 2011 16:21 Rekrul wrote: Going to have to disagree with that one, once you speak korean fluently they treat you just like one of their own (after getting to know u), which is as close as it gets. Being accepted as part of a group only has to do with the ability to communicate and shared feelings. Has nothing to do with appearance. I have to agree with NeverGG on this one. Speaking Korean fluently will not mean that they treat you "just like one of their own." No matter how good you are, you'll always be "the foreigner." I think you're making the mistake of assuming that the ability to communicate and share feelings is only about language. Being Japanese does not mean that it'll be easy to pretend to be a Korean. Trust me, Koreans can tell. It's not just about appearance or language but.. it's like a feeling you get. Most Koreans can tell if a Korean has lived for an extensive period overseas as well, not just foreigners. | ||
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mizU
United States12125 Posts
Sunny<3 I look forward to Korean aegyo. Hopefully I'll have the chance to be bombarded by it sometime or another. :3 | ||
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Ack1027
United States7873 Posts
On February 18 2011 13:21 NeverGG wrote: I came here with crazily inflated visions of Korea as some kind of amazing promised land. It's alright here and you can do some really uniquely Korean things - plus a lot of necessities such as public transport/food etc can be really cheap and yet still awesome. However, it's the same as anywhere else in the world - it has its good sides and bad sides. 'I want to become... Korean. i want to live... as a Korean.' Sorry to burst your bubble, but you (as a foreigner) will never be fully accepted as one. It's not even worth trying and I can't see why anyone would want to assimilate themselves so completely into another culture. I was a total koreaboo before I came here, but as the years pass I've found myself watching more British/American/Japanese things, focusing far more on my foreign-based hobbies and not going out of my way to see/do anything typically Korean. I loved Japan too - it was amazingly clean as you mentioned. Also it was really fun to try some different food for once, and to experience Fukuoka's shopping scene. OP you should take this with a grain of salt...it seems like a very isolated incident. To say it's ' not even worth trying ' is kind of insulting. Going on to say its physically and culturally impossible is pretty ridiculous. I find it hard to believe someone can make blanket statements like this without having a decent grasp of the language, or even participating with people who drink without giving 2 shits about drinking culture which is huge in korea. What rekrul said is what most foreigners should experience if they put in effort to embrace the language and keep an open mind. Think of all the famous foreigners on TL who went to Korea. A lot of them ended up staying a long time. Even further, when they go back home they know they are leaving with some good friends and experiences. Sure you may never be as korean as a native korean but you can get damn close if you try. | ||
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mizU
United States12125 Posts
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MaRiNe23
United States747 Posts
On February 19 2011 08:10 Ack1027 wrote: OP you should take this with a grain of salt...it seems like a very isolated incident. To say it's ' not even worth trying ' is kind of insulting. Going on to say its physically and culturally impossible is pretty ridiculous. I find it hard to believe someone can make blanket statements like this without having a decent grasp of the language, or even participating with people who drink without giving 2 shits about drinking culture which is huge in korea. What rekrul said is what most foreigners should experience if they put in effort to embrace the language and keep an open mind. Think of all the famous foreigners on TL who went to Korea. A lot of them ended up staying a long time. Even further, when they go back home they know they are leaving with some good friends and experiences. Sure you may never be as korean as a native korean but you can get damn close if you try. Alot of the famous foreigners you speak of also had tons of cash from playing poker. Rekrul goes without saying but elky espcially I rmemeber he won a ton of money from winning tournaments. Food and soju is cheap in korea too so they have extra money to spend going to bars and stuff. I'm not pretending I know rekrul or anything but this is the jist i got from reading his many threads. I doubt Mizu who is only going there on a limited bugdet for a study abroad program will be able to experience korea as rekrul has and no matter how much he embrace the language, i think he has to acutally learn it if he wants to "become" a korean. | ||
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kaisen
United States601 Posts
BTW, what is your japanese name? There is a name converter which you can convert japanese name into either chinese or korean and vice versa. | ||
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