What is/was your first impression of Korea?

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Re: What is/was your most striking first impression of Korea?

The airport was empty and vast, so nothing much there.

The people were annoying, loud and just plain jerks.  Overall nothing more than you would see in a poor farm town anywhere.

That being said its like northern Georgia-Bama from the late 60's or early 70's.  far behind everywhere in culture, civility, and everything.  The people are racist as hell, eat the worst food possible coverd in loads of fat and are lazy as the day is long.

Still I made the best of it in a little town where the people were pretty good peopel still come arround.  Had a good time in a very backwards country.  Then I moved to Busan...  havent smiled scince.  Really tried to make it here and forgive the people for their self made fake culture, but it gets old fast.

Goodbye, and my first impression of a backwards hicktown was spot on.

in my first week i was

in my first week i was walking around kyungsung and for roughly ten minutes i watched a man hit a woman and pull her hair and generally abuse her.  i wanted to intervene, but did not, to my shame.  he was actually much bigger than i am.  no one else did anything, either.  that was my general first impression, combined with the way late airport pick-up from the recruiter, no heat in my apartment, the general lies from the recruiter, blah blah blah.  i was fascinated by all the neon lights, though.  was not expecting that

korea

first impressions, crowded, dirty, loud... all the chomping and slurping when people eat, well, i sitll cant get used to that. really blows my mind.

sadly, after the first impression it does not get much better. i have seen a teenage boy get beat up in jangsan with many people watching unitl i grabbed the guy and made him stop; a women get beat up by some guy-no one watching; a boy peeing into a cup on the table at tgif-people thinking it was cute including the manager who i had called over to go tell them to go to barthroom (just last month a boy peeing in to the drain outside the front door of the new baek hospital while the guy held the door open for them waiting...disgusting); a diaper being changed at a dongnae noodle shop-right at the table and of course all the old men who just pee and pass out where ever they want. never mind all the ignorant drivers, racist people and this could go on and on. it is changing though. the younger generation seems more hip to the new world but korea is still a few generations away from being a normal, adult like country.

 and the korean princesses who walk around oblivious to those around them-watch out because i will not move and you will go down! 

now the positive is, working is easy and the money comes freely-especially with a f2 visa. i love my job and my students and that is why i came here for-to teach; so, everything else you have to take with a side of soju and 20 hours a day of sleep. that is korea. there are some great stories of incredible people, though, but they are few and far in between what is normal on the fringes of insanity. salute!

Re: What is/was your first impression of Korea?

First nights impression? Too colorful! All the neon lighting hurt my eyes. I was used to seeing earth tones on buildings and warm colored nighttime lighting. All the blues and reds etc. strained my eyes.

After that, rude unhelpful people. Too many people walking around with defeted looks on their faces. No smiles or warm looks. And too much bumping into me. On the plus side, women dressed like they were going to cocktail parties in the middle of the day. Nice shoes.

 

Re: What is/was your first impression of Korea?

if drab were a color i'd say everything were tinted in drab.
i think it has to do with the pollution in the air. korea wasnt what i expected, although i'm not sure what i expected. i never felt like i was in korea.. still dont, really. i've always felt like i were in a fabricated environment. it's not always a bad thing.
i mean.. i love it. i just signed away on a third year of my life.
i think i hoped it would be more exotic.

Re: What is/was your first impression of Korea?

At first, I thought I could easily get a job as an English teacher at hagwons because I am an F6 visa holder and was able to teach English to Koreans when I was in the Philippines. Little did I know, teaching English in SK is only for native English speakers. Too bad, I am a Filipino.