How do you solve a problem like Korea Pt2
Well Well Well (from which hope/bitterness springs eternal!)
Lets get down to the truth about Jen's visit. I have had several enquiring emails after the comments left on my blog by people who met her...(thanks lads!)
She was someone I knew when I lived in South Korea and seemed decent enough....Although with a habit of going AWOL. (You see... I should have read the signs!)
She asked if she could come and visit me. Despite me telling her to email me the dates BEFORE she booked the tickets....She booked the tickets....I was prepared to let this oversight go...
From the second day she was here she started going on about how she 'missed Korea' and even wanted me find her a Korean hotel for her to stay in...
(It is like the sad British people who go to Spain and just order steak and chips! What kind of strange person goes abroad to sample their own culture?)
After all the time and effort and money I had already spent planning her trip this WASN'T going to happen. At first I put her moodiness down to jetlag.....And let it go.... Doh!
All the time she was here she never once made a drink for me or my friends and family who put her up. (And put UP with her..)
She said she didn't like English food but went to bed early (without telling me ) so missed the traditional roast at the hotel in Cambridge. (And left me with a hot dinner and empty seat next to me at the post-volleyball entertainment - very embarrassing.)
For a culture that puts so much into not losing face I am sure she would have been livid if it had been the other way round...
She did the same when we were due to have fish and chips with my mum. Who comes to England and doesn't try fish and chips?
She couldn't even buy a cake on her own and complained when I suggested she used her English (which was ok) to find out which gate her plane left from.
I suppose I have been spoilt with previous friends who have visited me being more savvy. I suppose it may be her upbringing and work culture and not totally her fault I suppose.
It was worrying the amount of times she said she 'loved' her company. But again this could just be a bad translation and she might have means 'enjoyed working for them' (hmmmmm)
She said she was a Christian but seemed obsessed with how much money and what jobs my friends did (not the kind of thing Jesus would do? I am no expert but....)
She also kept mentioning how I had put on weight since I last saw her (not surprising as I was a skeleton in Korea and am on steroids now)...When I told her she had too she went into a sulk.
She also did the stereotype Korean thing of whining like a little girl at friends through her mobile phone....Which she was rudely on far too much. She didn't like it too much when I mimicked (I like this word!) it!
She also wanted so many pictures of herself. (You know the way the Japanese do - by every tourist attraction and person they meet) ...I have never met anyone so vain!
She even said 'English phones are too big' when my phone was bigger than hers- I tried to explain that you could get phones a lot smaller than mine - she didn't seem to grasp this. Korea has such an insular (I could never spell this word) culture!
She seemed to have been brainwashed into thinking Korea is the best at everything when in truth it has developed only in the past few years and is still behind most of the world.
After I drove almost 900 miles over the course of the week I didn't even get a thank you. That is the sign of a spoilt little princess... And not typical of most Koreans I hasten to add.
When I lived there I met some lovely people...
And the only present I got from her was a little butterfly for my phone which she also gave to all my friends. (This was after she arrived just DAYS after my birthday...)
Oh and I got a £5.99 Corpse Bride DVD (which kept jumping, but I can't blame her for that!)- but that was the day I bought her an England football top.
Seeing that she came a few days after my birthday and I put myself out to be nice to her (a tourist guide like me would have cost hundreds on the open market) I could have at least expected a few 'thanks you's...
She did provide me with amusement though. She told me Americans are descended from Indians, told me she had never met a black person and wanted to learn English to teach the world about Korean culture.
Well if Korean culture is being rude, sulking and sleeping all evening after eating too much at lunchtime (greed) - the world is welcome to it.
Luckily having lived there I know there is more to Korean life than this... My friends like Bruce and Jay showed me how hospitable and friendly Koreans can be...
She took offence everytime I praised Japan (which I found to be very trendy and stylish) saying everything was stolen from Korea. For a country that owes so much to America she didn't seem too keen on the Americans too.... (Wanting cake and eating it comes to mind!)
Ironically she said she didn't trust British water... She is from Seoul - so polluted people go round in Altern8-syle masks!
It is all such a contrast to the visits of Naomi and Chantelle from Australia and Katryn from Germany - who were all perfect guests..... (but there again they are Westerners.)
The true test of my opinion being right and not biased is that my friends who met her agree with me and told me I deserved a medal (apart from the bronze one I won in the volleyball competition lol) for putting up with her..
I even needed a replacement windscreen on the car driving to Heathrow. I should have taken this as a sign too...
We did have good times too you understand and I enjoyed being a tourist in London and reckon I could have a second career as a tour guide....
I drove straight from Heathrow back to Cannock Wood to get to the cricket end of season bash, got very drunk and ended up at a Burntwood Nightspot. Viva Le Weekend!
Well I was physically and emotionally drained by the end of the week. This week has been more of a routine of gym/work/evening classes and the like.
I have a medical exam next week in Warrington which I need to pass before I get a start date for the new job.....I have no idea what this examination will entail.....
I just hope it isn't a Korean doctor!
In a strange twist of fate I am going to see a couple of other people I knew in Korea in the next few weeks. Ola (gorgeous Canadanian) is in Hull right now and I am meeting Ian in Prague....Good times ahead.
Snuggles xx
Lots of pics from Jen's stay at http://groups.msn.com/marksucks
Lets get down to the truth about Jen's visit. I have had several enquiring emails after the comments left on my blog by people who met her...(thanks lads!)
She was someone I knew when I lived in South Korea and seemed decent enough....Although with a habit of going AWOL. (You see... I should have read the signs!)
She asked if she could come and visit me. Despite me telling her to email me the dates BEFORE she booked the tickets....She booked the tickets....I was prepared to let this oversight go...
From the second day she was here she started going on about how she 'missed Korea' and even wanted me find her a Korean hotel for her to stay in...
(It is like the sad British people who go to Spain and just order steak and chips! What kind of strange person goes abroad to sample their own culture?)
After all the time and effort and money I had already spent planning her trip this WASN'T going to happen. At first I put her moodiness down to jetlag.....And let it go.... Doh!
All the time she was here she never once made a drink for me or my friends and family who put her up. (And put UP with her..)
She said she didn't like English food but went to bed early (without telling me ) so missed the traditional roast at the hotel in Cambridge. (And left me with a hot dinner and empty seat next to me at the post-volleyball entertainment - very embarrassing.)
For a culture that puts so much into not losing face I am sure she would have been livid if it had been the other way round...
She did the same when we were due to have fish and chips with my mum. Who comes to England and doesn't try fish and chips?
She couldn't even buy a cake on her own and complained when I suggested she used her English (which was ok) to find out which gate her plane left from.
I suppose I have been spoilt with previous friends who have visited me being more savvy. I suppose it may be her upbringing and work culture and not totally her fault I suppose.
It was worrying the amount of times she said she 'loved' her company. But again this could just be a bad translation and she might have means 'enjoyed working for them' (hmmmmm)
She said she was a Christian but seemed obsessed with how much money and what jobs my friends did (not the kind of thing Jesus would do? I am no expert but....)
She also kept mentioning how I had put on weight since I last saw her (not surprising as I was a skeleton in Korea and am on steroids now)...When I told her she had too she went into a sulk.
She also did the stereotype Korean thing of whining like a little girl at friends through her mobile phone....Which she was rudely on far too much. She didn't like it too much when I mimicked (I like this word!) it!
She also wanted so many pictures of herself. (You know the way the Japanese do - by every tourist attraction and person they meet) ...I have never met anyone so vain!
She even said 'English phones are too big' when my phone was bigger than hers- I tried to explain that you could get phones a lot smaller than mine - she didn't seem to grasp this. Korea has such an insular (I could never spell this word) culture!
She seemed to have been brainwashed into thinking Korea is the best at everything when in truth it has developed only in the past few years and is still behind most of the world.
After I drove almost 900 miles over the course of the week I didn't even get a thank you. That is the sign of a spoilt little princess... And not typical of most Koreans I hasten to add.
When I lived there I met some lovely people...
And the only present I got from her was a little butterfly for my phone which she also gave to all my friends. (This was after she arrived just DAYS after my birthday...)
Oh and I got a £5.99 Corpse Bride DVD (which kept jumping, but I can't blame her for that!)- but that was the day I bought her an England football top.
Seeing that she came a few days after my birthday and I put myself out to be nice to her (a tourist guide like me would have cost hundreds on the open market) I could have at least expected a few 'thanks you's...
She did provide me with amusement though. She told me Americans are descended from Indians, told me she had never met a black person and wanted to learn English to teach the world about Korean culture.
Well if Korean culture is being rude, sulking and sleeping all evening after eating too much at lunchtime (greed) - the world is welcome to it.
Luckily having lived there I know there is more to Korean life than this... My friends like Bruce and Jay showed me how hospitable and friendly Koreans can be...
She took offence everytime I praised Japan (which I found to be very trendy and stylish) saying everything was stolen from Korea. For a country that owes so much to America she didn't seem too keen on the Americans too.... (Wanting cake and eating it comes to mind!)
Ironically she said she didn't trust British water... She is from Seoul - so polluted people go round in Altern8-syle masks!
It is all such a contrast to the visits of Naomi and Chantelle from Australia and Katryn from Germany - who were all perfect guests..... (but there again they are Westerners.)
The true test of my opinion being right and not biased is that my friends who met her agree with me and told me I deserved a medal (apart from the bronze one I won in the volleyball competition lol) for putting up with her..
I even needed a replacement windscreen on the car driving to Heathrow. I should have taken this as a sign too...
We did have good times too you understand and I enjoyed being a tourist in London and reckon I could have a second career as a tour guide....
I drove straight from Heathrow back to Cannock Wood to get to the cricket end of season bash, got very drunk and ended up at a Burntwood Nightspot. Viva Le Weekend!
Well I was physically and emotionally drained by the end of the week. This week has been more of a routine of gym/work/evening classes and the like.
I have a medical exam next week in Warrington which I need to pass before I get a start date for the new job.....I have no idea what this examination will entail.....
I just hope it isn't a Korean doctor!
In a strange twist of fate I am going to see a couple of other people I knew in Korea in the next few weeks. Ola (gorgeous Canadanian) is in Hull right now and I am meeting Ian in Prague....Good times ahead.
Snuggles xx
Lots of pics from Jen's stay at http://groups.msn.com/marksucks
posted by Mark @ 10:24 pm
7 Comments:
At 9:48 pm,
Anonymous said…
dehydrated as mr mark you have not made me a coffee
At 9:51 pm,
Anonymous said…
mr a
look on the brighside last friday we did stumble across that italian restaurant where the majority of punters were gorgeous women, i am still working out why we just went for one course....... dr freud
mr f
At 9:57 pm,
Anonymous said…
i thought when we spoke you said 'how do you solve a problem like Gonorrhoea' not such which one would be more irritating.....
At 3:31 pm,
Anonymous said…
Is very nasty things you say about Korea - a mighty fine country yessirree bob
At 8:24 pm,
Mark said…
Mr Bob! You obviously didn't read the posting properly. It wasn't the country I was slagging off - I lived there for 18 months! It was the rude Korean!
At 10:27 am,
Anonymous said…
Insult one Korean insult us all.
Of the nations of the world, Korea alone, up to now, is the sole one which has risked its all against communism. The magnificence of the courage and fortitude of the Korean people defies description.
At 4:55 pm,
Mark said…
That shows your IGNORANCE. If it wasn't for countries like America you would be ruled by North Korea now. To say 'insult one Korean insult us all' is a pathetic attitude and shows a backwards cultural appreciation and lack of education...LuckilyI don't tarnish you all with the same brush but your country is not as wonderful as you Koreans all think it is. I should know. I have lived in many countries! Hugs and Kon-Bay! MARK
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