Rude Foreigners

[constantinople]

I was on the subway a couple days ago, going home, when I heard a foreign lady (as in not Korean) talking on the phone while eating a stinky sandwich and saying "THIS IS KOREA!" with the snobbiest attitude I have heard in a while. I was very close to saying "yeah, it's Korea so throw your effing stinking sandwich in the trash." She didn't say this quietly, she was quite vocal when she said this and Koreans across from her heard her and didn't seem to be too pleased.

Yes, this is Korea, a place that hired you so be grateful.

It really pissed me off. Please be aware that some Koreans do speak and understand English and your snobbery isn't welcome, even to someone like me who may not always be fond of this country.

[Morticae]

I'm not sure I follow. What is rude about saying "THIS IS KOREA!"?

Does this really boil down to the smell of a sandwich?

[lotte world]

You are not allowed to eat or drink on the subway.  To do so would be rude.

[bobrocket]

+1 I don't get it?

Do tell more about your angry smelly sandwich subway incident.

[WorkingTitle3484]

Was she saying that the sandwich was Korea?  This is like a fun game of 20 questions...I'm just curious as to what the ingredients would be in a Korea sandwich...or in fact, what would a USA sandwich taste like?  A hint of deep-fried luck I reckon...

[bobrocket]

I wonder if there's corn? :D

[Morticae]

I wonder if there's corn? :D

I would imagine corn, kimchi, mayo, spam.

[orangeman]

Yes, absolutely.  I for one have never seen a Korean eat food, especially stinky food (Korean food is known to be moderate, right?), on the subway.  As for talking loudly on the phone in public, why I could never even imagine that happening in this city of shy and soft spoken lambs.  And even if a stray wolf did get through this tight lipped fence of public restraint, they would never under any circumstances loudly discuss the foreigner within their sight in detail with no consideration for privacy, class or emotions whatsoever.  The prospect of this imaginary Korean actually combining the two and eating wildly while talking loudly, creating a virtual tornado of food spittled ignorance, is so proposterous I find it somewhat insulting of our gracious hosts, who as you've mentioned we owe a great debt of gratitute for employing us at reasonable market rates for a service we provide competently and in good faith as if we lived in some sort of capitalist nightmare of supply and demand. 

The scene you've described and the one I've been forced to create in my mind here will surely leave me sleepless for nights to come, which is unfortunate considering the calm, quiet and considerate environment Seoul citizens are famous for creating. 

[justanotherwaygook]

OP, thanks for the lecture.

Orangeman, thanks for a good read.

[merrypr4nkster]

Cool story bro

[cinamon]

I could make a living out of secretly video taping rude foreigners in Korea and posting it on youtube!  In fact I think I will!

It's certainly rude to wear pajamas in public.

[jimmyeatworldwar]

well i understand why the poster for this thread felt rude.
Honestly, I would either.

A lot of the people replying to this thread seem to hate Koreans anyway.
Why are they here if they hate Koreans so much?

[DejaVu]

well i understand why the poster for this thread felt rude.
Honestly, I would either.

A lot of the people replying to this thread seem to hate Koreans anyway.
Why are they here if they hate Koreans so much?

For fun, money, and to teach you English.

Saying Koreans would like kimchi and corn on their sandwiches isn't hating anyone.  It's an educated guess that is most likely true.

[jimmyeatworldwar]

dejavu-

thats your educated guess?
lol
no comment mate..

[Morticae]

well i understand why the poster for this thread felt rude.
Honestly, I would either.

A lot of the people replying to this thread seem to hate Koreans anyway.
Why are they here if they hate Koreans so much?

Somebody saying "This is Korea!" while having a conversation on the phone is not rude. You don't even know what is being discussed. The OP interpreted it to be a rude intonation, but we hardly know the whole story.

Who is "a lot" of the people in this thread that hate Koreans? Just because we don't drop dead with rage and fury over a foreigner eating a "stinky" sandwich doesn't mean we hate Koreans.

Why do you accuse people in this thread of hating Koreans? Give some details, facts! This is slander.

[Jamface]

Yes, absolutely.  I for one have never seen a Korean eat food, especially stinky food (Korean food is known to be moderate, right?), on the subway.  As for talking loudly on the phone in public, why I could never even imagine that happening in this city of shy and soft spoken lambs.  And even if a stray wolf did get through this tight lipped fence of public restraint, they would never under any circumstances loudly discuss the foreigner within their sight in detail with no consideration for privacy, class or emotions whatsoever.  The prospect of this imaginary Korean actually combining the two and eating wildly while talking loudly, creating a virtual tornado of food spittled ignorance, is so proposterous I find it somewhat insulting of our gracious hosts, who as you've mentioned we owe a great debt of gratitute for employing us at reasonable market rates for a service we provide competently and in good faith as if we lived in some sort of capitalist nightmare of supply and demand. 

The scene you've described and the one I've been forced to create in my mind here will surely leave me sleepless for nights to come, which is unfortunate considering the calm, quiet and considerate environment Seoul citizens are famous for creating.

Hahahahahaha! Brilliant!

[Morticae]

dejavu-

thats your educated guess?
lol
no comment mate..

You can feel free to educate yourself by visiting some sandwich shops in your area. You will see uniquely Korean combinations, including the one I mentioned. Corn/kimchi/mayo/spam/egg is not a myth, it is a fact.

[cinamon]

NVM 

[constantinople]

It was the way she said it, to imply that she's too good for this place. Of course I didn't hear the entire conversation. Her tone implied a very negative connotation of this country, and the fact that she had to be so vocal about it made it quite rude to me. I'm sorry if some of you find it offensive that I dislike such behaviour.

Now, I wasn't serious about the sandwich, though it did stink quite a bit.

I brought this up because I know some of us can forget that Koreans do in fact understand some English.

It does seem that whenever someone posts something concerning Koreans' behaviour people often criticize such behaviour, but when a foreigner does something rude people here get offended and sarcastic.

[Horus]

Orangeman, great post. Very well constructed. (I must ask, are you from Northern Ireland?)