Strange questions

[adamwatch]

I often get asked some pretty strange questions by Korean teachers. Can anyone provide some  examples from their own experience that I can use perhaps in a teacher training class on cultural differences.

[Ashlea]

I got, "Whats your blood type?" pretty often but that has to do with personality types.

[Scott]

A) Why aren't you married?
B) Do you think you're handsome?
C) Do you think I'm handsome/pretty?
D) Do you think Korean food will help you lose weight (or any question/comment about weight)?

[timcity]

I've gotten some strange questions like...

Are you a rich man in the USA?

Do you think you're girlfriend is pretty?

[shambles2.0]

I was once asked if I was still a virgin.

[Ollie84]

Some of the students have asked me, 'Teacher, why are you bald?'

[kaymac]

i've been in korea for nine months and told teacher's here I don't have a boyfriend, and when I told them I'm going home their first question still was "will you go to get married?" haha yesterday instead of asking if I was single a stranger asked me "where is your fiance?"

[Kennymac]

I teach in elementary and there was a boy with beautiful long, hair in the 6th grade. His homeroom teacher marched him in and asked me "What do you think...boy or girl?" I guessed wrong.

Also, the usual surprise when I can do the simplest of tasks. I find that annoying at times although I understand.

[toniyellow]

I was given a korean handheld fan as a gift, then asked "Do you know how to work it ?"

Uhhh.... let me see.... you fan it ?

Major congratulations when I demonstrated I could in fact work the fan without additional training.

[Janitor]

The other day I was surround by my students. One got up the courage to ask me "Teacher when you born, your eyes blue?" I said "Yes, I don't wear contact lenses" This was met with great fascination and snorts of disapproval from some more skeptical students.

[sheila]

I am constantly asked, "Why is your hair yellow? Why are your eyes blue? Why do you have 점 (dots/freckles)?" To which I reply, "My mother made me that way."  They don't believe me.  Also, The girls want to touch my hair all the time because they say it feels like Barbie hair. Hmm...  I had one quite recently which was a proposition from a sixth grade male teacher because apparently all American women are easy. Not said in a good way. You can take a guess. 

[red]

"How much is your salary?" 
And asking what's my name where in fact they already know it

[Arsalan]

LOL, I can't help but laugh.  This brings back a lot of memories.  I typically took things of the sort with grain of salt, but the questions I was asked most often were:

1)  Do you like Kimchi?
2)  Do you like Korean Woman?
3)  Do you have girlfriend?
4)  Can you teach me English?
5)  Do you have a perm?  (I had decided to grow my hair a bit longer, and it's wavy as opposed to being straight).

Nothing offensive that I can remember.

[Brian]

I was given a korean handheld fan as a gift, then asked "Do you know how to work it ?"

Uhhh.... let me see.... you fan it ?

Major congratulations when I demonstrated I could in fact work the fan without additional training.

lol

[sarahcanavese]

It wasn't really offensive, but I have been asked multiple times if I have had plastic surgery. On anything from my eyes to my nose. Weird, but I guess a common practice here.

[juliann]

I get asked if I like Korean men a lot. As soon as they hear I am single first they howl dramatically in dismay and pity and then they ask if I would marry a Korean man. And teachers ask my opinion of other teachers, including if I think they are good looking and/or good at their job, in front of them! (i.e. like, pointing at the vice prinicpal across us at the cafeteria table - 'is he handsome?' - as if I have much choice in answering!)

[sambelina78]

This is a great thread. I am kind of disappointed by my lack of strange questions - i had thousands and thousands when I taught EFL in China.

I do get the usual chorus of WOWs when i do something i would consider relatively normal in class...

and in the last two days two students have asked me to marry them when they heard i was not married! I thought my partner and I would get a lot of questions about living together and not being married. My English teachers know how long we have been together, but they never ask when we will marry!

Random questions are great though! 

[cad123]

I have a beard and often get asked when i will shave it.
Also, the younger students often want to touch it.
A student asked me today if I was another students father. Then I realized that indeed the boy was calling me APA from a distance. o the joy of elementary school.

[rlecloux]

I've had a combination of interesting questions from teachers and students alike.

From teachers, I have had:

"I think you are handsome. Do you have girlfriend?"
"How did you learn to use chopsticks?"
"Do you like Korean food?" as I am eating it.

From students:
"What's your shoe size?"
"How long are you?" (referring to my height)
"Do you have a six pack?"
"Are you married?" Twice in the same class.

Also, since I have a fair amount of arm hair, I have been petted on several occasions.   Fun times.

[kerrym]

On the subway in Daegu, a man in his 70's, grabbed my bicep and said, "Large size!" He then pointed at my crotch and asked, "Large size?"