Other Foreigners that look guilty af when they walk by you

[hangook77]

#basedcowboyshirt: Oh weird. I've never lived in a building that had other foreigners living in it. That would be so strange.

If I'm missing sarcasm, forgive me, but why would that be strange?  If you live in a building you live with lots of other people.  Why would it be strange if some of them were foreigners?  If you're living in a populated area then no doubt there are foreigners about.  You have to live somewhere and so do they.

Oh, no sarcasm. I've just been here for a pretty long time, and have never been in that situation here. So it's totally outside of my experience zone. So, to me, I think it would feel really strange, because it's radically different from what I'm used to.

Living with most other foreigners is a pain in the @$$, more so if they are too young, live out of a backpack and think of it as a dorm living experience.  Going back to immaturity is not fun.  If there are a few mature folks who don't get into drama with you and there are also Koreans who live in the building, then fine.  I lived with a group of foreigners a decade ago for a few months.  They drove me nuts though a couple of them are good friends via Facebook now (having gone back home).  I love living amongst the Koreans. They leave you alone.  Though I don't mind going out and meeting other way gooks whenever.

[OnNut81]

I did live in a complex of villas where the school placed all its teachers; around 15 or so.  I was the only one in my three storey walk up but another had four teachers and I could see that would mean never really getting away from the work social dynamic.  That wouldn't be ideal.  But, I haven't lived in a small building in years and I don't really know a lot of the foreigners that have lived in my buildings or even on the same floor.  I'm in a 15 floor place now and there are a couple of foreigners but I don't know them.  Actually, one was an alcoholic nut job from the states who I had to evade every single time I saw him. 

[Cyanea]

I did live in a complex of villas where the school placed all its teachers; around 15 or so.  I was the only one in my three storey walk up but another had four teachers and I could see that would mean never really getting away from the work social dynamic.  That wouldn't be ideal.  But, I haven't lived in a small building in years and I don't really know a lot of the foreigners that have lived in my buildings or even on the same floor.  I'm in a 15 floor place now and there are a couple of foreigners but I don't know them.  Actually, one was an alcoholic nut job from the states who I had to evade every single time I saw him.

Personally I prefer not to live in a waegook ghetto.

If you're staying longer than a year it will benefit you to go find your own place.

[MaximusPrime]

I did live in a complex of villas where the school placed all its teachers; around 15 or so.  I was the only one in my three storey walk up but another had four teachers and I could see that would mean never really getting away from the work social dynamic.  That wouldn't be ideal.  But, I haven't lived in a small building in years and I don't really know a lot of the foreigners that have lived in my buildings or even on the same floor.  I'm in a 15 floor place now and there are a couple of foreigners but I don't know them.  Actually, one was an alcoholic nut job from the states who I had to evade every single time I saw him.

Personally I prefer not to live in a waegook ghetto.

If you're staying longer than a year it will benefit you to go find your own place.

Sorry this happened to you.
When I was in a building 1/2 a block away from my workplace there were many teachers living there. They were quite decent places to live as a single person. Clean, spacious and had lots of places to keep my clothes,
We got together many times and had plenty of room for 10-15 of us to sit around and enjoy a potluck. I will say that I believe I was just lucky because the owner had graduated from a western university and was always incredibly helpful.
As we all know your outlook is a bit jaded but there are great people out there, giving decent opportunities. From what I have read online I have been super lucky though.

[Chester Jim]

You guys ever experience this?

come on buddy, I don't bite. On several occassions brotha be lookin' at his phone or lookin' stoned af or guilty or something. This sh*t be weird af. Ya'll experience this before???? 



Edited for offensive language.

I did walk by some judgmental dudes who looked like they should mind their &##$ business. 

[Periwinkle]

Because some of us don't like to say hi to strangers.  Why is this even a topic.  And plus maybe we don't like you    I didn't say hi to every random when I lived in America not going to start saying hi to randos here in Korea.  Case closed.

+1  No one owes you anything, including hi or hello, simply because you're a fellow foreigner in Korea.  Get over yourself. 

[Mr.DeMartino]

Because some of us don't like to say hi to strangers.  Why is this even a topic.  And plus maybe we don't like you    I didn't say hi to every random when I lived in America not going to start saying hi to randos here in Korea.  Case closed.

+1  No one owes you anything, including hi or hello, simply because you're a fellow foreigner in Korea.  Get over yourself. 

Seriously. All the "Why don't people smile at me?" "Why don't people say hi to me?" "Why don't people blah blah blah blah" comments/threads just reek of childishness. People don't exist to make you happy and follow your whims of politeness and happiness.

We get it- you should be able to act however you want, and everyone should smile and wave to you in order to make you happy.

[OnNut81]

I did live in a complex of villas where the school placed all its teachers; around 15 or so.  I was the only one in my three storey walk up but another had four teachers and I could see that would mean never really getting away from the work social dynamic.  That wouldn't be ideal.  But, I haven't lived in a small building in years and I don't really know a lot of the foreigners that have lived in my buildings or even on the same floor.  I'm in a 15 floor place now and there are a couple of foreigners but I don't know them.  Actually, one was an alcoholic nut job from the states who I had to evade every single time I saw him.

Personally I prefer not to live in a waegook ghetto.

If you're staying longer than a year it will benefit you to go find your own place.

Sorry this happened to you.
When I was in a building 1/2 a block away from my workplace there were many teachers living there. They were quite decent places to live as a single person. Clean, spacious and had lots of places to keep my clothes,
We got together many times and had plenty of room for 10-15 of us to sit around and enjoy a potluck. I will say that I believe I was just lucky because the owner had graduated from a western university and was always incredibly helpful.
As we all know your outlook is a bit jaded but there are great people out there, giving decent opportunities. From what I have read online I have been super lucky though.

Sorry what happened to who? I wasn't sure if that was referring to me.  I can't see where I wrote about anything happening to me. 

To Cyanea, I haven't lived in school housing in years.  However, foreigners are still allowed to live in my apartment complex. 

[ESLTurtle]

You guys ever experience this?

come on buddy, I don't bite. On several occassions brotha be lookin' at his phone or lookin' stoned af or guilty or something. This sh*t be weird af. Ya'll experience this before???? 



Edited for offensive language.

I did walk by some judgmental dudes who looked like they should mind their &##$ business.

I know how you feel, man. ******'s be mirin'.

[NorthStar]

People, eventually, take on traits of their environment. 

What does that say about living in Korea?


I have seen these types (and worked with them)...walking up the street towards you, accidentally noticing your existence, then, proceed to put their lifeless gaze back on the smart-phone, pretending you were not noticed.  Then, to really put the on the spot, it is fun to slow down, seeing them cringe and sweat, knowing that an enthusiastic "hello" will be coming their way. 

Those type of folks, from my experience, are usually the brain-dead hippster type and I would not associate myself with them anyhow.  But, a friendly and enthusiastic "hello" can brighten an overall gloomy day...and it is fun watching those types cower away, for some unknown reason.

Honestly, I enjoy giving a the wink-smile "hello" to the older Koreans....they have the sense to appreciate it and 9 times out of 10, I get a smile back. 

Being an obvious minority in this country is surely grounds enough to greet a fellow expat.  If one is incapable of reciprocal action (other than simply having a bad day, which can happen a lot here), phuck 'em.  It is a small country and you never know whom you may be working with in the future...

[Mr.DeMartino]

Dude if some random dude winked and smiled at me on the street, I'd find that...off. Smiling is one thing, winking is another. That's sort of the thing you do between friends or mayyybbbeee a stranger who is "in on the joke" Random people? That's kind of rude in my opinion.

Would you walk up to random people back home just to say hi while in the middle of town? Who does that? It's one thing to chill on the corner or around the neighborhood, it's another to be walking around random places and see people who happen to also be foreign and just start talking to them.

As someone who was a minority back home, no we didn't say hi to every other minority we saw on the street. We aren't all friends or part of some big club. And no, there isn't some secret handshake.

Are you friends with every white person back home? What kind of nonsense is this?

[kyndo]

     There are a lot of studies done on why certain ethnicities tend to form enclaves in their host countries while others do not. A lot of it depends on the area they themselves in.
     Generally speaking, the more isolated a demographic, the tighter-knit they become. In areas with a high representation of minorities (sexual, religious, racial, etc), the individual minority communities will often be less cohesive.

     Anyway, here in Korea, many of us Waegs *are* a minority, and we *do* tend to form social enclaves to one extent or another. How closely knit these enclaves are depend on a lot of factors such as how minority visibleness, how rural the area is, the number of foreigners in the area, overall age and wealth demographics of the area etc.

   NETs living out in the sticks are probably going to be a lot more likely to smile and stop and say hello than those living in Seoul, all else being equal.

    Also, a lot of people have ginormous sticks up their bums and wouldn't know how to respond to a friendly smile from a stranger if their sad, worthless, miserable lives depended on it. 

[pkjh]

     There are a lot of studies done on why certain ethnicities tend to form enclaves in their host countries while others do not. A lot of it depends on the area they themselves in.

Every ethnic group that shares the same culture, and language, will form ethnic enclaves... if their numbers are large enough in a particular area. And these enclaves will last about a generation (25-ish years) after their immigration numbers dwindle in that host area.

[NorthStar]

Dude if some random dude winked and smiled at me on the street, I'd find that...off. Smiling is one thing, winking is another. That's sort of the thing you do between friends or mayyybbbeee a stranger who is "in on the joke" Random people? That's kind of rude in my opinion.

Would you walk up to random people back home just to say hi while in the middle of town? Who does that? It's one thing to chill on the corner or around the neighborhood, it's another to be walking around random places and see people who happen to also be foreign and just start talking to them.

As someone who was a minority back home, no we didn't say hi to every other minority we saw on the street. We aren't all friends or part of some big club. And no, there isn't some secret handshake.

Are you friends with every white person back home? What kind of nonsense is this?

You, mad bra?

Look, if you want to partake in that line of thought ,go ahead.  If you want to twist things around, including context, go ahead.  I've seen your posts before and this is an example of other posters grumble and chirp about, regarding you. 

No matter...consider this a wink and a smile. 

[NorthStar]

     There are a lot of studies done on why certain ethnicities tend to form enclaves in their host countries while others do not. A lot of it depends on the area they themselves in.
     Generally speaking, the more isolated a demographic, the tighter-knit they become. In areas with a high representation of minorities (sexual, religious, racial, etc), the individual minority communities will often be less cohesive.

     Anyway, here in Korea, many of us Waegs *are* a minority, and we *do* tend to form social enclaves to one extent or another. How closely knit these enclaves are depend on a lot of factors such as how minority visibleness, how rural the area is, the number of foreigners in the area, overall age and wealth demographics of the area etc.

   NETs living out in the sticks are probably going to be a lot more likely to smile and stop and say hello than those living in Seoul, all else being equal.

    Also, a lot of people have ginormous sticks up their bums and wouldn't know how to respond to a friendly smile from a stranger if their sad, worthless, miserable lives depended on it. 

THAT.

[Mr.DeMartino]

No matter...consider this a wink and a smile.

Hey man, a friendly smile is one thing and I'm all for those. A wink at another dude you don't even know?

That's just weird and rather presumptuous. Heck, going up and talking to someone random is less presumptuous than winking at another random dude you don't know in some neighborhood that isn't your own.

[tylerthegloob]

No matter...consider this a wink and a smile.

Hey man, a friendly smile is one thing and I'm all for those. A wink at another dude you don't even know?

That's just weird and rather presumptuous. Heck, going up and talking to someone random is less presumptuous than winking at another random dude you don't know in some neighborhood that isn't your own.

Winking is pretty aggressive, tbh. I don't know who these casual street-winkers are.

[Mr.DeMartino]

No matter...consider this a wink and a smile.

Hey man, a friendly smile is one thing and I'm all for those. A wink at another dude you don't even know?

That's just weird and rather presumptuous. Heck, going up and talking to someone random is less presumptuous than winking at another random dude you don't know in some neighborhood that isn't your own.

Winking is pretty aggressive, tbh. I don't know who these casual street-winkers are.

People who do that shit in Asia but would never do it in the hood.

[NorthStar]

No matter...consider this a wink and a smile.

Hey man, a friendly smile is one thing and I'm all for those. A wink at another dude you don't even know?

That's just weird and rather presumptuous. Heck, going up and talking to someone random is less presumptuous than winking at another random dude you don't know in some neighborhood that isn't your own.

Winking is pretty aggressive, tbh. I don't know who these casual street-winkers are.

People who do that shit in Asia but would never do it in the hood.

Yep, there it is...changing of context to deflect.

I don't give a hoot about your hood, mate. 

BTW...I never said I wink other expats,...the older Koreans.  They like it.   So, you can either chill out, or, take your urban angst and jog on.

[Andyman]

Another thread in which foreign "hipsters" get mentioned. Do you think they hang out with the SJWs? Or are they one and the same?

What does one need to do to qualify as a hipster in Korea?

I'm not being sarky... I have my own vision of a hipster and don't think I've ever encountered a person matching that description in Korea. Same goes for SJWs. According to the collective wisdom of Waygook.org, however, these people make up like 90% of the foreign population here.