Friday, September 7, 2007

Anyong Ha Se Yo...

I’m glad to know that the Korean hostages held by the Taliban have finally been released last week. As a “former friend” to some Koreans, I felt happy that the ordeal is over although two of them were killed.

I’ve got the chance to make friends with some Korean nationals last year. The friendship seemed to have last only for a couple of months as after their short stay here in the Philippines , they went back home, travelled to another country and went on with their normal lives. I have good memories with them and some weird observations that I noticed about their culture…as follows:

1. They’re always in a hurry.

2. They eat a lot. Ung pagkain ng isang tao sa kanila, good for 3 na yun sa mga Pinoy, at kahit kumakain nagmamadali pa rin, girls are no exemption.

3. They’re very nationalistic. They love everything Korean. Karamihan sa kanila ayaw sa mga puti.

4. Males are required to do military service for 2 years (ROTC sa Pinas). Pero sa kanila papasok talaga sila sa military for 2 years (kumbaga sa Pilipinas, para ka na rin nag-PMA ng 2 years).

5. They love spicy foods. They could turn vegetables from green to bloody red with lots of chili sauce.

6. They can’t survive a day without Kimchi. Their weekends are not complete without beer and Soju. Most of them love our San Mig light and Red Horse.

7. They call ALL gays “transsexuals” (or at least that’s how their electronic dictionary translates it). One time this college guy told me, “I saw a transsexual yesterday." I was like WTF? How did you know he’s transsexual?!?”. Ang sagot; “He looks like a woman, with long hair, make up, wearing high heels”.

8. Two people have to be of the same age to call each other “friend”. Even if they’ve known each other for years, share the same interests or see each other everyday, but if they’re not of the same age, they don’t call each other friend. In short they’re not friends.

9. They count their money in millions. Pano kasi 1 Million Won (Korean currency) equals 50,000 pesos lang. So pagpunta nila sa Pilipinas at baon nila 1 Million Won for 2 months, they already feel richer than most Filipinos (sabagay malaki nga naman ung 50,000 pesos pocket money for 2 months).

10. One of their questions na hindi ko nasagot: “What’s the difference of NO and NOT?” (sige nga, sagutin mo nga!)

11. Line that made me really laughed “It’s catting and dogging outside!” (translated: It’s raining cats and dogs outside)

12. Pag nagpapapicture sila, mga daliri nila laging nakaganito:




I don't mean to make fun of them because generally they're nice just like Filipinos. Almost all of them are coming here to study English so if you happen to meet one, galingan mag-English para ma-impress sila. hehehe... Mataas kasi ang tingin nila sa mga Pinoy as "English-speakers".


13 comments:

footiam said...

Are those Koreans studying with you?

Anonymous said...

i used to work for a Korean company so mejo sanay ako sa Koreans. Have they given you a massage?! Damn. ANG SAKEEET!

Sidney said...

Good they released those Korean hostages.

They are many Koreans here. I wonder sometimes if they really learn much English. They always stick together.

Unknown said...

Alam mo, tuwing nagla-lunch ako, kasabay ko lagi yung mga Koreans dun..hehe. Sa 5th floor yata sila eh, ewan ko lang kung anong account.

Ely said...

Hi footiam! yes, they used to. I mean when i was still in Baguio.

yoshke, massage? hindi naman, although one tried to teach me Taekwondo lessons, too bad walang time.

You're right sidney, they do learn a lot, but thats a major problem, most of them often stick together so they don't get much practice or exposure to the language.

nakikita ko rin sila reyn, pag-uwi ko pasukan nila. dayshift lang sila no? Alam mo what account nila?

Anonymous said...

hi. im working here in korea for almost two years now. and your observation are all correct.

dorkzter said...

i dig korean movies. hehehe. and i also have a friend in UK who was once a classmate when we were both studying in UAE. he's kynna weird though. cause he's Korean but was born in uzbekistan, grew up in UAE, studied highschool in a filipino school, and now he's in UK.. phew!!!!!!! what many cultures he's infused to hehehe

Unknown said...

Hindi ko nga alam account nila eh. Grabe talaga ang Korean fever sa Pinas! Mapa-telenovela, sa tourism, sa business. Last August sa Bora parang wala ako sa Pinas, parang nasa Jeju Island ako sa Korea, kasi puro Koreans na lang ang nakakasalubong ko. :-P

Ely said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Ely said...

Hi coach. Naka-ilang milyon ka na dyan? hehe. Laki ng sahod dyan ah.

dorkzter, I don't really watch Korean movies, but based from what i've heard, mukhang magaganda nga story nila. Good for him, at least exposed siya sa madami cultures, unlike mga kababayan niya na sobrang confined with nothing but Korean...only Korean!

Tama ka reyn, yung ibang Koreans ayaw na mag-Bora kasi puro kababayan daw nila nakikita nila. LOL.

Arianne The Bookworm said...

thanks for sharing those info about Koreans.. i always see a lot of Koreans when i go to malls and truly, they always stick together.. and always doing the 2 finger wave when taking pictures.. i find them adorable when they do that. hehehe..another fact i learned about them, is that they include the 9 months inside the belly to their birthday.. because the moment you were conceived inside a womb, it means that you are already alive..

Anonymous said...

my cousin is one of those hired "speaking buddies" for Korean who are studying English here. nakakatuwa sila, Koreans are everywhere. and they usually make their presence felt kahit nasa beach at naliligo.

ako naman, i am trying to learn Korean. nagkataong may kapitbahay kaming Korean so lagi kong inaabangan para lang pagpraktisan.

Ely said...

Hi Claire. tnX for reminding me, i missed that. That's why they're always a year older. They have International age and Korean age. Age for them is an achievement, like, the older the better...

rayts, i'm sure your cousin gets a lot of "freebies". LOL. Most of them are very generous. Ang hirap aralin language nila...i've learned some words before pero nakalimutan ko na.