Korea was kind of rough, but I could take it. However, there were some days…. Anyway, enjoy the little tidbit below.
F.M. Laster
“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.” ― Niccolò Machiavelli
Life in Korea Requires a Thick Skin … Really!
Living in Korea isn’t always easy. After having a slightly drunken intense conversation with another entitled foreigner last week, I started to think about how he fuck am I surviving in the Land of the Morning Calm.
Now don’t get me wrong; I like here; hell, I elected to come here. For the most part, life here in Korea Land is comfortable and great. Now there are times where I can make it seems like all fun and games; to an extent, it is. However, there are some times, which makes me hate this fucking country.
Now, I know what you guys are going to say, “Bitch, its culture shock. That’s what happens when you ate taken out of your comfort zone.” Oh no, it’s a little bit more than that. Seriously, one really needs to have a thick skin if they want a snowball’s chance in hell of surviving here.
Thick skin or the lack of one is the major reason use Waygooks (Westerners) don’t last but a year or 2. Hell, even some can’t manage that and get the fuck out of dodge just as soon as that first paycheck clears. For those of us who do not have the protection of the complexion of the collection (White Westerners), it is doubly hard. Some of us are tough and make it work, others like I said just bolt. Why, well it can be summed up by specific experiences you have on the daily.
Here’s a perfect example. A lesson in one of the textbooks had me review some simple basic hygiene vocab. Simple, right? Well, some little shit looked at me and told me I need to bathe because my skin is brown. The fucker thought it was cute, and the entire class did as well. He didn’t think it was so cute when I had the whole class doing pushups!
There was another time in class when I’ve walked in; the students are making monkey noises as I pass by. At first, I ignored it, thinking innocent kids being kids. Then I was like no, these kids are being assholes and I put them on blast for it. I swear I’m not sure how I managed that day. I just say that to say this; if I let the hate get to me, I’d lose my goddamn mind!
When I had my hair out of braids or wigs, just rocking my natural fro, I’ve had both adults and kids talk shit about my hair. According to them, my hair is evil, dirty, ugly, and funny looking. As if that’s not enough, every damn day, I see some ad for people to get “white,”; as in bleaching their skin. Some of my coworkers have even suggested that I get some of the creams, too, and I quote, ” get beautiful.” Fuck you.
Lord, now let’s get started on the summers. Baby, when it’s summer, the umbrellas come out. The umbrellas are not for protecting the eyes, or to be cool, oh no. The umbrellas are used by Korean women to not get tanned. Being white, even in the summertime, is a must around here. It’s a running joke that the fastest way to piss off a Korean woman is to compliment her or her tan. I did that once, petty, but fun.
Yep, to make it here, you really do need some thick skin.
For example, my English-speaking coworkers are white and seemingly would never understand. In my time here, I’ve seen the locals give favorable treatment to my whiter counterparts. It’s difficult to talk to an ugly man, let alone an average looking man who’s constantly being told he’s handsome by the locals.
As a result, it can be very easy to feel alone and helpless. Like in any country, simply being foreign has its downsides
To a lesser extent, there’s the whole element of being a foreigner. I understand that immigrants and foreign workers have it tough anywhere to varying degrees. However, in Korea (and in other Asian cultures), there’s that element that shuts you out. You’ll always be the “other,,” and you’ll never be accepted completely, no matter what.
There’s also the whole status and hierarchy thing. Foreigners here can have it extra tough when you’re not respected. I know that, for example, whenever I am in dispute, Korean people will generally automatically agree with the Korean person over me, no matter what I say. Children also may not have respect for me because I’m foreign.
All of these things can quickly weigh down on you. As a result, it requires a specific toughness and security to be able to live through all of the *bs*. One should be very solid and have high self-esteem, especially if they’re a person of color. It seems to be the only way to go through life in Korea with your dignity intact.
You definitely need a thick skin to survive for long.
In 1940s Brighton, England, the vicious criminal Pinkie Brown (Richard Attenborough) is the leader of his small-time gang. After Brown murders a rival, he finds an alibi through a waitress, Rose (Carol Marsh), whom he promises to marry in return for her corroboration. Despite the police ruling it a suicide, Ida Arnold (Hermione Baddeley), a woman who was with Brown’s victim before the murder, continues with her own investigation. Meanwhile, Brown is rapidly losing his grip on the situation.
Check it out tonight @ 11PM CST on TCM or tomorrow morning @ 9AM CST on TCM.
F. M. Laster
“Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.” ― Niccolò Machiavelli
