Comments for It's Always Sunny In South Korea

Comment on Backpacking in Mongolia: Getting to the Border by Tedium, thy name is visa run: a brief and hectic journey to Vientiane « Spinning Free

Fri, 21 Sep 2012 11:28:10 +0000

[...] in the morning. A friend and I tried the go-it-alone for as cheap as possible approach when doing a run in Mongolia, and I don’t care to repeat the experience of being ripped off and creeped out before it’s even [...]

Comment on Cultural lessons from an evil ajumma by Jaime

Jaime — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 17:40:06 +0000

Hi there, thanks for your comment. I’m glad to hear you don’t just give in to the idea that just because someone is old means they deserve respect, or that their bad, abusive behavior should be excused. Aggressiveness and cruelty are unacceptable at any age, and the reason people get away with that kind of behavior is because of excuses like, “They’re old and therefore deserve respect” or “They’ve earned the right to act in X way.”

Comment on Cultural lessons from an evil ajumma by joon

joon — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 13:52:34 +0000

I know this post is like two years old..but anyways.
I’m a Korean-American who has been living in Seoul for the past two years and the superiority complex of older Koreans just drives me insane. All of my friends are native Koreans, and even they can’t stand the “do as I say because I’m older than you” mentality of old geezers in Korea. Working in a Korean company, I’ve had my fair share of abuse from my superiors which I just let go because corporate culture is..well quite different from the west. On the other hand, when it comes to day to day life, I don’t give a fuck how old you are, if you treat me like crap just because you’re going to be hitting the coffin soon, I’m not going to sit back and let it go. There’s a reason why there’s a big campaign to “mannerize” Koreans when it comes to public transportation. And to the above poster, no the elderly in Korea do not deserve respect period. You earn respect period.

Comment on Backpacking in Mongolia: Getting to the Border by Jaime

Jaime — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 04:04:54 +0000

Thanks so much for reading! The Mongolian countryside was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I have fond memories of visiting there.

Comment on Backpacking in Mongolia: Getting to the Border by Gana

Gana — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:49:21 +0000

Hi, I’ve just read your post about travel around Mongolia.
as a Mongolian it was intereting read my own country by foreign people eyes.
good luck ^*^

Comment on Backpacking in Mongolia: Getting to the Border by Gana

Gana — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 02:48:54 +0000

Hi, I’ve just read your post about travel around Mongolia.
as a Mongolian it was intereting read my own country by foreign people eyes.
good luck ^*^

Comment on Cultural lessons from an evil ajumma by Hmm

Hmm — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:08:27 +0000

Salutations,
I’m using my ipad, so please excuse some mistakes and typos
I’m a korean,,and i’d like to remark on our culture of ‘crippling respect’ for the elderly.
You, as a foreignor, obviously do not know why we have this culture. You see, the elderly actually DID earn any respect they have in korea. Parents, elders, are expected to do much more for their subservients than in western culture. Korea was the poorest country in the world, but our old folks slaved themselves to give the next generations a better life. I mean, seriously. Im 27, and i went to school by 7, went home at 12 when i in high school. But my parents worked even longer hours, and their parents worked even longer ones. That generation slaved in sweatshop factories for 18 hours a day to give their children a better education, and children usually don’t move out before marriage., and when they do, their parents buy the married couple a house and all the furniture. When your kids have kids, you are expected to take care of your grandchildren. Grannies still make side dishes and kimchi, soysauce and the like for their children. Even in japan, a society much like ours, grannies would never even imagine making pickles for their grown children.In my grandparents’ generation, even if her husband beat her and was gambled away all the money, a wife would not leave her husband for fear her children will be stigmatized in society.if she did, she would never dream of dating again, so as not to hurt her children’s feelings.but this is no longer the case. Nowadays women will not tolerate that and get divorced, and even get remarried. Parents nowadays don’t take the sacrifices their folks did, and kids nowadays are even more ‘westernized’, so they can’t really relate to this sacrifice made by the past generations, as they have no intent to do the same. So they don’t respect the elderly as much as former generations did. This causes conflict between generations. Actually as a korean, though i am appalled at the old lady, i am much more shocked at the rude attitude of the girl. I’d never imagine talking back in such a manner. I’d politelty explain my actions. I’m not that old(27) and i have spent most of my life abroad, but im definately korean. Culture is not that simple. I hope people understand that. The elderly in korea deserve respect. Period.

Comment on I heart my life in Beijing. So, so much. by Debbie

Debbie — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 15:44:20 +0000

This is an awesome post! I’m right there with you! But you may not want to burn those bridges concerning desk jobs — there are desk jobs out there that are fun, too. But for now, this is just perfect. Can’t wait to joing you….

Comment on I heart my life in Beijing. So, so much. by kaitlin

kaitlin — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:38:02 +0000

i’m so happy for you, Jaime still working on making it into asia somehow for a little rendezvous.

Comment on Backpacking in Mongolia II: Crossing the Border by Rich

Rich — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 17:04:31 +0000

Wow. I felt tense reading these posts. I can not imagine what you two felt. Glad you made it through unscathed (other than sore stomachs). I always, ask, “why, why, why does it have to be this way” when in those situations and get angry. It seems so pointless.