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Well, Mr. Munny, or whatever your name is, you certainly have
successfully mischaracterized the bulk of the Korean experience
with your cynicism, sexism, and hasty generalizations. All
of us over here still grinding it out in Busan are quite sorry
that America has not dealt you an adequate new life. But
is it necessary to blame expectations based on your past
life in Busan for your current lot? Your fascination
with sex and drinking suggest some, funny you should say,
psychological problems. Your article is a poorly
constructed syllogistic slap in the face to Korean men,
women, and the westerners that come here to teach and befriend
them. It seems that the only people in this world whom you
like and respect are YOUR friends. So then, why did you
leave them all behind and chase your tail back to snobbish
Americans and their “pre-fabricated little lives” as viewed from
“socio-economically-tinted windows”?
In offering explanations for why some misguided Korean women
found your irreverent bed, you describe Korean men as obnoxious,
drunken, womanizing and patriarchal. Sure, I’ve seen local
men yell and yank the arms of their sniveling dates. Do
you think that American men don’t get drunk and beat the shit
out of their women sometimes too? But it’s behind closed
doors. Do you think that American men don’t womanize and
act obnoxious? Have you seen GIs from other Korean cities
roll through town and treat Busan like one big football
field? I’m not sure what constitutes obnoxious. But
yelling obscenities, fighting, drunken vandalism, and stumbling
around the Hollywood Star seem to fit the American GI
bill.
Sadly, the ease with which you suggest western male teachers
“meet” Korean women is a pathetic testament to the plight of
women in this society. For you and your friends to exploit
this is reprehensible. You assert that “chicks” here
meet with foreign men to learn English for free. What
about the monogamous western men here who have achieved
proficiency in Hangul thanks to free lessons from their Korean
girlfriends, fiancées or even wives? Or maybe you
don’t hang out with expats of such high moral fiber.
Some of MY despicable friends actually communicate with
their Korean girlfriends only in Hangul. Mr. Munny, it’s
actually YOUR views of Korean women (excuse me, chicks or
chickens) which reek of condescension, American male chauvinism
and blatant sexism.
What does your discriminatory statement about the physical
similarities of Koreans have to do with anything? And then
you go on to lustily mention the Asian-looking girls at your
local bar and denigrate the patrons for being anti-cultural when
they really think that they’re being multicultural. Isn’t
that what you too have done?
FYI: Korean families don’t live with aunts, uncles, cousins,
and one grandmother, as you suggested. In fact, cohabiting
families usually consist of one, maybe two, extended family
members or grandparents; not several of them packed into a
van.
The lines about cartoon characters, telethons, and injury
lawyers are trite and futile attempts at humor in an otherwise
socio-cynical commentary about just one side of life in
Korea. Your mention of crazy, ugly Americans, and female,
Korean, social castaways is insulting and inaccurate. My
experience at an English institute was rocky but mutually
respectable, perhaps because I know how to do more than just
play games.
Your references to American English colloquialisms and idioms
illustrate the unconventionality, at best, and ridiculousness,
at worst, of YOUR native language. Why must you
continuously attribute anomalistic misunderstandings between
cultures to the Koreans?
And how is one a loser because one doesn’t exploit
twenty-four hour public consumption, drunkenness, and the
hunting of “petite, virginal women”? Oh, yes, only YOUR
loser friends would do such a thing. You’re a drug-smoking
burn-out, a motorcycle-riding maniac, a lawless, drunk,
womanizing, chauvinistic, mono-cultural stub to the toe of all
of us here trying to expand our cultural horizons while sharing
and teaching the most widely spoken language in the world.
And what’s worse, you seem proud of your disrespect
for the government’s laws, your exploitation of the women
and ridicule of the people here, both Koreans and
westerners. So don’t give up your search for an equally
euphoric love-hate life back in Arizona. Your services
(and disservice) are no longer required here.
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