Tuesday, June 24, 2008

GEPIK offers culture tips.

Gyeonggi English Program in Korea (GEPIK) has 33 culture tips up on their site to help teachers adjust to Korea. A few of my favorites:
4. You may be disgusted by some food such as dog meat or dog soup if you keep a dog as a pet but they do not eat every kind of dog.

11. You may be insisted to drink alcohol beyond your capacity.

13. You may be bothered by children and youngsters who want to speak to foreigners, now and then with bad words which are not intended badly.

14. Koreans are against America politically, not socially.

22. Girls and ladies walk sometimes hand in hand or arm in arm. But they are not lesbians. It means kind of affection.

30. Some Koreans are less punctual than Americans but usually they are more tolerant than westerners.

33. Koreans sometimes say yes when they are confused in speaking English.

Hmmm, certainly don't agree with number 13.

Earlier we read about the cultural tips from the elementary school teachers' guides, the facts on foreign countries provided by VANK, and the dangers of fan death as featured in the Ministry of Culture and Tourism's Cultural Guidebook For Foreigners.

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