Re: Came accross your podcast//The story of how Koreans came be be called "gooks"
I've been called a twinkie too and a gook, but I think it's American stupidity that the racial slang for Koreans is "gook."
Americans are called Miguks in Korea.
And guk means soup and a person. For example a hanguk saram is a Korean person. A taeguk saram is a Thai person and a yong guk saram is an British person. So what I think what happened is that an American person was trying to have a conversation with a Korean and they heard "miguk saram" so they thought that the Korean person was calling himself a guk while he was really calling the American a guk.
This could also work vice versa if the American tried to say he was a person, a "Me Guk" or translated "Me a person," so the Koreans thought that Americans were gooks.
Don't worry, I've confused myself too.
And my blog might state I dislike Korean girls, but I keep dating them and they are sweet and beautiful and wonderful and lots of other stuff, but their conservative thinking irks me at time. I want someone who is a bit more independent in their thinking.
Oh, and my blog is my soapbox. I really love my students. I love teaching at this school, but sometimes they just wear you out. These are the largest classes I've had to teach too. I've learned in the last couple of weeks that if you establish you are in charge and just regulate the class, then it's smooth and wonderful. You just have to establish a line of respect.
Thanks for listening to the podcast!
Dan
Hey Bro,
Came across your podcast last night. I got a kick out of it. I too am a Korean American male and have been thinking about going over to Korea for some time now. I don't speak Korean (the one Korean friend I had in college always called me a twinkie) and am wondering if I can hack it out. I run into real Koreans at the casino from time to time and they look down on me for not being able to speak the language. One Korean word I do remember is: "yunomosickee". I get this from time to time from this one older Korean guy. I get laughed at by Korean ladies when I try and order Korean food in Korean. Is it like this over there?
I saw on your blog that you don't dig Korean chicks. That's the whole reason (not entirely) I want to go over there. I heard from some other Korean twinkie that Korean chicks diss Korean-American guys that don't speak Korean. I've had a fascination with Asian chicks as there are only white chicks everywhere I go. I seem to pick the most uncultured, sometimes redneck locations to live. I grew up in Iowa. Went to college in Northern Wisconsin and now live in the mountains of Colorado. None of these locations is very diverse. There are only white chicks to hook up with.
Anyway, I think it's really cool what you're doing over there. I've worked with kids in this shitty school district in Aurora, IL during a stint with Americorps a few years back. When you mention that the kids don't appreciate what you do for them, it brings light to the fact that kids are kids regardless of nationality or location. Don't let it get to you. These kids will not realize what you are doing for them or the sacrifice you are making for another 15 years or so when they barely remember your face or name. They will remember you though. You are making a bigger impact on them than you realize.
D.
