Korea- Too boring

[Ideologue]

I also managed to avoid the following topics: fleeing from underemployment, escaping the coming collapse of the West, and fucking Asian chicks--i.e., my actual goals.

  Lord knows that's the Holy Trinity of why I'm here.

Actually, at this point I'd like to fuck a white chick, just for the novelty 

Yeah?  You and me both.  FU.

[Admiral Yi]

Pronounced the same in English.

Hangul might be identical, might not be.

Chosen is the Japanese colonial name for Korea, and also what North Koreans call Korea now, so you might want to tread carefully with your pronounciation. 

[The Larch]

I will say this--I wish every interview I've ever had was with someone who spoke English as a second language.  It brings them down a notch.

Why? It should make you appreciate the bigger efforts they've had to make to get to the position they are. 

[Ideologue]

Pronounced the same in English.

Hangul might be identical, might not be.

Chosen is the Japanese colonial name for Korea, and also what North Koreans call Korea now, so you might want to tread carefully with your pronounciation. 

조선 (if I were transliterating, I'd call it Zhosun, 'cause that's what my authoritative handwritten chart says), is also the name of the most ancient state that has any continuity with modern Korea).  It's where the DPRK got it from--and that's what I was referring to, as was clear in context (and I told her I knew the DPRK called the nation that).  Then again, the only reason that happened is because I screwed myself by referring to Korea as a "young country," which is true if you know English, but I had to correct and say "young state" and impose upon her that I realized that Koreans had a 2300+ year history as a people/nation, starting with the Chosen/Josen/Zhosun/조선 Kingdom.

Apparently the reservoir's name is 장진.  Well, it's close.

Anyway, why do Korean people assume English names?  Yes, we may butcher it (but transliterating 이 for Lee isn't helping), but I wouldn't assume a completely unrelated Korean name.  At most, I would localize my name (i.e., John-->Ivan in Russia... this doesn't really apply to me; Hunter-->Jaeger? in Germany ), but personally I don't think I'd use that kind of whiteface.)

[Ideologue]

I will say this--I wish every interview I've ever had was with someone who spoke English as a second language.  It brings them down a notch.

Why? It should make you appreciate the bigger efforts they've had to make to get to the position they are. 

I just mean that they seem to give you a greater benefit of the doubt when you say something pointless/nonresponsive, because their limited fluency suggests to them that the problem might be on their end.

[The Larch]

I will say this--I wish every interview I've ever had was with someone who spoke English as a second language.  It brings them down a notch.

Why? It should make you appreciate the bigger efforts they've had to make to get to the position they are. 

I just mean that they seem to give you a greater benefit of the doubt when you say something pointless/nonresponsive, because their limited fluency suggests to them that the problem might be on their end.

You might be surprised to know that some non-native speakers are fluent enough to catch fumbling answers from native speakers. 

[Ideologue]

Languishites don't count.  You guys have had the benefit of learning from some of the finest English speakers in the World Civilizational Core.

[FunkMonk]

Languishites don't count.  You guys have had the benefit of learning from some of the finest English speakers in the World Civilizational Core.

[Eddie Teach]

[Ideologue]

Well, fuck.  They need someone who can be there, like, tomorrow.  Offer rescinded, albeit with a profuse if somewhat disfluent apology and a "we'll keep you in mind" statement that somehow seems less phony than when Americans do it.  And I'll keep that in mind too.

It's not my fault.  Probably.  Maybe it is.  I mean, I do suck.  However, I thought I hid it better.

Does the State Department do refunds?  Actually, I suppose I have a weak Sec. 90 case against Yeongi, but whatever.

Anyway, I understand their problem.  I'm not really angry, just disappointed.

Like I told Tim, that's two out of three jobs that vanished into the ether.  Interview for Dept. of Consumer Affairs today (wish me luck ).

And there's always the job I have.

[Josquius]

Damn, that sucks.

Well, it isn't hard to get a job in East Asia if you're white, English speaking and have a degree.  It remains an option.

[Jacob]

If you've got all the shit together - or in the works - that you can go teach English overseas, there's nothing preventing you from trying to find other teaching English jobs overseas once all the paperwork has arrived.

[Barrister]

I agree - if the "teaching English in Asia" thing is what you want, a little persistance and you should have no problem lining up a position sooner or later.

[Ideologue]

Oh, sure.  I know.

[Ideologue]

Interview: I think I did okay.  This means they wanted me out of the building, and perhaps existence, as fast as possible, doesn't it? >_<

On the plus side, I pronounced "Firenze" correctly (thanks Paradox!) to the Italian Catholic lady and I'm a fellow alum to the hunting/fishing guy ("fishing is okay, but I don't like hunting because I get lost" ). They thought my jokes were funny.  They seemed happy with the research I'd done into their agency.  Emphasized socialism and statism without mentioning actual words, and commitment to civil service, without mentioning PLSF.

Should not have mentioned salary.  It's just it was the only question I could think of that wasn't stupid or already answered by their (very thorough) presentation of the job (which actually, no joke, sounds awesome--a real entry-level, training position that alternates substantive analytical work with sometimes answering the phone and doing other dumb-person stuff).  That said, it did seem like a valid question, since the range quoted in the posting was like $20-$40k, a huge fucking variation.  I suppose I could've just found out and then turned it down (lol sure) if it sucked.