Leah Truong I'm not Canadian, but I still get anxious about holding doors. I'll hold the door even when somebody is far away from me. It's just... I must. I have to.
I've never been to Korea before, but I started bowing when I say "thank you" or "Sorry" Or meeting people for the first time due Korean TV.shows. I also Drink from the stir straws. Was I like born with the mind of a Korean. O.o
The "holding your arm" 'thing' comes from when they used to wear their ethnic clothes with the long flowing sleeves. So, you "hold back" the extra length to expedite things & that becomes part of the gesture [of politeness].
I'm 14 and watch ALOT of Korean Dramas, so much that i've learned a couple phrases and can tell when the subtitles fudge up. sub: Alive? Actual Korean: Sara? There was also a time I ran into one of my teachers in a store. and kept awkwardly bowing every time they praised me for being such a good student. and when my teachers husband tried to shake my hand, i was confused and just kept bowing. my step-mom makes fun of me every time i do it XD Thanks Korea.
I stayed in Japan for more than a month and got so used to bowing there, I came back home a few weeks ago and had to go to the hospital for a check-up like a day after I had arrived. As I was leaving, I thanked the doctor and subconsciously did a mini-bow, and then realized what I had done when she raised her eyebrows and awkwardly turned away lmao; I very quickly left after that happened.
I'm a Korean living in America and I just discovered your channel and literally watched 10 in a row! You guys are hilarious and I love how you've edited the videos! Thanks for the wonderful content :)
I always drink through it. If you do it like slurping hot ramen and breath it in quickly and just let it coat your mouth then it's not hot. I don't know why they didn't think of that since they love ramen.
That's funny because I live in an area in the United States where there is a large Korean community and the Korean students at my high school Are quiet in the classroom but when they are in the hall way they are pretty loud, maybe even louder than the rest of the students. It's weird bc they are shy with English when they have lived in America for a while and then boom they are speaking Korean pretty loud in the hallway. They sometimes even group up in the hallway and block the hallway. And sometimes they are talking in Korean and of someone walks by they start laughing and pointing in Korean. And I always feel they are judging other people
Yeah. They really do judge ppl. There was once I sat kinda two sits behind a bunch of 4-5 senior Koreans. They were talking in Koreans, and my friend and me in English. I knew they were judging me like I looked better in photos although I don't really know them. They love to speak Korean loudly, thinking that others don't understand Korean.
MC They are Korean Americans. They might speak korean and know the culture because of family but they live in america and have most likely picked up American habits.
I've only been to Canada and Mexico--but I have a friend from Korea, I study Hangul and have been watching all kinds of programs--including you two...There was an elderly Chinese couple at my PT's office waiting for their interpreter. I was surprised myself when I just bowed and smiled without thinking! The lady's return smile was so delighted! A little courtesy goes a LONG way, eh? Thanks! ^-^
I live in New York and everyone puts straws in their hot coffee. But we use regular straws. There are several reasons for this A it helps stop the coffee from spilling B It keeps your lipstick from messing up and C it helps cool the coffee before it gets to your mouth. STRAWS ARE AWESOME
the other day my dad complimentend me on something and i said thank you and sorta bowed ive never lived in korea only canada but i basically only watch korean dramas so ya but im used to seeing bowing so i bowed and then my dad looked at me funny same with other people in the room 😂
I'm not Korean or Japanese I'm not Asian but I do bow accidently sometimes because I've seen way to much anime and seen to many k and j dramas I'm in to deep some times I act like I'm Japanese and I don't notice it. People think I'm Asian because of it my friends think I act more Japanese/Korean than Japanese and Korean people
haha I did Taekwondo for like 9 years and I kept on having the habit of bowing when I entered like class rooms and stuff, (so many weird looks...) This was because Students of Taekwondo have to bow when entering the training room in Taekwondo.... I also bowed when accepting things from people :/ haha Like I have stopped training for about a year now (Studying! yay! :/) But i still bowed when accepting my Certificate at my presentation evening at school..... I realised I did it and had to carefully cover it up but my family saw.... :/ haha
I have no clue why but I have always bowed. Like my parents used to ask me why I bowed all the time, like for anything, and I was like "what? You don't? Oh, weird...." So now I just now when I'm helping or have been helped by someone or saying hello and goodbye. In 18 years I haven't been able to break this habit. I wanna go to South Korea though so...I'm cool with it
Ever since I have found out about Korean music, have started learning the language AND found out your guys' videos, I bow all the time to people! even if it's just a little bow with the head~ my family thinks it's unusual because I'm German/Italian/Canadian but my friends love it ^^
I teach English in Canada and I have had many Korean students. The first time one of them bowed to me I was very unsure of the proper way to react. Also had the same experience with holding doors open when I lived in Germany.
Slow speech is the curse of teachers. Being a rather fast speaker, this annoys me profusely... My mum wasn't always a teacher. I remember noticing that transition a few years after she started teaching. Now I live abroad, so whenever I come home I am in shock of how slowly she speaks.
Have things changed? Years ago, I was taught that the supporting hand is supposed to be under the outstretched hand which is receiving or handing out. When shaking somebody\s hands, the other hand is placed in the vicinity of the upper tummy. I was told that making both hands visible to the other person is polite, showing good intentions and proving that you don't have a sword in your other hand,
about the drinking hot coffee with straw is that since Koreans love to keep their skin white, maybe they're trying to keep the teeth white too by slurping thru straws? I've not been to Korea for 15 years and they weren't drinking it like that at the time, but times have changed...
I have developed many of these habits from learning and teaching Taekwondo, interacting a lot with our Korean interns, and learning Korean and about Korean culture on my own. The supporting hand thing, bowing, using Korean phrases, and speaking English slowly are all so normal now! Also, because we still speak English most of the time, we use "sir" and "ma'am" constantly to convey the same level of respect as polite Korean sentence endings, so that's another habit I've developed...
When you live anywhere for a long time your habits change. My voice inflection changed while I studied abroad and I inverted my English sometimes, placing words into a Spanish sentence structure. . . . which was weird for people who didn't realize I had been abroad.
I'm Asian and my family seems to have super heat-resistant mouths, but I don't. In fact, I seem to be more heat-sensitive than almost everyone (including my non-Asian peers outside of my family). I tell people that my mouth is made of snow…
You guys are awesome:) And Martina, I'm Canadian born and bred and your regular talking speed is actually a little on the quick side! Sloowww doooowwwnnnn pullleeezzz~~
I had to smile at your talking with hand gestures and slowly talking because I have to do that with my boss who is Chinese. It drives my roommate crazy because it continues when I get home from work.
I always thought Koreans were loud because of the dramas I watch. They tend to be loud when they talk with an attitude or when they're annoyed. Guess what happens in dramas, stay in dramas...
I lived in Central America for 4 years, about 3 of which I was an ESL teacher. There are a LOT of Korean textile factories there because of cheaper labor and weaker/unenforced labor laws. But they don't like handing over an ounce of management to locals, so they bring Koreans there to fill in supervisor and manager positions. In turn, their relatives would take advantage of having someone trusted in country closer to the USA, and send their teenagers over to take English classes. So at least 95% of my students were Korean (either working there, kids of workers, or relatives kids sent to study). I'm grew up in the country side to begin with, and it's just a common habit to nod your head as a greeting or to say thanks. So it wasn't hard to slip me into the habit of a very slight bow as a greeting or gesture of appreciation, as it was only a little more movement than the gesture I grew up with. However, when I moved back to the USA, I didn't move back to the country side. I live in a suburb between 3 smallish cities. People here give me odd looks when I do that, but even when I only do the head nod. At least older people nod back, or interpret the slight bow as a nod and do the same XD
I was just at an H-mart food court yesterday, and the cashier handed me my receipt while holding her elbow, and I was like "...it's that thing. SIMON AND MARTINA WERE RIGHT!"
I'm a Vietnamese girl but I live in Germany. Sometimes when I'm walking on a street, some strangers greet me and I automatically bow slightly and go on( I also do that when someone thanks me). When Vietnamese people greet me I always bow first and then greet them, but I only bow to people older than me or when they're the same age. Not to younger ones... except they are bowing first!
Wow, Fantastic baby! I've been learning korean for a short time now. I plan on moving there when i get the money, and thanks to you guys i know what to do before i get there thank you for all your awesome videos ^_^
I went to Japan for a month last summer and when I got back I bowed and spoke slowly to everyone. I still bow sometimes when meeting new people... it's awkward.
It's becoming a habit with me--and I like it too! LOL It acknowledges the other person politely without necessarily interrupting where you are headed...
The door thing is only because you did it at the wrong place, at the wrong time. In a public setting, it is disrespectful to hold the door for someone because it is considered that you are taking a "pity of disability" on that person. However, in most business or close encounter settings, it is considered polite to open the door up for someone.
My mom does that with the coffee. My tongue is still astound.....and burnt. And i guess after watching so many dramas & whatnot, I keep bowing to everybody. I'm Vietnamese....
I visited S.Korea last year with my Korean wife & our baby daughter. This tiny country just next door to Japan left me an indelible impression that the country is massive with many hidden gems to see in almost every corner of the country. The grandeur of modern architecture,high tech infrastructures (especially the subways were unlike Toronto's backward TTC) clean public washrooms were awesome. But they ignored me whenever I said "Shil-le-heh-doh-dwe-get-supnika?"(Execuse me?) for direction.
The door thing is so true! Not many held the door open for me when I tried to go through with a stroller ( my daughter was born in Korea). There were a mix of old and young who were really helpful. So I guess it just depends.
I'm American through and through and I always drank my scalding hot black coffee through a stirr straw. I always felt like the smaller straw would reduce the amount of hot coffee being swallowed at once.
I totally understand the whole speaking slowly and hand gestures thing! I spent 6 weeks working with students that came to Canada for an international summer program. (There were Korean kids for 3 weeks!~) By the end of the program, both the teachers and the other volunteers were gesturing not only to the kids, but to each other too xD
I remember having dinner with my friend's family once and she is Mexican and Japanese mix, her mom is Japanese and by the time my mom came to pick me up, I thanked her family bowing, which was an accident and I'm Salvadorian x3
I hosted a Japanese student and we had to talk super slow and clear when she was with us. Even after she left I had the habit of talking really slow. People started looking at me like I was crazy.
YES! I'm glad I'm not the only one whose picked up habits from watching so much Korean stuff! My friend and I now bow to everyone we meet, or when we hold the door open for people. It's really funny to see their reactions! Another habit my friend and I picked up is when we're annoyed or angry we actually curse in Korean... which with great luck so far no one has been able to understand us...
I didn't even realize I hold the door open for people but thinking about it now it's just a normal and polite thing to do. If someone doesn't hold the door and you're a couple steps behind them you think they're rude or in a hurry or something. Wow.
regarding holding the door. I went to Macau about 2 years ago. Whether I was entering or exiting a place. I would hold the door for my family members and anyone else as courtesy. People do not thank you for it or take over holding the door for their own family and friends. They rush out like omg its open! So after a few times. I decided not to hold the door for any strangers, but one guy actually tried to slip through the door as it was closing and had the door hit him.
i still live in America, but after watching SO many variety shows, kdramas, etc; i wasnt aware of it but i bowed to a waitress when i left an Ihop. she held the door for me and said thank you, and i bowed... it was when i stood up that i had realized what i done. (it was a quick head-nod bow, not the deep bow).
tldr is my favorite program ^^ ♥ and martina looks SUPER pretty in this vid ^0^ you should wear your eye makup like that all the time you eyes looked amazing ♥♥
I've been living abroad from Canada for 4 years, 2 years in India and 2 years in Hong Kong, and it's true you really do start speaking slower and take to the mannerisms of the different places. Like here I'm not as polite as I am in Canada because it's just not normal, everyone kind of does things for themselves here, like will open doors for themselves and etc, whereas in Canada that would be super rude. Also living in Hong Kong I've learnt to walk really quickly whereas in Canada I find people walk so SLOWLY, I went back this summer and I kept getting really angry at how slow people walked but then I realised that it's everyone's pace and I am just going quickly :P
thanks to this video i made sure to notice these things the next time i'm out. ppl always hold doors for me, and i automatically say thanks, and i always look behind me when i leave to make sure no one is behind me. i guess western etiquette is more considerate.
What do you two sound like in Korean? Do your Korean friends think you have an accent in Korean? Can you tell that English is your first language when you speak Korean? How about an example video of a native Korean speaker speaking English and a native English speaker speaking Korean that have the same amount of accent as an example?
i talk loudly when there is a place that is appropriate for noise... but... i talk slow when their is a place where my ajumma told me that is inappropriate to talk loudly in such silent place....
P.P.S. I was a member of a historic reenactment group for a long time. Holding the elbow was done during medieval times too in most European cultures: the garment SLEEVES would be in your way if you didn't, and would sometimes hide your hands, or get in your honored guest's food, etc, when you served them.. but the hand was UNDER the elbow, or to the inside, to hang onto the excess fabric! Wonder if that's where it came from in Asia--their hanbok sleeves have a lot of extra fabric too... hm.?
i have a habit of bowing to people, i talk quietly naturally, i do hold my elbow when i hand something to someone, but i don't know if i can't stop holding the door for people because with being a southerner being polite like that is engrained in my mind lol
The door opening thing always happens to me too. I think it's because I'm used to holding doors out for everyone in Canada, but in Korea when I open the door I feel like they are really uncomfortable from it
Yeah, as a Canadian, I do the door holding thing. When I went to Finland to study for a year, I've almost bumped into door expecting them to be held for me and they slam shut in my face. People also gave me the exam same look Simon talked about haha.
It's really awkward when I say thank you to people that are older to me (i'm a Korean-American) because i'm so used to bowing to people that I do it even to people that are non-Korean
I know..... my colleagues pointed out recently that I bow if I have for some reason disturb a meeting... They think it's weird, because here you just sit down without really apologizing.....
In Estonia we shake hands and bow our heads at the same time! Since we go to Asia and Europe and Canada and US this combo is a good thing to cover multipe cultures. PLUS it makes you more interesting....
I've always been drinking from stir straws.... and I'm generally pretty quiet. I picked up the bowing habit from my fiancé and my friends (who are Chinese).
Same experience, I've been watching korean dramas, variety for a few years and I've picked up some stuff too. At my job I'm usually at the register and to everyone that hands me their money, card, etc I touch my elbow or just my arm and kinda lower my head, the same when I hand someone their receipt, I cannot stop doing this. But whenever I get a korean customer they smile and do the same and I'm like yay I was polite! :D And a big one is saying "Yahh" cannot stop
I bow all the time at school just little nods, and people do question it (I'm in England, studying) but I just say it's me and it's to be polite. I don't stop, I keep the habit cause I like it
I say "mom i love you" to my mom and to my dogs i say things like "faster","come here"or "are you crazy" in Korean and i also bow but to strangers (especial when i have trainee in a hotel) and when shaking hands and i scream/say yah when angry or something else and i say Korean and also Japanese words to make non Asian interested people confused if they irritate me or look down on me or just simple make me angry
I totally understand the "stranger friendliness" that we have in North American and they don't have in Korea. The door opening thing happened to me too!
The straw supposedly prevents tooth staining.
Ohhhh!! I never realized!
I am like addicted to this channel, haha.
I've never been in Korea, but I started bowing when I say "thank you" to people because of Korean TV.shows and other japanese influences.
I know right, it's getting out of control...
lol, finally someone else admitted it ! it's so awkward tho when I do it :/
IKR!?
Ive noticed i do the nervous finger pointing thing when im in trouble or awkward.
I talk so low that people generally tell me to speak up. It's good to know that I won't be awkward. Finally.
You know you're Canadian when you're anxious about holding the doors XD:))))
Leah Truong I'm not Canadian, but I still get anxious about holding doors. I'll hold the door even when somebody is far away from me. It's just... I must. I have to.
Oh, I bowed when accepting my graduation diploma. It was soooooooooo awkward.
I did the same thing and didn't even realize until I watched the video the other day! 😓😂
Haha me too!
I've never been to Korea before, but I started bowing when I say "thank you" or "Sorry" Or meeting people for the first time due Korean TV.shows. I also Drink from the stir straws. Was I like born with the mind of a Korean. O.o
Same!! Haha
You're just a weaboo. Your profile picture enforces that too. Don't worry, I'm a weaboo living in Korea too :D Coffee Prince! Anime! Jae Joong! DBSK!
Jess Smiles KOREAN VERSION OF WEABOO!
+Ren The Moelester koreaboo lol
The "holding your arm" 'thing' comes from when they used to wear their ethnic clothes with the long flowing sleeves. So, you "hold back" the extra length to expedite things & that becomes part of the gesture [of politeness].
I'm 14 and watch ALOT of Korean Dramas, so much that i've learned a couple phrases and can tell when the subtitles fudge up.
sub: Alive?
Actual Korean: Sara?
There was also a time I ran into one of my teachers in a store. and kept awkwardly bowing every time they praised me for being such a good student. and when my teachers husband tried to shake my hand, i was confused and just kept bowing. my step-mom makes fun of me every time i do it XD
Thanks Korea.
I stayed in Japan for more than a month and got so used to bowing there, I came back home a few weeks ago and had to go to the hospital for a check-up like a day after I had arrived. As I was leaving, I thanked the doctor and subconsciously did a mini-bow, and then realized what I had done when she raised her eyebrows and awkwardly turned away lmao; I very quickly left after that happened.
I tend to bow when I say "thank you" and "sorry" now cuz of Kpop and watching too much Kdramas
Same cx
Chachi Young Same here, I also throw in Korean phrases sometimes too
I'm a Korean living in America and I just discovered your channel and literally watched 10 in a row! You guys are hilarious and I love how you've edited the videos! Thanks for the wonderful content :)
I love Simons humor
Wait...so you're not suppose to drink through the stirrer straws? Why the hell is it a straw then >.>
I always drink through it. If you do it like slurping hot ramen and breath it in quickly and just let it coat your mouth then it's not hot. I don't know why they didn't think of that since they love ramen.
They're hollow so companies save on plastic, not so they can be used as straws although you certainly could if you wanted to
That's funny because I live in an area in the United States where there is a large Korean community and the Korean students at my high school Are quiet in the classroom but when they are in the hall way they are pretty loud, maybe even louder than the rest of the students. It's weird bc they are shy with English when they have lived in America for a while and then boom they are speaking Korean pretty loud in the hallway. They sometimes even group up in the hallway and block the hallway. And sometimes they are talking in Korean and of someone walks by they start laughing and pointing in Korean. And I always feel they are judging other people
Yeah. They really do judge ppl. There was once I sat kinda two sits behind a bunch of 4-5 senior Koreans. They were talking in Koreans, and my friend and me in English. I knew they were judging me like I looked better in photos although I don't really know them. They love to speak Korean loudly, thinking that others don't understand Korean.
카카오토끄 that's really interesting! Thanks for sharing:)
MC They are Korean Americans. They might speak korean and know the culture because of family but they live in america and have most likely picked up American habits.
I've only been to Canada and Mexico--but I have a friend from Korea, I study Hangul and have been watching all kinds of programs--including you two...There was an elderly Chinese couple at my PT's office waiting for their interpreter. I was surprised myself when I just bowed and smiled without thinking! The lady's return smile was so delighted! A little courtesy goes a LONG way, eh? Thanks! ^-^
3:37 XD simon said "eh?"
I live in New York and everyone puts straws in their hot coffee. But we use regular straws. There are several reasons for this A it helps stop the coffee from spilling B It keeps your lipstick from messing up and C it helps cool the coffee before it gets to your mouth. STRAWS ARE AWESOME
Well Europeans think Amiercans/North Americans are very loud. But North Europeans think South Europeans are very loud. (And they are too lol)
It's my first video of you guys and it's hilarious and exactly what I was looking for as I was interested in everyday life in Korea. Good job!
the other day my dad complimentend me on something and i said thank you and sorta bowed
ive never lived in korea only canada but i basically only watch korean dramas so ya but im used to seeing bowing so i bowed
and then my dad looked at me funny same with other people in the room
😂
I love you guys so much.
Your personalities bounce off each other so well.
I'm not Korean or Japanese I'm not Asian but I do bow accidently sometimes because I've seen way to much anime and seen to many k and j dramas I'm in to deep some times I act like I'm Japanese and I don't notice it. People think I'm Asian because of it my friends think I act more Japanese/Korean than Japanese and Korean people
Haha I do too from having too many korean friends xD And I accidentally speak korean all of the time hahaha
I know, right? I've developed the habit that I would bow and put my hands together as if praying whenever I thank somebody. It's super odd :D
haha I did Taekwondo for like 9 years and I kept on having the habit of bowing when I entered like class rooms and stuff, (so many weird looks...) This was because Students of Taekwondo have to bow when entering the training room in Taekwondo....
I also bowed when accepting things from people :/ haha
Like I have stopped training for about a year now (Studying! yay! :/) But i still bowed when accepting my Certificate at my presentation evening at school..... I realised I did it and had to carefully cover it up but my family saw.... :/ haha
tazmoose22 Same here, especially since our Dojang was out school gym for many years
i always bow everytime i see a teacher and one time i called out sensang-nim and every time i say 'sorry' mianhae just comes out of my mouth.
"Eh!! This is what I think about your prices! Bada Boom Bada Bing!"
Canadian or New Yorker?
I have no clue why but I have always bowed. Like my parents used to ask me why I bowed all the time, like for anything, and I was like "what? You don't? Oh, weird...." So now I just now when I'm helping or have been helped by someone or saying hello and goodbye. In 18 years I haven't been able to break this habit. I wanna go to South Korea though so...I'm cool with it
I teach English in Japan and when I talk to my dad on skype he yells at me because I talk so slow....hahaha
You two are so funny. Is it weird I like to watch your show while eating?
Can yall make a video Speaking Korean lol =P
Ever since I have found out about Korean music, have started learning the language AND found out your guys' videos, I bow all the time to people! even if it's just a little bow with the head~ my family thinks it's unusual because I'm German/Italian/Canadian but my friends love it ^^
I've starting bowing just because due to watching waaaaaaaay too many dramas too lol
I teach English in Canada and I have had many Korean students. The first time one of them bowed to me I was very unsure of the proper way to react. Also had the same experience with holding doors open when I lived in Germany.
Slow speech is the curse of teachers. Being a rather fast speaker, this annoys me profusely... My mum wasn't always a teacher. I remember noticing that transition a few years after she started teaching. Now I live abroad, so whenever I come home I am in shock of how slowly she speaks.
Have things changed? Years ago, I was taught that the supporting hand is supposed to be under the outstretched hand which is receiving or handing out.
When shaking somebody\s hands, the other hand is placed in the vicinity of the upper tummy. I was told that making both hands visible to the other person is polite, showing good intentions and proving that you don't have a sword in your other hand,
about the drinking hot coffee with straw is that since Koreans love to keep their skin white, maybe they're trying to keep the teeth white too by slurping thru straws? I've not been to Korea for 15 years and they weren't drinking it like that at the time, but times have changed...
I think that regardless of what country they're from, everybody likes to keep their teeth white
I have developed many of these habits from learning and teaching Taekwondo, interacting a lot with our Korean interns, and learning Korean and about Korean culture on my own. The supporting hand thing, bowing, using Korean phrases, and speaking English slowly are all so normal now!
Also, because we still speak English most of the time, we use "sir" and "ma'am" constantly to convey the same level of respect as polite Korean sentence endings, so that's another habit I've developed...
Most of this stuff I have picked up doing just from being in korean communities in america lmao.
i found that even though i don't live in Korea, from watching Korean shows I've started bowing to people
I was always taught to bow when I see a person older than me and we make eye contact. I live in America and I'm Vietnamese
I get weird stares hah
When you live anywhere for a long time your habits change. My voice inflection changed while I studied abroad and I inverted my English sometimes, placing words into a Spanish sentence structure. . . . which was weird for people who didn't realize I had been abroad.
I'm Asian and my family seems to have super heat-resistant mouths, but I don't. In fact, I seem to be more heat-sensitive than almost everyone (including my non-Asian peers outside of my family). I tell people that my mouth is made of snow…
You guys are awesome:) And Martina, I'm Canadian born and bred and your regular talking speed is actually a little on the quick side! Sloowww doooowwwnnnn pullleeezzz~~
I was shocked when I found that they are married. I thought that he was gay :/
I had to smile at your talking with hand gestures and slowly talking because I have to do that with my boss who is Chinese. It drives my roommate crazy because it continues when I get home from work.
I always thought Koreans were loud because of the dramas I watch. They tend to be loud when they talk with an attitude or when they're annoyed. Guess what happens in dramas, stay in dramas...
I actually only find them really quiet on public transport (it is their sleeping time), but for the rest they are pretty damn loud =p
yes me too! some energetic characters in kdramas are practically screaming at times and im so unused to that, i would find it offensive .
I've been living in California for my entire life but I still bow when i say "thank you" to people.
hahaha as a Korean having been born in the States, gone to Korea, and back in the States, I identify with ALL of these habits :)
great video!
I lived in Central America for 4 years, about 3 of which I was an ESL teacher. There are a LOT of Korean textile factories there because of cheaper labor and weaker/unenforced labor laws. But they don't like handing over an ounce of management to locals, so they bring Koreans there to fill in supervisor and manager positions. In turn, their relatives would take advantage of having someone trusted in country closer to the USA, and send their teenagers over to take English classes. So at least 95% of my students were Korean (either working there, kids of workers, or relatives kids sent to study).
I'm grew up in the country side to begin with, and it's just a common habit to nod your head as a greeting or to say thanks. So it wasn't hard to slip me into the habit of a very slight bow as a greeting or gesture of appreciation, as it was only a little more movement than the gesture I grew up with.
However, when I moved back to the USA, I didn't move back to the country side. I live in a suburb between 3 smallish cities. People here give me odd looks when I do that, but even when I only do the head nod. At least older people nod back, or interpret the slight bow as a nod and do the same XD
The bowing habit is so easy to pick up as it feels very natural along with a thank you, I picked it up in Japan and never lost it.
I was just at an H-mart food court yesterday, and the cashier handed me my receipt while holding her elbow, and I was like "...it's that thing. SIMON AND MARTINA WERE RIGHT!"
I'm a Vietnamese girl but I live in Germany. Sometimes when I'm walking on a street, some strangers greet me and I automatically bow slightly and go on( I also do that when someone thanks me). When Vietnamese people greet me I always bow first and then greet them, but I only bow to people older than me or when they're the same age. Not to younger ones... except they are bowing first!
OMG THE "I Live in Korea Dance" that made me laugh SOOO much! You should've kept that.
Wow, Fantastic baby!
I've been learning korean for a short time now. I plan on moving there when i get the money, and thanks to you guys i know what to do before i get there thank you for all your awesome videos ^_^
The hand on your elbow gesture is something I do from being in Tae Kwon Do, which is a Korean martial art... I get why we do this now.
Emily Peterson I was gonna comment the exact same thing, but yeah I had wondered if it was a Korean mannerism
"HEY! They hired a foreigner to hold the door open for everybody!" LMAO!!! too funny...
I went to Japan for a month last summer and when I got back I bowed and spoke slowly to everyone. I still bow sometimes when meeting new people... it's awkward.
It's becoming a habit with me--and I like it too! LOL It acknowledges the other person politely without necessarily interrupting where you are headed...
The door thing is only because you did it at the wrong place, at the wrong time. In a public setting, it is disrespectful to hold the door for someone because it is considered that you are taking a "pity of disability" on that person. However, in most business or close encounter settings, it is considered polite to open the door up for someone.
My mom does that with the coffee. My tongue is still astound.....and burnt.
And i guess after watching so many dramas & whatnot, I keep bowing to everybody. I'm Vietnamese....
I visited S.Korea last year with my Korean wife & our baby daughter. This tiny country just next door to Japan left me an indelible impression that the country is massive with many hidden gems to see in almost every corner of the country. The grandeur of modern architecture,high tech infrastructures (especially the subways were unlike Toronto's backward TTC) clean public washrooms were awesome. But they ignored me whenever I said "Shil-le-heh-doh-dwe-get-supnika?"(Execuse me?) for direction.
Ive never been to korea and yet i always give a small bow or head duck when im thanking someone or when some one thanks me.
The door thing is so true! Not many held the door open for me when I tried to go through with a stroller ( my daughter was born in Korea). There were a mix of old and young who were really helpful. So I guess it just depends.
I started to watch your show and I LOVE it!!
I'm American through and through and I always drank my scalding hot black coffee through a stirr straw. I always felt like the smaller straw would reduce the amount of hot coffee being swallowed at once.
I totally understand the whole speaking slowly and hand gestures thing! I spent 6 weeks working with students that came to Canada for an international summer program. (There were Korean kids for 3 weeks!~) By the end of the program, both the teachers and the other volunteers were gesturing not only to the kids, but to each other too xD
I remember having dinner with my friend's family once and she is Mexican and Japanese mix, her mom is Japanese and by the time my mom came to pick me up, I thanked her family bowing, which was an accident and I'm Salvadorian x3
You guys are awesome! I really laughed so hard at your other video- ketchup bottle...original...lol!
I hosted a Japanese student and we had to talk super slow and clear when she was with us. Even after she left I had the habit of talking really slow. People started looking at me like I was crazy.
YES! I'm glad I'm not the only one whose picked up habits from watching so much Korean stuff! My friend and I now bow to everyone we meet, or when we hold the door open for people. It's really funny to see their reactions! Another habit my friend and I picked up is when we're annoyed or angry we actually curse in Korean... which with great luck so far no one has been able to understand us...
I didn't even realize I hold the door open for people but thinking about it now it's just a normal and polite thing to do. If someone doesn't hold the door and you're a couple steps behind them you think they're rude or in a hurry or something. Wow.
regarding holding the door. I went to Macau about 2 years ago. Whether I was entering or exiting a place. I would hold the door for my family members and anyone else as courtesy. People do not thank you for it or take over holding the door for their own family and friends. They rush out like omg its open! So after a few times. I decided not to hold the door for any strangers, but one guy actually tried to slip through the door as it was closing and had the door hit him.
im british and been living in france for 2 years now and OH MY GOD THE SLOW TALKING is soooo true
5:56 - 6:08 was like a Gilmore Girls episode! Holy wow, I bow down to you Martina, goddess of rapidspeech!
also, this was a GREAT tldr question. aaalso, the holding the door open part was hilarious.
i still live in America, but after watching SO many variety shows, kdramas, etc; i wasnt aware of it but i bowed to a waitress when i left an Ihop. she held the door for me and said thank you, and i bowed... it was when i stood up that i had realized what i done. (it was a quick head-nod bow, not the deep bow).
tldr is my favorite program ^^ ♥
and martina looks SUPER pretty in this vid ^0^
you should wear your eye makup like that all the time
you eyes looked amazing ♥♥
I don't live in Korea but I do watch a lot of korean stuff and I find myself bowing to people.
I've been living abroad from Canada for 4 years, 2 years in India and 2 years in Hong Kong, and it's true you really do start speaking slower and take to the mannerisms of the different places. Like here I'm not as polite as I am in Canada because it's just not normal, everyone kind of does things for themselves here, like will open doors for themselves and etc, whereas in Canada that would be super rude. Also living in Hong Kong I've learnt to walk really quickly whereas in Canada I find people walk so SLOWLY, I went back this summer and I kept getting really angry at how slow people walked but then I realised that it's everyone's pace and I am just going quickly :P
thanks to this video i made sure to notice these things the next time i'm out. ppl always hold doors for me, and i automatically say thanks, and i always look behind me when i leave to make sure no one is behind me. i guess western etiquette is more considerate.
What do you two sound like in Korean? Do your Korean friends think you have an accent in Korean? Can you tell that English is your first language when you speak Korean? How about an example video of a native Korean speaker speaking English and a native English speaker speaking Korean that have the same amount of accent as an example?
I seem to laugh out loud at every one of your videos. You guys are talented funny
i talk loudly when there is a place that is appropriate for noise... but... i talk slow when their is a place where my ajumma told me that is inappropriate to talk loudly in such silent place....
That rap at 6:11, my Mom used to sing that ALL THE TIME! I should go ask and see if she still knows it...
P.P.S.
I was a member of a historic reenactment group for a long time. Holding the elbow was done during medieval times too in most European cultures: the garment SLEEVES would be in your way if you didn't, and would sometimes hide your hands, or get in your honored guest's food, etc, when you served them.. but the hand was UNDER the elbow, or to the inside, to hang onto the excess fabric! Wonder if that's where it came from in Asia--their hanbok sleeves have a lot of extra fabric too... hm.?
i have a habit of bowing to people, i talk quietly naturally, i do hold my elbow when i hand something to someone, but i don't know if i can't stop holding the door for people because with being a southerner being polite like that is engrained in my mind lol
The door opening thing always happens to me too. I think it's because I'm used to holding doors out for everyone in Canada, but in Korea when I open the door I feel like they are really uncomfortable from it
Yeah, as a Canadian, I do the door holding thing. When I went to Finland to study for a year, I've almost bumped into door expecting them to be held for me and they slam shut in my face. People also gave me the exam same look Simon talked about haha.
It's really awkward when I say thank you to people that are older to me (i'm a Korean-American) because i'm so used to bowing to people that I do it even to people that are non-Korean
I might be visiting Korea over spring break! maybe I'll see you guys!
3:38 Their Canadian side shows! "Sometimes eh?" So cute!!
New York is an exception. I know someone from New York (i'm from California btw) and she said the way people act is just really different.
I know..... my colleagues pointed out recently that I bow if I have for some reason disturb a meeting... They think it's weird, because here you just sit down without really apologizing.....
You two are SOOOOOO adorable!!! Love you guys!!!
In Estonia we shake hands and bow our heads at the same time! Since we go to Asia and Europe and Canada and US this combo is a good thing to cover multipe cultures. PLUS it makes you more interesting....
I've always been drinking from stir straws.... and I'm generally pretty quiet. I picked up the bowing habit from my fiancé and my friends (who are Chinese).
Same experience, I've been watching korean dramas, variety for a few years and I've picked up some stuff too. At my job I'm usually at the register and to everyone that hands me their money, card, etc I touch my elbow or just my arm and kinda lower my head, the same when I hand someone their receipt, I cannot stop doing this. But whenever I get a korean customer they smile and do the same and I'm like yay I was polite! :D And a big one is saying "Yahh" cannot stop
I bow all the time at school just little nods, and people do question it (I'm in England, studying) but I just say it's me and it's to be polite. I don't stop, I keep the habit cause I like it
I say "mom i love you" to my mom and to my dogs i say things like "faster","come here"or "are you crazy" in Korean and i also bow but to strangers (especial when i have trainee in a hotel) and when shaking hands and i scream/say yah when angry or something else and i say Korean and also Japanese words to make non Asian interested people confused if they irritate me or look down on me or just simple make me angry
I totally understand the "stranger friendliness" that we have in North American and they don't have in Korea. The door opening thing happened to me too!
LORD OF THE RINGS MARATHON?! Martina, that just made my day xD Haha, I love this lol