Language Barriers

OK...so since you are going to getting only my side of the story, I will try to be as unbiased as I can.

I went out tonight with my American co-worker and 2 Korean friends. We had a damn good day. Had lunch, went for coffee, then went for dinner, then went for pool. So this Korean girl, Eva, is one of my students and I consider her a friend.

So we are playing pool and the girl decides to cheat. So I said "ohh....kesekhee!" which I had been told meant son of a bitch. I said it half laughing and wasn't looking at her...I just meant it in the way we would say "son of a bitch" when something doesn't go our way. It wasn't a planned thing to say either, it just kinda slipped out.

Well the girl...who I am friends with...gets BEYOND offended by this. I mean...she is realllllllly pissed off. I guess that in Korea that word is pretty offensive...but really... shouldn't she cut me some slack? I am an American and I have no idea what that really means. I understand that different cultures find different things offensive, but I guess I had hoped in a situation like that I would be given the benefit of the doubt. I mean...we are friends, right? Don't you usually let things like that slide at least the first time?

I mean shoot...this is a country where I get told on a daily basis that I am fat and unhealthy and need to lose weight. I hear shit like "religious people are better than non-religious people" and am told I need to start going to church despite the fact that I am pretty committed to being agnostic and don't really see a place where church would fit in to my life. Also...this place has bars that literally are called "Hitler Bar" and shit like that. I don't get offended because I realize they don't know any better when it comes to my culture...so how about the same kind of tolerance?

Isn't part of being a friend realizing that maybe...just maybe...if I say something offensive...I didn't mean it...especially when I AM NOT FUCKING KOREAN.

The whole situation has put me in a pretty foul mood so far has ruined my weekend.

331 days....331 more fucking days.