Working with Koreans

Working with koreans is fun but exhausting, boring but exciting, yet also challenging, if that confused you it's ok because honestly I am also confused.
One year has passed since I joined in this great company, and I enjoyed working here every day beginning that Wednesday afternoon of 05May2011 wherein a seriously lost looking korean man interviewed me in that cold meeting room inside the building under construction. I remember him softly saying "Please speak slowly, I cannot understand." Ahhh sorry sir! I immediately liked him. About 10minutes of interrogations, he went out and returned back with another lost looking older korean man, when he smiled his eyes disappeared and he said, "ok you need to start tomorrow." Really, I thought Wow! Koreans are quick decision makers! 

Fast forward to May 2012. The lost looking man is now my boss (and the lost looking older man was the big boss!) Actually after a year I also feel lost at work because here, you just follow orders, "call this, write this, prepare this, do this and that"...as simple as that. Maybe that is the reason why I became a little bit idle. 

All koreans in our company are very polite, or so I thought until yesterday, a new pujangni swore at me. He gave me an instruction a week ago and i failed to do it, so today he got angry up to the point of swearing: "ssshhhit!".... I was shocked. I wanted to strangle him to death upon hearing the bad word spoken at me. I thought all the koreans staff here in our beloved company are cool clever guys.
Well perhaps an occasional 'variation' can remind my heart that humans are a mix of good and bad.

At the end it is fun working in a korean company. The environment is happy. We get to eat free snacks many times. They like giving gifts! (click here) .Koreans speaks very softly, no one shouts at mistakes. When sometimes I did something wrong my bosses taught me to correct it. All are focused & intent to meet deadlines. The managers are all worthy of respect, they are all 'silently wise'.

It is exhausting because it feels like the martial law period in the Philippines during the time when Pres. Marcos dictated everything.

It is boring because before I joined here I am used to shouting at suppliers and being shouted at by project engineers everyday, that is how we solved problems. But here, every problem is worked out calmly and quickly.

It is challenging because we need to improve continuously, to finish more work faster and more efficiently. Also in the job site, it's a challenge, to know how to deal with the construction people, they're always on fire.

Okey...I feel better now. Eventually we will graduate from our companies and move on to another place so let's enjoy each unique experience, because maybe it wont be long when we'll start missing it.