Heidy and the Seniority Culture
Koreans are very sensitive to age. Whenever I get introduced to Koreans, the first thing they ask is my age rather than my name. Because when someone is older than me, I have to use "jondaemal" (formal language) since it is a sign of respect. In Filipino ways, it is like using po and opo.
By definition graduate students like me are higher than undergrad students but unfortunately, I am younger than the two undergrad students in our laboratory. I call them unni and oppa "ate and kuya" because they are a year older than me but they feel weird having a grad student call an undergrad a senior. Because by degree, I'm the senior one.
Honestly, if I were in the Philippines, it bloody doesn't matter.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not a rude person. I pay respect to older people like my professors, ahjushis, ahjummas and whenever age matters when it should. But the seniority culture rubs me off the wrong way when merit issue comes in. Sometimes I wonder.. Does this country put a person's skills, knowledge and experience behind just because someone is older than him? Because with this issue, I believe age is just a number.
Just putting my two cents worth.
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