Third Officer at Fleet Management Limited (2018–present )6y
I am a seafarer. I am currently working on board a tanker vessel which carries petroleum products. The vessel's crew is composed of 22 people coming from three nationalities: Indian, Filipino and Koreans.
I wouldn’t point out what is already obvious differences between Filipinos and Koreans (such as language) but I'd like to write here the differences in culture I have noticed in the five months I have sailed on this ship.
- Seniority. In Korean culture, you are expected to show politeness to those who are older than you or higher in rank. They will talk down on you and use words like “Ya!” when calling your attention. I frequently heard this word and tried using it when calling my second officer once (I am an additional third officer on board this ship). It was that time I understood that it is an impolite word and should only be used by older people talking to younger ones. In Filipino culture, respect is not solely dependent on age or rank. You are expected to respect the elders, but the elders aren't expected to be rude when talking to you. Being younger in Korea also means you will be ordered around by elders. There was an instance, the Korean third officer on board was having a discussion with a Filipino able-bodied seaman (non-officer) about how hard it must have been for the Filipino AB being the youngest AB on board. Apparently, the Korean officer thought the other AB's who are older than this guy must have been passing most of the jobs to this guy. The Filipino AB told him that is not the case in Filipino culture.
- Getting drunk. When Filipinos drink alcoholic beverages, we usually do so while singing on karaoke. I would not dare say Koreans do not do this, too, but simply put, Filipinos are better singers. Haha! Another thing is if you are invited for a drink by your seniors in Korea it is difficult to refuse the offer as it would be viewed impolite.
- Religion. Although Korea is a country where the major religions of the world coexist peacefully, most Koreans do not have any religion. Out of six Koreans on board this ship, only one says he has a religion and attends church services. Philippines, while being the only Catholic nation in Asia, is also home to other religions like Islam and other Christian denominations. Filipinos are known to be religious people, too religious sometimes.
- Food. In food culture, there are many differences between Korean and Filipino foods. Korea's most famous dish is kimchi which I have started to love on board this vessel. Filipino food is largely influenced by Western cuisine, being under Spanish rule for more than 300 years, as well as Chinese cuisines. As I have noticed, most Filipino dishes have a sweet taste to it.
Well, there goes my two cents.
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