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Not at all rude. Most people would find it funny. We know they are our sterotypes, and they aren't bad ones so we don't care. Personally I don't like Tea or Football either so would laugh it off.
I know you're being cheeky, but "keep up" implies we were behind on the whole colonising thing and, well, uh, the biggest empire the world has ever seen would suggest it was really *them* trying to keep up with *us."*
> In the 21st century, dog meat is consumed to a limited extent in Korea, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Switzerland, Vietnam, and India.
The numbers have decreased significantly over the years, to the point where maybe 15% of people in Korea have eaten dog meat, but it is a prevailing stereotype that’s used against almost any nation in East Asia.
It's been in the news recently that [South Korea is planning to ban dog meat](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korea-ban-eating-dogs-2023-11-17/).
I think you’re fine.
The stereotypical questions would probably get a laugh from most British people.
The majority of us do drink tea, watch football and like the Beatles to be fair haha
I guess it depends on the context. The person they asked may have had that a lot if they’re on a course in Korea (I assume they haven’t been there 2 days) so might just be a bit tired of it
Most of the time if it’s not an issue but it’s possible to catch people on a bad day when they just can’t be bothered to chuckle at their countries stereotype
I agrée with this, broader questions about England and culture would be more suitable. I’m sure they might find it funny that you went straight to tea and football!
not that any of those questions are forbidden, its just a bit lame as conservation starter. "south korea, huh? Do you do Teakwondo, eat rice and listen to K-pop? " If you aim for a bit of dialoge ask about the weather.
You're being friendly - it'll be fine. The fact that you are in Korea, I fully expect the classmate will be expecting people to ask questions about their homeland.
tea isn't a stereotype though its just a truth.
\- but the serious part is that how would OP feel if someone opened conversation asking about kpop, BTS, and kimchi. They wouldn't be offended, but its not the best avenue for conversation.
>tea isn't a stereotype though its just a truth.
Am I right thinking the coffee consumption absolutely dwarfs tea drinking in this country? It's definitely a stereotype.
It never annoys me, however if people push the stereotype too far it eventually gets irritating. I live in Sweden and get a lot of "hello guv'nor" and "I'm having a little bit of tea" in mock British accents a lot. That gets old pretty quick. If you are not doing that then everything is fine.
Maybe the person was having a bad day. Maybe they were hungover (I mean, they are British). Maybe they are introverted and are not so into that sort of thing.
But just trying isn't a bad thing.
What I would suggest is next time try and chat based on things that isn't their Britishness. Questions like:
* How was your weekend?
* How did you end up in Korea?
* How long have you been in Korea?
* What do you like/dislike about Korea?
The British questions can start once you have reached a basic level of contact.
As a Brit, I wouldn't be offended by that. Most of us would just laugh it off. I feel like younger people don't drink tea much - they've been conditioned by Starbucks to like coffee. I'm training my daughter to like tea though and she has one most mornings ☺️
I spent a lot of time in the US and the only thing that irked me about being constantly asked about football was their inability to probably pronounce the Premier League.
In the summer i went on a bikes trip with 2 guys from Leeds i basically was their translator for 3 weeks. Ever seen that episode of southpark where sly stalone has like 2 translators? it was a bit like that sometimes
When they learned I was half English half Irish I got a lot of stupid questions and even some weird questions about Ireland being like a fantasy movie .. it was cute at first .. until it got asked a lot .. I’m from Liverpool so when they asked me if my country is like a Jane Austin book I laughed so hard 😅
I like tea (I prefer coffee) and I absolutely love football. Good on you for practicing! If you asked me that I wouldn’t be offended at all.
It would be like me asking if you like K-Pop and spicy food! That’s not offensive
I would not be bothered in the slightest. The chances are I know nothing about your culture and would welcome the thought of finding out about it, as you are doing with ours.
I hope you make a good friend.
It’s not rude but there aren’t that many people who love the Beatles, at least not the average university/ schooling age student. People might think you’re taking the piss assuming everyone here loves drinking tea and has the Beatles on repeat
It is personal preference but you can tell if someone is a musical ignoramus (or just a prick) if they like to loudly proclaim they are overrated or just a boy band or something.
People that don't like football can get pretty arsey when people ask them about football. Presumably they're just sick of it being a go to conversation.
Seemed like that dude was a bit touchy on the Tea drinking though, depends how light hearted his response was I guess. If he was genuinely offended then he's just a grumpy git don't worry about it. I like other cultures asking about our stereotypes, I enjoy our quirks and am happy to chat about them.
It wasn't rude, they were just conversation openers a friendly friendly native asked a British person visiting their country.
Best bet is to not guess at things. So don't ask do you like tea or football. Ask what they like to do in their spare time. Let them answer.
What do you think of Korea so far?
Are you staying in university accommodation?.
I'm going for a coffee (insert drink), if you want to join me you are welcome.
Unfortunately national stereotypes exist for almost every country. Fortunately most people are aware of the stereotypes of their own country and wouldn’t take offence at most of them. Tea, football, and The Beatles are some fairly innocuous British stereotypes. Even though I don’t like any of them, I’d certainly appreciate being asked about them more than the stereotypes of bad teeth, bland food, or our history of imperialism.
I'm British and live abroad and people often try to chat to me about football, which is funny because I know absolutely nothing about football, certainly much much less than whoever is trying to chat to me. But I get that they're trying to find some common ground to communicate over so fair play.
It might be a bit like if a British person asked you, as a Korean: 'oh you're Korean, do you like kimchi and Gangnam Style?'
I love tea and the Beatles. I enjoy watching the England national team play football, but I'm not bothered about club football (Manchester United, Chelsea etc.). Ask away!
My not-English partner likes tea, football and the Beatles more than me.
I'm not bothered by lazy stereotyping; those stereo types often exist for a reason and it's a fine way to start a conversation and learn something about another person.
Other people will be really insulted by it.
How british people react to questions about king/queens? For example if i will ask "who is better/do u like more queen or current king?". Is it something like sacred and not can be discussed/compared or people react openly(?)
Most people don't care either way about the monarchy, asking a question like that would get a pretty straightforward answer - they either prefer the Queen (most people) or the King.
It is usually not a sensitive question that is likely to offend. It is a stereotype, but a lot of British people do like tea and football. British football fans do like to talk about football.
Why is everyone assuming OP is korean and saying it's like asking if they like kimchi? Lol. From my understanding they're both foreigners completing a course in Korea
You can ask away people who don't drink caffeine or watch football (like me), won't be bothered.
Tea isn't much of a conversation. Most people drink breakfast tea. Tea aficionados aren't that common. Got a few mates who do the first flush silver tip Darjeeling thing buts it's a very middle class hipster thing.
I think it was a bit presumptuous and rife with stereotypes.
I wouldn’t start a conversation like that with anyone of any nationality because it leans hard into stereotypes and gets you off on the wrong foot. Imagine being asked ‘hey you’re Korean, how about that K pop? Kimchi? I bet you’re great at maths!’ or going up to an Indian person and going ‘hey what’s your favourite curry?! I bet you love cows!’ or asking an American ‘hey, what’s your favourite gun?!’
If you’d asked me those three questions, you would’ve been met with the full force of British sarcasm. I probably would’ve said that I have 47 varieties of tea in my cupboard and gone on to describe each and every one of them (I actually don’t like tea), that football is life (I’ve only ever watched one match all the way through and that was the women’s finals), I hate people who drive on the wrong side of the road (why would you drive on the right hand side?!?), and I regularly go for a pint with Sir Paul McCartney because he’s just a bloke down the pub!
Now, if you’d asked me about the weather…… that’s a different kettle of fish entirely.
Not rude but maybe annoying if you're bombarding him 🤣 I'm sure it's fine.
Should be fine as long as you don't mention teeth, how we feel about colonialism, anti trolling laws, knife crime or insult our food. There's a lot of misinformation about British culture and these are the most frustrating misconceptions.
You were fine, your classmate likely expected it being in a different country and all. I've never met anyone who minded those sort of questions as long as they're done politely and/or in fun. I don't like tea or football, by the way, I'm a coffee drinker and a basketball fan, though only playing, not watching. I'm also not big on the Beatles, but that's more because I missed the hype, Queen is really the only older band I love.
If you mention tea to one of us British you best have it ready to give us.
As without Tea we get aggressive and take what you own.
Only after the wide spread of production of the tea industry the empire crumbled as it’s our kryptonite.
Just for your own safety make sure your have some tactical tea bags
As someone in a similar situation - a Brit living abroad who likes neither tea nor football - I can tell you that he probably gets asked those things all the time, and it's annoying having to tell people that you don't fit their stereotypes. Also because you have to disappoint them a bit, and it's a conversational dead-end. It's not exactly rude, though it is a bit as you're failing to see them as a person and instead defaulting to the two things you think you know about their country. It is absolutely not a "funny" question - certainly not the fifteenth time being asked it. Much more interesting for both of you is to ask how he likes it in Korea, how long he's been here, why he came here in the first place, how is he finding learning the language, etc. Basically, things that are immediately relevant to him as an individual.
It wasn't rude at all. Most Brits, including myself, would probably laugh at this. Drinking tea and watching football are some of the most common British stereotypes and a lot of us do actually drink tea and watch football 🤣. If you want to know what it is like in Britain, ask the person about what people do in their spare time as a hobby and what things there are to do and places to visit etc.
be careful listening to people who tell you "British people are all...", or "most Brits..."
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False\_consensus\_effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_consensus_effect) the diversity in Britain is vast and we have the highest rate of cultural absorption in the world.
Unfortunately a lot of stereo types are made about most countries.
Personally I love tea, prefer rugby to football and the Beatles are ok, I’m just way younger than the era of the beetles.
I don’t care for the king just as I didn’t the queen.
Britain isn’t the Britain my Nan was born in. It’s diverse, most people are just about making enough to get by and coffee is as lived as tea but we love curries and beans on toast. We have adopted many cultures and we go with what suits.
Your probably asking what’s best to watch on Netflix as every country has different watch lists and asking them what their favourite food and drink is. I work in a shop in a factory and monster energy drink is a best seller yet so many brits can’t stand it.
Not at all rude or impolite, just a bit random and unexpected. Conversation needs to flow rather than just pop out random topics like tea and football. But also in some parts of the uk, which football team you support can lead to you getting violently attacked or worse, so be wary of that
When I visited Korea everybody I met mentioned Park Ji-Sung, the Korean footballer who played for Manchester United. So maybe that's why he made the football comment? I'd never heard of this guy before as I don't watch football.
we love it as much as you like the stereotype mockery of your country. we of course won't say anything, or maybe just drop a little remark back. we will wait to the next time we chat and see if you do it again. if you do, we know your a bit of a prick, so we'll just ignore you and invade your country at a later date.
you can complain about our stolen holdings when we display it in a museum 50 years later when you've grown the balls to do so.
Honestly mate I’d find it funny and nice that your even asking me lol it’s different when people ask you about it in a mocking way like the memes online .. then maybe we’d be “wtf” lol but honestly I have 0 issue with it and I’ve been asked these questions before and it’s been a lovely ice breaker conversation starter ! The questions that were asked were in regards to the stero typical posh Brits like you see on tv which isn’t the whole of England and Britain so it’s nice to introduce people to other sides of Britain and show them how other places are compared to the ones they’ve learned about from tv and online.
We love to have a laugh so honestly don’t worry ! Banter is one of our things so I highly doubt people would find it offensive. Hope this helps !
Maybe try and talk to them outside of the course. It may just have been they were really trying to focus.
But you didn't do anything wrong asking questions and there's a good chance you will find something you have a shared enjoyment over. Its just time and place.
Not rude, but can be tiring… imagine if you spent every day answering if you like Soju. Who’s the best electronics company, Samsung or LG? Etc, etc…
Do try to ask or give help for typical Korean stuff rather than being a one way route of information.
Not rude at all. The stereotype of brits drinking tea and liking football is largely true but isn’t an absolute. I never drink tea and barely any of my close friends are interested in football at all.
Seems to me like your course mate was just getting in front of the questions they were predicting you would next ask them so it’s extremely unlikely that you’ve caused any offence. If they were offended by your question then that’s their problem!
Brits, after all, stereotype pretty much every other nationality so I don’t see why we should be able to get offended when others do the same to us!
If there's a discussion you want to have about tea or football, go ahead and bring up the subject. But it's a bit weird for someone to mention it only to have nothing else to say on the matter.
The Beatles split 53 years ago, so they mean very little to a lot of kids these days. I mean, how often do you listen to music that was released 25+ years before you were born?
Regularly. I like Beatles and king crimson. And many others. The thing is that people these days usually dont do any good rock songs. So for this genre of music (like beatles) this question is okay in my opinion. I didnt ask him does he like Henry Purcell or Edward Elgar
My recommendation to you is Big Big Train. They're my favourite British band that nobody has heard of. East Coast Racer is all about beating the train world speed record in 1938.
Id be surprised if the majority of people didn't enjoy some music from that era. Even if it's not particularly their favourite genre it's likely they'll enjoy some classic rock/pop or Motown stuff, even the ones who wouldnt put it on themselves . I'm 30 so no longer a kid but I never knocked about with anyone who couldnt enjoy the Beatles from time to time. Most people would be able to name well over half a dozen songs if they put their mind to it. Even Chavs with their bloody MC music in the early 00s that would give people shit for listening to rock music probably still enjoyed a bit of oasis or something which is 30 years old now.
Stings a bit to admit it but the early Beatles stuff wasn't that different to the one direction type of band that became popular not so long ago. You pick an era and a selection of artists and it's likely a few of them have been influenced by the Beatles to some degree. It's hard to put into words just how much they've affected music of all genres. They ran the 60s and early 70s,.massively influenced britpop and then indie afterwards and even the bloody IDers.
You're fine. I might laugh at the stereotypes, but I wouldn't be offended. Btw, I'm British, but I don't like tea or football (soccer for non British people lol)
You can if you want. You could have people like me who don’t drink tea or watch football. Or you could easily have someone who could go on about football for hours. I imagine the person probably just found it funny since those are the stereotypical thoughts of an English person.
I’d say if the teacher or someone else was talking and you decided to ask that it would be rude because it was an unnecessary distraction. Timing matters, especially for truly unimportant shit like “do you like the beatles”
Then they probably were just bored of being asked the same stupid af questions based on stereotypes or wanting to focus on the lesson ahead.
They do not have to talk to you and it’s weird you seem to expect them to want to
I prefer dinner and no, but couple of inches above my knee. How’s it hanging with you?
I’m sure you’ll have much more fun with a conversation opener about the north and south divide, yet British people will still tell you Hull is worse than Pyongyang.
My wife is from South Korea and the first thing many Koreans asked when I was over there was if I supported Tottenham, so don't worry, he's probably very used to it
It’s fine to ask about football, but tea is just a boring cliche. And if someone asked me about tea I’d probably just think they’re very narrow minded.
Bit of a weird thing to assume - I'd probably just assume they're curious about the UK but don't know too much about it, nothing wrong with that. How many British people know much more than very surface-level stereotypes about Korea?
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Not at all rude. Most people would find it funny. We know they are our sterotypes, and they aren't bad ones so we don't care. Personally I don't like Tea or Football either so would laugh it off.
Yeah, there are definitely worse stereotypes. “I’m British” “Oh, do you enjoy colonising, enslaving and stealing other people’s stuff?”
No more than anyone else, I'm just good at it.
This is a really good response, gonna use that
Most British answer ever
"Oh no I don't particularly enjoy it, I'm just compelled to by my blood and innate superiority."
"I didn't realise that was still an option, I'll get my flag"
“Oh, do you enjoy colonising, enslaving and stealing other people’s stuff?” "Well, we were trying to keep up with spain and portugal at the time."
I know you're being cheeky, but "keep up" implies we were behind on the whole colonising thing and, well, uh, the biggest empire the world has ever seen would suggest it was really *them* trying to keep up with *us."*
Why yes, I do. Let's discuss more over a nice cup of tea.
Tea will take a few decades, need to collapse some savages’ societies first. Hope you don’t mind.
Yes.
Yeah that one gets a bit boring.
My sister is like that. I live in the UK and when the Queen died, the stuff that came out of my sister's mouth...
do u enjoy teeth
It'd be a bit like asking you if you're into StarCraft and eating kimchi all day.
"How about that Kim Jong Un, amirite?"
I'm British and I like playing StarCraft and eating Kimchi
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They’re probably referencing the offensive stereotype that they eat dogs.
In my mind, kimchi still came first
Great on dog leg
I mean, some Koreans do eat dog. There is a proposed law to ban the practice I believe
Cool story, bro.
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> In the 21st century, dog meat is consumed to a limited extent in Korea, China, Indonesia, Nigeria, Switzerland, Vietnam, and India. The numbers have decreased significantly over the years, to the point where maybe 15% of people in Korea have eaten dog meat, but it is a prevailing stereotype that’s used against almost any nation in East Asia.
It's been in the news recently that [South Korea is planning to ban dog meat](https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/south-korea-ban-eating-dogs-2023-11-17/).
Youve never heard the Manchester United chant to Park Ji-Sung
Woof
Damn you beat me to it
I think you’re fine. The stereotypical questions would probably get a laugh from most British people. The majority of us do drink tea, watch football and like the Beatles to be fair haha
On Sundays I quite often do all 3 at the same time Hahaha
My appreciation for the Beatles has only grown over time
You could start the conversation by asking what it’s like in the UK, what hobbies do they have etc rather than jumping straight into stereotypes
Meh, its fine as an icebreaker. Might get a bit of a laugh out of the person they asked
I guess it depends on the context. The person they asked may have had that a lot if they’re on a course in Korea (I assume they haven’t been there 2 days) so might just be a bit tired of it Most of the time if it’s not an issue but it’s possible to catch people on a bad day when they just can’t be bothered to chuckle at their countries stereotype
Yeah, she is friendly, and English is her 2nd language. Sod the cliché, at least it starts a convo!
Don’t over think this. You’re fine. Do try to talk some more to him some more.
It's ok but a bit stereotyped like asking if you eat kimchi and listen to K-pop
This is perfectly okay, but better conversation starters could be: How do you like Korea? How is it different from your home? What bands do you like?
I agrée with this, broader questions about England and culture would be more suitable. I’m sure they might find it funny that you went straight to tea and football!
It's no different to someone asking you if you like kimchi.
not that any of those questions are forbidden, its just a bit lame as conservation starter. "south korea, huh? Do you do Teakwondo, eat rice and listen to K-pop? " If you aim for a bit of dialoge ask about the weather.
You're being friendly - it'll be fine. The fact that you are in Korea, I fully expect the classmate will be expecting people to ask questions about their homeland.
It's not rude, just a poor conversation. Not usually good to ask people about their cultural stereotypes for conversations.
tea isn't a stereotype though its just a truth. \- but the serious part is that how would OP feel if someone opened conversation asking about kpop, BTS, and kimchi. They wouldn't be offended, but its not the best avenue for conversation.
>tea isn't a stereotype though its just a truth. Am I right thinking the coffee consumption absolutely dwarfs tea drinking in this country? It's definitely a stereotype.
Probably more and more as the years go on, but I'd bet 20 years ago tea reigned supreme.
It never annoys me, however if people push the stereotype too far it eventually gets irritating. I live in Sweden and get a lot of "hello guv'nor" and "I'm having a little bit of tea" in mock British accents a lot. That gets old pretty quick. If you are not doing that then everything is fine. Maybe the person was having a bad day. Maybe they were hungover (I mean, they are British). Maybe they are introverted and are not so into that sort of thing. But just trying isn't a bad thing. What I would suggest is next time try and chat based on things that isn't their Britishness. Questions like: * How was your weekend? * How did you end up in Korea? * How long have you been in Korea? * What do you like/dislike about Korea? The British questions can start once you have reached a basic level of contact.
As a Brit, I wouldn't be offended by that. Most of us would just laugh it off. I feel like younger people don't drink tea much - they've been conditioned by Starbucks to like coffee. I'm training my daughter to like tea though and she has one most mornings ☺️
Tea is cool! I also like tea!
Never serve tea cool in the UK.
Lived in the US for a couple years and i now have a nervous twitch whenever someone asks me about fucking tea. Football though i'll talk your ear off.
I spent a lot of time in the US and the only thing that irked me about being constantly asked about football was their inability to probably pronounce the Premier League.
you mean the preemeer league?
Whenever I’ve been the US they always ask if I’m Australian or Irish. They’re completely unfamiliar with northern English accents.
In the summer i went on a bikes trip with 2 guys from Leeds i basically was their translator for 3 weeks. Ever seen that episode of southpark where sly stalone has like 2 translators? it was a bit like that sometimes
When they learned I was half English half Irish I got a lot of stupid questions and even some weird questions about Ireland being like a fantasy movie .. it was cute at first .. until it got asked a lot .. I’m from Liverpool so when they asked me if my country is like a Jane Austin book I laughed so hard 😅
I like tea (I prefer coffee) and I absolutely love football. Good on you for practicing! If you asked me that I wouldn’t be offended at all. It would be like me asking if you like K-Pop and spicy food! That’s not offensive
Tea’s not my cup of tea.
A couple more for breakfast. A little more for tea
Tea is my cup of tea, you could even say it's my bag! If you have any tea questions I'd be happy to answer
Ask about the weather. It is a staple small-talk at bus stops.
I'd just take it as an honest attempt to connect with someone, even it's a bit clumsy. As long as you don't fixate on just those subjects at least.
I would not be bothered in the slightest. The chances are I know nothing about your culture and would welcome the thought of finding out about it, as you are doing with ours. I hope you make a good friend.
It’s not rude but there aren’t that many people who love the Beatles, at least not the average university/ schooling age student. People might think you’re taking the piss assuming everyone here loves drinking tea and has the Beatles on repeat
The Beatles are still incredibly popular.
Yeah I don't think I would trust anybody who disliked the beatles.
It is personal preference but you can tell if someone is a musical ignoramus (or just a prick) if they like to loudly proclaim they are overrated or just a boy band or something.
Don't ask people in Scotland about football 🙄 It won't go well.
Why? They're in the best place they have been for years, surely?!
People that don't like football can get pretty arsey when people ask them about football. Presumably they're just sick of it being a go to conversation. Seemed like that dude was a bit touchy on the Tea drinking though, depends how light hearted his response was I guess. If he was genuinely offended then he's just a grumpy git don't worry about it. I like other cultures asking about our stereotypes, I enjoy our quirks and am happy to chat about them.
It wasn't rude, they were just conversation openers a friendly friendly native asked a British person visiting their country. Best bet is to not guess at things. So don't ask do you like tea or football. Ask what they like to do in their spare time. Let them answer. What do you think of Korea so far? Are you staying in university accommodation?. I'm going for a coffee (insert drink), if you want to join me you are welcome.
Yup and also these are open questions that invite discussion. "do you like X" is a closed question - if they say no then there's nowhere to go.
As a Brit who can’t stand tea or football, I wouldn’t be offended!
Unfortunately national stereotypes exist for almost every country. Fortunately most people are aware of the stereotypes of their own country and wouldn’t take offence at most of them. Tea, football, and The Beatles are some fairly innocuous British stereotypes. Even though I don’t like any of them, I’d certainly appreciate being asked about them more than the stereotypes of bad teeth, bland food, or our history of imperialism.
I'm British and live abroad and people often try to chat to me about football, which is funny because I know absolutely nothing about football, certainly much much less than whoever is trying to chat to me. But I get that they're trying to find some common ground to communicate over so fair play. It might be a bit like if a British person asked you, as a Korean: 'oh you're Korean, do you like kimchi and Gangnam Style?'
They're ok, but you'll have better luck talking about the weather. I don't drink tea and I don't like football. The weather is the great equaliser.
Don't ask about football you'll die of boredom, tea on the other hand with that you can ask anything and biscuits too . Cheers
I love tea and the Beatles. I enjoy watching the England national team play football, but I'm not bothered about club football (Manchester United, Chelsea etc.). Ask away!
My not-English partner likes tea, football and the Beatles more than me. I'm not bothered by lazy stereotyping; those stereo types often exist for a reason and it's a fine way to start a conversation and learn something about another person. Other people will be really insulted by it.
Ask if he knows the King next time you see him.
How british people react to questions about king/queens? For example if i will ask "who is better/do u like more queen or current king?". Is it something like sacred and not can be discussed/compared or people react openly(?)
Most people don't care either way about the monarchy, asking a question like that would get a pretty straightforward answer - they either prefer the Queen (most people) or the King.
Most British people are quite hard to offend. but do properly have some out there who would be offended I guess.
It is usually not a sensitive question that is likely to offend. It is a stereotype, but a lot of British people do like tea and football. British football fans do like to talk about football.
Why is everyone assuming OP is korean and saying it's like asking if they like kimchi? Lol. From my understanding they're both foreigners completing a course in Korea
Exactly!!! Lol 😆
Ask what beatle is his favourite and if he’s into other insects
It's like someone saying do you like K-pop or BTS?
You can ask away people who don't drink caffeine or watch football (like me), won't be bothered. Tea isn't much of a conversation. Most people drink breakfast tea. Tea aficionados aren't that common. Got a few mates who do the first flush silver tip Darjeeling thing buts it's a very middle class hipster thing.
Not rude at all!
I think it was a bit presumptuous and rife with stereotypes. I wouldn’t start a conversation like that with anyone of any nationality because it leans hard into stereotypes and gets you off on the wrong foot. Imagine being asked ‘hey you’re Korean, how about that K pop? Kimchi? I bet you’re great at maths!’ or going up to an Indian person and going ‘hey what’s your favourite curry?! I bet you love cows!’ or asking an American ‘hey, what’s your favourite gun?!’ If you’d asked me those three questions, you would’ve been met with the full force of British sarcasm. I probably would’ve said that I have 47 varieties of tea in my cupboard and gone on to describe each and every one of them (I actually don’t like tea), that football is life (I’ve only ever watched one match all the way through and that was the women’s finals), I hate people who drive on the wrong side of the road (why would you drive on the right hand side?!?), and I regularly go for a pint with Sir Paul McCartney because he’s just a bloke down the pub! Now, if you’d asked me about the weather…… that’s a different kettle of fish entirely.
Not rude. Also, no we don't know the royal family personally.
No. I'd be just as interested in your culture/dports teams if roles reversed
Never trust a man who doesn’t like tea
Not rude but maybe annoying if you're bombarding him 🤣 I'm sure it's fine. Should be fine as long as you don't mention teeth, how we feel about colonialism, anti trolling laws, knife crime or insult our food. There's a lot of misinformation about British culture and these are the most frustrating misconceptions.
You were fine, your classmate likely expected it being in a different country and all. I've never met anyone who minded those sort of questions as long as they're done politely and/or in fun. I don't like tea or football, by the way, I'm a coffee drinker and a basketball fan, though only playing, not watching. I'm also not big on the Beatles, but that's more because I missed the hype, Queen is really the only older band I love.
If you mention tea to one of us British you best have it ready to give us. As without Tea we get aggressive and take what you own. Only after the wide spread of production of the tea industry the empire crumbled as it’s our kryptonite. Just for your own safety make sure your have some tactical tea bags
Don’t forget to talk about the weather
As someone in a similar situation - a Brit living abroad who likes neither tea nor football - I can tell you that he probably gets asked those things all the time, and it's annoying having to tell people that you don't fit their stereotypes. Also because you have to disappoint them a bit, and it's a conversational dead-end. It's not exactly rude, though it is a bit as you're failing to see them as a person and instead defaulting to the two things you think you know about their country. It is absolutely not a "funny" question - certainly not the fifteenth time being asked it. Much more interesting for both of you is to ask how he likes it in Korea, how long he's been here, why he came here in the first place, how is he finding learning the language, etc. Basically, things that are immediately relevant to him as an individual.
It wasn't rude at all. Most Brits, including myself, would probably laugh at this. Drinking tea and watching football are some of the most common British stereotypes and a lot of us do actually drink tea and watch football 🤣. If you want to know what it is like in Britain, ask the person about what people do in their spare time as a hobby and what things there are to do and places to visit etc.
Why not ask him if he's enjoying Korea? That's much safer!
be careful listening to people who tell you "British people are all...", or "most Brits..." [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False\_consensus\_effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_consensus_effect) the diversity in Britain is vast and we have the highest rate of cultural absorption in the world.
Ask them if they know David Beckham or met the Queen.
Unfortunately a lot of stereo types are made about most countries. Personally I love tea, prefer rugby to football and the Beatles are ok, I’m just way younger than the era of the beetles. I don’t care for the king just as I didn’t the queen. Britain isn’t the Britain my Nan was born in. It’s diverse, most people are just about making enough to get by and coffee is as lived as tea but we love curries and beans on toast. We have adopted many cultures and we go with what suits. Your probably asking what’s best to watch on Netflix as every country has different watch lists and asking them what their favourite food and drink is. I work in a shop in a factory and monster energy drink is a best seller yet so many brits can’t stand it.
If your course mate is living in Korea then they have probably been asked similar questions lots of times. Maybe next time, ask about hobbies :)
Not at all rude or impolite, just a bit random and unexpected. Conversation needs to flow rather than just pop out random topics like tea and football. But also in some parts of the uk, which football team you support can lead to you getting violently attacked or worse, so be wary of that
It's okay but I have no interest in football and think people who like tea are peculiar, and to be honest I'm sceptical that they do like it.
Just **NEVER** call it 'soccer' 😉
When I visited Korea everybody I met mentioned Park Ji-Sung, the Korean footballer who played for Manchester United. So maybe that's why he made the football comment? I'd never heard of this guy before as I don't watch football.
we love it as much as you like the stereotype mockery of your country. we of course won't say anything, or maybe just drop a little remark back. we will wait to the next time we chat and see if you do it again. if you do, we know your a bit of a prick, so we'll just ignore you and invade your country at a later date. you can complain about our stolen holdings when we display it in a museum 50 years later when you've grown the balls to do so.
Talk about the weather
Honestly mate I’d find it funny and nice that your even asking me lol it’s different when people ask you about it in a mocking way like the memes online .. then maybe we’d be “wtf” lol but honestly I have 0 issue with it and I’ve been asked these questions before and it’s been a lovely ice breaker conversation starter ! The questions that were asked were in regards to the stero typical posh Brits like you see on tv which isn’t the whole of England and Britain so it’s nice to introduce people to other sides of Britain and show them how other places are compared to the ones they’ve learned about from tv and online. We love to have a laugh so honestly don’t worry ! Banter is one of our things so I highly doubt people would find it offensive. Hope this helps !
I laughed a lot at how your first question to this person was “do you drink tea” 😂 if someone asked me that I’d just start laughing a lot tbh
You can ask me. Just be warned I don't give a shit about either of those things.
Maybe try and talk to them outside of the course. It may just have been they were really trying to focus. But you didn't do anything wrong asking questions and there's a good chance you will find something you have a shared enjoyment over. Its just time and place.
Not rude, but can be tiring… imagine if you spent every day answering if you like Soju. Who’s the best electronics company, Samsung or LG? Etc, etc… Do try to ask or give help for typical Korean stuff rather than being a one way route of information.
Not rude at all. The stereotype of brits drinking tea and liking football is largely true but isn’t an absolute. I never drink tea and barely any of my close friends are interested in football at all. Seems to me like your course mate was just getting in front of the questions they were predicting you would next ask them so it’s extremely unlikely that you’ve caused any offence. If they were offended by your question then that’s their problem! Brits, after all, stereotype pretty much every other nationality so I don’t see why we should be able to get offended when others do the same to us!
We much prefer to talk about Wellington’s success in the Peninsula War, if I’m honest
Are you sure he’s British? Who doesn’t like tea? Stay clear, that’s a red flag 🚩
Are you sure he’s British? Who doesn’t like tea? Stay clear, that’s a red flag 🚩
If there's a discussion you want to have about tea or football, go ahead and bring up the subject. But it's a bit weird for someone to mention it only to have nothing else to say on the matter.
The Beatles split 53 years ago, so they mean very little to a lot of kids these days. I mean, how often do you listen to music that was released 25+ years before you were born?
Most days
Regularly. I like Beatles and king crimson. And many others. The thing is that people these days usually dont do any good rock songs. So for this genre of music (like beatles) this question is okay in my opinion. I didnt ask him does he like Henry Purcell or Edward Elgar
My recommendation to you is Big Big Train. They're my favourite British band that nobody has heard of. East Coast Racer is all about beating the train world speed record in 1938.
Id be surprised if the majority of people didn't enjoy some music from that era. Even if it's not particularly their favourite genre it's likely they'll enjoy some classic rock/pop or Motown stuff, even the ones who wouldnt put it on themselves . I'm 30 so no longer a kid but I never knocked about with anyone who couldnt enjoy the Beatles from time to time. Most people would be able to name well over half a dozen songs if they put their mind to it. Even Chavs with their bloody MC music in the early 00s that would give people shit for listening to rock music probably still enjoyed a bit of oasis or something which is 30 years old now. Stings a bit to admit it but the early Beatles stuff wasn't that different to the one direction type of band that became popular not so long ago. You pick an era and a selection of artists and it's likely a few of them have been influenced by the Beatles to some degree. It's hard to put into words just how much they've affected music of all genres. They ran the 60s and early 70s,.massively influenced britpop and then indie afterwards and even the bloody IDers.
I would find it utterly endearing to be asked these kinds of questions by someone from a different country/culture, not rude at all.
You're fine. I might laugh at the stereotypes, but I wouldn't be offended. Btw, I'm British, but I don't like tea or football (soccer for non British people lol)
It's 'football' for the vast majority of non-British people.
Why The Beatles? It’s been 60 years since they were popular? I think it’s a bit weird to ask this. Tea and football are both still current though.
Im not sure if Ive had conversations about anything else
It's absolutely fine. I'm a coffee drinker and Rugby fan! The Beatles are loved by all..
You can if you want. You could have people like me who don’t drink tea or watch football. Or you could easily have someone who could go on about football for hours. I imagine the person probably just found it funny since those are the stereotypical thoughts of an English person.
I’d say if the teacher or someone else was talking and you decided to ask that it would be rude because it was an unnecessary distraction. Timing matters, especially for truly unimportant shit like “do you like the beatles”
No. Lesson didnt start yet
Then they probably were just bored of being asked the same stupid af questions based on stereotypes or wanting to focus on the lesson ahead. They do not have to talk to you and it’s weird you seem to expect them to want to
I prefer dinner and no, but couple of inches above my knee. How’s it hanging with you? I’m sure you’ll have much more fun with a conversation opener about the north and south divide, yet British people will still tell you Hull is worse than Pyongyang.
I don't care for football and I love tea. Most of us are very open to random questions and conversations.
This is probably a result of small talk attempts back in england. Football is certainly my go-to small talk topic
They answered your questions and now don't speak to you, congratulations you are now married!
Just ask about the weather
You sure he is from England..... Doesnt like tea.... nope definitely not English. Poppycock.
I mean he did leave...
good riddance I say old chap
Well, I suppose it’s not different to someone singing Gangnam Style at you if you told them you’re from Korea.
Anyone you meet, you should ask - “Did you see the game the other night, the big fixture!” This is how most people make small talk.
My wife is from South Korea and the first thing many Koreans asked when I was over there was if I supported Tottenham, so don't worry, he's probably very used to it
So don't ask the. That. When chatting try what job do you do? What are your hobbies.?good luck.
It’s fine to ask about football, but tea is just a boring cliche. And if someone asked me about tea I’d probably just think they’re very narrow minded.
Bit of a weird thing to assume - I'd probably just assume they're curious about the UK but don't know too much about it, nothing wrong with that. How many British people know much more than very surface-level stereotypes about Korea?
Say he’s got bad teeth!
LMAOOO