RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

Yeah. I have to agree - there's an alarming percentage of terrible drivers here. Not to mention people on bikes and motorcycles wearing with earbuds in so they can't hear what's going on around them. And people on their phones while they're driving - ugh.

I'm pretty certain I've transported this to the correct thread, B Farrell, haha.

So my main co-teacher has decided she hates me now, for some reason, and I cannot figure out why.  As far as I know, Monday last week everything was fine;  then I got sick that night with food poisoning so I ended up taking Tuesday off and when I came back Wednesday, everything had changed.

~I wasn't aware of anything wrong at first until Thursday during lunch hour, when I went to brush my teeth in the teacher's bathroom.

~Friday, the next day, I'm usually at my secondary school but I had received a message from my co-teacher at the secondary school that I wouldn't be needed there, so I was at my main school on Friday deskwarming and getting lessons done.

~Yesterday during a class with her, I was having problems with the students and I made the mistake of accidentally saying her name without adding 'teacher' at the end (I honestly make this mistake with my other cts, not just her, but the others usually let it go.

-Today I'm not even in the office for 10 mins in the morning when she calls my name (WITHOUT adding 'teacher' at the end, may I add?)

I'm not even hurt or anything that she doesn't like me (I honestly couldn't care less about it) but it's the random suddenness of it all. I literally was helping her decided which jacket/vest looked best on her two weeks ago and now she hates my guts and is undermining me in front of our students every-which-way. She's been teaching for like 25 years and apparently has a reputation from all of her schools about getting into fights and arguments with all of the teachers and I truly have been waiting for my day to come cause she's done this with the other teachers in department, but this is just ridiculous. I really can't wait for school to end in 6 weeks. I'm over this woman.

CO2 you are a gem!

Thank you!

Yeah. I have to agree - there's an alarming percentage of terrible drivers here. Not to mention people on bikes and motorcycles wearing with earbuds in so they can't hear what's going on around them. And people on their phones while they're driving - ugh.

How did the f*** did all those folks pass their driving test?
Does the Korean driving test not teach how to drive safely and considerately. Or do Koreans just bottle their assholery attitude until they pass the test?

Yeah. I have to agree - there's an alarming percentage of terrible drivers here. Not to mention people on bikes and motorcycles wearing with earbuds in so they can't hear what's going on around them. And people on their phones while they're driving - ugh.

How did the f*** did all those folks pass their driving test?
Does the Korean driving test not teach how to drive safely and considerately. Or do Koreans just bottle their assholery attitude until they pass the test?

I mean, there are plenty of terrible drivers in other countries who also somehow managed to pass a driving test. I think it's more down to the fact that when there's an instructor watching them making sure they do the right thing, they're basically competent drivers, but then as soon as they start driving on their own and feel like nobody is there to tell them off if they do something wrong, they just drive however they want.

And seriously. There are so many awful drivers here.

a mixture of "because f everyone else but me" and the tinted windows, so nobody can see them

having said that, most people can't seem to walk nomrally in this country either, so i dunno

"because f everyone else but me"

I really don't understand this. Can someone explain it to me from a cultural perspective, please? If a country as divided and culturally fragmented as South Africa can produce (mostly) civil drivers - then how in the hell does a perfectly homogenous country like Korea get it so very wrong? Surely it's easier to empathise with people you basically share an identity with?

1) South Korea is overcrowded in terms of population density and arable land. High density tends to affect how people treat other people. In rural Korea you might have similar problems but usually since it's just another person and in a small town, it might be someone you know, you're more likely to not get upset and more likely to think "Oh they must have made an innocent mistake" rather than assuming the worst motives.
2) The lack of high school driver education is a serious problem. Experience is the number one factor for road safety. They really should have a dedicated driving class in high school.
3) Street design incorporating meandering roads, weird intersections, designs that were overtaken by growth and unexpected business, etc.
4) An incredibly distracting cityscape and landscape. I remember one time I almost blew through a traffic light  because the damn thing literally blended into the 5-story, 50 sign building at the angle behind it.
5) Because of historical factors, the populace is reluctant to empower a strict police force that would rigidly enforce laws. Korea, while not total anarchy on the roads, is about as high as you will get in the developed world short of Eastern Europe. You get a maximal freedom result. At the same time you aren't getting police forces using traffic laws to bilk the citizens out of money or pulling you over and extorting bribes. Or dragging random people out of claws and clubbing them for "marijuana".

1) South Korea is overcrowded in terms of population density and arable land. High density tends to affect how people treat other people. In rural Korea you might have similar problems but usually since it's just another person and in a small town, it might be someone you know, you're more likely to not get upset and more likely to think "Oh they must have made an innocent mistake" rather than assuming the worst motives.
2) The lack of high school driver education is a serious problem. Experience is the number one factor for road safety. They really should have a dedicated driving class in high school.
3) Street design incorporating meandering roads, weird intersections, designs that were overtaken by growth and unexpected business, etc.
4) An incredibly distracting cityscape and landscape. I remember one time I almost blew through a traffic light  because the damn thing literally blended into the 5-story, 50 sign building at the angle behind it.
5) Because of historical factors, the populace is reluctant to empower a strict police force that would rigidly enforce laws. Korea, while not total anarchy on the roads, is about as high as you will get in the developed world short of Eastern Europe. You get a maximal freedom result. At the same time you aren't getting police forces using traffic laws to bilk the citizens out of money or pulling you over and extorting bribes. Or dragging random people out of claws and clubbing them for "marijuana".

Thanks. Your reasons are all valid in their own right - but none of them really explain why you would hit the accelerator to deliberately cut off someone attempting to merge into your lane. Like, where is the self awareness in that? If I did that to someone, I'd literally feel like a piece of shit. The guilt would be extreme.

People do it in purpose though. People intentionally block both sides of the escalator, purposely shoulder check you, purposely cut in front of you in line, purposely smoke where there are no smoking signs, purposely drive through red lights, purposely don't stop at zebra crossings, purposely stand in front of the subway doors, purposely walk in a chain of 4 people so nobody can walk around them...

People do it in purpose though. People intentionally block both sides of the escalator, purposely shoulder check you, purposely cut in front of you in line, purposely smoke where there are no smoking signs, purposely drive through red lights, purposely don't stop at zebra crossings, purposely stand in front of the subway doors, purposely walk in a chain of 4 people so nobody can walk around them...

No.

But you thinking it is done on purpose ignites your rage.

They are OBLIVIOUS. They don't care. They don't think about it. It doesn't matter the slightest to them. ... i just shake my head at it.... no need to get angry...

People do it in purpose though. People intentionally block both sides of the escalator, purposely shoulder check you, purposely cut in front of you in line, purposely smoke where there are no smoking signs, purposely drive through red lights, purposely don't stop at zebra crossings, purposely stand in front of the subway doors, purposely walk in a chain of 4 people so nobody can walk around them...

No.

But you thinking it is done on purpose ignites your rage.

They are OBLIVIOUS. They don't care. They don't think about it. It doesn't matter the slightest to them. ... i just shake my head at it.... no need to get angry...

^ this.

People do it in purpose though. People intentionally block both sides of the escalator, purposely shoulder check you, purposely cut in front of you in line, purposely smoke where there are no smoking signs, purposely drive through red lights, purposely don't stop at zebra crossings, purposely stand in front of the subway doors, purposely walk in a chain of 4 people so nobody can walk around them...

No.

But you thinking it is done on purpose ignites your rage.

They are OBLIVIOUS. They don't care. They don't think about it. It doesn't matter the slightest to them. ... i just shake my head at it.... no need to get angry...

bollocks. half the time people are looking directly at you and still refuse to do most of the things i listed

it's just like on the subway when peple pretend to sleep or pretend to be engrossed on their phone, so they don't have to get up and give their seat to someone who needs it more. they aren't oblivious, they're just pretending to be

People do it in purpose though. People intentionally block both sides of the escalator, purposely shoulder check you, purposely cut in front of you in line, purposely smoke where there are no smoking signs, purposely drive through red lights, purposely don't stop at zebra crossings, purposely stand in front of the subway doors, purposely walk in a chain of 4 people so nobody can walk around them...

No.

But you thinking it is done on purpose ignites your rage.

They are OBLIVIOUS. They don't care. They don't think about it. It doesn't matter the slightest to them. ... i just shake my head at it.... no need to get angry...

bollocks. half the time people are looking directly at you and still refuse to do most of the things i listed

it's just like on the subway when peple pretend to sleep or pretend to be engrossed on their phone, so they don't have to get up and give their seat to someone who needs it more. they aren't oblivious, they're just pretending to be

Some of what you say is true, especially pretend sleeping on the subway.  But some of the rest I disagree: people don't *purposely* smoke where there is a No Smoking sign--they smoked there for years, and then someone came along and put up a sign.  I've lived in Seoul for 10+ years and I've never seen a vehicle plow through a zebra crossing when there were pedestrians nearby.  The motorcycle delivery guys on the sidewalk, however--that is a menace.

people don't *purposely* smoke where there is a No Smoking sign--they smoked there for years, and then someone came along and put up a sign. 

right. so they purposely smoke next to a no smoking sign

people don't *purposely* smoke where there is a No Smoking sign--they smoked there for years, and then someone came along and put up a sign. 

right. so they purposely smoke next to a no smoking sign

No, the whole point of your post is suggesting they go looking for a No Smoking sign to smoke next to. 

no it's not. my point is that they smoke next to smoking signs even though they know the signs are there. just like people stand on the walking side of the escalator when they know people are behind them and want to walk up, or go through a red light when they know they should stop, or drive their motorbike on the pavement, etc, etc

but it all comes down to the fact they know they can get away with it. nobody calls them out on their shitty behaviour, and they know they aren't going to get a ticket for smoking in the wrong place or driving on the pavement

A) Trying to upload docs to the Recruiting website. Gyeonggi doesn't use Microsoft anymore, just HanWord. So my docs for GEPIK forms, nor the Recommendation letters will upload. Jesus.

B) My principal had me write MY OWN recommendation letter and then she signed it. So............. I sent her the HanWord doc, she added "Sincerely XYZ" and then sent it back. She typed her name.

I'm thinking I need a little more than that........ people are gonna think I wrote the bloody thing if it just has her name typed at the end (never mind the fact that I did actually write it, that's not the point hahahaha .

C) And then I get asked, "Well, what school am I putting on here? Hmmmmmmmmmmm, none? I could become a plumber, it's still good to have whoever hires me in the future to see the letter and think "Alright, decent chap. Does his work well."

We go through recruiters, there's no point in asking for a super specific one, anyway.

JUST GIVE ME THE BLOODY LETTERRERRRRRRR

I love writing my own recommendation letters. If the person green-lights it, you're then free to do whatever.  I once wrote the recommendation, added an official letterhead, and even signed it for an employer who couldn't be arsed to scan a copy of their signature and send it back via email. So long as they know what you're doing on their behalf, it's all good.

   Also, a small suggestion:
   Go to your school's website and find the school logo. Copy and paste the tastefully faded image (which you can do in Word by playing with brightness and contrast values) at the top of your LoR. This makes it look nice and official without actually requiring the school's permission to use their official letterhead seal (which is a big deal here in Korea, apparently).

B) My principal had me write MY OWN recommendation letter and then she signed it. So............. I sent her the HanWord doc, she added "Sincerely XYZ" and then sent it back. She typed her name.

To whom it may concern

I heartily recommend CO2 for a job at your company/school.  If only for the awesome sight of seeing how he can drink a whole bottle of tabasco sauce and not even flinch.  We have on many occasions sat down with a bottle of mackeolleee (which he chose, he knows the quality ones) and a bunch of shit-hot food.  I asked 'do you like spicy?'  He just laughed at me and ordered the donnggaass with the spicy sauce on top.  He ate the donnggaasss and snorted the spicy sauce on top.  I flipped, seriously.  The guy is a legend.  Please hire him.

Sincerely,

Principal

no it's not. my point is that they smoke next to smoking signs even though they know the signs are there. just like people stand on the walking side of the escalator when they know people are behind them and want to walk up, or go through a red light when they know they should stop, or drive their motorbike on the pavement, etc, etc

but it all comes down to the fact they know they can get away with it. nobody calls them out on their shitty behaviour, and they know they aren't going to get a ticket for smoking in the wrong place or driving on the pavement

1) As far as smoking, the perception that smoking is being overlegislated influences smokers to not respect those boundaries. When you put no-smoking signs EVERYWHERE, including where smokers used to congregate, you're going to get people who just say "eff it" to what is seen as a nuisance law by them. That and chemical addiction leads to lawbreaking behavior.

Also, not all of those non-smoking signs are actually that enforceable. "Hello Police, there is someone next to the GS25 in Wherever-dong who is smoking next to the no smoking sign. Please send someone immediately." WTF do you want them to do? Immediately dispatch a squad car to deal with someone who will likely be gone by the time they get there? Demand that the cops dust the area for prints and take in butts to have them DNA tested down at the crime lab? Have a cop on permanent duty by the spot? A lot of cops themselves are smokers and they probably see some of the smoking regulations as about as ridiculous as Prohibition.

Finally, if you look at the areas where it IS a big deal not to smoke, like the designated streets in certain neighborhoods, people are pretty good about NOT smoking there.

2) For every person I see that blocks the escalator, there are like, hundreds that let things flow. And as someone who lives near a heavily-foreigner populated subway station, it's not just Koreans who do it.