RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

Coronavirus shuts down nearly 340 schools in S. Korea
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20200203000896

Meanwhile, my boss is allowing kids to drink after themselves, does not enforce hand washing and has no sanitizer in the school......

Colleges delay spring semester on coronavirus fears
https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2020/02/119_282913.html

I'll be so ****** pissed off if they close schools at the beginning of the new semester. I only get paid if I actually work :(

Elementary third grade comes into class, all wearing those useless unfitted paper masks -- except the one dirtiest kid. And the teacher has her mask down over her nose for the whole class, so there's zero purpose for her to be wearing it at all, besides for show. Meanwhile, all during class the kids keep touching their faces and adjusting those stupid masks. CT says nothing, so I repeatedly warn the students, patiently but firmly, in Korean, to stop touching their faces; that's how they spread the germs. So, just as all the western health professionals on the news have warned, the ill-fitting masks are actually more dangerous than no mask.

After class, CT tells me we're having 회식 next week to say goodbye to the teachers who are leaving this year. I ask, "Isn't that dangerous right now?" We're pretty close to the most recently reported coronavirus case (who was allowed to wander around for weeks, showing symptoms, before someone had the ****** sense to test her). CT asks me, "If we have dinner, you don't want to come?" I said, "I think it's dangerous right now for everyone to share plates. Don't you think so?" She said, "Anyway, we'll talk about it."

I want to stay at this school. I'm happy here. But after 5 years in Korea, if this is what gets me shitcanned, then so be it.

if this is what gets me shitcanned, then so be it.

You think you'll get fired for missing a 회식?

You think you'll get fired for missing a 회식?

I don't think I will... but it's not so much about missing it as defying the groupthink. CT seemed pretty taken aback that I'd speak frankly about how maybe the idea of everyone eating off the same plates is dangerous in this particular month.

I'm not squeamish. I like Korean food, and I've gone along with plenty of school dinners when half the faculty had nasty colds. But this exact kind of foolishness -- hysteria plus blithely bad decisions that contradict the hysteria -- burns my bacon pretty bad.

Elementary third grade comes into class, all wearing those useless unfitted paper masks -- except the one dirtiest kid. And the teacher has her mask down over her nose for the whole class, so there's zero purpose for her to be wearing it at all, besides for show. Meanwhile, all during class the kids keep touching their faces and adjusting those stupid masks. CT says nothing, so I repeatedly warn the students, patiently but firmly, in Korean, to stop touching their faces; that's how they spread the germs. So, just as all the western health professionals on the news have warned, the ill-fitting masks are actually more dangerous than no mask.

After class, CT tells me we're having 회식 next week to say goodbye to the teachers who are leaving this year. I ask, "Isn't that dangerous right now?" We're pretty close to the most recently reported coronavirus case (who was allowed to wander around for weeks, showing symptoms, before someone had the ****** sense to test her). CT asks me, "If we have dinner, you don't want to come?" I said, "I think it's dangerous right now for everyone to share plates. Don't you think so?" She said, "Anyway, we'll talk about it."

I want to stay at this school. I'm happy here. But after 5 years in Korea, if this is what gets me shitcanned, then so be it.

Honestly, I would grab something and eat before the dinner, and then just have a few drinks at dinner. maybe even before everyone starts dipping their chopsticks in, put a few side dishes on your plate and wait for the rice (usually in individual bowls) to come and then have a bit more. Or just don't go on about the virus, just tell them you have a pre-arranged plan and that you will see if you can change it, then get back to her the next day and tell her that it can't be changed.

Honestly, I would grab something and eat before the dinner, and then just have a few drinks at dinner. maybe even before everyone starts dipping their chopsticks in, put a few side dishes on your plate and wait for the rice (usually in individual bowls) to come and then have a bit more. Or just don't go on about the virus, just tell them you have a pre-arranged plan and that you will see if you can change it, then get back to her the next day and tell her that it can't be changed.

Yeah, I already raised the specific objection but I suppose it would be culturally consistent if I changed my objection to having a previous engagement -- fooling no one, but saving whoever's face.

tbh, though, I don't even trust restaurant cooks to put rice in the little rice bowls in a sanitary fashion. I've had too many kimbap nara cooks blow on my hot soup for me, been in too many restaurants with no soap on the filthy restroom sink, seen too many seollongtang cooks drop glass noodles in my soup by hand. Normally I shrug off all but the most flagrant hygiene issues. In five years I've rarely been seriously sick here. But in a week when teachers are scrubbing their door handles between classes, I'm finding it really hard to go along with the unhygienic foolishness.

Elementary third grade comes into class, all wearing those useless unfitted paper masks -- except the one dirtiest kid. And the teacher has her mask down over her nose for the whole class, so there's zero purpose for her to be wearing it at all, besides for show. Meanwhile, all during class the kids keep touching their faces and adjusting those stupid masks. CT says nothing, so I repeatedly warn the students, patiently but firmly, in Korean, to stop touching their faces; that's how they spread the germs. So, just as all the western health professionals on the news have warned, the ill-fitting masks are actually more dangerous than no mask.

After class, CT tells me we're having 회식 next week to say goodbye to the teachers who are leaving this year. I ask, "Isn't that dangerous right now?" We're pretty close to the most recently reported coronavirus case (who was allowed to wander around for weeks, showing symptoms, before someone had the ****** sense to test her). CT asks me, "If we have dinner, you don't want to come?" I said, "I think it's dangerous right now for everyone to share plates. Don't you think so?" She said, "Anyway, we'll talk about it."

I want to stay at this school. I'm happy here. But after 5 years in Korea, if this is what gets me shitcanned, then so be it.

1) As far as masks go they are A) Just as effective as covering your mouth with your hand B) Western health professionals have said that N95 masks, which I'm assuming some of them are, DO protect against droplets, but they aren't full-proof. C) This is more for their mother's peace of mind (a phenomenon that happens worldwide)
2) As far as face-touching, dude, you're talking to elementary aged children. Telling them not to touch their faces might as well be like telling them not to breathe. FFS, another example of how some people here just don't understand kids.
3) As others have said, it's not an outbreak in Korea. "I'm freaked out to share plates with my coworkers, so I'll skip the company dinner to go out for pizza and wings and a basket of fries with my friends and we'll get drunk and cheers each other and then try and hook up with a random stranger."

seen too many seollongtang cooks drop glass noodles in my soup by hand

They dropped food by hand into boiling water? OMG 

why's the waygook admin on a power trip lately? anyone else's posts keep getting removed?

seen too many seollongtang cooks drop glass noodles in my soup by hand.

That's.................. .. cooking. You just described cooking around the world, in every culture and every price of restaurant.

The absolute best thing you could do is a gait analysis. I've been to different doctors in Korea with no luck, they seem pretty crap at diagnosing sports related injuries. A gait analysis would have you walking and running on a treadmill, with sensors hooked up to your joints, and a professional analysing your walking and running form. This was how I discovered my issue. Sadly, I haven't had luck finding anywhere in Korea that does a gait analysis, I did mine in California.

Did the Gait analysis when I was back home and it was interesting and also really nice to speak to someone for 50 or so minutes about what he found and how to remedy it.  He thought my gait was good for someone my age (42) and nothing hugely to worry about.  My right foot 'collapses a bit' while walking and he recommended a few exercises to strengthen some muscles (said my hamstrings are tight) and to also work on my core strength.  He didn't give me innersoles as he thought I didn't quite need them at this phase but more to do with him possibly giving me innersoles and me wearing them, coming back to Korea, and then not being able to remedy any problems that may arise if I wore them until the summer.  But all in all good to speak to someone who answered all my questions fully and also to mail him if I had any further questions.  For running, he recommended Brooks Ghost, which I didn't have a chance to get before I came back.  I did buy some really soft Adidas shoes to soften impact on my knees. 

So now I came back, at the gym I spend most of the time stretching and working on some core exercises with a bit running for aerobic exercise, and see how much that helps. 

That's.................. .. cooking. You just described cooking around the world, in every culture and every price of restaurant.

haha i've seen this complaint on the internet a lot (usually from americans it seems?)

BuT He'S NoT WeArInG GloVeS

i don't think i've ever seen a professional chef wear gloves while cooking on tv. have you?

1) As far as masks go they are A) Just as effective as covering your mouth with your hand B) Western health professionals have said that N95 masks, which I'm assuming some of them are, DO protect against droplets, but they aren't full-proof. C) This is more for their mother's peace of mind (a phenomenon that happens worldwide)
2) As far as face-touching, dude, you're talking to elementary aged children. Telling them not to touch their faces might as well be like telling them not to breathe. FFS, another example of how some people here just don't understand kids.
3) As others have said, it's not an outbreak in Korea. "I'm freaked out to share plates with my coworkers, so I'll skip the company dinner to go out for pizza and wings and a basket of fries with my friends and we'll get drunk and cheers each other and then try and hook up with a random stranger."
They dropped food by hand into boiling water? OMG 

None of them were the N95 masks. Not one. It's a small school, there are 8 students in the class, they were all the cheap unfitted masks, because that's all that's left in the stores in my little town. Because, according to the news, all the Chinese tourists here, in rural Jeolla, are hoarding the masks. 

I know I'm talking to children. Apparently I am in here, too. You tell children not to touch their faces. When they do it, you correct them: patiently, but firmly. Good parents do that. Good teachers do too.

Yes: the cooks literally took cold glass noodles out of the bin and dropped them with their bare hands into my boiling soup. Whether you believe that is immaterial to me.

Wait, you're the guy who thinks Lolita is a work of erotic. fiction, right? What are you doing around children in the first place?

This is the ranting thread, no?

Thanks for reminding me, once again, why I rarely visit this site.

That's.................. .. cooking. You just described cooking around the world, in every culture and every price of restaurant.

Good lord. OK, one example knocked down. You're right. Korean restaurants are the gold standard for hygiene. Faces: saved.

haha i've seen this complaint on the internet a lot (usually from americans it seems?)

BuT He'S NoT WeArInG GloVeS

i don't think i've ever seen a professional chef wear gloves while cooking on tv. have you?

It's not a matter of wearing gloves. It's that there's never any hand soap or hot water in the toilet, which is filthy, and even if there were, hand washing isn't much of a thing here anyway.

I've said I'm rarely squeamish. I've eaten all this stuff. Not gotten sick. That doesn't make their cooking practices sanitary or hygienic.

omg I'm becoming one of you. OK, over n out.

Good lord. OK, one example knocked down. You're right. Korean restaurants are the gold standard for hygiene. Faces: saved.

I never said that. You just seemed shocked that people use their bare hands when cooking, is all.

Most chefs was their hands in the sink in the kitchen, anyway. I'm not saying that Koreans do, but usually the chefs have hot water and soap ready in the kitchen area, from my experience.

After hearing all the news about the corona virus and how many people are sick and have died....it really puts me in a bad mood. In addition to that, while reading the news today, someone pointed out that all of the people who where outside of Wuhan before the lockdown and have pets are left praying that someone can get into their homes to provide food and water for the animals....so that just really didn't help my mood today as I deskwarm.

3) As others have said, it's not an outbreak in Korea. "I'm freaked out to share plates with my coworkers, so I'll skip the company dinner to go out for pizza and wings and a basket of fries with my friends and we'll get drunk and cheers each other and then try and hook up with a random stranger."

You had a go at someone recently for grouping all Koreans together and you're doing the exact same thing here.  How do you know she would do this?  Or do you just think all foreigners do this?

It's not a matter of wearing gloves. It's that there's never any hand soap or hot water in the toilet, which is filthy, and even if there were, hand washing isn't much of a thing here anyway.

I've said I'm rarely squeamish. I've eaten all this stuff. Not gotten sick. That doesn't make their cooking practices sanitary or hygienic.

omg I'm becoming one of you. OK, over n out.

i'm basing it off this quote

seen too many seollongtang cooks drop glass noodles in my soup by hand.