RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

FFS dude, you can't ignore things like population density, arable land, relative geographic isolation and lack of overland trade routes when discussing food prices.

You might as well be like "Why are natural gas and petroleum so expensive here???"
"Well Korea has no petroleum reserves and no pipeline. It's two closest neighbors consume a crapton, one of which also has no reserves..."
"DMART IS DEFENDING KOREA!!!!"

Now, pay attention pettifogger...make sure you take your time and fill this out accurately, OK?

weird innit. older guys here seem to lock on to my path and try to shoulder barge me on purpose.

One of the funniest things I saw in Korea was an old lady attempt a shoulder-check on my (former rugby player) wife.

One of the funniest things I saw in Korea was an old lady attempt a shoulder-check on my (former rugby player) wife.

For the sake of entertainment...des cribe what happened.

One of the funniest things I saw in Korea was an old lady attempt a shoulder-check on my (former rugby player) wife.

While that happens to me too, one of the more pathetic and ridiculous occurrences is when it happens at my local track.

6-8 months of the year, I'm doing sprint training at my local track, which is usually empty... save an ajoushi or ajuma, blaring 트로트 from their phones as the walk laps around the track. This is a proper 800m athletics track, with 8 lanes... 8 lanes to choose from and tick to!
Etiquette dictates that faster runners stick to the inner lanes and walkers on the outer lanes. I don't count on these old fogies knowing this, so I just stick to the middle lane to minimize the chance of them walking in my lane.

Half the time, these old f*cks will purposefully cross over to walk in my lane and usually just as I'm preparing to come out the blocks, forcing me to wait a solid 60sec for them to cover enough distance to no longer be a hazard and making me break my focus.

I really don't know what kind of game these pathetic fools are playing, but it's a dangerous one. Just before coming out the blocks and over the first 30m, I'm pretty much blind to whatever is in front of me (your head stays low), and they've got their backs turned to me, completely blind to an oncoming runner and trusting that I saw them cut into my lane. While I'm no Justin Gatlin or Usain Bolt, I'm still pretty pacey and with my velocity and at 186cm and 86kg, if I collide into you there will be no insurance scam for you to profit off. Your brittle spin will be snapped in two, you will cease to be.

One of the funniest things I saw in Korea was an old lady attempt a shoulder-check on my (former rugby player) wife.

For the sake of entertainment...des cribe what happened.

Granny appeared shocked, as she bounced off and #8 didn’t even break stride.

Did any of you see that video of an ajumma who pushed past the bride as she walked down the aisle, the old coot elbowing her way up to her seat, causing everyone to be startled, hesitate, then continue on.

It was widely linked until it suddenly disappeared.

(Just like the angry Korean wheelchairer who was passed in line by pushy suited folk. The handicapped guy, caught on security camera, charged the elevator doors repeatedly, until they dislodged and he plunged down the shaft (the elevator in the mall had gone up) to his death in the news the next day. That video was widespread for about three days, then disappeared.

Likewise with the cement truck swerving to avoid the aggressive driver at the intersection, instantly crushing three women in a car.

All have disappeared but all are terrible results of THE SAME INCONSIDERATE TRAIT.

I've mentioned it before but this virus has really brought out the worst in some people on the Facebook expat groups.  Does anybody else read them?

The horrible trend these days is for someone to ask for advice about their hagwon not paying them/laying them off and then to be shat on by people in the comments.  Always the same - shamed for not having enough savings.  Shamed for not having some kind of disaster scenario plan in place.  Not everyone has a Korean wife which opened up a million doors to things like bank loans, jeonse opportunities, better visas, a network of potential private classes etc. 

If it's not that then it's just another opportunity for the "backhanded sympathy brag".  It's not enough to say "Oh man, really sorry to hear what you're going through...".  It becomes "Luckily for me I'm not in teaching, I'm WELL PAID JOB WELL ABOVE YOU E2 VISA PEASANTS but I'm sorry to hear what you're going through..."  Ridiculous.

I even saw one guy (who is the worst offender by far and consistently does this) respond with a story about how he was in the same boat when he and his wife were trying to sell their multiple apartments that they own.  Yeah, what a pickle that must have been.

I think I need to stop reading that group haha, it's bad for my blood pressure.

with you right there alex

just an excuse for people to get on their high horse and show off

I've mentioned it before but this virus has really brought out the worst in some people on the Facebook expat groups.  Does anybody else read them?

The horrible trend these days is for someone to ask for advice about their hagwon not paying them/laying them off and then to be shat on by people in the comments.  Always the same - shamed for not having enough savings.  Shamed for not having some kind of disaster scenario plan in place.  Not everyone has a Korean wife which opened up a million doors to things like bank loans, jeonse opportunities, better visas, a network of potential private classes etc. 

If it's not that then it's just another opportunity for the "backhanded sympathy brag".  It's not enough to say "Oh man, really sorry to hear what you're going through...".  It becomes "Luckily for me I'm not in teaching, I'm WELL PAID JOB WELL ABOVE YOU E2 VISA PEASANTS but I'm sorry to hear what you're going through..."  Ridiculous.

I even saw one guy (who is the worst offender by far and consistently does this) respond with a story about how he was in the same boat when he and his wife were trying to sell their multiple apartments that they own.  Yeah, what a pickle that must have been.

I think I need to stop reading that group haha, it's bad for my blood pressure.

Sounds like a good read, can you send me a link?

I just checked the group and the post has gone.  Wouldn't be surprised if the guy deleted it because he was getting it in the neck so much.  The group is Every Expat in Korea and I'm sure more posts like it will keep popping up.

those who made it to Korea 10+ years ago have an advantage over those who are only dipping their toes in now.

Very true. I'm reading this and I'm shocked by how easy it was to get a university job in 2009 (back when most had never even heard of kpop or teaching abroad).
___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________ __

"One day I went to class, she applied for the job, and within 24 hours got notice back saying she'd gotten it. They didn't do an interview, or anything. So she replied, 'My boyfriend wants a job, too,' and they said yeah, bring him along—just make sure you graduate."

The couple were assigned that fall to Cheonan, a city of 600,000 located an hour south of Seoul. After just one year of teaching kindergarteners there, Moore and Bacon were able to land intro-level positions at Sangmyung University, a local campus of some 20,000 students.

"In one year, we went from being crappy kindergarten teachers to tenure-track professors," Moore marvels. At the time, they still spoke only cab-and-menu Korean.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/6wp75r/great-white-hope-how-bradley-ray-moore-accidentally-conquered-k-pop

I'm pretty sure they weren't made tenure track professors with just BAs. Even in 2009. And that guy would have needed some major work done to be a proper k pop star. He was probably hired to make the Korean guys look better.

2009 wasn't that great.

Well, yeah, 2009 was about the end of people with an unrelated BA and a year of kindy experience being hired as professors. (Especially for males.) In 2005, that was more likely. In 2009, Westerners were still stopped on the street and offered jobs, just not with the same frequency as before. Now, it almost never happens.

I heard about how in 2005 Hongik University hired every Westerner who walked through their doors to apply. As long as they had a BA. Any subject area. Why? Because they needed a lot of English teachers quickly. It was extremely easy to get a university job 15 years ago. Now, damn near impossible. Without prior university teaching experience at least. And even with. Try to get in at Hongik now in 2020. You will be shocked.

Schools have closed down in my city for the rest of the month. As a current, non-contract teacher, I won't be getting paid at all during this time Hooray America

Has school resumed in Korea? Or are they still putting it off?

As a current, non-contract teacher, I won't be getting paid at all during this time

Non-contract? You're a substitute teacher?

Not open yet, planned for 23rd March, but I just can't see that happening.

Schools have closed down in my city for the rest of the month. As a current, non-contract teacher, I won't be getting paid at all during this time Hooray America

Has school resumed in Korea? Or are they still putting it off?

it if makes you feels any better, i work at a private elementary school but don't get paid if i don't work, either. hooray

Not open yet, planned for 23rd March, but I just can't see that happening.

Probably won't. They are considering adding another week or two to the closure. An official announcement is expected tomorrow or Wednesday at the latest.

https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20200316065800004