RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

So I'm going home to the UK for vacation on Saturday and as I only have 10 days at home my plans and schedule is crazy trying to see friends and family and celebrate my birthday. I informed my mum's partner back in November when I would arrive as I plan to stay at their house for the first 2 days. We have also kept my visit a secret from my mum.
Today I open an email from him saying that they're going to be away Friday until Sunday. I mean seriously, are you kidding me?! He has known since November! And I now have to wait 8 hours until everyone in the UK wakes up and can think sensibly to help sort it all out. 

You know what schools need more of? Hot running water and soap in the bathrooms.

Ain't nobody wash their hands. Why? Because they just don't, but also because there's literally no hot water in the bathrooms, or if there is it comes out at a trickle.

Instead of investing in TV upgrades every few years, and allotting excessive budget to subject teachers to waste on English story books, etc, how about investing in your educational infrastructure by bringing your buildings up to semi-modern, developed standards. Korea isn't a poor country. It prides itself on its education system. It spends an insane amount of money on that education system.

Another school I worked at turned the hot water off between spring and fall, because it wasn't needed to keep the pipes from freezing.

DANG man. Hot water isn't really something you should consider a luxury unless you're really poor. And soap. C'mon. Damn.

hear hear!

There is only one bathroom in my school that has hot running water all year long, it's the teacher's bathroom on the first floor. Sometimes I go there just for the luxury of washing my hands with warm water. That doesn't stop the teachers I run into in there from running out the door directly after wiping their asses. They still don't wash their hands even when warm water, soap, and paper towels are provided. WHY 

I've started to notice that whenever I visit a public restroom these days that some Koreans will actually wait and watch to see what I'm going to do, and if I start washing my hands, they will, too. Although they normally skip the soap and just make their hands a little wet.

There might be a spread of public awareness and pressure to start washing hands because I'm also finding that I'm not having to use my own personal bottle of hand soap as often because I'm finding more soap dispensers where there didn't used to be, and half the time they're actually filled!

I mean is this just me?

I've started to notice that whenever I visit a public restroom these days that some Koreans will actually wait and watch to see what I'm going to do, and if I start washing my hands, they will, too. Although they normally skip the soap and just make their hands a little wet.

Like when you investigate/pick something up at the grocery store and a few people nearby are suddenly interested in it too.

I've started to notice that whenever I visit a public restroom these days that some Koreans will actually wait and watch to see what I'm going to do, and if I start washing my hands, they will, too. Although they normally skip the soap and just make their hands a little wet.

Like when you investigate/pick something up at the grocery store and a few people nearby are suddenly interested in it too.

YES!

Or how you can wander into an empty pop-up store or a stall with no customers, and suddenly it gets swarmed in the three seconds you're there.

I've started to notice that whenever I visit a public restroom these days that some Koreans will actually wait and watch to see what I'm going to do, and if I start washing my hands, they will, too. Although they normally skip the soap and just make their hands a little wet.

There might be a spread of public awareness and pressure to start washing hands because I'm also finding that I'm not having to use my own personal bottle of hand soap as often because I'm finding more soap dispensers where there didn't used to be, and half the time they're actually filled!

I mean is this just me?

I do a lot of highway driving, so I use the rest stops on a regular basis.  I see more hand-washing at the ones which have recently been renovated.

They have liquid soap, hot water, and hand driers that work (for now).

I do agree that I still see some "ceremonial" hand-washing.

I've seen students stop in front of the sink after using the bathroom, but it's to comb and preen in the mirror for a minute, then leave without washing their hands. 

I've started to notice that whenever I visit a public restroom these days that some Koreans will actually wait and watch to see what I'm going to do, and if I start washing my hands, they will, too. Although they normally skip the soap and just make their hands a little wet.

Yes! I remember one time the school nurse (I repeat - NURSE!) was halfway out the door of the washrooms before she noticed me watching and decided to give her hands a quick rinse. Come on, if you're a nurse at least act like you give a damn about cleanliness.

I've started to notice that whenever I visit a public restroom these days that some Koreans will actually wait and watch to see what I'm going to do, and if I start washing my hands, they will, too. Although they normally skip the soap and just make their hands a little wet.

There might be a spread of public awareness and pressure to start washing hands because I'm also finding that I'm not having to use my own personal bottle of hand soap as often because I'm finding more soap dispensers where there didn't used to be, and half the time they're actually filled!

I mean is this just me?

I do a lot of highway driving, so I use the rest stops on a regular basis.  I see more hand-washing at the ones which have recently been renovated.

They have liquid soap, hot water, and hand driers that work (for now).

I do agree that I still see some "ceremonial" hand-washing.

Is it really such a bad idea to forego the handwashing considering the choices?
I'd rather not wash my hands if the choice was between taking a wizz and leaving, or taking a wizz and touching a faucet where 100's or 1000's of people have sneezed, coughed and hocked loogies over/on and rubbing hand soap which at least a few guys used after returning from a suspiciously long visit to the cubicle.

Carry a hand sanitiser, which doesn't need water. I wouldn't touch those faucets at all.

Carry a hand sanitiser, which doesn't need water. I wouldn't touch those faucets at all.

I knew someone who ended up with terrible fungal problems on her hands due to her use of hand sanitizer.

Good old-fashioned soap and water doesn't do that, and it's not that hard to bypass a dirty faucet. I'll use hand sanitizer if it's the only thing available, but I try not to make a habit out of it.

I'm not going to get much sympathy, I know, but I'm losing my office and will be downgraded to a cubicle. Adding yet another empty room, or something.

I'm not going to get much sympathy, I know, but I'm losing my office and will be downgraded to a cubicle. Adding yet another empty room, or something.

I know your pain. It's one thing to never know the pleasures, but when you do and you have it ripped away from you, it's like losing a piece of your sanity.

On the plus side, smaller spaces are easier to decorate and personalize.

I'm not going to get much sympathy, I know, but I'm losing my office and will be downgraded to a cubicle. Adding yet another empty room, or something.

I worked at a place in Canada that kept large areas of floor space vacant, yet crammed staff into high-density cubicles.

When I (as a middle manager) asked about more space for my team, I was told that the accountants "write off" the unused space, so occupying space in a building that the company owned would actually cost us money.

I'm not going to get much sympathy, I know, but I'm losing my office and will be downgraded to a cubicle. Adding yet another empty room, or something.

I worked at a place in Canada that kept large areas of floor space vacant, yet crammed staff into high-density cubicles.

When I (as a middle manager) asked about more space for my team, I was told that the accountants "write off" the unused space, so occupying space in a building that the company owned would actually cost us money.

I would love for that to be the reason. More likely I didn't lick the correct arseholes.

I'm not going to get much sympathy, I know, but I'm losing my office and will be downgraded to a cubicle. Adding yet another empty room, or something.

I worked at a place in Canada that kept large areas of floor space vacant, yet crammed staff into high-density cubicles.

When I (as a middle manager) asked about more space for my team, I was told that the accountants "write off" the unused space, so occupying space in a building that the company owned would actually cost us money.

This is incredibly interesting, but it also seems incredibly counter-productive. I wonder how much they were saving with the write off.

So done with deskwarming.  I'm looking forward to the other teachers and students coming back later this week.

So done with deskwarming.  I'm looking forward to the other teachers and students coming back later this week.

I always think that too and then they all come back and I'm just like.... 

Found out one of my new schools for next semester is like a two hour bus ride away  Will probably be able to get a ride but its so frustrating!

So done with deskwarming.  I'm looking forward to the other teachers and students coming back later this week.

I always think that too and then they all come back and I'm just like.... 

Found out one of my new schools for next semester is like a two hour bus ride away  Will probably be able to get a ride but its so frustrating!

Do you mean an hour each way, or two hours one way?  That's still a really long commute.

I don't know what's worse, desk warming, or being in school while classes are happening but being told your morning classes dont exist for the rest of the semester (but you still need to be here in the morning) and you're supposed to take it easy and show movies in the afternoon. There's something about waiting around for 4 hours to go press play that's driving me crazy o.o

Basically my cycle through deskwarming: Wooo! --> Booo --> Cool --> Where did it go?

This week I only have classes on Thurs. cause none of my travel schools need me but depending on if there's any schedule changes I might not get that either, hah

It's nice to see everyone again but it's also weird that the school is suddenly full of life once more.

So done with deskwarming.  I'm looking forward to the other teachers and students coming back later this week.

I always think that too and then they all come back and I'm just like.... 

Found out one of my new schools for next semester is like a two hour bus ride away  Will probably be able to get a ride but its so frustrating!

Do you mean an hour each way, or two hours one way?  That's still a really long commute.

Yeah, aren't they supposed to set it up so that your farthest school is no more than an hour-long commute?