RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

So...Thursday school. It's nice enough but....

One of the admin workers came into the science room and said I'm not allowed to use electricity in here. Which she then went and turned off.

She then came back with one more person who told me I am not allowed to use the aircon or the electricity so I should go to the English class.

So I tell her there is an English class going on.

How about the library like usual? Well you should know the school started having parents come in on Thursday and work there til 2. After i finish in here I move there which is also ****** annoying but I haven't complained.

How about the Teachers room? You mean with the spare computer that other teachers come in every 5 minutes to use.

I'm really ill today and I feel like saying **** it. If you don't have the facilities available and me being here and using 40 minutes worth of electricity is going to push you over the budget then you've got bigger problems. 

edit - the electricity gets turned on at 2 when the after school teacher comes in, so it's not like there is a problem with the room.

That is crazy! I don't think I would take to kindly to all of that. Bring in some board games, and let them have at it.

It's great how convenient online shopping is here, but sometimes buying things in the store is just so much easier. I gave my co my camp shopping list, and they're going to order what I need. That seems so silly to me, because then you're paying for shipping. It wastes all that money when everything I need can be bought at emart or Daiso. Why can't they just let me go shopping for what I need then reimburse me after I give them a receipt? It would be cheaper and less hassle for everyone.

I wanted to purchase some things online (we've done this in the past) but my coT doesn't want to pay for shipping.  So I said that I would take a weekend to go shopping on the mainland.  She shot this down too, for being "too expensive."  Then how do you propose I get the supplies I want?    I'm going to get them one way or another. 

Previous times I've borrowed a school credit card to go shopping for camp supplies.  It's a really small school so maybe that's why they let me.  I don't see why it would be so difficult to just use my own card/cash and then get reimbursed later with a receipt but maybe that's just how things are done back home. 

Devil's advocate: it's an admin thing. They have to get approval for the stuff you want to buy before they can buy it. Anything anyone want to buy involves pre-approval because some teachers went nuts with credit card power a while back. If the price changes while someone's budget is being processed or even after it's been approved it means resubmitting the whole thing.

Online shopping is the easiest way to get stuff for the school especially if the admin office rejects a price or item/s.

However, if you want to physically buy the stuff yourself (and getting the cards from the school for any teacher - not just you - is difficult and involves copious warnings and threats before it'll be handed over) you'll have to go to the Daiso and eMart and get all the prices beforehand (take photos to have documentation that you're not making things up AND make sure that nothing is on sale), and then give that to someone with the balls to take it to the admin office to get permission before submitting the budget. You'll have a better chance of being able to buy your camp stuff that way.

But if you do get the card you won't be able to deviate from the approved price or item even if you get a cheaper product.

Devil's advocate: it's an admin thing. They have to get approval for the stuff you want to buy before they can buy it. Anything anyone want to buy involves pre-approval because some teachers went nuts with credit card power a while back. If the price changes while someone's budget is being processed or even after it's been approved it means resubmitting the whole thing.

Online shopping is the easiest way to get stuff for the school especially if the admin office rejects a price or item/s.

However, if you want to physically buy the stuff yourself (and getting the cards from the school for any teacher - not just you - is difficult and involves copious warnings and threats before it'll be handed over) you'll have to go to the Daiso and eMart and get all the prices beforehand (take photos to have documentation that you're not making things up AND make sure that nothing is on sale), and then give that to someone with the balls to take it to the admin office to get permission before submitting the budget. You'll have a better chance of being able to buy your camp stuff that way.

But if you do get the card you won't be able to deviate from the approved price or item even if you get a cheaper product.

Thing is, I make the supply list along with the costs and quantities for everything beforehand and get it approved by my coT who then has to get it approved by the admin office.  So I'm not sure why she's being weird about online shopping and shopping in physical stores-- which are the only two options for getting the goods 

Thing is, I make the supply list along with the costs and quantities for everything beforehand and get it approved by my coT who then has to get it approved by the admin office.  So I'm not sure why she's being weird about online shopping and shopping in physical stores-- which are the only two options for getting the goods 

Try "Welp, I guess we can't have camp this summer. Sorry!"

Then act confused when they try to insist otherwise.

Thing is, I make the supply list along with the costs and quantities for everything beforehand and get it approved by my coT who then has to get it approved by the admin office.  So I'm not sure why she's being weird about online shopping and shopping in physical stores-- which are the only two options for getting the goods 

Try "Welp, I guess we can't have camp this summer. Sorry!"

Then act confused when they try to insist otherwise.

It's also like pulling teeth every time I just try to get the budget.  I mean of course I'm glad to get help at all (my first camp had zero budget and I know some folks consistently have zero budget) but I have to go through this song and dance every time now:

Me:  What's the budget?
coT:  Oh, just make a list of whatever you want!  I can ask for more money. 
Me:  But... what's the budget?
coT:  Don't worry about the budget!
Me:  Can you just give me an estimate?
coT:  Just make the list!
Me:  Okay...

*time passes*

Me:  Could we order [insert item here] for camp? 
coT:  Oh... I think that's expensive for our budget. 
Me:  Well, what's our budget? 
coT:  Ehmmm...
Me:  It's really difficult to plan without a budget.  Please just give me an estimate. 

After some hemming and hawing I finally get an estimated figure.  But I have to drag it out of my coT 

I taught at a school where the admin office kinda applied things differently to different teachers. The more competent teachers and the ones willing to fight for what they wanted got a little more leeway. The teachers who needed hand-holding had a whole lotta rules and regulations, one of them being no physical stores after someone (it only took one person) bought a whole bunch of cheaper things. Realised there was money left over in the approved budget, and then bought random unapproved junk.

And that was the year the school was audited. The admin office lost their marbles.

If you are a smoker and you smoke on top of buildings by vents, I hate you. Came home to my entire apartment smelling like cigarettes

I told myself I'm going to start eating healthier snacks when I get home from work, but when I got home today there was a guy selling fresh made 호떡 from a stand right in front of my apartment building.

I mean come on.

I told myself I'm going to start eating healthier snacks when I get home from work, but when I got home today there was a guy selling fresh made 호떡 from a stand right in front of my apartment building.

I mean come on.

That's a tough draw, man. I find that I'm only able to resist hoddeok by concentrating on the knowledge that in about 10 seconds it's going to simultaneously burn all the taste buds from my tongue and dribble brown liquified sugar down the front of my shirt and pants, not to mention the difficulty in downing that last bite when it falls to the bottom of the paper cup it's served in.  계란빵 on the otherhand...

If you are a smoker and you smoke on top of buildings by vents, I hate you. Came home to my entire apartment smelling like cigarettes

Yeah. That's super rude. Also, if you're literally walking on the sidewalk and there are people behind you, don't smoke. Like, seriously. Just stop and have your cigarette so people don't get a constant stream of your second hand smoke.

I can't be friends with inconsiderate smokers.  My gramps was a smoker but he only smoked outside and would always go down the backyard away from the house to keep the smoke away from everyone else. 

Day 5 of diet. I'm regretting not getting up earlier this morning to fry some chicken for lunch. School lunches are so high cal and the lunch ladies always pile it on. All I have for lunch is a sad bowl of white rice 

If you are a smoker and you smoke on top of buildings by vents, I hate you. Came home to my entire apartment smelling like cigarettes

Yeah. That's super rude. Also, if you're literally walking on the sidewalk and there are people behind you, don't smoke. Like, seriously. Just stop and have your cigarette so people don't get a constant stream of your second hand smoke.

I can't be friends with inconsiderate smokers.  My gramps was a smoker but he only smoked outside and would always go down the backyard away from the house to keep the smoke away from everyone else.

I had roommates in university one year who, for some reason, liked to smoke in our bathroom, which made no sense, since there was no window in our bathroom. Needless to say, I sprayed a lot of air freshener in the bathroom that year. 

When I used to work in summer (university) housing, one notorious group of guests smoked CIGARS inside, apparently without the windows open, because you could smell it on the whole floor. They then sprayed perfume to mask it, although that just made it a whole lot worse.

We couldn't do much until we caught them, so their entire floor got "No Smoking" signs every three feet or so, including one or two on the door of the offenders.

They still got caught and kicked out, but seriously, how can you say "No, we haven't been smoking" when I can smell it from at least 10 feet away...

If you are a smoker and you smoke on top of buildings by vents, I hate you. Came home to my entire apartment smelling like cigarettes

Yeah. That's super rude. Also, if you're literally walking on the sidewalk and there are people behind you, don't smoke. Like, seriously. Just stop and have your cigarette so people don't get a constant stream of your second hand smoke.

I can't be friends with inconsiderate smokers.

Could you be friends with a single mother? Anne Coulter makes the point that they f..ck up society much more than smokers through their own choices but are seen as heroic in the Western world. Whereas smokers are demonised.

I'm nether a smoker, nor a fan of Anne Coulter by the way. Just thought it was an interesting point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI3FE4pI_kw

So, made my first immigration office appointment online and blech. Only works in IE and I had to download at least six different "security" programs to get it to work at all. This is just to make an appointment, not even to make a permanent account or spend money or anything. Korea really needs to get its web design out of the early 00s.

Also, I understand they're not obligated to offer services in English, but if they're going to do so voluntarily at least hire someone capable. This is the national immigration office website and it's covered in spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

If you are a smoker and you smoke on top of buildings by vents, I hate you. Came home to my entire apartment smelling like cigarettes

Yeah. That's super rude. Also, if you're literally walking on the sidewalk and there are people behind you, don't smoke. Like, seriously. Just stop and have your cigarette so people don't get a constant stream of your second hand smoke.

I can't be friends with inconsiderate smokers.

Could you be friends with a single mother? Anne Coulter makes the point that they f..ck up society much more than smokers through their own choices but are seen as heroic in the Western world. Whereas smokers are demonised.

I'm nether a smoker, nor a fan of Anne Coulter by the way. Just thought it was an interesting point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QI3FE4pI_kw

I gotta be blunt. That is the dumbest comparison I've ever heard. Smokers choose to smoke and risk their health and the health of others. Most people don't choose to be single parents and aren't proactively risking their health and the health of others. Single mothers aren't making my living space horrible.

So, made my first immigration office appointment online and blech. Only works in IE and I had to download at least six different "security" programs to get it to work at all. This is just to make an appointment, not even to make a permanent account or spend money or anything. Korea really needs to get its web design out of the early 00s.

Also, I understand they're not obligated to offer services in English, but if they're going to do so voluntarily at least hire someone capable. This is the national immigration office website and it's covered in spelling mistakes and grammatical errors.

my wife is apply for a contract job with KB bank and, aside from having to open up a bank account with KB in order to be eligible to apply, she also had to use her digital certificate just to access the online application.  And -- surprise, surprise! -- software malfunction! There's some comfort in knowing that Koreans struggle with this too...just not my wife.

I gotta be blunt. That is the dumbest comparison I've ever heard. Smokers choose to smoke and risk their health and the health of others. Most people don't choose to be single parents and aren't proactively risking their health and the health of others. Single mothers aren't making my living space horrible.

According to Coulter they do choose to be single mothers as even if they conceive 'by accident', she advocates giving children born outside of wedlock up for adoption. Also if crime makes your living space horrible (which most people reckon it does) single motherhood is statistically a massive contribution to crime levels.

Again, her argument, not mine

If you are a smoker and you smoke on top of buildings by vents, I hate you. Came home to my entire apartment smelling like cigarettes

Yeah. That's super rude. Also, if you're literally walking on the sidewalk and there are people behind you, don't smoke. Like, seriously. Just stop and have your cigarette so people don't get a constant stream of your second hand smoke.

I can't be friends with inconsiderate smokers.  My gramps was a smoker but he only smoked outside and would always go down the backyard away from the house to keep the smoke away from everyone else.

I had roommates in university one year who, for some reason, liked to smoke in our bathroom, which made no sense, since there was no window in our bathroom. Needless to say, I sprayed a lot of air freshener in the bathroom that year.

As an ex-smoker, quit 6yrs ago, I can say for sure that smoking etiquette is definitely lacking in these parts. On the other hand, non-smokers are definitely becoming increasingly more whiny as well. A breath or two of 2nd hand smoke is pretty insignificant when you consider the air you're breathing in 24/7, the food you're eating and your habits.

Korea is a country of cramped spaces, poor ventilation and many smokers. Many smokers are inconsiderate twats who'll smoke in the apartment passages, some are just doing the best they can. It's a fact of life in this country.