RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

I don't know if it's Korea or what, but I've had an annoying cough for 2.5 months and a sore throat for 2 weeks.

Keep going to the doctor and they just prescribe me whatever for 3 days and then afterwards the symptoms come back with a vengeance.  I can't help but think this is how superbugs are born...

If you don't already have an air purifier, I'd recommend getting one for your apartment. The air you sleep in makes a HUGE impact on the way you feel throughout the day, especially if you're highly sensitive to the pollution. We've had a lot of red days in the past few months, and, for some areas, it's been purple.

Beyond that, keep an eye on the pollution readings and wear masks with 2.5PM filters while running around on bad days.

Yeah, I think it's mostly the air quality. I just bought an air purifier, so hopefully it'll solve some of my problems! And I've definitely gotten more religious about wearing PM2.5 masks. How the hell aren't the locals affected by this? Acclimatization? I'll never take Canadian air quality for granted again

The lady from the statistics agency turned up at my school to conduct the interview at a good time (shock and awe) but by complete chance (pretty standard for Korea). I really don't get it. She's been pestering me for days but never once gave me a heads-up. Just BANG BANG BANG here I am.

Eventually I broke down and responded to her messages after I got one saying "YOU MUST DO THE INTERVIEW". I asked if they were mandatory and I got word-salad back so I thought that was the end of it. She doesn't speak any English. I'm usually not going to begrudge anyone that fact but her job is to interview immigrants to Korea. I'm polite but hesitant as we set up in my classroom and do the whole preamble in Korean. Just as I'm asking her if it's possible to do the interview in English because I'm not at the level where I can do this in Korean I see the survey. It's just a survey. Someone, somewhere has mistranslated the word. It took 10 minutes and it was easy; it certainly didn't require a meeting. In fact, it could've easily been completed online or by post.

Well that was a long and frustrating interaction with bureaucracy I could've done without, but I did get a 만원 coupon I can spend at Paris Baguette. Success?

I hate what's going on as "election campaign" over here.

Damn trucks illegally parked at busy intersections, blocking traffic and visibility, blasting these real dumb songs about how great such and such candidate is. If not songs, then some ajhossi or ajumma shouts some bs. into the microphone that causes ear damage to anyone within 50 meters. Except no one seems to care about what they say, they have no audience, everyone just avoids them as far as they can to prevent said ear damage.

In front of the E-mart there were easily 25 clowns wearing the same jackets, accompanied by two trucks. Do they really think it works? Do they really think that this is the only way it works? The louder they are, the more ajummas they hire to act like clowns will help them win?

No one thinks outside the box? Why do the same exact thing? Okay, they do everything else the same way, why would the campaign be different...

If I could vote and would care to vote I would pick someone who doesn't follow this idiotic madness and campaigns on some other way which results in less noise. Let's face it, there is most likely no such candidate so my second choice would be the one who has some hotties dancing instead of grandmothers. Seriously though, these clown parades only seem to target the 50+ generation. Why aren't they targeting the younger voters with something different.

Arrgggh, 11 more days of this nightmare. On the bright side, I think this is most likely the last one I have to endure. I pray that MJI doesn't screw up and get himself impeached.

If I could vote and would care to vote I would pick someone who doesn't follow this idiotic madness and campaigns on some other way which results in less noise. Let's face it, there is most likely no such candidate so my second choice would be the one who has some hotties dancing instead of grandmothers. Seriously though, these clown parades only seem to target the 50+ generation. Why aren't they targeting the younger voters with something different.

Arrgggh, 11 more days of this nightmare. On the bright side, I think this is most likely the last one I have to endure. I pray that MJI doesn't screw up and get himself impeached.

I voted for Stephane Dion and would have for David Soknacki. Two complete policy wonks.

I don't need flash, I need some good ideas and some pragmatism, I totally hear ya, buddy.

Why is the ground beef here so grisly?  It has hunks of nastiness in it and it stinks when fried. 

Why is the ground beef here so grisly?  It has hunks of nastiness in it and it stinks when fried.

That is some imaginative metaphor to describe the situation.

I hate what's going on as "election campaign" over here.

Damn trucks illegally parked at busy intersections, blocking traffic and visibility, blasting these real dumb songs about how great such and such candidate is. If not songs, then some ajhossi or ajumma shouts some bs. into the microphone that causes ear damage to anyone within 50 meters. Except no one seems to care about what they say, they have no audience, everyone just avoids them as far as they can to prevent said ear damage.

In front of the E-mart there were easily 25 clowns wearing the same jacket accompanied by two trucks. Do they really think it works? Do they really think that this is the only way it works? The louder they are, the more ajummas they hire to act like clowns will help them win?

No one thinks outside the box? Why do the same exact thing? Okay, they do everything else the same way, why would the campaign be different...

If I could vote and would care to vote I would pick someone who doesn't follow this idiotic madness and campaigns on some other way which results in less noise. Let's face it, there is most likely no such candidate so my second choice would be the one who has some hotties dancing instead of grandmothers. Seriously though, these clown parades only seem to target the 50+ generation. Why aren't they targeting the younger voters with something different.

Arrgggh, 11 more days of this nightmare. On the bright side, I think this is most likely the last one I have to endure. I pray that MJI doesn't screw up and get himself impeached.

Last year, I asked a few Koreans about it and the overwhelming response I got was that they hated it and thought each candidate was as crooked as the next and that this was the only time of the year you'd ever see them.

There's a phenomenon which is prevalent in China called Mei Ban Fah. It translates to "there's no way" or nothing can be done. In China over recent years, it's been abused to justify not doing anything even slightly inconvenient or challenging any type of hardship.

Apocalyptic pollution in China, people moan, but simply resign to 'MBF' and put no pressure on the government.
Ask the clerk to check if something is in stock 'MBF' as he can't be arsed to check.
Someone makes a noise outside your apartment at 3AM, you say 'MBF' and take sleeping pills.

I can't help but think this has spread to Korea and is the reason people don't attempt to challenge the status quo:

- 2 weeks of school in February
- English textbooks at public school
- Election noise
- Lawless driving

The Confucian teachings of avoiding conflict to save face and possible 'MBF' seem to be the reasons people simply put up with BS instead of making an effort to stop it. Where westerners have a history of protesting and challenging hardship (albeit, recently, in an annoyingly whinny and unnecessary fashion), Japanese, Chinese and Koreans seem to have a long standing culture of enduring.

This seems to tie into the reason each candidate campaigns in EXACTLY the same way. I've noticed many Koreans simply 'go through the motions', at a cultural level, they'll just keep doing something because that's the way it's always been done, not because they really believe in it. Kids mop the floor during lunch and throw their rubbish on the floor after they've done so (the teaching of taking pride in keeping their school clean is totally lost to them)... I'm sure if I replaced all the mops in school with large halibuts, they'd be moping with fish as they wouldn't even notice. Teachers and students will change to indoor shoes when coming to school, but keep them on as they go onto the playground. I remember reading about a visiting western farmer who suggested the farmers in Jeju to try a new farming method or grew specific crop as it would almost certainly increase their yield and profit. The response by the Korean farmer was that if that was the correct way to do it, their ancestors would've done it so.

Other than that, there's simply no logic to these election campaigns other than they're campaigning to the most lowbrow of old people and children, why else would the put their lyrics over the tune of "If You're Happy and You Know It"?
 

The response by the Korean farmer was that if that was the correct way to do it, their ancestors would've done it so.

Oh yeah, because their ancestors totally had access to the same information and tools that we have today 
The idea of evolution and progress seems almost non-existent in some cases. I seriously hate it when I ask Koreans why they follow a certain rule, and their answer is "I don't know." Blindly following rules you don't really understand is scary.

Student lost his book, apparently, insists that he left it in my room because there's no POSSIBLE way that he'd left it anywhere else (last time he was in my classroom was on Tuesday, btw, but for some reason he's only now noticing his book missing), but I didn't find anything and I don't have it and I let him check every single desk and cubby hole. It's not here.

I feel for the kid because his parents are probably going to get angry with him or whatever, but that's not my fault.  STOP looking at me as if I'm hiding it from you, either someone else took it or you didn't leave it in my classroom. Accept it and move on.

Why is the ground beef here so grisly?  It has hunks of nastiness in it and it stinks when fried.

i buy this one. it's good

http://www.coupang.com/vp/products/2691938?vendorItemId=3018904397

Student lost his book, apparently, insists that he left it in my room because there's no POSSIBLE way that he'd left it anywhere else (last time he was in my classroom was on Tuesday, btw, but for some reason he's only now noticing his book missing), but I didn't find anything and I don't have it and I let him check every single desk and cubby hole. It's not here.

I feel for the kid because his parents are probably going to get angry with him or whatever, but that's not my fault.  STOP looking at me as if I'm hiding it from you, either someone else took it or you didn't leave it in my classroom. Accept it and move on.

Of course it's your fault. You're the non-Korean with those suspicious round eyes.

I don't know if it's Korea or what, but I've had an annoying cough for 2.5 months and a sore throat for 2 weeks.

Keep going to the doctor and they just prescribe me whatever for 3 days and then afterwards the symptoms come back with a vengeance.  I can't help but think this is how superbugs are born...

This could be the pollution, too. Some people feel the effects more than others.

If you don't already have an air purifier, I'd recommend getting one for your apartment. The air you sleep in makes a HUGE impact on the way you feel throughout the day, especially if you're highly sensitive to the pollution. We've had a lot of red days in the past few months, and, for some areas, it's been purple.

Beyond that, keep an eye on the pollution readings and wear masks with 2.5PM filters while running around on bad days.

Is there a brand, or even a specific product, you'd recommend for an air purifier?
I've started to feel really bad again, and think it might be the air. I've never needed to own one before, so I'm not sure what to look for in one. :p

Is there a brand, or even a specific product, you'd recommend for an air purifier?
I've started to feel really bad again, and think it might be the air. I've never needed to own one before, so I'm not sure what to look for in one. :p

Pretty much every brand has its decent purifier, so what you need to consider is the size of your place and how much you're willing/able to spend. Also keep in mind that some of the cheaper/mid-range models of air purifiers aren't effective on low settings and must be at middle to high settings to properly filter your air (which means more noise... but again, it depends on the brand/model).

Xiaomi has good, cheaper options that get the job done, but you need to know that its sensors are known to be wonky, so that basically means you can't just leave it on auto and think that your air is getting filtered; however, I think it's the Air Mi 2 model (not sure if I'm getting this name right, others can jump right in on that) has a wifi/remote option so that you can use your phone to switch it on without being home. That way the air will be nice and filtered before you get there, so you can leave the purifier off during the day while you're out.

I've been using Winix because it's a decent local mid-range option with filters that are easy to get my hands on, but Samsung has some good options, too. Outside of those, I'm only really familiar with foreign brands, which are quite a bit more pricey and harder to get replacement filters for (except for Xiaomi).

Just make sure that whatever purifier you get, that it 1) uses HEPA filters (no air purifier is worth getting without HEPA), and 2) it has enough power to filter the air in your size living space.

Is there a brand, or even a specific product, you'd recommend for an air purifier?
I've started to feel really bad again, and think it might be the air. I've never needed to own one before, so I'm not sure what to look for in one. :p

Pretty much every brand has its decent purifier, so what you need to consider is the size of your place and how much you're willing/able to spend. Also keep in mind that some of the cheaper/mid-range models of air purifiers aren't effective on low settings and must be at middle to high settings to properly filter your air (which means more noise... but again, it depends on the brand/model).

Xiaomi has good, cheaper options that get the job done, but you need to know that its sensors are known to be wonky, so that basically means you can't just leave it on auto and think that your air is getting filtered; however, I think it's the Air Mi 2 model (not sure if I'm getting this name right, others can jump right in on that) has a wifi/remote option so that you can use your phone to switch it on without being home. That way the air will be nice and filtered before you get there, so you can leave the purifier off during the day while you're out.

I've been using Winix because it's a decent local mid-range option with filters that are easy to get my hands on, but Samsung has some good options, too. Outside of those, I'm only really familiar with foreign brands, which are quite a bit more pricey and harder to get replacement filters for (except for Xiaomi).

Just make sure that whatever purifier you get, that it 1) uses HEPA filters (no air purifier is worth getting without HEPA), and 2) it has enough power to filter the air in your size living space.

Thanks! I think I have I have a medium sized apartment.
Thanks! I might have a look into that Xiaomi model. Though, a bit of noise isn't really an issue for me, unless it is really loud. I can often sleep through noise, but not light haha.

Cheers for the help. I'll have a browse of some on Gmarket later in the day, once I'm finished preparing next weeks lesson.

i have the xioami one and it seems fine. the auto sensor seems to work ok- if i'm cooking steak and it gets a bit smoky, it'll kick into overdrive and go crazy for a few minutes. same if i leave the windows open and the air is bad outside. its also dead quiet usually

AvecPommesFrites,

You have been issued a formal warning for trolling. Please review the terms and conditions of Waygook.org http://waygook.org/index.php/topic,2425.0.html and cease trolling otherwise we will take further action.

Cute thread. I assume you are trying to get banned? At your current rate, it shouldn't take long.

Quote from: AvecPommesFrites on May 16, 2018, 11:36:31 AM
Bored again, here's a thread of my thoughts on waygook users using Kim Jong Eun expressions:

Regards,
The Waygook.org Team.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What's the definition of current rate? Because I feel like 7 months since my last warning doesn't fall under current rate in the English language.

Warning history:


Time    Reason   Points
May 17, 2018, 12:02:33 PM   Starting a thread to troll specific users.   +80
October 16, 2017, 09:12:35 PM   trolling.. again..   +8
October 11, 2017, 08:22:36 AM   multiple instances of flaming, trolling, etc.   +65
September 20, 2017, 02:29:41 PM   created a thread to mock a user   +30

^ i recently got banned for ages for posting a picture of some ham. seemed a bit harsh

i have the xioami one and it seems fine. the auto sensor seems to work ok- if i'm cooking steak and it gets a bit smoky, it'll kick into overdrive and go crazy for a few minutes. same if i leave the windows open and the air is bad outside. its also dead quiet usually

Oo cheers. I'll check it out then :D

AvecPommesFrites,

You have been issued a formal warning for trolling. Please review the terms and conditions of Waygook.org http://waygook.org/index.php/topic,2425.0.html and cease trolling otherwise we will take further action.

Cute thread. I assume you are trying to get banned? At your current rate, it shouldn't take long.

Quote from: AvecPommesFrites on May 16, 2018, 11:36:31 AM
Bored again, here's a thread of my thoughts on waygook users using Kim Jong Eun expressions:

Regards,
The Waygook.org Team.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What's the definition of current rate? Because I feel like 7 months since my last warning doesn't fall under current rate in the English language.

Warning history:


Time    Reason   Points
May 17, 2018, 12:02:33 PM   Starting a thread to troll specific users.   +80
October 16, 2017, 09:12:35 PM   trolling.. again..   +8
October 11, 2017, 08:22:36 AM   multiple instances of flaming, trolling, etc.   +65
September 20, 2017, 02:29:41 PM   created a thread to mock a user   +30

That was a great thread too.

i have the xioami one and it seems fine. the auto sensor seems to work ok- if i'm cooking steak and it gets a bit smoky, it'll kick into overdrive and go crazy for a few minutes. same if i leave the windows open and the air is bad outside. its also dead quiet usually

Oo cheers. I'll check it out then :D

http://www.coupang.com/vp/products/21398019?itemId=83606346&vendorItemId=3122986071&q=xiaomi&itemsCount=36&searchId=2d846a47301d400d958380ee198dbeb2&rank=2

i got this one, and ordered it from here too