RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

I'm reminded of something Ricky Gervais said on his podcast once (and I might be paraphrasing)...

"I know the world's great, it's just that some things annoy me".

I think most of the posters here probably have the same attitude.  Sometimes it's nice to be vindicated.  You see something annoying and you're basically saying "Is everybody else seeing this??", "Is everybody else annoyed by this or is it me?"

I'm reminded of something Ricky Gervais said on his podcast once (and I might be paraphrasing)...

"I know the world's great, it's just that some things annoy me".

I think most of the posters here probably have the same attitude.  Sometimes it's nice to be vindicated.  You see something annoying and you're basically saying "Is everybody else seeing this??", "Is everybody else annoyed by this or is it me?"

Yeah, I think you're right. But very rarely do I see people post things related to the "the world's great" part of that worldview.

And science backs this up- venting just breeds more anger and frustration.

Sources?

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/high-octane-women/201102/feel-venting-you-may-want-think-again-literally
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bbushman/PSPB02.pdf
http://psycnet.apa.org/record/2006-21781-000

Relying on Anger and lashing out as a way to reduce negative feelings only teaches your that lashing out is a way to feel better.

Now, there are caveats about how you vent. For example "venting" by hitting a bunch of golf balls or chopping some wood or whatever is probably beneficial. Venting by insulting entire ethnicities online, probably not.

And we can just use our anecdotal evidence- Look at the haters, do they seem like a cheerful bunch? Has their ranting and venting made things easier or better for them? Seems like they just get angrier and angrier and write more and more angry threads and posts.

You're seeing what you want to see.
I DO NOT CONDONE, nor do I insult Korean people, they're individuals. I have my opinions about their culture, which I believe, for the most part, is no longer relevant and completely opposed to the Economic and Political model that South Koreans themselves chose to adopt. Still, cultures naturally bend and mold to suit the environment it just takes time, it's best not to force it.
As you say, venting can be done via a physical outlet like exercise, but, it can also be done via a creative or emotional outlet such as playing music, talking and writing. What people are doing here is venting using the medium of writing.

You are the one who chooses to interpret writing which is critical of Korean culture and norms as insulting ethnicities simply because it aligns with your agenda. The irony is that while you believe that venting makes one more miserable, you certainly sound like the most miserable of all.

Just let it go, dog. It's just a lame website.

      I rarely rant, but....

     So early this morning I was out and about walking my wieners, and was meandering through the little park/playground beside my apartment complex when lo and behold I saw a used hypodermic needle lying on the ground, with a little bit of yellow crap still in the syringe. Just lying there. In the playground. 
    WTF??? 

      I rarely rant, but....

     So early this morning I was out and about walking my wieners, and was meandering through the little park/playground beside my apartment complex when lo and behold I saw a used hypodermic needle lying on the ground, with a little bit of yellow crap still in the syringe. Just lying there. In the playground. 
    WTF??? 

Whoa. That's seriously f'd up. Also really bizarre. Like, I wonder what it was even used for. But seriously, that's super messed up.

I was was wondering that as well. Considering how viscous that yellow goop was, I'm thinking that maybe some halmoni was using it to inject her special salt and sesame oil mixture into the chuseok chicken before sticking it in the microwave oven... But still...

My main middle school has a handball team, and the players are allowed to choose nicknames to be printed on their jerseys. That's a cool and fun thing for them to do, but I was taken aback today by the sight of a student with the N-word in all-caps emblazoned across his back.

Obviously, a very confused student found himself being taken to the English office, where the KETs and I explained to him that it was not okay. I do realize that kids here most likely just don't really understand how strong and offensive that word can be, so I made sure he understood that he wasn't in trouble and I wasn't angry with him, but we definitely tried to impress it upon him that it's not acceptable. Hopefully it sunk in.

The teachers then tried to see if the letters could be peeled off, and when the students who tagged along to see their friend get in trouble confirmed that it was possible, I suggested just peeling off the N and replacing it with a T. Everybody likes Tigger!

i am so burnt out teaching kids i keep asking myself how i managed it for so long. how did i manage it for so long? every single day i come and teach in my after school program, there are at least 3 times a day that i'm tempted just to quit on the spot

The teachers then tried to see if the letters could be peeled off, and when the students who tagged along to see their friend get in trouble confirmed that it was possible, I suggested just peeling off the N and replacing it with a T. Everybody likes Tigger!

Tigger, please...

My main middle school has a handball team, and the players are allowed to choose nicknames to be printed on their jerseys. That's a cool and fun thing for them to do, but I was taken aback today by the sight of a student with the N-word in all-caps emblazoned across his back.

Obviously, a very confused student found himself being taken to the English office, where the KETs and I explained to him that it was not okay. I do realize that kids here most likely just don't really understand how strong and offensive that word can be, so I made sure he understood that he wasn't in trouble and I wasn't angry with him, but we definitely tried to impress it upon him that it's not acceptable. Hopefully it sunk in.

The teachers then tried to see if the letters could be peeled off, and when the students who tagged along to see their friend get in trouble confirmed that it was possible, I suggested just peeling off the N and replacing it with a T. Everybody likes Tigger!

You can also switch out the first 'G' with the 'N'.

Here I was, enjoying the day with no class. All the students and 90% of the teachers were gone on a field trip. It was just me in the office, peace and quiet, and some podcasts. And then that changed...

All the students and some teachers came back with 3 hours left in the school day. My office somehow became the hub for prepping all the food that the students would eat (everything microwaved: ramen, rice, you name it). There has been no less than 8 people in this small space at a time since they've all returned. I had hoped this last day before Chuseok would go in peace, but that was apparently asking too much.

Do you really think it's just Korea? Anyone who was in Japan during it's heyday will remember Gaijinpot. That place was worse than all the Korea ones combined.
I lived in Italy and the expat forums there were just as bad too. People complaining about Italian incompetence, bragging about banging the locals, shitting on the food (yes there are people who didn't like authentic Italian food), corruption etc.

Yeah I haven't used those non-korea but country-related forums, so I guess I wouldn't know. My new question would then be why are expats so toxic online? I'm part of lots of non-country related forums that aren't nearly as toxic as these seem to be (and I agree this place is pretty mild compared to r/korea and oink, but still).

I'm just curious why people are singling out expats in being toxic. Aren't most online forums toxic? Seriously, isn't that what many people with anonymity do? The second you don't have to say something to someone's face, people become instant keyboard warriors. It's not just Korea. It's everything. People like to shitpost and vent online because they are bored and/or isolated. Let's be honest. Many of us don't even look at the waygook threads with the intention of posting... we just want to read all of the stupid comments that people are making to argue back and forth over things that don't really matter once you walk away from the computer. Myself included. That's why I only have a few posts. Why is it necessary to make it into a race war?  People here that aren't just trolls or asses don't have their families to come home and vent to so they do it in the only similarly minded community that they really know. It seems pretty simple to me.

Someone might've used it for giving their pet a vaccination or something.
Or alternately for some hobby or craft, like applying glue? But that looks like a straight up hypodermic needle, not like a general use syringe.

Maybe for a pet, but owners generally don't do that themselves. Hard to see, but there was a bit of blood still in the needle bit. Whoever tossed it there was good enough to put the cover back on the pointy end though, so I guess props to him/her for that at least. 

There are Koreans who do drugs. They may be relatively few, but they are out there. With the way some doctors toss out painkillers and meds like candy.....

Meth, too. I really don't think a lot of people understand just how prevalent that drug is getting here in Korea.

Honestly, meth was the first thing I thought of when I saw that syringe post.

i am so burnt out teaching kids i keep asking myself how i managed it for so long. how did i manage it for so long? every single day i come and teach in my after school program, there are at least 3 times a day that i'm tempted just to quit on the spot

Are you teaching only elementary and middle Oglop?  By this stage now, I wouldn't still be here teaching e/m, if I were, I'd have gone mental.  I did a middle school night class last semester and they were awful, but I finished the semester and declined to work again this semester.  Good money, but I wasn't teaching them, as I spent most of the time trying to control three boys.  Not worth it.  After 11 years in the public school, I'm thinking like you, and that the initial 'Wow!' may be dimming.  It's not affecting my teaching or my relationship with my own students, it's just that feeling inside.

i only teach kids, for younger learners. 3 classes a day in the afternoon, but it's exhausting. i teach adult classes in the morning/lunch/evening (around the after-school program). it's just a terrible job, generally:

incompetent manager; books that are way too difficult for the kids; kids are insanely rude and disrespectful; if you actually try and teach properly, the kids complain to the parents and i get told off for trying to do my job properly; company refuses to provide basic materials such as paper or board markers; school's after-school program manager is a complete biatch; etc etc (i could go on)

just had enough of the bullshit. i'm quite happy being self-employed and teaching adults full-time next year. it's like a different world teaching corporate business classes. i'm actually treated with respect by the students and various companies i work for. i was offered a position at the British Council adult centre a few months ago and am starting to think i shouldn't have turned it down ;)

you gonna stick it out a while loner or look to do something else?

i know what you mean. sometimes i get back at 8.30-9pm and have to wake up at 6am. it's not ideal. finishing late and working weekends is why i ended up turning down the BC job, even though that was, really, the only negative thing about it.

we were thinking about a study room too, but, yeah, it's a big commitment and i don't really want to deal with kids again anyway

how would you move back to Scandinavia with Brexit looming?

Just renewed my visa. It's a great thing that you reserve an appointment and your number comes up at almost exactly that time. Everything went smooth and it was done in 3 minutes.
BUT I had to wait 40 minutes to get my ARC back. Why the hell does it take 40 minutes to stamp a new date on a plastic card?!

Still about the immigration... the way some people (don't) take care of themselves is just shocking. The waiting area smelled like a homeless shelter. I never been to one but I imagine they smell something like that. Massive BO from some dudes, enough to linger like 6-8 feet away easily. It wasn't even hot and it was only 10am.

And some other folks clearly haven't showered and/or changed clothes for several days. WTF!?

I had to wait outside in the lobby because I couldn't put up with it. And I even have a cold so my smelling is not that great.

If you go somewhere public, just please take a damn shower, put on some clean clothes and if you have BO issues, use some freakin deodorant!

Just renewed my visa. It's a great thing that you reserve an appointment and your number comes up at almost exactly that time. Everything went smooth and it was done in 3 minutes.
BUT I had to wait 40 minutes to get my ARC back. Why the hell does it take 40 minutes to stamp a new date on a plastic card?!

Still about the immigration... the way some people (don't) take care of themselves is just shocking. The waiting area smelled like a homeless shelter. I never been to one but I imagine they smell something like that. Massive BO from some dudes, enough to linger like 6-8 feet away easily. It wasn't even hot and it was only 10am.

And some other folks clearly haven't showered and/or changed clothes for several days. WTF!?

I had to wait outside in the lobby because I couldn't put up with it. And I even have a cold so my smelling is not that great.

If you go somewhere public, just please take a damn shower, put on some clean clothes and if you have BO issues, use some freakin deodorant!

The 40 minutes is because every file is checked again. I had a supervisor come out and ask me a few more questions one time.

Not all migrant workers have regular access to showers! Some do live in conditions much like homeless shelters.

Just renewed my visa. It's a great thing that you reserve an appointment and your number comes up at almost exactly that time. Everything went smooth and it was done in 3 minutes.
BUT I had to wait 40 minutes to get my ARC back. Why the hell does it take 40 minutes to stamp a new date on a plastic card?!

Still about the immigration... the way some people (don't) take care of themselves is just shocking. The waiting area smelled like a homeless shelter. I never been to one but I imagine they smell something like that. Massive BO from some dudes, enough to linger like 6-8 feet away easily. It wasn't even hot and it was only 10am.

And some other folks clearly haven't showered and/or changed clothes for several days. WTF!?

I had to wait outside in the lobby because I couldn't put up with it. And I even have a cold so my smelling is not that great.

If you go somewhere public, just please take a damn shower, put on some clean clothes and if you have BO issues, use some freakin deodorant!

Lol same. I just renewed mine today as well and agree with everything you said.

Also f*ck immi for not letting me know I had to report that I got a new passport. 40,000 won fine. Good thing is I got 2 years renewal on my F6 instead of 1 year like the previous two times. So glad I won't have to deal with this next year!

i am so burnt out teaching kids i keep asking myself how i managed it for so long. how did i manage it for so long? every single day i come and teach in my after school program, there are at least 3 times a day that i'm tempted just to quit on the spot

Oh boy I feel you. I had to quit after school after my last contract. It's a joke. The hours look good, but the behavior is terrible and the classes are too long to teach the crappy books they give you.

The books are basically meant to make money for the company. 4 pages of fluff that you could teach in less than 20 minutes, yet the class is 50-55 minutes long. Go through the books in a month or two so the parents have to order more. For your sanity, please try to find something else.