RANTING/VENTING MEGATHREAD 3.0

What are the big internet places for foreigners in Korea? Here, Daves is dead (kind of in part due to you), like I said r/korea is way, way more of a cesspool than this place.....the oink page? Bet you'd love that one.

My question is why are all the korea related "internet places" cesspools of negativity (to some degree)?

Imagine DeMartino standing in the 2 hour long line at Incheon airport with all the exhausted and disgruntled foreigners complaining about the the slowness of the line and the why can't we just use the Korean lines there aren't any Koreans here and 8 staff sitting doing nothing brigade and Tino is there in his suit standing tall, chest out, taking deep breaths of Korean air going this is the life isn't it. It doesn't get any better than this, this is the life. Back home, we'd be in the car and on the way home but I'd rather be here, living the faux Korean dream.

What are the big internet places for foreigners in Korea? Here, Daves is dead (kind of in part due to you), like I said r/korea is way, way more of a cesspool than this place.....the oink page? Bet you'd love that one.

My question is why are all the korea related "internet places" cesspools of negativity (to some degree)?

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.

Why do people who are of the sensitive inclination call places like reddit, twitter, wherever else that lots of people get together on the internet, ""toxic""? Because places that allow a certain amount of anonymity, remote interaction, without the consequences of real life are probably going to bring out the negative side of people's natures. At least to an extent.

I'll still stand by thinking that this place is pretty mild. I'd say the more worrying thing is the gradual goober rightwing takeover that seems to have happened here. If anything stops me reading it's 10 threads, all a variation on "Trump is great. haha we owned the libs"

I have said some utterly preposterous things to you that were clear as a day a joke or ironic in the absolute extreme and you react as though I'm actually being serious. Like I said I'd seen you wearing a denim jacket and a maga hat. And you got all huffy and offended. Like, how the fark would I know who you are if I saw you in public. I was being stupid.

Pretty sure that in those cases I acknowledged that you might be taking the piss out of me, which I said was great and all in good fun.

I mean Avec does it all the time and we've gone back and forth and it's all in good fun. I'd say only Stepz and gators! are really at a different level.

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 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?