Job Discussion Forums

[wailing_imam]

Yes, as mentioned earlier Hong Kong has just outlawed smoking in pubs.

Smoking in pubs in SCOTLAND is also now banned, and in Ireland too I think.

Singapore has a fair few non-smoking venues and smokers are generally made to feel like lepers there. Singapore also knocks the spots off Hong Kong when it comes to lifestyle.

[merlin]

Just pick a warm climate where they have garden pubs open all year round. Better yet pick open-air cafes and have a coffee. Better yet, go to a tearoom.

I stopped going to pubs about 4 years ago. I might drop in for a half hour or so at christmas and end of the year parties and so on but I just can't stand various things associated with sitting in a pub anymore. In addition to the smoke there's the LOOSER FACTOR. It's just all too easy to bitch and whinge and moan in a pub because there's always some other looser to listen with a sympathetic ear.

Plus I prefer to spend my free time doing things that my daughter can participate in, and I'd never subject her to a smoke-filled room.

So what do I do for fun? well, anything that doesn't involve sitting on my bottom for more than 20 minutes mainly. Like this past holidays we went for walks in the forest, did some horeseback riding at a friend's ranch, visited churches on christmas eve and so on. If I felt like a drink I got it at a window and drank it standing up and then moved on. My rule is never more than two within 3 hours or 5 km of each other.

If I ever do employ teflersl I'll pay for teachers to have one free drink a day in the pub down the street so as to ensure they never get the balls to get off their duffs and become my cometitors.

I've just seen too many teflers (myself included) waste away their free time to submit myself to it anymore.

[jodemas2]

Don't come to Mexico. They still smoke in restaurants here.

[asromacalcio]

Thanks, good tips, keep them coming.

[sallycat]

i'll definitely back up the "avoid japan" thing. otherwise it won't be just bars you miss out on, but restaurants, cafes...

[asromacalcio]

All understood apart from this sentence.

Thank you for your thoughts.

[Justin Trullinger]

Hey Merlin-
I could still compete with you even if I was half drunk!

Just kidding. I understand what you're saying about the "loser factor." We've all met at least a few TEFLers who never accomplished anything, due to over-affinity for malt, wine, or some other form of bottled happiness. Not to mention the much rarer, but often even more useless, who go in for more refined, and less legal substances.

But having a few every now and then doesn't exactly make you a loser. I know you're now a parent, and find other things to do with your time- but if the younger teachers want to have a p�ss up on Friday night, it doesn't necessarily make them losers in my book- not if they keep doing their jobs to the standards we require. We even have the occasional unofficial teachers meeting at the bar down the road. (Attendance not required- recently went non-smoking, though, so teachers won't have that problem if they wish to come.)

In general, Ecuador has very recently become a lot more "non-smoker friendly" by passing a new law banning smoking in a lot of public places, including restaurants and some bars. Unusually for Ecuador, most establishments seem to be following this law. There are a good variety of social activities in smoke free environments, for losers and winners alike.

One thing foreigners may find a little hard to adapt to, though, is that the smoker/non-smoker divide is a lot less clear than it was when I last lived in the US. It seems in the US, you either smoke habitually, or don't, and if you don't you're required to look down on those who do. Here, most people don't smoke heavily or regularly, but at a party, practically everyone will. Bars and shops sell individual cigarettes with this in mind. So while non-smoking places are possible in Ecuador, and it's getting easier to find them, non-smoking people are a bit hard to find.

Best,
Justin

[jonniboy]

[MELEE]

[merlin]

hi Justin -
I didn't say that everyone who goes to a pub is a looser. No, of course not.

I just said there was one factor to be considered. perhaps more politely it could be the inverse of success factor: the amount of time spent in a pub is inversly proportional to one's success.

I like pubs. I like beer, wine - everything except sparkling wine. I'm sure I could drink you and yuor father under the table

My main point is that I'm not a teetotaler but can still live a fun full life as a TEFLer without going to a pub.

[Jetgirly]

When I was in Italy I found that few people (especially English teachers) were interested in doing things that didn't involve drinking UNLESS it involved an overnight stay outside of town. It seemed that everyone loved a happy road trip to the mountains or to the sea, but nobody (local or "foreigner") had even the remotest interest in exploring their own city's museums, parks, art galleries, sports events, cultural events and historic sites. If I hadn't gone to the bar almost every day I would have been totally out of the social loop. I'm not one to let the lack of a companion stop me from doing what I want to do, but it sure would have been lonely being a 21-year-old girl in Italy who didn't (or couldn't) go to the bar. I definitely support the original poster in wanting to find a place where he/she can fully participate in any and all social events.

[asromacalcio]

Grazie. Much as I love Italy and hope to settle down there one day, for the time being I am keen to widen my experiences as much as possible, without ending up with a permanent cough.

[dmb]

Give Turkey a miss. My local government in Istanbul(Sisli) passed a law stating that all cafes, bars etc had to have 30% of tables non-smoking. Can I find any of those places? No. There was a report in a local paper asking the owners why it wasn't enforced. They said they had tried it but were losing business so they thought sod it. I look forward to the summer of outdoor cafe/ bar society by the Bosphorous. Does it it stop me going to smokey pubs in the winter. Nope. And I am an ex 40-60 a day smoker(almost 2 years) who gave up under doctors orders. In most places you can't have the best of both worlds. If your social life is so important in pubs then I am afraid you have to put up with other people's habits in 95% of the world.

I am not one one of those totally over the top ex anti smokers but I do wake up on a Sunday morning thinking what is that smell and immediately jump in the shower to wash away the smoke.

My flat is now totally non-smoking but if people want a ciggie they can go out on the balcony...... Haven't had any visitors in ages.

[Otterman Ollie]

Like the previous poster I and my partner live in Turkey a preverbial smokers paradise,we are both x smokers of the worst kind and have a low tolerance of second hand smoke . Bars and such like are out unless you are well away from the smokers so that limits your options a bit .We joined clubs and generally find it a good way to meet people and socialise on a regular basis ,walking ,fishing ,climbing ,out door activities just to name a few are on the agenda ,sadly a group known as the hashers left town but I know they are a worldwide organization .Try to see if you have a local group ,at least that way you get out the house a bit more often .

[dmb]

The hash left Izmir? Any idea why? I believe they are still going strong here in Istanbul.