Job Discussion Forums

[Big John Stud]

Rorschach wrote:

Smoking is the biggest one though. Where is the smoking lobby in this country? Everyone seems to smoke here, or at least smell like tobacco. I particularly hate the fact that my work place has a smoking room on the teaching floor. You can't escape the smell and you see smokers running up to the room between lessons for a quick smoke like old circus monkeys.

Don't complain! At least there is a separate room. I work at three schools. One school the tea lady and the principal smoke by the sink which is close to my desk. In fact the sink is so close to my desk, I often see the smoke. I think the tea lady blows the smoke in my direction.
The tea lady is evil! She spends most of her time smoking. What really gets me is that she hates guijin too. She has not once ever said hi to me. not even on the first day. My lunch is always has the smallest portion. Not that I like eating at this school. She must breathe smoke on the food too, because only at this school does my lunch smell like an ash tray.
So next time you see teachers running up stairs like old circus monkeys, just think it could be worse and enjoy your lunch.

[Lynn]

I'd have to agree about the smoking. I used to get into so many fights in the teacher's room over this one. Teachers would some at their desk and continue to talk to students!

[nugget31]

Not having showers in schools...

Japanese teachers Ignoring kids who mess around in lessons...

The small portions of fries at fast food joints...

making kids work 24 hours a day!

[moot point]

I'm a smoker so perhaps a sympathizer in that sense. But smoking, anywhere in Asia is something that must be tolerated. The whole smoking culture is somewhat new here and was brought to you by your European fore-fathers.

Try going to Cambodia where their packs of cigarettes occasionally contains a few bills inside to buy yourself another pack of smokes. This is true.

I agree it's a bad habit, but the major forces at work here are U.S. and Brtiish companies. If you want to make a buck or two, I strongly encourage all to invest in tobacco companies operating in Asia.

[Rorschach]

[Mark]

[Big John Stud]

Rorschach wrote:

The most obvious solution would be to ask them not to smoke near you while you eat (whenever I have asked a Japanese smoker they have been accomodating). Barring that, why can't you move somewhere else to eat? Also, why don't you make your own lunch if the quality of the food is bothering you?

[/quote]


Please don't get me wrong, I think that teachers should not be allowed to smoke on school grounds. Japanese teachers and even us ALTs are roll models for these kids and so we should set a good example. Smoking in front of Students is wrong. I smoke sometimes, usually when I am drinking at some bar, but I could never smoke in front a student!

The problem is that the other two schools I am treated well and my lunch portion is large. I tried to arrange not to eat at the bad school but it is either all or none. And I like eating school lunch at the other two schools

Asking the tea lady not to smoke while I eat is funny to just think about. A Japanese colleague from one of the other schools told me, she is evil. If you tell her not to do something, she will do it even more. She has worked in the public school system in this small town longer than anyone else so she thinks she can do what ever she pleases, which seems to be true.

I can't eat anywhere else because then I would be eating at someone's desk.

[Toffi2604]

[quote="Chris12"]Which Japanese custom would you like to see change? Junior and senior high schools girls having to wear a dress even when the weather is cold and snowing! Or men looking at porn on the train

I think man looking at porn on the train should be forbidden, because it could have a bad influance on children at the train.
To have school uniforms with short shorts and kneesocks for boys and skirts with knee socks for girls the year round is a very important education measure and should never be changed. To stand the concomitant discomfort of cold winter weather with bare legs, is very useful to built up the character of a child-to stand things and not to surch for the first best solution. It is also healthy, good for toughening, looks energetic and shows the school kids their standing in the society.

At december I am at a boarding school at the north of France to wich is lead by scouting guidelines, to built up a christmas marked. All the boys from 6 to 16 jears have to wear very short leather shorts with white kneesocks the year round despite freezing temperatures with ice and snow. They also have to do a lot of work outside on the ground. I noticed that the boys are much more obedient and helpful when their bare thighs and knees are bluish by cold.

[sushi]

I think the school dresses are too long. They should be much shorter especially in the winter. Women have a lot more body fat so I dont think the cold affects them as much as us guys.

Porn. if they wanna watch it let em. Maybe you could ask them to hold up the stuff so everyone can see it to-gether

[womblingfree]

[shuize]