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Ozzy2
Joined: 27 Feb 2010
Posts: 16
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 Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:29 am Post subject: respect for "I don't drink alcohol"? |
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| I�ve heard that in some countries (I won�t say which in case it�s untrue) its considered good fun to go out and try to get the new teacher as drunk as possible. Has anyone come across this? Has anyone come across the situation where the statement �I don�t drink alcohol?� is not respected? |
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Sashadroogie
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise
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| Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 10:40 am Post subject: |
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| Russia. No respect unless you are a recovering alcoholic. |
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GambateBingBangBOOM
Joined: 04 Nov 2003
Posts: 2021
Location: Japan
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| Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 11:26 am Post subject: |
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| It happens sometimes in Japan. Both from Japanese people and from foreigners. It's easily enough handled. You basically just put your foot down with the Japanese people and tell them that it isn't really a negotiable thing, if it's people you work with. With foreigners, you just stop hanging out with those people. |
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Sadebugo
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 524
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| Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 12:39 pm Post subject: Re: respect for "I don't drink alcohol"? |
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| R. Snow wrote: |
| I�ve heard that in some countries (I won�t say which in case it�s untrue) its considered good fun to go out and try to get the new teacher as drunk as possible. Has anyone come across this? Has anyone come across the situation where the statement �I don�t drink alcohol?� is not respected? |
In Korea, it is very, very difficult to refuse going out and drinking with your Korean coworkers. Some Korean teachers avoid this by professing their Christian faith. However, I doubt this would work for the foreign teacher because they don't accord us the same respect as their countrymen. As you suspected, they always insist we put on a show for them.
In Japan, from my experiences, the pressure is not as strong. They even have a custom where they have a 'first party' and a 'second party.' The first one lasts about two hours and involves dinner and moderate drinking. When it ends, it is perfectly acceptable to go home at that time. If you stay for the second party, all bets are off and you may be out for a while! But, at least you have an escape option after only a few hours and knowing this makes the dinner more enjoyable.
Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/ |
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Glenski
Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN
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| Posted: Sun Mar 07, 2010 9:56 pm Post subject: |
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| GambateBingBangBOOM wrote: |
| It happens sometimes in Japan. Both from Japanese people and from foreigners. It's easily enough handled. You basically just put your foot down with the Japanese people and tell them that it isn't really a negotiable thing, if it's people you work with. With foreigners, you just stop hanging out with those people. |
I'm with Sadebugo here. I don't drink and have received no more than a startled look by 99.9% of the Japanese I have dealt with. Never ever a problem if you even try to give a reason. Doesn't have to be true, either.
Hurts my stomach.
Don't like the taste.
These have served me well (no pun intended). |
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johntpartee
Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 3258
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| Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2010 5:42 pm Post subject: |
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| ALL OF THE TIME in China. I refuse to go to restaurants with anyone. They don't even respect the "I'm an alky, I can't drink". |
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Ozzy2
Joined: 27 Feb 2010
Posts: 16
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| Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:31 am Post subject: Re alcohol and china |
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| Do the comments above by Johntpartee include Taiwan? |
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johntpartee
Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 3258
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| Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 7:41 am Post subject: |
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| You got me! I'm generalizing about 1.4 billion people! No, my comments do not include Taiwan. |
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Sadebugo
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 524
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| Posted: Wed Mar 10, 2010 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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| johntpartee wrote: |
| You got me! I'm generalizing about 1.4 billion people! No, my comments do not include Taiwan. |
It's okay to generalize about one's experiences. Otherwise, you couldn't really offer an opinion about anything.
Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/ |
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fluffyhamster
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 3292
Location: UK > China > Japan > UK again
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 12:34 am Post subject: |
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Good Japanese phrases to know to get out of drinking: 'Nomusugimashita', closely followed by 'Dokuta stoppu'. (Learnt from bitter experience - no, wait, I'm more a lager man myself!  ). Who cares if they then think you're an alchie - they helped make you into one after all! 
The Chinese though really do love boozing (or at least the sight of a sozzled foreigner) - got bundled off into a taxi once after trying to keep up all night with a small business class of nautical engineers! Still, kind of fun though.  |
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johntpartee
Joined: 02 Mar 2010
Posts: 3258
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 2:43 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| It's okay to generalize about one's experiences. Otherwise, you couldn't really offer an opinion about anything. |
TOO general, though. ALL OF THE TIME was incorrect. I have been with people in China who didn't press the issue when I told them I don't (can't) drink.
One of the reasons that MANY of the Chinese press you to drink is that alcoholism is relatively rare among Asians; they don't know what I'm talking about when I tell them I'm an alcoholic. |
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Justin Trullinger
Joined: 28 Jan 2005
Posts: 3110
Location: Seoul, South Korea and Myanmar for a bit
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 9:31 am Post subject: |
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It's interesting how experiences vary, even in a single country. I've recently arrived in Korea for the second time. I actually DO drink, when I feel so inclined, but rarely with local colleagues and never with students. Haven't felt any pressure at all on that front.
Best,
Justin |
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Sadebugo
Joined: 10 May 2003
Posts: 524
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| Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:16 am Post subject: |
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| johntpartee wrote: |
| Quote: |
| It's okay to generalize about one's experiences. Otherwise, you couldn't really offer an opinion about anything. |
TOO general, though. ALL OF THE TIME was incorrect. I have been with people in China who didn't press the issue when I told them I don't (can't) drink.
One of the reasons that MANY of the Chinese press you to drink is that alcoholism is relatively rare among Asians; they don't know what I'm talking about when I tell them I'm an alcoholic. |
I don't agree. When you say "All of the time," we know as native speakers that you don't mean this literally. Anyone who would correct you probably doesn't like the fact that you're being critical at all. I'm very sensitive to the constraints put on language by the PC crowd and their ilk. I think Orwell would be sensitive to it as well as reflected in his writings.
Sadebugo
http://travldawrld.blogspot.com/ |
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jpvanderwerf2001
Joined: 02 Oct 2003
Posts: 1117
Location: New York
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| Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 6:07 am Post subject: |
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| As sasha stated, Russia's not the place for you. Saying you're driving is the only other excuse that works besides 'recovering alcoholic'. |
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hollysuel
Joined: 07 Oct 2007
Posts: 225
Location: Connecticut, USA
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| Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 6:09 am Post subject: |
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| I lasted about three months in Korea and finally gave in and started drinking with students and colleagues. |
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