Korean Job Discussion Forums

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

I always have a bottle of water with me. Once a friend asked me why I carry water in the winter. "To put out fires," I told her. I wasn't even joking. The officetel workers in my building smoke in the stairwells. Now I appreciate that in that the people below me aren't going to be piping their smoke into my apartment. Back in Seattle I had these downstairs neighbors that were retired, British, and spent basically every waking moment watching TV and smoking some brand of strong smelling tobacco. Even a year after they moved out, people visiting my apartment could still smell the smoke.

Anyway, here they smoke in stairwells and flick their ashes in a can they fish out of the recycle... I want to say bins but there are not bins. You just hurl your recyclables at a wall near the elevator. Once in a while, a person is not clear on the idea that you can't put both paper and plastic waste and your burning cigarette stub in the can. A small fire starts and fills the stairwell with smoke.

And then I come along and dump the contents of my water bottle in the can. Keeping the building from burning down.

willneverteachagain · Joined: 17 Dec 2006

does peeing on the fire count as putting it out?

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

I haven't put out any fires but I'm sure some have smoldered on our smoke balcony. There's a large corn can that's used as an ashtray, and people use it like it's a trashcan. Sometimes they toss their tissues in there. How retarded is that?

blynch · Joined: 25 Oct 2006 Location: UCLA

rothkowitz · Joined: 27 Apr 2006

so hwa gi=fire extinguisher.

bul(as in bulgogi)=fire

Are they the lemmings · Posted: Tue Feb 27, 2007 3:17 am Post subject:

How does one shout "Fire!" in Korean when there's, you know, a fire?

djsmnc · Joined: 20 Jan 2003 Location: Dave's ESL Cafe

Seani · Joined: 05 Aug 2006 Location: Chuncheon

Before you shout "Fire" .... you should probably start with.. " Legt.....an! "

just because · Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: Changwon - 4964

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

I had to put a fire out in my apt once. It was back when I had plastic dishes and wasn't really into washing them if there was a clean one in the cupboard. Somebody called and said they were coming over, so I stashed my dirty dishes in the oven. Had a nice visit with my friends then got hungry.

Burning plastic really smells bad.