Korean Job Discussion Forums

[bixlerscott]

Oh it's cold today and you guessed it...I came down with another common cold again today with runny nose, sneezing, chills, and that weak feeling. I am sure it's not just the cold weather today as I have been in cold weather all my life from time to time, but I get sick over and over again here, about once every 3 weeks for over 3 months straight now. I always had a very hardy constitution before where I would only get sick about once every year or two. I have had the common cold 5 times now, many sore throats, and one case of tonsilitus since arriving in January. I must had been living in too clean of an environment at home despite living in dirty downtown St. Louis city for the past 4 years. I was around lots of people, including kids everyday on buses and trains there in close populated conditions.

I noticed the Koreans here are not getting sick like I am. They sure must have a hardy constitution much like how I had at home and when living in Europe for 3 years. I am wondering if I will have to endure this misery for my whole stay here or if it will stop when truly warm weather comes about. I felt good for the past 3 weeks while it was warm since my tonsilitus episode.
I never had such issues like this before since I was in elementary grade school. Perhaps those kids are giving me every germ under the Sun that Korea festers.

I don't really believe it's the kids themselves, but perhaps, viruses are excessively festering in the local environment more than I've ever been exposed to. Something is badly wrong or simply very different for me here.

Even though I am around kids alot, anyone care to explain what the deal is with Korea making me sick so much and what I can do to help myself be hardy again? I eat healthy, drink lots of juice and water everyday, get lots of exercise, wash my hands once an hour, and rest 7 to 9 hours a night.

Anyone else experiencing this?

[tzechuk]

You are just exposed to cold viruses that do not exist at home, so your body is adjusting again.

You will get used to it.

[white tiger]

I feel your pain.
I'm just getting over a 2-week-long runny nose cold from hell that infected my sinuses, and made my cheeks hurt for the past week.
As for getting used to new viruses, Im guessing that it takes several years, just like it would take a newborn to get used to viruses in its own country. I get'em alot since coming here, and I DO BLAME THE KIDS.
No, wait, I blame the mothers for sending their deathly ill kids to school. Do Koreans know nothing of sick days?
anyway, maybe it's stress that's weakening you? DOn't let the 'balli balli' get to you, if you know what I mean!

[princess]

Do you have roommates? I know when I had roommates here I was sick all the darn time, for 2 years in a row. Every few weeks I would catch something, and then I had a cold for 2 weeks which turned into bronchitis for a month, couldn't even take 1 sick day, then just as I got over that, I got a virus for the first 3 days of summer vacation. Now, with no roommates, I haven't been sick once in 5 months. Also, in another year when I had no roommates, I rarely got sick that year.

[ajuma]

[discostar23]

seriously drink those vitamin C drinks everyday and it should help u ward off the colds...

[Adventurer]

I felt that way when I first came to Korea. Actually, expect a major adjustment for up to 7 months. Go easy on the beer, if you have a cold avoid ice cream. Some say that ice cream and dairy products make colds worse. Hey, it is better adjusting to stuff in Korea than in some places in Africa or even Mexico. I remember in some country in Africa having Pharaoh's revenge. It was not fun at all.