Korean Job Discussion Forums

Alan Partidge · Joined: 29 Nov 2005

These are two things that I've thought about a bit:

1. How can people not get food poisoning from street food, esp. in summer when fish and meat is sometimes sitting around for hours in the warm air? And they don't have hot running water.

2. Why do some non-Koreans insist on doing things like handing me something with 2 hands and pouring alcohol with 2 hands? It's polite when doing it to a Korean, but I'm not Korean, so it just seems pretentious.

IlIlNine · Joined: 15 Jun 2005 Location: Gunpo, Gyonggi, SoKo

1. Fire

2. Habit

princess · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: soul of Asia

You need to be especially careful about street food in summer. Yesterday I saw samgyet'ang chickens being sold on the street. Yuck! Riht out in the open where flies, etc., can land on them, not to mention they were in the sun. I'd buy them from inside a store.

aphong420 · Joined: 06 Feb 2007 Location: KOREAAAAAAH

I'd also stay away from the Kimbab places ... especially if you're buying Kimbab. That shit sits out all day ... disgusting and will probably cause you to die.

seoulis · Joined: 29 May 2007

1. It's a mystery.

2. Common courtesy. Would you prefer they treat their Korean counterparts one way, and you (foreigners) another?

Barking Mad Lord Snapcase · Joined: 04 Nov 2003

Go to cafes, delis and restaraunts. Cook your own food when you can. And never, NEVER laugh at an expat for eating Western fast food. Yes, it's "unhealthy" by Western standards, but in Korea ... well ...

jaganath69 · Joined: 17 Jul 2003

1. My mate got heinous food poisoning from a dongkass on a stick near Jongno when he first arrived. It happens.

Alan Partidge · Joined: 29 Nov 2005

Seoulis, it's not common courtesy between non-Koreans. Do you do it?

I find the customs involved in drinking interesting and I always try to observe them when I'm with Koreans, but I don't with non-Koreans. Drinking is about relaxing for me, so I don't really want to be worrying about rules.

Barking Mad Lord Snapcase · Joined: 04 Nov 2003

seoulis · Joined: 29 May 2007

billybrobby · Joined: 09 Dec 2004

lsrupert · Joined: 27 Aug 2006

I do it with everyone. It's a hard habit to break. I've lived here for 3 years, and it has become second nature. Why let it bother you? It's not a big deal. When I travel to other countries on vacation, I find that I bow, pass with 2 hands, and refer to the cost of anything in won. I even do the 'come here' beckon with my palm down. Just habit, I guess.

IncognitoHFX · Joined: 06 May 2007 Location: Yeongtong, Suwon

Alan Partidge · Joined: 29 Nov 2005

If the 2 hands thing is just habit, I can understand it, but it's the people that go native that annoy me. I'm getting grumpy in my old age.

Someone mentioned kimbap. Think about rice, egg, mayo, seafood, and ham sitting out (for potentially hours) of the fridge. If you can eat it and survive, you're lucky.

I was just curious because so much of this food is eaten and I almost never hear of Koreans getting food poisoning. Lucky buggers must have iron stomachs.

kotakji · Joined: 23 Oct 2006

I think your digestive track gets used to the various micro-critters after living here a while. The street food that would have made me sick back when I first arrived is now a normal staple for me.

As for the two hands thing- force of habit here as well. Its not pretentious in of itself. Besides its a 'polite' habit. Wouldnt it be worse if people picked up the more disgusting habits (spitting etc) and then displayed them around their non-Korean compats?