Korean Job Discussion Forums

[darrenmullins]

It is time for me to dump on Asian culture. After living here for four years-three of them in Korea and one in Japan, I still do not understand why these idiots are so offended by shoes being worn indoors. It seems like it isn't limted to houses too. It also includes restaurants, motels and even recording studios.

I know that the reason for this rule has to do with cleaness, but I don't understand why wearing shoes inside is so offensive when I go to a restroom and see that there is no toilet paper for a person to properly wipe after having a bowel movement. The stupidity doesn't stop there. Even if you are lucky enough to find a restroom with toilet paper, you may not have soap to wash your hands after you wipe yourself. I am sorry, but a few sheets of toilet paper between my hand and my you-know-what doesn't cut it. Soap is needed too.

I wish the stupidity stopped with that, but it doesn't. Koreans put up with poor working conditions, cheating spouses and yet all they can do is whine about shoes.

I have heard it said "when in Rome do as the Romans do". Any foreigners here that say that deserve to be screwed on their pay. Not wearing shoes indoors and not being paid on time are both part of Korean culture. It is funny how I have met many westerners here who are jerks about removing shoes indoors, but they will not tolerate late pay. The westerners who do this would NEVER think about removing shoes back in their home countries.

Many of the people who read this will not be smart enough to understand what I am talking about. I am only trying point out that the Korean way is not always the best way.

One last thing-allowing a person to lay face down in a pool at a sauna for 30 minutes seems to also be Korean culture.

Koreans can allow people to die in a pool at a sauna.
Koreans can have a bowel movement and have no regard for wiping ourselves or washing our hands.
Koreans can tolerate late pay if we are paid at all.

Koreans will not wear shoes indoors.

I hope everyone can see how CAVEMAN-ISH these people are.

[rhinocharge64]

CONGRATULATIONS!!! You are knob jockey of the month. Oh, and get some pyshchatric help you clown.

[bassexpander]

Personally, as gross as the streets and sidewalks are with ajosshis spitting, China dust, etc., I can't see why anyone would want to wear shoes in their house here.

Ever lay on the floor of your home?

[Tarkaan]

[Lekker]

You don't like it, so here's what you do.

carry a bottle of dettoll soap on you in your bag wherever you go. Take some toilet paper as well. That's what I do, it works fine. Wash your hands, wipe your ass, you've got it covered. You can do it, I know you can.

And people in the west cheat on their spouses just as much as they do here.

[darrenmullins]

This is exactly the response I knew I would get. I have taken note of how nobody is complaining about getting screwed on pay and how nobody cares that a person was allowed to lay face down in a pool of water. Darwin was on to something.

For the record-I do carry a bar of soap and tissue with me.

Don't even get me started on people coughing here without covering their mouths. It seems that Koreans don't carry germs. Those are imported by English teachers.

[svetsky]

[darrenmullins]

Removing shoes is also common in Japan. My problem there is that while we must remove our shoes while entering a house, we must also remove shoes when we enter a school building. Classrooms there do not have heat. I taught there in the winter and teachers and students both would wear coats while class was in session.

My problem is not with removing shoes. My problem is how people do not tolerate wearing shoes indoors while they tolerate much worse things. Personally, a person wearing shoes in my house would be the last thing I would be concerned with if my wife was cheating on me, I hadn't been paid in three months or if my apartment was a firetrap.

[Stormy]

Very good points. Because in other countries nobody ever cheats on their spouse, nobody ever assaults or murders other people, they are all kind & sweet & decent to each other every day. Every single person who uses a toilet lathers up afterwards & cares about hygiene. Nobody ever has problems at work or late pay or crap bosses. People wear their muddy boots everywhere including bed. There are also unicorns and fairies roaming the magic forests. You'd better leave this hellhole asap & head back to fairyland before you too are tainted.

[merkurix]

[rubric]

After five years here I couldn't imagine walking through the house (here or back home) without offing the shoes. Spit, dog shit, bugs and crap in the house on the floor, no thanks.

[Hanson]

^ Every time I come across your avatar, I can't help but watch it for a while. For some reason, I feel like I have to watch the sequence at least four or five times...

[Zaria32]

Me too, I watch and watch. And always the question in my mind is "Why didn't the standing girl turn off the stupid treadmill?" They must not be friends...

[rubric]

I think she was set up for this as a practical joke.
The twist and smack into the wall starts me laughing...I'm sick and I need help

[Ilsanman]

I beg to differ. In the west, is whoring 4% of the GNP?