Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Globutron]

I always took pride in the fact that I am never ill. My whole life consisted of one episode of the cold, and that's about the extent of it.
The doctors was a surreal, unfamiliar place and the hospital was a new planet altogether (when visiting family there).

Since coming to korea 7 months ago, I've had 3 major episodes of what I think google has diagnosed as 'death'. Either that or pregnancy. Not a good outlook for a guy, really.

Currently recovering from the worst thing ever which I won't go into details with but I'll just assure you it wasn't pretty and caused me to beg for things not to go wrong during teaching time. I even took a day off work which is a major deal at my place. I don't think anyone has taken a day off in years and it's a major problem if somebody does I think.

I'm sure it wasn't food poisoning this time since I only had what I usually have the morning before - Cereal and milk, your standard western breakfast.

I just remember getting a headache before hitting the hay and it went completely downhill from there.
What is it with this country *rubs chin*

[Hotwire]

Get off the k food.

I have a sensitive stomach and as much as I love chiggaes and kimchi etc if I eat it every day i too am 'praying nothing happens.'

When I switch back to the non spicy food and non spicy k food, everything runs smoothly again. Or not if you'll excuse the pun....

[Globutron]

What a great response.

I have a theory on this basis that it is the spice... Since as I say it NEVER happened back in England. But when I came to Korea, my first meal was the hottest thing I've ever had, including fire.

However, I;ve now adjusted quite well and I suppose I could have forgotten The 'power' it contains (I'm aware its weak compared to many, many other cultural foods).

However, It fails to explain the cold sweating, severe headache lasting 2 days, vomiting, dizziness, and basically every symptom you could possibly imagine to happen in a 3 day period.

The other theory is the air. Different viruses floating around and all that, but I'm never sure about the myth or truth behind that.

[pangaea]

Have you gone to the doctor? A severe headeache with dizziness and vomiting sounds like a serious issue.

[captain kirk]

Although you are not in Ulsan, perhaps you are being tortured by persons unknown (shady characters no doubt) using an electromagnetic device. I kid, I kid.

First year people/newbs are usually sick with flu and colds (new strains to their foreign body, unaccustomed). I remember my first year the roomie got 'gastroenteritis' from eating raw squid/fish with kochu. Right out of the sea one Chusok plucked by the brother of the hagwon boss, who was a fisherman. It was a most unwholesome sickness.

If you're not eating fruit and vegetables because they're too expensive it could be a shortage of trace minerals or simply hot spicy ramyon guts. I really recommend this product which you can order online
www.liquidzeolitecompany.com It contains trace minerals. It looks like swamp water but I feel great. It also has the primary purpose ingredient, zeolite, which entraps heavy metals and toxins at a cellular level and carries them out via bodily elimination. Korea is very high in industrial toxins, or rather, China's, since the wind blows east.

In Anyang you're practically getting the same air pollution as Seoul. One year I was in Seoul and all three of us FT's got deathly ill like you're talking about. The boss took us to the doc who gave us an IV injection containing a clear fluid. The other two FTs were Kiwis and one continued to be VERY sick (he got pale, gaunt, looked like death, and had to go home to NZ). What we all had was 'pollution sickness' the Koreans said. And the IV injection was tailored to cure.

[teachingld2004]

The first year I was here I got sick the first week and I think I was sick most of the year. Now I am rarely sick.
I do not go out to eat here often. As a matter of fact I cna not remember the last time I went out to eat.
I never buy street food. Yes, some of it taste wonderful, but "clean and sanitary" are words here that are not used.
Do not share food and/or drinks. Carry soap with you. Carry hand sanitizer.
My school usually has soap in the bathroom. One bar that every one uses.
Yes there will be people who will write that sharing food has not killed them.
Koreans do not know what "a sick day" is. The kids and the teachers come to school some times looking like death. When I was working in hogwons and wanted to send home a sick child, I was told "the parents are not home" or "The child must stay in the class". Pink eye" went around one school like wild fire. I heard "The doctor said it was not catching". Sure it was not.
It is hard not to get sick here, but try.
One year I had more then 1/2 a class sick. I put 2 desks together and wrote "hospital" and stuck them ther. More kids were in the hospital then not.
Good luck.

[oldfatfarang]

Welcome to Asia. Some tips from a long-term traveller who's been sick on every continent - and when I mean sick, I've nearly died twice from exotic lurgies.

Basic hygeine doesn't exist in Asia, i.e., people don't wash their hands after going to the toilet, and they don't wash their hands before they eat - and they will cough germs straight into your face without covering their mouths -so be prepared.

- don't accept any uncooked food.
- wash your hands after every class, and when you first come into your apartment (hot water and soap).
- Never use a handtowl to dry hands - or a dishtowel to dry dishes.
- buy shoes that don't need shoelaces and never touch your shoes (dirt and bacteria just love shoes)
Don't grab handholds and rails on public buses (they are never cleaned and they have mm of discarded skin/bacteria on them). You'll even see locals wearing white gloves when using public transport.
- Never put your feet/backside where you put your head
- If you find a restaurant you don't get sick in - that's your restaraunt from now on.
- Wash all your vegetables/food and cook it yourself.
- Don't leave food outside your fridge for a second (Asia's humid air contains a lot of bacteria).
- hot soapy water for washing dishes/pots/benches etc.
-Don't eat from communal bowls & dishes/side dishes/cooking pots (etc).
- clean your chopsticks/utensils before you eat at restaurants


This advice might sound patronising - but even simple basic hygeine like this can stop a lot of health problems in Asia. Let's face it - Asia's fun and interesting, but clean it aint.

PS: If you doubt how unsanitary food hygeine in Asian countries really is - walk around any traditional market - and have a really good look at the way food is stored, displayed and packaged. I live at the back of a wet market, and I wouldn't buy anything from there - and neither would I eat at a local restaurant that bought its produce there either.
Good luck.

[optik404]

[treehouse]

Yeah...
I agree that one should be mindful of germs to an extent, but you
are one step from living in a bubble.
It's all well and good to wash your veggies, washing your hands after classes, etc. but wearing white gloves on public transportation?
Personally, I have maybe seen a person wearing gloves (not in winter)
for the sole purpose of riding public transportation once in 2 years.

I think a little good ol' common sense will do the trick.

[NYC_Gal]

I wear gloves when I ride the train, and shower and change my clothes as soon as I get home. It's not living in a bubble. It's keeping yourself clean. What with the uncovered coughs and nose picking, why would I want to touch that?

EDIT: My gloves are green cashmere. There's no reason to forgo fashion for health.

[oldfatfarang]

[optik404]

Why wear gloves only on the bus or train? If you're going to take it that far, you might as well wear them everywhere.

[oldfatfarang]

[NYC_Gal]

[oldfatfarang]