Korean Job Discussion Forums

[ramen209]

I work in a public school, and I eat a normal, healthy amount. However, I feel like I'm constantly force fed various snacks and sweets, sometimes its nice to have a snack, but sometimes I'm not hungry, and they don't take no for an answer. Also, at lunch, some of the teachers watch and comment on how much/little I eat every day and even pile more food on my plate if they don't feel I'm eating enough. The constant examination is getting tiring! I've actually gained weight due to this phenomenon! Has anyone else had a similar experience?

[Cerulean]

Yes.

Lucky the new year is right around the corner and you can say you're on a diet.

[eamo]

Koreans use sharing food for group bonding. Constantly being offered food is their way of including you in a group.

Take what they give you and nibble a bit and maybe throw away later........Or you can always say you're on special diet.......but flatly refusing all the time might cause resentment in the long term.

[karenology]

http://theoatmeal.com/quiz/plotting_eat

[offtheoche]

Take the snack, tell them you'll eat it later.....and then proceed to dump it in the nearest trash can, once you've left the building.

[tatertot]

At my previous place of employment, they were always offering me food. I occasionally turned down the snacks (when I wasn't hungry or if they were unappealing). Eventually, one of the Korean teachers said to me, "Tatertot, declining food is rude." So I started to just accept it and then throw it away. I think that's your best bet. If you want to up the passive agressiveness, make sure to throw it away in a manner that lets them know you discarded the food.

[Artris]

The plus side is, of course, they are pretty much guaranteed to eat anything you give them. I've joked with one of them about bringing lots of treats and 'sharing' them every day until I start to see an impact. On their health. It was received warmly.

I always feel really bad declining food. Most of the time I have a decent reason: I'm a vegetarian and some of the snacks have meat in them. Sometimes I am really not all that hungry and so just try to politely decline.

My co-teachers seem to understand this and I am sure it has little impact on our relationship. Sometimes they explain it to the other teachers, I've seen, and I suspect there may be some issue there but very little. My being a vegetarian actually helps here: they assume it is more to do with my not eating meat than not wanting to partake.

Really the biggest issue, to me, is the bread. Paris Baguette must be making a killing. Probably an average of twice every three weeks all the teachers get 'bread'. At first I ate it but, eventually, I really got sick of it. Particularly the bean paste filled kind. For this scenario I will mostly say no but, on occasion, accept and give the bread to a student on my way home. Basically I only accept when it is clear that I would be insulting someone not to.

Don't waste food if you can avoid it.

[Illysook]

This is why some of us go ahead and let the Korean teachers believe that we can't eat spicy foods. I don't like eating rubber bands, so things with Octopus are always "too spicy." They don't have to know what I eat in Thailand or Mexico.

[ippy]

Its not just you dude. I have one particularly insufferable teacher who will always harass EVERYONE into eating when he spies the food (thats been sitting their for 20 minutes and if people wanted to eat they would have eaten). Its endearing in a way because its a total concern that you shouldnt do that alone and you should think about everyone else, but as i say, after the tenth time of doing it it stops becoming sweet and thoughtful and starts becoming a nuisance

He NEVER bothers me mind you. But any other teacher wont be allowed to get on with what theyre doing until they get up, come to the big table, eat a bite and say a couple of words to him. At that point he'll scran scran scran.

As i say, its not just you, your korean teachers are finding it annoying sometimes too

I however go with the SUPER DIET!!! Snowboard! excuse

I mean I honestly am, but it doesnt half stab you in the nuts when the next day they bring out a massive cream cake and goad you with it

[Vagabundo]

nonsense. How old are you again?

who can "force" you to do anything? is this done at gunpoint?

yes, Koreans use food (and even more so, drinking among males) as group bonding, but you can always politely refuse when you are full, or nibble and throw rest away later, or say you''re on a diet, or use the spicy excuse (which is true in my case).

this is all very easily avoidable if you have even the slightest bit of backbone and political common sense (which means never flatly refuse all the time, etc)

I eat what I want to eat, at the time I want to eat it, and with whom I choose to eat it with (or alone). No one dares to even "suggest" how I should change what I do (well meant suggestions were offered in the beginning and I SNIP -ed most of them, of course)

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

I usually say I'm on a "wellbeing" diet, or take it with a thank you, then give it to a kid or two in the playground later.

[interestedinhanguk]

Giving it away to kids usually works. If it's one big thing that is hard to split among a class (a jelly doughnut, for example), give it as a prize for a star student or something. Sometimes if there's some kids early for class (hagwon, we sit at a big table) I just put the food in the middle of the table and let them rip it apart.

Though, these things might become more awkward in front of the co-teacher if he or she is the one expecting you to eat.

A few months back the lunch lady (cooks for the kindergarteners) made really bad tangsuyuk for lunch (I usually go out or bring lunch). She insisted on giving me a big plate. She then assumed I would want a sauce with it (not tangsuyuk sauce, though). Of course, since I'm American she knows I want ketchup. The squirted ketchup over the mess. I saved it for my early afternoon hagwon kids. The devoured it and I didn't have to be caught getting rid of it.

[tideout]

I've honestly come to hate most all of the social stuff around eating in the school cafeteria.

The "need" to sit with a certain group of co-workers.

The "need" to rush eating because a senior person has a meeting and even though you've explained that it's ok for them to leave, they insist on staying while anxiously staring at your food waiting for it to be eaten etc...

Comments about not having something from every pan on the food line etc.. (Have they never heard of not liking something?).

God forbid you wanted a quiet lunch break on your own to read - a true sign of the apocalypse.

Lunch with co-workers is in the packet of things I'll be very glad to leave behind when I leave Korea.

[Vagabundo]

[Vix]

I find it hard to think of anything more adorable than your little 3 year old Kinder giving you a wee piece of his squid