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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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Yaya
Joined: 25 Feb 2003
Location: Seoul
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 Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 5:54 am Post subject: |
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| If you go vegetarian or vegan in Korea, it could also hamper your social life if you go out in groups, as in trying to find a place that serves vegetarian dishes. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 11:57 am Post subject: |
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| Even Outback here has an "off-menu" vegetarian menu. Of course, it's not extensive, but it's there. |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 4:22 pm Post subject: |
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| cat_herder wrote: |
| sojusucks wrote: |
| cat_herder wrote: |
Good to know. New to this forum, and have been vegan for 6 years, vegetarian for longer.
One thing that people have touched on, and that consequently, I am now worrying about, is the social consequeces of vegetarianism. I'm in the process of filling out my EPIK application and noticed that one of the "heath self-assessment" questions is whether you are vegan or vegetarian--as if that could be some kind of health liability (it's on the list just above the question about whether or not you have a physical disability).
Should I just own it, and check yes? Or is this one of those times, similar to like the depression question, which I believe people seem to recommend lying about? I can see stretching the truth and then having it come up later and be even more awkward. It makes me wonder how they react to people who make dietary choices for similar ethical or religious reasons (e.g., keep kosher, only eat halal meat)? |
The EPIK question is probably related to Korean school lunches. If you can't eat it then there might be a problem.
I'm just guessing that some foreign teachers, who happened to be vegetarians, have made a big fuss about not being able
to eat the school lunches. They should have understood, up front, that Korean schools serve Korean food and only Korean food.
It is kinda funny, though, just picturing some "know-it-all" vegetarian lecturing Koreans about "healthy food" since Koreans
love to lecture foreigners about "healthy food." Good times, good times. |
Okay. Funny, because I would never except to be able to eat vegetarian (let alone vegan) school cafeteria food (or at least in anyway resembling a balanced meal) in an American public school. I definitely don't mind being responsible for my own lunch. |
We all know how annoying many vegetarians can be about food issues, ("Let me tell you the 85 reasons why I am better than everyone because I don't eat meat"), and just imagine working with one at a public school. Butting heads over the school lunch is not a good idea.
Cat herder, you have reasonable and realistic expectations but so many have no idea what is waiting for them, and some recruiters tell them anything to get them to sign a contract. The ironic thing is that because of budget issues many Korean school lunches are being served sans meat. |
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CentralCali
Joined: 17 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 4:26 pm Post subject: |
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| Some people are vegetarian for very real medical reasons. Others are vegetarians for a variety of personal reasons. In either case, there is no need to "butt heads" over lunch at the public schools. Simply inform the school that you will not be eating the cafeteria lunch. The school then will not deduct the cafeteria meal fee from your pay. I'm vegetarian, working at my second public school, and that's how I've done it at both schools. |
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sojusucks
Joined: 31 May 2008
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| Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 4:32 pm Post subject: |
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| CentralCali wrote: |
| Some people are vegetarian for very real medical reasons. Others are vegetarians for a variety of personal reasons. In either case, there is no need to "butt heads" over lunch at the public schools. Simply inform the school that you will not be eating the cafeteria lunch. The school then will not deduct the cafeteria meal fee from your pay. I'm vegetarian, working at my second public school, and that's how I've done it at both schools. |
Agreed. It is better if they know about this ahead of time and can work it out that way. That's probably the reason for the EPIK notice about Korean food. |
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byrddogs
Joined: 19 Jun 2009
Location: Shanghai
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| Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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| The public school lunch thing is a slight issue. I worked in a middle school for 3 years; was always re-hired. I chose not to eat the school lunch for differing reasons from a vegetarian. You will be asked on multiple occasions why you don't join other teachers and why don't you eat Korean food even after you explain why. Mostly, people will leave you alone, but there is always someone/people who can't fathom the idea. It's the nature of things there. |
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