Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Gollum]

Some random thoughts:

When I first moved here, I wondered what effects a change in diet would have on me. I truly think that what we eat here in Korea, specifically what changes/adjustments we have to make in our diet, can really effect our moods.

I found that I drank a lot less milk here -- partly because it just tastes gawd-awful and even smells. Milk is something I used to drink 2 gallons of a week back home. Consequently, my teeth have decayed more rapidly. I'd attribute the exacerbated decay to less calcium intake, and the fact that Korean water has no flouride in it (something we have back home). Milk also makes me gain a lot of weight here. The fat level is really high in the Korean milk. I've since found a low-fat brand which I drink now, however.

I was reading MSN online today, and found this article about how it's believed that Vitamin D (often added to milk to aid in calcium absorbtion) eases depression:

http://content.health.msn.com/content/article/91/101374.htm

I found that very interesting, and wondered if the change I experienced in drinking milk/eating different foods may have effected my mood quite a bit. I am not depressed now, but found in the past after a break-up of a relationship, my mind really went into the dumps easily. I'm sure some of it could be attributed to not having the family/support system near me, as well.

What makes this all more interesting to me is knowing that many other people who come here to teach struggle with the same issues at some point. Some never get a handle on it and just get the heck out. Let's face it -- Korea can be a hard place to live at times, especially if you go it alone.

One more thing. Vitamins are OUTRAGEOUS here. I must be looking in the wrong place, right? They wanted 70,000 won for a bottle of Calcium/Vitamin D suppliment at the local Pharmacy. A multivitamin was merely 40,000! Yikes! I can buy the same stuff back home for 1/4 to 1/5th of that.

[shawner88]

Just drink a lot of Walmart brand milk. Cheap and you get your vitamin D. Also, just as a side note, I used to think the milk tasted weird here, but after a while I grew to like it so much that milk back home tastes weird to me now.

[Gollum]

[jajdude]

I would drink the "Denmark" lowfat milk, available in some places. I used to find it in the Family Mart near my place. Tasted fine to me. The other brands did suck though.

I also found "Centrum" multivitamins, 100 in a bottle, at NamDaeMun market for 15000 won, over a year ago.

[Eazy_E]

Vitamins are probably small and light enough for someone back home to airmail to you cheaply. Ten days and voila... they're yours.

[peppermint]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't vitamin D the one that's connected with getting enough sunlight? If so, cheap and very easy at this time of year.

[Gollum]

Denmark is the milk I buy at Lotte now. Pretty decent, for Korean milk.

Had to laugh at the "Einstein" brand milk, which is, "Secreted from cows."

Who would want to drink something "secreted"... yuck! I think of puss-oozing cuts or female periods when I hear "secreted".

[Gollum]

[Wisco Kid]

I used to think the milk tasted weird here, but after a while I grew to like it so much that milk back home tastes weird to me now.

[Wisco Kid]

Uh, sorry I messed up the quote function that was my first try at it.

[schwa]

Centrum A to Zinc (multi vitamins & minerals) is available at many drugstores. I think I paid about 20000 won last time for 100 tablets, close enough to western prices.

[Zyzyfer]

Vitamins from Walmart back home would cost like 5 bucks. Last year I had paid the 40,000 won for multivitamins and another 40,000 for some fish oil shit, and then when I went home, I saw that I could get the shit for like 10,000 all told, so I brought back a big supply of it. When it runs low, it'll be care package time.