Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sammyd]

I dunno...
It's been a while here now, and I've tried giving up the ciggies by the Monday morning...

Wat do you think... is it just easier to smoke here than back home?

Isn't it just too easy when you've got your own apartment, packs are cheap, and no- ones gonna tell you otherwise?
I personally find it more difficult to think about quitting, let alone actually trying while I'm here.

If you smoke, share your thoughts

[keithinkorea]

I plan to quit. I'm fed up with having a bit of a smokers cough and want to get more healthy. It's also a waste of money, ok they're very cheap in Korea but I still spend at least 10k on cigs each week and that's half a mill over the year, the price of half a nice holiday somewhere sunny.

I'm going to try and just smoke a couple of cigars when I'm in the pub at the weekend and knock the old cigs on the head.

It is harder to quit in Korea, cos they're cheap, available everywhere and at any hour of the day or night.

[Rather_Dashing]

Think of the people who smoke a pack a day back home, you're talking over 2 grand per year on fags alone.

EDIT: apparently, the British term for cigarette is beeped out. Gay!

[The Bobster]

[jinks]

Oh dear.
I quit the dhurries years ago, but have been chugging away on the other stuff ever since. Kind of like a smoking substitute. I am going to Korea next month and this thread has reminded me that if I want to keep on smoking it'll have to be the gafs - or nothing!

[dutchman]

If you really want to quit, read this book. I can almost guarantee you'll stop without any major withdrawals. It's been ten months for me and it truly was easy.

[canadian_in_korea]

Hey there...I don't know too much about smoking in Korea vs. smoking at home....but I quit about 9 years ago......The best advice I can give you is this....1. Don't tell anyone that you are quitting, that way if you have one you don't have people saying "i thought you quit?" 2. When you quit drinking people say you have to take it one day at a time, well when you quit smoking you have to take it one HOUR at a time...if you goall day without one and cave at 9 or 10 pm its no biggy there's always tomorrow. I tried to quit about 7 or 8 times in total before I actually did quit. Everyday I made it until 5 pm then I caved......then one day I just decided okay, I'm going to see how long I can really go without one.....that was 9 years ago. When you do decide to quit...good luck and hang in there..

[Butterfly]

[The Bobster]

"it's easy to quit smoking. I've done it hundreds of times." (attributed to) Mark Twain

Every time I make the trip from N American back over here I have to quit smoking for just about 24 hours - it's a 16-hour plane ride, and add the hour or two they make you wait in the airport before and after, check-in and customs, what not, plus whatever ride to and from the airport. My usual strategy is to stay awake at least 24 hours before the flight, ask for a whisky and soda (or three) from the lovely ladies in the uniforms when they go by with the bar-carts and then try to sleep through most of the flight.

Ahh, tho, I do remember fondly the first time I did a visa run to Japan, that was back in '96 - stayed in Korea for a while and then went back to teach in California for a few years more before coming here - and back then still that gray area between when the US had banned smoking on all flights to or from the US and a short time later when the rest of the world went along and did the same for all flights between international borders. Has anyone but myself who is reading this ever sat on an airplane and smoked a cigarette while drinking a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper?

(It's a short flight, less than 2 hours so I really didn't want one so much, but I remember thinking I could read the writing on the wall, and that doing such a simple thing as that might one day become the stuff of legend ...)

Fact is, I really like tobacco far too much to want to quit. I remember being at a party with some other waygooks a few years ago, and a guy leaned over and said. "You know, I was about to ask you to put that out, but then I noticed how intensely you seemed to be enjoying it, and I started to enjoy watching you almost as much - you know, vicariously - so I'd really prefer you continue right now.." That guy still gets Christmas cards from me, by the way.

Living in a city like Seoul, with the air quality here, can't imagine how quitting cigarettes would possibly have any discernible effect. One theory I've been working on lately is that with the rate industries and cars have been tossing poisons into the air the last 8 or 20 decades, and the way things are likely to continue for a while, I sort of figure us nicotine fiends are gonna have a leg up on the rest of y'all ...

Funny thing, though. Last time I made that transpacific flight I was awake for all of it and I didn't mind - and I've worked summer and winter intensives sessions here of 10- and 11-hour shifts in the classroom, no sweat. Keep me busy, and I don't think about the cancer sticks ...

Truth is, honestly, I've really never tried to quit so I couldn't say if it's difficult or not - I like it, so I guess I haven't found a good reason yet.

[Rather_Dashing]

If you enjoy tobacco so much Bob, you should be smoking cigars. You're not supposed to inhale. Inhaling is what makes cigarettes so deadly.

[The Bobster]

[Swiss James]

whenever people tell me I should quit smoking I tell them
"But I really enjoy it"
Non-smokers don't seem to understand the pleasure to be had from that first Friday night cig after a few drinks, or lighting up after a big meal.

[Bulsajo]

All the more reason you should read the book Dutchman recommends.

[Swiss James]

do you know of any books that could remove the pleasure from drinking, or listening to music? Because then I'd have loads of free time to read more self-help books.

[Bulsajo]

Free your mind and your ass will follow.
Seriously.
OK, I'll shut up about it now because I see that I've already started to turn into one of those anti-smoking Nazis that I used to hate so much.