Korean Job Discussion Forums

Ya-ta Boy · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Location: Established in 1994

The first time I visited my new high school job place last month, all the male teachers took me out for lunch. We had a bowl of dong-dong ju with the bi-bim-bap stuff. Then they went back to work, teaching kids all afternoon.

Yesterday, the lead English teacher took the other K English teacher and me out for lunch. He offered beer with our don-kass. I turned it down because I had two afternoon classes.

I think I'm a prude. If they don't care, why should I? In addition, there were 2 big bottles of beer and 3 bottles of soju in the refrigerator in the teachers' lounge earlier this week.

Korea has a much more relaxed attitude toward drinking and teaching than I am used to. I'm thinking I will add a shot or two of soju to my morning tea.

babtangee · Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 4:18 pm Post subject:

Yesterday I staggered into my morning kinder-class to the usual banging and screaming.
A sweet little girl of 5 or 6 asked me, "Teacher, are you okay?"
I said, "My head... ache... appo."
The girl announced to the class, "Be Quiet! Teacher soju mani moga... modi appo."
I gave her a sticker.

mindmetoo · Joined: 02 Feb 2004

Homer · Guest

Well..I think you are making the right choice there ya-ta.

Stumbling in to your kindie class hung over babtangee...now thats sad...really it is. Confused

joe_doufu · Joined: 09 May 2005 Location: Elsewhere

All the British people are probably laughing at this silly North American thread. One thing I remember distinctly from my last visit to the UK was that every pub was packed full like it was Saturday night... every weekday at about noon. Working the afternoon drunk is not just a Korean tradition.

waterbaby · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Location: Baking Gord a Cheescake pie

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

Hollywoodaction · Joined: 02 Jul 2004

JongnoGuru · Joined: 25 May 2004 Location: peeing on your doorstep

Actually, the Guru hasn't had a single meal (�Ļ�) since 1995.

It's all been ��, baby.

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

I must confess I've turned up to work drunk a couple of times - once from my "soju for breakfast" philosophy (hair of the dog because I felt dreadful) and in the afternoon. If you don't let it affect your teaching in an adverse way, I don't see the problem. If anything, I had fewer inhibitions and had a great class.

VanIslander · Posted: Fri Sep 23, 2005 8:36 pm Post subject:

My director had alcohol with lunch in my first week here. I didn't touch it, saying in my country teachers don't drink before classes, but I encouraged him to go ahead, I don't mind if Koreans do what Koreans do, as long as I can opt out if I want. My director never has had alcohol with lunch again since then when we've eaten lunch together. But that doesn't stop him and I from doing late night drinking jaunts.

Everyone has to decide for themself where one draws the line, what one will do because locals do it, and what one will not do to stay in line with one's values and comfort level.

crazylemongirl · Joined: 23 Mar 2003 Location: almost there...

There's a vast difference between having a beevie and getting drunk. Therefore you can have a beevie or two and then go to class no problem.

Drinking to the point of drunk and teaching... hmm probably not a good idea.

nrvs · Joined: 30 Jun 2004 Location: standing upright on a curve

I drink my share, but I can't possibly conceptualize teaching children with alcohol in my system.

What planet are all of you on?

I_Am_Wrong · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Location: whatever

Last term we did a grade 5 trip to Lotte World and the grade 5 teachers were treated to an huge lunch. The drink they included was dong dong ju...but it was non-alcoholic.

Also, last term we had the School field day. The lunch for the teachers was a full spread buffet (easily the best lunch I've ever had in Korea) and there was beer and juice offered. Many lf the teachers were having beer so I decided to have a couple of glasses also. We didn't have to teach tho, just watch the kids do their activities. After the lunch I saw the vice-principal and he asked me, "did you have the beer?" and I replied that I had drank a beer. He then said in a really loud voice, "I drinked 9 Beer!!!" He then went outside and did a speech to 1600 children and all their parents and grandparents.