Korean Job Discussion Forums

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

The pic of a Jumping Spider (that someone's taken in Korea) in the 'pic of the day' thread made me think - how would I react if I saw this bugger?

I saw a multicolored spider on a tree late last summer and I wouldn't wanna come across that in my apartment either.

I'm not scared of spiders. I'd just rather they not be in my house. Back home, in Autumn when it's mildly warm and very damp, some huge house spiders (with big hairy legs and boots on) would crawl around in my room and I'd have to do the whole glass-and-beer-mat thing and put it outside. I don't like killing them, although have done once or twice. Because the spiders here are an unknown quantity to me, unlike spiders back home which are completely harmless, I'd probably have to resort to killing it. I hate killing things, so all the spiders in Seoul should be advised to stay well away from my officetel - there's really no point in trying to scare me because you'll just end up dead. I like and respect spiders. They do a great job and are darkly-beautiful in appearance.

Folks, gimme your spider stories, every last detail. Feel free to discuss Korean spiders generally, considering the search function is about as much use as a solar-powered torch. The average person eats 8 spiders during sleep in their lifetime apparently.

captain kirk · Joined: 29 Jan 2003

Yeah, the second largest tarrantula in the world and her name is Brazil, she's two years old, and mellow.

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

well I don't approve of keeping them as pets. Get a cat or a dog instead, mate.

Porter_Goss · Joined: 26 Mar 2006 Location: The Wrong Side of Right

I have had a spider in my apartment. Wee little bugger, more like a dust particle.

Thiuda · Posted: Thu Mar 30, 2006 4:51 pm Post subject:

Two years ago I lived in Andong. Nice place. Was taking care of the regular morning routine when, to my complete surprise, a spider popped out of the drain hole in the floor. The drain was covered by a small metal cover that the arachnid in question moved! Pretty sizable beast. I like spiders, but this one surprised me greatly and became my immediate enemy. I squealed, jumped, slipped, hit my head, ran out of the bathroom and asked my wife to take care of the spider. She was greatly amused, went into bathroom, told me she couldn't find it and told me not to be such a child. She then walked up to me and opened the piece of toilet paper in her hand, the spider, still alive, pops out, falls out of her hand, runs over my foot, and hides under the refrigerator. I yelped again, my wife laughed some more, and we never saw the spider again.

gdimension · Joined: 05 Jul 2005 Location: Jeju

krats1976 · Joined: 14 May 2003

I used to be the world's biggest arachnophobe. But now I'm pretty good about the little buggers. We have a deal in my apartment: they stay up in the corners and eat ��s for me and they live. But, if they venture down into my territory, they die.

When I was a kid, though, it was a different story. If I saw a spider in my room I wouldn't sleep in there for at least a week. Of course, I lived in Eastern Washington where black widows and brown recluses were common, so arachnophobia was simply common sense. Laughing

Bulsajo · Joined: 16 Jan 2003

I had a dozen of these living in my 'bathroom', they're the size of my hand and they come out at night.

But you'll be happy to know that this wasn't in Korea. Razz

SPINOZA · Joined: 10 Jun 2005 Location: $eoul

Qinella · Joined: 25 Feb 2005 Location: the crib

The only spider I've seen in Korea was the first time I entered the veranda in my apartment. A red bucket housed some old detergent, a spade (?), and to my chagrin, a long spider. Its length of approx. 5cm exceeded its width, freaking me out significantly.

I'm no fan of spiders. I flipped into survival mode -- slammed the veranda door shut, ran inside, located the nearest weapon-an umbrella-and bludgeoned the spider with its blunted hilt.

That was the only spider I saw all year.