Korean Job Discussion Forums

[sojourner1]

Yes, our pipes all froze up last night as the whole town has no water today and still tonight. In our bathroom next to the kitchen, we have 2 big red plastic tubs full of water and a small one with a bar of soap as there's no sink or wash basin. I know now the adjumma cooks had prepared that 1st thing yesterday in case our pipes froze which we woke up this morning to. I have my students wash hands before each meal so we used that water. I didn't know. It was also used for pots and pans today as the tap water is froze.

I noticed our rice and jiggae tasted funny and smelled awful at lunch today. In my mind, 1+1=2 when I thought about it. When I used that bathroom again after eating, I popped into the kitchen to look for a water source and none was present so I immediately knew what is up. We have a budget of 4.5 million for a camp totally 29 students, 1 teacher, 2 interns, 1 director, and the 7 adjumma cooks. I pointed out to the college interns after lunch what I realized and it ended being no rice nor jiggae were served tonight, but we ourselves ended up making ground kimchee mandu.

Why can't we get bottled water instead of using dirty dingy water in our cooking, becuase everyone is forced to eat this food as it's all that is available and no restaurants and stores are within 20 minutes driving distance?

Lucky for me, I get to go home as the pension we're renting is froze up with no heat now, but the kids and Korean adults are sleeping in the classroom and dining room. Sucks for them as they're not going to shower nor have clean drinking water.

This food is the most basic course of rice, jiggae, NO meats, a tiny bit of tofu, and all else red gimchee. No fruits nor vegetables; nothing fresh nor any milk. Even our 5 gallon Culligan style water ran out this morning and no more came in. While we're eating it, the students are bumming out and saying loudly in English and Korean, "we are so very very hungry." I'm glad they do have a damned good heater there though so we'll pull through.

Why won't they do better than this being that the money is there?

[ppcg4]

Holy hell. I would have vomited instantly at the thought of the hand water being used to cook. Seriously. I have an issue.

WTF is wrong with your school? You can get those huge jugs of water for water coolers for what 3,000 won?

[IAMAROBOT]

Christ, that's disgusting.

[Straphanger]

I've heard from sources that during conscription, ROK soldiers are (were) required to wash their slippers in a pot of water. After that, they were to cook the rameyong in that same water. They couldn't change or filter the water.

[ryoga013]

5L of water at Lotte Mart = 1,300won... 2days from food poisoning, a hell of a lot more.... nasty

[bassexpander]

Oh barf...

My toilet has been leaking for the past few weeks. I've decided not to fix it, as we're moving out in a month, and it keeps me from having to open the tap to avoid frozen pipes.

[sojourner1]

I know water is so cheap and plentiful in Korea!!! Why be so conservative?!!!! Why are they so daft?!!! There's plenty of money and resources today due to Korea's successes, it's no longer the poorest 3rd world country on Earth. Blatantly letting pollution enter our food is bad for people and yet so obvious to my educated eye! I know they intend to do good, but they're simply so ignorant as can be and need to be educated. That's too bad they don't see the obvious.

It's not like water is scarce. Korea is blessed with many mountains full of the purest spring water on Earth that flows out by the tons all the time. Our tap water in a small rural town comes from said source so we can drink it with no problems, but it's all froze up now the weather is bloody arse cold. It's like the surface of mars or the moon, except we're still breathing the air. It's so cold. brrrr...

[seoulsucker]

[sojourner1]

Seoulsucker there really is truth behind that. I know it's more cultural than it is scientific fact as why people do things the way they do in very small old world countries. The problem with it today, is our environment is no longer just natural, it's full of pollution so we have to do things like use bottled water instead of just using any water laying around as people could with no problems years ago.

Those old ladies were raised in a time when Korea was extremely poor and ravaged by war so they know nothing more than what was showed to them as kids which is to operate on the least amount of resources without demanding more even though in reality it may be available. They don't question authority or employer nor do their diners question them or tell the truth should their work be substandard.

I've suspected many little average hole in the wall restaurants too are very nasty and unsanitary. I've been to several where I was thinking about going to a bathroom to make my self regurgitate. Other things like putting those expired round fuel blocks used in BBQ in the gardens and farms is also polluting their food supplies after they throw them on the land and stomp them with their feet, becuase these fuel blocks have artificial chemical additives to make them burn long and hot. I do recognize their gross taste as compared to natural charcoal and know better than to add them to my soil if I were growing things.

In ancient times, you could put back everything into your land and your cooking, but today, it's manufactured artificial chemicals getting in the way so we have to use fresh water and wash each time. The old folks simply don't know or care.

[ChinaBoy]

Dude, you've just got to get out of that place. Seems like everything is f'ed up there.

[bluelake]

When I first lived in Korea, twenty-five years ago, foreigners were advised to not eat any fresh vegetables. The reason being, almost all fertilizer was nightsoil (human waste); parasites would pass from one person to another. The only way we were told we could safely eat fresh vegetables was if they were soaked in bleach water; needless to say, not too many people did that.

I didn't heed warnings and ended up with a case of gastroenteritis that almost put me in the hospital; my appetite was not great the rest of that year.

[Ramen]

[bluelake]

[Mrs.Lee]

this is really scary. plz tell me u are not in seoul!?

i am really worried about food hygiene here. I got a case of gastroentris when I arrived. I try to eat a nice places but sometimes i go to holes on the walls.

my korean inlaws put food in my mouth. *eww* they are well-traveled, well-educated, well off, and still do this .. gross

also, if you have maid service, i bet the maid doesnt care much about hygine, since she prob resents you.

[NoExplode]

Ah, so that's why all the soup here is murky/cloudy. And that is probably why they don't use dish soap to wash dishes.