Korean Job Discussion Forums

asc422 · Joined: 23 Feb 2009

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The Goalie · Joined: 17 Nov 2009 Location: Chungcheongnamdo

I recommend indulgence. As a person accustomed to a healthy body you will eventually succumb to to the woes of feeling like shit and naturally develop an abhorrence for the way cigarettes make you feel. Alcohol, on the other hand...

runthegauntlet · Joined: 02 Dec 2007 Location: the southlands.

jvalmer · Joined: 06 Jun 2003

I did. But it's a once in a while thing. If I drink a little too much alcohol I may have a cigarette in my mouth.

Don't know why people are addicted to it though, I don't crave it at all. I could go months without one and then out of the blue I might smoke one. Just because everyone in my party is.

English Matt · Joined: 12 Oct 2008

I was never a heavy smoker before I came to Korea and quit for periods of a year or more at a time. I also used to be a very active runner and was able to do 10km in 40 minutes. However, I started to smoke more a couple of months after getting here because I was going out all the time and meeting new people in bars (who also smoked). The biggest motivating factors (or things that helped me to quit) back home were training for races and having lots of scenic routes with clean air to run. Here in Suwon the air quality is dreadful and most routes near where I live seem to involve running on a track around the World Cup Stadium. I also get sick a lot from teaching....a combination of shredding my voice by yelling in certain classes and the sneezing and coughing from my students and coteachers that ensures every single cold is well and truly shared with all. Half the time I can't run because I am sick, and when I can run I am not really enthused about it like I was back home.

I'm really hoping that the high cost of cigarettes coupled with a healthier lifestyle back in Europe will help me to get back into running in a big way and finally kick the habit.....if it weren't for minty cigarettes I think I would have quit a while back - I can't stand the taste of regular cigarettes here.

Kurtz · Joined: 05 Jan 2007 Location: ples bilong me

Smoking is a ritual, not habitual with me. When I head out traveling for a weekend I always seem to buy a deck as I like to smoke killing time waiting for busses. I like to finish off a long days hiking with a ciggy and coffee or beer, not sure why I do that but I'd never be a full timer even with Korea's cheap as prices here. I think Koreas prices are cheaper than the chop chop black market stuff back home.

donducky · Joined: 02 Dec 2009

Koreans invented cigarettes.

lifeinkorea · Joined: 24 Jan 2009 Location: somewhere in China

I don't see what's so good about drinking. I tried when I was 21, but hated it. Didn't drink again till I came to Korea at age 33. Since then, I have had a lot of beer and soju, but only enjoyed the experience about 10 times. The other times I am just waited to feel something, but all it amounted to was more trips to the toilet.

It doesn't seem to get to me. I drank a little last night in fact, but I am enjoying water more (and it's not because of a headache or anything like that).

What's odd is I can't go two days without Coca Cola. My body feels the lack of it.

GTG09 · Joined: 03 Jul 2009

I can't wait to go over there and save a ton of money.

I live in Michigan where just today actually they just passed the no smoking anywhere bill and have recently jacked up cigarette taxes again making it almost $7 a pack when it was 5 not even two years ago.

But besides that nothing better than smoking while having a drink. Well probably a smoke after a good meal.

Skippy · Joined: 18 Jan 2003 Location: Daejeon

No to the cigs but yes to cigars.

contacts · Joined: 19 Nov 2009

Unfortunately, I plan on taking up a cig habit when I reach korea. Well, not really plan, but just kind of accepted the fact is going to happen.

At 7$ a pack here in the states, those cig taxes worked wonders on making me quit. Probably won;t be able to resist the price in korea

DeMayonnaise · Joined: 02 Nov 2008

A year in a half in and still haven't. I've tried a few, but cigarettes taste like shit, so why bother? I've actually drank less in Korea than back home too, since the beer here tastes like shit. I also don't particularly like getting black out drunk and out of control in a foreign country...

Steelrails · Joined: 12 Mar 2009 Location: Earth, Solar System

I came here hoping that I would be left alone and isolated (except for church) and stop drinking and smoking.

Talk about dumb.

I made friends to easily, booze is too cheap, and smokes are even cheaper.

Even worse, I've taken up smoking those pixie stick Esse Menthols...Ever since I had the Swiney, I had to give up the Time Menthols/Dunhill Freezes.

I was happy that the Swiney made me cut back though...I'm down to 2-3 per day except for drinking days, which unfortunately, fluctuate from one a week to 8-10 per week.

redaxe · Joined: 01 Dec 2008

Ugh, for some reason the smell of cigarettes in Korea makes me nauseous. I used to smoke a little bit back home when drinking with friends, but I can't touch the ciggies in Korea, they make me feel ill. Maybe it's because of a bad experience I had dating a smoker who I met in Hongdae...

abigolblackman · Joined: 06 Jun 2009

I bought a hookah (great excuse for the ladies to come over) and then just recently found myself smoking random looseys in the club.

Actually, having a lighter is a great conversation starter and for the first year I always found that girls would ask me for a light and when I didn't have one, some Korean guy would dive and and bam, they are leaving together and I'm SOL. Then it got weird when they offered me a smoke and I didn't take it. Why the hell did I have a lighter?

Anyways, I too don't see why people are addicted, but I may be shooting myself in the foot by saying that. For now, my rule is I never buy cigarettes, and I always just bum them off people.

abigolblackman