Korean Job Discussion Forums

[MacLean]

One thing I will give Koreans credit for is brushing their teeth. After a meal many of my co-teachers will dash to the bathroom to brush their teeth. You even see Koreans on airplanes heading to the bathroom with their toothbrush. t's a good habit that they've picked up.

Yet, I rarely (if ever) witness a Korean wash their hands. Not before touching food. Not after using the toilet. I've even seen restaurant workers come out from stalls, run their hands through their hair, and head back to making and serving food. It blows my mind. How can they be so attentive to the cleanliness and health of their teeth, and be so negligent of basic hygeine with regard to their hands? There's a disinfectant dispenser at my school. I use it several times a day. I have yet to see a co-worker or a student use it. When a co-worker hands me a cookie or such with their bare hands my instinctive response is 'No, thanks. I'm fine.' They seem completely unable to understand why I don't want the cookie. Who doesn't want to eat a cookie? Why would anyone turn down a cookie? It's madness. It's all the nasty extra toppings that are coming with the cookie that I don't want.

Just another of the countless contradictions of Korean society I suppose.

[Riker]

I'm with you on this one ( although in principle as I've never been to Korea ). I tend to wash my hands a bit too much though.

Generally though, non-meat (tissue) transmitted pathogens enter through the lungs or the eyes. Most common germs, especially the type that live on your hands will not make it past your saliva, and if they do they have to pass your super acidic stomach.

Germs that live in uncooked meat are another story.

Not touching your eyes or your face other than to put food in your mouth is pretty much safe.

[NYC_Gal 2.0]

I see the teachers and students wash their hands at my school. There's no hot water in most of the faucets, though. I go to the administrative office, where they have a sink with hot water, so that I can wash my hands and thermos every day.

[AsiaESLbound]

It's a very old culture when it comes to customs few consciously think about, but yet are programmed into their minds down to an almost precise stereotyping. Before soap, hot water, and other cleaning materials were possible, they used chop sticks in the right hand to eat with and did their dirty work with their left hands which is how it still is today. The excessive teeth brushing might have to do with trying to prevent knock you over dead halitosis mouth which is a chronic problem for Koreans and Chinese.

[Vagabundo]

[highstreet]

not sure how this would pertain to Korean society. I've seen Koreans that wash thier hands and I've seen some that don't.

Same as back home.

[carleverson]

[Vagabundo]

[Lazio]

Quote:

One thing I will give Koreans credit for is brushing their teeth. After a meal many of my co-teachers will dash to the bathroom to brush their teeth. You even see Koreans on airplanes heading to the bathroom with their toothbrush. t's a good habit that they've picked up.

It's actually a stupid habit. Brushing teeth shortly after eating does more harm than good.

[The Grumpy Senator]

Stood in lines to relieve myself at many major sporting venues across the globe. Never had to wait to wash my hands!!!

[Vagabundo]

[ktkates87]

At my school, the washroom that all the teachers use has no hot water. I use the kids' sink where there is warm water and soap. I notice that there are many coteachers who don't wash their hands afterwards (or who simply splash their hands with the cold water in the public washroom).

The kids? I once had a kid crying because she didn't want to wash her hands (she had also been constipated that day and had just finally had a BM) and the teacher told her it was okay and she didnt have to.

I have been steering clear of our school's lunch lately because I've seen the cook not wash her hands after using the loo. At the bar, nobody ever seems to wash their hands. At my gym, it seems to be the same thing-- I know this from whenever I reach for the soap and it's bone dry.

It drives me absolutely MENTAL. I'm not a germ-a-phobe at all, just getting tired of always being sick. I'm not so much afraid of the poop germs as I am of the cold and flu bugs swarming my environment.

[Skipperoo]

After peeing, there's really no need to wash your hands in any case unless you're prone to spraying all over yourself. You're likely to pick up a lot worse things by touching taps and handles in public restrooms than you are from your crotch (don't know about you, but I keep myself pretty clean down there)

Not washing after a number 2 is pretty disgusting though.

[methdxman]

[orosee]

These are my observations: Koreans seem to wash their hands BEFORE peeing, not after. Which means that they're pretty clean down there I'm not sure if they actually use their hands though, on account of the amount of urine that doesn't hit the target (see my avatar).

Plenty of times I've seen coworkers brush their teeth and pee at the same time, or balance their toothbrush on the corner of the urinal to accept a phone call. That takes skill and practice.

The brushing seems to occur within 30-60 minutes after a meal and I'm grateful for that (gimchi-breath is still hard to bear for me). It seems to take longer than a shower does. Good habit though, I'm sure the spit and phlegm the guys dispense throughout the day has a minty flavour to it.

Drifting off, what I would love to see would be shoe sterilisers (similar to the stuff you find at public pools). Especially around toilets.