Korean Job Discussion Forums

[mercury]

Had dinner with two female students, they took me to eat kimchi chegai, well, sure, I know most places use rolls of toilet paper on the table instead of napkins, but since these were kind of "high class" girls who had lived in Europe, I pretended to act really surprised and angry when I saw the T.P! Their reaction..................



The "princess" turned red and walked over to our table, picked up the half used roll, and actually HID IT! She put it behind some cushions on the floor!

[Yu_Bum_suk]

I know of one restaurant that has toilet roll despensers, exactly like you'd find in the bathroom, on the wall beside every table. If they were as keen about putting it in the toilet....

[mercury]

[jaykimf]

[itaewonguy]

[Reflections]

Good point Itaewon guy, this is Korea not Europe. I always try and remember that when I see a toilet roll perched in front of me while I am trying to digest my food.

But I remember one instance when I asked for tissue to wipe my hands and the ajumma went in to the adjacent toilet (that was in full view of my table) and proceeded to swipe the roll of the dispenser. Was bordering on unhygenic to say the least.

But, when Koreans, especially Korean males try and lecture me about the superiority of Korean culture - l always point out that bit about the toilet roll on the table. They never can provide me with an adequate retort.

What a dellusional world Koreans live in - the hub of Asia, yeah right>

Come to think of it, this issue of "the toilet roll on the dinner table" is proof that Korean culture is low, especially in comparison to Japan....

[matthewwoodford]

It's just tissue paper.

[schwa]

Toilet paper on the table here has a bit of history. Disposable paper of any sort was very scarce here even a generation ago. When toilet paper first became available (well within the memory of middleaged Koreans) it was expensive & even a bit of a status symbol to offer your guests at the dinner table.

We tend to associate it exclusively with the bathroom but Koreans dont. Any squeamishness you feel is your own cultural conditioning.

[kangnamdragon]

If it's on the table, it's not toilet paper. It is easy way to dispense something one may use to wipe one's fingers.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Shut up. Have you ever been to Japan? You think Japanese people fart perfume?

[mercury]

[jajdude]

It's so normal here, and in some other countries, one doesn't notice it anymore. But I remember on a TV show years ago, before ever seeing Asia, a sociologist guy pointed out that most Americans/westerners would find it weird. He did a little experiment where he invited people to his home for dinner, a nice free meal, and when the good food was served he promptly put out a rool of TP and said "Oh here are the napkins." It was funny. The reactions were funny. When I saw it I thought it was weird too. Now after a while in Asia it seems perfectly fine to me.

[Daechidong Waygookin]

[indytrucks]

For Chrissakes, it was toilet roll. Not that dissimilar to a napkin. Everyone just shut the hell up.

Now, if it was used toilet roll ...

[mercury]