Korean Job Discussion Forums

[oneofthesarahs]

I have a female Korean roommate. She and I get along well, but we aren't exactly what I'd call friends. We generally do our own, separate thing in our respective rooms, but we don't mind each other's company and get along well in regards to our common rooms such as the kitchen.

I'm fairly certain that she smokes secretly in her room. At first I thought I was just imagining it because I do have a few candles that I burn in my bedroom, so I thought maybe I was just smelling those and was imagining I was smelling cigarette smoke. But as time goes on, I've noticed I only smell it at night when she is also in the apartment, and it smells distinctly of cigarrettes.

I'm a former smoker, but I don't care if other people smoke, and I do feel bad that she feels she has to be so secret about it. I would like to tell her that I don't mind if she smokes on the balcony (which we share). Then she wouldn't have to worry about stinking up her room, since it doesn't have very good ventiliation. But I don't want her to feel like I'm calling her out. What would you do in the situation? Talk to her about it or just ignore it?

[IncognitoHFX]

If I were you, I'd go buy a pack for yourself and smoke one on the balcony. Make sure she sees you. If she asks why, tell her you had a stressful day and offer her one.

Then you can bond over it, at which point you can lay down the smoking rules

That way you're not calling her out or making her feel bad.

[polonius]

Just talk to her. Explain that you were a former smoker, and smoked in your room at one time, and how it affected your sleep because of the smell. Make it look as though you are helping her out rather than calling her out.

[ttompatz]

[Yu_Bum_suk]

Tell her that if you ever smell her smoking in the apartment again you're going to tell her parents but smoking on the balcony is fine.

[yingwenlaoshi]

Oh, so you ended up with the roommate afterall.

Score one for your boss.

[Captain Corea]

No one smokes in my Apt... but it sometimes smells like we do.

Make sure it's not coming up through the vents.

[Yaya]

[i_teach_esl]

[Qinella]

[yingwenlaoshi]

Roommate (snicker). Thank you boss.

Do you get anymore (Quinella, is it 'anymore' or 'any more'?) money for sharing?

[dogshed]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[contrarian]

My first job in Korea was a Hagwon in Daegu, a pretty ggod one. My rromate smoked 3 to 4 packs a day. It darned near killed me.

After a few months he left for a uni job, which he lost to booze, but that's another story. After hel left I hired an adjuma ans had the place scoured from floor to ceiling and one end to the other. Just before the new roomate came in, I bought and posted "no smoking" signs all over the place.

New guy comes in, he's a smoker. He lights up and I point at the sign. He goes outside to smoke. After about 3 weeks he comes ranting into the apartment that the owner had not posted the signs. We snarl at each other for a while and LO! the owner comes in. Looks around and says no smoking signs thats I good idea,

Sometimes the direct approach works. He was also working on a tourist Visa and I would have ratted the SOB out if he had pushed it.



I felt ever so much better after the place was cleaned and posted. I am a little sensitive to cigarette smoke.\\

[goodgood]

Wow...3 or 4 packs a day? I smoke what I would consider to be a lot- about a pack a day- almost never less, often more. I don't think I could smoke 4 packs in a day if you paid me a million won. I wouldnt be able to bring the 80th cigarette to my lips- I'd be too busy hunched over a toilet, throwing up.

Eww...