Can everyone please stop coughing on me?

[Horus]

I refuse to ever use bar soap in a public bathroom. It's just nasty. I'll just keep my own germs thank you very much....I honestly can't believe schools, restaurants, pubs etc. still put out bar soap for general use. It's a sign of disrespect for your customers et al. Buy a liquid soap dispenser already. Do pub owners really want people returning from the bathroom, having picked up who knows what off a bar of soap, sticking their hand into the popcorn bowl? And if the bar soap discourages people from washing their hands at all, that's also an unsatisfactory outcome.

[Briguyman]

Anyone else kind of disturbed by the idea of using bar soap everywhere? Having hundreds of people using the same soap is only going to make your hands dirtier... at least that is my opinion.

I'd rather soap than no soap. :( My school's second floor bathroom hasn't had a bar of soap in at least a month. How much does it cost to put one it??? geez..

Actually, chances are your hands will stay cleaner if you don't touch anything at all, including bar soap. If you're wearing long sleeves, putting those over the door handle when you open it will be much, MUCH cleaner.

[Briguyman]

I refuse to ever use bar soap in a public bathroom. It's just nasty. I'll just keep my own germs thank you very much....I honestly can't believe schools, restaurants, pubs etc. still put out bar soap for general use. It's a sign of disrespect for your customers et al. Buy a liquid soap dispenser already. Do pub owners really want people returning from the bathroom, having picked up who knows what off a bar of soap, sticking their hand into the popcorn bowl? And if the bar soap discourages people from washing their hands at all, that's also an unsatisfactory outcome.

It's not disrespect, just like someone coughing in your face isn't disrespect.

They simply don't understand the nature of germs, that's all there is to it.

[Horus]

Even if coughing did not transfer germs it's still a very nasty, offensive behaviour. That it does transfer germs just makes it worse. But if we eliminated all diseases and germs from the earth, it wouldn't make it okay to suddenly start coughing and sneezing on people.

[helen_chin]

I hear ya!

I had a kid constantly cough at me yesterday. When I asked him to cover his mouth, his friend deliberately coughed on me. I told them in my country you must cover your mouth. They didnt understand and now I have a sore throat.

[astericks]

I refuse to ever use bar soap in a public bathroom. It's just nasty. I'll just keep my own germs thank you very much....I honestly can't believe schools, restaurants, pubs etc. still put out bar soap for general use. It's a sign of disrespect for your customers et al. Buy a liquid soap dispenser already. Do pub owners really want people returning from the bathroom, having picked up who knows what off a bar of soap, sticking their hand into the popcorn bowl? And if the bar soap discourages people from washing their hands at all, that's also an unsatisfactory outcome.

The best solution, Carry tissues, wet wipes and a hand sanitizer everywhere you go. At first it seems like a hassle, but the hassle fades quickly the longer you are in Korea.

[Horus]

Just this morning a student with a nasty cold came up to my desk to show me her completed work. She's standing two inches to my left and coughing like nobody's business. I tell her in Korean and English to cover her mouth, and I get the 'deer in headlights' look. What's the problem? I ask her if she has a cold. She says 'yes'. I tell her that I'm not interested in getting her cold. Would she please step back and cover her mouth when she coughs. She gets this look on her face like I'm picking on her. For her next vigorous cough she leans forward (again two inches to my left) to cough onto the desk instead of me. I say "No, turn away and cover your mouth. I don't want your germs on me or on my desk." Look of complete bafflement.

They've simply no clue.
 

[WorkingTitle3484]

This won't be a popular answer, but here it goes:

You'll have to chalk this one up on the cultural differences board.

Why not turn this into a lesson?  Just like how other pet peeves are sorely visible when we first arrive, turn it into a teachable moment.

I wouldn't teach "We do this in Amrrcuh!", but more of a "be careful when..." situation.  We are here to teach more than just the language. 

Just like how we'll be "ambassadors" of Korea when we go back home, we have to be "ambassadors" of our countries while we're here.  Teach these guys what's considered as rude and polite, and you're bound to have at least SOME kids change.

[Horus]

There's not a single day here that I'm not dodging sneezes and coughs. Just five minutes ago a student walked past me and forcefully coughed all over my shoulder. Yesterday a student in the first row sneezed all over my arm as I was walking past her desk. Drives me nuts. How can something as basic as "Don't sneeze and cough over other people" not be taught in the home?

[Scooter]

I guess that's why people wear those masks.  How can our students learn English if we wear masks? Then they can't see or hear us!   I don't get it.  Definately a cultural thing.

[oatmealkooky]

These differences in thinking are fascinating and more than a little amusing (when someone's not coughing in my face and seriously ticking me off). Sometimes I get upset because, to me, some of what they do flies in the face of good health -- especially my good health -- but for the most part it's interesting to note their quirks.

Here are a few more:

-I've been told that eating apples (or other fruits) when you're sick is bad for you because apples are cold and hence will lower your body temperature. I countered that we eat lots of that stuff because the vitamins and minerals will shore up our bodies' defenses.

-Playing in dirt and not cleaning often will boost a child's immune system because they have to get used to the germs. (Basically, letting your kid get dirty and stink all the time will ward off smallpox.)

-Sharing food with someone will help your body familiarize itself with their germs, hence you become immune to whatever illness that person might get.

I believe these ideas come from a non-scientific Eastern medical tradition, and in that respect I understand where they're coming from. But still when someone tells me something like what I said above, I can't help but sputter "But but but but 3,000 years of Western medicine says..."

It's strange to think that medicine can be so modern here, but people still perpetuate these superstitions. But like I said, I don't look down on them for these beliefs. It's just so contrary to what I'm used to.

[katrink2]

It's strange to think that medicine can be so modern here, but people still perpetuate these superstitions. But like I said, I don't look down on them for these beliefs.

Jeez, I hope not--the one about not oversanitizing your children (to protect their immune resistance) is pretty much accepted in Western medicine. The one about having too-cold things while you're sick at least has a reasonable-sounding basis--your body would have to use energy to heat the food up to body temperature. We shouldn't immediately disregard ALL things that Koreans say about health just because we're from the West.

/granted, some of the things my CTs say about health/diet is utterly hilarious to me. Just not all of it. :)

[oatmealkooky]

Jeez, I hope not--the one about not oversanitizing your children (to protect their immune resistance) is pretty much accepted in Western medicine.

Well, obviously there's a difference between rolling them around in mud for good health and keeping them in a plastic bubble.

[ohmihyun]

I guess that's why people wear those masks.  How can our students learn English if we wear masks? Then they can't see or hear us!   I don't get it.  Definately a cultural thing.

People wear the masks so to not get others sick.  So it's actually a polite gesture.  It's to keep their germs to themselves.

I di agree, it completely erks me when people cough.  I'm beginning to think people do this commonly here because there nervous, or clearing there throat.  But I can assure you, when Korean's are sick, they will useually have a mask.

Jenny

[katrink2]

Jeez, I hope not--the one about not oversanitizing your children (to protect their immune resistance) is pretty much accepted in Western medicine.

Well, obviously there's a difference between rolling them around in mud for good health and keeping them in a plastic bubble.

Absolutely. I'm just guessing that they weren't talking about literally rolling their children in dirt. Wow, what a funny mental image. Anyway, there IS a language barrier at work here.

[oatmealkooky]

Yeah, what they told me was that leaving your children dirty for a long, long time -- like no bathing for a few days, even when they're sweaty and smelly -- is good for their immune system. Judging from some of the little ones at my school, doctors will be out of business soon if that's the case. :D

[katrink2]

Gross. Way to totally misinterpret an otherwise good idea, oatmealkooky's coworkers. 

/Also, please disregard anything I've said in the last ten minutes. Yikes!

[tolson]

-Playing in dirt and not cleaning often will boost a child's immune system because they have to get used to the germs. (Basically, letting your kid get dirty and stink all the time will ward off smallpox.)

exposure to different germs at young ages will strengthen the immune system and western medicine agrees.

[oatmealkooky]

Really? Which dirt should they play in to immunize themselves against smallpox? Because you're either selectively reading that or being willfully obtuse.

[Horus]

I guess that's why people wear those masks.  How can our students learn English if we wear masks? Then they can't see or hear us!   I don't get it.  Definately a cultural thing.

People wear the masks so to not get others sick.  So it's actually a polite gesture.  It's to keep their germs to themselves.

Not so sure about that. More likely they're wearing masks tp prevent catching a cold. When they have a cold they sneeze and cough over any and everyone. Concern for the welfare of strangers is not a big thing here. Protecting yourself from them is.