Korean freebies.....

I’ve blogged about this subject in the past, where it is customary, (and expected!) to receive something extra when you purchase something. This can be a simple plate of fruit appropriate during a meal, or a packet of tissues when filling up with petrol at the local gas station.

I was somewhat taken aback when last night when working late at the plant, we ordered in a Chinese take-away meal. The order was simple enough, sweet and sour pork accompanied by egg fried rice and some dim-sum rolls. Held tightly under the cling-film wrapping of the usual accoutrements of sliced pickled radish and raw onions, was a brightly coloured packet which resembled a large ut flattish match box. I extracted said item from under the film wrap and pushed open one end. It was full of individually wrapped wooden tooth picks. Nothing strange with that, in that I would expect to have to extract some wayward pork from between my now ageing teeth. What took me by surprise was opening up from the other side, I discovered a bunch of double-sided cotton buds. Who on earth sits there relaxed after a good nosh-up Chinese and de-meats their teeth with a toothpick in one hand cleaning their ears of wax with cotton bud in the other? Strange place Korea!

What year is it.....?.

I thought Korean’s were up to date with all the latest electronic gadgetry?
Everyone fights to get the latest must-have wizzbang product with all the bells a whistles on. Step onto a train on the subway, and you will find people partaking of the national sport of a) sleeping, b) watching DMB TV on their gadget, c)texting on the latest I-Pone or Korean clone version.

There is one industry which refuses to follow suit – this is the national car makers of Korea, such as Kia, Hyundai, or Ssang-yong. I got into a brand new taxi the other day, smelling of that lovely new car smell, along with fake leather vinyl seat covers and noted something strange. It had a glove box full of cassette tapes. I looked at the head unit in the dash, and saw it only had a cassette slot! Where was the CD player? The head unit looked like it was out of place, and belonged in a 1980’s ford escort, not in a latest model 2010 Sonata. What was going on? I know car prices are much cheaper than the equivalent European prices, but a steam driven radio cassette player? Come on! Get with the technology, we need to see MP3’s USB slots, Power sockets. Not this rubbish!

Lack of posts.....

My dear friends, I’m sorry. Some of my followers, (I have 4!) or rather one of my followers, (Yes you Mr Baekseju!), has complained about my lack of posts lately – this is due to a number of reasons:

Firstly, I have been really busy at work, what with on-going preparations for another quality accreditation but this time to ISO14001 and OHSAS18001. For those of you unfamiliar with these standards, they are Environmental responsibility and Health & Safety respectively. Both of which are concepts that are alien in Korea! Take the numerous blogs from other K-bloggers, who write about motorcycles on the sidewalk, or pavements, whilst pedestrians are walking along the road, or taxi drivers watching TV whilst hurtling along at 70MPH, or construction workers dangling of roof-tops with little more than a plank of wood separating them from instant death, or the wearing of flip-flops while handling highly acidic chemistry! Even going shopping present mortal dangers, and god forbid you ever meet an Ajumma head-on in the subway!

Secondly, I have been really busy at work – this means when I get in from work, the last thing I want to do is put my brain to work – it’s addled, and will remain so for some days to come.

Thirdly, they have restricted our internet access at work to only work priorities! What? They expect me to concentrate on work all day long? They must be joking! I need my web time to chill during those tedious business meetings, where all I do is facepalm all day long!

What do if it all goes wrong....

I found this today, and it made me smile as it represents exactly how I feel trying to work with some of my Korean colleagues. I printed it out and it sits behind my desk and chair on the wall for all to see.

















This one is for when it REALLY goes wrong....