Comments on: One Bath a Week Keeps the Foreign Oil Away

By: hitest

hitest — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 06:00:26 +0000

#19, ..actually I was relating the amount of hair follicules to the likelihood of problems associated with apocrine seat glands.

No amount of armpit hair is gonna come close to my, ummm rather generous allotment of hair follicules

Perhaps its the testosterone that Korean men lack that leaves them, umm, pheromone free ?

By: Whatev

Whatev — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 03:41:59 +0000

“So, pointing out the obvious fact that Koreans do not use deoderant is now conceived of as racist?”

No, but suggesting that westerners are somehow dirty by writing “Unbathed Westerners smell alot worse. And I’d bet money that a classload of American freshman shooting hoops without deoderant would shut down the school” can be seen as being racist.

Wet and dry earwax? Actually, it’s linked to sweat production. Now, is sweat production linked to body odour? It depends who’s doing the smelling.

By: dokdoforever

dokdoforever — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:50:42 +0000

hitest - you are claiming that Koreans lack under-arm hair? Evidently you’re not Korean, or haven’t lived with Koreans. Yes, cigarettes, garlic, etc can all make a strong smell, but that’s quite different. There’s a very distinct pugent odor that non East Asians make without deoderant, regardless of diet - quite unrelated to number of hair follicules.

By: hitest

hitest — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 04:40:18 +0000

Apocrine sweat glands are associated with hair follicules and are they type of sweat glands that produce potentially malourderous secretions, especially once bacteria are allowed to multiple and feed off the secretions.

Lack of body hair, means lack of apocrine sweat glands and the problems that may arise.

However, body odour can include bad breath, and lack of, (how do I put this delicately), adequate post-bathroom cleanliness.

The smell of cigarettes, garlic, soju and “donk” are not very inviting, especially when trapped on a hot buss with the windows all shut

By: Mondoo

Mondoo — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:36:28 +0000

hmmmm, sounds like in the coming months ROK Military readiness and morale will be at an all time low.

*hint* North Korea *hint* *wink* *nudge*

By: Timmy

Timmy — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:20:00 +0000

I remembered, we did each get a sleeping bag and something that works as a “sheet.” The sleeping bags would get “washed” twice a year (nobody knows what actually happens to them, but they’re loaded on a truck and brought back dripping wet) and the sheets you could wash in one of the two washers that the whole company shares, provided you have the “seniority” to make such a brazen move.

By: Timmy

Timmy — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:12:09 +0000

Also speaking from experience, Korean enlisted soldiers can take showers every day unless they choose not to. Taking a HOT shower, of course, is a completely different story. As far as the military is concerned, the pressure to “save fuel” has existed since time immemorial, and one of the main jobs of the company commander is to limit the use of hot water as severely as possible without inciting a riot. We used to get hot water to shower 6 months a year, and there would be a one-hour window for 200+ soldiers to take a shower if they wanted one. The shower facility had 7 showers total, and there would be at least 10 naked men waiting in line at any given moment during the one-hour. Since when exactly the one-hour window would open was always unclear, one of the “perks” of having seniority was to get privates or PFCs do go to the showers and “check” if hot water was flowing.

When I watch “Lock up: San Quentin” on TV, I can’t help gaping at how much better the living conditions are than the Korean military. Of course, being a free man (and not living under the threat of rape) is decidedly preferable, but getting your bed sheets laundered every week is so much better than getting your blanket “washed” twice a year and sleeping on a sheet-less mattress that has never been washed in ANYONE’s memory.

By: dokdoforever

dokdoforever — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 17:00:55 +0000

#12, So, pointing out the obvious fact that Koreans do not use deoderant is now conceived of as racist? It’s also probably true that Koreans are more likely to have redder faces after consuming alcohol. So what? Simply because different groups of people may have different superficial characteristics doesn’t make someone racist for pointing it out. Here’s a study by scientist Kohichiro Yoshiura, who points out that underarm odor is strongly correlated with the DNA for having wet earwax, which 97% of Europeans and Africans have, but N.E. Asians lack. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01.....mp;emc=rss

Personally, dry ear wax sounds alot better - hope that doesn’t violate your racist sensibilities.

By: keith

keith — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:24:55 +0000

Baths are horrible anyway, showers are cleaner and greener.

Cutting energy use is a good idea, more for environmental than economic reasons. If the government is serious about reducing pollution and oil costs to the economy they should start taxing all those stupid inefficient SUVs that Koreans are seemingly addicted too.

SUVs are a bane to the environment and ridiculous vehicles, especially in a city such as Seoul (where almost every other vehicle is one).

By: SomeguyinKorea

SomeguyinKorea — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:04:53 +0000

#11,

Yeah, what’s with the racist (and misinformed) reply at the suggestion that Koreans don’t always smell like roses?