This current anti-smoking bus ad is my favorite yet. The woman looks like pure 조폭 마누라, holding what looks to be a blood-red cross, just in time for Halloween.
P.S. Someone had pointed out to me today that, ironically, Korean cigarette companies deliberately target young women and girls in their advertising, here in Korea.
{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
More often than not, the gal is trying to bum a cig from me than holding a red cross.
Before the end of this year, cigarette tax will rise from 354won to 1,354 won, taking the price of a packet of cigarettes from 2,500won UP to 3,500won.
still 70% cheaper than a packet of cigarettes in my homecountry, so it won’t bother me.
My favourite neurology professor at Samsung Medical Centre has a shopping bag filled with cigarette packets and lighters that he has confiscated from his patients. Really old school paternalism, pity we can’t practice like that in Australia.
And craash try to quit while you are young and your addiction isn’t too strong. When you are fifty with a thirty pack year history and ischaemic heart disease it is too late and much harder.
My addiction is already too strong. I have smoked 280,ooo 8.0~12.0mg ciggs during the past 15 years.
Im 30 years old and have been smoking since 18. Just started quiting this past 2 weeks using Zyban (Wellbutrin). Down form 20 cigs a day to about 3 or 4 unless I drink beer. I hope this works out for me.
“from”
I’m a social smoker. I average one or two cigs a day and have been like that for about five years. No, seriously.
I’ve never been a smoker, but as I get older, I find myself becoming more and more opposed to it. It used to be if someone asked me, “Mind if I light up?” I’d shrug and say “Go ahead.” These days, I’m more likely to tell them to take it elsewhere.
I’m not sure if living in Korea has made me more against smoking than otherwise. I admit, I do find it pathetic and disgusting when university students smoke inside buildings, especially when there is a balcony nearby. And don’t get me started on the spitting.
I can smoke when I’m out on the town and truly enjoy it–I prefer the strongest cigs I can find amongst my mates or buy me a pack of Reds for the occasion. Or in the same situation, I can just as easily turn my nose up at it. The rest of my day I don’t give smoking a thought, except when someone else’s smoke is bothering me. I just don’t understand how people get addicted.
On the other hand, ask me if I really need another vodka on the rocks and I’ll pretend I didn’t hear you…
Hurry up and come back home so your English will stop getting tainted by the non-American English speaking expat community.
Just don’t call your apartment “flat,” okay?..
Craash – @4 Two and a half packs a day? Holy f%cking shit.
“No smoking”! Am I the only one who’s noticed that many such signs are written in English only? “No smoking”, “Don’t step on grass”, etc. I wonder what are the sociolinguistic implications.
The last time I smoked anything was a few weeks ago and that was from a bowl. I’m glad I never got addicted to nicotine. I’d hate to be a monkey who has to feed the need every 5 minutes. Filthy habit.
@10 Perhaps that’s true. Lately I’ve come to grips with the notion that I’ve been slowly acquiring a bit of the Mid-Atlantic accent. Over the past few years more and more Europeans have told me that I didn’t sound American, which I assumed or hoped just meant I didn’t sound like Bush. But lately North Americans have occasionally mentioned that they couldn’t automatically peg me as being from the States. That is troubling. If you ask me, I speak very flat North American English. Maybe next time I’m “Back Home Again, in Indiana**,” I need to spend a little time in the Southern part of the state (essentially a Northern extension of Kentucky) to cultivate a little twang. Or maybe not — last weekend when I asked my Canadian friend if my accent sounded purely American, he said, “No, your accent sounds too intelligent.” Insult upon our Nation, or a personal compliment…? I’m not sure what he was talking aboot.
**the Indiana state song, in case you didn’t know…
People say I have an indiscriminate American accent… vaguely Californian, but not in the exaggerated “surfer dude” kind of way. If I extend the last syllable of the last word of a sentence people on the phone say I sound like I’m from Chicago.
At least you are not like this poor guy I once knew. Born in Ireland, raised in London and went to college in Scotland. His accent sounded like an odd mix of all three, if you could imagine.
cmm,
I’ve had the exact same experience. In most cases, people think I’m either Scottish, French, or Italian (I shit you not).
milton,
I get British almost every time. Italian only once, and that was last week from an American. That was strange.
My family has never mentioned anything about me sounding differently, so I suspect I might unconsciously adapt to my audience. I noticed this in my previous life when I was working at a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Southern Indiana. When I talked to the countryboy operators about guns, and huntin’, and trucks, I naturally and unintentionally (and thankfully temporarily) noticed that I was working in a little Kentucky sound.
State of inebriation also seems to have effects on people. One of my German/American mates (I say “mates” because yes, we actually work on the same pirate ship) speaks perfectly flat American English, until he gets three sheets to the wind, where he unknowingly and strangely develops a strong Eurotrash accent. It’s kinda funny, especially when drunk. He’s a chain smoker, too, so he really should pay attention to the signs on the sides of the buses our OP has graciously posted above. There Elgin, back on topic for you.
One thing I love about Korea is being able to smoke and it being socially acceptable. The bloody bores you meet in the UK complaining and tutting every time you light up a cigarette are a pain in the arse, unfortunately the anti-smoking nazis are seemingly winning the battle. I don’t smoke when people around me are eating, or I move away, I don’t smoke in peoples cars who don’t smoke, I don’t smoke in peoples houses if they don’t smoke, I don’t smoke on public transport, I don’t gob everywhere like many Korean smokers do, I’m considerate.
I wish the anti smoking pricks would be more considerate. Especially galling is the fact that non smokers complain so much, but that the amount of tax the government gets from cigarettes doesn’t just pay for instances of smokers’ smoking related illnesses, but pays for all the rest of the health service too! Smokers should get tax breaks!
@17 that’s interesting, an old colleague of mine spoke very clear, fairly unaccented American English most of the time. When she had a few beers or glasses of wine she ended up sounding like Daisy Duke with a full on southern drawl. It was hilarious to give her a bit of a light hearted tease about it!
It’s nice, cmm that people are complimenting you on speaking better English
. Some accents on both sides of the Atlantic make me cringe. Geordie, scouser, brummie, cockney, Glasgow (Rab C Nesbitt style) are all horrendous on one side and redneck, ‘posh’ southern and those maritime canucks (with all their ‘aboot’ nonsense) are vomit inducing on the other.
After quite a few years in Korea my accent has very much moved toward the mid atlantic, no Americans (unless particularly dense) ever have a problem understanding my (lack of) accent.
keith,
I’m not sure if it’s a matter of “density,” but more a matter of lack of exposure and being from a culturally dominant society.
Here’s what I mean. The last time I was in England, I was surprised at how much of the TV they watch is American programming. Mad Men is playing on the BBC now even? Glad to see that even your Nanny knows (and buys) good American stuff for you when they see it. So there should be no wonder why you can all handle the American accents yet we Americans need subtitles to understand Trainspotting (some Brit friends have admitted the same). Programming featuring accents Glasgow, Manchester, etc. don’t really see any exposure in the USA.
My point is, that instead of looking
for a reason to lookdown on Americans (as being “dense”) for their inability to understand all the whacked accents in your region, perhaps one should instead be thankful for the few benefits of coming from a land which is relatively culturally irrelevant.Agreed.
re# 18 – I agree completely
When I smoke, I try to find some empty lane or corner, at least 20 metres away from anyone, where I can smoke without bothering anyone else, and I always extinguish the butt and throw it in a trash bin (if I can find one) – and yet the “anti-smoking Nazi’s” still won’t leave us alone.
re#11 (280,000 / 15years / 365days = 52 ciggs per day) – almost 2 packets a day of marlboro RED.
(Marlboro RED in Japan/Australia are 12.0mg and marlboro RED in Korea are 8.0mg)
I was the same when I cut down on the cigs at 30. Now I just drink beer everyday.
Oops.. I am sorry. 52 ciggs a day = 2 1/2 packets a day.
Shit! 6,250won per day! (2,281,000won per year) – but it keeps me happy!
I have been thinking about asking my doctor for Naltrexone and Bupropion to get me off the ciggs and alcohol – but the main reason why I want them is I researched and found out that taking both of those drugs together helps you to lose weight – and I need to lose a few kg’s.
Craash and keith,
So sorry that the “anti-smoking nazis” have hurt your feelings. Let me know if one of them ever inadvertently gives you cancer, though.
I tried champix, fed up with being a slave to it and the asshhh tray!
15+ years smokin and now I have not had a cigg in 5 months have lapst a few times on the way but thats not going to beat me .
To Kill . . . Vampires? Smoke ‘em out? It’ll never work. Vampires don’t inhale.
Jeffery Hodges
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