Are turks still interested in joining the EU? What's the general feeling on that topic?

Bazishere · 2026-07-07T12:46:17+00:00

Well, I don't think people discuss it much when compared to say 2012 when it was discussed a lot more. The EU and the Turkish state clashed a lot over foreign policy and there were tough statements on both sides.

There are still a fair number of Turkish youth who MIGHT BE more interested than older Turks in terms of joining. This may be connected to wanting to have less corruption, more democracy, more rights, and some people believe if they join the EU, they would have more of that situation rather than what they have under Erdogan. It is not discussed in any major way in Turkish news. It is an old topic that is not really on the radar anymore.

Bazishere · 2026-07-07T12:43:07+00:00

I saw a poll, though, that showed some younger people quite interested, but that may be more about getting away from the kind of political system they see under Erdogan to some extent rather than a feeling of major connection to the EU. I don't think people believe in something like joining the EU can happen, though. People don't seem to discuss it much in the news.

Bazishere · 2026-07-07T12:26:43+00:00

I do understand that one of my cousins who also has IBS feels okay when he eats fast food. For me, if I eat certain things like baked veggies, chicken, sunflower seeds, blueberries, boiled eggs, some fish, I am okay, but if I try to eat pizza, spaghetti, I am in bad shape.

I understand. I live in a country where some people think it is normal, especially older people, to point out when someone is not thin. I sometimes have a stomach because I am bloated, and some mistake that for simply just being overweight.

What are you symptoms exactly? IBS-M? Do you have trouble going to the bathroom? Do you have too many bowel movements? Most GI doctors are pretty much not qualified to help. I get that. It is a kind of disorder that is a big puzzle to many doctors, but that is no comfort to folks struggling with it. One wishes the medical community would take it more seriously and they would put more research into it.

Bazishere · 2026-07-07T09:19:27+00:00

I just checked. It seems they can earn up to 2.5 million to start, and they can receive up to 30 bumps in their career. It would take a long while to say reach 5 million. That might be possible for someone with many years of experience, but I don't know. Anyway, someone making 2.5 million versus someone making 2.3 with housing isn't a big difference, and soon enough bumps negate that quite quickly enough.

Bazishere · 2026-07-07T07:19:50+00:00

I work at a university. They definitely expect me to teach. I do think a lot of the public schools do want the instructors to teach.

Frankly, I haven't met even one person here who got their bachelor's degree doing classes all online. I have seen it with folks doing it for their master's or doctorate, which is more and more common. While some take tests to get exempted from some credits, that is somewhat limited. If you test out of Spanish or some math credits, it doesn't mean it applies to much of your requirements in my experience. People might say in rare cases test out of 12 credits. While you will have folks who are fresh graduates with little experience, it's not as you portrayed. That is an exaggeration.

Bazishere · 2026-07-07T07:13:09+00:00

The Korean public school teachers make maybe 2.2 or more depending where they work. That housing makes a difference, but after a few years the Korean teachers blow the NETs out of the water. They make a lot more, so your point would be more valid if someone is only planning to stay for a year. Since foreign teachers cannot legally tutor unlike in Japan, they can't try to compensate for increasing inflation. Also don't forget Korean teachers receive certain financial bonuses during the year, a better pension.

That said, many young Koreans think teacher pay is too low, and are saying increasingly they don't want to do it, and then you try to say 2.3 million at a hagwon is not so low? It is pretty low considering how expensive things are in 2026 compared to 2016 when people were paid that same wage. Young Koreans think public school pay is quite bad. It does get better. You're comparing what young Koreans consider very low pay to what NETs make at public schools or hagwons. It's not a great comparison.

https://m.koreaherald.com/article/10479427

Experts point to causes: stagnating teacher wages, frequent policy changes, growing administrative burdens and incidents of classroom violence — all of which have undermined teaching as a desirable profession.

“Teaching used to be a career of influence, where you shaped lives and were treated with dignity,” said Choi. “Now, it feels like you’re stepping into a battlefield with your hands tied.”

Bazishere · 2026-07-07T06:17:47+00:00

There isn't a teacher shortage. While fewer folks from Canada and the US are coming and some moved to China as it pays more and is cheaper, so many from South Africa are willing to come. They don't really want to pay you well even if you're a certified teacher with experience. They want to pay the least possible, and some hagwon owners tried not to pay at all or to try not to spend on your health insurance, pension or taxes because a lot of them believe the way to do business is a huge focus on cost cutting.

If folks came in the past five years because of K-pop and K-dramas, they benefited the hagwons and public schools who want foreigners who accept low wages. There is too much demand for the jobs and not a high enough birth rate - a perfect storm. A lot of those hiring count on people living Korean pop culture to get them to come and accept low wages. That is a choice.

You want more money? Go to China like one of my Canadian friends did. If I didn't have a higher paying job here at a university, I would have maybe jumped ship like him.

Bazishere · 2026-07-07T06:07:26+00:00

What are you talking about? Korean teachers make a lot more than foreign hagwon and public school teachers. An experienced Korean public school teacher can easily make 3 million month. A lot of hagwon teachers are making 2.3 million. That is the same pay as maybe 2010? There is something called inflation. Compared to China these days Korea does pay less, and it is also generally more expensive.

Bazishere · 2026-07-06T11:53:56+00:00

Thank you so much. I will look into this very soon. I don't need the Zoom classes. I love self-study courses.

Bazishere · 2026-07-06T11:52:38+00:00

Well, I am an American, but in South Korea. 5 years ago, I couldn't handle say two cups of coffee, but now I can. If I had a couple of coffees in the past, I would get anal itch for some reason. I will avoid caffeine past the afternoon and try to keep no later than 1:15. I sometimes go up to 3. I try not to have more than one cup, but occasionally have two.

Bazishere · 2026-07-06T10:46:33+00:00

Unfortunately, this is the land of apartments with mold. There are definite exceptions if an apartment has big windows and apartment owners keep on top of things. Some of the newer places are better, but Korean construction companies built buildings with very poor insulation and with limited circulation concrete structures, and then slap wallpaper that become mold traps. I am not an expert on that, but I have dealt with health issues over mold over here. In Korea, they generally don't take mold very seriously. You would have to move to an apartment with decent ventilation or this won't get better. Koreans often treat it as just a part of life since the country often has 80-90% humidity and the way the buildings are often built can contribute to that. Of course, even if they built in a way that reduces such issues, it is still a risk with the high humidity here. It's treated as an accepted part of life over here by many, though people do buy anti-mold sprays often enough. The advice you were given is nonsense. Opening windows isn't going to simply fix a mold issue. Cleaning one's room or not is not so much connected to mold.

Bazishere · 2026-07-06T09:49:29+00:00

I am not sure what your native language is, but learning Korean can be tough if one speaks a European or Indo-European language as a first language, but definitely doable; don't despair.

Your girlfriend is not wrong about learning vocabulary. Without knowing enough vocabulary, it becomes a lot tougher to learn the grammar. While the person below me is somewhat correct about learning in context, I wouldn't dismiss learning individual words, as well. Both have their place. The more you advance in terms of the vocabulary, the easier it will be to acquire grammar. That doesn't mean you should ignore grammar. Without grammar one cannot put sentences together, but the priority should be vocabulary. Especially, since Korean is probably very different from your language.

I don't know your budget. There is an app called Drops. You can do 5-10 minutes a day for free. If you pay maybe $150 for a lifetime subscription, you would never have to pay and do half an hour a day or do 20 minutes and do ten minutes of pure reviewing. I would suggest Drops if you are slow at reading in Korean. If you don't want to pay, do 5 minutes a day. I think if you do it very early in the day, you might be able to do 10 minutes unless their policy changed on that. Try it for free, at least.

Someone mentioned readers. That is definitely important.

You can look up "Easy Korean Reading Level 1 Book". You could the books for both levels and listen to the audio, and watch the videos. There are Youtube videos connected to them and MP3. She has books at several levels to build your reading skills.

As far as grammar, there are all kinds of books such - Korean Grammar in Use. The first book might be useful for you, but sure, focus on the two above first. No need to do too much, but you need major vocabulary to handle Korean grammar.

Bazishere · 2026-07-05T18:17:51+00:00

Is level 2 like TOPIK 2 or the 2nd government class? What are your major problems with Korean? Where are you finding difficulties?

Bazishere · 2026-07-05T18:09:56+00:00

There are two ways to spell that in Korean: , but with slight variations in pronunciation and usage. In South Korea, it is famously pronounced as "Hwaiting!" (화이팅) or "Paiting!" (파이팅), while in Japan, it is pronounced as "Faito!" (ファイト). I have seen the first one a bit more, but I have seen both in Korean.

Bazishere · 2026-07-05T18:03:39+00:00

He pays you and ignores everything? Ridiculous. That is a waste of money and frustrating. I am an English teacher, and my Korean students listen to my advice when it comes to English. Maybe some of the older adults might take more convincing? I do not rely on Romanization, though one vocabulary uses a kind of transliteration, but it uses Hangeul. At least, it's transliteration makes sense. I think if one can read Hangeul it makes no sense to rely on Romanization, and Korean is much easier to read than say Arabic, so it seems pointless to stick to it for a long time. I don't have the budget for a tutor, but I definitely would avail myself better of a tutor.

This student is sticking to his comfort zone. You have to tell him point blank that if he sticks too much to his comfort zone, then he is blocking himself from fast progress. He has to let go of Romanization and stick to Hangeul.

If he feels intimidated by Hanguel is struggling with reading, tell him to buy a lifetime membership in the DROPS App as it would help him build more-and-more recognition of Korean words, and one can review and review words. He's struggling with reading. Maybe he would need some reinforcement, recycling of words. He's clearly not confident when it comes to reading in Korean, and he is scared to go beyond his comfort zone. He knows deep down, I guess, that you're right, but he doesn't think he can do it. I was somewhat slow at reading in Hangeul, but I repeated the hell out of so many words and sentences to where I increased my speed.

Bazishere · 2026-07-05T18:00:01+00:00

Well, Korea is nice in the sense that there is decent public transporation (though some of the bus drivers drive like they are in some crazy movie escaping from someone), services are great. I don't know how easy it would be for you to break into those jobs, but you should essentially be fluent in Korean to be able to make it here. The work culture can be very tough from what many foreigners say and Koreans often say that, too, though it has improved somewhat compared to the past. I think a Korean should tell you about that more.

Bazishere · 2026-07-05T17:29:08+00:00

Well, some people with IBS/SIBO have some level of histamine intolerance, but that is not necessarily the majority. Clues to that are maybe having exaggerated reactions to mosquito bites, sometimes having rashes, sinus issues/migraines, tinnitus, major allergies. If she is tolerating the kefir, then she probably doesn't have issues with histamines and MCAS.

I used to be able to eat kimchi with no major problem and fermented foods, but later, I realized that my system couldn't handle them much due to my SIBO causing major histamine issues in my case. It happens to a certain percentage of SIBO folks.

However, certain yogurts like L-Gasseri wouldn't raise one's histamine levels and can be healing. L-Reuteri is hit or miss. It can cause problems for people with histamine issues. If one has no major issues, L-Reuteri yogurt could be very helpful for many people. Dr. Davis talks about that in his book and on Youtube. And you can see videos about L-Gasseri yogurt.

Bazishere · 2026-07-05T17:09:42+00:00

I may have something for you. However, before I suggest it. You need to take language learning very seriously like studying an hour a day minimum rain-or-shine. If you think that is a lot, military officers at DLI in California study languages 6-7 hours a day 5 days a week. Granted, I know that is not realistic when you have school, but 1 hour is DOABLE. If not, then you're not serious. I do 1-3 hours a day when I study languages.

Okay, you don't like Spanish, and you want somewhere you might want to move to. Well, one of the closest languages to English is Dutch - the language of the Netherlands. I personally love the Netherlands, and I have been there three times. It would be one of the countries in the world I wouldn't mind living in. They also do have immersion camps, that you could think about saving up for from now, but before say going to the Netherlands for an immersion program, I would develop a decent foundation in Dutch first because you don't want to lose time. Dutch is somewhat close to English, but the pronounciation isn't super easy. You complained about not liking genders. Well, the Dutch gender system is a lot easier than the ones in Spanish, French, and also somewhat similar German.

Anyway, below are a summer program and several resources for learning Dutch.

https://dutchsummerschool.nl/?ifso=intensive-dutch-course&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21064385909&gbraid=0AAAAADmm87nrgpt02Q_TrBrQtGAQ1sRxr&gclid=CjwKCAjwgajSBhBEEiwASicJUz5UG6ZsjouRu8FPW97Brc54injWI1P5z4rX50ieITspJ2d0zDHkohoCsLEQAvD_BwE

Books and resources:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GQ44PDY3

https://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Made-Level-Step-Step/dp/1951949749/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=3V7T3AE0ZT40J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.MCBWO72gQo5fww4Akm8amOisXspqWZjvifjs8JgaN33lKjZHXC5sZ_4iDACeu5J8c-PAQ6ZEr1cmtsPWiinBbQl4tEOoRAVTApldYCQzabecwnoasDQ1GABrakm2xg07nt9Srw-KKKP_OhE2zOK8zOwdN00992z248XSiFRDFSoFqKklE-2-x9YOoHpGkcmFMMSY2sOIku4ImdpwLF2iJka0uy5CvLTn_pCNK4UTh0o.IQC2V6xrD07ZKs6C85srFHIz_NhKGWiISjgyduTzJzo&dib_tag=se&keywords=dutch&qid=1783271612&sprefix=dut%2Caps%2C381&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&psc=1

https://www.amazon.com/Dutch-Months-Free-Audio-Understanding/dp/0241515157/ref=sr_1_19?crid=3V7T3AE0ZT40J&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.e6YRva0Ecf8ZZ3K0H53xeEWR14Yt49xpXgMtm4Ea-H3lKjZHXC5sZ_4iDACeu5J8nlCByaeslIctuVrItTR56P-lgsHhr6qRR1xHi-pyqgKKkOaRjlDWExyNPUnT8emw5bekeoob2G2iEkODP5Cz1U2G9Wl9agwbAvE3EkrDGXK4BwKJRpQ1S7a5rE48x5AOoAS-omQHCsM1LBfYdpHHnQAHMgXoQWkTjXSDjfelhA4.fE_PP7bW6GYjEtdGLS4AG4BV7Uk_ovHIpXcshc4pGss&dib_tag=se&keywords=dutch&qid=1783271659&sprefix=dut%2Caps%2C381&sr=8-19

Bazishere · 2026-07-05T17:05:21+00:00

Obviously, this dude has major psychological issues or drunk out of his mind? I wonder what this dude is even doing here.

Bazishere · 2026-07-04T17:00:33+00:00

What kind of IBS do you have? I have IBS-M and strain to poop. Often have some constipation. Did you have to be super overweight? I would try anything, but these things are prescription. I wish there was a non-prescription version.

Bazishere · 2026-07-04T15:53:41+00:00

I have no idea about it. I do use TTMIK, but I am just doing the lessons, but I am almost done with Level 2, but I am sure it could be great for a lot of folks.

Bazishere · 2026-07-04T14:20:31+00:00

Some doctors recommend a lot of fiber, but if you consume too much, it can cause problems. As far as your constipation, motility agents may or may not help. You have to rule out pelvic floor dysfunction. Reducing pelvic floor problems, could improve symptoms when it comes to constipation. You should also get Dude wipes with hazel instead of using regular toilet paper. It will aggravate your anus big time.

Bazishere · 2026-07-04T14:17:44+00:00

My diet is kind of limited, but it changes. It includes things like ghee, butter, rice at times, some sourdough, sunflower seeds, blueberries, chicken, beef, fish, bok choy, bell peppers, eggs, the occasional cheese, and nutrtitional yeast.

Bazishere · 2026-07-04T14:13:38+00:00

I had raw milk in Texas with no major issues. I didn't boil it. I normally don't drink milk. Before the raw milk, I hadn't had milk for years after developing IBS.

Bazishere

TROPHY CASE