In South Korea

[Sinusoidal]

I'm an English teacher, and while here it's acceptable for (male) teachers to smoke like chimneys around the schools (they've almost managed to stop it occurring inside the schools entirely), I never felt good about the habit (and stressfully managed to keep it hidden for 5 years) since I'm an influence on nearly 1000 kids between the ages of 6 and 16 weekly.

After a bunch of online research last night, mostly here, today I bought a Janty eGo from the only electronic smoke shop in town for an exorbitant price. (160'000won, $130 American for two batteries, two atomizers and a bottle of cigar flavored juice) The price here hits even harder since there is no smoking ban to speak of, you can smoke pretty much anywhere and a pack of smokes is 2'500won. ($2.06 American)

I haven't smoked since last night since I ran out and couldn't have my routine morning smoke. My first after school smoke (I don't smoke at the school at all) is my most important and my most routine. On the way home, I bought a pack of smokes and then went to the shop and picked up an eGo, thankfully it was already charged. Two hours later and my fresh pack of Marlboros sits untouched in my bag and I'm thoroughly impressed.

The strongest juice you can buy in Korea is 16mg, but it seems to have done the trick. (I might be jumping the gun a bit) I wasn't the heaviest smoker (half a pack squeezed in between end of school and bed), but it was definitely a routine I was not inclined to get out of anytime soon.

To combat the low price of cigarettes here, my eGo came with a bunch of empty cartridges and they sell the juice by the 20ml jug at 6'000won ($4.94 US) apiece. Fine by me.

I'll update in the future and let you know how I hold up in one of the smoke-friendliest countries in the world.

 

[JHf]

Goodluck welcome to the boards andvaping

 

[MsSki]

Welcome to the Forum. I love my ego and I have been smoke free for a 100+ days and i was a heavy smoker 2 packs aday. Good Luck and again welcome to the group.
Tara

 

[Shaka]

...here it's acceptable for (male) teachers to smoke like chimneys around the schools....

Welcome to ecf Sinus...that sounds strange, any other short version for your name? lol

In Korea, are only male teachers allowed to smoke in the school?

Bravo for your efforts (5 years!!) to be a better role model for the kids than some of your peers.

 

[Tuscany Sun]

since I'm an influence on nearly 1000 kids between the ages of 6 and 16 weekly.

I'm new here too - but gotta say Sinusoidal, I bow to your calling!

Keep on keepin on....and if you need other juice, let me know

 

[Sinusoidal]

In Korea, are only male teachers allowed to smoke in the school?

Women smoking is frowned upon in Korea. At least Korean women smoking. Up until about ten years ago, men were basically entitled to walk up to a woman smoking in public and slap her, and they would. It's still not acceptable amongst the older crowd, and younger Korean women are afraid to smoke in front of them. Yet last year they put a respected Korean woman scientist into space. It's a weird dichotomy.

Every women's bathroom here has an ashtray.

Four hours in, not craving (much) and haven't even been vapping a whole lot. It's definitely a different pace than I'm used to with smoking. I've always kind of ignored smaller cravings and tried to wait an hour between cigs, now I just vap once or twice every fifteen minutes or so.

It's not much of an issue, but I don't seem to get as much vapor as I've seen in the video reviews I watched. Could it have something to do with the 100% humidity and 90+ Fahrenheit weather?

 

[Sinusoidal]

Welcome to ecf Sinus...that sounds strange, any other short version for your name? lol

"Sine" works.

 

[brewcrew9]

Women smoking is frowned upon in Korea. At least Korean women smoking. Up until about ten years ago, men were basically entitled to walk up to a woman smoking in public and slap her, and they would. It's still not acceptable amongst the older crowd, and younger Korean women are afraid to smoke in front of them. Yet last year they put a respected Korean woman scientist into space. It's a weird dichotomy.

Every women's bathroom here has an ashtray.

Four hours in, not craving (much) and haven't even been vapping a whole lot. It's definitely a different pace than I'm used to with smoking. I've always kind of ignored smaller cravings and tried to wait an hour between cigs, now I just vap once or twice every fifteen minutes or so.

It's not much of an issue, but I don't seem to get as much vapor as I've seen in the video reviews I watched. Could it have something to do with the 100% humidity and 90+ Fahrenheit weather?

vapor production can depend on the type of liquid you're using, whether it is pg or vg based. It can also be caused by a clogged/gunked up atty but i would rule that out because your kit is new.

Could be the way you inhale your pv as well, I usually take a nice slow and relaxed inhale for 3-5 seconds. Either way i wouldnt worry too much about it and just continue researching on here and learning. Ive only been at it for 3 weeks but it seems i learn something new everyday.

 

[MacArthurBug]

Welcome to ECF Sine.
Good to have you here!

 

[bassnut]

Welcome, Sine.
Thanks for the cultural info. I love that stuff.
I've been around Asia quite a bit and found my short stay in Korea way different than anywhere else. I love the food. I eat it here in L.A. at least twice a week for lunch.
I even made a kimchee martini once (once). It wasn't all that bad.....

BTW. 20ml of juice at $4.94 US is a good price.
Is it possible to order ecig stuff from abroad?
I would recommend a low resistance 510 atomizer for your eGo.
More vapor and more throat hit. You'll see them mentioned around here as "510 LR attys" and can be purchased from a number of different sources. China as well.

 

[audio]

It's not much of an issue, but I don't seem to get as much vapor as I've seen in the video reviews I watched. Could it have something to do with the 100% humidity and 90+ Fahrenheit weather?

Hi Sine,

Is your eGo a manual battery or automatic? If it's manual, try dripping one or two drops of liquid on the atty bridge to see if you get more vapor.

You might also do a search for the highping cart mod. It seems to help keep the atty moist.

Good luck!

 

[YKruss]

It's not much of an issue, but I don't seem to get as much vapor as I've seen in the video reviews I watched.

Welcome Sine,

Some atty do require a "break in" time to start working at full potential.
"Break in" could take from couple hours to a day or two.

Don't worry!

 

[Sinusoidal]

Wow, this forum is active.

Three days in, haven't had an "analog" since.

No problems with vapor production, my eGo is sometimes too harsh.

Regarding battery life. A few minutes ago my light started blinking and it wouldn't produce any vapor at all. It seems a bit odd that the battery dies instantly rather than gradually, but that seems to have been the trouble. I slapped on the other battery and it's blasting away.

I gave it a shot in the presence of my non-smoking, (apparently) paranoid friend who saw the cloud, waved it away and said "whoa whoa, I don't want to get addicted to nicotine".

I have noticed that if I vape a lot, I get a bit of headache. To say the least this has me a bit troubled. Though it seems a small tradeoff for my returning ability to breathe and sense of smell that unfortunately reminded me that I really have to do the dishes.

My girlfriend/fiancee wasn't super impressed. She can't chew on it like she does regular cigarettes.

 

[mini_art]

Headache indicates too much nicotene. Give it a rest for a short while and it will be fine.
Welcome to Ecf! Glad to have you here.

 

[ms. puff]

Wow... cudos to you in surviving the "no smoking" rule in Korea. I went there last year to visit family and it's sooooo easy to smoke there it's ridiculous.

Keep on vaping!

 

[bassnut]

Regarding battery life. A few minutes ago my light started blinking and it wouldn't produce any vapor at all. It seems a bit odd that the battery dies instantly rather than gradually, but that seems to have been the trouble. I slapped on the other battery and it's blasting away.

The battery housing has a microchip inside that regulates charge and discharge. It shuts off just before total discharge to protect the battery. I believe the same thing happens when recharging so you can leave it in the charger indefinitely without worry.
This might be the real reason they're called electronic cigarettes instead of electric cigarettes. I'm guessing.

 

[Shaka]

Aloha Sine!

...I don't seem to get as much vapor as I've seen in the video reviews I watched. Could it have something to do with the 100% humidity and 90+ Fahrenheit weather?

90+F and 100%!! Ugh, that's muggy. lol Vapor production has more to do with your juice. For me (again) th is unpleasant and irritates my throat because I chain vape a lot. I want smooth inhale and massive vapor on the exhale...just more satisfying to me...I vape 100% vg exclusively (24 mg nic).

...It seems a bit odd that the battery dies instantly rather than gradually

...I have noticed that if I vape a lot, I get a bit of headache.

...My girlfriend/fiancee...can't chew on it like she does regular cigarettes.

The power curve for Lithium ion (Li-ion) gives full power until the end and just...dies w/o warning. The power of regular batts and nickel cadmiums (NiCads) gives warning by tapering off. Bassnut is correct about the micro-chip circuitry because deep discharge kills Li-ions.

If you have a headache from vaping, could be too much nic or dehydration. Drink a lot of water while vaping.

Your gf can't chew on it huh? That's why I only use whistle tips because I also like to chew on it, and clench it between my teeth. Try ordering some carts with whistle (aka flat) tips.

ps: Here in Hawaii, kim chee is an absolute staple...got two jars in my fridge right now.

 

[Sinusoidal]

I've got a three liter tub of the stuff, many Koreans have a separate fridge that contains nothing but kimchee. There's a whole Kimchee fridge industry here. I wouldn't be surprised if they had kimchee flavored e-juice. They do have kimchee chocolates. (why anyone thought it would be a good idea to put spicy rotten cabbage inside a chocolate is beyond me)

Day four, no more headaches, vaping a bit less, still no cravings. I even went out with my gf and her friends, who all smoke, and had no trouble. They gave it a shot, but I don't think they're ready to give up analogs anytime soon. I hit the shop on the way home and bought some pineapple juice. Most of the guys there swore by it. I'm liking it, but now I've got 400 cigarettes worth of juice lying around that's gonna take me more than a month to get through at this rate.

Went for a bike ride and can breathe noticeably better.

Jang Ma (monsoon season) has begun. Crazy thunder and lightening storms, thankfully the rain cut some of the humidity.

Happy father's day!

 

[Shaka]

...They do have kimchee chocolates. (why anyone thought it would be a good idea to put spicy rotten cabbage inside a chocolate is beyond me)

...Went for a bike ride and can breathe noticeably better.

Hey, Sine!

Glad to hear your headaches went away. I think sweet chocolate would complement the spicy/garlic kimchee well...I'd be willing to try it anyway!

Amazing how your wind comes back real quick...very common benefit of vaping here on ecf.

Best to you Sine, and keep on doing what you're doing!

 

[Sinusoidal]

Wow, less than a week and my thread is 15 pages down.

I've got five Hoegaardens in me, I apologize prematurely for any incoherency.

One week and one day in, haven't touched, and have barely desired an analog. Woohoo! My girlfriend even left a pack lying in my room (I think she's disappointed that I quit.) Having a cold probably helped. Not just cold like symptoms common to new vapers, a full blown genuine cold, probably helped along by just starting with my eGo. A present from my half-dozen sick co-workers last Thursday. Schools are bloody germ factories.

Today I feel normal again and am vaping an average amount (I guess.) My second battery isn't dead yet, but I barely used it at all for a few days since the pain in my throat was sufficient to dissuade me from vaping. (that made me want a cigarette) I guess I'm doing pretty well if a battery lasts me over 4 days.

My sympathy goes out to my fellow Canadian countrymen who posted a few threads about not being to get e-cigarettes back home. Hopefully once there's some more conclusive testing done on e-cigarettes the nanny state will ease up on the restrictions. (A small) part of the reason I left Canada to begin with was the government's stupid, paranoid hand-holding regulations. I left when Martin was mucking things up, and it doesn't look like Harper's doing any better.

Time to work off some of the beer calories I've ingested.