Hi all,
I don’t want to come off as disrespectful so don’t get me wrong.
I am in Korea since a week. I absolutely love garlic and eat plenty of it in daily life. However, I am starting to feel nauseous because of the strong garlic and fish smell everywhere in South Korea. It seems to be stuck in my clothes, even after doing laundry. I was brushing my teeth today and it seemed to smell very intensely like kimchi and garlic in the bathroom, which made me gag mid session. When I enter the subway, the smell is there. Same when I walk in the hallways or on the streets. This smell seems to be everywhere. I am wondering if it’s the hot weather that makes it more intense right now. It also seemed to start after I felt uncomfortable by the strong smell in a dampy subway on day 3.
I never had this problem before in any other country. I walked past fish vendors and a fish market but the smell of seafood didn’t disrupt me that much. It seems to be the combination of the (fermented) fish and garlic that causes discomfort. I tried using a lot of perfume, rubbing essential oils on my wrists, tiger balm on my chest and even a face mask. The smell persists. I even smell it in the bed sheets.
I also smell it very strongly in locals sometimes, even when I have eaten garlic myself, which should’ve eliminated the garlic smell sensitivity.
I am feeling quite sick and start to get headaches because of it. I am also wondering if it is a sinuses issue but I don’t have any blockages or pain.
Is there a practical tip to reduce discomfort? Like something specific to chew on that reduces the smell? Usual chewing gum doesn’t seem to help either because the smell is overpowering.
Thanks in advance.
submitted by /u/hatichico
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