u/DisasterOk5460

Genuinely, can we start taking photos of desks where people have just dumped their bags and belongings and disappeared for ages?

I'm studying at Kate, and I have a whole row (three seats) empty... It's so frustrating seeing study spaces completely "occupied" when half the people aren't even there. Meanwhile, people who actually want to sit down and study are walking around trying to find an available desk.

Obviously, going to the bathroom or grabbing something quickly is completely understandable, but leaving your stuff there for an extended period just to reserve a spot is honestly so inconsiderate.

Study spaces are meant to be used, not claimed for hours with a bag.

Hhihi everyone! I wanted to try açaí for the first time (I'm very late to the trend 😂), so I was wondering if anyone has recommendations for where I can get actual/authentic açaí that isn't a rip-off?

I've done a bit of research and found that açaí itself should have more of a thick smoothie/sorbet-like texture, rather than being super creamy like ice cream from added dairy/fat, and shouldn’t be crazy sweet.

My parents and I were talking about mandatory military service in South Korea, and it turned into a pretty interesting debate. I’d love to hear perspectives from both Koreans and people outside of Korean culture, especially people from countries with or without mandatory military service.

In South Korea, men are required to complete military service, while women aren't. Since this can delay a man's university/work life by around 1.5–2 years, military service can count as career experience for things like salary steps (호봉) in some public-sector jobs.

My family had two sides to this.

The argument for giving men credit: Men lose around two years to a compulsory obligation, so it seems fair that those years are recognized when they enter the workforce.

The argument against it: Women who graduate and immediately start working are actually gaining two years of work experience. If men receive two years of career/salary credit for military service, they could potentially start at a higher salary step than women who are entering the workforce at the same time. So some people argue that everyone should simply start from the same point.

What do you think is fair? Should military service count as career/work experience, or should everyone start at the same salary step/rank? If men should be compensated for the time they lose, what would be a fair way to do it without disadvantaging women?

There were also two other arguments that came up.

I said that historically men have started most wars, so I didn't think it was necessarily unfair that men are the ones required to serve. My dad disagreed and said that's wrong because men today didn't personally start those wars, so we shouldn't use historical events to justify imposing an obligation on men today.

Should historical gender patterns have any relevance when deciding who serves today, or should we only look at the circumstances of people living today?

Finally, we discussed the argument that “women give birth, so men should serve in the military.” My mum pointed out that women aren't legally required to become pregnant or give birth, whereas eligible Korean men don't get to choose whether they complete military service.

Is comparing childbirth and mandatory military service a reasonable argument for gender equality, or are they too fundamentally different to compare?

I'm genuinely not looking for people to agree with me or my family. I'm really interested in seeing how people from the same AND different countries/cultural backgrounds view this, because I imagine the perspective could be different.

Does anyone know where I can buy energy drinks at the lowest price? I know that supermarkets are the cheapest, but I am not taking the bus from campus just for, like, 2 cans of energy drinks... I was initially going to buy from MunchyMart but my friends said that they pretty expenny...?

Hi everyone! So I like monsoon coffee, tob, and altura albany cafe coffee, and i was wondering if anyone had similar taste to me and had other recommendations? I'm very open to try new places!

Hi everyone! So I like monsoon coffee, tob, and altura albany cafe coffee, and i was wondering if anyone had similar taste to me and had other recommendations? I'm very open to try new places!

Hello!! Me and my sister were wanting to go to a sushi train in the CBD and we found K10 sushi train and Sushi Factory, but we dont know which one is best? I heard Sushi Factory does the same price for all dishes but K10 does not? I may be wrong 🤔

Hello! I've heard a lot about Go Ramen in Auckland CBD and checked the menu and saw there were half sized donburi? Do these have a big difference in size compared to the normal sized donburi for those who've had it before?

Hello! I was wondering if there are any good (working) microwaves on campus? Anywhere, like the engineering building, Kate Edgar, Fisher & Paykel building, etc...?

Hello! My sister and I really wanted to try shawarma for the first time (I know... embarrassing), and I was wondering if anyone knew of a good takeaway spot around UOA?