Before today, I had been to see a doctor here in Korea twice. Once last spring when I came down with a debilitating flu that put me out for three school days in a row (of which I spent literally 16 hours per day sleeping), and another time last fall for an obnoxious cold. The doctor I saw for my flu diagnosed me with a common cold and prescribed for me some mystery packets of unidentified pills (that in turn did absolutely nothing for my 104 degree fever that persisted three days thereafter), and the doctor I saw for my irritating cold prescribed for me what I now refer to as the "magic injection" (a mysterious clear liquid given to me via intramuscular shot that actually DID do something to relieve my symptoms and make the cold go away).
Today, I finally gave in after 12 days of the worst sinus infection recorded in my personal history. Sparing you any of the gross details, let's just say that the stuff coming out of my nose and lungs--and the pure quantity of it--is not fit for anyone's eyes but my own. Not to mention the constant coughing, stuffiness and pain all over my face... And did you know sinus infections can cause toothaches? I didn't--but I do now.
So, just like my previous two trips to the doctor (all at different locations and with different doctors), I walked in and told the young lady at the reception desk that I wanted to see a doctor. They made me write my name and cell number on a piece of paper and asked for my medical insurance card--that to the foreign eye would look more like an old, wrinkled brochure given to me by some Jehovah's Witness than a medical card. Today, I had a wait time of approximately fourteen seconds before actually seeing the doctor (the other two visits have been about 20 minutes and over one hour).
Today's case was special. It was special because today's doctor spoke no English. In the past, they've spoken at least SOME English...
When I walked in, the doctor said nothing more to me than "Please, sit down"--in Korean. After some moments of silence, I took initiative and told him "I think I have a sinus infection. It's been twelve days." Still no response, so I continued--this time using single words or very simple phrases--to make my best attempt at describing my condition (e.g., mucous, green, pain here, cough, lungs). He took one half-second look at my throat, listened to my lungs and then prescribed me with four days worth of antibiotics. Well, what I presume to be antibiotics (when I asked him of they were indeed antibiotics, he pointed to his hose and said "bacteria").
So, I was out of his office as quickly as I had entered. Downstairs, conveniently, was a pharmacy (there are two on every block here anyway) and I got my packets of magical mystery pills.
The grand total for such an endeavor over here?
Office visit: $3.22
Four days of antibiotics (a total of 14 pills PER day): $2.69
*I will post a picture of my funny little pill-packets in the next few days.
Wow, Korea. WOW. In some ways, this is great. In other ways, this is madness! Or, maybe that's just the overly-careful, paranoid American in me...
Monday, March 7, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
On "Fear"
Based on 15 months of observation, I have come to the conclusion that 99% of Korean peoples' fears stem from one of two categories:
1) Fear of foreigners
2) Fear of pigeons (or other small animals)
Allow me to provide you with a few corresponding examples:
1)I was browsing the aisles of Homeplus, Korea's version of a Fred Meyer's or Target. I started down the school supplies aisle and as I walked by a group of middle school aged girls, one of them caught glimpse of me and as she turned to take a second look, literally jumped at the sight of me. She had a nice gasp to go along with her whole-body jump and I heard her whispering to her friends as I continued down the aisle.
2)The other morning, on my walk to school, I was following some young university-aged boys down the sidewalk. When they came up to about four pigeons. As they walked by, the pigeons began to fly away and one of the guys literally ran off the sidewalk onto the street, arms in the air for protection, and let out a yelp of fear.
Believe me, these are only two examples of MANY such experiences my friends and I have had here.
See everybody? If people like me and pigeons are all I'm to worry about here in Korea, then I think I have it pretty good :)
1) Fear of foreigners
2) Fear of pigeons (or other small animals)
Allow me to provide you with a few corresponding examples:
1)I was browsing the aisles of Homeplus, Korea's version of a Fred Meyer's or Target. I started down the school supplies aisle and as I walked by a group of middle school aged girls, one of them caught glimpse of me and as she turned to take a second look, literally jumped at the sight of me. She had a nice gasp to go along with her whole-body jump and I heard her whispering to her friends as I continued down the aisle.
2)The other morning, on my walk to school, I was following some young university-aged boys down the sidewalk. When they came up to about four pigeons. As they walked by, the pigeons began to fly away and one of the guys literally ran off the sidewalk onto the street, arms in the air for protection, and let out a yelp of fear.
Believe me, these are only two examples of MANY such experiences my friends and I have had here.
See everybody? If people like me and pigeons are all I'm to worry about here in Korea, then I think I have it pretty good :)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Just Another Day in Paradise...
NOT.
And yes, I realize my use of "NOT" was something used by elementary and junior high students in the 90s. But, it felt so appropriate to write...
"Just another day in paradise"--a phrase used often by a graduate school professor and one that I have since added to my repertoire of expressions that come out every now and again. Though, this one is usually reserved for moments of sarcasm... Which brings me to the purpose of this post: to vent.
Having returned to Jinju Monday morning at 4am after well over 24 hours of travel to get here, and on top of that having the worst cold and sinus infection I've experienced in years (and one that's still going strong seven days later), it's understandable that I'd be a little off-kilter, so to speak. So, going to sleep last night at 7pm and waking up at 2am was not a huge surprise today, which just so happens to be the first day of school.
Wide awake in the middle of the early morning hours, I thought it would wise to check up on my American bank account online and go over what damage I did while home. It didn't take me long to notice, to my great surprise, a $257 debit card transaction--that occurred in GUATEMALA. If ONLY I had the powers to actually have transported myself from the top of a snowy mountain (where I happened to be on the day of the purchase), skis and all, to sunny Guatemala and spend $257, and THEN return by the end of the day to get a few more runs in and make it back home for dinner. If only.
So, not only was I awake starting at 2am, I then spent the next few hours on Skype making phone calls to my bank and such to try to sort this out. They better get me my money back! It's fraud, I tell ya! FRAUD!
I was able to pass the hours until I arrived at school this morning at 8:30am, only to find that I had been moved to another desk. All of my stuff was put in boxes and thrown in the corner of the office. I, however, had expected this to happen (since it did last year). And, it's the Korean way.
Then, I try my best to inquire about the day's schedule and my class schedule. I didn't expect much from the day, being the first day of a new school year, but COME ON! Not a single person could tell me what is going to happen today or if I will even have any classes today. Then I was told that I'd be teaching first and third grade instead of first and second (7th and 9th grade instead of 7th and 8th)--but only for this semester. That I'm actually happy about because it means I'll still get to teach some of my favorite second grade students from last year. But then, the biggest surprise of them all occurred...
(SIDENOTE: In actuality, almost nothing surprises me here anymore. Even this.)
I was asked to teach on Saturdays, because the school had screwed up the scheduling for English classes. If I would agree to teach on Saturdays, then THEIR mistake would be fixed. My answer? An immediate and not-taking-it-back "No." They were NOT pleased--but it's not in my contract and NOT my problem!
Needless to say, I'm tired, hurting and very grumpy right now (and it's ONLY 10:30am).
I'm hoping things turn around and the next six hours here at school are slightly less... ambiguous and dramatic.
On a more positive note, and despite my foul mood, I AM happy to be back and see my students. I've had a nice long vacation full of lovely people and places and now welcome the routine and oncoming spring weather into my life. And once things settle down I have no doubt I'll once again be saying to myself on a daily basis "I love my life."
And yes, I realize my use of "NOT" was something used by elementary and junior high students in the 90s. But, it felt so appropriate to write...
"Just another day in paradise"--a phrase used often by a graduate school professor and one that I have since added to my repertoire of expressions that come out every now and again. Though, this one is usually reserved for moments of sarcasm... Which brings me to the purpose of this post: to vent.
Having returned to Jinju Monday morning at 4am after well over 24 hours of travel to get here, and on top of that having the worst cold and sinus infection I've experienced in years (and one that's still going strong seven days later), it's understandable that I'd be a little off-kilter, so to speak. So, going to sleep last night at 7pm and waking up at 2am was not a huge surprise today, which just so happens to be the first day of school.
Wide awake in the middle of the early morning hours, I thought it would wise to check up on my American bank account online and go over what damage I did while home. It didn't take me long to notice, to my great surprise, a $257 debit card transaction--that occurred in GUATEMALA. If ONLY I had the powers to actually have transported myself from the top of a snowy mountain (where I happened to be on the day of the purchase), skis and all, to sunny Guatemala and spend $257, and THEN return by the end of the day to get a few more runs in and make it back home for dinner. If only.
So, not only was I awake starting at 2am, I then spent the next few hours on Skype making phone calls to my bank and such to try to sort this out. They better get me my money back! It's fraud, I tell ya! FRAUD!
I was able to pass the hours until I arrived at school this morning at 8:30am, only to find that I had been moved to another desk. All of my stuff was put in boxes and thrown in the corner of the office. I, however, had expected this to happen (since it did last year). And, it's the Korean way.
Then, I try my best to inquire about the day's schedule and my class schedule. I didn't expect much from the day, being the first day of a new school year, but COME ON! Not a single person could tell me what is going to happen today or if I will even have any classes today. Then I was told that I'd be teaching first and third grade instead of first and second (7th and 9th grade instead of 7th and 8th)--but only for this semester. That I'm actually happy about because it means I'll still get to teach some of my favorite second grade students from last year. But then, the biggest surprise of them all occurred...
(SIDENOTE: In actuality, almost nothing surprises me here anymore. Even this.)
I was asked to teach on Saturdays, because the school had screwed up the scheduling for English classes. If I would agree to teach on Saturdays, then THEIR mistake would be fixed. My answer? An immediate and not-taking-it-back "No." They were NOT pleased--but it's not in my contract and NOT my problem!
Needless to say, I'm tired, hurting and very grumpy right now (and it's ONLY 10:30am).
I'm hoping things turn around and the next six hours here at school are slightly less... ambiguous and dramatic.
On a more positive note, and despite my foul mood, I AM happy to be back and see my students. I've had a nice long vacation full of lovely people and places and now welcome the routine and oncoming spring weather into my life. And once things settle down I have no doubt I'll once again be saying to myself on a daily basis "I love my life."
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