Things I've learned so far: Differing expectations during doctor visits.

I have shipped my laptop home so there will be no more photo updates. In the mean time, please enjoy my adventure in the Korean medical system!

A few weeks ago I was suffering from a sinus infection. It was to the point where my face was stinging from the congestion and it hurt to just breath. I was waking up in the middle of the night in discomfort, and unable to fall back asleep. As a result I took my first and only sick day on a day I knew I didn't have any classes, hoping some rest would do me good. My symptoms were only getting worse so I decided to go see a Korean doctor. I may as well use the cheap health care while I had insurance...

The next day my co teacher was kind enough to take me to a local doctor. We were able to walk right in and have the doctors undivided attention. The family physician was very kind, but not the most fluent in English. He listened to my description of symptoms and then started looking at my throat. This is where things start to change from previous experiences in America. He looked at my throat and then used a little suction tube to clean it off. It was like the tube that the dentist uses to suck up all your drool during an exam. Okay, I thought. Maybe it is easier to see my tonsil after a little cleaning? Sure. why not?

Next he wants to look up my nose. okaaaaaay? He then tells me that he will clean out my nose. He tells me to lean my head back, relax, and breath through my mouth. He propped my nostril open with a little clamp and gave me a quick mist of what I assume was anesthetic. He also told me repeatedly not to be scared. Why would I be scared? At this point I should have noted that the nurse was still holding onto my head after she had positioned it into the correct angle.  The dental-sucking-tube poked around my nose removing snot. It was a little tender in my sinuses, but I have a decent pain tolerance and just let him do his work. That wasn't so bad I thought. The pressure had really reduced and I could breath without pain for the first time in days. So when the doctor asked me if I had any remaining fluid in my nose I noted that there was a little bit left and figured I could manage another go at the nose sucking.

I was wrong. Round two was when I realized why the nurse was holding on to my head and why the doctor had told me not to be scared. What happened next was not a happy light cleaning as much as an attempted lobotomy. It felt like he was piercing through my inflamed sinuses with a needle. At one point I felt a breeze on the back of my throat from the suction. I started to flinch and utter out noises involuntarily from pain while the doctor tried to comfort me by repeatedly saying ¨Believe in me! Relax! Believe in me!¨  When he was finished my sinuses felt battered and bruised although admittedly quite clear. My right eye was watering from the trauma my face had just endured. When the doctor asked my how I felt, I answered oh much better! I would have answered anything to not have that tube back in my nose.

Next up was a shot in the butt. This I was totally prepared for. It's very common to go to the doctor's in Korea, get a quick injection in the butt and be on your way. You just drop your pants, get a few slaps on the butt and it's over. I was later told that this is how horses are given  injections. So now I get to say I was treated like an animal, but I think its much more amusing to say I was spanked by a nurse. Oh my!

I then sat down and breathed in a machine that produced some sort of Vick's vapors. It felt kind of nice to breath in but honestly did little to ease the discomfort on my recently raked nose cavity. I then paid for my treatment and walked next door to pick up my 3 days worth of mystery pills. Total time into the doctors office and out the pharmacy was about 30 minutes and cost me about $10.

In America I'm pretty sure this would have gone down as follows: Wait for 20 minutes to see anyone, quick exam, prescriptions, pay about $30 for copay plus whatever medication you will need to pick up after another wait. You have to admire the efficiency and price of the Korean system by comparison.

I'm fairly certain the nose sucking procedure was just a quick fix, but it did temporarily relieve my congestion and pressure instantly before the meds could kick in. I wouldn't recommend it for anything less than severe discomfort though, because it's not pretty and I'm still finding traces of blood when I blow my nose.

I think I may have been the only foreigner the doctor in my neighborhood has treated because he was eager to offer any other services I might need. Gynecology, surgery, he does it all! He looked rather disappointed when I told him I'd be leaving Korea soon. It's okay doctor man, I will never forget the time we shared together up my nose, and I will always believe in you!

Mid Move Update!

So much packing! Although it is thankfully less packing than what it took to get to Korea, I don't know how I've accumulated so much stuff in one year. I mean, yes, I bought a few too many stickers than a grown woman should admit to, but what is the rest of this stuff?

Last week was my one year anniversary of moving to Korea. Today is the last day of my contract. Even though I'm stressed and busy, I have a sense of joy about finishing up my year. Teaching abroad is another item crossed off my unwritten bucket list. It feels really good to accomplish that goal. Although this experience was trying at times, and I'm not the best lesson planner, I feel like I really had a good rapport with my kids in spite of the language barrier. All said and done I'm going to miss those little munchkins the most. They made my job awesome. Walking to and from school to a bunch of little voices shouting "Hello Theresa teacher!" made it possible to think to myself "I love my job" at least once a day. This is the best job I've ever had, but I'm still ready to come back to California.

I miss my brown grassy hills and oak trees. I miss walking on the beach or playing in the cold waves. I miss weather that lets me comfortably be outside for extended periods of time. I miss fresh air that doesn't try to kill me with anything more than pollen and dust. I hate to go all Dorothy on you all, but there is no place like home. (Especially when your home is California) I also miss my friends and loved ones obviously, but I've discovered my living environment plays a big part in my overall quality of life.

For the next month my life will be scattered  in boxes and planes over a few different countries. I'm going to the Philippines and Thailand with friends to celebrate the completion of my contract before returning to the states. I'm shipping the bulk of my belongings home ahead of me so when I return I'll only have my backpack and can waltz past the baggage claim, through customs, and into the arms of my ride home. I may be delirious enough to actually waltz. I'm looking forward to my little vacation, but I'm even more excited to have my life come back together state-side.

I'll be shipping my laptop home before leaving Korea, so there will be little to no blog updates until April. I'm really going to try get the last part of my Vietnam trip posted before then, but I'm not going to make any promises. Once I get home I'll be sure to post about my vacation and my glorious reunion with my cat. Will he remember me? Will he ignore me? Will he smugly pretend like nothing happened and he didn't notice I was gone? The suspense is killing me! Okay, back to packing. Until next time, stay classy planet Earth!

Hellooooo Hoi An!

Hey everyone, sorry for the long delay, but here is the second part from my Vietnam trip last month! From Ho Chi Minh we hopped on a plane to Da Nang and then took a car ride over to our next destination Hoi An. Our first day we decided to rent some bicycles and ride 3 kilometers to the beach. The weather was overcast and windy, but not too cold overall. We got to ride along side rice patties, cranes, and the occasional farmer.

Once we got to the beach we were immediately confronted by 3 women along the path, each trying to flag us down to their separate bike parking areas. The closest woman to us told us the others were asking for the same price and she INSISTED we park in her lot while the other women were in the background yelling "Welcome, please come here!" and waving us towards their area. We ended up going with the first lady and as soon as we moved our bikes to her side she was all smiles and started cackling, like she had just outsmarted the other women. Her laughter was infectious. We were laughing in confusion and amusement at this lady, who took such joy in stealing some customers.

Welcome to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam: Saigon

During my winter vacation away from school, I went to Vietnam for about 10 days in January. I was lucky enough to be invited to tag along with my friends Diane and Amanda after they had done the bulk of trip planning. I was concerned about spending the money, but it was either go to Vietnam, or sit at home, cold and alone in Korea. Vietnam won by simple virtue of having copious amounts of cheap pho. Vietnam pho the win! (Yeah, I went there!)

We first landed in Ho Chi Minh city, aka Saigon. The weather was a welcome change from Korea. It was warm and humid, but nowhere near as miserable as Daegu in the summer. Aside from feeling a little sticky, it was amazing. Our room for rent was located on "backpacker's street". I think it was only $8 a night per person for our private room and bathroom. Very cheap, and a very busy area. Even with the windows closed there was a constant roar of people talking and motor bikes driving down the road. I liked it a lot. It was crowded and noisy but also vibrant and energetic.

Backpacker's Street

At night all the little shops put out rows of plastic chairs facing the street and sell beer for you to drink while you people watch. As more people come, the chairs get placed further and further out into the street. It almost resembles stadium seating. The two sides of the street get to watch each other as well as anybody who passes in between.