feeling icky

So I had my first trip to a Korean doctor today. I can't say it was much of an experience since I didn't understand him and I'm not really sure what his diagnosis was. I woke up this morning with body aches and couldn't keep anything down at all, even water. I went to work even so, out of a sense of obligation and my intolerable work ethic. At around 10 or so, the other teachers took note of how disheveled I was looking, and I'm sure they noticed my watery red eyes from throwing up. They said that I should go to the doctor right away (because apparently they go to the doctor for things even as small as colds here). At around noon Mrs. Kwa and I headed down the street to her doctor's office, which thankfully was within walking distance.

Mrs. Kwa translated for me and told him what was wrong. He then listened to my breathing, had me stick out my tongue, etc. (though he did not take my temperature, which I thought was rather odd). Mrs. Kwa said that he thinks I just caught something because I'm in a new environment and also because the weather here has been changing from day to day...in other words I don't think he was able to really pinpoint what was wrong with me. In any case he prescribed me some medicine, though only about two days worth since I'm supposed to go back to him tomorrow if I'm still not feeling well. The whole thing (doctor's visit and medicine included) cost me only 4500 won (about $4.50). Amazing...

So even though I don't know if what he gave me will work I am pretty happy that my healthcare here will be so cheap. Compared to back home it's a real bargain. I can say however that I have already been able to keep down all of the Gatorade I was drinking this afternoon in addition to some rice I had after I got back. So all in all, things are looking up. Now if I could only just stop feeling miserable...plus my temperature is still lingering at about 99.6 degrees, which does give me some cause for concern since I'm paranoid it'll shoot back up again at any moment.

I better be feeling well by tomorrow though cause I still have to go buy a swimsuit for that trip this weekend, and there's no way I'll be up to that tonight. Oi...

yet again

What the heck? I've managed to catch yet another cold...me...who is usually so healthy and immune to piddly little sicknesses. This just sucks!!! So now I can't breathe, I can't smell, I can't taste anything and my throat is sore...just great. This is so not what I need right now, especially not with that mini-trip thing coming up this weekend. It's the kids that gave this to me I know. I keep getting exposed to all their germs...and there's always one of them that's sniffling or has a runny nose or something. Argh. How do all those teachers out there cope with this? Will I build up immunity over time? Oi...

So anyway, yesterday was our trip to Jebudo, though it was overcast and windy (which probably didn't help with getting me over this cold). It took us two hours to drive out there and then we proceeded to run amuck barefoot through the damp and puddlesome sands of low tide. We poked and prodded various sea creatures, splashed around in the warm water...and much fun was had by all. After eating lunch on the shore we piled back into the bus and drove back to school.

So even though it was fun acting silly in the sand with the kids I'm now even more sick because of it. Oh well... I really could use some Dayquil right now though; the only thing I have here to take is Aleve and that's not really for colds. Bleh...

Only a week and a half until my friend Adam comes to visit! I'm so thrilled! :)

all of us kids at the beach

I've noticed that Korean kids cannot smile on command...they always come off looking like they're angry or in pain.

Here is Alex again (trying on my sunglasses). He is the sweetest, yet most distruptive kid in the entire kindergarten. How is that possible?

This is Judy (another of my favorite kids) making the traditional photo pose of peace signs.

the usual

Ok, so this won't be much of an update...though there will be a forthcoming second Konglish post sometime in the near future. I'll also be posting some piccs of the food I've been eating here...cause it just looks cool I think. Yes I am a nerd like that... and you can also tell I'm a nerd because all I've been doing lately is reading. Since coming to Korea I've already read The DaVinci Code, Of Human Bondage and the new Harry Potter book, which were all excellent reads by the way. Right now I'm working on One Thousand Years of Solitude, which I should be finishing in the next couple days...and then on to the next book, though I've not decided what that will be just yet. But I did hear about this awesome English bookstore in Itaewon that will order books from the U.S. and have them shipped here for you for free, and then you can just go to the store and pay for them there. I already bought three books from them, which will hopefully get here soon so I can continue to feed my habit. Woot.

This weekend I didn't really do too much, just a lot of walking around downtown and climbing mountains (the usual). I did go to Olympic Park this morning...it's really beautiful but much too big to cover in one day cause my feet started aching after only the first hour and I wasn't in the right kind of shoes to keep walking. I was going to go to my Korean class yesterday but it was too nice outside to waste an hour and a half inside a classroom. I'm such a slacker...

Tomorrow is yet another field trip with the kindergarten kids. This time we're going to Jebudo, which is an island not too far from here. A day playing on the beach...not too bad for a day's work. And then this weekend coming up we're going on a teacher's retreat to that place with the hot springs, so that should be fun too.

And last but not least I leave you all with this image, which I snapped yesterday evening in a shopping mall near Myeong-dong:

Yes, that is a male mannequin and yes, he is wearing pink underwear.
This is just wrong.