Seuol Ballin!

Yeah! I'm lookin' all fresh and shiny and dipped in butter holding my million Won. That's right, a million bucks. And the best part of this picture... I'm not wearing any pants. Admittedly, most of this money is going to Uncle Mike for fronting my plane ticket... but still, don't I look clean?

Anyway, I just passed a really busy weekend, the pictures from which you can find on facebook. On Saturday I spent the morning and early afternoon at the Christmas play put on by the Kindergartners of my school. At first I was kinda upset cause I had to get up at like 8 a.m. on a Saturday, but they were absolutely adorable and the songs and dances were hilarious to watch, so I lightened up pretty quickly. When I wasn't sneaking off to take pictures and watch the show, I was escorting the boys to the bathrooms (that sounds kinda perverted, but I assure you it was only to make sure they didn't run away or screw around), or I was helping to dress and undress the kids (that sounds really perverted, but again I assure you it was all innocent, just costume changes, though it still made me kind of uncomfortable). After that I went home and took a quick nap before heading into Seoul to meet up with some co-workers and go check out an art museum.

It was the National Museum of Korea, and I wanted to go because they just put up a new exhibit with ancient Korean art and sculptures. But the place was enormous and we went into the wrong entrance and just ended up exploring the regular exhibits, which was still pretty awesome. I took some pictures, but the settings weren't great, and my camera died halfway through so I couldn't get all the pictures I wanted, but I did snag some from a co-worker to add to my collection on facebook. Some of my favorite pieces were Buddhist tapestries, templates, and icons. But my favorite piece, oddly enough, was an ancient Greek helmet that was given as a prize to a Korean competitor at the Olympic games a while back (at least I think that's what the caption meant). We spent about an hour walking around the museum and only managed to check out a floor and a half. Like I said, this place was enormous, from the entering walkway to the museum building itself. I would have to say that it dwarfs the art museums on the D.C. Mall. I intend to go back to further check out this part of the museum, as well as to explore the new exhibit that I mentioned earlier.

Then, on Sunday, I took another trip into Seoul with my co-worker Nick and we walked up and down a street called Insadong-gil. At first, we weren't sure where it was, but it turns out we had both walked along it before during the orientation. We asked a lady in the YBM head office, which was right across the street, where it was, and she shyly and haltingly told us to cross the street and go straight. We spent about two hours or so meandering along the street, interrupted by a nice lunch break at an Indian cafe, and I bought a few things while poor Nick (no pun intended), who hasn't been payed yet, only browsed and commented on how much he would like to buy all this stuff. 'This stuff' consists of lots of street vendor and sidewalk stands hawking cool made in Korea trinkets, clothing, and other odds and ends. There were also countless stores lining the streets selling more of the same, though some of them were really fancy and had cool expensive things that rich people decorate their houses with. There were also numerous restaurants, from foreign stuff (like the Indian cafe) to fancy Korean sit-on-the floor style places. I wish I had gotten more pictures of this place (the two I have are on facebook) and the goods that were being sold, but I don't. I'll go back soon and get more.

Also while in Seoul this time, we went to a park called Pagoda Park, which is a really nice little place that is a favorite hang out of old men. It is quiet and really peaceful there, and it houses the second National Treasure of Korea, which is a big (12 meters tall) stone pagoda. Pictures of the park are also on facebook.

And that was my weekend! Quite an adventure. I'm really glad that I finally started getting out and doing things on the weekends. I plan on spending much more time in Seoul; there are still several areas where everyone at work talks about that I have yet to explore. I'll be taking holiday in Japan this Christmas, and I'm sure I'll have another blog to post when I get back from that. Until then, adios.

I've got the Itis! BRONCHitis!

Hello ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to Korea. Sort of. If you have been paying attention to previous entries, you may remember that I have been talking about being sick, ohhh.... since I got here. Well, those of you who know me well know that I refuse to take medicine, or go to the doctor, or really do anything towards my well being in these situations. True to form, I delayed getting help in lieu of my tried and true method of drinking lots of orange juice and spitting all day long. It almost worked. Actually, it didn't work at all. As I got progressively sicker, I began to fear I had the dreaded meningitis (sp?), but I was assured that if that were the case, I would already be dead. Those fears laid to rest, I continued to avoid medical assistance for another week, until finally I caved and took the advice of my co-teachers to go see a doctor.

So to the doctor's office I finally went, following the directions of my esteemed colleagues. As it turns out, I followed their directions to the right building, but the wrong office. I ended up in an Oriental / Herbal medicine clinic, and, thinking that I was in the right office, I stayed and recieved treatment. This treatment consisted of this so called doctor asking me what my problem was (he spoke fine English), to which I replied by listing my ailments. After hearing me out, he proceeded to take my pulse in both wrists, and asked me to stick out my tongue. Satisfied with his examination, he had his assistants provide me with "the appropriate" medicine, and I was off. It took about 20 minutes, and cost 20,000 Won, or about $15. Now I was pretty happy about this at the time, but I soon changed my mind. The medicine I recieved was, obviously, wholistic (as opposed to lots of pills), and consisted of 6 pouches of the most putrid smelling and foul tasting liquid one would ever hope not to drink. But drink it I did, six times, and so awful was it that I wretched it up shortly after twice. And alas, after all this pain and suffering, it did nothing to cure my ailments.

So I tried again, this time being escorted to the real doctor's office by my lovely boss Veronica, where I was a large white man in a room full of babies, toddlers, mothers, and grandmothers. It was a pediatricians office... I felt quite comfortable, aside from being miserably sick. At least I felt better than one little boy, who vomited into his mother's hand, and eventually on the floor, as he waited to be seen. He seemed much better afterward, quite a trooper by my count. So long story short here, this doctor did a proper temperature, stethescope, and throat check, and determined that I had bronchitis. She prescribed a shit load of pills and told me to come back on Thursday. This whole trip took about 45 minutes (the place was real crowded) and cost just over 5,000 Won, or about $3.50.

I am currently feeling much better, and it looks like I'll be at full capacity (for the first time since I've been here) by Thursday. My biggest regret in the whole month-long sickness and getting better: not waiting 4 weeks; not going to the wrong doctor first (though that does stink); but having to drink that awful herbal shit, and to no avail. If you ever come to Korea, bring you own cough medicine, and DO NOT try theirs (I bought some at a store hoping for something different from the herbalist, it was the same). I promise you it is unpleasant, and no matter how much you want to try the local things, this is not something you should do.

More to come after my next trip to Seoul.