Monday, December 29, 2008

Christmas Wrap-Up

I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas! Here are few random photos of ours. As Sam mentioned in the doctor's blog below I wasn't feeling up to much on Christmas Eve or Day... or the days after that, but I did manage to rally for a few festivities...

The tree (thanks Abby!) I made all of the decorations except for the lights and green balls for a fully decked out tree for under 5000 won. Sam was uber impressed with the paper chains... sometimes I wonder if he missed Kindergarten entirely.



We decorated our gingerbread family and their abode.


Happy couple. (One of Sam's feet broke off, so we ate off the rest of the feet so that his wouldn't feel like less of a person... and because we might have wanted a little gingerbread cookie and a bite off the roof of the house might have been more noticeable.)



Our moms sent us some fantastic activity books and we dove right in.



Look how excited I am for a cheesy holiday movie to watch, even through the sickness! Worst. Picture. Ever.
And this is what the rest of my weekend looked like: OJ, painkiller/fever reducer, tissues, thermometer (side-note and random "Alison fact": taking my temperature ALWAYS makes me feel better, even if my problem isn't illness related. Basically, don't be surprised if there are multiple thermometers on our registry!), etc. At least the tree was nice to look at!




And my packet-o-pills and cough syrup! (It still weirds me out that they aren't in child-proof containers, but the single serving cougy syrup packets are SO handy!)


























Sunday, December 28, 2008

A Trip To The Doctor

If you have known me for any period of time, you know that I am a regular visitor to the hospital.  Whether it was sports injuries, appendicitis, metals bars in my chest, hanging from a fence, ridiculously bad allergies, or any other number injuries, a yearly visit to the doctor is not uncommon for me.  And it seems that Alison is starting a tradition of being sick on Christmas.  Last year she had her gall bladder out just a couple days before Christmas, and this year her Christmas present from me was a cold.

But we will get back to this weeks events later.  First let me tell you about healthcare in Korea.  Each of us pay roughly $50/month for national health insurance, this is the same plan that pretty much all Koreans are on.  You have two options if you want to go to the doctor.  There are clinics and international clinics.  Clinics are like your regular doctors office, and international clinics and small branches of large hospitals.  At the clinics there are usually one or two family physicians.  Their English is OK at best, they can tell you what is wrong if you have a simple cold or something, but they are definitely not fluent.  I have visited the clinic that is very close to our school 3 times.  The first was back during the first month when I did not have health insurance yet.  I had a sinus infection.  The visit and prescription(3 days of antibiotics, tylenol and who knows what else) totaled $16.  When you get the meds from the pharmacy, they give you all the pills that you are supposed to take at once, all in the same pouch.  Kind of convenient, but you're never exactly sure what you are taking.  But no one has died yet, so I think it is safe.  

I also made a trip to an international clinic back in the spring because my allergies were really bothering me.  So I found an international clinic relatively close.  The doctor's, as well as the staff's English, was not much better than the regular clinic.  Actually, there was one member of the staff who spoke English well, but that was it.  I had some blood work done to try to figure out what I was allergic to, but it showed nothing and ended up with some simply nasal spray. Pretty much no matter what you play 50% or less when you go to the doctor.  The blood work, two visits and meds all cost me about $90.  

Well, about three weeks ago I felt my self getting sick.  I just had this feeling in the back of my throat.  So I went back to the clinic, and this is how the visit went.

Sam: I have a sore throat.
Dr: OK, let me look at your throat(looks at my throat)your your throat is red bumps....but not bad
Sam:(nods)
Dr: Now I will check your neck nodes(checks my "neck nodes") Your neck nodes are healthy.
Sam:(nods)
Dr: Now I will check your lungs(listen to lungs) Your lungs are good.
Sam:(nods)
Dr: Now I will check your heart strength(listens to heart)Your heart is strong.
Sam:(nods)
Dr: Now I will check your kidneys(lightly punches my kidneys)Does that hurt?
Sam:Not any more than normal.

He then proceeds to tell me that I do not need medication and that all I need to rest, humid air, lots of water, and a good diet.  I walked away disappointed, and I had a cold the next day.  A week later I thought I was completely over that cold, but no.  Last Friday night my right "neck node" swelled up massively.  So I went back to the clinic(at this point I was wanting to go somewhere else but it was the weekend and I just needed something.  The conversation with the doctor went the same way, but he actually gave me medicine this time.  I thought he was giving me an antibiotic but I don't think he was.  Because later that day, my body decided that it wanted to form a painful and gross cyst underneath my tongue.  I figured that I was taking antibiotics and that it would clear up.  Well, within a few days(by Christmas Day), my cough cleared up but I was still very congested and  still had this cyst under my tongue.  By this time I had gifted my germs to Alison(even though she attempted to avoid me).  We decided that we would go to a different international clinic, one that a co-worker of ours had gone to for a chronic problem that she had while she was here.  She said everyone spoke great English and made everything very easy.  So I call the morning of the 26th to get an early appointment.  Mind that we still had to work at 2:3o that day.  So we get our appointments and get in a cab for the short ride.  We get there, and both the receptionists at the International clinic speak nearly perfect English.  We fill out our paperwork and wait for the doctor.  Alison goes in first and then it is my turn.  I go in, I give her the run down of my medical history and then I tell her what I have told you about the congestion and cyst.  So she is listening to my chest and this is the conversation.

Dr: You have some dander in your hair.
Sam: Yea, I think the dry winter air has dried out my skin, I have some dandruff shampoo that usually helps clear it up.
Dr: Oh, well lets have a closer look.  Hmm, yes, you have scales.
Sam: What is causing that?
Dr: Well, probably an overgrowth of bacteria, its not bad bacteria, but there is an overgrowth.....and your human function is failing.
Sam: OK (at this point I have gotten used to these kind of matter of fact phrases coming out of non native speakers, but this one almost made me giggle out loud)

So she ends up giving me shampoo and ointment for my scalp, more nasal spray, 10 days of antibiotics, and 10 days of ibuprofen.  The doctor visit was $15, and all my prescriptions were $24.  Before we left, Alison decided that she did not want to go to work that day, so we asked for a note so you could have a sick day.  The receptionist told us that it would cost her $10 for a note in Korean, and $20 for one in English.  How crazy is that?  haha. oh well. She got the Korean one. 

All in all I was very impressed with the international clinic at the Asan Medical Center.  It was definitely the best/funniest visit to the doctor I have had here.  

We are both feeling much better now.

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

The Most Random Day of All the Days

Well, I'm not going to lie, I've been having a little bit of a meltdown over here. It's been a tough week. First, Kendra teacher finally left to head back to Canada... a day I had really been dreading! I'm missing the girls that have gone home like nobody's business. Also, as Christmas is well, tomorrow technically, I'm also really missing home. I really love Christmas... like, a lot... and it's just well, different here (who would have thought??) Christmas here isn't so much about oh, the birth of Christ or even family and togetherness... it's about couples. Not entirely hard to believe from a country that has THREE Valentine's days, but I think it takes a little something away from the actual holiday. However, I think I'm rallying. Sam has been great, as always, and I finally got our Christmas tree up (expect photos soon), and just knowing we get a day off on Thursday (1st holiday since September!) is easing some tension. Still with me? Sorry, I just needed to get that off my chest, now for the REAL post :)
As I mentioned before, Kendra and I have been working on a list of things to do before we leave, and she, Shana and I (Shana post your pictures!!!) checked some off the list on Sunday! It made for a randomly awesome day for sure!

We started off at Lotte World, which is a giant mall just a few blocks from our house. In said mall they have 1) Ice skating 2) Bowling 3) an Amusement Park and 4) A SHOOTING RANGE!!! Obviously we had to go! A few pictures...
(I think the child really adds a little something special to this one)

(Prepping to shoot my Barretta 9mm... the Glock was broken, unfortunately)

Post shooting... leaning against (not) my 100% accurate target. I actually scored a 35%, but hit the target 7 times with 2 shots that would definitely have killed Mr. Super Stationary, so look out! If there's ever a pre-loaded and cocked gun chained to a booth that you are standing in front of, there is a 1 in 2 chance that I will maim you!



(Also, we may look tough, but none of us knew that the casings would come out of the gun, and I may or may not have momentarily thought I managed to shoot at myself. Dude, I grew up in Flower Mound and was not in Boy Scouts (ahem, Samuel) so this was my first time... don't judge!)

Kendra modeling our super hot vests and the hats we found just lying around the place.

Did I mention we were IN THE MALL? Just a few yards from where we were weilding our instruments of death (and adrenaline rushes!) there was a marching band on ice. Making a love heart. Because Christmas is for couples. (Sidenote... If I hear "All I Want for Christmas is You" one more time I may punch someone out. It's like the only Christmas song I hear!!!)

After a delicious dinner at On the Border ("Holasumnida!") we went back to Kendra's to help her pack up a bit and meet up with the boys. Then we decided to have a late snack of... Live Octopus!!! We headed up restaurant row in Cheonho to find a tank displaying the sea creatures and then whipped out the phrasebook to tell them what we wanted. Then we had to mime that we wanted it still wriggling. Yeah. So, out the man went to pluck a live one from the tank and then we heard the chopping block.

Technically the octopus is dead, but it still manages to wriggle and suction. So, basically, chew really fast and thoroughly, or it will suction to your throat. Awesome! Who doesn't like a snack with a side of possible death?

Look Ma, no hands! (I'm also pretty sure I didn't stop making that face for the entire time we were in the restaurant...)

Doing the same thing... to. Sam's. face. Ahhhhh!

Also, just because I have the pictures... there is an outdoor skating rink in Olympic Park where skate rental and entrance fee cost a whopping 1,000 won to skate basically under the Peace Gate. We went on Saturday and glided like ice angels. (Okay, at least we managed not to fall down and only took out one small child!)

That's all for now, but I wanted to wish all of you a very "Helpy Christmas" from South Korea! We love and miss ALL of you!!!

Thursday, December 11, 2008

The View From the Top

It is absolutely amazing to me how quickly the time is flying by!!! I mean, seriously, when did it inch towards the MIDDLE of December? At the end of the month, another of the teachers, Kendra, will be heading home. While all of this leaving certainly makes me sad, it's also been fun having someone to go and do some of the things on my "must do list before leaving" list with. This weekend Kendra and I tackled a big one... Seoul Tower!
Seoul Tower is visible from lots of places in the city, and from the top observation deck it offers a 360 degree view of the city. Needless to say, it's best to go on a clearer day, and as we had heard that dusk was the best time to go we headed over around 4:00 (after a delicious lunch at Dos Tacos in Gangnam).
Here's the inside of the lobby:
A view from the observation deck... kind of a smoggy day, unfortunately.
There are a bunch of "media art" installations on the observation deck. I guess they are trying to actually make your 7,000 won admission fee worth it... I think they are using the term "art" rather loosely here.
If you don't want to click to make the picture bigger I'll just fill you in... some random skyscrapers, several fish, a nun, a boy with his head in his hands and an undentified blob. It certainly enhances the view. Errr...
Some of the fanciest bathrooms I've ever seen. (I felt awkward taking a picture in said fancy bathroom, hence the terrible framing and bad lighting... but seriously, a panoramic view and fancy sinks... had to be documented!)
As it got darker we decided to head down to the lower, outdoor observation deck to hang up our "love locks". On the deck there is a big chain link fence, and people write their names on locks and then lock them together to signify their love. Since Kendra and I are in love, obviously, we hooked our locks together. They have our names and the ever popular phrase "I love you, but your face is under attack". Sam and I will definitely have to head back up to make sure our love is properly documented in Seoul :)
I know, we all wish my night photography skills were better :)

While we were out on the observation deck it started snowing like crazy! So much fun. It would be more impressive, except that I heard you actually got some snow in Texas this week. Always snowing on my parade, aren't ya!

What else to do when there is a (mildly creepy) Christmas tree made of teddy bears? Make a love heart, obviously!

Monday, December 8, 2008

Debate Competition

For the past 5 months I have been teaching the highest level class at our campus, they are all 6th graders and have excellent English skills.  We concentrate on current affairs and issues. We cover a new topic every week with the culmination of the week being a debate on Friday.  The basic format is that we read an article on Monday, and then have a writing/discussion activity. On Wednesday we read another article on the topic and then they split into their groups and start putting together their debate.  Well, for the past 4 weeks I have been preparing four of my students for the debate competition.  They spent over 20 hours writing arguments, memorizing templates, and brainstorming rebuttals. I put in an additional 5 or so hours editing, copying, cutting and gluing arguments onto cue cards.  Alison was a sweetheart and did a couple hours of gluing the other night when I had had enough of it. Well, this weekend, myself, the students Korean teacher, Kabin, and I got on a bus to go to the competition with 20 other debate teams.  They won their first round, and did very well the second round but unfortunately they did not move onto the final round of four.  I was so proud of them.  They were not really excited in the weeks leading up to the event, but after their first debate something came alive in them.  I stopped forcing them to practice, because they were asking me for their cards, wanting to rehearse!!  It was really fun to see these kids enjoying themselves and it was fun for me to let them enjoy themselves.  Most of the time I am telling them to get back to work, stop speaking korean, get back to work, sit down, stop talking about me in Korean, where is your homework.  These kids work really hard and it was fun to get to see them have fun.  Jason, one of my best students, and the only boy on the team, wanted to play poker on the bus ride back.  I obliged and taught him, Uri, and Sujin how to play five card draw on the way back to Seoul, as well as how to shuffle a deck of cards.  I played a dozen hands with them, and then needed to sit back and rest, but they continued to play.  I had a couple observations.  One was that they kept speaking English.  Most of the time when I stop speaking with them, they revert back to Korean, but I think they just forgot all about Korean for a while after being surrounded by fellow Korean English speakers all weekend.  That was cool to see.  The other was that it dawned on me that when I was in 6th grade, I rode a bus from St. Louis to Yellowstone and on that bus was where I learned to shuffle a deck of cards.  I just found it very "circle of lifeish" to be teaching my 6th grade korean students how to shuffle on a bus.  If it is not clearly evident by this blog, I really enjoy teaching and coaching these kids.  I have had thoughts of teaching once Alison and I come back to the states, but you will have to come back later to hear about that. It is worth devoting an entire blog to.  I will leave you with a presentation that Jason wrote.  The topic is English Immersion Education, his assignment was to write a presentation on the topic from the viewpoint of a member of the Korean Government.  This was what he e-mailed me, I have not edited this at all.   I am going to make a push to "publish" more and more of my students work, whether it is the upper level stuff, or my lowest level kids, or just plain old pictures.


 President/Government

                                  By Jason

Hello. I am the education minister of the Republic of Korea. As the education minister I agree with President Lee. We believe that young students such as elementary school students or middles school students should be thought in English. There are lots of benefits in this plan. First, South Korea will be globalized. Second, our imports and exports will be more fluent.

First, South Korea will be globalized. You see, the world, the Earth, is united with a language called “English”. To be more and more compatible with other nations, such as the United States and Australia, we must be excellent in English. We must learn or accept their cultures and learn what are good for us. As we become better at English, the world will be friendlier to us and we will be able to solve problems such as F.T.A. with us having more benefits. We will even be a part of solving international problems because we have a good relationship with the others. So, we must be experts at English.

Second, our imports and exports will be more fluent. Korea is an exporting country. And exporting starts with importing. We don’t have a single drop of fossil fuels in our land. So we import fossil fuels from the Middle East. They’re language isn’t English but they can speak English. With a good communicator who can speak fluently, our imports will be better for all of us. With the oil, we can export products. Actually, not just exporting, but exporting in a fairly decent price. So, if we make students study English in younger ages, we will be able to have those communicators.

As you see, by studying English in a younger and younger age, it is good for our economy. Basically, it benefits all of us. All of us.