A couple of us went to Daegu (in central Korea) for a weekend. It was a blast. Went to a couple of clubs, saw the beautiful Haeinsa temple, enjoyed an amazing market and made this music video. Hope you enjoy.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Eye trouble in Seoul
Last Wednesday I was sitting at my computer when I noticed my left eye seemed a little dimmer than my right. I could see out of it fine, but everything was a little darker, as if you had turned the lights slightly down in the room. I decided to sleep it off, but on Friday, my vision was still somewhat off kilter.
Back in the mid 1990s, I had a similar problem. The vision in my right eye rapidly changed from normal to practically blind. I remember seeing a bunch of eye doctors, test after test, a day off of school to get an MRI and my mom fretting over the possibility that I might have MS. It turned out to be optic neuritis with an unknown trigger, perhaps viral in origin.
Fifteen years later and I am in the same situation. I headed to an ophthalmologist on Friday and had a bunch of tests done, but nothing showed up. They recommended that I go to the emergency room, so I headed over to Seoul National University Hospital (which is apparently the second best in the country). The emergency room was freaky; a lot of people in the waiting room were on drips and stretcher after stretcher passed with people in a much more severe situation than me. When I finally was admitted, I was asked questions while surrounded by people that looked like they were dying. Although everything was efficient, there was no sense of personal space. Quite different than the United States.
At about 1 am, I was able to see an eye specialist. She was really young, and must have just been a resident. She didn't speak much English, so I struggled to convey my past medical history and current condition in Korean. After doing the same tests that the doctor did in the ophthalmologist, she told me to come back the next day.
Saturday morning, I get up and head back to SNUH. As there is an international clinic, a translator was available to help me. Luckily, the doctor spoke fluent English, but was not able to be 100% sure on what was going on with my eye. After about ten more tests (with all of these eye machines I had never seen before in my life) he told me that it was plausible that I had a posterior optic neuritis, but without an MRI he couldn't be sure. I have health insurance, but the MRI is super expensive. We talked it out, and decided that I should give my eye some time to rest and if it gets worse, to come back to the clinic.
On one hand, I was really impressed by the Korean system. Everything was really efficient and computer based, so once they did an eye test, they could send me quickly to the next room for another test. When I was finished with all of these tests, I met with the doctor who analyzed the results and informed me of what he was seeing. It also was cheap; ten dollars for the initial ophthalmologist, seventy dollars for the emergency room, and then thirty dollars for the visit to the specialist on Saturday.
Then again, it seems like the insurance is only really helpful for primary care. While basic services are practically free, the MRI would be around eight hundred dollars and, apparently, the insurance stops covering you if you have any really serious illness (like cancer). People buy secondary insurance to pay for these costs, but it seems like something that should be part of the national health care plan when the highest cause of death in Korea is stomach cancer.
If you need to get sick in Korea, try not to get too sick. There are plenty of services for English speakers as well, especially in Seoul, but don't expect to receive these services unless you have an appointment and go during normal hours.
Back in the mid 1990s, I had a similar problem. The vision in my right eye rapidly changed from normal to practically blind. I remember seeing a bunch of eye doctors, test after test, a day off of school to get an MRI and my mom fretting over the possibility that I might have MS. It turned out to be optic neuritis with an unknown trigger, perhaps viral in origin.
Fifteen years later and I am in the same situation. I headed to an ophthalmologist on Friday and had a bunch of tests done, but nothing showed up. They recommended that I go to the emergency room, so I headed over to Seoul National University Hospital (which is apparently the second best in the country). The emergency room was freaky; a lot of people in the waiting room were on drips and stretcher after stretcher passed with people in a much more severe situation than me. When I finally was admitted, I was asked questions while surrounded by people that looked like they were dying. Although everything was efficient, there was no sense of personal space. Quite different than the United States.
At about 1 am, I was able to see an eye specialist. She was really young, and must have just been a resident. She didn't speak much English, so I struggled to convey my past medical history and current condition in Korean. After doing the same tests that the doctor did in the ophthalmologist, she told me to come back the next day.
Saturday morning, I get up and head back to SNUH. As there is an international clinic, a translator was available to help me. Luckily, the doctor spoke fluent English, but was not able to be 100% sure on what was going on with my eye. After about ten more tests (with all of these eye machines I had never seen before in my life) he told me that it was plausible that I had a posterior optic neuritis, but without an MRI he couldn't be sure. I have health insurance, but the MRI is super expensive. We talked it out, and decided that I should give my eye some time to rest and if it gets worse, to come back to the clinic.
On one hand, I was really impressed by the Korean system. Everything was really efficient and computer based, so once they did an eye test, they could send me quickly to the next room for another test. When I was finished with all of these tests, I met with the doctor who analyzed the results and informed me of what he was seeing. It also was cheap; ten dollars for the initial ophthalmologist, seventy dollars for the emergency room, and then thirty dollars for the visit to the specialist on Saturday.
Then again, it seems like the insurance is only really helpful for primary care. While basic services are practically free, the MRI would be around eight hundred dollars and, apparently, the insurance stops covering you if you have any really serious illness (like cancer). People buy secondary insurance to pay for these costs, but it seems like something that should be part of the national health care plan when the highest cause of death in Korea is stomach cancer.
If you need to get sick in Korea, try not to get too sick. There are plenty of services for English speakers as well, especially in Seoul, but don't expect to receive these services unless you have an appointment and go during normal hours.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Wanna see my neighborhood?
Seoul street view is amazing. This site is in Korean, but you can easily explore my neighborhood. When you open the link, you should see my apartment building right in front of you. I live on the 15th story.
My Apartment and Neighborhood!
God, I love Korea.
My Apartment and Neighborhood!
God, I love Korea.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Chuseok in Seoul
Korean Thanksgiving, Chuseok, was early this year so after two weeks of work, all the English teachers already had a five-day weekend. Since all of the Koreans tend to flee the city to go to their hometowns (resulting in HUGE traffic jams) I decided to stay in the city. Nothing too exciting happened, but I did go to a potluck dinner with some new friends.
The best part of the weekend, however, was a boat cruise down the Han River. Back in August, I signed up for a sweepstakes to promote tourism in Korea through the Seoul Convention Bureau. Free lunch for four followed by an hour cruise. Lunch was fantastic. First, we had sliced raw tuna for an appetizer and it was followed by a Japanese style steak mixed rice. Delicious. Dessert was a vanilla pudding with mango foam. I ate the dessert so fast I didn't even manage a picture. Normally, this lunch would cost 25,000 won, but we got to enjoy it for free!
After lunch, we boarded the boat. The whole package was a gift from the Seoul Marina. I think it would normally cost 120,000 won for 8 people, which really isn't that expensive. Our driver, for some unknown reason, really wanted to throw us from the ship. We all managed to stay on, but at one point I was pretty sure BH was going to slide into the water. The cruise was quite relaxing, and a good way to see the city from another angle.
Of course, a day in Korea is never complete without more food. We headed to Sindang for the best ddeokbokki (Korean spicy rice cake) in town. The food in Sindang is not only cheap but delicious; before I had tried their ddeokbokki, I had never been a fan. Now, I crave it. Plus, aprons make people look so cute.
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| BH and Katrina |
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| Delicious... but I think BH could reproduce it easily in the kitchen |
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| Dangerous... |
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| Half of our trips were mouth wide open. |
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| Yeoido in the background |
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| Too cute |
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Seoul!
I'm back in the city I love! It has been a year since I lived here, and I'm so excited to be back! While I was living in Gangnam back in 2009, I've moved up north to Suyu station (which apparently means breast milk). Although I was a little concerned to be up north, it turns out my subway station is amazing, with a fantastic neon street and a market that boggles my mind with its mounds of fresh and vegetables, heaps of fermented projects, and all the fresh fish I could ever want.
My first month here has been a little slow because I am real low on money. I have had some chances to go out to eat though and enjoy the amazingness that is Korean cuisine. As soon as the paychecks come rolling in, I'll hopefully start a new blog on Korean food because it really is oh so delicious.
Until then!
My first month here has been a little slow because I am real low on money. I have had some chances to go out to eat though and enjoy the amazingness that is Korean cuisine. As soon as the paychecks come rolling in, I'll hopefully start a new blog on Korean food because it really is oh so delicious.
Until then!
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| Loving Suyu Station! |
Friday, August 12, 2011
Long walk down the European shore
After finally getting my visa to teach in Korea (after 6 months!) BH and I took a long walk in Istanbul. We started out at Boğaziçi Üniversitesi and made our way down to Bebek, which is south of the second bridge spanning the Bosphorus. The houses on the waterfront were gorgeous and we continued walking for some two hours before getting to Ortakoy and then Beskitas to get back to Asia and Katy's apartment. A long journey but worth it!
These mansions in Arnavutkoy were gorgeous. The ones on the right were on this tiny island surrounded by a highway on both sides, yet still had an envious position on the waterfront.
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| Bogazici University |
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| Mansion in Bebek |
These mansions in Arnavutkoy were gorgeous. The ones on the right were on this tiny island surrounded by a highway on both sides, yet still had an envious position on the waterfront.
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| What a huge ship! |
Thursday, August 11, 2011
The Princes' Islands: Heybeliada
Katy recommended Heybeliada as the best of the Princes' Islands and I have to agree it was beautiful. One problem: I hate paying for beaches. The cheapest one was 10 lira, but it was gross. I ended up not going swimming, but just wandered around the island.
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| Anna would have loved these horse-drawn carriages |
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