Firsts!

Plenty of opportunities exist in Korea to try new experiences. The weekend before last we had a three-day weekend (we had Monday off to celebrate Independence Day) and I managed to fit a bunch of things in.

First, I went to the Dr. on Saturday morning. My friend Robin was going so Katrina and I tagged along. I wanted to ask about some prescriptions and my ankle. The lady spoke English very well and referred me to a specialist. I didn't have to pay anything for the visit, woohoo! Normally back home it would be $25 bucks just to talk to a doctor. After school today I will see about getting my Rx, since I was told to come back and then they would have some on hand.

The next day a few of us were downtown and decided to try out a DVD-bang. It was really neat! Basically you get your own room with a big couch-like area to sit on. The screen is huge and equipped with surround sound. They have many movies to choose from... we ended up watching Lord of War. I wasn't too excited about our choice, but in the end I really enjoyed the movie. DVD-bangs are sometimes places for couples to go and have some "privacy". You know, not really any movie-watching going on. We had five people and it was a little bit of a tight fit.

After that, Toby was kind enough to take Trisha and I to the fortune teller and he translated for us. I asked for some insight into my love life. She said I will meet an older guy that is good at talking, which I guess means good at conversation. Should be in the near future and he will propose. I felt like I had a good connection with her and she even told me that I need to stop thinking about past relationships because they are over. It felt really good to hear it. She mentioned I am very worried about my job and need to focus on what I want, and that whatever decision I make it won't matter because I have close friends that are very supportive. We went back yesterday to see her and she gave me some more information, that my husband will be rich and we can travel together. After we get married we will have a baby very soon... or maybe even before - oh no!

On Monday we tried to go to a jjimjilbang (Korean spa/sauna) but couldn't figure it out. It's probably better that we waited because I have a Korean friend that really wants to go with me so I should wait to go with her. I really want to sweat out some toxins and get my skin exfoliated, maybe a massage. I just don't know how I feel about being naked around people that are potentially my students or other people I know. Whatever I guess, not too big of a deal.

Wendesday I went to see a specialist, luckily there is a clinic near my home. The doctor was cool and spoke English and the X-ray guy was kinda cute... Anyway, my ankle and knee are fine in regards to my bones, but it appears that I have a ligament problem. In order to verify this I will need a MRI. While the costs of healthcare are significantly cheaper than in the US, I don't feel like shelling out 300,000 won right now for that. I really wish I had just gone to the doctor when I had my injury a year ago, but someone told me not to. He gave me some pills I should take for three days and then I did 45 minutes of physical therapy. I have never had PT before so I can't compare it to what it's like in the US, but it was a little strange. They put this really hot towel on my leg - I had to ask them to make it less hot two times, and I'm no wimp when it comes to heat. Then she put some suction cup things on my leg and ankle and there were electric shocks. It was creepy because my foot was moving on it's own... Then she put some red lamp over my leg. All in all, it was pretty relaxing and I will probably go for a few more visits. The total for my Dr. visit, x-rays, meds, and PT was like $10. I was very happy :)

This past weekend my teacher invited me to go to a meeting for an English club she is in. There were about 15 Koreans that spoke English. I was really impressed by them. Some had lived abroad and had interesting stories to tell. We went to a traditional tea house. The one I ordered was way too sweet for me, but my co-teacher ordered a delicious tea that tasted exactly the same as back home - Celestial Seasons' Sleepytime Herbal tea. My dad and I used to drink that so it reminded me of good times. Afterwards we went to a NY-themed restaurant and had rice that you ate with your hands and we made our own kebabs. It was surprisingly really good. I was kind of bummed about eating there because the food seemed similiar to what I had the night before.

Lastly, yesterday I went to a Multi-bang with some friends. You can sing, play games, watch movies, etc. We played the Wii for a bit and then watched New Moon. Unfortunately you rent the room out by the hour and we didn't have enough time to watch all of the movie. I finally was getting sucked in at the end too. I am really curious as to why that movie had some Korean in it.

I took some pictures, but I am at work writing this so I'm not able to include them. If you made it this far, sorry for the novel. :) I don't think many people even read my blog, but that's alright, it's more for me to recount my time in Korea.