back on the meds

I went 2 the hospital again yesterday as part of the newest attempt 2 rid myself of what is proving 2 be a stubborn ear infection. repetition breeds familiarity so there are no surprises any more with regard 2 my all 2 frequent visits 2 the ent clinic of sinchon severance hospital. i knew whatever ent doctor i found myself in front of would, in typical korean style, & once i had professed 2 not being able 2 speak korean,

1) do himself - it's always a male doctor - an injustice by proclaiming 2 speak "a little," english,

2) after takin' a look @ my ear, grimace, inhale through closed teeth & utter any combination of the words "infection," "bad," "severe," or, for those doctors with a comfortable grasp of english, words like "chronic," or "acute," &

3) throw excessive amounts of pills @ me (just like last time).

so once again i'm back on the meds... & hoping they work this time.

south korean mother kim won-sook, left, hugs her north korean son during a rare reunion of seperated families in the diamond mountains in north korea.

from the bbc's day in pictures, september 28th 2009

'livin with seoul' season watch

this is a great time of the year 2 be in korea. it's not 2 warm (24 degrees today) & not 2 cold; it's just about right. it's quite a change from this time last month; there's no need for air-conditioners & it's probably a little 2 cold most days, even for me, 2 be donning shorts & flip-flops. the air is clear & autumn proper is just around the corner... which is good because korea starts 2 look like this. of course that means winter, with its bitter cold, dry air, isn't 2 far off.

'livin' with seoul' nationalism watch

the koreans are loving themselves stupid these days. there's a real 'we're-the-best-country-in- asia' joviality about them, something normal foreigners might not pick up on. so how do i know about this? well because i work in an office full of them - koreans that is (oh & i listen 2 korean english news services/chat shows thanks 2 my new multimedia player). so what accounts for this recent upsurge in nationalism? well recent events of course, namely y.e. yang's win in the pga championship, beating the ozzies 3-1 in soccer, the launch of its 1st indigenously produced space rocket, & being selected 2 host the g20 summit next year (& being members of the g20 hasn't hurt either). of course they will never mention the fact that the rocket failed 2 do what it was supposed 2 do (launch a satellite) & that they have 2 share the 2010 g20 summit duties with the cheating canadians but hey... who am i 2 rain on their parade? i'm but a simple man from an even simpler country on the fringes of europe, a country that, 2 the few koreans who have even heard of it, believe it's "beside england" and/or that it's part of the u.k. i gave up correcting them on the latter a long, long time ago. trust me, it's easier that way... easier for me & them.

'livin with seoul' freaky math trick

check this out. it works, or @ least it did for me.

what i'm listening 2 right now

david guetta, memories

preoccupied

momentous events in history on dates gone by

- july 16th

july 16^th 1945

world war ii allied leaders meet in the german city of potsdam 2 decide the future of recently defeated germany.

july 16^th 1969

apollo 11 takes off from cape kennedy on the ultimately successful mission 2 put a man on the surface of the moon.

july 16^th 2009

my last blog entry.

no I haven’t forgotten about my blog; neglected it yes, forgotten about it no. while the rest of the world has been preoccupied - still - with economic crises & swine flu i’ve been preoccupied with other way more important stuff: preoccupied with, in chronological order, work (another camp has come &, thankfully, gone), not being here (i escaped home for the guts of 3 weeks), turning a year older (& wiser), preparing for my latest ‘last’ stint in seoul, reading (i'm makin’ my way nicely through anything conn iggulden may have written & published) & settling back into life ‘livin’ with seoul,’ which included having 2 wait over a week 2 access my apartment thanks 2 the need for the landlord 2 kango the bathroom floor 2 pieces 2 access a troublesome water pipe (@ least I got a new tiled floor out of it).

but that was then & this, as time would have it, is now. i’m almost 2 weeks back & right about now i’m in the ck office preoccupied with wondering what 2 do, just like i seem 2 be every time i don’t have a camp on the horizon 2 preoccupy myself organising. there is stuff 2 do. there always is. it’s just that the absence of urgency that wafts around the office tends 2 account for ‘stuff’ getting put on the long finger. that & the quietness. yep, the office is awfully quiet these days… 2 quiet for my liking. & the few unfamiliar faces occupying seats that used 2 be occupied - when I was last in the office some 2 months ago - by familiar faces have done nothing 2 raise the excitement levels… not yet @ least. but that’ll change. it always does. i’ll just have 2 preoccupy myself until then.

‘livin’ with seoul’ blog album

you can catch up with the latest goings-on, minus the 3 weeks i spent @ home, by checkin' out the pics uploaded 2 the blog album since the last entry, way back when (click the picture above 2 do just that).

an employee @ the korea exchange bank in seoul displays stacks of $100 bank notes

from the bbc's 'day in pictures,' september 2nd 2009

'living with seoul' recruitment assistance

considering the present dire employment situation this website might come in handy. while it offers some good, practical advice regarding the do's & don'ts of interviews it really is just a piss take. check out the videos even if you don't read the text.

what i'm listening 2 right now

david gray, gutters full of rain