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.
'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
