All I Want to Do is * * * Take Your Money

The hallway in the school always smells like food. I discovered on my first teaching day that teachers often order food for delivery. The food in is delivered in baskets by a man on motorcycle. When the teachers are done eating, they put the food back in the basket and leave it in the hallway for the deliveryman to pick up later. Great system. This just means that there are baskets of food sitting around al the time, making the hallways smell like food.
On Wednesday, October22, after school, Sally took me shopping, she showed me where I can get necessary house hold things, like dishcloths, and notebooks, and hand towels. The store looks like a dollar store, the way it is set up, however, there are toasters, rice cookers, pots and pans, and all the things you would need in your house. One might ask why I would need a toaster in Korea, don’t they only eat rice? Not true, I went for a short walk yesterday and saw at least five bakeries, all within walking distance from my house. I haven’t bought bread yet, but at least I have the option.
After the shopping excursion, Sally took me out for supper, a meal that was a little more authentic than I have eaten so far. We had a restaurant, where the food is cooked right at our table. There was a burner in the middle of the table. The server brought out a big bowl of food. It included octopus or squid (something with tentacles), shrimp (which I normally like, but not when it still has eyes and feet), bologna (!?!), mushrooms of few varieties, some other made difficult to identify (pork maybe, it was good), clams that didn’t seem to have much in them, some other vegetables, and red pepper paste and fish broth. This was let to simmer on our table until it was cooked and the server came by occasionally to stir it.
Once it was ready, we dished our own proportions and ate it with rice. Of course, there was kimchi on the side with onions soaked in soy sauce, bean sprouts, and another side dish that was tasty but mysterious. I must be honest and admit that I do not care for the taste of the red pepper paste that I have heard appears in many dishes. I was somewhat distressed by this discovery, I didn’t want to spend my year in Korea avoiding the main spice used in this country. However, on Thursday, one of the Korean teachers shared her kimbob with me, Korean sushi,! It was delicious and contained no red bean paste and it was super cheap. I was with her when she bought it at the grocery store, she was showing me a different grocery store than the one under the school. There is a grocery store under the school, Lotte Grocery; apparently Lotte is a huge chain in Korea.
Also on Thursday, I had to get photos taken for my immigration card. A Korean teacher, Julia, took me to a photo lab close to the school. It was a photo shop just like the in the movie Christmas in April, except the photographer was old instead of young, and I doubt that he was terminally ill or in love with a meter maid. However, it was still cool.
This morning, (Friday) I had to go the University Hospital, the best hospital in Korea I was assured, for my immigration medical check up. Mr. Kim, one of the managers at the school, took me. Sally came along to make me feel better. We rode the subway, so I finally learned where the subway station is, although we took a bus from the school, the Subway is in walking distance, like 10 or 15 minuets away. The hospital was huge. We went to the international clinic, were a very cheerful friendly lade guided me through my tests.
First I had to have a chest x-ray. I needed to change into a hospital gown in this tiny change room, with Tiny stalls. I wasn’t sure how to put on the gown and just tied the strings at the back, but then I saw a women, wearing it the right way, wrapped around, no open gaps. I wanted to change mine, but my room was occupied as soon as I left. I struggled to untie the knot, an old lady, helped me, and then I quickly got into a room to turn it around. It was very awkward.
After the X-ray, I went for a blood test. Bryan had told me horrible things about the needles they use to collect blood samples, but it turns out that he is either a liar or a wuss, because the needle was really small and it did not hurt at all. They took three vials of my life substance.
After the blood I had to give a urine sample, also something I have never done before. I had to pee in a cup over a Asian style toilet, aka hole in the floor. But a hole that flushed, oddly. Then I had to meet with a doctor. He didn’t know English very well and nobody informed him of the purpose of my visit, he was confused, but very friendly and super adorable. I have a bit of a crush on him. Once he sorted out the reason for my visit, all had to ask me was if I had any illness or if I had any pain. That was the end of my visit.
I should also mention that because I had the guided hospital tour, the only line in which I had to wait, was the lineup for the bathroom. I was skipped to the front of every line. That’s luxury.
Mr. Kim took Sally and I out for lunch, we had curry, which seems to be very popular here.
In the subway station I found an ATM that takes international debit cards, finally I have some won in my pocket, 100,000 to be exact. I felt vulnerable without cash. I don’t anymore.
On the subway, one the doors are about to close, there is a dinging noise that sounds like the opening of Paper Planes by MIA. The first time I heard it, I turned my head just in time to see the subway sign flash MIA. This was the highlight of my day.