IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE?

I found a chocolate bar I like. Too much I think. I'm eating one now. I'm trying to keep it to just a couple a week. But some things are difficult.

I'd love some Hostess cupcakes too. I don't think about them a lot, but they do occupy a place in my heart and mind. I make do with these 'wagon wheel' things. I don't even know if they still make or sell wagon wheels. It's a small, round chocolate thing with white cake and marshmallow inside. It will have to do for my synthetic food cravings.

So today was to be my first day of Yoga. I was ready. I got up and got showered and got dressed in my new yoga clothes. I even had a piece of toast for breakfast. I was prepared. I walked there and it took eight minutes. About three of those minutes were spent at a stoplight waiting for it to change. It was drizzling a little but nothing was going to stop me.

I get to the building and go upstairs to the room. It's like a health club. Like the good wannabe Korean I am, I take my shoes off before entering. The person who took my money yesterday was at the front desk so I thought, "no problem, he'll remember me and that I paid". He remembered me. He spoke no English and he started to tell me something in Korean. Of course I didn't understand and I said something in English that he didn't understand. But I'll give him credit. I love when people try to communicate when they don't have the language. I do it all the time, and he was game. He pointed to the ground beside me and showed me a phone. AHA! He wanted me to phone the person who helped me sign up so he could translate for me. I tried to call but there was no answer. I gave the universal sign for S.O.L. (shrug of shoulders). That didn't deter him. He then went to a calendar on the wall and pointed at March 2nd. So I wasn't supposed to start until March 2nd. I said that in English and he confirmed it in Korean. (Or he told me to go kill myself, I don't know). So I went home without Yoga. I asked Kelly to call the Yoga club and see if I understood, and it seems I did. Good for me, but Yoga waits until next Wednesday.

My next big event was a doctor visit. I needed to get some medications quickly so Jack took me to the hospital. I was expecting a wait of several hours before seeing a doctor but it was only about 15 minutes. Jack told him some stuff. I showed him what I currently take and what it was for. It seemed he understood what I saying and that he could read English. We then left and Jack told me he would go back in about an hour and pick up the prescriptions and then go pick up the drugs for me. Too easy. Much too easy.

I told Jack I was hungry and he took me across the road to the local fast food hamburger place. It was no McDonald's. It wasn't as good. But I was hungry but I don't think I'll become a regular. I didn't choose the shrimp burger. There is a picture of my meal at the bottom.

I went to work and about an hour later Jack comes back with the sheet of prescriptions. According to this "doctor" a few of my medicines were not available. I don't believe him because they are common heart drugs. The prescriptions he wrote totally ignored the dosages they should have had. I was very annoyed and ready to hop on a plane. Again.

Kelly tells me the doctor's here know what they're doing and this isn't America. I tell her the doctor is an idiot and if he can't write down the proper dosage he's useless. She tells me I would have to get an examination. I thanked her for letting me know now instead of a couple of weeks ago. I also explained for the 50th time that I have been taking these meds for years and an examination isn't going to tell a doctor anything and that what I take works quite well. Why argue with success?

After this thrilling back and forth she figures out that she should go to the doctor with me and we can all work this out. Gee, pretty clever of her to finally figure that one out. So tomorrow it's another doctor's visit. I hope we see someone who didn't get their medical degree at Whatsamatta U.

My five o'clock class is hell. I have about 9 kids and about 7 different levels in there. I have one girl who is there to learn and is very good. I feel terrible for her being in a class with a bunch of jerks. No one tries. I have one kid who doesn't understand a word of English and he's been taking it for about 5 years. I asked the class if they understood what "understand" means? The consensus answer was "NO". I don't mind if they don't know anything, but I mind when they have no desire and make no effort. But in my informal survey every kid but one said they were there because their mothers made them go. It's nice to be at a school where there is such a high desire to learn.

My 9:00 class is just 1 woman of about 27. She is studying because she wants to work in International Trade. She goes to University (and learns business English) but she wants normal English. The books we use are inane but since I'm the "conversation" specialist, I talk to her. I enjoy it because I ask lots of questions and learn things. Tonight I can announce it's official. Korean people do eat dog. Not all of them (she doesn't), but some of them (her boyfriend does). I think they raise dogs (like chickens) to eat. And according to what she's heard, they're quite good.