I do, in fact know where I am, but the days are just unmeasurable anymore. They go by so fast. Things happen, nothing happens, you teach - kids come in/kids go out, then it's the weekend, then the weekend is over and it's all at a lightning pace it makes your head spin!!! Well not spin, but definitely question "What have I been doing with my days?!"
My days this last week weren't too different than the last. I did find a treasure of a secret market on my island. I'm sure I was the only one it was a secret too, it does have arches decorating it's many entrances to be fair. But I'd like to compare my discovery of it to Christopher Columbus discovering America! Just amazing! Last week when I tried to buy vegetables, I hadn't even touched the vastness of the market!! Most of it is pretty standard - vegetable dealers, fish mongers, dried goods, street food vendors, stores selling home goods, a few clothing shops, might have seen a salon-like thing in there, and yet even with a seemingly endless collection of store types, nothing prepared me for the meat section.
Heads - full pig heads - just sitting on tables, staring up at the ceiling. Pig faces, cut in half, piled mountains high, on top of each other. Wilbur!!! :'-( I had to be a horse in blinders to get out of there. Vendors were laughing at me and my squeamishness, but it was unsettling. I've always thought I could be a vegetarian, just never tried, but one more wrong-turn trip down a meat aisle might just be all the motivation I need. Ugh so barf!!
Thursday I got sick. I wasn't even feeling fully sick, just thought my face looked a bit puffy, but was willing to contribute that to the pool-table-like beds that they sleep on here. Most nights the only way to be comfortable is to just be face-planted on the mattress! Forget your pillow, no point! Why make your neck and head cozy, when you hip is one more month away from needing replaced!! So I went to school thinking I just didn't sleep well. At the end of lunch however, the lunch lady points out to a room full of people that I look unwell. And being the ONLY white person in the room/school EVERYONE stops eating, stops leaving the room even! and turns to look at the unwell foreigner. Did I mention this was all happening in Korean?! So me… being completely fluent in the language…. stood there, bobbing my head in agreement! You doof! Apparently it translated to: don't drink the tap water, only if you're going to boil it. Get lots of island air, it's good for you. Right, I will take that in hand.
Being American, and having the shit health care system that we do back home, I'm never one to run to the doctor! Well not for a cold! Breathing will be bothersome for a bit, but then it'll clear up. I'll feel better by Friday! No not better, worse! and Friday night was the big English teacher outing! Awesome. I'm ready. Can I order soup?! and not drink?! and be in bed by 9?! NO?! How silly of me!! The point is to get wasted and stay out late, yeah?! Ohhh… no worries, just a bit sick, nothing big. I can manage!! Can't breathe, but I can drink!
The night was actually a lot of fun. I did get to order soup! My liquid intake was very high!! Which is always promoted for a cold! And I was only out till 1, which really isn't that late when looked at sideways.
Saturday, I went to the bakers, slightly shaky from the night before, to pick up a Soju themed cake for my friend Philly's surprise-beach-birthday-bash. We paired his birthday celebrations with the 41st International Kite Festival. The Festival didn't turn out to be the greatest event, but the beach party was! We huddled up, broke out the drinks, cake, and food, and enjoyed maybe a few hours too many in the chilly, sandy, winds! We took a break to clean up and reconvened out in Haeundae for some proper late night drinks!
Sunday was passed in varying shades of wastefulness. Not that I was an actual waste - I didn't get anywhere near drunk the night before - just generally was unwell. For that, there is no better medicine than friends! Eastern medicine might have its advantages, Western medicine might have its traditions, but nothing is better medicine then mac-ing on food and wander around the streets with a few friends for hours on a Sunday!!
Where we went - I'm not really sure. Where am I - most nights I remember, weekends can get hazy. But I'm really happy I'm here!
No comments:
Post a Comment