Thanksgiving passed in a blur this year with much feasting! I hosted a Thanksgiving dinner for a few close friends and Jason & I made duck a l'orange, mashed potatoes, and all the fixins. Cindy & I even baked 3 pies. Unfortunately, the canned pumpkin I hauled all the way from Seattle didn't turn out that well in my pumpkin pie. Many ingredients are hard to find here and my substitutions...well...it wasn't the best. But the rest of dinner was delish. We were so busy at school that I didn't have time to teach a Thanksgiving lesson this year, but most of the kids remembered what we learned last year.
So the big thing in my life right now is fixing my back. I've had chronic back, shoulder, and neck pain for the past 5 or 6 years and now that I have the time and money and a great doctor, it seems to be the time to fix it. My Korean traditional doctor who has been treating me with acupuncture for the past 6 months asked me to take some X-rays so we can figure out the root of the problem. So I went to a little X-ray clinic where I paid 11,000 won (about $10) for 4 X-rays and a doctor consultation. As it turns out, I have a flat spine with reverse curve in my lumbar spine (lower back), a slight right curve in my thoracic spine (middle back), and a reverse curve in my cervical spine (neck). My doctor offered me a treatment that is a combination of massage (moving the facia to change the muscles to move the bones), acupuncture, joint release, a little chiropractic, and whatever else he feels like doing. The treatments are 2 times a week, 1 1/2-2 hours and I pay 40,000-50,000 won. It's not covered by my medical insurance, but I'm not complaining. Can you imagine any similar treatment in America? 2 hours of intense massage, acupuncture and chiropractic treatment for $40?? No, sir. I've had 6 treatments and my chronic pain is diminishing. There's noticeable change in my posture and my shoulder imbalance (one is quite a bit higher than the other). Hopefully by early Spring I'll be able to return to my yoga practice with the master which I've temporarily quit to undergo this treatment. About half of the session is very painful and I've been given express permission to yell or scream. Some of the acupuncture is quite painful, but part of each session is relaxing, too. My doctor gives me cranial-sacral massage (very, very slight movements at the base of my skull) and then I get hooked up to a mobile traction machine. I lay on a plastic pillow which inflates and deflates to specific pressure releasing points in my neck. This is usually accompanied by acupuncture down the front of my legs whilst laying on a heated bed for about 30 minutes. I think the experience is uniquely Korean and I will certainly never forget it.
Jason & I took a mini-break to Seoul this weekend to visit some friends and soak up the spreading commercialism of Christmas in the big city. Mission Accomplished. Lights, holiday shopping sales and Christmas Trees abound in South Korea's vast capital city. We went to a few distinctly foreign areas of Seoul - like Itaewon, home to the American army base - where coffee shops and restaurants decorated in tinsel and ornamental trees dotted the sunny, cold street. The best part of any trip to Seoul is the chance to dine on international cuisine. We hit an Aussie pie shop for meat pies & Aussie grog, had an Indian buffet dinner, went to a "living room" themed bar for imported beer and comfy couches, enjoyed brewed coffee & western hash browns over breakfast at a Canadian Tavern, drank Erdinger at a German Brewhaus, and drank mocktails and cocktails out of IV-style plastic bags from a street cart. And don't forget the Starbucks. Mmm...soy toffee nut latte! Jason & I have some very close friends in Seoul and we spent most of our weekend visiting with them...and Christmas shopping.
As for the holidays in Jeju, it's about the same as last year. We finish with school on Christmas Eve and I assume we'll get out early, although that has not been confirmed. Some friends are hosting Christmas Eve & Christmas dinner so Jason & I will spend our holidays with close friends enjoying home-cooked food. Maybe we'll get a little snow here, you never know. I was much colder in Seoul than it is in Jeju and I'm enjoying this sunny 8C degree (45F or so) Monday weather very much. Our building will host a Holiday potluck this upcoming weekend and there have been various cookie making, movie watching Christmas themed evenings.
So school's out from Dec. 24 - Feb 1st. What am I going to do, you ask? Well! I have about 2 1/2 weeks of teaching...and then off to Thailand! I've booked my flight for the 14th of January up to Seoul where I'll spend a cold, wintry night with friends then hop a quick 6 hour flight to Bangkok and take a short ferry to the lovely beaches of Ko Samet. As of now I'm going alone. Many Jeju friends are planning similar trips around the same time so I'll probably meet up with folks along the way, but what I want is a quiet, retreat vacation. I'm mimicking my friend Emma's trip up north to Chiang Mai and Pai for a massage course, personal yoga sessions, and a stay at a Thai Buddhist Forest Temple. Don't worry, I'll be safe. And warm.
Just a quick rant: One thing I still don't understand here is how little value is placed on classroom instruction time in Korea. My co-teacher constantly gets phone calls, emails, and emergency documents that she has to attend to during class time. She is called away to talk to other teachers and administrators while she is teaching. I just don't get it. Can't this stuff wait until after the 40 minute class period? These kids only get about an hour of English time a week and that is constantly diminishing because of teachers' meetings, administrative needs, and extra work. I'm sure I don't know the whole story and I'm trying to keep my personal judgements out, but sometimes it seems like teaching is the least important thing that a teacher does in Korea.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays wherever you are!
My Christmas tree!
A popular advertisement in a smoothie shop in Seoul. Whitening cream and the concept of "being white" is very popular for Korean women.
Aussie meat pies & grog in Itaewon. I bought Tim-Tams, too! They're keeping in my freezer for a Tim Tam Slammer.
A Christmas tree shop in Seoul
Check out the sign..."doobee, doobee, doo"
The BEST hodeok in Korea. Pancake-like dough filled with either vegetables, honey, or cinnamon & sugar, we waited in line 30 minutes for these and it was well worth it.
Winter fashion in Korea