My First Day Pt. II

When you arrive in Korea, you have to do a medical exam in order to get your alien registration card. Basically they test you for drugs and AIDS. So my co-teacher, Eun Mee (I remembered a name!) and I set off on the half hour car ride to Wonju where the nearest hospital is located. Wonju is a bigger city that is close by and where she happens to live, as well as many other co-workers.
I have never seen a hospital so busy...hard to find parking and so many people inside! Maybe I just don't go to the hospital enough. So we go in and first they ask for a urine sample. Well, I haven't eaten and all day and only had one cup of green tea so I don't have to pee! I peed the littlest bit but it was not enough so I started drinking water. At the hospital, they have water coolers with little paper cups, like literally paper, that is flat and you open and you can only use it once (cause it's paper!). 


Because I couldn't perform, they checked my height, weight and eyes then we set off to another part of the building for my blood test...I HATE BLOODWORK! But after they took 4 viles of blood, GEEZE, I had to try to pee again...FAIL again and they didn't get much but apparently it was enough. Sorry, kinda gross but man, this blog has to be authentic right? 


Finally I have to see a doctor who asks me if I have allergies, diseases, etc... checks my throat and gives me a clean bill of health. I now have to wait 3-7 days for results then I can go get my Alien Registration Card (which allows me to get a bank account, phone etc... 


We then head back to Yeoju to go to E-Mart...basically like a Korean Walmart that has everything! Although I made a list, it was hard picking things out because everything is in Korean. It was a challenge asking Eun Mee which products were good and the right thing (for example, laundry soap etc...). It was a bit challenging but we managed, until the food section came along. She must think I am the most indecisive person in the world!! Back and forth on what food I wanted to buy and it is all Korean so unless it looked like a certain food, I had no idea what it was...like sauces! I picked up some tofu and some beef bits for stirfry and needed a sauce and that was like pulling teeth! It was really cute because I wanted bulgogi sauce and because the meat was not cut a certain way Eun Mee said no, that is not bulgogi! Haha so cute, in my head I was like, I don't care what the meat looks like, I am going for taste here! But we settled on some spicy bibimbop sauce. I ended up spending 100 000 KRW which is about 100 CND so not bad for getting everything I needed. 

just over $4 CND for this many bananas!

hehe

When I got home, an hour or so later I had a knock on the door and it was nurse. She brought me ramen and some weird looking eggs, the size and colour of green olives. I have no stove yet so she was worried I would go hungry. I was planning on just having rice so it was pretty sweet. So nice of her! I ate half the ramen (since my tummy shrunk from not eating all day) and put the eggs in the fridge so I could give them back to her in the morning...too grossed out to try them, maybe one day!

That was my first day in Korea and not so bad if you ask me! I was passed out by 9pm. I don't think I really got jet lagged, if that is even possible...other than being tired at the end of the day, I have not been delirious or anything so that is a HUGE plus!

Until next time party people...