S-T-A-R-I-N-G

I went to the doctors a few days ago because I needed to get a Korean check-up or whathaveyou.  Lydia, a fellow teacher and a Korean, went with me.  I brought along a book because you know, the doctors office, yada yada.

So we get to the doctors office and turns out, it's actually a hospital.  A hospital complete with people walking around with IV stands.  I had to get a dental check-up, a physical check-up, and an X-Ray.  Now, I expected all of this to take about three hours or more, you know, standard American lets-keep-you-waiting-as-long-as-possible procedure.

Well I was so wrong.  I practically had to run through the hospital to keep up.  Here lets take your blood, here let's check your eyes, here lets check your teeth, here lets give you a freaking X-Ray.  Bam bam bam.  It took 30 minutes. 

And I appreciated the swiftness of it all.  It did really freak me out however.  I mean they don't even care about your name or anything, they just get you in and out of every room, it was like some sort of weird scavenger hunt game.  They didn't even ask for my passport.

And believe you me I stick out like a sore thumb.  It is so strange to have to get used to people staring at you everywhere you go like you're some sort of alien.  People literally stop in the street and stare at me.  Children follow me.  Old ladies scowl.  Sometimes it's a confidence boost.  I feel like I'm kind of a big deal.  And the guys think I'm hot.  They like big noses and small faces here, so I'm pretty set.  Barbra Streisand should consider visiting.

We were at the bar last night and these Korean across from us had a bet that Canada was below America.  Now, I'm not going to judge, because I can't say I immediately placed Korea on a map as soon as I found out I was coming here.  I at least I knew it wasn't high above China.

Point is: bars, supermarkets, school, hospitals, nowhere is safe.  I'm not going to fit into a crowd for a whole year.  Strange.