Fucking Umbrellas.

On a personal note, Dakota, our foster, is getting adopted. He's thankfully gone to a home who can take care of him for his issues he has now, a lot better than we can. Adam saw his first beach yesterday, too. :)

Anyway, Umbrellas.

In Korea, like any place, it rains. Right? When I go out to take a walk, and it starts to drizzle. I deal with it. I keep walking. If it starts pouring heavily, I think it really sucks, but I wont cry over it. Why should I? It's just rain, and in most Western cultures, rain isn't a big deal. Especially a small drizzle. However, in Korea, people seem to just know when it was magically rain. No lie. The other day, I was at the park and there was NO indication of rain. As soon as it started, all the Koreans on the street popped out their umbrellas. I'm assuming they look at the weather channel beforehand or something, but for some reason, Koreans act like rain will melt them. Even if someone doesn't have an Umbrella, they'll put their hands over their heads like it'll really help keep them dry. Koreans use umbrellas for small little drizzles, and if you're like me, and you don't CARE if it's just a drizzle and you don't cover your head like a lava shower is approaching or get my umbrella, I'm looked at like I'm crazy. (Once even yelled at by an older Korean man.)

Koreans just don't have umbrellas for rain, though, they use them for the sun. Korean summer is extremely humid and hot, so I can understand why. But instead of wearing some roomy attire, they wear virtual bodysuits. I found a comic on ROKetship.com that portrayed that PERFECTLY. Koreans wear masks (Adam told me about something to do with the air. Don't know if it's true or not.) But you'll see a lot of people with masks, or cloth around their faces with baseball caps and jackets. Not unusual in Korean, but quite strange here.


I have a sun umbrella for my sun allergy, but Koreans look at me like I'm crazy when I use it. :/

MIA

I know, I've been a bit MIA.

Why? Sickness, Cleaning (after being sick) and KAPS. KAPS has found a new location, thankfully, and should be moving soon, and I'm trying as hard as I can to get free time in to make the website. As well as that? Dakota. We're hoping to find him a new home extremely soon. Sadly, we're no longer able to foster him due to his destructive nature. We're pretty sad.

But, I have a new new blog posts in mind (Koreans&Umbrellas) and I have more pictures as of late. I would be making a post about the Daegu Body painting festival, but we didn't get to go. :(
Blah

Korean Hospitals.

Honestly, I feel so overwhelmed. This was possibly one of the worst weeks I have ever had in my life. I found out my granddad died Friday night, and then on Saturday I spent 7 hours in the ER. So this post, ladies and gents, shall be about Korean Hospitals. :(

They're quite different than American ones, and quite intimidating as well. I went in at 2pmish with excruciating pains in my right side, that had been going on for 3 hours. Unable to take it anymore, Adam and I had rushed to the hospital as the on base hospital was unavailable. Upon entering and signing in, we were taken to a gurney, with about 10 other people sitting and waiting and asked what was wrong, went through the motions, etc. That wasn't too bad, besides the whole "being in a room with 10 other people" thing. You don't get your own little room, you get a curtain, which will blow open as people walk past.... while your shirt is up. NOT fun.

After that, we had to wait two hours until I was allowed any kind of medication. I went in for CT scans, and to an OB/GYN (I threw up in his trash can, take THAT for sticking things in my vagina!) and a bunch of other crap that was all a bit hazy. I loved the nurse I had as she spoke good English, and was very very very kind. The worst experience was actually when I did get medicine and I did go into the actual ER area, though.

The first time around, I was wheeled next to a lady who had shit all over herself and was making these scary groaning noises like she was dying. That was one of the scariest things I had seen in awhile. I needed a bucket because I kept wanting to throw up, and no one could get us one, which resulted in me hobbling over with Adam to a restroom which was past the front door, waiting room and all, and into a small unclean restroom that I had to sit down in and stick my head in the bowl. I was then taken right down to the end, away from the lady who smelled like poop, which was a HUGE relief. I chilled out for quite awhile, actually. Adam went home to check on the dogs, and eventually some cute Korean guy came to check my vitals and called me normal while patting my hand 8D! When Adam came back, some lady died a few beds down, and a guy came in a moped accident who was bleeding everywhere. Another nurse came over and stuck a tube up my urethra with JUST a curtain to separate us from the whole room, and pretty much the whole time I felt violated, scared and in pain.

7 hours of pure bliss, just to be told I had a Kidney Stone. Hurrah.

Door.

You know what's weird? Recently, the front door hasn't closed all the way when we leave / enter, so we have to really PULL it behind us. Adam ALWAYS forgets, like this morning, when Artsy had dropped by and saw the door open with Dakota hanging out in there. Thankfully, no animals have ever left the apartment, even if it has been open for 3-4 hours, and I think I got it sorted today.

Scary, though

"A REAL Dog"

Adam and I walked Dakota and Unnamed yesterday. We decided to go downtown to help them get used to big big crowds and the hustle and bustle of the streets. People were amazed, more at Dakota than anything. He's a big dog, a Husky, so people look and think "A wolf!" Our neighbors children actually had asked if he was a wolf. They're not wrong in this assumption, really, as the Husky is one of the closest breeds TO a wolf, but none the less, it's still funny.

He attracts attention, which is usually negative. People get angry when they see larger dogs. But today we received no negative feedback. (More than likely because there is a younger generation downtown!) People said Hello, they said he was a Beautiful Dog, and they waved. One couple had actually stopped to crouch down, pet him, play with his ears. He just sat there all happily. It was too cute!

Adam and I assumed they were selling dogs, but an older couples with 5 puppies in a cart came down and stopped to look at us, maybe trying to sell the puppies? That was interesting. A car stalked us as well. It slowly followed behind us, hopefully just driving, but I highly doubt it. It was a fun walk, though, people were interested in Kota (and Unnamed!) and stared A LOT, but we had no dog kicking or yelling. :) In fact, a western group walked by and said "A real dog!!!" Yay Korea!

Being Bisexual.

I came out to my mum a couple of days before I left for Korea. It was a pretty awkward conversation. "Uh, so, I'm bi." Followed with my mum having this 'ThisIsSoAwkward,WhyDoesThisAlwaysHappenToMe,MyChildIsInsane' face. I've always been pretty hush about it until now. If someone asked, I'd tell them, but besides that, it's not something I'd parade around. Since coming out to my mother, I've not issues with telling people, though. I don't care who knows, because I have all the reassurance I need knowing my mother accepts my choices even if she doesn't like it. It was hard explaining the whole "I prefer men, but I'm also sexually attracted to women" thing, but, I was happy to have such support. My friends had known, C. Love has always been supportive and she is herself, so we relate, then there is Adam who I think has a hard time grasping the concept at times "but you chose to marry me, so you're straight!" "Urm.. No." But he's never had an issue with it, which again, means a lot too me. I know my family will support me, which means so much too me, and I'm happy that I have that support. I'm lucky, because many homosexual and bisexual people are disowned because of their sexuality. I don't mind answering questions and explaining bisexuality to people, I just hate explaining it to the bigots. One bigotry remark I cannot stand is the word Faggot.

The word faggot is a terrible word to say to some, funny to others, like the word "retard." Adam uses Faggot a lot, sadly, and I try and explain to him countless times the reason I hate it is that faggot is used in a negative context, right? That's sorta like saying that homosexuals are wrong, subconsciously.

First, “the n-word,” which is almost never said or printed in it’s entirety, and rightfully so. I won’t print it here because of the hundreds of years of hatred, violence and soullessness attached to the word. Tell me I am giving the word too much power and I will tell you that you are not giving the word enough power. It is despicable, disgusting and never OK to use. Feel free to start conversations about who is allowed to use it and how the word changes when you put an “a” at the end instead of an “er,” but I take a hard line on this issue: Its use is simply unacceptable. I think most mainstream media agrees with me, when the future leaders of the Republican Party hurled the n-word at African American lawmakers, you would be hard pressed to find a respected media outlet that said or printed the full word.

Sick.

I've not been feeling great these past couple of days, but it's really escalated. I'm beginning to think that I have Mono. :( My throat is sore, my face is swollen, I've lost my appetite and I'm napping (which I hardly ever do nowadays.) Potty Mouth and i were supposed to go out tonight, too, but poor girly is also sick, thanks to her icky little Korean students who cough and sneeze on her. :). So we've rescheduled, and hopefully by Sunday + we'll be feeling well enough to go out again!

Until then, I'm going to lie around in my PJ's and feel sorry for myself.

Old Korean Guys and Saving Face

Since I promised something Korean Related, instead of myself and KAPS, etcetc, I decided to post about old men.

So many times since I have been in Korea have I heard terrible things about old Korean men. I've heard they think they're better than everyone else, and will be cruel to you, but I have never personally witnessed that until that man tried to kick my dog and yelled at Adam for letting his dehydrated dog have a drink.

Some older Korean men are perverts, they will stare at your chest like it's a fucking firework display. Once friend of mine had told me that one should not smile when walking your dog, as most of the time, an older Korean man will go out of his way to destroy that happiness.

This isn't to say this is ALL Korean elders, but so far I've witnessed a good majority of it. One friend was filming something about meat markets in Korea, and an old man smacked the camera out of her hand, so she said she kicked him in the shin, which he deserved imho.

I've met some very kind and very nice older Korean men. But I've also witnessed some cruel, cruel men. I'm just more aware of it here, I suppose, as the people are way more open about being cruel. They'll kick your dog, hit it with objects, in public.

My friend however, told me to make a scene. Koreans are big about saving face, unlike most Westerners.

What do I mean by Saving Face? It basically means your dignity and honor. Koreans really dislike Saving Face and will save others from losing face by lying, if need be. As my friend had put it, embarrassment and drawing attention to yourself is a nono in Korea, and could cause you to Lose Face. It's a concept hard for most westerners, as we're not as big on it as they are, I suppose.

Right now though, I don't feel like detailing everything, and I don't really want to talk about Korean stuff. A promise is a promise though, I s'pose.

Dear Typhoon.

Word on the street is that you're going to be coming right over Daegu. Well guess what, loser, no one wants you here. I have plans tomorrow, you know? I have a LIFE. Go back to where you formed or something.

Seriously, though, a Typhoon is heading over us and I'm going to be pissed if it's "bad." I hate bad weather. It doesn't scare me, it annoys me. It's ANNOYING. I don't know if living on the top floor is good or bad either, so I guess we'll see, but if random car parts come flying into my windows, I'm not going to be overjoyed, that's for sure.

On a side note, I've been sick. I don't know what it is, but it sucks, and it's annoying. Hopefully by tomorrow it will all be better. :( Dakota has been good today, so I've been able to lie down and relax for the most part and watch HOUSE. :3

I miss...

My kitty Shadow. :( Sadly, Adam and I financially wont be able to make it to the US for a vacation at Christmas, which is something we wanted to do for awhile. My mother and I are not currently speaking, either, due to her calling me a liar and bitching at me because I couldn't come back for Christmas, yep, makes me a liar because I said I would. But I can't help it, so I'm not worrying about it. As much as I love and miss my mum, I'm sick of hearing some of her bullshit that she comes out with. What makes this even more rich is that she sends me messages making excuses and saying "I believe what I want to believe." Annoying.

My week has pretty much revolved around KAPS, and helping KAPS and dealing with life in general. A typhoon will be heading close to Daegu soon, so Adam and I have to be "prepared" for anything that could happen with that. We're considering adopting a Meat Market Rescue that has been at the shelter for awhile, a cuteeee little Papillion! :)

I'll make a more Korea related post, soon. :)

Oh, Look, A Girl With An IV In Her Arm.

This week has been pretty laid back, besides yesterday, and today should be a lot to handle as well.
Artsy and I met up at 2ish at the PX in the military base, took out some won, and we took a taxi down to Daemyoung, which is where Homeplus and KAPS are. A week or so before, one of the coordinators had informed us about a Korean restaurant which was really good, and Artsy and I were hungry, AND it was a couple of buildings away from KAPS, so why not? We entered, took off our shoes, and sat down on the floor in front of the table with the ... uh... thing... in the middle, that cooks your food.
So, that was our menu. I don't know why, but we weren't allowed to have a lot of the stuff on the right side. We kept trying, but she kept point and making an X sign with her hands. So whatever, we got that thing for 6,000 won and just hoped for the best. Artsy was hoping to get live Octopus, I think. We'll have to check out the fish markets near KAPS, but we got what we always get at Korean restaurants. The same meat. Most Korean restaurants actually give you the same meat, and other foods, and same leaves, etc. I was a bit frustrated until she gave us POTATOES and CHEESY CORN. I know it sounds really stupid, but in Korean restaurants that I've been too, instead of potatoes, and cheesy corn, you get some other kind of strange vegetable/fruit that when you taste it you're not sure if you like it or not, or, you're not sure if you should cook it on the cooker in front of you.

So, the restaurant wasn't half bad. We paid and went to KAPS, groomed dogs, played with dogs, took dogs for walks, got about 6 drinks because it's so fucking hot in Daegu at the minute. At 5:17, we decided to leave, which is usually when we leave anyway, but Adam wasn't picking us up. We decided to take the Subway! I was excited, because I've never been on the Subway before, and I really needed to learn how to navigate it. So we're walking down there, and stop for a minute to sit down and Sunnan, the president of KAPS see's us and starts talking to us. :D She's so sweet! She's quite a bit older, but very lively and active. She told us the importance of exercise and gave us fruit. 3 apples and a batch of blueberries each. We tried to refuse, but Koreans can be too kind sometimes. We conversed with her for awhile, she left, and we cont'd to walk down to the subway. On our way, though, we saw a hospital patient. Jamie, Artsy's husband, had mentioned before that hospital patients in Korea are allowed to leave the facility to get a drink, or something to eat. We saw a girl with an IV in arm, drip machine and all, hobbling along the street with her boyfriends/friend/brother.


So the subway was an experience. Artsy thought we had to get off at the third stop, but decided we should get off at the second one instead. Biggest mistake, EVER. We ended up semi-close to walker, but it was one well of a walk, and we needed to be on george. From the station, to walker, to George is not a fun walk. At All. We were actually semi-close to George and decided to get a taxi, told him where we needed to go, he didn't understand, drove us up the street and made a motion at us to get out. Thankfully, we didn't have to pay, but, he did take up back up the street we just walked up, so we had to walk back down, again.

Getting to George was like Ice Cream on a Hot day, though.

Most of last night, and today, is dedicated to making KAPS a new site that will be easier to function than the current one, making animal profiles, and other various things like figuring out a new building for KAPS. Sunday will be spent meeting with Sunnan and the Fund raising Coordinator at KAPS, I'll call her PottyMouth on here, because she always says "Fuck you" at me. :( Silly Londoners.

Adam doesn't get off work until 10 until Sunday, either, which really sucks. I get bored. 3:

Did I mention? I'm learning Dutch, even though this song is German >_>

Standstill.

Life is at a standstill at the moment. Nothing much to talk about besides the rain. I'm racking some blog posts up in my head, though, deciding which would make for a good blog post. Some things don't even deserve a post, whereas others don't need a whole post dedicated to that topic. Like, how long could I post about it raining, and how everybody will have an umbrella, for even the slightest drizzle. Not long enough to keep anyone occupied.

I've been reading up on being an expat teacher in general though. I think after this whole army thing is over with, we're both planning on doing something else with travel. Maybe be teachers, or, maybe bakpack through Europe. We talked about that. Could come to be fun.

Adam and I are saving up for a trip to Seoul soon, anyway. I think we could use the get away for the weekend.