Happy Birthday Buddha!

Today (well, I guess to my readership today is a nebulous statement since usually it is yesterday where you are) is Buddha's birthday! To celebrate, the gentleman who teaches Korean culture at our school is taking us to tour a buddhist temple. I have visited several temples in my travels, but I haven't been inside a buddhist one yet, and I imagine there will be some festivities this evening. The Koreans are much more religiously diverse than we are, and I've been told that many of them embrace multiple religions. There must be a ton of buddhists here though because there are temples everywhere. They always hang paper lanterns out to mark the way to the temple, and the paper lanterns are ubiquitous.

Ah, the previous paragraph was written with the adventurous spirit of youth, which I'm afraid is not shared by my colleagues. It started raining approximately thirty minutes before we were set to meet, but I didn't think you could rain out buddha's birthday. ha. My friend Julie and I were the only two that ventured out in the rain to meet our tour guide...who didn't show either! boo.

Oh well. Since I can't write about my great buddhist cultural experience, I'll just take this opportunity to make one more observation on Koreans and their strange shoe fetishes. Last night my friend I trade Korean/English lessons with came to my house! We had a great time: taught each other card games, went to dinner in the restaurant downstairs, worked on some pronunciation. Everything seemed great till she asked to use my restroom. She opens the bathroom door and gives a small shriek. I'm petrified I've forgotten to flush the toilet or some stray bug has come in, but no. When I ask, she asks me where my bathroom shoes are.

Now, Koreans wear slippers in their homes, and they alway take their street shoes off at the door. You can't even wear your shoes into my dentist's office or into some restaurants, so I'm totally used to this. Frankly, I don't let people wear street shoes into my house either because the sidewalks are so filthy. I have slippers in my foyer if they want to wear a pair. But apparently the house slippers won't do for the bathroom. You need a completely separate pair to step into! This is so important that my friend actually tried to improvise by putting one socked foot on the bathtub and the other on the door jam! I ran to get her some slippers which she looked slightly scandalized at but took anyway. I'm not sure what the deal is here.

My first thought was wet floor because most Korean showers are just nozzles attached to the sink so the whole bathroom gets wet. Mine is like that in my bedroom, but the guest bathroom has a tub, so that can't be it. The tub also rules out not wanting to get dirt on the floor you shower on. And the floor itself is totally clean! Again, no shower goop because of the tub. I'll have to ask about that one and fill you in.

Korean Insurance

Korean health insurance is an oxymoron. While national insurance is available, it is completely unnessary here! I of course have been seeing a neurologist since I've been here. It's great. In the states, I had gotten down to a once yearly visit to my neurologist...he wasn't worried about me, and it costs a fortune just to walk through the door. Heck, in the states, my neurologist wouldn't even let me make an appointment without checking to make sure all my HMO referrals went through first. Here, the neuro wants to see me once a month...and while I can submit my visit to insurance, I don't have to. The visit only costs about $3o! To see a specialist! at a hospital clinic! And I go so often, I don't have to bring a list of questions or anything with me. I get to just address my concerns as they arise. It's awesome, and awesomely affordable. Bloodwork? Oh baby. They are professionals! They stick me once and I hardly feel it...and all those labs? $15!

Why am I raving about this now? Well, I just had a wisdom tooth removed. I had the work done by an oral surgeon who also happens to be my dentist. He is the sweetest man. He took x-rays, talked to me about options for the procedure, took my tooth out, sent one of his assistants to the pharmacy to get my antibiotics for me, rechecked my stitches a day later, and is checking on me again in a week. Total cost including drugs? $65.

I guess with as much medical crap as I deal with, it is a huge relief to have such good affordable care. One more reason I love Koreans. Maybe if we all become expats our government will do something about our healthcare system. Until then, may I recommend Korea?