Life in Korea, #1

Hello all


I've been slacking again. See when I lived in Turkey it was such an interesting place. It seemed as though each day was a new adventure and experience with a fantastic cast of characters.

But Korea seems boring sometimes when I compare the two. It's probably because, yes, it is a little more boring than Turkey. But I think it's also because things aren't that different for me any more.

Everyday life in Korea doesn't seem like a wacky adventure, but a normal existence. So I must find my subjects for you, the dear readers.

Today I begin with a commitment to write each week, at least one time. The series, Life in Korea, begins today.

Life in Korea, #1
Health care

Last week I found myself with a cold and ear infection.

So I went to the doctor.

But get this: I walked in without making an appointment. One almost never needs appointments for doctors here.

I was seen right away.

The doctor, who speaks English fluently, gave me a standard examination for a cold and ear infection followed by a prescription.

My cost for all this, was $2.50.

I went to the pharmacy for medicine which cost another $2 and I was done. The entire process took 30 minutes. A few days later, I felt fine.

It's one of the great things about this country. They have a national insurance system that means you pay a small co-pay for doctor's visits and medicine. It makes me wish we had something similar in America. Yes, I am advocating national health care.

So Life in Korea #1 is finished. Not too exciting, but I'll add some more later. Post with questions or issues you want addressed. I intend for this topic to address both good and bad and even have some multimedia.

These are my last six months here so I'm going to get off my lazy ass and write some blogs.