Lasik in Korea

For many years I have had a curious interest in laser eye surgery. It has always been subdued due to time or money but this week I had a bit of time due to holidays and Korea has one of the best price points. I have had a few friends who had the surgery in Korea and was recommended to a clinic in Busan called BalgeunSeSang Eye Clinic also known as iLove Eye Center. I figured I had nothing to lose so I booked an appointment.

It is a state of the art facility boasting over 160,000 surgeries in the last year. You arrive for your appointment and are met with a questionnaire. How many eyes do you have? and other standard eye related questions. It is a very comfortable atmosphere with gentle music playing, comfortable chairs, computers to use, water, tea and coffee to drink while you wait.

A short 15 minute wait and you are on your way to complete a barrage of tests. Their website claims that they perform 50 examinations on your eyes before you are ready to be approved for surgery. They have all sorts of whirring, blinking, hissing, steaming contraptions that test not only your eyes but also your courage.

The one test that I think I failed was the eye wetness test. They put a strip of paper in your eyes for 5 minutes and the wetness of your eyes is based on how far the water has traveled. I say I failed because the nurse that took the papers out let out a startled, "Oh" when she saw the results. "Pretty dry, eh?" Said I. Yes was the reply.

Upon your completion you are taken in to a small office with a nurse to discuss the results with you as well as your eligibility and the cost that would come along with it. I say nurse but I am unsure of the qualifications required to preform the job. They were very polite, but they were also very polished. The whole time I was with my nurse it seemed like she was trying to sell me on Lasik. I tried to press about my dry eyes but she down played the risks and insisted that I would be a perfect candidate.

From there I was taken to another office to get my eyes looked at by a doctor, again I am unsure of his qualifications. He told me that he recommended the surgery. I asked him about my dry eyes and he confirmed that my eyes were dry but brushed it aside saying that it should be no problem.

I was quoted the price of 1,400,000 won($1,200) for both eyes, which is cheaper than doing one eye in Canada. The price was right but seeing as the biggest complaint about Lasik surgery is that it results in dry eyes I want to go to a doctor that is not getting paid based on my response to find out the true condition of my eyes before irreversibly altering them.

All in all it is a very interesting experience to participate in; you are very well taken care of and they boast a very high customer satisfaction rate. You pay nothing until the day of the surgery, so for those who are curious if they qualify all you have to lose is the two hours that the examination takes.

Christmas in Korea

Christmas in Korea is not as widely celebrated as it is in the western world. As such, I was able to dodge construction on the way to catch the bus on the way to our Christmas service at church. It felt weird to see everything going on as if it was just any other day.

But then I spent the day in a way I have never spent Christmas before.

I went to church, the had lunch at a restaurant with a friend, met two other friends and the four of us played a few hours of ping pong. Then caught the bus home, stopping by the store to do some grocery shopping before going home, making burritos for supper and sitting down to watch a movie. What a way to remember the birth of the Savior of the world, eh?

Easy As Pie

Apparently making pie is not as "easy as pie".

I followed the directions but when I put the crust in the oven the butter in started to bubble up and boil. Also it shrunk. What did I do wrong?

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from Annabelle and I!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like...

Through the use of an aposiopesis you may accuse me of leading you on, because Korea is not beginning to look a lot like Christmas... but then, what does Christmas look like?

Like this of course...

Merry Christmas!

Market Shutdown

It just so happened that I went to the market during the day and invited one of the Korean teachers along for a break. Upon seeing that I had interpreter, each of the stalls I had been loyal to sorrowfully broke the news to her/me. The market was closing! Despite my attempts to single handedly buy enough produce to feed a city block, they could not stay open.

They said that while the fruit and vegetable sales had been good, the other shops that sell dried fish, blankets, and various other interestingly diverse things, had not been able to unload enough to make it worth their time.(I wonder why?...) They were pulling out. As a result, the market would be to small to command the parking lot they had been occupying every 5 days.

While this is a disappointing, it is not terrible. I had a habit of buying at least 15000 won worth of produce regardless of if I needed it or not so this will allow me to save a bit of money. There is a permanent fruit stand literally right beside my school that is womanned by a lady that is quite sweet. But I will have to find a new source for vegetables and eggs.

Here are a few pictures of the last market night, unfortunately I didn't get pictures of the sellers as I went late and they were already busy packing up.

Vegetables

Fruits

Going...

Gone...

Miss 3000

By the title you may get the idea that I am referring to baseball, the name bestowed upon any player in the Major League of Baseballs after they reach the exclusive club of having 3000 hits.

I am not.

Any one who knows me, knows that I do not care for the MLB and if you like baseball, you already saw that in my poor explanation of the idiom. How much do I like baseball?

I like the MLB as much as I like eating octopus. I will eat octopus if my friends are eating it but probably not even then, I will just find something else to eat. (In reference to baseball, I will watch it if my friends are watching it but probably not even then, I will just find something else to do)

Another clue is the Miss. We all know that girls don't play baseball...

This is instead, my way of letting you know that Annabelle and I have spent over 3000 happy kilometers; hand in handlebar, jean on leather, smile on face!

Sunrise

Winter in Korea has been starting to make it's presence known, and like Canada, it has gotten colder and the days have gotten shorter. Waking up at 7:00 is now allowing me the opportunity of watching the sun wake and the day break over the mountain in the East just out my french doors.

It looks like this or better everyday:

It's Been a While

As you may or may not have noticed, it has been a while since I last wrote. It's not that I have a lot to show for the time I have been silent either. Not that I have been sitting at home wondering what to do, but I just have been going about living life as it is in Korea.

I could site a number of excuses; I forgot, I was busy, I didn't document what I was doing, Annabelle has been demanding more of my time, I have other friends now, I have to work during the hours I am at school now, I have been preparing a Christmas surprise for you, I got a second job(eating at restaurants). The list goes on... pick the excuse that works for you.

Regardless of the reason you think I haven't been writing, I will do my best to put a few new stories up this coming week so stay tuned... or don't.

Road Tree

A few months back I drove through a town with a tree in the middle of the road. It is a two lane road and when they made it, they had just left the tree and paved right up around the tree. Seeing as we drove past I knew that I wanted to get a picture of it but I did not have my camera with me at the time. I finally set aside the time and went out this weekend.

Upon seeing it for the second time I was a little disappointed. The two main reasons for this were that the road curves right at the tree and it's in the middle of a town, But I guess these are just excuses for the fact that I am not a creative enough to make it work. The disappointment melted away when I remembered the quality time Annabelle and I were able to have as a result.

Here are a few pictures from our time together.

Is this a hint?

Got this great little manicure set from one of my students. I'm pretty sure it's just because I am such a good teacher. Haven't gotten your manicure set? Time to change things up.

I did wonder for a little bit if she or her mother were trying to hint at something with regards to my presentation of the area surrounding the keratin on my body. That couldn't be it though because I try to cut my nails at least once a month(that is just a rough estimate, I don't really keep track of those kinds of things).

Regardless of the reason, I have the nonpareil of nail care in my hands, now to learn how to use it...

Water and Boats

Having grown up in the prairies, I am still blown away every time I drive past this point.