Sunday, April 25, 2010

A Temple Close to Home.

With the arrival of semi-spring weather, it has been possible for me to resume my exploring ways.  I say semi-spring because the weather recently has decided to warm up, somewhat.  Unlike the wonderful spring that has been experienced across most parts of the United States, Korea has still been in the grips of a cold spring.  This past week was the first time that daytime temperatures were in the 60's the entire week.  When I say the 60's I mean the low 60's.  However, while it has not been anywhere near as nice of a spring as last year, it has still been decent.  The flowers are starting to bloom, and the trees are blossoming everywhere.



It was with this in mind that I set off with two of my friends and their mom to a temple near our town.  While I'm sure I could have found this place by myself, it's also more fun to explore with people.  That and not having to get completely lost while trying to find this place was a bonus also.  My friends and I assembled and off we went (granted at 4 in the afternoon because they had been out partying until 6:30).  The drive out there was awesome because Seung Hee's mom took us off the main roads and was driving us along the rice paddies in the middle of the countryside.  It was nice to see fields somewhat green and the dirt neon orange.  I guess I've never talked about that before, but the soil here can be quite orange at times.  In fact during the summer time it is not unusual to see my students with orange stains on their hands from the soil.


On the drive out, we enjoyed ourselves, we listened to music, and talked.  Ok, you got me, I listened to music and they talked in Korean to each other.  Even with this situation, the drive out there was quite peaceful and fun.  Even passing by the cow farm was pleasant until we hit the mad cow prevention sprayer.  This thing was funny, except for the fact that they were spraying something designed to prevent mad cow and you had to drive right through it.  There is nothing wrong with driving through a cloud of something designed to kill microbes is there?  Hmm, ohh well it's not like it was Agent Orange or DDT.

When we finally arrived at our destination I remembered why I try to limit my excursions to temples.  The Buddhists have this thing for putting temples in the middle of nowhere, and then on top of being in the middle of nowhere, you normally have to partially hike up a mountain to get there.  In terms of temple hikes, this one was no problem at all, but still reaching the top sweating and begging god to fill your lungs with oxygen is not the best way to enter a holy place.  Maybe in Buddhism it is.  As Seung Hee said when I asked her why they always put them on the top of mountains, "It is so you develop the patience needed to arrive at your destination."  I don't need patience, I have plenty of that already, I'm a teacher.


The temple, small as it was, did not disappoint.  There were several buildings that had been built back in the 7th century, and rebuilt in the 15th century.  The temple was a vibrant yellow color nestled in a sea green.  With tree's blossoming all around it was a very serene day.  The crowds of people at the temple all agreed with me that this excursion was a good idea.  While in no way grandiose this temple was just right.  Given the area we live in, I didn't want huge, I wanted a small temple that felt very peaceful.  There were no giant gold Buddha's here, only modest ones.  There was no great bell or drum, only a modest offering.  However, I think the modesty of this temple speaks volumes to it's devotion to Buddhism.

We left the temple and descended our way back down the mountain to find ourselves some dinner.  Seung Hee's mom was craving barley rice and took us to some small no name place that I'll probably never find again.  The highlight of the meal for me, was not the barley rice Bi-Bim-Bap (mixed rice with veggies).  It was the fresh homemade tofu.  So fresh that it was made just then for us.  While I'm not the biggest fan of tofu, when you have almost anything made fresh, and homemade, it is wonderful.  This was no different. It was light, it was airy, almost like fine ricotta cheese without the stringy texture.  In fact, I'm going to try and learn to make tofu, just like I'm going to try and learn to make ricotta.  After dinner we all headed back to our respected abodes.  I went home to do some laundry and prepare for the next day of work.

Monday, April 19, 2010

A Medical Dilemma. (No, I'm not sick)

I must make a disclaimer at the start of this post.  I am going to be delving into politically dicey waters on medical care, medical insurance, and abortion.  Please understand that this post is not intended to skewer, lampoon, or pass moral judgment in anyway.




With our recently enacted (I should say shoved down our throats) health care overhaul (that's the only partisan thing I'm going to say) I think it is important to take a moment to study a case that is currently happening to one of my friends here in Korea.  Korea has socialized medicine, it is cheap, it is available to all, and it is a single payer system.  The government taxes you and gives you health care.  It is required by every single person to carry and have health insurance.  Foreigners working in the country are required by law also to purchase this health care.  Now there are several wonderful things about the health care system that Korea has.  For starters, it's cheap.  By cheap, I mean ridiculously cheap.  An uninsured person (i.e. foreigner who just arrived in country) can receive a physical that includes a urine test, blood test, and chest x-ray for 20 dollars.  You try and get that type of service done in the United States without insurance for 20 bucks.  Access is universal, if for some reason you do not have insurance, the prices are so low that you can still receive treatment.

Now, I have just given a relatively glowing assessment of the Korean medical system.  However, there are several drawbacks to this system.  For starters, Koreans have become so dependent on hospitals that when you have a common cold, it is expected that you go see your doctor.  In fact they think it crazy that when I have a cold I don't go to the doctor.  Now when I state go see your doctor, it is not your primary care physician that I am talking about.  We're talking about going to the hospital and seeing the first available doctor.  This has lead to an overburdened system which while, not rationing care, the sheer volume of business has reduced the quality of care given.  It has also led to the practice of issuing drugs for the smallest of ailments.  Now when you go to the doctor with the common cold you are given three days worth of anti-viral or antibiotics.  3 days only.  You cannot go back and get more without being seen by your doctor again.  While this cuts down on the surplus of prescription pills most of us have in our medicine cabinet, where is the fun in that?  The simple fact is that three days worth of pills doesn't do anything.  Even when dealing with Pneumonia you are issued three days worth of pills.  All this does is make the virus/disease/bacteria angry.  It doesn't cure you, it just makes you feel a little better for a few days then get sick again.

Now, with every medical system there are benefits and drawbacks.  However, the case of my friend is quite unique, and I think worthy of discussion or at least some prolonged thought.  Now I must say again that I am not passing moral judgment on these people, and I request that you do the same.  Ok, here we go.

My friend, who shall remain nameless, is currently married and the couple is expecting their first child.  Now I must state right now that neither of them are Korean, but both carry Korean medical insurance.  The couple was told for the first several months that their baby was fine and that it was developing nicely.  Then, in the 5th month of the pregnancy the couple found out that the child has a severely cleft lip, to the point where the nose has been completely disfigured, and a severely cleft palate which has potentially caused deformities going all the way into the child's throat.  This is their problem, and their issue, but I believe that it can be informative to the rest of us also.

Here are their options in no order of significance:

First: terminate the pregnancy.
Second: have the child and the give it up for adoption.
Third: have the child and keep the child.

These are the same options that everyone of us have when we are faced with a pregnancy, wanted or unwanted.  I must state that this was an unplanned pregnancy, but a wanted pregnancy.  Now every one of these options has severe drawbacks and risks involved.

The first option, which is incendiary and honestly I don't agree with, is really not much of an option.  Given the fact that the child is now in its 3rd trimester, the procedure would probably be a partial birth abortion which is just a horrific procedure.  Under Korean law abortion is legal, but restricted on a case by case basis.  For my friends, abortion has been deemed illegal because the defect is considered minor.  A government bureaucrat made this decision.  If the couple decides they want to have an abortion they will have to go to another country to have the procedure done, or try to bribe a doctor here in Korea to get it done.  China is looking like the best option for an abortion.

The second option is also not much of an option.  Giving up a child to be a ward of the state is one of the hardest decisions any parent can make.  Moreover, the Korean orphanage system is very much the same as what you find in the United States.  Only a small percentage of the children are adopted, and those that stay in the system are at a severe disadvantage.  It's a tough option, but it is an option.

Third, and this would seem like the only true option for this couple, is to have the child.  However, even with this, there are severe drawbacks.  The first problem is this.  The child is going to need at minimum 5 surgeries to fix and repair the cleft lip/palate.  These surgeries will cost at minimum 800,000 dollars.  The Korean medical insurance will only cover two of the surgeries because they deem every other surgery as cosmetic only.  These cosmetic surgeries include a bone replacement for the upper part of the palate because there is no bone there.  All in all the surgeries will cover two surgeries that only fix roughly 35% of the problem.

Now, I mentioned the cost being 800,000 dollars.  If you minus the two surgeries the total cost will still be roughly 500,000 dollars.  This does not include the years of speech therapy that will be needed, and how many other things will be required when this child is brought into the world.  Every choice is bad, and in reality there is no clear answer.

Here are some of the drawbacks to each option.

Abortion:  Regardless of your moral view of the option, the simple fact is that an abortion for this couple is illegal in Korea.  They are having to look at going to another country, with a far worse health care system if they want to pursue this option.  Also, this is not three weeks into the pregnancy, it's 6 months.  The child for all intents and purposes is alive at this point.  It may not be fully developed, but it is alive.

Adoption:  Giving children up for adoption happens here, just like it happens everywhere.  However, given this child's problems, there is little to no chance of  her ever being adopted.  Most people only want to adopt cute children.  They don't want to adopt a child with a cleft lip/palate, even with the two surgeries the child will still likely not be adopted because she is not a Korean product.  Moreover, the child will not receive the medical care it needs, nor the emotional/physical therapy that it will need as a ward of the state.  Life for the child in this option will be exceptionally challenging and the child will experience severe ridicule.

Having the child:  As I said this seems like the best option, however, it may not be.  Korea is a wonderful country and I have grown to love this place like a second home.  Yet, Korea prides itself on having a singular culture and being a singular people.  There is almost no space for the individual in this country if you are Korean.  This child, will experience severe harassment and will have a very tough time in school.  The child will experience this because it is a mix between American and Filipino.  The child will not be Korean, but will be attending Korean public schools.  The child will likely have a scar on its face will look different due to it's heritage also.  You remember how tough childhood was for the "different" students.  Also, the couple cannot qualify for loans here because both of them are foreigners.  If it was a marriage between a Korean and a foreigner then they could qualify for loans.  Simply put, on a salary of 24,000 dollars a year, you cannot afford 500,000 dollars in surgeries.

The question becomes, do you have an abortion and all that entails, do you give your child up to the state knowing that it will have a very tough life because of your choice, or do you have the child knowing that it will be disadvantaged and that you cannot take care of it in the way you want.  This is my friends dilemma.  They have no good option open to them, and are facing severe criticisms from their families with any option that they take.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because I believe it brings up some important questions.  This is where a lot of people want American health care to end up.  They want a single payer system where the government provides your health care and it becomes just another tax like social security.  These are the types of problems that people can run into with health care, be it through a private company, or a federal government.  The question that I think is important, is who should be making the decisions.  Should a government policy be dictating medical care, and making decisions on what is best for you and your family.  Should an insurance company be the ones making decisions stating what care you're approved for?  Should it be solely up to yourself and your physician?

There are no easy answers here.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

A Korean Wedding.

When you stop to think about different cultures, it really is interesting how transcendent some things are.  I think some of it has to do with the introduction of American media into foreign markets.  Korean weddings, are a wonderful/interesting/weird mash up of western wedding tradition, and Korean traditionalism.  What I am curious about however is when the transition from the more traditional Korean wedding, which I have still yet to witness, to the current western oriented ceremony has taken place.

For starters let's talk about the things which the two ceremonies have in common.  The initial ceremony is overseen by a minister, who says all the normal things you expect to hear at a wedding.  Granted he says it in Korean unless you are lucky enough to have one who speaks English and has an English speaker as a participant in the wedding.  The groom wears a tuxedo and the bride wears a wonderful white wedding dress.  They walk down an aisle, they cut a cake, they toss a bouquet of flowers, they kiss, they are presented to the assembled masses, and they even taken hundreds if not thousands of pictures.  Yet, given all of these things, there is still an entirely different feel to a Korean wedding then there is to a western wedding.

The first thing that is different is the wedding hall.  Here in Korea there are buildings where their only function is to serve as a wedding hall.  They're not multipurpose halls, they are only wedding halls.  Secondly the hall itself is just ridiculous.  It feels like you are walking into a wedding themed prom.  Take for instance when the Bride and Groom walk into the wedding.  There are disco lights, music, and strobe lights.  It feels like to truly enjoy the wedding you're supposed to be on a wild ecstasy trip.  This doesn't even take into account the bubbles from the ceiling or the felt covered chairs.

Another difference would be the required bows.  This is quite impressive.  In general bowing to someone is not exactly the most impressive of feats, but when your bow turns into a full on head on the floor bow it's impressive.  Especially considering the fact that you're wearing a tux, now gentlemen who have worn a tux.  Do you think you could pull that off.  Take into account you have only a few seconds to go from full standing to complete submission bow and that you are wearing a tuxedo.  Luckily for the women folk, they only have to pull a standing bow, but they still have to get themselves close to 60 degrees.

Then there are the subtle differences.  Take cutting the cake for example.  It is done directly after the ceremony.  The cake itself is even different, nobody gets to eat it but the bride and groom.  It is also a very small cake placed on top of a plastic cake so that it looks like you're getting a huge cake.  Another subtle difference is when they toss the bouquet.  Here it's done right after the ceremony during the picture session.  It is also only tossed to about three people who are friends.  Single is not  required, just being feminine is.  Another subtle difference is when the bride and groom walk out of the ceremony.  They proceed down the center aisle, but while they are doing this two "assistants" stand about ten feet behind them with trumpets.  These trumpets however do not play music, they shoot out streamers, or confetti, or whatever you choice of celebratory object might be.  It's like throwing rice, but coming out of a trumpet gun at a pretty good clip. 

The last difference that I'm going to talk about is the reception.  It's really not a reception, but just a quick meal.  There is no first dance, no garter belts, no speeches, no nothing really.  It's a buffet style meal where you eat and then go.  Alcohol is completely optional and it's only a meal.  It's just a little weird, sometimes the bride and groom only show up for about three minutes to see people and then they leave.  I guess I'm just used to the big party that is supposed to take place after the wedding. 

Alas, the wedding that I went to this weekend was quite fun.  Mark and Ira looked wonderful, and meeting David's family was a little bit of a mind-trip.  After the wedding we headed out to celebrate David's birthday.  We were partying up in Ansan which is a city that none of us lived in, but it is where David's family is.  We spent three hours at a norae bang, which included such norae bang favorites as: High and Dry by Radiohead, Say it Ain't So by Weezer, Bad Moon Rising by CCR, and tons of other songs.  The 80's definitely made an appearance as did some relatively on-key singing by yours truly.  However, once I leave this country, I think that my karaoke days will be left behind me.  Nobody benefits when I sing, that is, unless you're looking for humor.  The night ended as when we sauntered back to our motels/hotels to sleep off the fluids we imbibed.  All in all it was a good wedding, and a good weekend.