Venturing out...

Wednesday...
After yesterdays excitement, I was glad to discover that today is a national holiday. I think it's something to do with remembering the war dead, so everyone should be solemn today, and not happy at getting a day off work.

I had to go to see a doctor, as something was amiss with my ears...one is blocked up and infected, which is nice. I had seen one doctor the day after I arrived, and he told me I had to go to see the 'ear doctor'. So this was who I went to find. I had been given rough directions, and found it easily as there was a big white cross on a green background - which means 'doctor'. I couldn't read the Korean with it, but assumed it must say 'ear doctor'. I was greeted by a dumbstruck receptionist who spoke no words of any language. I used my Korean phrasebook (which I take everywhere) to point to 'doctor' and 'ear'...and she still seemed confused. She went away for a moment and then gestured for me to go through the door where the doctor is. I did that, and sat down next to him. Luckily he could speak some English. I explained my problem. He thought for a while before examining me, and said yes...it's infected, but that he couldn't do anything. It was at this point I noticed a model of a backbone on his desk. There were pictures of backbones all around the room in fact. This was the backbone doctor...which was confirmed when I asked him if he is the ear doctor and he said 'no'. He told me the ear doctor is further down the street, and is closed today. He wanted to give me something though, and looked through the pills that were in his cupboard. I was a bit wary of what he gave me, as he picked up and put down several bottles of pills before handing me some from one of the bottles he had at first put down. This was, after all, the backbone doctor dealing with an ear infection. He didn't charge me for the pills either. After I left I decided I wouldn't take them.

A bit about where I am...

Gongju is a small city, more like a town really. It is 40 minutes from Daejon (the 5th largest city in Korea), and 2 hrs from Seoul. There is a main street which is a few minutes walk from where I am living. The city is surrounded by many many green hills. I was told that the girls in Korea are very beautiful and take great care with their appearance. Not here though...which must be the place all those who don't care how they look are sent. Someone I met said he thinks it's the most conservative place in Korea. Great. It doesn't seem to be the most modern of places either, but a lot of building work is going on. One of the buildings being built happens to be just below my bedroom window, and the workmen believe that everyone is awake by 7.15am.
Tomorrow is going to be another visit to a school in the countryside, about 2 hours away. Those poor, unhappy kids are going to be in for a real treat! The performing monkeys will soon be on their way...