Since the Presentation

After getting home Saturday night I went to be and fell right asleep (several Pale Ales will do that). I woke up the next morning a bit slow, but after Yen put breakfast together I was up and ready to go. We then headed out to the Asia Mart in Seongseo to pick up a few groceries that you can't get at Homeplus. After a bit of shopping we headed down the street I used to walk along every night when I lived in the area, past the old Miller Time (maybe the last Miller Time in Korea?) but ended up settling for gamjatang for dinner. 

Monday I got a text that said I needed to get my medical checkup. I hate these. I just give some blood, get an xray and get a check up of my vitals. The problem is, rather embarrassingly, that I hate needles. Or to be more precise, I have a real phobia of them. In fact they don't really bother me, but there is something about being stabbed that I just react to. The needle is followed immediately by the blood pressure test. I try to explain why this doesn't work, but much as I admire Korean healthcare, their mental health care system is somewhere between witch burnings and Victorian idiot houses. A phobia is simply not on their radar. Now I probably DO have highish blood pressure, a fact proven when I used to take it at the gym, but my guess is I'll be 15 points above that on Thursday when I do it. Oh well.

It is also test week at the school, so that means half days for us, though lots of extra work for the Korean teachers, which we seem to suddenly have a host of new ones. For two years there was just one seat that changed twice. Now I am suddenly the second most senior teacher there. My new partner is nice enough, around my age, and personable. She has replaced So Jin, who I worked with for two years and got along very well with. So far I like this new teacher, though she may need to relax a bit. Hopefully with time.

I also landed my academic advisor for my dissertation, and got Dr. Greg Hadley. I win this round. I've actually been very lucky with Birmingham, with Andrew being a very dedicated and supportive tutor here in Korea and now Dr. Hadley, whose research I have used in papers, as an advisor. Sweet.