Life This Week in South Korea: September 2-8, 2024
Monday, September 2
The psychiatrist is in fancy Gangnam (yes, home of “Gangnam Style”). The main shopping street is a little Rodeo Drive-esque.
Quiet morning at home. Left around 1 for the psychiatrist. Got there an hour early cuz I’d written down the wrong time. Shocker. Fortunately the waiting room was cool and relatively comfortable.
The main street is called K-Star Road and features lifesize bear doll statues, each representing a popular k-pop group. I didn’t walk far enough to see the BTS doll. A lot of k-pop management companies are in Gangnam so it makes sense.
I thought it was interesting that there were two other patients waiting in the same room as me. My experience in the states has been that they keep patients separate, I guess a HIPAA (privacy) kind of thing. I don’t care, it’s not like anyone here knows me, I just found it interesting.
When it was my turn the dr asked how I was doing now that I was back on the meds. I said 87.5% better – there was just still some anxiety. He asked some more questions but didn’t feel my anxiety (while on the wellbutrin) warranted its own treatment. He asked how much longer I thought I’d need to be on the anti-depressants. I said…”for the rest of my life…??” Non-medicated life, bad. Medicated life, better. Why would I go off it? The difference between the two is SO dramatic.
When I was there the first time back in May, as I was leaving in the Uber, I saw the cutest Dunkin Donuts with a little outdoor shaded patio…that I knew was put on this earth just for me. So I scoped it out on Naver and walked there after my appointment. Sat on the little veranda with a donut and an icy grapefruit-ade. That was nice.
When I got home I ordered my favorite chicken, which is spicy red goopy-sauce covered boneless chicken pieces. I always have honey on hand for dipping spicy chicken into. I WILL miss the fried chicken variety when I leave here. I guess back home I have buffalo wings…they don’t really have that here (even though they call some things “buffalo wings,” they’re not).
Tuesday, September 3
A productive at-home day. Laundry, remote work, straightened my room after my little trip last week (found my bathing suit), studied vocab, went over the first chapter in the new textbook trying to prepare for tomorrow.
I am ill prepared for tomorrow.
Late in the day got the new classroom assignments. I’m back in the far-away, up-the-big-hill building. Damn. This last term was so low stress, cuz I didn’t dread class every day and I didn’t dread the walk every day.
Return of the Dread.
Oh well. It is what it is. When this term is over I’ll be sure to request the other building again. I just assumed she’d leave me in the close building.
Back to school tomorrow.
GAH.
Wednesday, September 4
Okay, well Day One of class wasn’t too bad cuz we just reviewed some important things from Korean 1. I know a couple people in my class, so that’s nice. And there are more English speakers than usual, also nice.
But man, I did not miss that walk across campus and up the big hill. And then the incline to the building and THEN the parking garage style ramp circling the building to get to upper floors (in lieu of stairs/elevator). And I’m on the 4th floor this time so it’s a lot of uphill rotations. Oofah. But for the first time someone planned ahead and got my desk/chair situation ready for me so I didn’t have to stand there awkwardly waiting for the teacher, while everyone else comes in and sits down.
When I got home I was POOPED. Being in this building adds about 40 minutes to my “schooltime.” Last term in the annex, I left my room at 1:30 and was sitting in class in plenty of time for the 1:40 start.
I had to go back out in the evening to meet Yunjun (LEP#2) who I haven’t met with for about 6 weeks, due to us each having something or other every week. As I was waiting at the crosswalk to go over to the mall, a woman next to me goes, “Are you Bettye??” I was like whoa, what? Ha ha. Anyway, turns out she’s from the US and just moved into my building last week…and people kept asking her if she knew Bettye (cuz all the Americans should know all the other Americans, ha ha). We chatted a bit while walking into the mall then parted ways as she was headed to the market and me, the coffee shop. A few minutes later I was like D’OH! I should have asked for her contact info so I could ask if she wanted to meet up for coffee or studying or something sometime.
Thursday, September 5
More Gangnam pictures cuz I didn’t really go anywhere else this week!
She’s my birthday. 64. Wow. My second Korean birthday. I’d THOUGHT I’d do something this year, as I’m no longer terrified to leave my room like I was last year on my birthday :-\ but then I was just too sweaty and exhausted. Today’s class was HARD, mainly cuz the teacher was a Fast Talker and I wasn’t following like at all. I’m back to having to make sure I know the material before I get to class, or I’m just lost.
Tuesday/Thursday are going to be my anxiety days again. I’ll say, it was so nice last term…I didn’t dread class, I didn’t dread the walk to class…and now all the dread has returned. Not to happy about about that. But trying to go with the flow.
Birthday’s across the world from the people you know is not fun, cuz when it’s my birthday HERE, it’s not my birthday yet THERE…so I don’t start getting any “happy birthdays” until the day after my birthday. Boo. We all know I;m a big birthday girl, so Korean Birthdays have made me sad.
Friday, September 6
I got mail. Always makes me happy 🙂
Spent all last night and this morning studying and preparing for class. It’s back to that again 🙁 Then we had a substitute cuz our teacher was at the hospital with her child…and I really liked the substitute! She spoke very slowly and methodically. Worked directly from the powerpoint slides and the books. Yesterday’s teacher was off-script most of the time just rambling and it’s hard enough to keep up with what I actually have to understand without trying to figure out all her tangents.
Good News, I ran into “are you Bettye” in the ladies’ room at school and got her Kakao (korean text app) so now I can reach out to her about meeting up sometime.
And…Bad News. After just three days of walking over and up to the main language building, I have some pain in my knee. Nope nope nope can’t go back there. It JUST got better! I’ve only been off the cane about a month. I hate having to leave a class where I already know and like some classmates, but I can’t reinjure my knee. I can’t afford it! I have to send the dean a message asking if there’s any way to put me back in the annex where I was last term. She’s going to be annoyed, but…I can’t just ignore this.
Got delivery fried chicken for dinner. That was my birthday dinner I guess.
Saturday, September 7
Knee swollen and stiff. Dammit.
Spent the entire day studying and preparing for Monday’s class. Happy Saturday.
I did, however ask Kimberly (aka Are You Bettye) if she wanted to get breakfast Sunday morning, so we’re going to go to one of my usual breakfast spots in Seongsu (cute neighboring neighborhood) tomorrow.
I can definitely feel that it’s LESS hot outside…but it’s still HOT.
Sunday, September 8
More chicken. I’m gonna turn into a chicken soon.
Got up early to do some remote work then met Kimberly for breakfast. She seems nice, I feel like we have some things in common (besides just both being American, ha ha), so it’s good to have a new person to call friend as so many others have been leaving/are leaving soon.
Lisa Elliott
Yay for new friends!! My doctor asked me the same thing about my antidepressants . . .I think I may have said NEVER.
bettyewp
Yeah (being the medical professional that I am), I don’t feel that my “depression,” (in quotes cuz I was never actually diagnosed) is situational, I think it’s chemical. The meds work so quickly and so consistently. When I’m not on them, life is overall in a grey, hopeless cloud, no matter what the actual situation is. Life ON them, no matter what the actual situation is, I can see a light at the end of a tunnel and possibility. Nope. I’m never willingly going off them.
Sally in St Paul
UGH, I so hope that they are able to transfer you back to the annex – your knee desperately needs it! It’s nice to hear you’ve made a new friend, and the “are you Bettye?” is a fun way to have met. The “southern” dishes on the menu gave me a good laugh – those are legit choices but perhaps not implemented as we Americans know them.
bettyewp
You’ll read in the upcoming WIR post that I was, indeed, switched to the nearby annex, and it’s even better than I expected 🙂
Yeah, the “southern” dishes defintely have an “eastern” twist to them, but after eating “not your familiar foods” for so long, your reference shifts a bit and really, the fried chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy is FIRE.
Em D
With your knee only bearly on the mend, I wondered if you thought it was a rude American thing to ask for the annex up front. Mr always says “don’t ask, don’t get” and while we are not habitual askers, sometimes it’s what the sitch requires. However, while peeking at your previous comment interactions like the busybody that I am, I can see that you did indeed “get” and I’m happy to see that you now have 45 minutes to spend doing something other than suffering.
Happy to hear about your Kimberly. I may have to stop being so reclusive and “are you Bettye” someone. I think it might be nice to throw a little someone else into my lack of mix. Perhaps it might also compel me to add some discipline to my day to make a meet up occur. Ah, the things you teach me from afar..
Quite sorry to have missed your birthday. I am very internal about mine and I tend to project that on other people. Not that I don’t enjoy my day, because I do quite a bit. But it’s like this big secret between me and me, and I like that. I think older woman me needs to become a card sender, which younger me was, and middle age me stopped. No good thinking about people if you don’t let them know.
Man, your blog posts always make me hungry…then I go eat something unsatisfying like a turkey sandwich while secretly wanting a salt croissant or fried chicken….
bettyewp
Yeah, I’m so glad I asked about the annex switch, without wanting to sound overly dramatic it has been LIFE CHANGING. Ha. Not dramatic AT ALL. But seriously, it’s one less thing to dread every day. The other thing is, of course, class itself. I’ve gotten to the point where I’m not keeping up at all and then it’s just me sitting in a room filled with youngsters, waiting to embarass myself when I don’t know the answer to ANYTHING. All it takes is falling behind in vocabulary by a day or two and there is No Catching Up. But at least now I don’t ALSO have to dread the walk there.
As they say, the path to the gallows is scattered with rose petals. They say that, right??
No birthday worries.
Fried chicken….mmmm…and it’s only Tuesday 🙁
Betty(no e)
I’m sad to hear you and your studies aren’t doing well. I’m still in awe how you ended up there and live it. I have a 48 yo nephew who would like to do something similar in Japan. And my 80 yo brother has gone to the Philippines. Hope your visa is extended and your absentee ballot arrives in time.
bettyewp
I’m still amazed how naive I was to think I would have no problem with the classes and would easily breeze through them! The good news is the class will be a little easier when I take it the second time, and even easier the third time, haha 🤣 How does your brother like living in the Philippines? I’ve heard the people are lovely and so welcoming to foreigners. I’m confident my visa will be extended – as long as you’re attending at least 90% of your classes and you’ve paid your tuition, they seem to renew. And I’m not quite as confident about the timing of the absentee ballot, even though it said as long as it was postmarked by Oct 7, it should be fine…but they could be overestimating mail service to Korea.