Santa Claus in March

So I mentioned that I have been sick, right? I have been going to the pharmacy every two days to get medication because they only give you two days worth of medicine at a time. It's interesting because I have been to about ten different pharmacies, and I have not received the same medication twice. Finally, the assistant director suggested that I go to the doctor, and she told me that she would go with me. So I broke down and went to the doctor. He confirmed what I had assumed all along that it was just a cold. He prescribed me some medication and gave me an injection. I did not have an appointment; I just walked right in. I was in and out of the doc's office and the pharmacy in less than 30 minutes total. You cannot even get out of the waiting room in that length of time with an appointment in the US. My only complaint about the doc's office was the table was too short, and I had to bend my knees when I got my shot.

Since I have arrived, a lot of the locals stop and want to talk to me for a bit which is super cool because I love hearing what they have to say. It's mostly the women or old men. However, this week two guys around my age have stopped me and asked me some questions. One guy is a manager of a bar near my neighborhood (or dong). I gave him my e-mail, and he e-mailed me right away. I think he wants to work on his English, but he told me that if I needed help with anything to give him a call. The second guy is the assistant master at a tae kwon do gym in my dong. He invited me to join his gym. My friends, Mellissa and Janet, and I went to check it out. However, it was mostly kiddie classes and not exactly the type of gym we were looking for. Mellissa and I also checked out this gym that offered Brazilian Jiu Jitzu classes pretty cheap. We had told one of the guys that we would come and check it out, but apparently he did not pass along the message and the other guys were not expecting a couple of girls to watch their workout. Korean men are very conservative around women, but very open around other guys. A couple of them were practicing in their boxer briefs, and the others were practicing without their shirts on. A couple of guys walked in out of the glass doors that we were standing by, and also didn't think it was important to mention that a couple of girls were watching them practice. Finally, we stopped one of the guys and asked if we could watch. When he told the other guys that we were there to watch, they all scrambled for their pants and shirts. One of the guys was so embarrassed because we saw him in his boxers, but he recovered nicely. The BJJ gym was nice, and it was the least expensive of all the gyms we visited. We also checked out this Mixed Martial Arts gym which was mostly freestyle with no class times. I don't think Mellissa liked it very much, but it's not very crowded so its a lot like having your own personal trainer. There are a few other gyms in the area that we have learned about that we are planning to check out before we make a decision. Hopefully, we can find one that all three of us like.

After checking out the MMA and Tae Kwon Do gyms, we decided to go out to a bar with a couple of guys the girls knew. The bar is called Santa Claus. We had so much fun. It was not at all crowded, and it was mostly foreigners. We played a few games and talked and joked around. It was so much fun, and the guys were HILARIOUS!!!! I was really hesitant about going out when I had to work the next morning since I have been sick, but it was totally worth it. Seriously, I love hanging out with the other foreigners here. We all have this instantaneous bond. It's pretty sweet! I can't wait to see what this weekend has to offer!!!