Farewell to Faye

Faye is leaving for Beijing on Friday. As I fly to Bangkok tomorrow evening I had a dinner tonight with Faye and Georgie. Found out Georgie is leaving Korea too – for HK which is great news. Might sound strange but I feel better if people I like leave this place too. Horrible thing to leave behind great, fun, like minded people in a place like Korea. We spent evening expressing relief we are leaving this place. Later when Peter joined us he compared the feeling of relief of knowing you are leaving this place to taking off a pair of new shoes half a size too small after walking 20 miles. The sense of relief…is so invigorating.
I will miss Faye. We were doggie mums . Well she still is. We have same feelings about this place and our life here. We were soul mates. We did not see a point in pretending having a great time here and worked hard to have good times.
I could always call Faye, scream out my frustrations and count on her sympathetic ear. I am worried how will she find Beijing. But I am hopeful. To me Beijing seems more cosmopolitan than Seoul and Chinese – at least in major cities - appear to be more open minded than Koreans. Hope this is not deceptive. Encouraging thing is that one of my friends moved from Seoul to Beijing in May and she enjoys it. I truly hope Faye will enjoy it too and have great time in Beijing.
I’m so glad I leave in about two and half months as it would be hard to stay here alone without her.

Faye,Marina, Tatyana and me at Sortinos last week

With Faye, Georgie, Peter at Barlin tonight

Yesterday I had a “typical” Korean experience. For last few days I have some light ear pain. As I fly on Thursday evening I wanted to check what it is. Especially as the pain got to the point where I could not listen on the phone on the painful ear. So I went to the hospital. The GP looked at the ear but sent me to the ear specialist who could see me almost immediately. I had to wait about 10 min which for us - used to wait for hours in European hospitals - is fantastic.
While I waited for the ear appointment I sat next to a Korean ajuma. When I sat next to her she moved from me with a loud smirk. Well, I can imagine she did not want me to pollute - with my Caucasian stink - her flower design ajuma trousers. Few minutes later the ear specialist look at my ear. He was a typical old Korean ajashi with monosyllabic English ability and detached patient manners. He diagnosed I have a light mid ear inflammation. He told me he will prescribe some medication which I have to use 3 times a day for next four days. Went to cashier, paid for appointments and got a Korean prescription. In the pharmacy they gave me a small bottle with a label “ophthalmological solution”. I explained to the pharmacist I have ear pain and do not need eye drops. She was surprised and went to phone the hospital and check a perscription. Well, in Korea you never question a higher authority – in this case a doctor. So few minutes later the pharmacist returned and said the doctor confirmed I should use eye drops for my ear inflammation. I just turned and left. Thank God I have some otosporine at home (from my diving times) so I use it instead of prescribed eye drops. If a pain persist I am in Bangkok on Friday and they have good hospitals with English speaking staff and more caring patient manners.
This incidents makes top three doctor experiences in Korea. The first two are:
“No husband, no doctor” told by a receptionists at the reputable Seoul hospital when I wanted to see a gynecologist. "You have a traveling tumor” diagnosis by a dermatologist concerning the swelling on the cheek caused - most likely – by a wasp.