Running Scared

Sorry for the lack of recent updates! I've been busy with teaching and other projects and activities that occupy my time. Please bear with me.


“I didn’t know you are a runner...” Actually, to be entirely correct, the appropriate verb should be in the past tense--“were” instead of “are”. But this is usually the type of response I get when people discover more about me.

There are certain days that some people won’t ever forget in their lives...their birthday, anniversary, etc.

July 31st, 2010 won’t be a day I will ever forget. This year had been another forgettable year, but finally on the mend from injuries of the past two years. On that day, I had the strength and intention to do a medium, long run around Lake Merced. As my training this year had been less than ideal, I went at an easy pace. About half way around, I was fatigued but was able to continue. With less than a mile to complete the loop around Lake Merced, I decided to just complete one loop instead of continuing to add extra mileage.

The instant I stopped running, the rush of dizzy spells and breathing difficulties became apparent. This instance compared to others worried me because I would be teaching in Korea within a couple weeks. As I hoped to recover from this bout, there was no end in sight. I sat in my vehicle parked at the lake to attempt a method in calming and relaxing myself down as much as I could. I changed seating/resting positions, turned on the radio, opened the window, and got out to stretch; with each action, nothing seemed to subside my rapid and violent heartbeats. I also drank all the Gatorade and water--four bottles, thinking that would help.

Five minutes turned to ten minutes, ten minutes turned to a half hour--and eventually to one hour. As a runner, I was still stubborn to think of a much worst prognosis regarding my condition and drove home, which in hindsight is NOT the best thing to do. But somehow, I did make it home and I was conscious if not freaked out still. The risk of driving could’ve produced really terrible outcomes that I don’t want to contemplate, and it was a stupid decision on my part.

I rested on the couch and told my parents to check if my palpitations were still violent. My mom said yes, but reasoned that it would probably go down with liquids and rest. Four to five hours had passed since the attack at the lake, and I told my parents to call the doctor now. They did, but were still not too concerned; I, however, had reached my limit and felt like I was going to die. So I yelled at them to just call 911 if the f-ing doctor didn’t call back soon. I was completely nauseous and vomiting during this time. 7 hours had passed and the doctor called back. He asked if my parents could find a blood pressure reading; they told him that they were unable to get ANY reading from my dad’s blood pressure device. Then the doctor asked if they could find a pulse. My mom couldn’t find any--not on the wrist, neck, ankle. At that point, the doctor told my parents to call 911 and have me sent to St. Mary’s Hospital.

It has been a really tough time for the family. Usually bad things happen in three’s and in this case, this was certainly no exception. My next door neighbor, who had been in poor health for the past 20 years, was rushed by ambulance to hospital where he died. My godmother’s niece also passed away a couple days following that. And now, another ambulance (and a couple fire engines) was being sent for me within 30 seconds of that 911 call. Certainly, the block and neighborhood was abuzz with speculation and rumor about what went on in our house. They probably thought that the “kid” took drugs or did something stupid.

My first ambulance experience--you’re probably better off thinking what it’s like than actually being in one. I also thought about what the cost might be (thank god for insurance). But the EMT guys were extremely patient and calm and even discussed the possibility of what my condition might be. They did a 12 EKG lead on me, and during that time, they also found out that my heart rate had exceeded 240. This would be almost certain death in any ordinary person. At my peak, my HR was around 200. While the EMT didn’t want to make any diagnosis because that is not their job, they did show me that there was something definitely going on in the heart. The ambulance put me on an IV drip as they whisked me without the siren on to the St. Mary’s ER.

History of my Condition

My first apparent sign with dizziness and shortness of breath happened during a short run from the adidas store to AT&T Park. As I approached the ballpark on a January 25th evening, I couldn’t fathom the overwhelming feeling concentrated on my chest. Was it asthma? It couldn’t be a heart condition because I only felt my throat and lungs constricting.. I had trouble walking back to the store so I needed two of our runners/walkers to take me back; if it weren’t for them, I would’ve been in deep trouble. When I returned I was in a cold sweat, almost passed out, and could hardly get up from a sitting position on the floor. Only a week earlier, I had completed the Houston Marathon without any problems other than lack of training, but definitely no dizzy spells or airways closing up.

I may have had early signs in December, but I ran hard up the Powell Street hill so I attributed that effort to my shortness of breath. However, after that January evening, it became ad ordeal to complete even short runs and the recovery times of my bouts got longer and longer. It was so bad that I really had no motivation to run anymore. I did do the Seoul Marathon with no symptoms in March, which remains a mystery. But I’ve done a ton of ultras that gave me at least one incidence of discomfort; however, my saving grace was that ultras are substantially lower in heart rate effort so the symptoms were mostly hidden during the races. Ironically, the shorter distances that were less than 12 miles always seemed like an effort of marathon proportions.

For months, doctors and the internet were sources of confusion and fear. Over this 7-8 month period and at one point or another, I thought I had asthma, exercise-induced asthma, syncope, an undefined heart condition, vocal cord dysfunction, vertigo, a virus, GERD, diabetes, stress, allergies, etc.

During the month before my emergency, that time was the scariest and most precarious. A similar incident the Tuesday before that 911 call on Saturday transpired into an event that would be a segway to Saturday. I did a run from Great Highway to GG Park and back. I was now used to breaking up my runs into segments of run/walk or fartlek sessions because I could no longer complete my longer runs. When I returned to my vehicle, the palpitations were there. But I figured that I over hydrated and took too many salt tablets because it was warmer earlier that afternoon and the fog shrouded the evening, which lowered my sweat rate. I drove home uncomfortably and almost in a daze, which was yes, I know--stupid. But I got home safely and rested on the couch and had to vomit into the toilet. After many bouts of vomiting, I got dizzy and the palpitations were so bad that I had to lay on the living room floor to rest. It was so bad, I had to crawl to the toilet to vomit; standing up was too much. Walking to my room to sleep was too hard, so I slept on the floor but recovered the next day with no symptoms whatsoever.

At this point, I ruled out asthma or vocal cord dysfunction as my problem and cancelled those appointments, but I still had no idea which doctor to call. My general practitioner didn’t know what I had; I needed help, but I was really not sure who to contact.

In the Hospital

After waiting in the St. Mary’s ER for hours, I was told that I would be under careful watch for the night and maybe a couple days thereafter. I was very concerned, but I was more determined to find out what has been plaguing me for much of this year. Yes, fear did cloud my mind many times, but I was more focused on overcoming this problem. In hindsight, I really wouldn’t know how I would have reacted if the doctors told me that I would only live for a couple years or a set time frame of my life was made. It’s entirely possible that the condition that I had may have been more grave than what I now know. The irony is that if I were to die from suffocation, shortness of breath, or losing consciousness from severe dizziness (if one can die from such a thing)--I would know what that would be like and realize that it’s not a painful death as one may think. Would you know what that feeling is like? After dealing with those types of feelings many times, I don’t think I will be able to forget it.

I sat in the ER for a couple hours as my family hours waited anxiously if I would be out of the hospital sooner or later. Finally, an attending nurse told me that I would be sent to ICU for observation. Hearing ICU was a scary prospect to my family. To me, I didn’t think much of it but in hindsight it’s a scary place to be because only people who are gravely ill or with a terminal illness get sent here. The added pressure that it costs $25,000 a day in an ICU room doesn’t bring much consolation. However, and I’ll repeat this in due course, I’m glad to have medical insurance; whatever you do, don’t be caught without it!

That night, I got very little sleep for obvious reasons. I also received a prostate exam to check if my other organs were affected during my episode. A urine and blood test were taken every couple hours. As my resting heart rate is 32. The The unknown--my condition after I leave the hospital, when I’ll leave, and if I’ll be able to teach in Korea in a couple weeks--were boggling my mind.

The next day, Sunday, my family and I were worried that it would be a wasted day because most doctors would be taking the day off. But my nurse was adamantly opposed that I should be left alone. So we called to see if it was possible to have any and all doctors come in, after all, isn’t that the reason why they get paid so much?

Soon enough, I received an EKG sonogram that day to see if I just had a less serious case of tachycardia, rapid heartbeats, or if I had right ventricular dysplasia--more serious. Dr. Klein, a cardiologist, and Dr. Fong, my general physician, came to visit me and tried to explain to me what may happen to me in the future such as an end to long endurance running. however, they also said that I could jog a bit here and there.

Blood work and urine tests every 3 hours were routine for the entire week. I had IV tubes stuck in many places on my arm.

At one point, the doctors were about to put me on beta-blockers as a precaution if my heart rate should skyrocket unexpectedly at any time. Good thing, my nurse was able to cancel the request in time because beta-blockers for someone who had a resting HR of 32 would cause further damage and possibly make me flatline. I’ve heard “Code Blue” many nights during my stay; I certainly didn’t want to be a victim from one of them.

On Monday, I rested for much of the day but Dr. Padovan, another cardiologist, and Dr. Lee, an electophysiologist, came to visit to explain the heart mapping and ablation procedure that I was going to have on Tuesday. In the meantime, a lot of rest and eating diet-restricted hospital meals were the call of the day.

On Tuesday, I had heart mapping done in the morning. This was a procedure to check if I had blocked arteries or other terrible condition that would lead to heart failure. An endoscope catheter was inserted through an artery near my right groin, which extended to my heart so that they can see if the right ventricular wall was really thin and if there was plague buildup in my arteries. Fortunately, the worst wasn’t suspected but there was something else that was troubling them and I had to undergo more tests and this talk of having an ICD seemed to come up more often, which was becoming increasingly scary and more of a possibility. Following that hour-two hour long procedure, I had the 7-8 hour ablation. This time the catheter was inserted through the vein near my right groin. My doctors and electrophysiologist doctor (EPS), Dr. Lee, couldn’t complete the ablation procedure correctly because St. Mary’s didn’t have the advanced machines as UCSF. What was bothering the doctors was this T-line inversion and the amount of VT’s (ventricular tachycardia)I was receiving. T-line inversion is when you have a little hiccup between the normal ba-bump of a heart beat; in between the cycle, there’s a little bump in the middle, essentially another beat that occurs every so often.

In both cases, I felt the piercing pain of the catheter enter my skin and make its way up to my heart. You can feel the prodding and the inch-by-inch tug to get to the primary location.

That night, I was finally out of ICU and into a normal recovering hospital room for the night. Ironically, my nurse is Korean so I had a lot of questions to ask before my possible departure to Daegu in less than two weeks. In return, she was nice to give me a couple of contacts in Daegu who would give me assistance if an emergency called for a checkup on my condition.

On Wednesday, however, the problem is that again, I did not want to waste a day of just doing nothing and paying for another day in the hospital when I could be finishing up one procedure instead of cramming 2-3 in one day. However, the hold up is that I need an ambulance to transport me to UCSF. Due to rules and regulations, it’s not a simple ordeal to just have someone drop me off. The hospital needs to release me and have me sign a bunch of documents stating that it is not St. Mary’s responsibility once I’m out; UCSF also has to have a counter-document stating that they can admit me. The stupid ride cost my insurance company a couple thousand easily.

Once in UCSF, the difference is almost night and day. Patient care at St. Mary’s is much better and it seems cleaner and more welcoming. UCSF is dingy. One RN at UCSF put it best: “You want to be at UCSF because of the research and understanding of your care and treatment. I wouldn’t want to be caught dead at St. Mary’s because they don’t have the tools for advanced illnesses.” She may be right. After all, St. Mary’s may have been nice and cushy by hospital standards but they couldn’t treat me fully and that is why I lost some valuable time when I could’ve had my treatment in less time at UCSF.

Once admitted into UCSF, I was put into a room with an African American man who had a slew of problems including diabetes and heart problems. One thing that is hugely noticeable is that all the patients near and around me are easily 2-4 times older than I am. I am not supposed to be here...

A young doctor, Dr. Wong, old enough to be my sister comes by to tell me about what may happen in the next few days and that if there’s anything I need. What does bother me at both hospitals is that there are always interns coming by to ask me questions at the most inappropriate times, like when I’m taking a piss or having blood work done or when I just go to sleep. The questions that also bug me is the “Is there a history of heart disease in the family?” and “Did anyone die suddenly/have sudden death?”

For many nights in the last couple days, I had to fast for procedures that would occur the following day. However, what has been frustrating is that since there’s a line of patients there’s no definite answer as to when you’ll receive your treatment that day, if ever. So there are times when I would have to fast for 12-15 hours and solely rely on my IV drip to keep me going.

On Wednesday, I didn’t eat for at least 16 hours. But for some reason, I didn’t have an appetite either so the hunger didn’t bother me much. I was more preoccupied about thinking of what will happen in the next couple hours or the next day. I even tried to bug the nurses if they can help find information on the internet regarding my condition and

On Thursday, I had a 2 hour MRI followed by a 2 hour heart biopsy. Knowing that there is advanced medical technology out there is great. Having to use one is not. The MRI is one fine example. If you’ve ever had to go through that long narrow tube for hours, it’s not fun. It’s not like you can just sleep in there. I had to breathe in, hold my breath, and breathe out every couple minutes for those two hours while staring at the roof of the MRI tube that’s probably less than 4 inches from my face. They told me to hold still for that time period too. Fortunately, they got all the video and pictures that they needed and I didn’t have to go through that friggin thing again.

Next up, was the biopsy. It was so not fun. I saw all the tools laid out on the side and the ones doctors were holding. I was surprised but I didn’t have the normal thought process to freak out. I just had a lot of other things on my mind at the time. But things got serious when they told me to not move even an inch! I had to lay on a flat surface and crane my neck to the left at 90 degrees for an hour. That’s because another catheter would enter my neck and take a snip of a heart tissue for a sample. They wanted to see if there was fatty or fibrous tissue obstructing part of the heart where there is supposed to be muscle. I wanted to have the ablation completed following this procedure. But they said that I should rest because it would take at least 4 hours. When the biopsy was completed, it was more like ”Wham, baam, thank you, ma’am.” Nice to operate you, now we’re going. I only realized afterward, that there was an audience of interns and doctors who observed the entire procedure from a hidden window at the opposite end of the room.

That night and many nights at UCSF, I heard the young doctors and interns talk about some of their patients in the hallway. And most of it wasn’t nice. I know they’re young but they should also keep it professional and not talk shit about some of their patients. We’re in the cardio ward, not the hearing-impaired ward!

On Friday, I got my ablation--the one that St. Mary’s couldn’t achieve. The reason why UCSF can do this is that they have a magnets at the tip of the endoscope that will more accurately zap the misfiring cells that are causing tachycardia in the heart. Another catheter in the groin again... What is really demoralizing is having a guy shave your pubic hair before the procedure. I felt vulnerable and almost useless. And then they shove a condom-like tube on your dingy with a narrow tube that they push up through the urethra so that pee can automatically flow into a side bladder. Once the 3-4 hour long procedure was completed, I had the ICD implanted. I was sedated for both procedures but as it was almost a full week in hospitals, I was getting antsy. I was sick of being a human pin cushion. My lower back was really killing me once both have been completed. I also had this really violent urge to pee. The nurse, in the recovery ward, told me to just go. But I felt like I was leaking. she said, “No, you’re okay” But I know for a fact that she was dead wrong. I was leaking, but I was also peeing, I think.

Later that night, I asked my nurse to really get that tube out of my johnson. When it was time, she pulled out the tube which was easily a foot or two feet long. I had to turn my head away and not look at it; I almost passed out seeing how long it was. It could also have been not eating for much of that day that killed my sanity. But I asked for a couple more helpings of ice cream and that helped make me jump back into reality. I now have a foreign object in my body and life as I had known will not be the same.

On Saturday, I had my final chest X-ray before I had my final farewell from doctors and checkup on my ICD. The release forms were signed and I leave the hospital with my new lease in life...

Nongong Anywhere

Originally written mid-September 2010

A play on words, but I’m not going anywhere. It’s been two months since I’ve been living in Nongong-eup, the southern region of Daegu that’s almost an hour and about 25 miles away from city center via public transport. At first, I was entirely apprehensive and a bit lonely when realizing that most of the people I know are situated closer to the center of Daegu. It took me a week or so to realize, however, that I really do have it better in Nongong at times.

After sleeping for more than nine hours (I really don’t remember, but I would be ashamed to give the exact number.), the confines of being in a small, campy town make it that much easier to be less stressed out from everyday pressures. I worry about many things as it is such as my health condition, job and life after my teaching contract ends, and not being a good teacher.

I take my job really seriously to the point that I even worry about my performance during the weekends. Luckily, Chuseok came at the perfect time.

I went to Seoul for a couple days. The original plan was to go to Seoul just for one day, but when the KTX, the high speed rail, was completely booked for Thursday, my friends and I had to take the Wednesday morning train and book a night at a hotel. We would rather save some money and not go early, but we also reasoned that it may make a relaxing transition before our arduous hiking on 3 days at Seoraksan.

Not being Korean, I felt so left out. I would rather have a traditional Chuseok with a Korean family even if it is boring. I wanted to really experience it and feel like I was back home remembering ancestors at the cemetery or having a good family dinner during Chinese New Year. However, I wasn’t going to let that get the better of me and it should be a time to get the most out of this special time--vacation time should not be taken for granted, especially here.

Chuseok started for me on Monday evening, which of all sorts didn’t exactly go as planned. School finished and on my walk home back to my apartment, my ICD shocked me. It had worried me for much of that evening that I didn’t want to go outside or talk to anyone and instead, I slept in for much of that day before emailing my doctors and electrophysiologist back in San Francisco and the emergency contact in Daegu. On the other hand, I was relieved that the ICD went off for two reasons, a) I had not been feeling well after the Samsung Lions lost to the SK Wyverns on Sunday. On the walk home, I had been short of breath and had difficulty sleeping. It even extended to Monday when I felt breathing was slightly difficult even though it didn’t bother me while teaching my classes. So the shock came as a relief and alleviated my symptoms for the most part. b) I know NOW that the ICD works. Sometimes you just wonder if what’s been implanted does the job as it had been quiet until now. I just hope that since I’ve woken the “sleeping giant”, the ICD does not misfire.

On Tuesday, I calmed myself down and looked forward to this week and beyond. I did my lesson plans and other chores before my trip. Then I went to the Samsung Lions vs. LG Twins game that night. After 0-3 in watching baseball games that the Samsung Lions have all lost, it was a bittersweet situation in which the Lions won 6-2. However, the Lions really didn’t need to win this game as they are already in the final four for the playoffs. It would’ve been nicer if they won the team title, but at least they are in for the championship series. My friend and I got back to Nongong kind of late, with him rushing to pack before our departure in the morning.

On Wednesday, we caught up with other people from the EPIK orientation at the KTX station and we were on our way to Seoul. However, the day appeared dreary as the clouds loomed. Fortunately, the storms were pretty much over. I heard that Seoul was in pretty bad shape with many areas flooded; President Lee Myung-Bak authorized government assistance and visited many residents who were affected by the disaster. Unfortunately, it was still cold and I made a stupid last-minute decision to not bring my North Face jacket. Upon arrival at Seoul Station, we navigated the subway to Jongno 3-ga and check in at Hotel Cats. It was probably the heavy crowds during Chuseok and the many foreigners (white people) in Seoul that made it feel different this time around than in March. I really didn’t find Seoul that exciting this time around. My friends and I went to Gyeongbukung palace, Gwanghwamun, Kyobo Bookstore, and a nice BBQ lunch near our hotel.

Finding our hotel was a bit of a journey. We had to ask cops at the nearby police station and they confused us a bit more with their Konglish. And then we went through some alleys that had love motels that seemed a bit sketchy. But soon enough, we collected ourselves and got good directions from one love motel front desk employee. We had to pass by two gay bars, one of them called M&M Bar (Man & Man) to get to our hotel. It was nice, but at 141,000 won it is a bit pricey even when it was split between myself and my two friends. The hallway to our room was a bit creepy. It was dark with red carpeting and music from dead artists were played overhead such as Selena.

On Thursday, we had a breakfast at Dunkin Donuts and the Green Tea Latte made my heart feel a bit funny. I should stay away from heavily caffeinated products for a while. But anyway, we would take the subway to Express Bus Terminal to the Marriott that was subsidized with a bunch of credits from my friend, Bill. Thanks! it was a really nice place and I felt guilty for being treated so nice. There was a lounge on the 30th floor where you can help yourself to all the snacks provided. I had no motivation to venture and explore Seoul and I proceeded to sleep in till dinner time.

For dinner, we met with Bill’s friends in Itaewon. The Itaewon district was an area that made me dislike touristy hotspots even more. I knew that it is near an army base, but I didn’t know it was a culmination of high end restaurants and bars similar that reminded me of Marin County as well as the crappy T-shirt stores and vendors that sell crap like those found in Fisherman’s Wharf. We had a decent dinner, but we had a great time hanging out together and having good conversations all around.

Early Friday morning, we had breakfast at the Marriott, which was a bit pricey, but we felt we deserved a decent breakfast that we lacked for the past month or so. Then we met at the designated spot to get picked up for out Seoraksan hiking trip.

We were met by an unenthusiastic tourguide who’s American and has been in Korea for four years. She was negative and exuded a feeling that she did not want to be on this trip. Other people on the bus felt the same way about her as well. She lacked motivation and no one could really understand why. But as a client, she is not providing an optimistic and welcoming environment. The ride up to Seoraksan in Gangwon province from Seoul took 3-4 hours.

The group in our bus is very diverse. With most of the contingent from the United States and Canada and spread far and wide. There was also a Russian couple and a Korean and a couple from Taiwan/China.

We were stuck in standard Korean ondul floor sleeping conditions, but most of us couldn’t see how the line-item costs factored into Adventure Korea’s group tour pricing. I, however, believe that the bulk of the cost goes toward the tour guides for the hike. So you better go on all of the hikes provided in the tour and not sit on the beach all day and waste your time (yes, this was an option too!).

After three arduous days of hiking in the mountains, I had a great time. I won’t spare you the details of how pretty the scenery was. I will set them up in a Flicker/Facebook page for perusal. Eight in our group, including myself, received a free T-shirt for our efforts during all three difficult hikes. It was a pretty cool surprise, but my shirt is a little small. Out of 80 in our group, 8 were able/wanted to complete all of the hikes.

Even though I would have liked a traditional Chuseok with a Korean family, no matter how boring or fun it would have been, I still had a great Chuseok!

Beyond EPIK Proportions

My days in Jeonju were mostly spent in the university, The Place of Superstars. Yes, that is really their motto. Classes were from 9am-8pm for most nights that it was tough to recall all the good moment that occurred in between. I met so many great friends from around the world of varying experiences and skills, listened to insightful lectures by experienced EPIK staff, and guided by the coolest noona ever (okay, she would rather be called a yeodongsaeng.)

In a nutshell, Jeonju remained hot and humid for the entire time of my stay. The temperature hovered around or above 95 degrees with 90% humidity. I really thought I was going to pass out from the stagnant air while climbing seven flights of stairs to my dorm room.

440 participants arrived in Jeonju to receive instruction before heading out to such places including Daegu, Busan, Ulsan, Gwangju, Daejeon, and Gyeonbuk. 157 were going to Daegu. However, it’s deceiving, which I’ll explain later. I couldn’t help but make a rough guess and judge how many were actually taking this position seriously and who would immediately give in and give up teaching in Korea. One can never tell, I myself might hate it here too. But for others, they came here thinking that this would be an easy ride. In my case I was really looking to begin work in Korea and not expect a vacation or take a vacation many times during my stay here. That is not to say that work should not be enjoyable; in fact, this position should be the most fun with many challenges. I, of course, want to have a great time here, but that is only dependent on how well I teach in Daegu.

That said, my mind for the first few days, were heavily focused on the medical exam. Reason being that my ICD will show up on the X-ray; and boy, did it show up damn clearly! In any event, I passed the medical exam with flying colors because I didn’t have HIV/AIDS, syphillis, or Hepatitis B. The medical test was 50,000 won( > $50). I thought it was expensive, but if you get a rather detailed health exam in the U.S., it would easily have been $200+. The lab work and radiology costs in the U.S. is ridiculous. So the exam took less than 30 minutes and within that time frame, you go through an organized system of height/weight check, eye test, hearing test, color blind test, blood pressure test, blood work, urine test, and X-ray. I should get more medical checkups here instead!

When the 10 days were up, not a moment of relaxation. We were whisked away for a 3 hour bus ride to Daegu. The 5 bus caravan to Daegu was pretty cool. The road was mostly empty beside our expedition. The road was surrounded by serene mountains, rolling hillside, and green trees. A portion of the Daegu teachers were dropped off at a high school in city center where instructions for the first month would be made. Then, the teachers were guided by their respective locations in Daegu to the school auditorium, where the co-teachers would pick the EPIK teachers up and drive them to their new apartments and/or give them a tour of their neighborhood/school.

The first group to leave for the school auditorium were those departing for Dalseong region. There were 5-6 guys, most of them my age, and I found that rather striking. I knew this was fishy because all of us were guys in our late 20s, teaching middle/high school students. I didn’t know exactly but something was up.

I met my co-teacher who was really friendly. She wasn’t as young as the other co-teachers, but she was obviously more nervous than I was because she wanted to get to her car before I had a chance to pick up my luggage. Then when she was going to do a U-turn in the parking lot, she gently brushed against the car in front and was frantic. She started to freak out and tried to find someone to apologize to. Luckily, she had the phone number of the teacher’s car and called that teacher to inform her of the situation. Okay, second try...we finally left the school, but I saw on my co-teacher’s dashboard that one of the doors was open. So I checked my door and slammed it. And then I realized that the trunk may still be ajar. So she stopped onto the side of the busy downtown street and checked the trunk. Sure enough, that was it. She was afraid that her GPS might misguide us, oh dear... Time to calm down, co-teacher...

We were off for a drive, but I was wondering where the fuck she was driving. She was driving in the opposite direction that the bus from Jeonju had dropped us off! Her car laden with pink Hello Kitty seat covers and waving dashboard ornaments was a typical dose of Asian cuteness overload, especially for a lady in her mid-30s.

After a half hour on the road and nearly leaving city limits, we were deep in a forested area reminiscent of Santa Cruz Mountains. I gather that we are about 30km away from downtown Daegu. We are still in Daegu, it is a huge city and the drive to Dalseong is the equivalent of San Francisco to San Mateo. Within Dalseong, my little district is called Nongong-eup. There are major factories on the outskirts of town, including auto part manufacturing; I heard that the workers are on strike, which is a reason why I’ve seen more kids rushing out to get somewhere than their older counterparts.

When my co-teacher drove me to my new place, I was immediately hit with a foreboding sense of loneliness and sick feeling of “taking the plunge.” I was excited about my new position but felt so distant from where I thought I would be. I didn’t mind being almost anywhere in Korea, seriously, that’s the truth! But after my confirmation that I would be in Daegu, my mind rested on the fact that I would be in the city and not out in the boonies.

Again, there would be no rest. Once seeing my apartment, I had to memorize my apartment access code and set up a passcode for my apartment. Then I had to think of all the things that I would need that were still missing and all the services that remained offline, such as internet and gas. Then my co-teacher and some administrative officials from my school and district walked me through town noting all the landmarks that were essential, such as bus stop, bank, grocery store, restaurants, pharmacy, etc. After that, I had to eat some heavy pork stew in my town; I think that was the only thing on the menu so there are no other options. Then I had to go to the local mart and get all the groceries I would need in the meantime. My mind was blank so I could only think of bread, cereal, milk, water, and juice. My co-teacher was watching me the whole time so it was a bit unsettling.

It was getting late and I was planning to get to sleep. But I felt bothered and rushed by everything that has happened within the last day, and perhaps for the past 10 days. I walked out of my apartment and walked three blocks down to what seemed like the center of my town. I past the GS-25, a mart similar to 7-11 (which they also have in Korea) and noticed white waegooks (foreigners)! Upon closer inspection, they were the guys from my EPIK orientation! What a small world! We had no idea what happened to the other guy or two that were shipped off to Dalseong, but the three of us were in this town! Sweet!

However, we still felt lonely because we didn’t know how to take public transport at this point in time and knew that our area literally shuts down after 10PM. Hardly anyone speaks English in Nongong-eup so we had to thrust ourselves willingly to acquire fluency in Korean ASAP.

A Thousand Thanks and Red Envelopes

Just a couple hours before my plane leaves for Incheon, but I wanted to thank all of the adidas Urban Runners who celebrated my last night in the United States with me. I will be back relatively soon so don't take it too hard! But wow, those Hello Kitty red envelopes are totally deceiving; I was expecting chocolate covered coins at best, but really did not expect so much for each and everyone of you! Even though I won't be able to lead the runs, Warren and Raymond will keep the group organized, safe, and fun. On a serious note, and I can't emphasize this enough--without your continued support, runners and walkers, adidas Urban Run wouldn't be in existence! Komapsumnida!

Upon arrival, I will be shuttled to Jeonju University for a 10 day orientation and teaching seminar. I'm still concerned about what their physical exam entails, but I've prepared intensively in case they require documents regarding my condition.

As Fate Would Have It, Good Days Tend to Go South Early

It's been a while since my last update. I got my visa without much fanfare, nonetheless, I still got it. The visa is single-entry whereupon I will have to get to Korea and apply for an Alien Residency Card (ARC) with school. The transition of getting ready for Daegu should've been smooth. However, last week I had my life literally turned upside-down, forcing a test that would stretch my sanity. I was in the hospital for a week, but more than anything else, the question remained; "Would I still make it to Korea?" Doctors wondered how I could enter one painful procedure after another without much argument, but if they only knew how much going to Korea meant to me--I would probably suffer one more day just to know that I can be assured a flight out of San Francisco and into the Land of the Morning Calm.

In the end, and without pouring details here, the short answer by the end of the week is "YES!" However, I'm still not convinced with my own optimism as shitty things always seem to always linger near or with me. So once I arrive in Korea and pass my physical examination at Jeonju University, I can breathe a short sigh of relief...until the next f-ing hurdle is thrown at me. Life has already given me its share of surprises, both good and bad. I wonder what's next. Well, for starters, I sadly had to downgrade from the JoongAng Seoul Marathon in November to the 10K--but even then, the 10K is probably a marathon for me right now so I'll be ecstatic if I can complete it comfortably! But I probably shouldn't ponder too much or else life will just be a waiting game of fears.

Troops of a Different Kind and in a Different Era

As I embark on a possible life-changing journey in Korea, the 60th anniversary of the Korean War was remembered today by American, South Korean, and perhaps even North Korean war veterans and the the many lives that have been touched by this event. Known and labeled as the "forgotten war" because the United States never actually declared war but assisted the South Koreans against the communist revolt by the North Koreans, recognition was never formally made to the soldiers, living and deceased, who fought. Compared to World War II and the Vietnam War, the Korean War was treated as if soldiers deployed into Korea were policing the state and not engaged in warfare.

Just imagine...at one point, South Korea at its zenith during the Korean War amassed territory that included Pyongyang. Pyongyang, the present capital of North Korea, is way the hell up North that one can only speculate what that region might have looked if it were under South Korea today.

And now--60 years later--South Korea is still calling the abundance of troops to secure and foster Korea's future generations. This time, in the form of educators and stewards, Korea is becoming a stronger nation with education and knowledge and the formal bridging of cultures through mutual understanding, acceptance, and language. I hope to do the job as strong and dedicated as the soldiers who fought to ensure that Korea's current generation has a bright future, and I appreciate that without the current state of South Korea, I wouldn't be in this fortunate position to teach in Korea.

Not Exactly a Visa Platinum Card

I applied for my E-2 visa yesterday afternoon. The process was only fast and simple because I had printed and completed all the forms from home and brought in all the other required documents. Be prepared. I've been to the Korean Consulate many times so I know how they conduct business. They are friendly and helpful, but when it's busy, they can be curt and demanding even on the phone.

I needed to know if a multiple-entry visa was even possible for EPIK teachers. Upon arrival, I was immediately told that I cannot get a multiple-entry visa, only a single-entry visa. Not all is lost, but it certainly feels like it. The EPIK packet strongly recommends getting a multiple-entry visa, but the Consulate in San Francisco say EPIK teachers don't get that option and reports from other consulates in the U.S. and U.K. are similar. One can still get a re-entry stamp on your visa as a substitute for a multiple-entry visa, but you must do this each time you leave or arrive Korea.

I pickup my visa tomorrow. Next, I have to purchase a plane ticket, possibly roundtrip, with an "imaginary" return date. The tab is on EPIK so I'm not afraid of the cost as long as it's under 1.3 million won for a single trip to Korea (per entrance allowance).

I hope teaching will be just as much fun as reported by Simon and Martina in Bucheon:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dSX5iLcD8Q

And if you want to know more about Daegu, these kids can give you some more information:

http://il.youtube.com/watch?v=ViG5oDOxI0E&feature=related