#5. Daiso

Sorry about the delay. It's been a busy one this week--I've been cleaning the apartment from top to bottom to get ready for some guests who came/are coming to stay. I have a little bit of a reprieve at the moment, so I'm going to try to get a few more of these banged out before things start to get really busy later next month.

#5. Daiso

So I know that this technically isn't a Korean store, but its existence has made my life so much easier, and I don't know what I would have done without it. Daiso is a magical, wonderful place, where everything you need is available for 1000, 2000, or 3000 won. And I'm not talking about the crappy dollar store stuff you find at places in the US. Half my apartment is from the dollar store, including (but not limited to) kitchen knives, bowls, plates, cups, wine glasses, jewelry boxes, hair bands and clips, Christmas and Easter decorations, potted plants, and all my office supplies. Half the things I use as filler in the packages I send home is from the dollar store and I have had no complaints about their quality. Some of their merchandise is just so ridiculously cute that its hard not to buy three or four of something even knowing that you don't even really need one.

Take, for instance, these molded rice scoopers. When am I ever going to have a real practical need for a heart shaped mound of rice? Probably never, but I rest easier knowing that if I was so inclined, I could have my rice sending signs of love to me while eating my dinner. I have also seen some ridiculously cute cookie cutters, figurines, and serving plates that sorely tempted my resolution not to buy everything in the store. On the practical side of course, it's a wonderful place to go to grab that picnic mat that can double as a sun reflector. And when you are looking for the caulk for your bathroom or a spare light bulb or some pretty decorative boxes for your tiny little apartment, its absolutely invaluable. I even bought my first set of screwdrivers from the dollar store. Of course, I don't hold any illusions that these things will stand the test of time, but for a foreigner starting a new life in a Korea, I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't been able to get everything my apartment needed for such a cheap price. And as for the Christmas tree and all my first Christmas ornaments? Definitely shipping those home with me. :)

#6. Socialized Medicine

And we're back!

Man those extra three weeks seem to have disappeared quickly. I was shocked to realize yesterday that I will be leaving Korea in 38 days and I have yet to actually put anything into a box. Guess I should start making time to do some of that, huh? Oh well, back to the countdown.

#6. Socialized medicine

Before I came to Korea, I was a recently graduated 22 year old without health insurance. Obama Care had not passed either house of Congress, so when I graduated university, all of the medical insurance I had been receiving from my parents was taken away. It was six months from then that I would make it to Korea, and while I was lucky that it was such a short time and that I had no major illnesses, if I had gotten sick or needed to see a doctor of any kind, I would have been (pardon my French) screwed.

Then I came to Korea--a wonderful magical land where everyone with an alien registration card gets cheap healthcare from the government. Of course, when I first got here and while my paperwork for my alien registration was still pending, I had the misfortune of coming down with bronchitis and was left unable to speak. Needless to say I was concerned, knowing that I had to go to a doctor but also knowing that I had no insurance and very little cash on me. When I got to the doctor's office, I was seen almost immediately by an English speaking and American-trained doctor who listened to my symptoms and came to the same conclusion I had--bronchitis. He checked me over, then scribbled something on a piece of paper, and instructed me to take it to the nurse on the far end of the office, who also spoke English. She informed me that the visit would cost me 6,000 won for the consultation, and the medicine I needed was another 5,000 won. "But," I protested, "I don't have insurance." The nurse nodded sympathetically at me. "I know," she said, "I'm sorry its so expensive."

Let's retell that story if I had been in America. I would have gone to the doctor, waited an hour for someone to be able to see me, take two seconds looking down my throat to confirm the diagnosis I was already pretty sure I had, charged me $75 for my trouble, and then I would have had to go to a pharmacy, where they would have taken another $50 for the medicine I needed. $11 versus $125. Let's see here....

Another example: I am currently taking medication that I had previously used in the states. One month worth of pills would run me $30, and that was while I was still covered on my parent's health insurance plan. Here, I can get an almost identical version of the medicine and it costs me 8500 won ($8), and this is one of those medicines that is not covered by insurance. It really is a relief that I can

Of course the system here isn't perfect. Some kinds of medicine are extremely Westernized, so its comfortable for foreigners to go to the doctor and feel sure about the treatment they are receiving. However others, and especially women's health, are still very Asian oriented, which can make us feel a little uncomfortable. Doctors here do not answer questions, and they do not like explaining their diagnosis to the patient. However, considering how often I've been sick (a few times) and the comfort I get in knowing that I'm not going to have to give up eating in order to get the care I need, I think I'm getting my money's worth for my health plan. And while I am grateful that (thanks to Obama Care) I am once again covered on my parent's insurance, I'm going to miss those $3 doctor's visits.