Surfers from Gangwon - and elsewhere - try to compete in Busan

The original post is here at my new blog.  Note the final few paragraphs where I discuss the typhoon's effect on Gangwondo and nationally.

Healthcare- Korea gets quite a bang for its buck

Via Kottke, I found a National Geographic graphic comparing the cost of health care vs the average lifespan for several countries.  As has been in the international news lately, Americans pay so much that they don't fit on the scale, yet have a below average life expectancy.  My summary of how the authors describe the American system is comparing it to auto repair technicians.  The technicians (and health care workers) are paid for piece-work so they recommend medical services that are optional or cosmetic rather than life-span enhancing.

Even more remarkable is how South Korea's health system appears.  Americans pay, on average over $7000 per year for a life expectancy of 78 years, Canadians pay almost $4000 for 81 years, yet South Koreans pay less than $1700 per person for 79 years life expectancy. (click to enlarge)

This is great, but recent problems that have been described in the English K-blogosphere show a weakness in the Korean system.

John Yost broke his back -and I don't blame him, his actions were done to help others- by engaging in extreme sports.  He needs $50,000 to pay for his surgery.

Matt Robinson needed surgery to save his leg.  Expensive surgery.  Shamefully, I have not followed up on his predicament and can only hope he is okay now.

Bill Kapoun and Nerine Viljoen died after sustaining serious injuries here.  I am not certain that money would have saved their lives or sped up surgery and I don't want to suggest that doctors were waiting for money before performing life-saving surgery.  So far as I know the Korean medical system offered the best care possible.  Still, if Kapoun or Viljoen had survived, they would have been under crushing debt.

Despite what Michael Moore said in Sicko (I haven't seen it but have heard clips), Canadian health care isn't in great shape; it is merely limping along.  However, if I needed expensive surgery, I would get it and not suffer from horrible debt afterward.

Help a Gangwon Teacher with a broken back

John Yost, apparently working in Pyeongchang, was paragliding recently and had an accident.

BizarroBrian was the first I noticed reporting the accident and request for donations, but Kimchi Icecream also broke the story.  John Yost has his own website, where you can donate.

I donated ten dollars, I think.   The credit card I used was issued in Canada, but the website only accepted American states so I was unable to enter "Ontario".  It seems to have gone through, but I am not sure.

Solving the birthrate crisis.

Birthrate incentives need to focus of returning women to the workforce.

Korea's incredibly low birthrate has been in the news a lot lately and I recently promised a serious post on the subject.  I will try to keep this post 'serious' but I am not sure how deep or authoritative it will be.  It may be serious in tone, but not so much in length.  alright, it is finished and it is a serious length, I would say.

From the Herald:

The government will soon launch a nationwide anti-abortion campaign and aggressively seek more foreigners to come and settle down here as part of efforts to keep the country's population from shrinking, a presidential council said Wednesday.

According to Yonhap News, the move comes as the country again marked one of the lowest birthrates in the world this year.

Let me start with the bad.  I am moderately pro-choice: there are good reasons to have an abortion and there are terrible reasons for having an abortion.  With one exception, I would like to separate this the subject of abortion from birthrate.  That exception is abortion due to the gender of the fetus.  I may return to this point later.

The plans to increase immigration are interesting.  I've been in Korea for a long time, possibly too long, but am not sure how educated I am about the culture (Two humourous links on the subject: asktheexpat, dokdoisours - back to serious-stuff) but this contradicts everything I know about minjok and keeping bloodlines pure.  I like the idea of Korea being more multi-cultural and being more a part of the world than it currently is, but it's clear we aren't thinking about birthrates anymore.

From the Times:

Recognizing the grave nature of this matter, the Presidential Council for Future and Vision proposed Wednesday a package of measures to lift the birthrate and provide support for childcare and education. One of the steps is to offer incentives for families with three or more children which include special interest rates on their mortgages. Third or additional children can also receive bonus scores on college entrance exams and job applications

...

The government has so far announced a series of different measures to promote marriages and childbirth to avert a looming population crisis. But we have to admit that those measures have proven to be unsuccessful at producing tangible results.

The Times also mentions immigration and the seriousness of Korea's low birthrate, but that's not the focus of this post.

The news about mortgages and universities is definitely part of this post.

I can't hold back from saying that it is so weird reading about such a strong government involvement in increasing the birthrate, when in the recent past, having more than one child in China would invite negative government involvement.

Alright, mortgage relief does sound like a good idea and it directly addresses the problem of finding a home big enough for a large family.  Scholarship and financial assistance would also help.  On the other hand, boosting a university entrance exam score and moving a job application higher in it's queue sound terrible.

The Chosun describes two reasons for the low birthrate.  The first is the high cost of raising a child, and the second, related, is the high cost of being a senior citizen:

Advanced countries offer comprehensive welfare benefits. They not only support the cost of raising children, but also guarantee the financial stability of elderly citizens after retirement. But the situation is quite different for the average Korean worker, who faces the constant threat of layoffs, may have already cashed in his pension, and lives in a nation where programs such as annuity insurance to prepare for life after retirement are just budding. Everyone feels pressured to have fewer children so they can save for retirement.

Here is a point that sounds exactly right to me.  I already see myself working until I am grey and bent over, then moving into a grim storage locker for my final days.  I will spend whatever it takes to raise a great child, but fear the cost of a second child.

We've heard enough from the papers; here are my thoughts.

I like the increased immigration plan for a variety of reasons.  It will bring more productive people to Korea and possibly decrease overpopulation elsewhere.  There might be a win-win thing going here and that always feels good.  I hope that immigrants can send some money home and take home some expertise to further assist other countries.  Unfortunately, this would dilute Korean stock and culture - while I don't have much respect for 'pure blood', I don't like the homogenization, the McDonald'sification  of the world.  I guess this is a luxury that we must do without to better care for our seniors.

While I do like the financial aid, I don't think it is fixing the specific limiting reagent involved.  I am a feminist and know that, in my profession, women are at least as capable as I.  Yet, somehow, women must be convinced to give up a year of professional growth, and probably longer.  Indeed, it almost has to be longer; after a year away from work, upon her return, a women might reasonably be less efficient than a man who has not taken time from work.  Presuming this is a traditional family with a wife and husband, it makes better financial sense for the man to keep working and the woman to stay home as long as is best for the child.

I love my son and love most of the time I spend with him but I also enjoy working and my job.  Most women feel the same way, I expect.  If a woman is being asked to have two or three or more children, that is a long time away from the workforce.

All this means women need educational and employment assistance for themselves as much as their children do.

--

Near the top of this post I mentioned abortion and new restrictions.  I can see that a lack of abortion services might raise the birthrate, but I foresee not only more children, but more miserable children.  I felt this way in the post leading up to this one - it described plans to lower the minimum age to enter school.  As a childish adult, I want to see happier children; children who are able to enjoy childhood, more than I want to see more children in general.  The Times touches on this point with "some education experts express concerns that the measure may bring about side effects such as children's difficulty in adapting themselves to school life at a younger age. They point out that education should not be tackled only from the point of economic efficiency."

Internet use guide for foreigners

Yonhap reports that:

South Korea launched Monday an interactive guide for foreigners wishing to use South Korea-based Web sites more easily.

The site in question offers assistance for foreigners wanting to use Korean sites that require using your ID.  ID numbers in Korea consist of two six-digit numbers; the first six are your birthdate and the second six, well, are mostly random.  However, the first digit of the second set reflects your nationality.  If it starts with a '5', you are a foreigner.  My son, with dual citizenship until he reaches eighteen,  has a different first digit, and my wife, Korean, has a different digit yet.  Shamefully, I do not know my wife's ID number, so I cannot tell you what the number is for Koreans.


However, I can tell you that it is the one that works on Korean sites, and the foreigner's number does not.


Anyway, the website describes itself as "Internet guide of identical person acknowledgement on alien in Korea".  Everywhere, the website confuses 'Identity' with 'Identical' in a really maddening way.


Amusingly, the Korean version of "John Doe" or "John Q. Public" is "Hong Gil Dong" - a local hero for Gangneung.


The scary thing is how free the website (and presumably, the Korean government) expects us to be with our passport number and similar data.


"In case you input wrong alien registration (or domestic residence statement) or wrong name and number with your passport  Alien shall input name and number same as that on the identification card (Hey, they used the correct ident.... word)  exactly.  And you shall input your name with English capital letters.


To keep my commentary simple, the site needs work.

No flu, flu and Bird Flu/ no jets today

Editted before posting: The links are good. I had to search for sentences in the article, and google gave me full URLs for linking purposes.

I am using my old computer at work. I seem unable to see the full links for newspaper articles. The URLs I am using here for linking are only to the newspaper main page. I'm sorry but you'll have to hunt through to find the articles I am describing. I will edit the post this evening to include links.
From the Dong-a, I learned there is no swine flu in North Korea:

North Korea officially refers to swine flu as new influenza, but many in the North call it swine flu because of international media.

The communist country said yesterday that it has no cases of the flu so far, adding it has no reason to hide any flu outbreaks.

Pak Myong Su, in charge of infectious disease control at the North’s Health Ministry, told the Japan-based daily Chosun Shinbo Oct. 14, “A weakened health infrastructure doesn’t lead to the outbreak of the new flu. If so, this will not undermine our image.”

I recall the communist countries of Europe denying that AIDS existed in their pure and more-wholesome countries. They certainly feared that news of such diseases would undermine their image. Of course, it would be challenging to undermine my image of North Korea.
I was interested to read, though, that it was known by the public as swine flu because of 'international media'. I guess international bad news is transmitted there.

Elsewhere in the article, I learned that there is a new flu from China that medicines don't work on and that North Korean doctors don't have the ability (testing materials or knowledge, I don't know) to recognize the swine flu. But there is no swine flu in North Korea. And it there were, it wouldn't reflect badly on them.

There is swine flu in South Korea but today is the University Entrance Exam and there is no second chance to take it. You take it today or you wait a year.

From the Joongang:

High school seniors nationwide had their temperatures checked at schools where they gathered for last-minute preparations yesterday, and re-takers underwent the checkup process at regional education offices. Some 677,000 people, up 18 percent from last year, will be taking the state test, which will decide their college admission next spring.

Under the Education Ministry guidelines, there will be two separate rooms at each school acting as a CSAT venue for students who are confirmed with and suspected of having the flu.

Each room can house between 15 and 28 students. Some 14,000 teachers nationwide who have been selected as supervisors of the flu rooms have been vaccinated. Anyone showing flu symptoms during the test will be relocated to the separate rooms.

Wow! "Yes, we know you have swine flu and, hysterical exaggerations aside, it can kill you. You can take the test in that room, over there. Feel a little dizzy? Just hang onto the sides of the desk a moment. We'll give you until six PM to finish the exam. You can see a doctor or take your medicine after that."

Although my sympathies go out to all the Entrance Exam takers today, I particularly feel for the sick ones. Fighting!
I am thrilled though, to be teaching today without the frequent roar of fighter jets training overhead. The whole country changes it's behaviors to allow the students the best conditions to work.

I don't know if the migration patterns of birds are responsible but bird flu virus has been found in South Korea recently. From the Chosun (and a good link!):

The resurgence of bird flu in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province is causing concerns to health authorities as the H1N1 flu scare continues. A low pathogenic bird-flu virus was found in excrement of migratory birds in a reservoir in Chuncheon. Despite the low infectiousness, health authorities claim they cannot rule out danger to humans or mutation and pledged to stay alert.

The worst-case scenario is that patients infected with the H1N1 virus could additionally contract bird flu, leading to a mutation that gives rise to a new supervirus. "But that doesn't necessarily mean that a new form of virus will be formed when the bird flu virus appears amid the spread of H1N1 virus," a health official said. "But if that did actually happen, the situation we've seen so far would be a mere shadow of what lies ahead. That's why we have to take preventive measures."

Viruses can share genetic information so I guess a 'supervirus' could be created. As I recall (Bird Flu is so 2005), bird flu wasn't very contagious between people. You could catch it from a bird but not spread it to other humans. Simply making it infectious among humans would be a big step toward 'supervirus' status.

Long waits at hospitals?

I have only received excellent care at Korean hospitals.  Typically, if I am sick and need to visit emerg, I wait less than twenty minutes.  Actually, I have never waited longer than 20 minutes here.

That conflicts with a Korea Herald report:

The time a patient spends in an emergency room could be as long as 14 hours in Busan. On the other hand, in North Gyeongsang Province, the average time spent in an emergency room was about two hours.

Indeed, the review found great regional disparities in the availability and quality of emergency care. Busan and Gwangju did not have any regional emergency medical center that met the legal requirements while all of the regional emergency medical centers in Gangwon and South Chungcheong provinces fulfilled the requirements.

I hae had friends, however, who have horror stories based on visits to doctors here.  One woman, asking about an injured ankle was told, "no solution, always disabled." - The problem has, indeed, been solved.

Another friend with leg problems is the El Camino Packer.  His own surfboard treacherously have him the Nancy Kerrigan treatment and now his knee is in bad shape.  I hope he recovers quickly.

Dracula sneezes

I am sick, although I am told tonsillitis is not contagious, and am more conscious of disease-spreading behaviors.

On the bus yesterday, a man in front of me was resting with his arm over his eyes.  He coughed many times, but at least he didn't spray his own eyes.

In class a student coughed loudly and vigorously in my general direction without covering his mouth.  Well, many students do that, but this one had taken a winter course with me an dI knew him fairly well so I teased him and told him, and the class about "Dracula sneezes".

The photo is from the print version of Time.  Here is the online version with no picture.

It took me a while  to figure out why they sneezed into their elbows.  This way they can still use their hands without undue concern.  They can shake hands or touch door knobs or the like.

Tuesday night I went to Emerg and was given a needle and two days worth of medicine and told to come back during business hours to see the proper doctor.  When I returned, yesterday, after having been coughed on and the like, I also bought alcohol swabs to disinfect my hands when I am away from a fully-equipped bathroom sink (At the university the sinks have cold water, no soap and no towels.  Some people use a wad of toilet paper to dry their hands but I worry too much about people later in the day who may need that TP more desperately).  The pharmacist who helped me choose the alcohol swabs seemed to roll her eyes a little at why I was buying them as if she thought I was a hypochondriac, but I am tired of being sick.

Actually, as I think about it a little, she rolled her eyes at me the same way I rolled my eyes at a co-worker who would always open push-doors by pushing at the top of the door, not the commonly-used handle.  Sorry, Bill.

The limping man says

Clean up your fucking sparklers at the beach when you leave!

I am not crippled, but I am limping.  It's ironic that it happened to me as I frequently take some time to collect them and remove them from the beach.

----

Every one knows what a 'sparkler' is, right?  It is a length of wire that has 30 cm or so covered in some bright-burning compound.  When the tip is lit, it will burn brightly and shoot sparks.  It is mostly safe when in someone's hands (although I have been burned once or twice).  The ones I find, twisted and mostly buried in the sand, are half-ass caltrops.

Bad news for swimmers

I often hear of sharks appearing on the south and west coasts in the summer and making their way north through the summer but never heard of any in Gangwon Province.

The El Camino Packer has found a Korea Times article telling us exactly that. Click either link to see the 4 metre shark caught near Donghae. At 1.5 tonnes, I wouldn't want it around while I swam.

The El Camino Packer loves surfing and likely wears a dark wetsuit; the combined silhouette resembles a seal and is the staple food for great whites. He should be especially careful.

I may obey the lifeguards and stay within the buoy-line this year, especially if the buoy-line includes a shark net!

Creativity is needed.

The Joongang has yet another article about Korean airports losing money, including some that could never have been considered profitable. Uljin airport and Yangyang airport, on the East Coast, are in locations that are far too rural and their construction must be the result of porkbarreling.

I was surprised to learn that Incheon itself is losing money. Its bad news when a major hub for Asia isn't turning a profit. I'm willing to put that one down to the current economy, as a possibly temporary situation.

Uljin and Yangyang, however, are likely to never be profitable as airports.

Uljin is a little ways from here and I've haven't visited it. The Yangyang airport, on the other hand, is one that my wife once worked at, offering tourism advice to arrivals. I have also flown to and from it (me and five others).

Now the Yangyang Airport is huge, roomy and constructed of beautiful granite - I would say marble, but I don't know the difference between marble and not-marble. After writing the post, I looked for photos online and I don't see much stone. I am convinced that the arrivals floor (first floor) has a lot of stone but the departures floor (second) has a more modern roof.

On the grounds, are some very well-constructed but very short roads.

Security is taken care of.

Now, considering the building alone, I first thought wedding hall. Parking is limited but that could be improved.

Concert hall? Again, it has the aura, with the stonework, but major renovations would be needed.

What ideas can my readers come up with? Remember, you ideas don't have to turn a huge profit; the premises are losing 28 million won PER DAY! Management should accept any idea to reduce that.

Photo one found here.
Photo two found here
photo three found here
Photo four found here
Photo five found here (really, here at Gangwon Notes).

Water shortage in Gangwon!

I don't have much to add to the article but I now realize I need to be careful. I think I am cautious enough with water but certainly enjoy long showers. It is time to shave with the water off, rather my habit of standing in the running shower while shaving.

The article describes problems in Southern Gangwon but we've had similar problems here, typically a little later in the spring.

Here is Maude Barlow(you can find a downloadable MP3 there) describing water problems on a global scale.
Ironically, the local crisis encourages me to drink local (tap) water, as Barlow suggests. You know what they say, think locally, act globally!

I hope President Lee thinks about this if he considers reopening plans for the Kyeongbu Canal.

Updated almost immediately: I see Taebaek is really suffering. Hey, that's the start of the two rivers the canal would have used. (And now I have become guilty of using a real tragedy for my own political ends (oh, that's how you do it).

According to Park, the city has faced the worst drought in 20 years this year and tap water is only available for three hours a day.

“Some schools provide bread and milk for lunches because they can’t cook cafeteria meals,” Park said.

“Hilly neighborhoods receive no tap water supply at all, and residents of such areas are solely dependent on water delivered by car. And yet, the drinking water shortage shows no signs of improving.”

Glue Traps are the Devil

I don't think I am a tough guy, but I seem to be the only person around who can put animals out of their misery. And glue traps create a whole lot of misery.

A glue trap can be a shallow tray with thick glue or an over-sized sheet of scotch tape. Well, that describes the two traps I have been involved with. Sometimes there is bait in the middle of the trap.

If the user is prepared and has actually read the frickin' instructions, the traps might not be that bad. Apparently (according to Wikipedia), cooking or baby oil will allow the animal to escape the glue. This is useful in a rural area but not so much in a location where the animal will have to be killed anyway.

Seven years ago, I lived and worked for a nightmare company in a beautiful location in rural Kyonggi-do. At one point, there was a problem with mice, so staff set up glue traps - but not very well, as one of the first catches was a little bird. The bird, in terror, tore most of a wing off while staff watched. I had not heard that oil could release the bird, and the people who set the trap weren't prepared; there was none on site. Finally, I took the bird and twisted it's head like I was winding a top. Honestly, I almost cried, but was satisfied the job was done. One jerk co-worker almost got punched for calling me a sadist. He had had no better suggestions in the fifteen minutes previous.

Today, at work, a rat had made it's way into the ESL offices. Again, staff had set up a few glue traps. Now, I approve of live traps if there is a plan to release the critter, but who releases rats? Who buys a glue trap and doesn't prepare to release the critter afterwards?

Anyway, the rat was caught and in it's struggles, nearly tore a leg out of it's socket (I'm not a doctor but I'm repeating what a staff member told me). I was in a meeting and later found the rat, on the floor near a garbage can in an out-of-the-way room. The rat had crapped everywhere - and that too was glued in place and it was clearly in a bad way.

After asking about their plans for it - none, I guess they hoped it would die quietly out there - I stomped on it, ending it's misery.

If you plan to trap an animal, also plan how you will dispose of the animal later. Use a non-leathal trap only if you want to release it afterward. If you plan to kill the animal, get a leathal trap: don't screw around.

These guys at Helping Animals don't care for glue traps either.

Under repairs

The fan on my notebook computer recently gave up and so it (the whole computer) is in Seoul for repairs. The computer is six years old so I am not surprised that it is wearing out, just upset by the timing - final exams are next week at the university and I have grading and such to do .

I am currently typing on the computer in my office - it is running Windows 98! That's pretty old.

More posts when I have something to post on that doesn't make me crazy.

classroom product placement

One assignment I gave my first year students was to make an advertisement (a commercial) in class. Today is the first day of presentations and the first one was of a bear and a man wrestling for salmon. Many of you might recognize the plot from this ad/video. I am disappointed that they copied the idea so completely - even the tin of salmon was marked "John West Salmon", but I like the effort they put into the preparation.

Below, is the bear and the bear threatening me.


So, I'm torn; the acting was pretty good, and the ad is undeniably funny, but should I give any grade to plagiarists? In watching the Youtube video, I see that my students used the exact script from the commercial.

remember: John West; they do their worst so you can have their best!

Lost in lack of translation

Officials in Swansea (county?), England (correction: Tom, in the comments, tells me Swansea is a city in Wales. I had thought it was a border town or the like. Thanks Tom.), needed to have a sign translated to Welsh, as road signs must be bilingual there. They sent the message to a translator who was away and had an automated message returned to the sender. The message was only in Welsh and the officials thought their work was done.

The result? A sign saying, in English, that heavy vehicles couldn't use a road and in Welsh, that "I am not in the office at the moment". BBC via Boing boing.

What kind of translator, while using a work email address, uses a single language automated response? Charles, I'm looking at you!The man should learn some business etiquette, much less email etiquette. (I was going to write, "Or, as the Welsh say,..." with a string of gibberish, but I recall that friends doing the same with pseudo-Chinese seemed really inappropriate.)

As an aside, I question the efficiency of no-nonsense business letters that someone would accept two sentences without any pleasantries, introductions or salutations. Even an bit of advertising would make sense (Thank you for bringing your business here). Is the translator normally so 'efficient' that s/he sends bare, unadorned translations? Are the government employees really willing to accept a letter with no names or notes in it? finally, was the translator surprised to be paid for some work s/he didn't remember doing?

Anyway, as a Canadian I grew up in a French-tinged environment - it's not really bilingual but there's a lot of French around. I do not speak French but I recognize a lot of words. I'm pretty sure that I would understand enough to notice a problem with "I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated."

Is the same not true for Swansea? I can appreciate that Welsh seems more different than French to English, but if people grow up in the area, would they not notice the common words on street signs and not see any in the above sentences?

We laugh at interesting English signs (and I photographed an accidentally obscene one and posted it a few days ago) in Korea, but if places that should be multi-cultural have this much trouble I guess we should take it easy on Korean sign makers.

Han ui won

Despite my misgivings, I think the Oriental doctor performed a valuable service. I don't know the theories behind Oriental medicine, but most of the treatment seemed focused on stimulating the unresponsive muscles and, well, the whole right side of my face.

I am reminded that in university, perhaps in Vertebrate zoology, the professor told us that even though there were no good cures for damage to the spine, sometimes making an incision near the spine causes healing to the spine. It is as if the body, while healing the cut, healing elements are focused on the area and work on nearby problems as well.

I told him, among other things, that talking in class gave me a literal pain in the neck. He poked around and found a tender spot.

Part of the treatment requires that I massage the right side of my face, pushing upward with strength, 100 times and doing that ten to twenty times a day.

Then, it was time for needles and suction cups.


I should look in the mirror and see if I have a hickey now.

Here, electricity is pulsed through the needles, jerking my cheek and face muscles around.

There was also a needle in the web of my left hand - I don't know why.

The doctor told me to avoid cold water -for bathing, not necessarily for drinking. I am not sure why and I am unlikely to follow this restriction.

Bew's Fawsy

I can't blink my right eye normally. When I start concentrating on something, I forget to blink. I need to stop what I am doing and take a few seconds -and sometimes to actually use my fingers - to close my right eye. I don't plan to type for long and I will let small errors go - this is my excuse for errors in this post and is there anyway I can make this retroactive for four years to cover all my many previous errors?

Four days, fourteen hours of classes and 48 steroid pills (and many others) after being diagnosed with Bell's Palsy, i have had my second, follow-up visit to the doctor.

First, about the four days and classes. I began each class by explaining my illness and assuring them it was not contagious. Trying to talk clearly was very tiring an dgave me pains in the right side of where the spine meets the skull. I guess I was tightening muscles there to try to give that side of my face some kind of rigidity. Luckily, I had games planned for some of the classes and didn't have a lot of talking to do. I also used students to call out the roll to save my voice. Still, there were a few classes where I wanted to dopronunciation drills. The students usually couldn't hear a difference in my speaking but I really could -hence the title of this post - that is what "Bell's Palsy" sounds like to me when I say it.

Students were understanding but I am a little disappointed that only students from three classes wished me well.

It has been annoying to be unable to read for any length of time, or use the computer or even watch TV. The MP3 player has been my friend.

I have taken to eating in private to hide the way I need to push on my cheek if food falls between my teeth and right-side cheek . Also, I need to hold my right lower lip against the cup or can when I drink.

My wife and some good friends have suggested that I go to a Han-oi-won or traditional hospital for acupuncture to complement the western treatments. I am quite a sceptic, but will go this afternoon (explanations to follow).

At the doctor's office today in Asan Hospital, I heard a new set of percentages regarding recovery rates. I had been told, and had read from various sources, that 85% or so with Bell's Palsy recovery completely but today I was told thenumbers were more like 30% fully recover, 30% partially recover and 30% don't recover responsiveness in their faces. I don't think there is a missing 10%; I think he meant thirds. Anyway, this is much more terrifying! I will be looking further into this. The doctor also very clearly told me that acupuncture would not help me.

I agree with his opinion on acupuncture and felt the same way before I asked him about it despite this article from an acupuncturist in Toronto*. Still, I am willing to grasp at straws a little and getting the treatment will be easier than arguing with my wife about why I shouldn't get it.

---___---
*The Asan Hospital doctor had said that there were no studies confirming the effectiveness of acupuncture in Bell's Palsy cases and the Toronto acupuncturist's account was of a single anecdote. This reminds me of the efficiousy of headache medicines. My understanding is that most headaches fade after twenty minutes or so, regardless of treatment. For one person, having his/her headache disappear after twenty minutes proves nothing. If I get acupuncture and my symptoms fade, there is no way of knowing why or how they faded. I need to also accept the corollary - Western medical treatments are known to be unable to cure viral diseases - if the symptoms fade or remain, I cannot apply too much blame or credit to the medicine I was prescribed.

Bell's Palsy

In a previous post I wrote that I had suffered another allergy attack, making my face swell and causing me to drool when I drank. It turns out that this is not due to allergies but to Bell's Palsy. The right side of my face is drooping and unresponsive. I cannot easily blink my right eye and must hold my right lower lip tight against a glass with my hand when I drink. I am having trouble focusing my right eye so I am using the larger font size.

In the upper pic I am trying to smile evenly. Below, I am trying to forcefully close my eyes.
Bell's Palsy is of unknown origin and tests typically rule out other possible causes for the unresponsiveness. It is likely of viral origin and my blood test confirms that; I have a high white blood cell count, particularly of E-Lymphocytes, which fight viral infections. The doctor told me that another type of white blood cell, which primarily fights bacterial infections was low but I didn't keep track of the name, I think it was the E- neutro(cyte).

I have been given a whole lot of pills - 12 steroid pills to be taken each morning as well as three other pills to take three times a day and eye drops to lubricate my eye as I often have to use my finger to close it completely.

It is amusing that I am now on steroids as I have just started the 100 pushups workout plan suggested by the EFL Geek - I hope he doesn't think I am cheating - look out Barry Bonds!
In researching Bell's Palsy, I have learned that former Prime Minister of Canada Jean Chretien had Bell's Palsy as a child and apparently suffered permanent damage as he was easily caricatured as speaking from one side of his face. A friend of mine, Rowdy Roddy Swimmer also seemed to speak from one side - I will have to ask if he had Bell's Palsy. Anyway, it is typically temporary and I should be fine in a few weeks. In the meantime, I will be working hard to speak clearly for my students -my 'P's are now a Korean style 'F' - "I like to eat affles!"

More info at WebMD or at Wikipedia - and thanks to my mom, a retired nurse who explained some of the details to me. Great thanks to my wife who came with me to the hospital and took care of the little guy after working a 24 hour shift at the Coast Guard.

Oh, some words I may need for classes:
not contagious
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Bell's Palsy
Bell's 마비

Not much fun: Aug 21

I am proud that I managed 8km running today and at around the same time as I did on the track that one in the plus column for today.

However, I went to my favourite swimmin' hole, which normally looks like this:
...but today, looked like this.
I love to play in the surf but not so much when there are giant rocks just under the surface. Did I mention previously that I saw a small school of thumb sized squid here yesterday? Anyway, I was eager to snorkel further and try to find them again but obviously saw it was not going to happen.

In the evening, the little guy wanted to go to the beach (Sokcho Beach, not the above death trap). We hopped in a cab and the driver watched the Olympics while driving us. Interestingly, I had just read this post at Boingboing earlier in the day.


On the cab home, A different sport but the same thing.
Should I have stopped the cab and gotten another one? I figured they would turn the sports off once we started moving.