Waiting for the drugs to kick in...

Well, I'm sick. This is my first, non-alcohol or head smashing induced illness in Korea. It's not fun. I'm completely stuffed up, but hopefully the incessant sneezing will take care of that soon. The director of my school brought me some medicine at the end of the day. I have no idea what it is. Two capsules of some sort and a pouch of something. The stuff in the pouch looked like food for miniature rabbits but tasted oddly like tea. As I said, I have no idea what it was, but I apologize in advance if this update becomes painfully incoherent as it starts to take effect.

The illness actually started on Friday night, a slight scratchiness in my throat. I went out with my fellow aliens that night, again had a great time. Leave it a guy who's been here for five years (Matt) to find to places in the city that have a good atmosphere. This time it was a very nice BBQ restaurant. The food was tasty, the side dishes were plentiful and varied and it was pretty cheap. After that we migrated to Blue Moon and ordered giant armour-plated jug of beer after giant armour-plated jug of beer. It was fun. After a few hours of merriment there, we still felt like enjoying ourselves and made our way down the block to a late night restaurant. It was there that I finally tried the infamous silkworm larvae of Korea. Mmm-mm, was it nasty, but I can now add silkworm larvae to the list that was started in Mexico with grasshoppers. After that, it was pretty late and everyone dispersed. I hung out with Laura, sitting around talking for a few more hours, finally got to bed by 4:30 am.

On Saturday, I felt awful. I slept late, my throat was worse (gee, I wonder how that happened, what with all the drinking and bar talking and staying up late). I decided early that I wasn't going to make it to Busan that night. I was wrong, but I'll get into that later. I hung out with Laura for a while, but we both were feeling pretty rotten so it didn't last long.

At 8:00 that night I decided that I needed to do something and I decided that I wasn't too late to make it down to Busan to see Astroboy's final show. I knew it was a bad idea, having already cancelled on Han Tae and informed my friends in Busan that I wouldn't be there as well as being very tired and increasingly sick, but I did it anyway. It proved to be an even stupider decision than originally estimated. When I got to Soultrane, I was quickly ignored by the friends that were there. Feeling a little odd and realizing that I still had a half hour or so before the show started, I went over to Crossroads. Again, I was mightily ignored by those I knew, with the exception of the people behind the bar, including Hyuk, the guitarist/singer for Astroboy. But he was busy getting ready and didn't have much time to talk. I had a beer, and made my way back to Soultrane for the show. The show was great. It's sad that it was the last.

Right before the show, Jonathan showed up and he was his usual friendly self. After the show he seemed to take in the situation of me being ignored and offered to take me to a different club where he was DJ-ing that night. I went. I did not have a good time. It was a typical dance club scene, which is not what I'm into. The only person I knew was very busy putting on the music. I got irritated quickly and fled after about an hour.

Fleeing was a strange decision as I was in a part of the city I didn't know at about 3:00 in the morning. The busses/subway weren't running and I had no more money for a room or a taxi to the train station. Being me, I used my map studying skills and walked to the train station. It took two hours. That was fine as it got me there right on time to catch the first train home.

I slept very deeply on Sunday. I still got up by noon and ended up spending the day with Laura and Alex. I finally got to see the places where other foreigners live in Milyang and I am very jealous. Laura's place is tiny, yes, but its clean, bug free, the ceiling doesn't leak and it has actual cupboards and drawers as well as laundry facilities. Alex's place is amazing. At home, her place might be considered slightly small, but it's not really. It was extremely nice. The colours chosen are soft and soothing, it has an air conditioner and private laundry facilities. It was a dream apartment, and by that I mean I would kill for it at home, not just here. Anyway, Sunday ended up as another very late night.

Monday was a long day. I started off feeling ill, but strangely got better as the day progressed. Tuesday was perfectly fine, health-wise. My throat was still a little sore, but seemed to be getting better. Han Tae took me out for lunch, a yummy bowl of dolsot bibimbap, and I also had spicy-ish chicken that was cooked with a combination of a grill and a hair dryer with Laura that night. It was good.

I slept great Tuesday night and woke up feeling wonderful today. Han Tae came by for lunch and brought along Yong, the other guitarist for our fledgling band, which we have decided to call Junior Panthers. Don't know if that name will stick, but we'll see. Anyway, all was going relatively well until I got to work. Gradually, I descended into this current state of abject illness.

Speaking of which, I am starting to feel the drugs coming on. I'm a bit loopy and can feel myself starting to float a bit. I should stop typing now.

Guy