Korea-stalgia

Today was one of those "I miss Korea days." I do recall coming home with a sense of mission and satisfaction after finishing a three-year stint in East Asia.

I remember one of the more funny "reentry shock" periods was that while getting fixed for a tux...I felt like Americans were speaking English "too much." I wasn't really comfortable speaking in English after being abroad for so long. I spoke carefully and I had to listen carefully to many conversations. It was honestly hard!

More and more memories knock on my mental door, asking to come in.

I allowed two of them to come in today for tea. One for today, the other for another day.

"The Quarantine" - Korea faced the oncoming H1N1 epidemic like the rest of the world. They were right to do it. It scared everyone. However, one unique thing about Korean society is that when they face fear from the outside, they overreact. Since the disease of 2009 opened up in Mexico City during the spring, the disease started to gain ground in America and other countries, slowly traveling the globe. Pestilence was knocking on East Asia's door, from Japan to Korea to...

So I had to go home towards the end of July 2009. My grandmother would be passing away during that time, so I did the right thing, canceled my vacation, and went home for a week to say goodbye to her. It was a sad time in my life, because I never experienced death in a family from my dad's side before. I was satisfied to see my grandmother one last time, say goodbye, and share some thoughts with her. I didn't get to share the Gospel as I liked to, but I know that it was through His timing that I knew she wouldn't be without excuse.

I returned on a Sunday...to be exact, a Sunday night. The flight was long and ridiculous. I took United Airlines (masked for Nippon Airways) to Tokyo, which wasn't exactly for their comfortable flights and good service. Then, I took the best flight in my life when I boarded Asiana Airlines for Seoul/Incheon. Asiana Air is literally rated the best in the world for its in-flight service, cleanliness, and hospitality. Their stewardesses are rated high and trained well.

Finally around late that night, bleary-eyed, I got off the plane to step into the last half of summer. Awashed with emotions from meeting my grandmother for the last time...I knew that I had to keep going and get ready for the new fall semester. I had to go into work that Monday, so no rest for the weary. The only good thing was that kids were still on vacation, so I could show up, but not really show up mentally. Summer is the only big down-time for teachers, who usually come into the man the fort to answer phone calls, get paperwork done, teach an extra class or two, or surf the Net.

In comes the pestilence. The Korean government calls for a massive quarantine of anyone who has been abroad, especially from countries that have been hit early by H1N1. My school, realizing that I could be a threat, immediately lets me know by text that I shouldn't come in tomorrow. Just for a few days.

I am elated because of the fact that I got a bonus vacation on two false grounds: 1. How do they know if I have the disease? 2. Wouldn't they screened me at the airport if I had a high temperature?

So I'm chilling in my apartment (which I brag, was one of the best for single people). For days. Doing nothing but eating, sleeping, watching my new Blu-ray discs, playing videogames all day, while getting paid. I am told "to stay in your apartment." But how do they know that? Do they have spooks on me detailing my moves?

Then my activities extended: going to the bathhouse and getting a hot bath in. After all, what better way to kill disease then to take a hot bath? Then, even though my Korean teacher at Inha University knew I was on quarantine, told me to come anyway to study (the more, the merrier). Being lazy, I opted not to go to Hapkido lessons for that week (excerise? No way). My quarantine extended to the start of school, where I missed two days of classes on government time.

The story ends with a rumor. Students suspected that I got H1N1 because I didn't show up to school, and they were asking me about it. What I wanted to reply to them was..."what a poor man I was for one week, what a blessed man I am!" I pretended to have the disease anyway.

By the middle of Fall, with the disease starting to take its turn, the Korean government discourages quarantines because by then it started to take hold on the civilian population, because control. I just got in at a good time.