And the drama continues...

Korea is known throughout Asia for one big export (okay, probably more but this is the one that I'm the most aware of). KOREAN DRAMAS. This is the essence of 한류, or the Korean Wave. It's an export of pop culture and TV and music and all that good stuff. 

But anyway, since Korea is the originating site of such "drama" as it were, it only makes sense that there is some "drama" in my own life. And here it goes.

Drama #1. So there is pool drama once again. The boss manager at my pool has been apparently harassing our swim instructors again and so this time instead of waiting to be fired they are acting proactively and 4 of the 6 swim instructors have given their two weeks' notice. This time, seeing how the management has sufficient time, the transition to new people is supposed to be seamless. The current instructors will finish out this month and then starting in June 4 new ones will arrive to supplement the 2 that stay behind. 

Of COURSE, my instructor is not one of the 2 that is staying on. He's actually moving to the first pool that I looked into closer to my house (but impossible for me to get to using public transportation). And that pool doesn't allow private lessons. So, I will probably not be following him there. Okay, I lied. I will definitely not be following him there as I just paid my June pool fees Saturday morning. I'm now debating if I want to join a general class (which he encourages me to do because he thinks I'm ready) or if I should take more lessons either with a new instructor or one of the ones I know who's staying. Hmm...

Drama #2. Okay, so last week was my allergy appointment at Severance. And of course when I got home I debriefed my hostfam about it. I also complained a bit about the lack of "international" service available to me after all the hullabaloo about how foreigner-friendly Severance would be. 

For example, I didn't see one of the "English-speaking" doctors in the International Center, I was referred to an allergy specialist from the first time I went (directed by the dude I spoke to on the phone who asked why I needed to see a doctor) who spoke very minimal English (he knew the names of drugs in English). AND THEY DIDN'T GIVE ME AN INTERPRETER!!! okay, so I LOOK Korean, but clearly if I went through the IHCC that means SOMETHING.

So anyway, imo starts criticizing John Linton (the head doctor guy of the IHCC at Severance). First of all, both my host parents went to Seoul National Med School so they're kindof rival schools with Yonsei (parent to Severance Hospital). It's like Harvard v. Yale, I guess. Anyway, hostmom was like, "scoff, what? after all that bragging about the IHCC and how English-friendly  their services are?" and I was like YEA I KNOW GRRR. and she goes on to tell me this story about why she totally doesn't trust John Linton and thinks he's kindof a nutjob.

Apparently, many years ago, there was some bitter rivalry between Yonsei and Seoul National's med schools. And their hospitals had some feuding going on also. At which point, John Linton staged an ambush at Seoul National. He busted into the clinic where imo was working with a bunch of other Yonsei people and they tore up Seoul National's clinic, throwing stuff around and making a huge mess before declaring victory and leaving. I didn't quite understand this whole story and imo seemed very upset about what had happened, so I didn't press her. But, wow. People are so interesting...