"We sail within a vast sphere, ever drifting in uncertainty, driven from end to end."
Blaise Pascal
April 28, 2010
April 24, 2010
Volunteering at the Vet's Again
I went to the veterinarian to volunteer again today. I did see one atrocity. A tiny female poodle was there. She had just came from the shelter that day. The poor dog had fur that was so matted that it had pulled away from the skin. The dog's skin was mostly bare and the fur was in long stringy mats. The fur was all shaved off by the vet's assistant. A friend and I did help hold her for a while. A large tick was pulled off her face. I noticed her ears were dirty, so I told the vet to clean them out. His assistant took out lots of black stuff and ear mites. The ear mite infestation was very bad. I hated seeing a dog in such a bad condition. I held the dog while the vet scraped some skin off it to test for diseases. Thankfully it was only dermatitis, but the dog's skin was all flaky everywhere.
I am happy to say that dog is being adopted by a friend of mine. It will stay at the animal hospital for a while and will later go home with her. I am glad it has a new chance at life. I do wish that people who don't want their animals would give them to another home rather than neglect them like that.
I shaved a very matted white poodle. I had never shaved a dog before. I did once shave a little bit of a Yorkshire terrier's face to get rid of some muck that built up in its eyes. This was a dog entirely shaved myself. The mats were very thick and it had some yellow dye in its ears and tail. There are many dogs in Korea that have dyed fur. I think I did well in shaving it, I only slightly knicked its rear leg. It wasn't too bad. I did feel pleased with myself. I am going to put up some new photos of it on the internet so that it will be more likely to get adopted.
I also washed a dog with someone else. The dog was malnourished, but not too badly. It was going to a home soon. We must have pulled about 15 ticks off it.
I have been told that maybe I should get a job with animals.
April 22, 2010
What to do, what to do
My time in Korea is shortening. I am not sure if I will be gone for good or not. I have been thinking of what to do with myself. I just sent out three resumes for other jobs in Korea, and I have also inquired about another one. I haven't had any feedback yet. I am wondering what is going on. At least I can hear "there's nothing available now". I was talking to my friend from college last Sunday (who is also here in Korea) and she was lecturing me on the phone. She told me that I have to start thinking seriously about what I am going to do with myself. If I can't find anything in Korea, I have to look at options in other countries. If I go to stay in the USA indefinitely, then I should be sending out resumes over there for a job.
She is right that I do have to think about things like that. So far, going to the USA means living with my family until I leave home again. I really don't want to live with my mother for a long time. I do love my mother, but I also want to be on my own. I am thirty years old now and I am old enough to take care of myself.
I don't see many options in the United States for me now. I have only a degree in English, which could help me to work in an office. There are not many jobs in my area for me. I am already overqualified for most of the jobs since I have a bachelor's degree. The best thing for me to do would be to relocate.
There are some cities that are not too far from me, like Hartford, Boston, and Providence with more opportunities than my small town.
I like the idea of study better. Yet, since I am THIRTY now (I still am in denial) I must be quick. I finally sent in an application to study at Stellenbosch. I did fill in one earlier, but it landed in my junk mail. I have had a number of friends here telling me how great the place is. I have to send in my transcripts.
I should also look at some other places. I KNOW I have to not put all my eggs in one basket.
She is right that I do have to think about things like that. So far, going to the USA means living with my family until I leave home again. I really don't want to live with my mother for a long time. I do love my mother, but I also want to be on my own. I am thirty years old now and I am old enough to take care of myself.
I don't see many options in the United States for me now. I have only a degree in English, which could help me to work in an office. There are not many jobs in my area for me. I am already overqualified for most of the jobs since I have a bachelor's degree. The best thing for me to do would be to relocate.
There are some cities that are not too far from me, like Hartford, Boston, and Providence with more opportunities than my small town.
I like the idea of study better. Yet, since I am THIRTY now (I still am in denial) I must be quick. I finally sent in an application to study at Stellenbosch. I did fill in one earlier, but it landed in my junk mail. I have had a number of friends here telling me how great the place is. I have to send in my transcripts.
I should also look at some other places. I KNOW I have to not put all my eggs in one basket.
April 20, 2010
Kidnapping in Korea
One big difference I have noticed between the USA and Korea is the amount of freedom Korean children have in comparision to their U.S. counterparts. I see children everywhere walking to school by themselves, outside playing with other children, and taking the buses and subways without adults accompanying them.
The way Korean children live is a far cry from most American children, who usually only leave the home with an adult with them. Parents there are so paranoid about kidnapping and molesting that children have little freedom. Parents say things like "You have to watch your children all the time", "You can't turn your back for a second", and "Things aren't the same as when I was small, it's more dangerous now". Most American children live their lives inside, and leave the house when a parent is willing to drive them somewhere.
I have envied the Korean children for their ability to walk the streets without parental supervision. I envied their families for not having the constant worry about kidnapping.
I did realize that kidnapping is something that is rising in Korea. About 50 children are kidnapped every year. It's something that Koreans seem not to want to talk about. I have seen pictures of missing children in my mail when I get bills in the mail. There is a photo, the child's name, and some information on where the kid was last seen. I have noticed that some of those children have been missing for at least five years, some of them for at least ten. I asked other Koreans about the kidnapping trends and they say "maybe they just got lost", "we don't know how many go missing", and things like that. It shows that Korea likes to pretend it isn't a problem.
I do think that Korea wants to pretend that kidnapping isn't a problem because they don't like to look bad. They want to keep things appearing nice, so they don't want to talk about such tragic things. I think kidnapping is the worst thing that a parent can go through, most especially if the child isn't found for many years or at all. At least if the child dies and the parent can bury it there is some sort of closure, but if the child is missing for many years, there is no knowing what really happened.
In the United States, kidnapping is quite common, but the statistics show that the majority of children kidnapped in the U.S. are taken by people they know, not strangers. Actually, most kidnappings are done by non-custodial family members. Other kidnappings occur among acquaintances. The stereotypical kidnappings are more rare. Those taken by strangers are only just over 100 children a year.
Now when I come to think about it, if 50 children a year are kidnapped in South Korea where the population is 50 million, then a child has about a 1 in a million chance of being kidnapped. In the USA there are about 100 kidnappings of children to 300 million people. If the USA has only twice the amount of stranger kidnappings with six times the Korean population, then the statistics show that there is more of a likelihood of being kidnapped in Korea than in the USA. Yet, the Korean statistics don't say why these children were taken or who took them. I do wonder how many of them are taken abroad by overseas family members or who was sold into sexual slavery.
I do think that kidnapping is very sad, and I do wish that more things would be done about it. Yet I do think that the USA is too paranoid about it. If more people were outside, then it wouldn't be such a big deal to let children out alone. Unless it is an area with an extremely high crime rate like Los Angeles or Chicago, then I do think it's only too paranoid of parents these days to keep their children inside.
The way Korean children live is a far cry from most American children, who usually only leave the home with an adult with them. Parents there are so paranoid about kidnapping and molesting that children have little freedom. Parents say things like "You have to watch your children all the time", "You can't turn your back for a second", and "Things aren't the same as when I was small, it's more dangerous now". Most American children live their lives inside, and leave the house when a parent is willing to drive them somewhere.
I have envied the Korean children for their ability to walk the streets without parental supervision. I envied their families for not having the constant worry about kidnapping.
I did realize that kidnapping is something that is rising in Korea. About 50 children are kidnapped every year. It's something that Koreans seem not to want to talk about. I have seen pictures of missing children in my mail when I get bills in the mail. There is a photo, the child's name, and some information on where the kid was last seen. I have noticed that some of those children have been missing for at least five years, some of them for at least ten. I asked other Koreans about the kidnapping trends and they say "maybe they just got lost", "we don't know how many go missing", and things like that. It shows that Korea likes to pretend it isn't a problem.
I do think that Korea wants to pretend that kidnapping isn't a problem because they don't like to look bad. They want to keep things appearing nice, so they don't want to talk about such tragic things. I think kidnapping is the worst thing that a parent can go through, most especially if the child isn't found for many years or at all. At least if the child dies and the parent can bury it there is some sort of closure, but if the child is missing for many years, there is no knowing what really happened.
In the United States, kidnapping is quite common, but the statistics show that the majority of children kidnapped in the U.S. are taken by people they know, not strangers. Actually, most kidnappings are done by non-custodial family members. Other kidnappings occur among acquaintances. The stereotypical kidnappings are more rare. Those taken by strangers are only just over 100 children a year.
Now when I come to think about it, if 50 children a year are kidnapped in South Korea where the population is 50 million, then a child has about a 1 in a million chance of being kidnapped. In the USA there are about 100 kidnappings of children to 300 million people. If the USA has only twice the amount of stranger kidnappings with six times the Korean population, then the statistics show that there is more of a likelihood of being kidnapped in Korea than in the USA. Yet, the Korean statistics don't say why these children were taken or who took them. I do wonder how many of them are taken abroad by overseas family members or who was sold into sexual slavery.
I do think that kidnapping is very sad, and I do wish that more things would be done about it. Yet I do think that the USA is too paranoid about it. If more people were outside, then it wouldn't be such a big deal to let children out alone. Unless it is an area with an extremely high crime rate like Los Angeles or Chicago, then I do think it's only too paranoid of parents these days to keep their children inside.
April 18, 2010
Speech Contest
I was given a script that was written by a student for a speech contest. I am supposed to give comments. The Konglish is comical, yet I do understand this person's point of view. Here is the script:
To My Dear Mom, and To the Future Hope-to-be Moms
I could smell fusty and stinky smell again out of the rest room, and it's the very same thing that I've been used to every morning. What is this smell? Yuk!(seeming like to vomit right away) Bye the way, before long then I became to know that mom's smoking. That beautiful woman, who has such a beautiful daughter, really had been doing it. I was captured by a great shock and even had to stay few days without a word. I began to hate mom. I disliked her. So I decided to write to her.
Mom! Are you my mom? I can't live without you but could you? Are you going to leave me alone on this world and would you like to say untimely farewell? No way! Never, Never! Then I'll follow you right after.
Ladies and gentlemen, I saw quiet much of my friends suffering mental and physical problems from smoking of their parents around me. Musty smell really drives me to be like to throw up and it burrows through my clothes to cause others to get me wrong as a smoker in school. But worst of all, I become to restless about the feeling that parents could pass away from lung cancer in any moment. But the most important thing that we should look around is that children are exposed to lung cancer through the smoking of their parents.
Dear future mothers and fathers!
Do you want to see your children hanging around coughing and choking surrounded by cigarette smoke? Do you want to see your pretty little daughter's lung burt off to black? Do you really hope to see your children's neck having a hole? When, later, they are blaming you crying and saying "all because of you" just before their death, then would you mumble some irresponsible words that you had to quit it looking at their pale faces?
My fellows, try to recall now. The faces of your lovely family. Time is too short for us to love them enough through out the whole our lives. Why would you choose to live in the smoke of cigarette with our short lives? Why should you make your children to shed tears from their eyes?
God doesn't want us to live in the hazy and dusty cigarette smoke. He gave us the blue sky and let us breathe clean air freely hearing the songs of beautiful birds.
Thanks for listening.
To My Dear Mom, and To the Future Hope-to-be Moms
I could smell fusty and stinky smell again out of the rest room, and it's the very same thing that I've been used to every morning. What is this smell? Yuk!(seeming like to vomit right away) Bye the way, before long then I became to know that mom's smoking. That beautiful woman, who has such a beautiful daughter, really had been doing it. I was captured by a great shock and even had to stay few days without a word. I began to hate mom. I disliked her. So I decided to write to her.
Mom! Are you my mom? I can't live without you but could you? Are you going to leave me alone on this world and would you like to say untimely farewell? No way! Never, Never! Then I'll follow you right after.
Ladies and gentlemen, I saw quiet much of my friends suffering mental and physical problems from smoking of their parents around me. Musty smell really drives me to be like to throw up and it burrows through my clothes to cause others to get me wrong as a smoker in school. But worst of all, I become to restless about the feeling that parents could pass away from lung cancer in any moment. But the most important thing that we should look around is that children are exposed to lung cancer through the smoking of their parents.
Dear future mothers and fathers!
Do you want to see your children hanging around coughing and choking surrounded by cigarette smoke? Do you want to see your pretty little daughter's lung burt off to black? Do you really hope to see your children's neck having a hole? When, later, they are blaming you crying and saying "all because of you" just before their death, then would you mumble some irresponsible words that you had to quit it looking at their pale faces?
My fellows, try to recall now. The faces of your lovely family. Time is too short for us to love them enough through out the whole our lives. Why would you choose to live in the smoke of cigarette with our short lives? Why should you make your children to shed tears from their eyes?
God doesn't want us to live in the hazy and dusty cigarette smoke. He gave us the blue sky and let us breathe clean air freely hearing the songs of beautiful birds.
Thanks for listening.
April 17, 2010
School and allergies
I am glad to say that my fever is gone now. I am finally feeling a lot better. I like that. I really do wish that I didn't have such bad springtime allergies. I took off some work last week because of my allergies and my work is mad at me. They think I was off having some fun, even though I later came back to work with the skin under my nose raw from so much blowing. During a meeting with other teachers I sneezed and a lot of snot came out of my nose and I had to quickly leave the room. I felt embarrassed and wished I had a tissue on me there.
I really do feel tired of working with children. I do admit that I am not very good with children. I don't feel I have good skills with them. I really don't want to deal with children at my job. I know I will be happy to leave this job. I don't want to be cynical or have a bad attitude, so I will try to make the most of things for now. Yet, I am not interested in teaching children anymore. I feel constantly stressed out, depressed, and feel at a loss of what to do with them. I just feel that I have reached my emotional threshold and can't tolerate it.
I feel upset at my workplace for acting like they own me. The Korean culture feels that their work is so important, that it is such a major part of their life and most important. People work for long hours and will go to work even when they are very sick. They are less tolerating of people taking sick leave. Students are the same way, many students are in school even when they are ill. It makes no sense to me, I think that sick people should stay home.
I was told by the director (who told me off very coldly last Friday) that he wants me to put into writing what I did with my time, why I thought it was a good idea to take off work, and how I am going to work for the rest of the time I am here. It won't happen. I won't put anything into writing because it could later be used against me.
On Monday I will go back to the hospital I went to and try to get a doctor's note. I had trouble getting one in the first place because few people there could speak English and few signs were in English. The prescription I showed my job wasn't good enough.
I do admit it. I don't want to do any more working with children. I don't like it. I will never again take a job that requires me to spend time in charge of them. I just don't feel like that is my talent. I decided that I will never work with children again.
I really do feel tired of working with children. I do admit that I am not very good with children. I don't feel I have good skills with them. I really don't want to deal with children at my job. I know I will be happy to leave this job. I don't want to be cynical or have a bad attitude, so I will try to make the most of things for now. Yet, I am not interested in teaching children anymore. I feel constantly stressed out, depressed, and feel at a loss of what to do with them. I just feel that I have reached my emotional threshold and can't tolerate it.
I feel upset at my workplace for acting like they own me. The Korean culture feels that their work is so important, that it is such a major part of their life and most important. People work for long hours and will go to work even when they are very sick. They are less tolerating of people taking sick leave. Students are the same way, many students are in school even when they are ill. It makes no sense to me, I think that sick people should stay home.
I was told by the director (who told me off very coldly last Friday) that he wants me to put into writing what I did with my time, why I thought it was a good idea to take off work, and how I am going to work for the rest of the time I am here. It won't happen. I won't put anything into writing because it could later be used against me.
On Monday I will go back to the hospital I went to and try to get a doctor's note. I had trouble getting one in the first place because few people there could speak English and few signs were in English. The prescription I showed my job wasn't good enough.
I do admit it. I don't want to do any more working with children. I don't like it. I will never again take a job that requires me to spend time in charge of them. I just don't feel like that is my talent. I decided that I will never work with children again.
April 16, 2010
Puppy Adoption
A U.S. military family adopted a puppy I put on the animal rescue site. I was wondering how they were doing. This is the reply:
"Hello! Thanks for your message, and for wondering about us. We are doing great with the little girl, who we have named Charlie. She is an absolute gem and other than a little cough (which we will get some meds for on monday in Osan) and a tiny bit of food aggression she is awesome. She loves my kids and plays with them nonstop. She is a little ball of energy! My older dog is getting along okay with her. They have had some scuffles, but they both know their respective places now. I think Matilda is happier now because she gets to go outside more often! We are keeping Charlie in a kennel at night and are in the process of housetraining her. It is slow going but she's getting the idea. I am trying to bribe her with hot dogs and it's been sorta successful. lol. Once we got her home and washed she seemed to settle right in and now it feels like she's been here forever. Thank you so much for all your help in this process. You definitely helped us find our newest family member.
Sincerely,
Tara"
Well, even though I don't feel good today, this does make me happy.
"Hello! Thanks for your message, and for wondering about us. We are doing great with the little girl, who we have named Charlie. She is an absolute gem and other than a little cough (which we will get some meds for on monday in Osan) and a tiny bit of food aggression she is awesome. She loves my kids and plays with them nonstop. She is a little ball of energy! My older dog is getting along okay with her. They have had some scuffles, but they both know their respective places now. I think Matilda is happier now because she gets to go outside more often! We are keeping Charlie in a kennel at night and are in the process of housetraining her. It is slow going but she's getting the idea. I am trying to bribe her with hot dogs and it's been sorta successful. lol. Once we got her home and washed she seemed to settle right in and now it feels like she's been here forever. Thank you so much for all your help in this process. You definitely helped us find our newest family member.
Sincerely,
Tara"
Well, even though I don't feel good today, this does make me happy.
April 15, 2010
Animal Rescue Korea
I have been getting involved with "Animal Rescue Korea" (ARK) lately. I started with it last month. I do have some good things that happened with it, and some things that were not so good.
Well, for the good things, I placed a death-row shih tzu with a neighbor. I also had two malteses and a yorkshire terrier sent to the USA. One maltese is living with my sister and the other with a co-worker. I have two more malteses that will go out soon. I do feel good about saving those dogs.
On the sadder note, I took in a yorkie that I knew had one working lung. I figured I could just keep it for a while and then find a home for it. It eventually started falling over and having what appeared to be seizures. It is at the vet that works closely with the shelter. Thankfully he is doing a lot better now. I know he misses me a lot. I do have to find a place for him if he recovers.
I got a kitten last week and it has been sneezing. Thankfully it has been eating, drinking, and using the litter box. I brought it to the vet today for some medication and nebulizing. I do hope it will be fine.
Well, for the good things, I placed a death-row shih tzu with a neighbor. I also had two malteses and a yorkshire terrier sent to the USA. One maltese is living with my sister and the other with a co-worker. I have two more malteses that will go out soon. I do feel good about saving those dogs.
On the sadder note, I took in a yorkie that I knew had one working lung. I figured I could just keep it for a while and then find a home for it. It eventually started falling over and having what appeared to be seizures. It is at the vet that works closely with the shelter. Thankfully he is doing a lot better now. I know he misses me a lot. I do have to find a place for him if he recovers.
I got a kitten last week and it has been sneezing. Thankfully it has been eating, drinking, and using the litter box. I brought it to the vet today for some medication and nebulizing. I do hope it will be fine.
April 14, 2010
Sickness
Since about last Tuesday I have been feeling ill. I have been very tired and having a stuffy nose. I have also been having lots of phlegm and chest pains and it is difficult to talk sometimes. I went to the doctor yesterday and he prescribed some medicines. He said I have symptoms of common cold and tonsillitis.
I didn't go to work today. I wanted to rest. I did end up doing some laundry and cleaned my floors because I needed to do that badly. I do think that I should still go to bed early. I am already feeling a bit better, so that is good.
Last night Master Kim, my taekwondo instructor, called me because I didn't to to class last week or this week. I told him that I have been sick. I felt good that he cares about me.
I didn't go to work today. I wanted to rest. I did end up doing some laundry and cleaned my floors because I needed to do that badly. I do think that I should still go to bed early. I am already feeling a bit better, so that is good.
Last night Master Kim, my taekwondo instructor, called me because I didn't to to class last week or this week. I told him that I have been sick. I felt good that he cares about me.
April 8, 2010
Walking to work
It takes me about 15 minutes to walk to work. It's all uphill. Thankfully the road winds a bit so it's not too bad. I quickly got dressed and left the house and was walking to work and realized that there was something in my trouser's leg. I was already running late so I went to work. I soon went to the restroom and pulled out a pair of underpants. Thankfully those didn't fall out in front of anyone. That would have been embarrassing.
April 6, 2010
wiped out
I don't feel good today. I woke up being achy and having a sore throat and a headache. I made it through the day by taking naps between classes in the teacher's lounge. I do hope I feel better soon.
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