South Korea

I recently went to a dentist for a check up. My boss' dentist. The guy doesn't speak English, I don't speak nearly enough to communicate so my boss translated some things over the phone. But he's not very good with translating things regarding dentistry. Doesn't know the special terms, and for some reason just wasn't very cooperative at all even though I'm sure he could have translated most things easily enough.

Well, the dentist did some things without getting my approval. I couldn't floss between some teeth because of something he did. So I went back. Turns out he put some amalgam between some teeth! I have no idea why he did this.

So I went to another dentist. One recommended by another foreigner. This guy trained at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee so he speaks real good English. He told me what the other dentist did.

I got a check up with this new guy. I knew I have amalgam fillings but didn't know how many. 12. The dentist can replace them with what he calls resin. I've decided to have him replace two tomorrow. I'll have him do more if I feel he's doing a good job.

He wants about US$70 per tooth. That includes everything from drilling ouit the old amalgam to putting in the new stuff. It'd cost far far far more in the US so I'd like to get it done here and now while I am making money and can get it done so much cheaper than in the US.

Thing is, I've been reading about amalgam. I've read that the procedure itself is dangerous. If the mercury in the amalgam filling gets into your body ... well, that's very dangerous. They say that mercury isn't something you want at high concentrations in your blood. They say the dentist should use a "rubber dam" and take other precautions. But this dentist told me he doesn't use rubber dams anymore. He told me that the way he does it is very safe. I'm skeptical but I'll try it. Tomorrow.

I'll add that I've also read that many people don't see any improvement in their health after amalgam replacement. Many do, but many don't. So I'm not expecting anything incredibly to happen.

Wait until you see my garden. I'll put a shot on this blog someday. I should do it soon too because some of the plants have blossomed. It's a thriving garden in my eyes. I don't suppose many people would see it the same. But I love it. There's more out there than I can eat.

Just yesterday I loosened the soil in another garden. It's also here at the apt but I haven't planted anything in it yet. Well, okay, I have. Just yesterday I uprooted six mugwort plants from the forest near my home. I brought them to the garden that I'd already loosened, made a hole for each plant, put them in deep enough to cover the roots, proped them upright, then watered. I looked at them earlier today and they all look fine. One is drooping over a bit but I'm sure it'll be fine.

Mugwort grows all over the place. I've been seeing it since I arrived. It grows all year round, apparently. My boss told me that Mugwort is the first plant to grow in Hiroshima and Nagasaki after the bombings. He says it's considered to be an incredibly hardy plant and very good for your health. I see lots of foods around here in Korea made with the stuff.

I eat it occasionally and it tastes okay. Not great, but not bad. In a green smoothie (fruits and vegetables blended together to taste more fruity than vegetably - delic ;-)) it's fine.

I've got some seeds that friends gave me last year. I'll plant them tomorrow or the next day. They gave me seeds for a kind of mallow, giant radish, chinese cabbage, and snap peas. I'll put probably all of them into the new garden even though this apparently really isn't the season for them.

I also want to grow some lettuces and maybe some spinach too but everyone else planted their spinach long ago and the plants are getting near time to harvest. But maybe it's not too late. I really don't know. I'd like to plant some other vegetables. Probably plant a few tomatoes. We'll see. I've never been crazy about them.

This is an unusually short and warm winter. Right now the temperature should be well below 10 degrees celsius. But it's a little above right now. And the weather has been wonderful the past several days. It's raining right now, and tomorrow night is supposed to get down to 3 degrees celsius! From a high of 11 or 12 tomorrow to a low of 3! Then the next several days are supposed to be cold also, but more like 6, 7, and 8.

I suppose this is global warming.

I've been studying Korean language pretty hard. I've got a book, that honestly isn't very well done, that I've been using. The language is less polite than the other books I looked over, more like language that I can use with friends, and in every day life. But it doesn't have anything to listen to, no CD or tape. So recently two friends from the temple have been recording parts of the book for me. Last Sunday, and today. They record it onto a program that I downloaded for free. Then I put it onto iTunes, then put it on my iPod. It's easy and the sound quality if good. I walk to and from the temple and listen to it. Over and over and over .... The two friends that are recording for me are both ladies. One of them wants to study English and is willing to teach me Korean. We've only gotten together once, a couple of days ago. Her name is Hyeon-ni. Sun-mi went also. Sun-mi knows lots and lots of English so Hyeon-mi and I didn't actually speak that much. Hyeon-mi talked through Sun-mi a lot instead of struggling to communicate directly with me. I knew this sort of thing would happen but didn't want to say that Sun-mi shouldn't come because then Hyeon-mi and I wouldn't practice each other's languages that much. I felt that this would be a bit rude. Thinking back, I could have suggested that Hyeon-mi struggle but I didn't. Next time.

Sometimes it seems pretty easy to justify quitting the study of Korean. I'll be here only six months then have no intention of coming back. But I tell myself that at least the six months I have left will be more enjoyable if I can communicate more with people. That was one of the things I enjoyed most in Thailand, talking with people. Both the Asoke people that I lived and worked with, and just people in general. I won't be able to do much conversing with people here, but, well, as much as I can anyway will be worth it. Plus, I enjoy language study. In addition, if I decide to live at a Korean temple when I return to the US, well ....

HIYA!

I haven't written anything for quite a long time. So I've got some things to say. I've been busy.

I still go to the temple. But just today I decided that I'll slack off the temple. I've been sitting at least 3 times a week, more often five or six days a week for nearly six months now. I see no benefit. In fact, I've been meditating on and off for many years now but have never felt any benefit from it.

Just a couple of hours ago, I talked with my friend at the temple, Sunmi about my meditation practice. She told me, as she has told me before, that she thinks I haven't been meditating seriously. She's right. I don't feel the spark. I feel that meditation is really important but just don't feel the burning desire to get into it.

I have not joined the evening ceremonies for a long time. I don't know when they have them until I get to the temple and hear the sounds of the ceremony. Every time I get close to the temple and hear the sound, I feel relief that I'm not going to go! Considering that I feel this way, and have felt this way for a while now, I'll stop meditating at the temple at least for now. I may sit at home for a few minutes. We'll see. Honestly I don't feel the desire to sit. I do have conviction that meditation is important, but apparently it's not strong enough to yank me in.

I'm still happy to go on Sundays and socialize a little. Be with the group. I always feel good when I'm there, and when I'm with those people.