Sick-mas.

It's Christmas Eve in America and Christmas Day in Korea, but really the day is just another day. It's doesn't exactly feel like Christmas in this part of the world. Although I don't celebrate it, the last 6 Christmases have been nice spending it with my observing friends' and boyfriends' families, and I miss it a bit this year. However, our school is throwing us a Christmas party in the evening: food, drinks, alcohol, talent show (which I am partaking in...). More to come on that one later.

I have seen some small Christmas trees around town, and some stores have been playing American Christmas songs, which is always fun, but that's about as far as it goes. At school, our manager ordered us a big feast for lunch: sushi, some Korean fried pork things, some sort of soup, green tea pizza and some breaded chicken breasts. One of the foreign teachers dressed up as Santa and gave all the students in the school some candy - well, except for the middle schoolers, we don't like them. Other than that, just another day at school with fascinating writing (see example photo), and at least one student per class demanding, "Teacher! Give me candy!"

On a less-than-thrilling note, the winter season has brought sickness with it in full force! The students act as disease-carrying parasites that attack when least expected. They may look cute in these pictures, but don't be fooled. School is essentially a place to unavoidably contract illnesses. I thought I had trained the little rats to cover their mouths just in time for the cold and sick season, but wow, was I mistaken. Three weeks ago, I came down with tonsillitis and paid a visit to the doctor. It was pretty miserable being sick, but after a shot of who-knows-what in my behind, I was feeling a lot better. The doc also gave me a bunch of unmarked pills to take 5 pills, 3 times a day for 3 days. Perhaps needless to say, I was feeling almost 100% by the end of all that. I thought I was done with sickness for a while, but again was mistaken.

Perhaps there are a few different strings of viruses going around, and my immunity to the others has not yet built itself up. After feeling healthy for a solid two weeks, the ever-so-lovely children continued with their coughing down my throat. Last Friday night, I contracted some sort of cough which would soon become bronchitis. I spent the entire weekend in bed, had to take a sick day on Monday, and finally made it back to the doc for Wednesday after our work meeting. Bronchitis - another shot in the bum, a bunch of unmarked pills for 3 days and some "frog" syrup that's supposed to help with coughing and sore throat. Now, it's been a solid week of this illness and it's still not exactly close to gone. The rounds of medication didn't seem to work the magic this time.

Earlier today, I had my last piano practice session before the talent show tomorrow. The piano teacher made me some sort of hot beverage full of honey - it wasn't too bad. She then tried to explain a home remedy, something about pears, ginger and honey. She wrote me a note in Korean of what to do - my Korean coworker told me to that it said to mix those ingredients in a bowl of water and put that bowl inside another bowl of boiling water and do something. I don't know. But it sounded complicated.

I'll be going back to the doc in the morning for a follow-up, and I'm crossing my fingers that she can do something magical. I really hope my immune system is as tough as Stone Cold Steve Austin after all this. I will continue to take vitamins and eat an apple a day to keep the doctor away, and all that other healthy stuff. Please do your job, immune system. At below zero-degree Fahrenheit temperatures and sick, coughing kids that won't stay home from school, I will need all the strength I can get!

Merry Christmas, world!

                                     Bibio - Lover's Carvings (vocals kick in around 2:00)