COVID-19

Still here...still alive...in case you were wondering.

Almost 2 months into the COVID-19 epidemic, and now that the WHO has officially declared a pandemic I thought I'd share a little of how it's been here.

Ready for the days and weeks ahead!

New Year's Resolutions (2020)

Hindsight is 20/20, and so is this year.   Not going to lie, 2019 has given me some hard knocks and unexpected setbacks and I am glad to see it go.  It's left some bruises and scars and the damage runs deep.  On a personal level, I've had to come back from a long way and it hasn't been easy....but it wouldn't be my life if it was easy...I've always had to fight.  Some days are better than others and some days are still miserable, but I've always managed to pick myself up and dust myself off.

So, here's to looking forward to 2020!

Ulleungdo and Dokdo Trip

So, I've taken a little break from uploading the information for my Around the World Camp series...and writing in general...because I had a lot to do.  I've made a lot of life decisions and been working hard to direct myself again, but more on that later.  In addition to having the 4th camp in the Around the World series to plan and put together...and teach...I took a mid-semester "educational trip" to Ulleungdo and Dokdo, hosted by the Dokdo Foundation.

Around the World Camp: Sweden

Had to take a break from documenting my "World Tour Camps" to get the semester started, new lessons planned and prepped, but now I'm back in the swing of things.  So, let's journey on!

Welcome to Sweden!

Around the World Camp: Egypt

First camp is starting to wind down.  Just 2 more countries for our first world tour.

Our penultimate country is Egypt.

For Egypt, I recruited a little help from actual Egyptologist, and one of my "bestest" friends, Dr. Jenny.  She had some great suggestions for famous places and things (like Alexandria, the Suez Canal, the temples at Luxor, etc.) so it was just mummies and pyramids. She also helped identifying famous ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses and what they rule in the mythology, which was our cultural deep dive for the day.

Around the World Camp: United Kingdom

Hail Britannia!

Today we headed over to the United Kingdom.  As one of the more famous countries, this was an easier day for students.  The hardest thing we talked about was the difference between England/Wales/Scotland/Northern Ireland, Britain, and the United Kingdom.  But identifying the more famous places and people was easy for students.  In fact, the hardest part was for me to narrow it down to 9 famous things.

For our cultural deep dive, we matched American-English and British-English names (like subway/underground, flashlight/torch, etc.) and even matched them to the Korean vocabulary (for my benefit). :)

Around the World Camp: Russia

Next stop, Russia!

Of course we start the day with the basics.  Where is it, what do they speak, etc., etc.?  We spend a little time on some of the more famous landmarks (like the St. Petersburg Palaces, Hermitage Museum, Red Square), people (Joseph Stalin, the missing Princess Anastasia legend), and cultural aspects (like Matryoshka dolls).  For our cultural "deep dive" we talked about Russian foods, which was not ideal given our craft project, but kids always like learning about food so that's what I went with.

For our project, we looked at one of my most favorite aspects of Russian culture, Faberge Eggs!

Around the World Camp: Mexico

Hola!  Next stop, Mexico!

Today was a really fun day for us because it was the all important, smash-hit cooking day!  We're making quesadillas!

After covering the basics, learning about the Mayans and hearing mariachi music, we talked about popular Mexican dishes.  We had a matching picture to term page about popular Mexican foods like tacos, enchiladas, tamales, etc.

Around the World Camp: India

Next stop for our camp was India.  I had a lot of ideas for this one, but time was a concern.  These early camps I used a few too many supplementary videos so our project time was cut short.  Also, these early camps needed projects that were easily accomplished so students wouldn't drop out early.

Around the World Camp: Italy

First stop on our Around the World Camp is Italy.

For Italy, we talked about the basics...geography, language, demonyms, flag, famous places, people, things, etc.  For our cultural "deep dive" we discussed pasta shapes and translated then from Italian to English (farfalle = butterfly, orecchiette = little ears, etc.)

Around the World Camp(s)

More or less, my summer and winter camp schedule has settled into a pattern.  The first camp I had after my surgery was scheduled to be 3 weeks long, so as I like to came a camp "theme," I decided to have a travel themed camp.  So after planning and prepping for almost a month, students were not signing up for a three week camp, so my school made the last minute decision to cut camp to 2 weeks.

That meant I had to cut a week's worth of lessons from the schedule.  A blessing and a curse.  Blessing because 2 weeks is about all I can handle with all the stress of preparing, teaching, shopping, etc. for camp.  Curse because I already had a rough outline for 3 weeks.  Hakuna matata, though, I'll just bounce the extra week's plan into the next camp.

2019 So Far

2019 is off to a rough start.

Actually, 2018 ended a little roughly, too.

I haven't written anything in a long time, but, like always, I logged in thinking I will change that.  No promises, of course.  However, I will take a moment for a least a little update.  (Not that anyone reads these.)

Anthony Bourdain, RIP

Anthony Bourdain died yesterday.  I would have posted then, but I needed time to digest the news, so to speak.

Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018)

I don't want to use this post to talk about socio-political issues surrounding mental health or any of the "greater" issues...all that can wait for another post.  Instead, I want to reflect on what Bourdain's work has meant to me.

Sun Salutation Challenge

Woke up around 4:30 this morning to the sound of a mosquito buzzing around my head.  Actually, it startled me awake and I flailed around until it flew away...but at any rate I was now wide awake and going after that f-er with extreme prejudice.  It already bit me a day or two before...once on my forehead, once on my hand...and once on my f-ing face.  I don't mean to drop so many f-bombs, but I really hate mosquitoes...I've always welted up when bitten...and they LOVE my blood for some reason...but whatever species they have here cause swelling and fever in the bite and leave rashes that don't fade for weeks...and did I mention it bit me on the face?!?!?  I must not have had too big a feast off of my face because this one actually isn't swelling too badly.

Time Flies Like an Arrow

My, my, where does the time go?

I really didn't realize a month (well, a bit more) had passed since my last post.  I've been so busy and when I do have "free" time I just zone out.

Now it's nearly May and I am facing miserably at my New Year's Resolutions.  I don't really make resolutions with any conviction...I'm an adult, after all...and a realist...but make them as a nice gesture.

No Rest for the Weary

Hi, ho, hi, ho.....

Whelp, its back to work for me.  Actually, I've been back at it for 2 weeks now...and it's been a rough start.

I have a whopping 24 classes this term...which I wouldn't complain about, BUT Korean co-workers only have about 18 class, including co-taught classes.  And since I do all the planning and prepping for the co-taught classes, it really weighs my schedule heavier than the other teachers...who for some reason think lessons and games fall out of the sky fully prepped.  And not to play the cancer card, but yeah, I had cancer last year and even though I'm doing great now, I still have occasional days where I struggle.  Such is life, I suppose.

It only 2 weeks in and its all I can do to get through classes...never mind I still need to review and edit the next week's lessons and some of the activities need a re-vamp.   I had to go in over the weekend for a couple of hours this week just to get it all done.  Not to mention at some point I will also have to research and prepare a camp for summer break.  Really, I'm exhausted just thinking about it.

This one is going to kept short and sweet...I have tons to do to this weekend that is not work-related, but not social either.  Mostly laundry and housekeeping...and I'm not going to lie, I'd like a little bit of a nap.

Still Healing...

It's been a few months.

I'm still recovering from cancer and surgery.  For the most past, I feel pretty good...way better than before, actually.  But sometimes I still get as tired and depressed as I did before and then in turn I get more frustrated because I feel like I should feel better.  It can be vicious.

Healing

Its been about a month since my surgery and so far, so good.  I'm still tried a lot and my voice gets strained easily, but it gets a little better every day.  I've been really lucky that my school was so understanding and compassionate and was able to arrange for me to have so much time to rest and recuperate.  I know it wasn't a "major" surgery, but having the time and ability to let my body recover at its own pace has been a fabulous luxury.  Sure, it's no vacation on a tropical island...but I'll take it.

Adventures in Healthcare: Thyroidectomy, part 6: Almost There!

Wow...this has been a long series, I didn't mean for it to be, but I've tried to be really thorough in my descriptions and experiences.  When I was researching all the stuff that was about to happen to me, there wasn't much information out there, and even less about having the procedure done in Korea.  So, I really wanted to leave a complete accounting so maybe it will help someone in the future.

At any rate, we're coming close to the end of my hospital stay.


So, this is day 3, the day after surgery.  I start with more meds...I get something to reduce sputum, a thyroid replacement hormone, and an ibuprofen.  They ask how much pain I'm in, on a scale of 1 to 10, and I'm probably about a 5 right now.  It's more the whiplash feeling than anything else.  The nurse brings me a gargle solution to reduce the chance of infection and I need to gargle for 15+ seconds 3-4 times a day, but be careful to not tip my head back.  Have you ever gargled without tipping your head back?  I pretty much just let it dribble down my face while I attempted to gargle.

I have breakfast and vitals check, and they free me from the IV needle.  Being able to freely use my left arm and no longer having to drag the IV pole around really improved m mood.  It's a slow day, and I spend it mostly reading, playing around on Facebook, messaging friends, and eating.  Apparently, I was determined to make up for all the calories I missed out on the day before.

The surgeon comes by to see me.  He tells me the surgery went well, and that the cancer had not metastasized so I still have half my thyroid.  Yay, me!  Actually, it's really good news because a lot of times the remaining part will be able to produce enough hormone on its own and I won't need to be on medication for the rest of my life.  The full pathology would be ready when I came back for my post-surgery check-up in a few weeks.  Then he dropped the best news, I'd probably get to go home the next day!  A full day earlier than expected.

It's fantastic news!  I'm already bored out of my skull after one day of recovery.  Plus, that's a day less to pay for hospital care...so saving that extra 500,000+ won would go a long way.

I'm pretty much left to my own devices the whole day.  A couple of vitals and jp checks, but that's about it.  By the time I'm ready to sleep that night, my pain in down to about a 3.

Day 4, the ward doctor comes by and says I can go home later that day.  He removes my jp drain and changes the bandages.  He says I can have a shower.  So, I clean up and change back into my regular clothing.  I can take the bandage off in 3 or 4 days, but I shouldn't worry with the glue holding y incision together.  That's an interesting thought, that I'm basically super-glued back together.  There's a few more instructions, and they set my check-up appointment for 2 weeks later.

Finally discharged and on my way home!

Adventures in Healthcare: Thyroidectomy, part 5: Surgery

Finally, we've made it to surgery.

Sunday night, they nurse comes to take blood and place an IV needle, but not the saline bag.  I honestly have no idea why she had to place the needle the night before.  And it's uncomfortable.  Just to be clear, having an IV isn't anything I ever thought looked comfortable, but having one in is really unpleasant. Because, first of all, it's a needle stuck in my arm and second, I can feel the needle every time I move.  Anyway, I try to get some sleep despite my discomfort.