quality medical care!

i've had this cough since i got here, and nothing will make you more self-conscious than being visibly ill in a sea of people wearing face masks. so today i finally caved and went to a korean doctor. never have i experienced such an educated system. they asked for my name and phone number, which i was able to provide, and my address, which i was not (addresses are weird and not really used for anything here). i was then brought to the doctor, who asked about my symptoms, including whether or not i have rhinorhea (?). he then proceeded to take my temperature, using a mercury thermometer in my armpit, which is apparently as technical as they are willing to get. after telling me to wear a sweater at night ("in korea, it is colder at night than during the day"), i was sent into another room to get a shot of "selenium acid injection" in the ass, which is apparently their cure-all. the nurse then promptly walked away without giving me any further information, leaving me holding a wetnap over my needle wound with my pants down.

the upside, of course, is that it only cost me W14000, half of which will be reimbursed.