Korean Sicknesses

I knew that, despite my best efforts to avoid illness, I would eventually get sick in Korea. It happened this week. It started with a cough that just wouldn't go away and progressed to an all-out attack on my immune system.

Let's take a look at some of the differences between being sick in the U.S. and being sick in Korea.

- In Korea, you will see a doctor and receive a questionable injection for any ailment.

- You will receive conventional medicine, such as antibiotics, as well as useless traditional Korean remedies.

- In Korea, your boss will do anything to make you come into work when you are sick. This includes, but is not limited to: begging, threatening, and fining. After all, it's your fault that you're sick, right?

- If you somehow manage to miss work for a day, you will be told that you must return the next day, regardless of your condition.

- This whole process is much cheaper than in the U.S., but it's much more annoying.

As you can probably guess, I'm more than a little unhappy about being treated like crap because I was sick. However, nothing could have prepared me for what was to come the day after I missed work. Stay tuned...