Going to Cambodia - Best Tuk Tuk Driver in Phnom Penh!

Going to Cambodia

One of the great things about working overseas is that when friends move on to schools in other  countries it is wonderful opportunity to visit these friends and discover new horizons. When my friend and co-worker, Bridget, moved to Phnom Penh I told her that I would come visit her in the coming fall over Chusok Holiday, which falls either in September or October depending on the year. 

Summer vacation took me back to Seattle, then to Portland, Sacramento and back to Portland, to Disneyland and then back to Portland and Seattle again. I returned to Seoul for a few days before I flew to Chengdu where I met Tessa and Adam, and we went to see the pandas. Next we flew to Shanghai for a week before returning to Seoul together. It was blistering hot in Seoul and we mostly dodged into buildings for a bit of air conditioning or waited in long lines for cold drinks. 

School began again the first week of August. I was worn out from traveling so I wrote to Bridget and apologized for my situation, promising that I would make the trip six months later, over Spring Break. 

For an inexplicable reason I became preoccupied with safety in Cambodia. I had heard a few stories of travelers who had problems and I began to think that I best be prepared. I had gotten a passport holder that I could wear around my neck, and rummaged through my drawers until I found my fanny pack. Someone suggested that since we were taking cash, (Cambodia uses the USD in addition to their riel), that we stash it into several different locations. 

I had booked my trip to leave on Friday night after school let out. Normally I would never to do that as I prefer a little down time to rest, organize and pack before I leave. However, Bridget’s time off for spring break didn’t coincide with mine so if I wanted to see her I needed to get there at the beginning of the weekend. Happily another teacher friend of mine, Helen, came along. 

When school let out we jumped on the school bus, and confirmed with each other that we had exactly twenty minutes before we were to meet in the lobby. I flew into my twenty-third floor apartment, threw down my school bags and ran Ruby out to the fourth floor patio where dogs can relieve themselves. As I stepped back into the elevator I was getting that feeling that I always have when leaving Ruby. Ruby’s dogsitter was going to stay with her all week, who she adores, but I always feel a lingering sorrow at leaving Ruby. I stuffed my school bags into cupboards since there is a guarantee that Ruby will chew up absolutely anything that is left out (nicknamed the result  “Ruby Chew”. I wonder if Jimmy Choo fans would appreciate this?). I got my suitcase and my backpack, met Helen and walked the short distance to the airport bus stop. I had only been on the bus for about 5 minutes when she asked if I had the hotel voucher for Siem Reap. I got out my plastic folder to show it to her that I had them, but much to my chagrin realized that my visa documents were not in the folder. Helen told me to be calm and to look through everything. I already knew that if they weren’t in the folder they weren’t there. When we got to the airport, Helen, who is extremely resourceful, suggested that we find a business lounge so that we could reprint the documents. As it turned out there were no printers available. We did check my hotmail account to see if I could retrieve my visa number, but damn! Hotmail had blocked my visa information and the only access I had to it was from a document that I had saved on the desktop of my computer that I’d left at home. Luckily the visa was only about $25 so I decided that I would just have to buy another one when we arrived at the airport in Phnom Penh. (The whole purpose of getting the visa beforehand was to avoid the wait in the visa line upon arrival!). The flight was non-stop and only about five hours, so we had time to relax. The sky was very beautiful as we got nearer Cambodia, ablaze with stars. I was enchanted by the clear night and was even more pleased when I saw a falling star. Only then did I realize that I don’t think I have ever seen a star in Seoul. Granted, I do go to bed quite early, but I think the area that I live in is far too bright, and too polluted, to be able to see stars. 

As we descended the sky became more hazy, but I could see Phnom Penh in the distance. I was extremely surprised to see what a village feel the locale around the airport had. Neat, straight roads were dimly lit and I could see the grid pattern of the area. After deplaning I explained to a man at the visa desk that I had forgotten my visa so would need to get a new one. He told me to go to customs and tell them. I did and the young man at the desk looked very angry and shook a threatening finger at me telling me to go back and pay. I said in a mouse-like voice that I was told to come to this desk. He yelled at me again. Inspiration made me ask if he could access the visa by my passport number. He looked at me with contempt, but entered the number into his computer. Before I knew it he was printing and noisily stapling documents into my passport. I apologized for being so much trouble and got a weak smile from him. 

I had worried about finding Bridget, which turned out to be a ridiculous worry for two reasons. The first is that Bridget is a blonde and stands out easily in a crowd of Asians. The second reason is that the airport was about the same size as the airport in Saipan...tiny! We saw Bridget’s smiling face and waving arms and ran to give hugs all around. She took us into the inky, humid night to wait for her Tuk Tuk driver to circle around and pick us up. I was immediately charmed by Sarom the moment that Helen and I met him. We packed our bags into the little open air trailer, climbed onto the seats, pulled by his motorcycle and off we went. The night air and the happy conversation were pleasant and reviving as we were now at 1:30 AM by our Seoul time zone, although was only 11:30 PM in Phnom Penh. We arrived in a lively neighborhood that was still busy at this time of night. Before we climbed the flights of stairs to Bridget’s apartment we stopped at the “Panda Mart” to get some snacks and drinks. I opted for two beers! I was ready to start my vacation. 

Bridget’s apartment was fantastic. It was an old style colonial design with modern updates, high ceilings, a balcony and plenty of space. The living room had a large corner sectional covered with exquisite silk pillows in a myriad of vivid colors. It didn’t take long before we looked at the clock which told us that it was 2:30 AM! (4:30 AM Seoul time). We headed to bed and agreed to rise quite early so as to take advantage of every moment!

We got up early and had a delicious breakfast of a variety of fresh tropical fruits and coffee. Stepping out onto the balcony I basked in the warm humid air that wrapped itself around me. Watching the activity down on the street and curiously observing a Buddhist Monastery

just around the corner I took a few photos with my camera. The colors, and the hum of street life in the neighborhood were enticing. After we showered and dressed we said our “good mornings” to Bridget’s neighbor walked just around the corner to some wonderful shops. It wasn’t long at all until I had purchased some beautiful leather dress shoes, and had my eye on some some wallhangings and jewelry at another gallery filled with lovely curios made in Cambodia. As we meandered from shop to shop we stepped into shops with lovely silks and beautiful locally made goods. Anyone who has ever done any serious shopping knows that one can really develop an appetite from the exertion. We went to a restaurant that overlooked the Tonle Sap River, merging into the Mekong River. We all ordered fresh fruit smoothies and some local dishes. I enjoyed a local specialty called Fish Amok, which is the national dish of Cambodia. The flavors were delicate and light. Cambodian food is mild in flavor, unlike food from its neighboring country, Thailand which is known for their hot and spicy flavors.

After wending our way through a few more specialty shops we decided to return to Bridget’s via the Palace, which is in her neighborhood. It was so hot that we almost melted! Even in the heat the fuchsia colored blossoms of the bougainvillea were an oasis of color and shade. Before returning to Bridget’s we couldn’t resist the temptation of stopping in just a few more shops.  Helen went ahead to look for a scarf that she had seen that morning. To her disappointment it was gone. It took me all of 2 seconds to make a beeline back to that store to see if the wall hanging that I liked was still there. It was, so with relief, and the joy of obtaining something special, of course I bought it. 

We stopped by the Foreign Correspondents Club for a pitcher of mohitos and a wonderful view of the merging rivers. This three-story colonial style building became very famous during the Vietnam War years since it was the most popular hang out for journalists at that time. The building looked as if it was from a colonial era film. A wooden bar, heavy pillars, ceiling fans and photographs on the walls made me want to come for the afternoon to visit with people or simply read poetry. We watched people strolling along the waterfront and watched many boats traveling on the misty river.

That evening Bridget took us to a French restaurant of colonial style, which was a perfect blend of elegance and relaxation.. After having eaten so much Korean food or whatever western food I am able to cobble together in Korea, the prospect of French food was tantalizing. The menu  offered a wide variety of dishes. The food was delicious, and made me wish that I could move to Phnom Penh without delay! The climate was so enjoyable, the people so warm and friendly, and there was an abundance of wonderful fruits and vegetables which added color and texture to the city scenes! 

The next morning we were up early again! Sarom was taking Helen and me to see The Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, formerly called Security Prison-21, during the Khmer Rouge regime from 1975 to 1979. To get there we drove through the heart of Phnom Penh. It was a bustling crowded city with cars, tuk tuk’s and motorcycle weaving around one another and pedestrians. I became very appreciative of Sarom’s excellent driving skills as he expertly avoided all obstacles including pot holes on the road. It was a bit dusty driving through the city but was a pleasure to enjoy the breeze and see the street life unfolding before us. Helen and I talked about Cambodian history and realized that we didn’t know very much about it. I think that this is a good very way to learn. When motivated by my interest and curiosity I look up facts and peruse maps to understand what has happened in the past, the history of a place. When I returned home I was very interested in reading a number of books about Cambodia in the 20th century. We arrived at The Killing Fields where there was an unusual feeling of quiet and stillness. We were able to rent headsets which were indispensable for understanding the history and events that occurred here. There were actually many areas that were called Killing Fields throughout Cambodia. Tragically Pol Pot’s regime was responsible for executing almost one and a half million Cambodian citizens who, because of their education and or political interests were considered to be political threats to the regime. It is believe that upwards of two and a half million Cambodians died from 1975 to 1979 was a result of execution, starvation and disease. As we moved through this area that nowadays resembles a park, it wasn’t difficult to spot bone fragments mixed into the soil that we walked on. There was a stupa erected on this site which contains the bones of many of the victims. Feeling profoundly sad we returned to Sarom and his Tuk Tuk which was waiting for us. We found some cold drinks and enjoying the comfort and shade of the Tuk Tuk engaged in a very pleasant conversation with Sarom about his family, his relatives and his life in Cambodia. He came from the countryside to work in Phnom Penh some years ago and has worked his way up to become the number one tour guide and driver in the city! While we talked and asked questions about his life, there were a number of small children who gathered around us asking for or demanding “a dollar, or “coke.” It was hard to resist their demands, but I held firm since the present thought is that it is not good for the children to develop begging as a way of life. For the old people it is viewed rather differently, since they receive no social security compensation. Next Sarom took us from the periphery of the city back into it’s heart. We went to Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum where many young students and other people had been horrifically tortured and killed.

As we walked through the former school, then site of torture, and now a museum it was a bitter walk. Moving from dusty classroom to classroom, which had been turned into sites of torture, were horrific. Next we saw displays of some of the victim’s photographs, bits of clothing and instruments of torture. It was a tragic example of man’s inhumanity to man. I felt no ghosts there, for who, even among the dead would desire to linger there even for a moment? I felt like I was shaking off a dark shadow as we passed through the gates and found Sarom.

Greeted by Sarom’s  winning smile we boarded the tuk tuk and he took us back to Bridget’s home. She had stayed behind to grade papers. After we showered and cooled off Bridget tooks us across the street to a terrific restaurant called Friends. It was so popular that we had to wait awhile, so we opted to wait in their gift shop. What was unique about the shop  was that every item was made of recycled materials. The restaurant is well known for providing job training and jobs for former homeless and marginalized young people since 1994. The food was delicious and the restaurant provided a cool retreat for reenergizing ourselves. As we were eating we noticed many tasty looking desserts being served. Of course, despite being rather full from our meals we each ordered a yummy dessert as well! Now fully revived we ventured forth again into the midday heat. 

We forged ahead to see more sights and to explore more of the ever tempting shops.  Purses, paintings, jewelry, clothing and yards of gorgeous silk fabric seemed to be everywhere. Sarom was, once again, a wonderful guide and took us to many neighborhoods that had various specialties. We didn’t realize that the stores closed so early on Sunday nights so that only meant that we had to accelerate our schedule. You would have thought that Shop till we Drop had become our new motto. Happily Helen was able to locate a green scarf just like the one she had missed out on earlier. One of my favorite shops was a clothing store that reminded me of some of the lovely stores that I have been to in London and Paris. I found a beautiful blouse for my soon to arrive granddaughter and some very pretty and airy clothes for myself. I did get a bit of kidding about buying a size four blouse for an infant, but those of you know know how big the babies are in our family know that probably means that the baby will be wearing the blouse at around eighteen months! My most interesting find was a vintage dress from the mid 1970’s. It reminded me of one that I had years ago that had been a favorite of mine. It was in perfect condition and cost only about eight US dollars. 

Finally when the last of the shops extinguished their lights we adjourned to a nearby bar. A tall cold beer sounded very enticing to me, but after reading the menu there was only one local beer available on tap. After waiting a rather long time the waiter brought us a sample of a very unremarkable beer. It didn’t pass the taste test so we opted for cool drinks instead. Unanimously we agreed that we were still full from lunch so passed on the thought of dinner. 

We wanted to get back to Bridget’s to pack all of our new treasures so that we would be ready for a very early bus ride to Seam Reap the next morning. Bridget was able to take a few personal days and so we were quite pleased that she was going along with us for more fun and adventure.

To be continued. Part II Siem Reap 

Panda Land

Panda Land

Our journey began when Tessa, Adam and I were making plans for them to come to Korea to visit me. It seemed that as long as they had come that far that it would be really enjoyable to add another trip to their visit as well. We talked about many destinations only to come up with the list of arguments against each of those places. “We’ve been there before”, “it’s too many hours in airports”, “too expensive”, or “too far away” were the most common refrains. We finally agreed to go to China which might seem a rather funny choice since both Tessa and I had lived there, I’d been only a few months before and Tessa was scheduled to go on business in the upcoming months. But, there were three deciding factors that led us to make the decision that we finally did. We loved Shanghai and wanted to go back to see friends and enjoy the city, Adam hadn’t been to China yet and Tessa wanted him to see it, AND we had always wanted to go see the pandas in Chengdu. What were we waiting for?!

I returned from the US to Korea earlier than usual after summer break. I had a nice, albeit humid and hot week with Ruby. We walked by the river and went to the “beach,” a sandy area by the river that she loves to explore sniff around and explore. I was rather worn out from my lively and hectic summer break so it was nice to have a pause in summer and its activities. 

Meanwhile, Tessa and Adam flew to Beijing while I was still in Seoul. I had seen enough of Beijing when I lived in China and really didn’t want to go back to see the same sights again. We agreed that we would meet in Chengdu at a hotel that Tessa had found and booked on-line. We had purchased our airline tickets at different times so we weren’t traveling together while in China, but would meet at hotels once we arrived. It seemed like a simple enough plan. What neither of had really considered was that we didn’t have cell phones that functioned in China, and (!) we had forgotten how notoriously late domestic flights within China often are.

I flew to Shanghai uneventfully. I had a rather long wait there which seemed even longer in the domestic terminal. The international terminal is really fine...shops and restaurants in which one can spend both their time and their money! The domestic terminal was more similar to a bus terminal. It was challenging to read because almost continual announcements of delays of various flights were being announced in Chinese and almost intelligible English. Finally it was almost boarding time! I put my book away, got out my boarding pass and gathered my bags. When nothing was happening I contacted the passenger agent to see what was happening. There was a delay. How long? We don’t know, but not too long. The airplane is _______ right now. I had no idea of whether _______ was 20 minutes or 5 hours away. I went back to my plastic moulded seat, put my boarding pass away and got out my book. About two and a half hours later we were finally boarded onto a bus that was to take us out to the airfield to board the plane. I began to wonder if we were driving to Chengdu as we drove and drove further away from the terminal. Finally in a distant corner of the airport there was a small hive of activity with China Eastern Airlines planes and ground crew. We boarded the plane, took off and arrived a few hours late in Chengdu. Chengdu is a huge airport that was undergoing a total remodel. What that meant for me was that yet again we got to drive on the tarmac for almost 10 minutes to reach the gate. I finally deplaned only to board a bus to go to the terminal! After claiming my bag I joined the taxi queue which, surprisingly, was quick and efficient. I had directions to the hotel in Chinese and even though the driver didn’t know where it was, I had also given him the phone number of the lodging so he was able to phone for directions. It was very dark and the streets were quite devoid of people. As we passed one designer store after another I was getting a different view of Chengdu than I originally expected. I knew that it is one of China’s largest cities, but somehow I’m always surprised by the number of designer stores that I see world-wide. I enjoyed looking in the windows but wondered who shops there. We had finally left the heart of the city and kept going. Finally the driver pulled over and pointed in the direction of a very dark sidewalk weaving into a darkened courtyard. I paid him and began to walk. It was dark and I had no idea of where to go. Two men appeared from what seemed like nowhere. I was quite relieved since most Chinese people in my experience are very friendly and helpful. They walked me to the hotel and waved goodbye to me. When I checked in I asked the receptionist if my daughter and son-in-law were there. She said no, they had gone out. I asked her when and she said that she didn’t know. I asked for their room number since there were no phones in the rooms. She wrote down 410 so after being delivered to my room I dropped off my suitcase and looked for the stairs to go up two flights to 410. It didn’t take long to figure out that there was some miscommunication since there was no fourth floor. I was worn out from my trip having left early in the morning from Seoul. It was now about 11PM. I took a shower, and went back to reception. Clearly there was a language barrier issue so I did my best to be patient and ask simple questions. I had to laugh when I discovered that 410 was the amount of RMB that I was paying a night for the room! I asked again for my son-in-law and daughter’s room. It was after a number of questions that led to dead ends, finally able to ascertain that they were to have the room next to me but that they hadn’t arrived yet! They were supposed to have arrived at about 7PM that evening. and I would have been more worried had I not talked to a woman in the airport that had told me that there were delays out of Beijing. I didn’t know what to do at that point as we had no back-up plan for inevitabilities. I finally decided that I would go to sleep and try to sort it out in the morning. At about 3:45 AM there was a knock on the door. I sprang out of bed to find two exhausted and bedraggled travelers at my door. We had only booked two nights in Chengdu and Tessa was overwrought with the fear that they might be delayed so much that she wouldn’t have time to even see the pandas! To think of coming all that way only to arrive after such delays and have missed the opportunity. But in their true energetic style they headed right to bed and were up only a couple of hours later looking refreshed and eager to go to panda land! 

We managed to get up at about 8:00, eat a nice breakfast at the hotel (Zen Buddha Hotel in Chengdu.. really nice..check out the website) and get our cab to the Panda Reserve. I didn't know what to expect having only seen photos on-line of a breeding station far from the city. This reserve was at the edge of Chengdu. It was an unbelievably beautiful park, well landscaped and maintained. The map was very helpful and we were quite excited, almost wanting to run from one area to another. We maintained some shreds of dignity and managed to take the shuttle up the hill and then start to explore the various panda viewing areas. The biggest thrill for me was that it is also a reserve for Red Pandas! Red pandas are my favorite wild animal - you could say my spirit animal. Of course my daughter, who is wild about pandas, had to see them first. We went to a special area and for $200 one could hold a panda. It was behind a wall and only the people who paid could even go to this area. Tessa paid and joined a group while Adam and I waited in the humid heat outside. We walked around and were charmed by the delightful antics of the pandas lounging in the trees, in the water, and just lazing around in the shade. For some reason panda heat stroke is a problem so they all had to be taken into indoor enclosures at around 11:00 A.M. when the sun got very high. The grounds and bamboo groves were beautiful. Eventually Tessa reappeared with what can only be described as a look of “magical daze” on her face. It had been her dream for years to see a panda and since she actually got to hold an 11 month old her dreams had been surpassed! There is a photo that she posted of herself holding a panda on her Facebook page. 

Finally we went to see the red pandas. One came right up to me! He was only inches from my foot. I was a bit worried since there were warning signs about being close to the red pandas as they are wild. I think that these little guys were used to people being around and we got to watch a number of them from only a few yards away! One was very dear and enjoyed entertaining us by trying to get a piece of fruit at the top of a tree. It was so interesting to watch his face and see him thinking about trying the very thin branch which led to the single fruit hanging from a twig. He made the right choice to avoid it and eventually made his way back down the tall tree trunk! I could have stayed there for hours and hours just observing them in this natural setting. 

That afternoon we ate at a restaurant called “The Burning Noodle”. The Sichuan region is known for its delicious, spicy food. Luckily my daughter could speak Chinese so she was able to explain that I couldn't eat spicy food. (I always had a cast iron stomach so it is rather embarrassing for me that I have to follow a limited diet now). Even without the spices my chicken soup was so delicious. The broth had a wonderful perfume, the vegetables were fresh, and the chicken meat tasted like free-range chicken. Then after a little rest we went to the Wenshu (Manjushri) Monastery. It was just two blocks from our hotel. Tessa and Adam were not very keen on going there but they gave in to my wish to see it. It was so pleasant to walk through the gardens in the shade of many big trees on such a hot afternoon.  We walked around the old town neighborhood looking at the shops and visiting with people, thanks to Tessa's translations. After dinner Tessa and I had wonderful soothing foot massages.  Adam took a break from us and  read his Kindle on the balcony of his room overlooking he old town.  

Since Tessa and Adam had an earlier flight to Shanghai than I did  they left for the airport after breakfast. I met some nice Australians who were traveling together, about a group of ten people, and we visited for awhile. Then I went out to get some street food and took it back to the patio at our hotel, ordered a drink and ate it while visiting with the Australians again! Then I had a Chinese "health" massage which was great - I believe it was basically reflexology. By the time that was done I needed to go to the airport. Little did I know that there was no rush because my flight to Shanghai was over three hours late! By the time I arrived in Shanghai it was almost 1 in the morning. Our hotel was by the Bund. I did learn a lesson though about hotels. I was given a very poor room above the quite noisy kitchen. The next day when I got up I discovered that right outside my door was the place where they stacked all of the dirty sheets and towels each day. There was no view...just a condom littered area where the air con units were lined up. The bathroom was clean though so I tried to be very Zen and just deal with it. Imagine how I felt when I went to Tessa and Adam's room. They paid the exact fee that I had and had been upgraded to a beautiful suite with a view! There was also only one couch to sit on in the lobby of this huge hotel. What appeared to be the lobby was a restricted area where one could only sit if they bought a drink. It was so ridiculous as this huge area sat empty while many people had no place to sit if they were waiting for someone! Later when I talked to the "manager" about it he was quite rude and his remark was "If you don't like it, don't stay here next time." Well, some discussions aren't worth prolonging!

Shanghai was wonderful, as always. For some reason I never think that things will change and always feel quite sad when something that I really liked or enjoyed is different. The first restaurant that we went to was called Lapis Lazuli (right next to ‘Sasha's’ in the French Concession area). They were just tearing Lapis down! We also didn't go to the bargain markets (if there were any left) since the copyright issue and police arrests are such a problem. 

I did buy pearls and a scroll and then went to Yu-Yuen Gardens, which is always packed with tourists, for some small souvenirs. We went to the Chinese Garden there but it was so hot that we spent most of our time there perched in the shady spots or the air conditioned gift shop! There were delicious fresh pork dumplings at Yu-Yuen that we couldn't pass up. The line was long but one could watch the whole preparation process as one waited.

We also spent a beautiful day visiting my friend and her family who live in Pudong. She used to be my housekeeper. Now I call her my Chinese daughter! Her husband cooked us a delicious lunch with all of our favorite dishes. He had a little too much to drink and had to go nurse a headache while we went shopping and to an indoor arcade. Her son will go to graduate school in London in two years time and we are hoping that they may be able to stop in the US either coming or going one day. It was hard to leave as I don't know when our paths will cross again, but it had been a wonderful visit.

We went to some of our old favorite restaurants that we had really enjoyed before when I lived in Shanghai, shopped, had massages and relaxed. I just love Shanghai! 

We also returned to Seoul on separate flights but this time we were in luck because our flights got in almost exactly at the same time. Their flight was delayed but mine was a bit early. We got the bus to my neighborhood and immediately went to the store for a variety of cold drinks to combat the temperature that was in the upper 90's with high humidity. The next day we stayed in my neighborhood to relax and see the local sights. The next day we went to the city to see the palace and the Insadong area. We almost melted! It was fun to show Tessa and Adam where I live (although Tessa was here last spring) and it was interesting to me that Adam far preferred Korea over China! For Tessa and myself it is the opposite. Still it helps me to appreciate my Korean home more when I see it through other people's eyes!

Let's Go To the Dentist

Let’s Go to the Dentist

Before I left for Seoul I had some dental work done. I had one crown replaced and had some concern about another one that was bothering me. Every now and then it would hurt so I had the dentist look at it. He x-ray’d the tooth but couldn’t find anything on the film. He suggested that I have that crown replaced before leaving. I replied that I’d heard there were good dentists in Korea so I really wasn’t too worried. He looked thoughtful and after a few moments said, “Yes but the problem is finding one.”

We agreed that I would wait a month to see if the tooth bothered me any more before I made up my mind. I feel that sometimes dentists will make a decision based on their next vacation, rather than the true need of the patient. I had no more problems with the crown in question before I left, so didn’t return to the dentist.

It was more of a disappointment than a surprise when the crown started to bother me recently. I hoped that the pain would go away, like it had before, so that I could have the crown replaced when I returned to Portland for the summer. As the soreness and discomfort grew my realization that I would need to see a Korean dentist became evident.

The school booked an appointment for me at a dentist that was close-by. Other teachers had gone there and said that the dentist was “alright.” Maybe my first warning should have been that the dental clinic was located above McDonalds. But, here it is not unusual to have any variety of businesses share a building. I went up the dingy and dimly lit stairwell to the third floor and was relieved to see that once inside the door of the clinic the space was clean and modern looking. I filled out paperwork and waited only a moment or two before I was escorted in. Before I could complain a full head x-ray was done of my skull, a practice which I dislike intensely. An x-ray of the offending area would have been sufficient. Then I was taken over to a chair. There were five or six chairs lined up parallel to the window, each with a small divider separating the areas from one another visually. One could see the feet and legs of the other patients.

I met the dentist, who had prominently displayed his diploma from a good American university. That gave me some confidence. I met the dentist and talked to him a little while. His English was good and he seemed pleasant.

He took a look at the tooth that I complained about and announced that it must have been my new crown that I had gotten before I left. Despite my telling him that it wasn’t, he had made up his mind. He asked me if I was sure that was the offending tooth, as it could be one to either side of that tooth. I confirmed what I had originally told him. He started to go to work, and then as an afterthought mentioned that if I needed him to stop I could raise my hand.

He began to drill and luckily the novocaine  was working. Then he stopped and in an agitated manner got some pliers (!) and started to yank over and over on something in my mouth. Now it’s important to understand that this happened very quickly. He was yanking so hard that I feared him breaking one of my front teeth. I put up my hand, but to no avail. Then I started wildly waving my arm around. He told me not to touch anything so of course I immediately did! The drill bit had come out of the drill and was stuck fast in my tooth. It must have stuck up at least an inch! I was alarmed at that point, but one can’t just walk out with a partially drilled tooth, complete with drill bit protruding! He went to work again, and my fear was realized...he yanked so hard that the pliers hit one of my front teeth and gum to the point that my gum was bleeding and the tooth hurt. Back to work he went, as industrious as one of Walt Disney’s cartoon beavers! He made the root canal, made the mold for the temporary, and the permanent crown, had his tech glue the temp in and was ready to send me off. I complained about my bleeding gum and sore front tooth. I should interject here that in Korea one never seems to question anything that the doctor does. I put on my coat and met the receptionist at the desk. The dentist came out then and said that he was going to give me an antibiotic and some pain medicine. He had written the prescription and when he handed it to me I mentioned that I am allergic to penicillin. (Keep in mind that one doesn’t fill out any paperwork related to medical history when they go to the doctor either!). “Oh, hmmmm.” He replied. He didn’t seem disturbed that he had written a prescription for a drug that I was allergic to...just stood and mumbled a few names of antibiotics before he decided on another one. Having been to the doctor before I know that the patient is normally just handed a list to take to the pharmacy (in Korean of course).

The last time I had been to the doctor I had thought I was simply receiving an antibiotic (low dose- five days...no surprise that it didn’t work). What I received were little glassine packets that the pharmacist puts together with four pills in each packet. In addition to the antibiotic was a pain pill, decongestant, and a pill for the stomach, I learned later. In addition to the glassine packets I was also given a strip of foil packets that contained a liquid. Each packet had a picture of a frog on it. This was to combat cough. Five products for a cold?!

So, now experienced, I asked him to tell me what each item was on the prescription list. I got not only the antibiotic, but additionally tyleonol, and “something for my stomach.” I looked questioningly at him and he stated “Yes, that’s how we do it here. I don’t know why.” Great. OK, time to go. I took the subway back to my neighborhood and hurried to the pharmacy. It was very cold and the wind was blowing. I went into the pharmacy and dropped off the prescription. About ten minutes later the pharmacist was calling “Kristi Yang, Kristi Yang.” I was a little surprised because that is a women that I work with. (While in the dental office I heard someone talking to the dentist about KIS, the school where I work),as I was leaving but didn’t know who it was. I thought...that’s interesting...apparently Kristi Yang was at the dentist when I was and she received a prescription too. Again the pharmacist started calling “Kristi Yang!” I looked up and she was looking at me with a big smile on her face as if to say “Can’t you tell we are calling your name.” I looked around and Kristi was not there. Then I walked over and the pharmacist tried to give me the bag. I explained that I was not Kristi. Finally I got my identity card out of my billfold and showed it to her. There was no prescription for me. I was told...go back, go back.” It was almost 7 and I knew that there was no way that I could make it back to the dental clinic before they closed, even if they did stay open that late. I suggested that they phone the clinic (of course not speaking Korean this was in pantomime). They agreed, I got out my identity card again and they used to to explain the dilemma. Eventually they realized that the prescription was meant for me, but the wrong patient name was written on it. Another hmmmmm. I got my prescription, sealed in the neat little glassine packets and headed home.

Over the next few days my front tooth hurt and I was worried about loosing it. One night as I was getting ready for bed the temporary crown fell out. The next day at school I was allowed to leave early to get the temporary glued back in. I mentioned that my front tooth was still hurting. His reply was to tell the tech to have it x-rayed. At that point the x-ray wouldn’t have saved the tooth. It may only have served to have revealed damage that he might have done. I said that I did not wish another x-ray and he acquiesced.  The day after that I went to have to permanent crown placed. It was very high and the dentist drilled and drilled and drilled. Finally he took it out of my mouth and shook his head. The tooth had the look of having fallen into a garbage disposal! So, they took another impression and I was instructed when to return. Upon my return the tech took the crown and cemented it into my mouth! I was shocked that the dentist hadn’t placed the crown and that he would have his tech glue it in quickly before I could even determine how it fit. Of course it was too high too, but the dentist said “Oh, that’s how it should be...you’ll get used to it.” I was far from confident.

Let’s just say that after two more visits and a number of tears, after having suffered fairly intense jaw pain I gave up! In Korea one pays for just about everything before the work begins so I didn’t even have the recourse of not paying my bill. I won’t even describe the challenges with the insurance company after that.

What did happen is that the school is no longer recommending that clinic. Four other people within a two month period also had major problems with the same dentist!

Human beings are adaptable and I learned to hold the right side of my mouth in a way that minimized the discomfort. When I got back to Portland during the summer I was able to have my new crown ground and adjusted. Relief!