ChanomiTalk

Halloween has come and gone but we still have our jack-o’-lanterns sitting outside our house. It’s fun carving out faces but not always easy.

You have to get the right tools for marking, scooping, cutting, and carving.

You then take a nice big pumpkin and set it on a flat surface.

You grab your tools, cut a hole at the top, and scoop out all the seeds and everything inside the pumpkin out.

After that you carve out a face.

Give it one final check.

Lastly you place a light inside and turn it on. We used an electrical light but a candle works too.

If you visit Seoul, you have to make a stop at the War Memorial. You would be doing a disservice to yourself to miss out on this experience. Because Korea’s existence today is deeply rooted in the results of the Korean War, learning the causes and effects of the war goes a long way in understanding the Korean culture. The Memorial does a great job of honoring those who lost their lives and also putting the situation today in context. I honestly learned a lot here and recommend this as a must see if you visit.

I have been with a patient for about three years who has Alzheimer’s disease. His wife has arranged a cruise for them that will be departing from this Island in three weeks. But because the health of my patient is declining, his wife is worried that she will have to cancel the cruise and the good times they have shared will come to an end. She wishes she could have done more with her husband before his time comes.

I have never lost a patient since working in the medical field. But, I believe that time is coming. To tell you the truth, I don’t know how I will react. I have grown pretty close to my patient and his family. I’ve worked with him through his ups and his downs. Lately, he is having a hard time staying on his feet. He has lost his focus. I can see that his life is ebbing away. Though I knew that one day he would leave us, I can’t say that I’m ready.

Watching this family over the years, I have seen the love that my patient’s wife has for him and that he tried so hard to show to her. I just can’t believe that love will end in lost memories. The first patient that I will lose will be one that never knew me. But he will sail on in my memories.

One of the major differences in landscape between Korea and the Midwest is the mountains. Korea has a ton of mountains while the Midwest is as flat as you can get. It was great to a have change of scenery… I almost forgot how pretty mountains can be haha So while I was in Korea, I took advantage and went on some hikes. One that was particularly memorable was the Baegundae trail on Bukhansan mountain. I remember it well because it was the most difficult one to get to the top. The mountain was pretty high and there were some areas where it felt like you were climbing vertically. It didn’t help that I have a fear of heights either. But when I finally reached the top, it was a huge feeling of accomplishment. The view was priceless and you see for miles in every direction. Everything just seemed so peaceful. My parents and I sat up there for some while and just enjoyed the moment. It was definitely a good day.

This is a photo of my dog.
Have a nice day.

Cedric

I recently came back from a vacation to South Korea where I went to visit my parents. From the moment I landed, my parents had something planned for each day I was there. It seemed that we were always going somewhere to see something which made it a very active vacation. I had a lot of fun seeing the sights and hanging out with my parents. The only problem was that it seemed to go by so fast and that two weeks was not nearly enough time.

One of the interesting places I got to visit was Busan. Busan is a coastal city on the southern part of Korea. We visited a Buddhist Temple and the famous Jalgachi Market. My favorite part was having fresh fish and beer for lunch at the market. The weather was perfect making a great day to be outside. Definitely recommend this place to anyone visiting Korea.