Monday, Day 13: Revisit begins

Foreign Ministry (MoFAT) <KF Revisit photo>

Patti, Elliot and Don at MoFAT <KF Revisit photo>

Officially the revisit began at last night's orientation, or even at dinner, But this is when it really gets started. Up at 07:00 to get breakfast and be off by 08:30. When we got down the front door it was raining and we were told the buses were tied up in traffic so we would have to walk. It's a ten minute walk to The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MoFAT, interesting how the two functions are merged). I was told there is an umbrella in the room so I, along with others, went back to get one. It wasn't far but I couldn't keep up. I stopped to take a couple puffs on my inhaler at one point and that helped. I saw the direction they had gone and when I got to the corner where I would have to turn, one of the women working for the Korea Foundation ("tour guides") was waiting for me.

Listening to presentation <KF Revisit photo>

The presentations, one by a management type who talked about how education drove the Korean development, and one by a public health professor from Yonsei speaking on his area of expertise,  were interesting but really presented more information than I could digest. We then took the bus to lunch at a cafeteria style restaurant with mostly salad stuff. I did find mounds of smoked salmon and ate that with a little broccoli, muk (도토리묵무침), or acorn jelly, and a couple pieces of banana. We then went to the Korean Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) that helps developing countries with health issues, where health workers had  another briefing. KOFIH is part of the health ministry. Then back on the bus and back to the hotel.

Leaving KOFIH <KF Revisit photo>

I took a quick nap but Inez (her western name, she is the Medical group, i.e. health programs guide) woke me with a reminder about something. At about 18:00 I went down, all ready to go with tie and everything, but when I got there I started having second thoughts. My leg is quite swollen and a little discolored so I told one of the other tour guides I wasn't going and asked her to tell Inez. When I got back to the room the phone was ringing but I missed the call. Then Inez called me on my cell phone and I explained the situation to her. Soon after two young women came up to check me out and see what I needed. I showed them my legs (both for comparison) and they showed appropriate concern. They will tell my tour guide for tomorrow to take me to the hospital on the way back, and have the hotel send up ice for now. This which suits me. I didn't want to miss Gongju, and I'll get medical attention tomorrow. I'm told it is to be a van so I should be able to keep my leg up. I'm in for the night.

Note: all pictures on this page, and any others identified as "KFphoto" are taken from the DVD of the visit provided to participants by the Korea Foundation.


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