Who has two thumbs and was tested for SWINE FLU?

This girl.

Today was pretty awful, not going to lie.  First, I've been suffering from some sort of plague the past few days.  There's fluid in my lungs, and I'm coughing up a disgustingly huge amount of colorful phlegm.  Painted you a pretty picture there, didn't I?  I had the chills so bad that I wrapped myself up in a blanket and then put a sleeping bag around me.  It got to the point that I didn't want to even go to the bathroom (even though after a dozen Gatorades I really, really had to) because it's so much colder than the rest of the flat.  On the other hand, I woke up this morning at 5 am feeling ridiculously hot.  So hot that I marched myself to the bathroom, stripped down and lied on the tiled floor just so I could cool down. 

So that's pretty bad right?  To add insult to injury I also had to work today.  I know what you're thinking.  "But Tawny, it's Saturday.  Why the EFF did you have to work today?"  Well, as you may recall we had a "snow day" on Monday.  The whole town was closed down and there was no way anyone was getting to our school.  We were given an ultimatum- either we somehow march our booties to school in over a foot of blizzarding snow (4 miles, mind you) or  we have make-up classes on Saturday.  It wasn't really a choice was it? 

My co-workers and I begrudgingly dragged ourselves to work.  We've all been really sick lately, but there's literally nothing you can do when you work in a Hogwan.  Your contract states that you get a certain amount of "sick days" but the reality is that your director's pretty much the only one that can really decided whether you get to stay home or not.  Your best bet is to somehow find another foreign teacher to work for you.  If not, you are SOL. 

Aria was feeling extra sick and could barely lift her head.  After we sorted out her schedule and forced her to go to the doctor she finally got herself to the hospital.  Why was she feeling so bad?  Oh... because she has swine flu!  SWINE FLU!  Are you serious?  We spend hours together in a little room and both of us were experiencing the same symptoms.   You best believe I hightailed it out of work and went to the nearest hosital to get tested. 

And let me tell you, Korean hospitals are creeeeeepy.  Do.not.like.  For starters, Korean hospitals kind of close down on the weekends.  The only part of the hospital that is really open (and lit) is the emergency room.  Well, emergency center.  It's a big room where people can sit, or lie on a cot and get an iv drip.  It's also where they do surgeries and tests.  So as I was waiting for my swine flu test I saw multiple people rolled in on stretchers.  There were patients walking around the hospital in their little outfits dragging their iv drips behind them or rolling around in their wheelchairs. 



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nearly deserted.

I finally got a hold of the boy and he rushed to meet me.  He got there just as I was about to get tested.  How do they test?  Well, they asked me a bunch of questions in Korean and then told me to open my mouth.  All I saw was a long sort of stick.  I wasn't sure if they were going to take my temperature or give me a shot in the throat.  Luckily they only shoved it all the way down my throat and swabbed around.  We had to wait 30 minutes before we got the results. 

Well, no flu of the swine variety for me folks.  Nope, I just have the good ol' regular flu.  Wheeew.  I've been hopped up on meds and lying on the couch ever since.  I'm hoping that I'll be able to combat this bad boy and feel better by Monday because I know there's absolutely no way I'll get a sick day. 

Sad girl.