2002-11-19 - 12:41 a.m.

I haven't been writing in my paper journal lately, due to sore hands [a flareup of my skin allergy]. However, a lady shopkeeper recommended white cotton gloves, and my hands are beginning to improve. I put on the medication and then the gloves.

Edited letter to my brother plus some extra info for an update:

"Great minds run in the same channels! I wrote San with the same advice.

> I have emailed Sandra with a smidgen of advice

> concerning the old furnace. I'm not sure if any of

> it will be useful or not. I'm sure David can find

> some strong guy with a little mechanical ability to

> help.

Yeah, the plumbers wanted more like $500 to take the old monster out. Seeing as how Lou only paid $100 for it in the first place, that seemed a bit excessive. I'll bet a scrap-metal dealer would take it. There's got to be enough cast-iron in that firebox jacket to be worth his while.

Deciding to sell the house took a while. I had to "sleep on it" for a couple months. Lou would have agreed that David is the right person to buy it, though. He thought very highly of David.

For now, I'm seeing myself making my way here in Korea. I've got way more than enough quarters for Social Security, and my five highest years averaged $21,000, so I'll be okay, but not rich. The hospital will pay me a pension, too, "maybe enough to pay the light bill," as my friend Helen used to say.

Certainly, living in Korea is a lot cheaper and more convenient than living in rural Maine. Fresh fruits and vegetables are on every corner; milk is home-delivered (shades of Paul Staples!). Public transport is excellent; medical care is as good as in the states and a lot less expensive: $8 to see a doctor or dentist, for example. Most of the medicos that I've seen have an American degree.

I had a good job interview today. I made it clear that I want an E-2 work visa; I'll even pay half of the cost of the trip to get it. I explained my goal is to serve my year under contract, the government requirement before I apply for a business educational consultant visa, which will let me do free-lance work.

With this job I just landed, my earnings are enough to live on and start paying my son some of the money I owe him. I'm still working on building up more private tutoring jobs, so I can send cash back to pay down bills. December through February, there is a high demand for English teachers to do private lessons, so I hope to cash in on that. Meanwhile, the house rent is covering my outstanding bills (monthly minimums).

I'm planning to have Thanksgiving with Jim and the Kang family. If that doesn't work out, I'll go to my favorite chicken diner or eat with some friends in Seoul.

Thanks for reading!

Happy Trails!

~ Sil in Corea

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