tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post5224688346479621692..comments2023-06-25T18:01:34.208+09:00Comments on Busan Mike / 부산 마이크: Access DeniedMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15349691823513127693noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-62891200245871967002010-09-29T19:20:39.482+09:002010-09-29T19:20:39.482+09:00Thanks Adele. I actually saw a pregnant foreign wo...Thanks Adele. I actually saw a pregnant foreign woman (possibly Vietnamese) in our hospital getting a check up a few months ago, and she was really struggling to understand what to do. I can only imagine the language barrier gets tougher the closer the birth becomes.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15349691823513127693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-61385498088809146562010-09-29T16:23:07.389+09:002010-09-29T16:23:07.389+09:00Congratulations Mike! And thank you for sharing th...Congratulations Mike! And thank you for sharing that experience.<br /><br />As many commented before me, the fact that both mother and baby are fine is the most important thing. I keep saying to myself that, were we able to speak Korean to a decent level, our life would be so much easier and we may even succeed in raising awareness on certain issues to the benefit of the other foreigners living in this country, and not only them. Over the next few months, with the prospect of having a baby in the near future, I will endeavor to learn as much Korean as I possibly can; I've always felt I had to, but after reading your latest couple of posts it has become a conditio sine qua non. So thank you, congratulations again and hope to meet you sometime in Busan!adelenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-81144077732454821532010-09-22T09:53:11.083+09:002010-09-22T09:53:11.083+09:00Thank you. Yes, I intend to put in an Oscar-worthy...Thank you. Yes, I intend to put in an Oscar-worthy performance over the next few years to bring up my child in a positive environment where all seems well with the world. Gradually of course, he'll learn otherwise as he gets older.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15349691823513127693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-65181588490300177132010-09-22T06:25:05.092+09:002010-09-22T06:25:05.092+09:00Congratulations on becoming a father, I'm sure...Congratulations on becoming a father, I'm sure you'll feel like one as soon as you hold your son for the first time. Just try to think positively for his sake, babies are sensitive to feelings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-27428672020802715172010-09-22T02:27:49.798+09:002010-09-22T02:27:49.798+09:00Thanks Daeguowl. I don't really read AFEK much...Thanks Daeguowl. I don't really read AFEK much these days so perhaps I missed it. I ran a search and found a thread from six months ago which is perhaps the one you were referring to. It certainly seems very interesting so it's a shame I didn't see it beforehand but that's the way it goes.<br /><br />My mother used to be a nurse so I know how back in England some of the nurses would find ways of getting back at patients they didn't like. Perhaps Korean nurses are above that sort of thing but is it worth putting it to the test? I'm also not sure it's worth - as you say - stressing my wife out about it.<br /><br />I'm not happy about the situation but after my initial anger I could also see how I'd made the mistake of assuming I'd have access to my child, because it didn't occur to me that a hospital in the modern world would have it any other way. I'm not excusing the Korean medical staff for being so professionally irresponsible that they designed a system which doesn't act in the best interest of baby and parents, but I also feel at fault for my assumption that common sense would play a major part in this experience.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15349691823513127693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-65617996946734817702010-09-22T00:38:44.297+09:002010-09-22T00:38:44.297+09:00There is a thread on AFEK dealing with this and I ...There is a thread on AFEK dealing with this and I encourage you to check it out. Also, congrats on becoming a father. I would encourage you to kick up a fuss to gain access to your son, providing that is not going to stress your wife out...they can't kidnap him like thatdaeguowlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03265027333985937239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-44754156010981508852010-09-20T09:54:00.040+09:002010-09-20T09:54:00.040+09:00Thanks. I'm sure we could bring him home but m...Thanks. I'm sure we could bring him home but my wife wanted two weeks recovery time in the hospital, and while that's around two weeks longer than British women get it's a cultural difference I'm not really entitled to impose on her. At this point her needs far outweigh mine. We've also paid around $1,000 for the two weeks and if refunds were questionable I wouldn't have liked to have gifted the hospital so much free money under the circumstances.<br /><br />My wife is called down to the 'Baby Center' from her room by phone when required to feed our baby and that's how that works. That's the sum total of the time she gets with him.<br /><br />Being English I find the situation as extraordinary as it is unfathomable but as with so many things in Korea, my understanding is not required.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15349691823513127693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-2422336682793034182010-09-20T03:44:37.664+09:002010-09-20T03:44:37.664+09:00Congrats on the birth of your son. I am so sorry ...Congrats on the birth of your son. I am so sorry about this. I say, go and take him and go home. Would this be illegal? Also - how can your wife feed him (sorry if that's too nosy a question, but isn't baby contact necessary for milk production?) I find your situation quite heartbreaking.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-29468424247483868892010-09-19T23:28:03.726+09:002010-09-19T23:28:03.726+09:00Thanks and congratulations on your daughter. The h...Thanks and congratulations on your daughter. The hospital we chose only appeared to have two small delivery rooms. We didn't get a choice as to room size but I admit I didn't think about it beforehand; the building seems purpose built and I didn't quite imagine us all crammed in the way we were. We've learned from the experience and if there's a next time I expect we'll try to make sure some of these details are better.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15349691823513127693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-16646564224675890962010-09-19T19:05:06.464+09:002010-09-19T19:05:06.464+09:00All I want to say is that 2 months ago we had a da...All I want to say is that 2 months ago we had a daughter in Seoul at a regular, small maternity hospital and had none of the problems you mentioned (minus the absent doc until the last minute.) We paid the 50,000 won extra for the family delivery room... <br /><br />Next time you'll likely have a better time, though as I understand it, my wife did a ton of research on area hospitals beforehand.<br /><br />Bon chance.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-77606626440159765982010-09-18T22:59:39.159+09:002010-09-18T22:59:39.159+09:00The risk in employing a small army of interpreters...The risk in employing a small army of interpreters though is that it implicitly encourages people not to integrate. I'm not sure I'd want to see Korea going down the same road.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15349691823513127693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-10628142188166528852010-09-18T20:51:56.496+09:002010-09-18T20:51:56.496+09:00Well we have a lot to complain about with our heal...Well we have a lot to complain about with our health system, but we have a hell of a lot to be grateful for too. Whilst people moan about Equalities and Diversity, you've got to admit that many of our public services do try for interpreters wherever possible, which would at least given you the option of explaining how you felt. It seems whichever country you go to though, when you get involved with health services, you simply become a patient, which by default implies that you leave all notions of individuality and emotion at the door as you enter. Health culture transcends national cultures.Jannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-29341323434038211962010-09-18T15:25:13.562+09:002010-09-18T15:25:13.562+09:00When I face these barriers I'm often reminded ...When I face these barriers I'm often reminded of the quote "Never try to teach a pig to sing - it wastes your time and annoys the pig".<br /><br />Actually, through extensive research and scientific analysis I've identified the common factor in the problems I have dealing with Koreans. It's me :-)Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15349691823513127693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-268789363253190247.post-72542525196626599952010-09-18T14:18:03.615+09:002010-09-18T14:18:03.615+09:00That sounds very annoying. I've been here 4 ye...That sounds very annoying. I've been here 4 years now, and have similarly developed a sense of apathy to frustrating Korean mindsets.<br /><br />Koreans: the cause-of and solution-to all of life's problems (if you're living in Korea)Lee Farrandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06405103217824096934noreply@blogger.com