who ... moi?

a social butterfly: scared of much, but not of many. never lets the truth get in the way of a good story. not a fan of acronyms, snakes and angelina jolie. a HUGE fan of Fathead.


this blog is black for ENERGY-SAVING reasons.

thanks for your understanding.
if it's too dark, put your glasses on old one.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

upping the anti

one week left in south korea.  i can't believe how the time has flown.
it's a weird feeling ... leaving here.  it's been a "temporary stop over" for so long, that now it feels like home away from home.

it's time to pack boxes and backpacks.
it's time to print scan and copy every important document that we may or may not need.
it's time to double check the to do lists, and then recheck them just in case.
and sadly, it's time to say goodbye to friends.

this weekend, we seem to have cracked the major part of our outstanding errands. all that's left is to back up my photos, and clean out our room (which has somehow filled itself with clutter in the space of 6 months).

visiting a semi-english-speaking pharmacy in itaewon, we managed to stock the bulk of our first aid kit ... a collection of medical supplies so frightening, i feel like we're preparing for war.

if you're planning an adventure off the beaten track, herewith is a useful medical aid kit list we found online.  i'm hoping we won't need to use most of these, but just in case be a good girl scout and ensure you're packing these:

you'll need a bag to fit all this into.  and remove all blister packs and tubes from their packaging.  if you're fortunate enough to purchase these from an english-speaking country, then you're laughing.  if, like us, all your supplies and their directions for use are printed in korean, then use a permanent marker to identify which cream goes where ... otherwise you might be applying mozzie-repellent to your athlete's foot.

  • anti-bacterial cream
  • anti-biotic cream for skin infections
  • anti-biotics for the trots
  • anti-fungal cream
  • anti-histamine
  • anti-inflammatories
  • anti-septic cream
  • anti-spasmodic
  • decongestants
  • mozzie repellant
  • tablets to stop the trots
  • tablets to give you the trots
  • scissors
  • plasters
  • gauze
  • thermometer
  • sterile needles
  • syringes
  • safety pins
  • tweezers
  • indigestion meds
  • iodine tablets (for purifying water)
  • charcoal tablets (for absorbing nasty things and avoiding the above-mentioned trots and clogs)
  • paracetamol
  • steriod-based allergy cream
  • throat lozenges
  • sunscreen
  • thrush cream (sorry boys, but trust me ... you'll thank me later)
  • malaria tablets
  • plasters
  • burn gauze
  • more plasters
  • safety pins
  • sewing kit (with needles to pop and poke things)
once you've packed all this, there should be just enough space in your bag for a bikini. maybe.

as if this hefty list hasn't scared the shit out of me enough,  we also needed to get a few jabs because of our disease-ridden destinations ... make sure you go to a doctor who knows the areas you're visiting, and double-check that all your vaccinations and boosters are up to date.

when i was 7 and all my friends were getting their booster shots - i somehow managed to evade this traumatising experience.

i wish now, that i'd sucked it up and sorted these out, then.  as a result, 20 years down the line, i had to have double the required number of pokes in my arms.

if you're going anywhere in south-east asia - check that you have had the following:

  • hepatitis A (a series of three over a year)
  • hepatitis B (a series of three over a year)
  • typhoid
  • tetanus
  • dyptheria
  • japanese B encephalitis
i don't even want to know what the last disease involves ... sounds pretty rancid ... so it's worth ensuring that you don't get it.

happy, healthy travels and if you're not a fan of needles maybe stick to the major cities ... or stay home.

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