Smile, You're on Candid Camera!

So my roommate, Joi, wanted to get the birth control shot (Depo provara) and a Korean friend of her's told her that it was available here. So on Saturday Joi, Paige and I went to Sadong in search of a gynocologist. Paige was there to act as a translator and I was there since we were going grocery shopping afterwards. So we went to the hospital (which I think was really a clinic, but the Koreans were calling it a hospital), which was many levels and was actually pretty nice. Joi and Paige checked in and we were told it would be up to an hour wait until her appointment so we decided to go get something to drink.

There was this coffee bar on the second level where I asked for an orange juice and the woman blended up a whole damn orange, PEEL and all with some ice and gave it to me. This was nasty on some new levels that I had not discovered previously. It's not fun to drink orange rind, pith and seeds along with your juice. I can handle pulp but this was pretty ridiculous. So even though it was ridiculously hot in the clinic and I was deathly thirsty (and slightly hung over) I could barely drink my 3,000 won juice. Curse you coffee bar woman!

Next Joi was called into this room and we all piled in. I think she was talking to a nurse who determines why each patient came to the clinic. Since this was the gynocologist floor there was this extremely interesting/disgusting poster of a healthy cervix and then different stages of cervical cancer. This is a very compelling visual argument about why regular pap smears are important. After alot of confusion it was determined that Joi's Korean friend is on crack and that Depo provara does not exist in Korea, but they do have this freaky implant thing that they will put in your arm for approximately $350 (Canadian). Joi made the decision to get birth control pills but to still have a pap smear (probably because of that poster). So we went to the next level of waiting.

I was spared being there for the actual exam (unlike Paige) but after hearing what happened I almost wish that I could have been a witness. Apparently everything was extremely modest and Joi didn't even have to get undressed (she had the foresight to wear a skirt) and there was a screen put up so even she couldn't see what was going on. Also she said that she was in a weird chair thing instead of laying on a table. Then (now this is the best part) the doctor told her to look at the screen and apparently there was a TV and a scope and without warning her cervix appeared for everyone's viewing pleasure! What the hell!?! And the icing on the cake? Apparently they took a picture, but not of the inside of her body. WHY? Now that's a new kind of mug shot. Man alive, things are different in Korea!

Sorry folks there are no pictures to go along with this one.