Some people are so lucky that they have fast metabolism and they never have to worry about losing those extra pounds just because they happen to like eating. These kinds of people do not have to think about diet pills and heavy workouts. Then, there also those people who are not really fond of eating. I am still of two minds whether to envy them or not. On one hand, they stay slim because they have to appetite but on the other hand, they lose out on the feeling of wonder that a delicious meal gives you. However, I also envy those people who have strong wills and can stick to a diet and or a workout in order to maintain a great figure. These people are really disciplined and persevering. I guess having a strong will is the next best thing to having a fast metabolism.
One thing I missed about Korea while we were in Beijing for a short vacation was using the credit or debit card. Makers of the portable credit card machine must be doing brisk business here in Korea because almost everywhere you go you can use your plastic. It’s very convenient because almost all the restaurants, shops, and grocery stores, even those “mom and pop†varieties accept credit cards. The sellers don’t even bother to check the signatures at the back of your card, unlike back in the Philippines. When we were in Beijing, we discovered that paying with plastic is not as common as here in Korea. We tried asking if we can use credit card to pay for entrances to the tourist spots, especially as we were already running out of money but to no avail. So far, Korea is the best country when it comes to using the square plastic.
The main obsession of our group here in school is how to lose weight. Everyone is always talking about how much weight she has gained since coming here. Even my friends who are quite skinny think they have to lose weight. We even compare methods or exercises or talk about what is the best weight loss product. My friends have been going to the gym to fight off those flabs while I have been going to Taekwondo classes almost regularly. So far, we haven’t seen any concrete effect of our efforts. However, we have one friend who manages to eat a lot but never gains weight. We all envy her and wonder where she puts all the stuff she eats in her small frame. I guess, it all comes down to genes and fast metabolism. Some people are just lucky.
According to Wikipedia, Mesothelioma is a form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos. The first time I came across the terrible effect of asbestos on a person’s lungs was in the movie “With Honorsâ€. I cannot quite remember it but I think the character of the homeless man that Brendan Fraser’s character ended up helping suffered from lung cancer caused by asbestos. Brendan’s character took this homeless man to social services to get help for possible Mesothelioma treatment and the social worker was asking him to produce proof of his birth and he told her, “I’m here, ain’t I lady?†I really enjoyed that scene. I don’t remember much what happened to the guy after but that movie was one of my favourites. I think I’ll watch it again, one of these days and see if the disease was really Mesothelioma.
We were at the airport lounge waiting for 12:00 noon to arrive so that we can go inside the departure area talking about medicines. Our Korean friend, who was also our guide during our Jeju trip was suffering from what we believed to be gastritis. We were feeling very concerned and tried to think about an appropriate medicine to buy for him. Deki, a Bhutanese friend was telling us about this antacid that was popular in her country to treat gastritis. We were comparing medicines when she suddenly said that she wished there were appetite suppressant pills so that she would not be tempted to eat so much. She was also concerned about losing the extra weight she had put on since coming to Korea. I told her that there were pills like that but I don’t think she was really that serious about it. I’m sure if she really wanted to, she could look it up in the internet.
