snowcup

Whose idea was it to add the extra spacing between the lines on the Seoul list? Could the next person who updates and posts the list remove all the unnecessary space? It requires a lot of scrolling down for the rest of us and is actually harder to sum up who is going and when.

Also, I'm catching up on the thread from the past couple of weeks and am a little concerned by some of the questions posed. You really need to be physically, mentally, emotionally and financially ready before having any kind of plastic surgery. (What happens if the surgery isn't successful? Are you strong enough to deal with the disappointment? Can you afford a revision?) Take some time to do some research before rushing into a decision. Are your expectations or goals for your surgery realistic? There are many great forumers who share their experiences and do so generously, but use that information as pieces of a big jigsaw puzzle that you put together carefully, since their results are no guarantee of your own results. PS should really be thought of as enhancement and not transformation of your features, otherwise you may set yourself up for disappointment.

Apparently, I am still grumpy from the lack of good coffee in Seoul.

 

Thanks, tried the link, but it didn't work for me, saying permission is needed to access on the server.

 

If you're worried about suction pressure, why not use a scuba mask instead. Sounds like a fine idea.

I actually showered every day. Just do so carefully. A lot of bathrooms in Korea have those long dangling showerheads, which is pretty convenient for this.

 

So tell us how you really feel, SB.

While we can't really know what is exactly truth or not, I'm not sure that's the point here. The forum is a place where people come to express their views and exchange information. An opinion or viewpoint is subjective by nature and not empirical truth in essence. Knowing what is exactly true and to what extent isn't something the forum should decide. We're not her judge and jury. She already has that ahead of her if she decides to pursue her claim.

I think you may be overestimating how people utilize the forum in your assessment. People fly in and out of the forum, based on their own needs, whims and convenience. I don't think that a failed surgery would necessarily make someone feel obligated to report back to this forum in a timely manner or even at all, given the likely precedence of making sense of what happened and picking up the pieces afterwards. However, when a person does come forth and provides a disturbing report, I for one appreciate the heads up. The strength of a forum is in the collective diversity of the feedback and the full spectrum of stories that are shared, both good and bad.

I suppose the story here does make a person curious to know more or what is suspect or not. It's also troubling to know that forumers aren't always truthful. I think that's why it's always important to assess for oneself how much to believe (or not) just like you would in daily life. This doesn't mean we can't offer our help or show compassion to a person in pain.

 

So tell us how you really feel, SB.

While we can't really know what is exactly truth or not, I'm not sure that's the point here. The forum is a place where people come to express their views and exchange information. An opinion or viewpoint is subjective by nature and not empirical truth in essence. Knowing what is exactly true and to what extent isn't something the forum should decide. We're not her judge and jury. She already has that ahead of her if she decides to pursue her claim.

I think you may be overestimating how people utilize the forum in your assessment. People fly in and out of the forum, based on their own needs, whims and convenience. I don't think that a failed surgery would necessarily make someone feel obligated to report back to this forum in a timely manner or even at all, given the likely precedence of making sense of what happened and picking up the pieces afterwards. However, when a person does come forth and provides a disturbing report, I for one appreciate the heads up. The strength of a forum is in the collective diversity of the feedback and the full spectrum of stories that are shared, both good and bad.

I suppose the story here does make a person curious to know more or what is suspect or not. It's also troubling to know that forumers aren't always truthful. I think that's why it's always important to assess for oneself how much to believe (or not) just like you would in daily life. This doesn't mean we can't offer our help or show compassion to a person in pain.

 

Pls don't feel you need to share your photos with forum members.

Have you considered asking for the surgical notes from your surgeries and all of your patient information that may be available from the clinic?

I'm not sure what the practice is in Korea, but in the US, surgeons usually prepare some notes about each surgery they perform. There is also additional notes in the patient's file as well. Patients are entitled to all of this information if they ask for it. There is usually information about what was done in the surgery and the techniques used.

 

I don't think PS would cause hair loss on its own. Did you have surgery in the area you are experiencing hair loss?

 

Okay, I'm a few days along in recovery mode. I'm still pretty bruised but the swelling is not so bad.

Question: how do I access and watch K-dramas here in Korea? Netflix, Hulu and Dramafever don't seem to work in Korea.

Would also appreciate more suggestions about fun activities or shopping tips in Seoul. I've got a few more days left. Gamsamhamnida!

 

Oh, I passed Kraze Burger just the other day! I was thinking of stopping by as I'm sure a craving will hit shortly.

Currently, I'm literally eating my way down one of the main streets as I love all kinds of Korean food. On my first evening, I was still a little nauseous from the flight and probably the food on the plane, so I ate this fiery pork barbecue dish for dinner. (Red pepper and garlic are good for killing bacteria. ) I thought I made a mistake in the first ten minutes afterwards when my normally cast iron stomach started complaining. But later that night, I was feeling much better.

 

Another quirk I found in Seoul is that it's surprisingly hard to find a decent cup of coffee despite the numerous coffee shops. (Years ago, I had the same problem with a decent burger.) I'm severely reliant on my morning coffee so when I can't find a decent cup, I can get a little, um, grumpy. Seeing Starbucks gladdened my heart when I first got to Seoul. But the coffee isn't the same. Yes, the prices are a bit higher, but that didn't surprise me because I remembered cafe culture in Korea generally charge high prices for beverages because people tend to go to cafes to hang out.

So far in most places, the coffee is pretty weak and not full-bodied. It's not easy to find just regular drip coffee. It's usually cafe americano (watered down espresso) or latte (too milky for me) as the options. There is no Misto at Starbucks or cafe au lait in other places. And there is no cream(!) to be found anywhere. Milk is hit or miss. The clinics I visited usually had espresso machines but only syrup to go with it.

I remember my parents would take coffee as gifts when they would go to Korea. Now I know why.

 

Hi guys, I arrived in Seoul earlier this week. Here are some early impressions.

I stayed up all night before the morning of my departure so that I could try to sleep for most of the flight. I'm not exactly a hearty traveler in that I get severely air sick during most flights, particularly long ones. It worked and sleeping on the plane also helped me adjust to the big time difference since I arrived in the afternoon.

The city has definitely changed since the last time I was here. The cosmopolitan main streets are really wide and broad. I don't remember this at all. There are crosswalks but sometimes you need to go into the subway system to cross the street. Attached to the mammoth main streets are numerous winding side streets, all chock-a-block with shops, residences, eateries, and countless buildings of all kinds.

I decided not to worry about having a working phone and just use wifi when I could get it. On hindsight, I would suggest getting consistent wifi coverage so you can use maps and GPS to get around (though English spelling of Korean names and words are remarkably inconsistent). The main reason is that it's really difficult to find a specific location based on an address. It's even hard for locals to see an address and know where it is, given the incredibly complicated street system. (Maybe that's the real reason why Korea became the most wired country in the world. They need wifi and cell phones to find each other. ) Initially, I pretty much needed to rely on taxi drivers, who use GPS, to locate specific locations.

Everywhere you go, the signage is in both Korean and English so that helps. I found the subway pretty easy to use, but keep in mind there are numerous numbered entrances/exits and it's important to know which numbered gate to exit that will be nearest to your destination, since one subway stop can actually span several blocks.

I got lost on my first full day. I rushed out in the morning to get to my first consultation by taxi without having fully looked around my own street. Don't do this.

Taxi drivers can take advantage of your unfamiliarity with the streets, regardless of whether you are a tourist or Korean. On my first ride, I showed the address of the clinic (from the website) to the driver and he used GPS, but I ended up not even close to my destination and had to get another taxi to finally get me there. But maybe it wasn't fully the first driver's fault, in that I later saw the listed address was in a different form than some of the the other addresses I had. At the end of the day leaving the last clinic, I knew I was near the place I was staying since it was near the same subway stop. I walked around for about an hour, thinking I would see something recognizable. Nope.

I ended up taking a taxi back, even though I was about a 5 minute walk away, but apparently off of a different main street. Thankfully I still had the specific address up on an email on my iPhone without active wifi. (I had all of the clinic addresses on my notepad, but not the actual place I was staying. ) Overall, I wish I'd known beforehand how hard it is to find specific locations by address. I asked a lot of locals and they couldn't really direct me well. It's funny, but I was often stopped by other Koreans asking me for directions.

As for Korean style and fashion on the street, it has improved somewhat since I was last here, but it wasn't anything surprising or overwhelming. The guys seem more fashion-forward than they used to be, which is the biggest change, but overall the people in Gangnam dress like people in other big cities to me, maybe more like NYC than LA in the US. People wear more international fashion labels than they used to, but that's logical given the increased global scaling and cosmopolitan environment.

 

It looks like someone sent me a message to tell me she didn't want to provide any info about Dr. Lee at Eyemagic unless I first sent her my pictures.

This is a forum where people come to exchange information, ideas and views. I personally find it a little suspect when someone makes a suggestion without providing any supporting info so that's why I asked.

Anyway, I'm happy to share what I learned. I arrived in Seoul earlier this week and decided last minute to go meet with Dr. Lee even though by that time I'd booked my surgery elsewhere. It actually helped me confirm I'd made the right choice.

The clinic's location is a few blocks from the Garosugil main street. The clinic is located in an older building, but their suite was modern and new. I actually went without an appointment since I didn't have a working phone to call beforehand and their website is in Korean. When I arrived, the lead receptionist said I would need to make an appointment and come back later, though no one was in the waiting room. Since I could speak Korean, I asked if they could make an exception since I would be leaving Seoul fairly soon. They said they would try to accommodate me, and I waited about 30-40 minutes until I was called. I actually found Dr. Lee to be nice, and he was confident that he could deliver the results I wanted. He didn't really examine me like the others had but seemed to have a good grasp of the issue. His quote was the highest (9 million range) among the clinics I visited (BIO, IOU and Teuim and Ahn PS). Objectively, I thought his strengths, based on pictures, showed improvement in the shape of the eyes (separate from the eyelids themselves). He was also quick to tell me he was famous, which reminded me of my prior doctor, and made my surgery sound like a breeze.

While confidence is good, it didn't strike the right balance with me. By that time, I'd met with a couple of eye surgeons in the US and the other clinics. Asymmetry is not easy to fix. I wanted a surgeon who could acknowledge the difficulty, but also had the confidence and experience with the issue at the same time. Plus, there wasn't a single person who could provide a personal experience with this doctor.

I'll provide a rundown of the other places I visited later but wanted to share a quick snapshot of this clinic because no one else has yet.

 

It's business. The clinics set routines to maximize efficiency and profit like any other business. A deposit helps to clinch the deal and places a surgery on the books, which is important for the doctor. The doctor's time is expensive so clinics and hospitals routinely set a certain schedule that maximizes their time. Can you imagine if every doctor only scheduled their consults and their surgery time was completely unscheduled until a few days beforehand? Chaos would ensue, so yes, the emphasis is on getting known surgeries on the books. The surgeries are the moneymaker so the surgeon's time is scheduled to prioritize them. The deposit is a win-win for the clinics. But remember, you are the customer, and you have the prerogative to say "no thanks" or "not yet."

 

Hi cherryzz, you've mentioned Dr. Lee and Eyemagic a few times on this thread and another thread. What do you actually know about him? Please share if you have any info, thanks.

 

Hard to believe anyone would have any ear cartilage left if they built up the bridge with it. Which would mean ...

Wait, let me go check the girl's photo again!

Nah, she still has her ears. :giggles:

 

Hey HKP, what a vivid story. And what great results and value(!), given the circumstances. You are tough! You make surgeries nowadays sound like a walk in the park.

Almost sounds like the story where someone has to walk 5 miles to school every day ... in the snow ... without a coat ... no shoes ... and they graduate at the top of their class!

 

Wow, the April group has mushroomed! Looks like quite a party.

March 2013
bella147 (15 march - 2 April) **confirmed
AEREE (Feb 15th - April 4th) **I'm Here**
kisskissbang + mom (18 March - 31 March) Confirmed
Fishbone (20th Mar - 3rd Apr)
R3Gg13 (22nd Mar - 4th Apr)
daa_vaa (March 23rd)
Cherryzz around 24th
xsh (27 March-9 April)
angiebellex (28 March- 7 April)

April 2013
Unk (April 1-21) (Kakao confirmed)
Snowcup (April 2-17) (Kakao confirmed)
Reneesyd (April 3-18) (Kakao confirmed)
SeekingBeauty (April 6-17) (Kakao confirmed)
Kimmmy78 (April 6-21) (Kakao Confirmed)
HongKongPhooey & friend (April 9-30) flights booked (Kakao confirmed)
Violet989 (April 10-23) flight booked (Kakao pending)
Cinnamongirl06 (April 15-29) (Kakao pending)
Yoonson (April 18-May 10)!! (Kakao pending)
Missy pink (April 24-May 4) flights booked (Kakao confirmed)
taurodont(April 17 - April 28)

May 2013
Go2Kr (May 8th - May 25th)
Shhshh (May 10th - May 23th)

June 2013
Lexethan MALE (June 15th - June 28th). Confirmed and Ticket Booked!
Soong sister (June 18th - July 5th). Bought air ticket.
Janersmaners (towards the end of June)
Plasticbuns (1 month)
Crystallinesnow (end of June)
Rhinosaurus

July 2013
JJ001 (01 July - 27 July)
turningpoint (14July-28July) Hello hello!

 

I realized the other day that I'll probably do a lot of shopping while I'm in Seoul. Would love some tips on the best places to shop for clothes and bags. (Hello, this is the Purse Forum.) I'm thinking it might be practical to bring a mostly empty luggage bag with me.

Also, would love recommendations on good hair salons. I'm tempted to get a perm. I have atypical Asian hair in that it's not thick and coarse, but more fine and smooth. Most salons usually keep in the chemicals too long for my hair type. :afrocool:

On second thought, maybe I'll just stick with a haircut.

 

It might also help to use a neck pillow. I just got one to take for my long flight to Seoul, and it's so comfy that I've taken it to bed a couple of times. I find it supports my neck well and keeps my face elevated.

Boy, I've been busy the last couple of days shopping for stuff (above pillow, noise-cancelling headphones, computer case, comfy shoes and clothes, etc). I finally stopped myself when I realized I was shopping to prepare for a trip where I will do a lot of shopping. What can I say, I'm a girl. :buttercup:

 

I'll have to check this one out. K-dramas are incredibly addictive. They're like potato chips in that it's hard to stop with just one. It's also a good way to learn the language. My Korean has gotten a lot of better since I started watching them.

 

Welcome to the April group. That's an interesting idea about going to another city. I'm sure there are good clinics outside of Seoul and may save you a bit as well. Let us know how you like the clinic. It's always good to have more choices to consider.

 

Wow, that's a lot. I purchased mine about nine days before my flight and it was less than half that. Guess it could be the time of year or where you're flying out of, but I definitely didn't find that I needed to buy way ahead of time.

 

I wonder if the anesthesiologist gave you morphine, which can cause nausea. I had my tonsils out a few years ago and had similar reactions. Boy, I was miserable for hours. My anesthesiologist told me she thought I was probably sensitive to it.

 

Whether it's dine-in or dine out, it's good to know what's good to order. Here's a list of quintessential food to try.

http://travel.cnn.com/seoul/eat/40-foods-koreans-cant-live-without-054198

 

That is so hilarious.

Here's what I'm anticipating. After surgery , I expect I'll be tired.

Once I'm awake, I'm sure I'll run to a mirror and inspect the handiwork.

Unlike my recovering jaw-contouring friends :ninja: , I won't be covered in bandage but definitely will be pretty swollen. ush:

So, I'll flip through some light reading :reading:

maybe do a Game of Thrones marathon :couch:

and probably a lot of :snack:

Pretty soon, I'll venture out and explore the city.