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radcon
Joined: 23 May 2011
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 Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2012 5:23 pm Post subject: |
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| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
Yes, he had a huge hospital bill. His surgery cost more than 10 million won. His insurance covered about half of the cost. To get the rest of the money, he started a fund raiser on facebook which generated over 3 million won in donations. The remainder he paid out of pocket.
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I don't believe in karma but I hope this guy wins the lottery and then next day is diagnosed with the most painful form of cancer in stage four. Then he dies soon after without his lottery winnings being able to save his life and he having no time to enjoy that lottery money. |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| Captain Corea wrote: |
| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Quote: |
| Yes, he had a huge hospital bill. His surgery cost more than 10 million won. His insurance covered about half of the cost. To get the rest of the money, he started a fund raiser on facebook which generated over 3 million won in donations. The remainder he paid out of pocket. |
I'm surprised someone who works at your hagwan wouldn't have access to a paltry 5 million won. Less than a month's wages isn't it? |
Of course he could have paid the 5 million bill himself, but if he could raise money and have others help him pay it, why should he? Just because you have the money doesn't mean you need to spend it, right? |
Wow. That totally makes me not want to give.
I'd help a person out who needed it, but that guy just didn't want to tap into his savings (presumably).
/shakeshead |
It seems I have to defend my coworker here.
For one, he is quite old, nearly 60. His condition is life-threatening. Without the surgery, he could have literally dropped dead at any moment. And he has undergone similar major surgeries in the past two years, all of which he has paid for out of pocket.
Second, he has an adult son in his home country with a terminal illness. To help his son pay for his necessary treatments and medications, my coworker sends a substantial portion of his paycheck to his son each month. In other words, he has been putting the quality of his son's life before his own, which I find admirable.
Finally, all the people who donated money to my coworker are his family members and friends. Before coming to Korea, my coworker was an executive at a major multinational company before becoming a lawyer and law professor. He used facebook to contact the hundreds of people he has met over the years. They all know his situation are were all too wiling to give money for his surgery. No trickery or deception here.
Overall, I'm quite shocked how some people on here have reacted. Perhaps the way I originally explained the situation made my coworker seem like a greedy, opportunistic jerk, but that is not all the case. He is a kindly older man who faces many difficulties, both his own and those relating to his son's condition. He reached out for help and got it. Is that really such a reprehensible act? |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 5:24 am Post subject: |
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For one, he is quite old, nearly 60. His condition is life-threatening. Without the surgery, he could have literally dropped dead at any moment. And he has undergone similar major surgeries in the past two years, all of which he has paid for out of pocket.
Second, he has an adult son in his home country with a terminal illness. To help his son pay for his necessary treatments and medications, my coworker sends a substantial portion of his paycheck to his son each month. In other words, he has been putting the quality of his son's life before his own, which I find admirable.
Finally, all the people who donated money to my coworker are his family members and friends. Before coming to Korea, my coworker was an executive at a major multinational company before becoming a lawyer and law professor. He used facebook to contact the hundreds of people he has met over the years. They all know his situation are were all too wiling to give money for his surgery. No trickery or deception here. |
He's a 60 year old ex executive of a major multinational company and law professor in ill health and he's working at a kiddie hagwan in Korea while his son is in another country with a terminal disease?
Either he's been telling you a few porkies to make his life sound a bit more interesting or that's one of the strangest situations I've heard of. |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 5:34 am Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Quote: |
For one, he is quite old, nearly 60. His condition is life-threatening. Without the surgery, he could have literally dropped dead at any moment. And he has undergone similar major surgeries in the past two years, all of which he has paid for out of pocket.
Second, he has an adult son in his home country with a terminal illness. To help his son pay for his necessary treatments and medications, my coworker sends a substantial portion of his paycheck to his son each month. In other words, he has been putting the quality of his son's life before his own, which I find admirable.
Finally, all the people who donated money to my coworker are his family members and friends. Before coming to Korea, my coworker was an executive at a major multinational company before becoming a lawyer and law professor. He used facebook to contact the hundreds of people he has met over the years. They all know his situation are were all too wiling to give money for his surgery. No trickery or deception here. |
He's a 60 year old ex executive of a major multinational company and law professor in ill health and he's working at a kiddie hagwan in Korea while his son is in another country with a terminal disease?
Either he's been telling you a few porkies to make his life sound a bit more interesting or that's one of the strangest situations I've heard of. |
The man has had a turbulent, but fascinating, life. As far as I know, much of what he has told me is true. He has shown me articles and images online about his past accomplishments, such as when he broke his high school's record for the 100 meter dash (a record which still stands) or some of the projects he oversaw for the company he worked for, which are on that company's website bearing his name. He even showed the scar from when he was shot in the stomach when he fought in a war. The man's life sounds like the stuff of fiction, and maybe some of it is, but as far as I can tell, most of it is true.
So why is he in Korea? I don't know why he left, though I can guess, but I do know why he stays: he loves Korea. That's all there is to it. He loves the Korean people, the food, and the scenery. He has told me that he will die here and has already made plans to donate his body to science. In all, my coworker is a unique individual, to be sure, but one you would never forget should you be lucky enough to meet him.
Anyway, that's enough off topic musings for this thread. |
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sml7285
Joined: 26 Apr 2012
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 7:10 am Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
| Quote: |
For one, he is quite old, nearly 60. His condition is life-threatening. Without the surgery, he could have literally dropped dead at any moment. And he has undergone similar major surgeries in the past two years, all of which he has paid for out of pocket.
Second, he has an adult son in his home country with a terminal illness. To help his son pay for his necessary treatments and medications, my coworker sends a substantial portion of his paycheck to his son each month. In other words, he has been putting the quality of his son's life before his own, which I find admirable.
Finally, all the people who donated money to my coworker are his family members and friends. Before coming to Korea, my coworker was an executive at a major multinational company before becoming a lawyer and law professor. He used facebook to contact the hundreds of people he has met over the years. They all know his situation are were all too wiling to give money for his surgery. No trickery or deception here. |
He's a 60 year old ex executive of a major multinational company and law professor in ill health and he's working at a kiddie hagwan in Korea while his son is in another country with a terminal disease?
Either he's been telling you a few porkies to make his life sound a bit more interesting or that's one of the strangest situations I've heard of. |
Considering that most people on the executive track don't make it to a C level until they're in their late 50's, I too am hard pressed to believe this tale. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 5:48 pm Post subject: |
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| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
[
It wasn't an emergency surgery, but it was something he couldn't afford to put off any longer. |
| fustiancorduroy wrote: |
Without the surgery, he could have literally dropped dead at any moment. |
Sounds like an emergency to me.
Anyway getting back on track...I would not advise the OP to come to Korea in the hopes of getting better treatment or insurance there.
He's already stated he gets a paycheck whether or not he can perform the duties of his job. A bird in the hand and all that... |
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Modernist
Joined: 23 Mar 2011
Location: The 90s
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 9:55 pm Post subject: |
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| I don't know why he left, though I can guess, but I do know why he stays: he loves Korea. That's all there is to it. He loves the Korean people, the food, and the scenery. He has told me that he will die here and has already made plans to donate his body to science. |
Soooo...it's a woman. Isn't it? A woman probably considerably younger than him, isn't she? I love how we hear this story again and again. Old white Western man comes to Asia at the tail end of life. Why? Oh, he loves 'the people' and the food and the scenery and the quality of life, and the value system, and the laid-back attitudes...
Yeah. Right. Of course. And the woman, or women, have NOTHING to do with it. I'm sure she, or they, don't. Or is it, again, that kimchi fever is even STRONGER on the old than the young? Yes, I'd say that it is. |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 4:14 am Post subject: |
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| Modernist wrote: |
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| I don't know why he left, though I can guess, but I do know why he stays: he loves Korea. That's all there is to it. He loves the Korean people, the food, and the scenery. He has told me that he will die here and has already made plans to donate his body to science. |
Soooo...it's a woman. Isn't it? A woman probably considerably younger than him, isn't she? I love how we hear this story again and again. Old white Western man comes to Asia at the tail end of life. Why? Oh, he loves 'the people' and the food and the scenery and the quality of life, and the value system, and the laid-back attitudes...
Yeah. Right. Of course. And the woman, or women, have NOTHING to do with it. I'm sure she, or they, don't. Or is it, again, that kimchi fever is even STRONGER on the old than the young? Yes, I'd say that it is. |
He did a have a lady love, yes, though they can no longer be together. A tragic story. But these days, he still has a girlfriend, though she is black and has only one eye: his trusty Canon camera. With his girlfriend in tow, my coworker makes his way around Seoul and throughout the peninsula, capturing the breathtaking beauty that evinces itself throughout this wonderful nation. For the kindness that Koreans show him, his doctors, his coworkers, our employer, my coworker is forever grateful. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 4:18 am Post subject: |
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Soooo...it's a woman. Isn't it? A woman probably considerably younger than him, isn't she? I love how we hear this story again and again. Old white Western man comes to Asia at the tail end of life. Why? Oh, he loves 'the people' and the food and the scenery and the quality of life, and the value system, and the laid-back attitudes...
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I don't know about that. Why would an old guy come here to look for a considerably younger girlfriend than himself when he can go to Thailand or the Philippines? I just don't think there's much of a leaching off an older white guy culture here. Haven't seen a great deal of it anyway. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 4:59 am Post subject: |
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his trusty Canon camera. With his girlfriend in tow, my coworker makes his way around Seoul and throughout the peninsula, capturing the breathtaking beauty that evinces itself throughout this wonderful nation. |
Was this 10 million won operation that was an emergency but wasn't an emergency, cataract removal by any chance?
Last edited by edwardcatflap on Tue Jul 24, 2012 5:50 am; edited 1 time in total |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 5:35 am Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
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his trusty Canon camera. With his girlfriend in tow, my coworker makes his way around Seoul and throughout the peninsula, capturing the breathtaking beauty that evinces itself throughout this wonderful nation. |
Was this 10 million won operation cataract removal by any chance? |
He loves Korea, and that's great for him. It means he's happy. For reasons I, and presumably my coworker, cannot fathom, you don't. And that's too bad for you, but not for us.
But I have to ask, Edward, are your days so devoid of satisfaction that you must poke and prod this issue so relentlessly? I'd think you'd rather spend your free moments with your wife. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 5:55 am Post subject: |
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| He loves Korea, and that's great for him. It means he's happy. For reasons I, and presumably my coworker, cannot fathom, you don't. And that's too bad for you, but not for |
Come on, we all know you made the guy up. |
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fustiancorduroy
Joined: 12 Jan 2007
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 6:13 am Post subject: |
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| edwardcatflap wrote: |
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| He loves Korea, and that's great for him. It means he's happy. For reasons I, and presumably my coworker, cannot fathom, you don't. And that's too bad for you, but not for |
Come on, we all know you made the guy up. |
Hardly. I'm not that creative.  In any case, Edward, you live in Seoul, correct? You are more than welcome to come out and meet my coworker and me. He loves meeting people and he will no doubt tell you all I've mentioned and so much more. Just send me a PM and we'll arrange a time and place.
And you still didn't answer my question. |
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edwardcatflap
Joined: 22 Mar 2009
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 6:32 am Post subject: |
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And you still didn't answer my question. |
As banter it was just a bit too feeble to be bothered with to tell you the truth. |
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slothrop
Joined: 03 Feb 2003
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| Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2012 6:55 am Post subject: |
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edit
Last edited by slothrop on Sun Jan 06, 2013 9:12 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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