I just watched a movie in which Kevin Costner plays a serial killer. He comes to people's houses, says hello, and then kills them.
I. This movie inspired me to:
1. Lock my door.
2. Ruminate on how I could beg for my life in Korean. I have a few options:
a. Say "I like it!" and point to myself.
b. Say "Okay!" and point to myself.
c. Say "No money" and point to myself.
d. Say "I don't like it!" and point to the gun.
II. These options inspired me to:
1. Continue studying Korean.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Objectification for All!
I went to the gym after work today and turned on the Fashion Network while I ran. There was a new show on about a reality weight loss competition called Dance Your Ass Off. Overweight girls get paired with hot guys and learn a pole dance routine. Then they perform it in stripper outfits and get judged. The girl who loses the most weight wins.
Kind of weird, right? But it's not Korean, it's AMERICAN. I plugged in my headphones to the TV for a second to make sure. A quick google search shows it's on the Oxygen Network.
First of all, this show proves that dancing is not at all the most effective way to lose pounds. If the winner had been against the competition on the Biggest Loser, she would have been sent home immediately.
Moreover, it just struck me as kind of wrong. Not that fat girls shouldn't be allowed to pole dance, but there's something kind of weird about putting on a show of only big girls that makes it seem like a spectacle. Or maybe that's actually my bias, and if I was a less judgmental person then it wouldn't be any different than a bunch of skinny girls on the pole. But then again, the girls aren't being admired, they're being asked to change. The more they have changed, the more likely they are to win. So it's kind of like the show is saying, learn how to be hot and thus lose weight.
Plus one girl made out with her dance partner on stage, and that was just tacky.
Kind of weird, right? But it's not Korean, it's AMERICAN. I plugged in my headphones to the TV for a second to make sure. A quick google search shows it's on the Oxygen Network.
First of all, this show proves that dancing is not at all the most effective way to lose pounds. If the winner had been against the competition on the Biggest Loser, she would have been sent home immediately.
Moreover, it just struck me as kind of wrong. Not that fat girls shouldn't be allowed to pole dance, but there's something kind of weird about putting on a show of only big girls that makes it seem like a spectacle. Or maybe that's actually my bias, and if I was a less judgmental person then it wouldn't be any different than a bunch of skinny girls on the pole. But then again, the girls aren't being admired, they're being asked to change. The more they have changed, the more likely they are to win. So it's kind of like the show is saying, learn how to be hot and thus lose weight.
Plus one girl made out with her dance partner on stage, and that was just tacky.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
A Literary, Linguistic and Cultural Adventure
I've been reading like a recluse lately, and since I didn't bring many books over I've been relying on the English language book section of Bandi and Lunis. Today I went to the branch that's actually located in Jonggak station Exit Two. The selection is incredible; they have all of the contemporary hits and a huge section of classics. Browsing through those titles set on thick spines is frankly humbling. It's one thing to know that native English speakers get through these, but to imagine a Korean toiling through Finnegan's Wake makes me embarrassed of the relatively small effort it would take me to get through the many books I'd like to read but have put off indefinitely.
This morning I printed off a list of the Best 100 Books Published in the English Language Since 1900 (According to the Modern Library). I have fully read only twelve. Not that it's necessarily my goal to read all of them, I tried my best to read Lord Jim and I don't mind excepting that one, for example. But I would like to familiarize myself more with literature in general from the 20th Century, so I'd like to focus on that for a while. Besides, I think I've read enough 19th Century Lit to satisfy my interest in that time period. So I bought Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser, because I wanted to buy An American Tragedy but I have that at home so it seemed wasteful to get a second copy. I also added a Foreigners Guide to Learning Korean, which came with four CDs for only 20,000 Won! Maybe I'll finally start understanding what cashiers are saying when they give me the total. Now I just give them the biggest bill I have and hope it's enough.
After selecting these books, I went to the cash register to try to get the cashier to hold them while I visited the ATM. I succeeded with the help of my Lonely Planet phrasebook, and after getting the money I needed for the purchase I walked back. To the wrong register.
I went up to the manager and said (in Korean!) "two books". Then I pointed to myself, and to him. He asked me "holding?" I was like, "yeah, 2 minutes." And I pointed to the pimply teenager at this register, mistaking him for the pimply teenager at the other one, and kind of yelled hysterically (in Korean) "No have two books!?" Then I was pointing at my face like, 'Jesus, it's been two minutes and you already forgot about me?' The teenager was totally unimpressed, and fake-searched for my books while the manager was kind of freaking out. Then the manager's face lit up, and he walked over to the other register where another manager and pimply teenager were gawking at me, picked up my books, and rang me up.
The nice thing about this kind of thing happening over here is that I can walk away like nothing happened, and shrug as if to suggest that this is a perfectly normal way to act where I'm from. At home I actually feel the need to joke about it if I do something dumb, smile and explain...Here, I just can't. Although the situation may change once I'm done with Korean Elementary Level One For Foreigners!
This morning I printed off a list of the Best 100 Books Published in the English Language Since 1900 (According to the Modern Library). I have fully read only twelve. Not that it's necessarily my goal to read all of them, I tried my best to read Lord Jim and I don't mind excepting that one, for example. But I would like to familiarize myself more with literature in general from the 20th Century, so I'd like to focus on that for a while. Besides, I think I've read enough 19th Century Lit to satisfy my interest in that time period. So I bought Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser, because I wanted to buy An American Tragedy but I have that at home so it seemed wasteful to get a second copy. I also added a Foreigners Guide to Learning Korean, which came with four CDs for only 20,000 Won! Maybe I'll finally start understanding what cashiers are saying when they give me the total. Now I just give them the biggest bill I have and hope it's enough.
After selecting these books, I went to the cash register to try to get the cashier to hold them while I visited the ATM. I succeeded with the help of my Lonely Planet phrasebook, and after getting the money I needed for the purchase I walked back. To the wrong register.
I went up to the manager and said (in Korean!) "two books". Then I pointed to myself, and to him. He asked me "holding?" I was like, "yeah, 2 minutes." And I pointed to the pimply teenager at this register, mistaking him for the pimply teenager at the other one, and kind of yelled hysterically (in Korean) "No have two books!?" Then I was pointing at my face like, 'Jesus, it's been two minutes and you already forgot about me?' The teenager was totally unimpressed, and fake-searched for my books while the manager was kind of freaking out. Then the manager's face lit up, and he walked over to the other register where another manager and pimply teenager were gawking at me, picked up my books, and rang me up.
The nice thing about this kind of thing happening over here is that I can walk away like nothing happened, and shrug as if to suggest that this is a perfectly normal way to act where I'm from. At home I actually feel the need to joke about it if I do something dumb, smile and explain...Here, I just can't. Although the situation may change once I'm done with Korean Elementary Level One For Foreigners!
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Moving In, Again
I moved into my new apartment this Friday, and I'm pretty happy with the space! It's a studio, unlike my old apartment which was partitioned by a sliding glass door. I wasn't thrilled with this initially, but it's actually kind of nice to be able to see everything; I feel more in control of my surroundings somehow.
When I got in on Friday (sans luggage, thanks China Air!) I was dragged to work for orientation. I finally got home over 24 hours after I had boarded my first flight looking forward to a shower. I turned on the water, ran my hand under it, and nearly gave myself frostbite. You have to turn the hot water on, which was virtually impossible considering my inability to understand Korean. I basically went between pressing random combinations of buttons and running to the shower to see if it worked for about thirty minutes before, miraculously, something worked! I don't know what it was though, so I can't EVER turn it off.
I was pretty miserable when I saw the impossibly tiny closet the school provided until I went to take out some trash and found a wonderland of discarded furniture. I got a bureau in perfectly functional condition with some geometric shapes on it, and two guys from the street hauled it to my room for me. I love Korea! Other than that, I got a shoe rack, hanging bar, hangers and a drying rack from Home Plus for 75,000 Won, which is maybe $50USD. Plus some kitchen supplies in the dollar section at Lotte Mart. Success.
My building has a hair place, a few restaurants, and a 24-Hour Family Mart on the bottom floor. I realized I might be a pessimist when I was thinking about my relationship with Korean convenience stores. Each one has a small selection of items that they don't really have to carry, like kitchen scissors, adhesive hooks, tire rim polish, etc. Instead of being happy that one convenience store has it, I'm annoyed when another one doesn't. I really need an adhesive hook right now, and I don't want to walk a block to Lotte Mart. Family Mart, you failed me.
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