blast from the past
{I've removed the clip, but you may see it here.}
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{I've removed the clip, but you may see it here.}
Today we got stuck in our elevator. We live on the 7th floor and the elevator services apartments 1 and 2 on each of 15 floors. We got on, Jackie pressed 1 and we were off. At around the 4th floor, the elevator suddenly stopped. And not suddenly like we-didn't-expect-that-someone-pressed-the-button, but suddenly like the-motor-just-went-out.
Like anyone would do, I pressed the buttons again. Nothing. I asked if she actually pressed the 1 (this has happened many a times where we've forgotten to press a button and don't move for some time). She did. I pulled out my phone. Barely a signal. Not that I knew who to call.
We pressed the emergency alarm button. It just made a loud beep somewhere maybe on the first floor. No one came on the intercom.
It was at this point that I was beginning to consider worrying.
The elevator suddenly came to life and started going UP. That was strange. It got to nine, the doors opened, then suddenly closed, nearly whacking the girl about to get on. I tried the door open button, but to no avail. The girl pressed her button outside and the doors opened. We got off and the girl mentioned that on the button panel a sign had lit up saying something in Korean that I didn't know. Something like Out of Order.
We walked down the stairs and told the security guard. He didn't seem to interested. He definitely didn't hear the alarm. I'm now quite concerned about the safety of our elevator. If the emergency button brought no response...
The close door button doesn't work either. It's a pain, but tolerable. But if there's no way to communicate while stuck in the elevator...
We're lost in Lost.
It's been about a week, and we've now plowed through 25 season one episodes and four season two episodes at a rate of about three or four a night.
It's good becuase we can enjoy watching something together. Jackie likes to watch Korean dramas. I can't understand them fully, especially if it's a period drama. The language used, compared to every day Korean, is moderately like comparing Elizabethan English to every day English.
Anyway, we're totally hooked on Lost right now. She watched nearly all of season one with English subtitles. She had only a few problems understanding conversations or words. Later I found so-called fan-subs in Korean. Fan-subs are subtitles that are created by 'fans' who have basically translated some other, probably 'official', version.
The only problem with the fan-subs is that, well, they kinda suck at times. Let me illustrate:
An expendable character dies in one episode and someone asks where he is. The reply: 'He didn't make it.' Which of course in this context means: 'He died.' The fan-sub translation: '그가 안 만들었어요.' Literally: 'He didn't make it.'
In casual English, we use 'hey' to mean a lot of things, such as 'hi'. However, it's been always translated as '이봐요!', or, 'Hey!'
It's more funny than anything else. We're not complaining, I guess, as they are more useful to her than English subtitles.
I'm trying to end this post, but it's not coming to me.
This is the new home of magnetonic. You probably won't notice much of a difference, other than the obvious, cosmetic change.
The photos are not set up yet, but the address remains the same, http://www.magnetonic.org/gallery.
I'll also try to get notifications working again. I think they were broken for a long time. Not that I was writing with any sort of frequency.
On a side note, there's another blip somewhere in this so-called blogosphere by the name of sunwharising (though I would've spelt it sunhwa). This is also just an excuse to try out this TrackBack thingy. (Which doesn't seem to work, actually.)
Welcome!
Oh, and a big thanks to Tim for setting up the hosting. Yay Tim!
Yes. I am back from an oh-so-long hiatus. Why? If I sit here and think about it, I can maybe come up with a few answers.
I did get married. But that was nearly a year ago. Let's see I've posted maybe eight times in the last year. Pathetic!
I think this is what happened: About a year ago, we were in the heat of wedding plans. Pictures needed to be taken, gifts for new family members bought, hanboks fitted and made, plane tickets bought, music chosen, honeymoon planned, rings made, and so on and so on.
I never had time to even think about mag. My parents and brother came. Then the wedding. Then the honeymoon. Then the move. Then summer vacation schedule at work (which means I work more hours for the same pay, essentially). Then Chuseok as a newlywed (family obligations become much more important). Then the trip to Toronto. Then the reception. Then teacher's college applications AND immigration applications. Then Christmas. Then winter vacation schedule. Then New Year's. Then Lunar New Year's (family again). And now, magnetonic.
I think I'm missing something. Not another "Then ...". I'm missing the reason for me not writing. I'm actually quite available most of the day. I don't start even getting ready for work until about 2:00, sometimes later. I don't work weekends, usually (I do some privates sometimes, like now). I would usually get up fairly late, anywhere from between ten and twelve. I'd make coffee and maybe have breakfast. Cereal or toast. I'd watch two episodes of Friends and maybe That 70's Show or 3rd Rock. I've watched the entirety of Friends (yes, that's count them ten seasons) at least four of five times since being in Korea. Probably more. I'd mess around on the computer wasting time reading mind-dumbing posts on Slashdot (which I've weaned myself off, recently) or downloading entire seasons of TV shows and watching every episode end to end most waking hours (there's not much else other than Friends to watch on TV here save the rare K-Drama that I can a] understand and b] actually enjoy). Recently, I've subscribed to one of the English newspapers here in Korea (need to keep up with the Korean news) and so I've become quite adept at finishing the crosswords and Jumbles. Since I've paid for it, I try to read everything, and so that takes up part of my day. I'd get home from work at around 9 and eat and relax by watching TV or above-mentioned downloaded TV show. I'd just forgotten about magnetonic.
There is one thing I've found that has crossed my mind many-a-night: I want to leave Korea. I've been here for 1299 days. I like Korea a lot. I don't know if I love it. There are some things I love, but not many. I'd really just like to get back home to Canada and start the next chapter of our lives. I'm going back to school to start a new career and Jackie is going to a new country to start a new life. We're basically just waiting. It's killing us.
My job is absolutely nothing special. I'm paid well and don't work that many hours so it's sweet. But it's not at all pleasurable or rewarding. I'm in a rut. In that rut, I'm an English teacher. With me in that rut are a hundred students that don't have a basic grasp of English conversation. They don't have any drive to improve their skill and so in turn, neither do I have the drive to improve their skill. I try not to give up on them because they are my students and they are here to learn from me. Somebody told me: "Remember, you're teaching children, not your subject." It's stuck with me. But these children do not understand my language and that has made it really hard to get out of this rut.
This is the crux of my post here, I think. I'm in a rut with a bunch of Korean kids and I want to get out of this country. I won't go without a fight.
So here, in writing, I solemnly declare that henceforth I will to the best of my ability post at least one message a week if not more or less often.
Also, I need to exercise more. I walk twenty minutes to and from work every day, but it's not enough.
Also, I need to read more. Not just the newspaper. I haven't touched a book in months.
Also, I need to take care of my wife. And her sisters. And her parents. I have to grow up. I'm a husband. And I'm a son-in-law. The first at that.
Also, I need to edit.