Biscuit Factory

I feel like I should make a comment on what language I use to write on what and if it has any meaning. Basically, I start writing in one language as I feel like. That comes on the top, and sometimes I translate what I just wrote in the other. For example, I wrote this in English first. Titles are always in English. I don't translate word by word, and sometimes even leave out a few sentences. I actually don't read the stuff I wrote but rewrite what I thought in the other language so the contents may not completely match. And there are some days I don't feel liike translating. I try not to mix two languages except for proper nouns in a sentence. That's it.

Oh, I may try writing in formal Korean sometimes just to make it even messier. lol.

블로그에 영어와 국어를 마구 섞어 쓰는데, 어떨 때 무슨 내용에 대해 뭘 쓰는지 밝혀둬야 할 것 같아서 한마디. 내용과는 사실 아무 상관이 없고, 그냥 그날 기분따라 한가지 말로 내용을 다 쓴 다음에 기분이 내키면 밑에 영어에서 국어로 또는 국어에서 영어로 내가 방금 쓴 걸 대강 해석한다. 그러니까 이건 영어를 먼저 쓴거다. 제목은 항상 영어다. 사실 위에 써놓은 걸 보고 해석하는 것도 아니고 그냥 방금 한 말을 다시 다른 말로 쓰는거라서 내용 자체가 약간 달라지도 한다. 지금처럼. ^^ 고유 명사를 제외하고는 국어를 쓸 때는 국어만, 영어를 쓸 때는 영어만 쓰려고 하고. 그게 다다.

가끔 존대말을 써서 더더욱 정신 사납게 할지도 모릅니다. ㅎㅎ

I passed my prospectus defense with condition yesterday. I have to make some changes, mainly cutting stuff out from my proposal and have to get back to the committee, but the main rush is over now. Phew. :)

I decided to celebrate it by standing outside of BSO hall for 4 hours to get student rush tickets for one night performance of Mahler's "Das Lied von der Erde(Song of the Earth)" by Berliner Philharmoniker with Simon Rattle,  Ben Heppner and Thomas Quasthoff. For me this piece is somewhat challenging, but I found if very beautiful. There was an amazing moment of silence after the last echo of "Ewig... ewig... (Forever... forever...)" had faded away, before the long applause.


Also, I had a great time at BSO when they played Mahler's 1st Symphony "Titan" last Thursday. This is the most familiar piece of Mahler for me. Jame Levine's style was different from what I was used to by listening to Bernstein's recording with Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam - slow passages were much slower. Bass solo at the 3rd movement was impressive to hear at a live performance - I had hard time finding him from 2nd balcony, but it was fun to see the eight horns standing up for the finale from up there.

http://www.dhs.gov/xtrvlsec/programs/gc_1194553866460.shtm (in English)
http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2007/11/20/2007112000197.html (in Korean)

Nice. I will be entering US through San Francisco International Airport on Jan 3, 2008. Hope what happened in Detroit in 2003 will not happen again. :-/

http://www.mymoneyblog.com/archives/2007/11/irs-how-does-your-income-stack-up-what-portion-of-taxes-do-you-pay.html

I am in shock just to know that this discussion can happen. Question on progressive tax??? I guess it is a "topic to discuss" in this country, along with the question that if everyone deserves access to healthcare. Of course, it should be the survival of the fittest, eh?

This reminds me of Park No-Ja(박노자)'s discussion on who owns one's diploma in a book a recently read (21세기를 바꾸는 상상력). Where higher education is paid by the government, one's degree does not belong to the individual in some sense. There is an obligation follow, to return to the society. That's also what my socialists-in-American-standard parents taught me. My science high school and national university education was mostly paid by tax money, hence I owe it to the Korean public. Here in the US, each individual owns their diploma - I have seen the exact expressions. I paid off my student loan, now I own my diploma. What I can earn from it is also mine.

I wonder if this society will turn around someday. These ideas sound scary to me, but don't seem to bother too many people.

About a month ago, I posted this. http://yoojinc.tistory.com/trackback/38
한달전에 단순하게 살겠다고 글을 쓴적이 있었다.

I got my electricity bill for October today and it went down from $24.54 to $18.56. Wow! That is almost 25% of saving. Usage difference is 106-71 = 35kWh. (Seems like there was a rate difference, too, since usage has decrease more than 25%. I should check it later.)
오늘 10월치 전기요금 고지서를 받았는데, 전기요금이 25.54불에서 18.56불로 줄어든거다. 사실 난방 들어오기 전에 전기난로를 쓴 날도 있었고, 잘때도 핫패드를 쓰기 때문에 예상하지 못한 일이었다. 킬로와트로는 106kWh에서 71kWh로 35kWh나 줄었다. (킬로와트수로 줄인 거에 비해서 요금은 그만큼 차이가 안나는것 같은데 나중에 자세히 봐야 할듯.)

I doubt it came from unpluging things. But by doing that, I don't have things on (TV or laptop) when I am not using them. I wans't really good at keeping this simple life style towards the end of the month but it is a great motivation.
플러그 끼워놓는 동안 쓰는 전력이 얼마나 된다고 그것 때문은 아닐테고, 다만 다른 일하는 동안 플러그를 아예 뽑음으로서 쓸데없이 TV나 노트북을 켜놓지 않아서 생긴 차이가 아닐까 싶다. 아무튼 단순한 생활에 큰 motivation이 되는 일이다.