I. L. Chang

Progress

Story 1 – The Ramen Bar (Takashi/Camila/Vivian) (editing)

Story 2 – 99 UBC B Line (Ka Chun/Stephanie) (editing)

In the last three months, I took a hiatus to welcome guests who were visiting me in Seoul. In between a busy schedule, I finally finished writing the first draft (symbolically? Because it was more like 5 or 6 drafts to get to this “first” one) of 5 stories. My unofficial editor (my brother with his lengthy analysis) has now read all of them, and they are back in my hands to rework. We decided on a significant structural change, and of course, it led to deeper characterization and a more cohesive plot. This is all so exciting and fun to see.

When my brother read the latest story I wrote, he said, “This one is by far the best. And it is evident that you have been writing for a year.” My heart melted. This has to be the highest compliment one could get as a beginner. So I am continuing along. My current goal is to finish editing the stories of these 5 characters by the end of February and then move on to new characters.

Book talk: To the Moon

During this past year in Korea, I had the chance to meet a few writers. One of them invited me to attend a book talk event. She was there to “work” and I was there to observe. Prior to the book talk was the 56th Modern Korean Literature Translation Award Ceremony, which we didn’t realize was happening. I was reminded of my KORN 410 Korean Translation class at UBC ten years ago. I’d forgotten which authors I had read and much of the grammar and vocabulary I had learnt, but the joy of reading a literary work, understanding it, and crafting the best English equivalent stayed memorable. Nostalgia is a breeding ground for the hypothetical. What if I had taken my professor’s words seriously and pursued the world of Korean literature translation? How would my ten years have been different?

Without time to entertain my unproductive thoughts, the event quickly moved on. The author of the book, “To the Moon“, and the English translator for the book were seated on the stage. I can see why authors host book talks. I walked in, not knowing the existence of the book and also not very interested in it to purchasing the book after the event, getting it signed by the author and the translator, and finished reading it in one month, enjoying many parts of the story.

Understanding the author’s inspirations and her idea of the story made my reading experience much more personal. The woes of office life she wrote about, though in a different cultural context, were highly relatable. And the longing for financial freedom to find a place to live that is “just a little nicer” was all too familiar. I, too, was swept up with their watch on Ethereum prices and followed its emotional graph intently until they cashed out.

And with this message, the chat went silent.

The roar of our greed had disappeared.

It felt like we’d reached the summit of a tall treacherous mountain and were finally catching our breath. We’d made landfall after months on a raft, being swept this way and that by high waves. The ride was over, and we were finally on solid earth. Oddly enough, only now were we experiencing vertigo.

The exhilaration of suddenly receiving a large lump sum of money has its limits. There is no ultimate satisfaction when it comes to receiving the amount of money we think is enough because there is always more, and the void of such pleasure in an unexpected gain makes us lost. However, we cannot deny that a miracle sum of money can buy solutions to immediate problems. When one of the characters moved into a “just a little nicer” apartment with the money she gained, I felt satisfied yet longing for a bit more for her, projecting my own greed onto this character. The fantastical ending to each of the character’s life because of the money they made from their investment led me to conclude this: at some point, our society structured itself around the idea that money brings hope. A fleeting thought in this material world that says, “If only I had enough money, then I could…” Even though we all know prosperity only lasts until our last breath.

Play: 사내 연해 보고서

I have been practicing Korean with a middle-aged lady who runs an English-Korean language exchange meetup. She got discounted tickets for a play and invited me to go see it. The play was in a theatre near Daehakro. I haven’t heard of this area before, but the manager at a teriyaki bowl place I frequent mentioned it was an area home to many theatres and performing arts productions.

We reached the entrance to an office-like building and took the stairs down to the basement. Once we reached a door, a staff member led us into the theatre. I was immediately immersed in the stage and the setting, forgetting that I was inside a ten-story concrete building.

The play was a comedy about two brewing office romances: between a manager and an assistant manager, and between a senior and a staff. The audience was greeted and warmed up by the office janitor who gushed about his daughter. He introduced the plot by spreading a rumour of a possible office romance even though, it was prohibited by the manager. Then, a day in the office began, and we were brought into the story.

The dialogue between the characters was simple enough in Korean that I could understand most of what they were saying. There were references and over dramatization of current day influencers that I found amusingly satirical. The story between the manager and the assistant manager was a cute case of the-one-that-got-away-but-met-again-years-later-then-an-inciditing-incident-led-them-to-be-stuck-in-the-rooftop-of-a-building-together-not-knowing-if-they-would-ever-get-out-and-finally-a-chance-to-confess-their-true-feelings, which ends in an office romance.

The storytelling was comical, and the actors were convincing with their portrayals. Two of the actors played multiple roles, and I found that to be refreshing and fun. The changes in the set and the lighting were so clean and crisp that even without the dialogue and actors, a story unfolded.

From writing to reading to watching a play, I am glad the creative process continues to be stimulating, satisfying, delightful, and enjoyable.