Two people I know here have now commented on the fact that my efforts to learn Korean are unusual. Ju-ri, a fellow taekwondo student, said last night that there are lots of westerners and overseas Koreans (KAs, Korean-Canadians, etc.) who come to live in Korea for a while but don't bother to learn Korean. (Incidentally, there is a specific word in Korean for Koreans who emigrate and live overseas, but there is no equivalent word in Japanese, the language most linguistically similar to Korean.)

"Maybe it's because Korean is so difficult, or because you get treated with respect if you speak English," she theorized. "But especially with overseas Koreans, it's very disappointing that they don't try to learn the language their parents speak."

I answered that I came to Korea specifically to learn Korean, and other people come here for their own reasons. "That's true," she agreed, "people do come here because it's easier to make money."
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I've been reading an English/Korean version of Of Mice and Men, mostly on the subway. This is the first time I've read the book (although, thanks to my college bf, I already know the ending -- never forgave him for that). I'm nearing the end now, and it's been nearly two months since I started it.

I usually read the English page first and then the Korean, referring back to the English side if I don't know vocabulary or can't understand the grammar. Because of this method, I've been forced to slow down and really pay attention to everything that's going on. Normally I blast through descriptions, focusing on the storyline more than anything. This is probably why I wasn't so interested in English as a major in college as I thought I would be -- I like reading, but as entertainment.

Reading Of Mice and Men this way, though, I'm appreciating the care with which Steinbeck creates the scenery and the characters. I can see the flies buzz lazily in the square of sunlight coming in through the door of the bunkroom, hear the clink of the horseshoes outside the barn door, envision the red ostrich feather mules that Curly's wife wears. I'm much more aware of the significance of each character, the zeitgeist, the way that hope builds up and fades.

I understand more about Depression-era America than I would have if I'd read the book just in English. Who'da thought?
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Finished reading the recaps of "24" on televisionwithoutpity.com yesterday and am now nursing a small crush on Kiefer Sutherland. No biggie. I'd like to see the show, though.

Still bothered about the thing I mentioned yesterday.