Thursday, February 17, 2011

really, who can't write a sitcom


뻔데기 뻔짜라고 생각하는 드라마 장면들이 몇개 있지만, 그 중 하나는 다음과 같다:

<순한 캐릭터 1이 큰 사건 (부모님의 억울한 죽음, 사랑하는 이의 배신, 실패)을 겪고 독기를 품는다. 화면에는 그/그녀의 이글거리는 눈빛이 비춰지며 복수, 자기파괴 등 과 같은 것들이 암시된다>

캐릭터 2: (안타까운 목소리로) 이러지마, 너답지 않게...
캐릭터 1: (살짝 옆으로 보며, 그리고 인상쓰며) 뭐??
나다운게 뭔데?

---

나에게 저런 드라마틱한 상황은 일어나지 않았지만 나도 잠시 본 이미지를 잃었고, 요 몇주, 내 주위 사람들은 충실히 캐릭터 2 역할을 맡아주어야 했다. 그럴때 마다 나는 정말 궁금해서, "나다운게 뭔데-레파토리"로 받아 치고 싶었지만 난 예측 가능한 대사는 싫기에 관두었다. 사실은 그들이 무슨 뜻으로 하는 말인지도 알았기 때문인지도 모르지만.

어쨋든,
머릿속은 그 어떤 때 보다도 다양하고 복잡한 생각들로 가득 찼었지만 정말 블로그에 적어 두고 싶은건 하나도 없었다. 낯선 내입으로 삶이 지루하다고 말하고 있었으니깐.
그게 제일 나답지 않은 것이었다.

생각해 보면 그 말을 하던 그 순간도 결코 지루한 순간은 아니었던 것 같다.
아무리 멜로드라마의 청순 (=청승) 여주인공이 되어 보려고 해도,
도대체가 바닥까지 떨어지고 다시 박차오르는 성공스토리의 영웅이 되어 보려 해도,
나는 항상 코메디였다.

일기를 들추어보니 나는 그 "암흑기" 동안
- 남의 결혼식에 혼자 가서 스테이크 썰고, 와인까지 원샷하며 남자친구도 없는 내 친구들의 미래의 결혼식 생각에 감동의 눈물 훔치지 않았나
- 먹고 살겠다고 2시간 동안 요리해서 바로 얼려두고 이틀 뒤 먹지 않았나
- 친구따라 강남가서 원수를 외나무 다리에서 만나질 않았나
- 병원에서 연구가운 입고 울다가 환자에게 의사가 왜우냐며 위로 받지 않았나
- 우울한 음악에 취해 있다가 반대방향 버스를 타서 한강을 3번 건너지 않았나
etc. etc...

그리고 내연구에 지쳐가고 있을때 하늘에서는 나에게 EBS 프로젝트를 내려주었다.
다큐프라임 3부작에 수면이란 주제로 참여하게 되어는데 덕분에 일복이 터터터졌다.
하지만 그 준비가 너무 즐거워서 일하며 생긴 우울증/스트레스를 또다시 일로 풀고 있는 요즘이라 이게 무슨 아이러니인가..싶다.

그래, 좋다고.
시트콤 인생 좋다.
이렇게 한없이 어두어 지고 싶을 때도 우리 인생에 "유머"라는 것 밝은 색을 불어 넣어주니 이게 얼마나 다행인지 생각해본다. 난 웃긴애라 슬픈 뮤직비디오의 주인공은 못하겠다 이거다.


Picture Title: 훗
나 저런 표정으로 세상에게 콧방귀 끼며 살 참이다.





Monday, February 7, 2011

if something were to last forever

Previous studies on positive psychology tell us that no matter what felicitous events or life changes we encounter, we end up returning to the baseline level of happiness. In other words, no single burst of happiness makes permanent changes. We quickly adapt and realize that we are back at our same, normal place again. Therefore, "hedonic treadmill."

Happiness
is sometimes a blessing, but it is often a quest.
To find it is a constant battle within oneself and to remain in it is universally a never-ending journey. We all have that one thing we are secretly begging for at this moment, don't we all? ("Once I have that, I will be a happier person.") But with enough experience, we know that we will be thirsty for more even with that in our hands; we wake up and inevitably, there still will be problems and Life will still fool us.

There will be a moment where we hit a moment of emptiness. What do we do when running on the treadmill doesn't mean anything anymore? We fill ourselves with fuel again, something that will replace the meaningless-ness with yet another quest to joy and pleasure.

But there has to be something that never drys out. Nothing lasts forever, we say, but pouring out all my knowledge and mysteries of Life, one source of happiness that lasts, I daresay, is Love for others. It hit me while I was watching a documentary of Fr. John Tae-Suk Lee ( 故 이태석 신부님; who offered himself to the people of little, hungry town of Tonj, Sudan) that the only thing that will leave meanings to one's life all throughout is Giving. Though he is now passed away--and at such a young age--who would say his life was on a treadmill? Who would insist that his deeds on earth will someday be forgotten?



The movie was titled Don't Cry, Tonj.
Tonj doesn't need to cry. It's seen the most precious jewel of the world.
울지마 톤즈. 너로 인해 평생, 그리고 지금도 행복하시다잖니.

Saturday, February 5, 2011

과천초 향기나는 연필깎기

"You have to take risks, he said. We will only understand life fully when we allow the unexpected to happen.

Yes,we are going to suffer, we will have difficult times,and we will experience many disappointments--but all of this is transitory; it leaves no permanent mark. And one day we will look back with pride and faith at the journey we have taken."
- By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho

우리는 분명 모두 위대한 모험가이다.
여정 중 평탄한 길만 나올리 없다. 훗날 지나간길 돌아보며 우리 참 용감했다 말할테지.
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Friday, February 4, 2011

김현 비위 맞추기

So I've been particularly sensitive about my inner changes and mostly, emotions.
I wanted to make careful observations of what makes me feel better, happier, and nicer.
Because I haven't been exactly that much of myself recently.

So I tried a few things and tried to listen to what the inner me has to say.

Writing on blog- I have a few rough drafts that didn't make it to the "publish" button. Translating my thoughts--my cynical and negative thoughts--wouldn't have possibly made someone's day better, therefore, ideas were only roughly drafted.

Talking- Because the root of my problems was rather very fundamental and philosophical, to undress my issues could've been nothing but three hours of me just talking and ending up crying. Plus, it's energy draining. So I tried the next..

NOT Talking- I apologize for my un-responsive-ness. To emails, phone calls, IM's, etc. Like I said previously, talking didn't work, so I tried NOT talking. What came was birth to unnecessary worries from my loved ones.

Reading- If only my brain could've processed texts, this method would've worked. However, language is a high degree cognitive functioning, and considering my current condition, using brain power was not really a productive act.

Running on a treadmill & on a park trail- I thought a burst of endorphin would help. Science was right: running did make me feel better, thanks to my intact neurochemical responses.

Watching 3 episodes of Grey's Anatomy in one sitting- No wonder intellectuals call TV's a 바보상자 (=a box for stupids). Not having to use your brain is a wonderful feeling, in addition to drooling over Patrick Dempsey's smile.

Snowboarding- Depressed people are in danger of committing impulsive and riskful moves. I'd like to say that I was a brave soldier who climbed up to the advanced lane without much thought. Call me "Silver" from this point on, please.

Museum exhibition- My sour blue journal, bloody red wallet, and grassfield green scarf tell that I am easily affected by colors. Chagall, the"magician of the colors" came to Seoul, so I displayed excellent etiquette and visited him amongst morbid flu and runny nose. Paintings in vivid colors never disappoint me. [Note: Chagall didn't really come. He died a few years back but his paintings can travel].

Cutting, burning, and boiling........or say cooking- I helped my grandma and mama prepare for 설날 (the Chinese New Year's). Hours of using knife gave me some kind of catharsistic effect.



But besides that, I watched Julie & Julia and felt a repressed passion for cooking once again. Maybe cooking could be a pick-me-up.
I need to be picked up. I want to try to make myself be happy and entertained again. That's what I heard from my inside today. And that's an improvement.
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Sunday, January 30, 2011

그녀는 박쥐였던 것이다

Happy medium, we say.
Extremes are risky, so we are most content with the "in between" scenarios. Makes sense.

Another reason why mediums are blessed: as this world is evolving into the era of hybridism, ability to adapt to broad field of ideas works favorably amongst civilized species, and those who can embrace both get to be the ones who flourish. It's the infamous survival-of-the-fittest-schema. Consequently, we see the never-drying well of neologisms, of new terms representing combination of two discreet concepts.

As a Konglish speaker and a biopsychologist, I may be able to say that I am an avid practitioner of medium-ism. I find myself always putting one foot on one side and one foot on the other. I am the happy medium, the middle person, the either/or [or maybe neither/nor]. It's a huge advantage that I have--being able to taste the best of both worlds--but many underestimate that I pay the price of recurrent identity crisis.

Mediums aren't always happy.
Some worlds have things only in black and white and there comes a time when mediums have to take a side.

There comes a time when a Konglish speaker has to decide where she fits more, of whom she wants to work for, and how often she can go without seeing her family.

There comes a time when when a biopsychologist has to discern whether the purpose of her life is to treat patients, to research, or to educate younger generation. Or on a count that she has a womanly goal, she might consider being a homely mother someday too.

Because, all their lives, the mediums have been given with the option of switching to a different side in case where the first option fails, they are not good with choosing just one side. When the reality demands that you just choose one, an unhappy medium just wants to.....fly away.



Like them in Lovers Over the City by Marc Chagall.

Monday, January 24, 2011

January 24th, on her way home

1. 내일은 월급이 나오는 날이다.
하지만 또 내일은 데이터 분석 결과가 왜 그렇게 나왔는지 열심히 설명해야 하는 한 날이기도 하다. 마음이 편치 않게 연구소를 나오다가 한번 미끌~
그러나 넘어지지는 않았다.

2. 왜 나는 힘들때 힘들다고 말해보지 않았는가 생각해보았다.
아마추어 심리학자가 열심히 분석해보아도 답이 없다. (그렇게 "생겨먹었다"는 것 밖에는). 그러다가 괜히 카카오톡 메세지를 슬그머니 띄어본다: "삶이 고달픈 오늘 밤이다." 착한 친구는 비위를 맞춰줬고, 나는 그의 장단에 혼자 피식피식 웃어서 참 실없어 보였을테지. 더 이야기 하고 싶었지만 난 지하철에서 문자를 하면 멀미가 난단다.

3. 지하철역에서 아파트 입구까지 들은 이적"이상해"는 참 멋있는 곡이었다.




4. 일주일전부터 감기때문에 고생을 하다가 토요일 밤 목욕을 하고 나오면서 부터는 어떤 손이 내 혼을 잡아 흔드는것 처럼 어지러웠다. 몸이 아프니 마음도 약해지나 혼자 중얼거리며 엘리베이터를 탔지만

5. 무엇엔가 이끌려 나는 집에 도착하자 마자 바로 옷을 갈아입고 달리기를 하러 나갔다. 콜록콜록 죽어가는 아이가 열심히 뛴다고 gym에 함께 있던 사람들이 신기해 할 모습이다.

6. 자기 전 마지막 이메일 체크를 한다. 며칠 전 온 이메일에서의 한 구절이 머리속에 맴돌아 다시 읽어본다.

앞으로도 더많은 사랑 받고 사시길 바래요. 그리고 사랑할 기회를 잃지 않기를 바래요.

낯선것보다는 좀 더 친한 사람이 해준 말이다. 첫번째 파트는 좋은 기억들을 하나씩 끄집어내 주고, 두번째 파트는 내가 항상 하는 다짐을 상기시켜 줘서 마음에 와닿았나보다.

7. 어찌됐던 나는 3시간만에 다시 기운을 차리고 이제 행복하게 잠을 잘 시간을 맞이한 것이다. 잘 잘꺼다. 그리고 난 수면장애센터에서 일하기 때문에 불면증같은 몹쓸 것들에 시달리지 않는다.

Good night world.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

somewhere over the rainbow birds fly. birds fly over the rainbow


엄마, 나 아기가 갖고 싶어요- 라는 발언을 했더니 엄마께서 깜짝 놀라신것 같다. But I literally, just want [to have] a baby [next to me].

When hitting a hard day's night, I just want to tell something--rather than someone--about how long my day's been, how exhausted I am, or just about anything I can possibly find a reason to whine about. Sometimes, a non-speaking things can be excellent methodss of consolation and comfort. Agree? Sometimes, you need a listener who is loyal but silent.
That's why Baby Marie was my go-to guru after my first SAT scores happened. Not that Marie is a "thing" but you get the idea.

Whatever I said to her, she just listened and held tight on my finger until her palm got sweaty :)

Maybe that's all you have to do for a friend sometimes.
Just being there, not saying a word but cheering on silently.

Spontaneous thought of the moment: should I talk to a fish?
Not only are they silent but they forget your story after 3 seconds!
I'd like the tropical ones that have glowing blue body and a red luscious tip on its tail.

사진제목: 저랬던 마리는 이제 수다쟁이 1학년