The first time I met my wife, I had just arrived as an exchange student from Germany at her university, UC San Diego. She asked what I studied, and when I replied her face took a slightly repulsed expression. As a physics major I had seen that look before and many times since. This response t
Sometimes, we become passionate for something in an unexpected way, just like the movie The Hobbit: An unexpected journey. This was exactly what happened to me during the long and stressful quarantine. It may seem paradoxical to get interested in something in such a difficult and hopeless time. But
I dont’t know how you remember 2016, but for me it was the year La La Land came out. This was back when Facebook was still in fashion – and my blue feed would fill up with friends posting their movie tickets and related merchandise. Some of the die-hard fans of American musical theater would go watc
Before I came to Seoul, my hometown was New York City, and I still pay attention to news from New York. These days the news makes me sad—not only is there the COVID-19 problem, but, also, New York seems to be experiencing an outbreak of gun murders and crime.This surprises me. Though New York, as Am
Waking up in the morning and checking the number of coronavirus cases in Korea and other countries has become part of one’s daily routine since the outbreak. Awaiting the regular 11 o’clock and 2 o’clock announcements by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hoping for new measures o
From stranger to savior. This is what philosophy is to me before and after the spring of 2020. The prejudice is that philosophy is an abstract farfletched topic. The prejudice is that philosophical pupils are those nested in their own cocoon, reading and thinking despite day or night. My personal jo
When I was trained as a psychoanalyst in the United States, a young man who was Korean American contacted me to see if he could receive analysis. I made an appointment with him over the phone and I gave him the address of my counseling office. I had never met him before. He appeared at the appointed
Language learning is fun,do-able and exciting, especially in its early stages. Learning how to greet people in a foreign language as well as memorizing fruit and vegetable names is highly relaxing and rewarding. Sadly, this stage does not last that long. We are soon met with the grammar monster that
You know how everyone’s always saying seize the moment?I don’t know…I kind of think it's the other way around, you know, like the moment seizes usBoyhood (2014)Living in 21st century basically means living in a world that pressures you to pursue extreme efficiency. As a Korean high schooler,
I have lived in South Korea for a total of nearly 20 years. In that span of time I have seen many changes occur here; both physically and culturally. I have experienced the best of Korea’s long and rich culture and occasionally the dark side of a supposedly homogeneous society; one that at times shu
“And you know, sir, if you’ll excuse me saying it, there ISN’T a wholesale shop, not for Genuine Magic goods, sir. I don’t know if you noticed our inscription – the Genuine Magic shop.” He drew a business card from his cheek and handed it to me. “Genuine,” he said, with his finger on the word, and a
It was seven months ago. On one of these crisp autumn days, I found out I was admitted to Ewha Womans University. I remember letting out a scream of joy—my mind was just filled with excitement and eagerness to start a new adventure, to enter into a new chapter of my life. Little did I know that I wo
I am staying in Sydney on my half-year study leave, which used to be called “sabbatical”. The notion of staying idle on sabbatical is from a bygone era. Relieved of teaching this semester, I have been doing research and recharging myself for the coming semesters. When people ask me what I am doing h
University has such a huge meaning in Korea. “Which school do you go to?” is a common question that young people in their 20s ask when they first see each other. In the 2000s, universities seem to have become a means to represent the identity of young people, more than a place to learn. “I’m a stude
It is hard to answer. Then, how about this question, ‘who do you think you are’? Please don’t answer like “My name is ~” or “I am living in ~”. Answer the question that I asked in the way who you’re as you think yourself. Though people are asked to answer in that way, most people, if not all, are pr
Five years ago, when I first came to work at Ewha, most of what I knew about Korea was from books. I was born in the United States to Korean immigrant parents and had never lived in Korea before long-term. When I told my grandfather that I had been hired to teach courses on Korean society, he found
The very pedantic tone I have acquired over the years in my writing comes from my attempt at shameless self-promotion. It feels good to tell people that you feel smart, and to attract attention for that fact. In fact this entire country runs on that one ideal that a good and supreme education is the
For me, this semester is an exceptional experience in personal as well as professional respect. I decided to come to EWHA, because this is particularly valuable to broaden my cultural horizon, that means to dive in the Korean traditions, way of living and the academic system. As our universities hav
No matter with whom we talk these days, we are bound to talk about COVID-19, aka the coronavirus. It’s on the news, it’s in our conversation, it’s constantly on our minds. Although the situation is starting to get better in South Korea, the crisis is still very serious in many Western countries. The
What do you see on the road when you drive from Gyeonggi-do to Seoul? A sign that says “Welcome to Seoul,” of course. What do you see when you walk onto the Ewha campus? A sign that says, “Please refrain from unauthorized entry,” plus a bunch of icons with big red lines drawn over them.I don’t know