[Book] Interpreter of Maladies

written by Jhumpa Lahiri

Maybe this is first time reading novel by Indian American author. India is a country that once popular travel spot for college students for spiritual explorer. India is a country where my previous labmate Sunny came from. India is a country that only got 20 medals in olympics in spite of the huge population because sports is not considered as things to do for people of high cast who can afford - as far as I heard. India is a country that people die and bath in the same river. India is a country that sends lots of people in American universities for study. Also lot of immigrants. What else...? What do I know about India? Curry?

Reading is good because I can expand my view in many different ways. Jhumpa Lahiri, the author of this short story book is an Indian American and she mainly write about the life of Indian American, especially middle class, well-educated northern east coast residents.

I read this book in a bookclub whose members include Korean and Korean American. So I could enjoy more of this book with the help (?) of bookclub members. Two of them came here in their teenage - one for study and one with her family, immigration. They shared their memories and feeling and their experiences were not that far from the stories of this book.

Moving to a different continent, country where you need to speak different language and have to meet people with different skin color and cultural background is not that easy thing to do. For some people that is a choice and also for some people they are forced to do that. Whichever it is, it is hard... Whether you're well-educated and rich, or poor... it is definitely not easy thing to do.

In that point of view, the author captured very well the small details in life of immigrant, which people in similar situation can agree. Although people's experiences are all different from each other, there exists a universal truth that people can agree with.

Also in many episodes, the author deals with 'temporary matter' talking about different kinds of relationship between people. Actually 'A Temporary Matter' is one of the episode in the book, which I liked.

I recommend this book :)

Attitude is a choice..

I like watching tennis. Watching sports is not as fun as me doing them by myself, but it is fun enough to spend some time on it. US open started today and there was an opening ceremony in the evening. I was washing dishes, but didn't much attention on TV, but it looks like some tennis players are getting award or something. One of four recipients was Martina Navratilova. I could hear last part of her speech after finishing washing dishes. She talked about her recent fight against cancer and said '... attitude is a choice...'

Somehow, that moment, that sentence appealed to me. Yeah.. she is right. Attitude to your own life is your own choice. You can complain your current situation. Or, you can admit what you're having right now, and try to make it better. That attitude is your own choice.

That is a simple truth in life.

Why am I blogging in English?

Once one of my friend told me that my blog looks cool because it is written in English. Well.. That was not my intention actually. Then what was my intention starting writing in English rather than Korean, my native lovely language.

First of all, I thought that it would be better if my international friends also could visit and have a peek on my life. Actually that is the main reason for the whole English thing. Well well... not many non-Korean friends are visiting here, but well... English is a kind of global language, isn't it?

In addition, I thought that writing in English would be beneficial to me too. I have been pretty much exposed English-spoken environment for the last five years, however I hardly write essays or journals in English. I speak, read, note, and sometimes write scientific articles/presentations in English but don't describe small things or feelings in English. That is a whole different story in writing.

I know that simply writing - rather scribbling won't improve my essay-style writing that much. However, it is better doing something than doing nothing.

I took a picture of toys in our place. They are sitting there like that during most time, except we have some young visitors. Aren't they cute? :)

This evening.. Ji Youn tried to capture rain...ing.

I cannot say Summer in Maryland without mentioning rain... and thunderstorms. Still there are trees fell down in the campus. I like the raindrops on the roof... A capture of moment...

Can you see the sky? covered with clouds...

[Book] Someone Knows My Name

by Lawrence Hill

It is a history fiction book that Suyong recommended. I am not familiar with the modern history of the United States. Moreover, I cannot possibly imagine the life of African who was trapped in her own land at the age of eleven and lived in South Carolina, New York, Nova Scotia, Sierra Leone, and finally London. However, compared to my previous years... I can say that I know a lot more than before since I moved to the States. It is mainly because I am more exposed to this culture and tried to know more since I have my feet on this soil.

Maybe my knowledge about slavery has been only limited to some scenes in movies such as 'Gone with the Wind' or very simple sentences in world history class. When I first had this book in my hand, I was pretty intimidated by the thickness of the book. Last page number is 486... wow... Mainly due to the strong recommendation from Suyong, and partially my own curiosity, I started reading it.

What would I say after reading this book? I recommend it although it is pretty thick book. This book taught me a lot. It let me think again about my attitude or perspective to other (?) side of the world. My thoughts on Amazon or Africa (especially those places in 1700's) was... under-developed and under-civilized. However, are (or were) we really civilized and better people than them? Who traded people and still cannot stop killing each other in wars all over the world... No way...

Other interesting thing that I found in this book is the units. Often times, she uses sentences such as

'... walked for three moons... (three months)'

'it was ten times the distance a man could throw a stone (to describe how wide the river is)'

'Eleven rains (when being asked the age)'

I couldn't help smiling when I read those sentences. yeah... that can be a unit! Why not? :)

One more thing is her description about money.

Money (coins) = round pieces of metal

She doesn't understand why they use those different kind of coins instead of barter. She thinks chickens are more valuable than those coins. Also you know what? Her opinion was right when there is a deflation and nobody accept or use coins for the trade! We invented money... but it restrains people who own it. How irony it is...

Even though she was enslaved and had a hard life, she was a smart person and therefore she had a chance to learn languages and also how to read and write. Although this asset (her literacy) distinguished her from other enslaved people and provided her more opportunities than other people, her life was as hard as anyone else enslaved.

We take it for granted... out freedom. And complains that we are becoming slaves of internet, cell phone, and so on. How small things that we're complaining now. She was born free, but captured and suffered long period time in her life. One who have lost freedom (and anything else) may truly value it.

Language is one of the most important motives in this book along with freedom and home. How many languages do we have in this world? Speaking different languages lead to many issues... really many. Do chimpanzees or other primates use different language if they inhabit different locations? Very curious about it.

Anyway, throughout reading this book, I had been uncomfortable. Whenever I opened the book, I had to expect reading her another sad story. I do not think that I would read this book again, but definitely I learned a lot and would pay more attention to black people and history, early American history, and also African history. Also my freedom, thank you.