나는 그녀가 진심으로 잘 살기를 바란다. 그녀는 누구보다 더 행복하게 살 자격이 있기 때문이다.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
공여사의 점쾌
나는 그녀가 진심으로 잘 살기를 바란다. 그녀는 누구보다 더 행복하게 살 자격이 있기 때문이다.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The divination of madam Gong
If you walk down Jongno Street, you’ll often see people who set up small tents on the sidewalk and tell fortunes. Unlike in the past, now you can even see people doing fortune-telling in front of a computer. Customers come and go constantly. Even in today’s world, where life seems comfortable, it seems there are still many people feeling frustrated.
There’s a fortune-teller named Gong Hye-ryeon, whom I’ve known for a long time. She used to look like the quick, sharp heroine from Chinese movies, as her name suggested. Now, in her late forties, she’s become a little chubbier and more dignified, which suits her profession well.
Ms. Gong was born into a poor family in a rural area of Jeollanam-do, with one son and seven daughters. She lost her father at a young age, and after finishing elementary school, she moved to Seoul, where she struggled to find a stable job, moving from one sewing factory to another.
I first saw her delivering newspapers on the way to Namsan. It was early in the morning, yet she had done her makeup so beautifully that I, still looking messy from just waking up, felt embarrassed and tried to pass by unnoticed. But she greeted me first with a bright smile.
After finishing her newspaper deliveries, she moved on to delivering yogurt and worked as a domestic helper without rest. She used the money she saved to open a sewing factory with her husband, whom she met at the factory, but eventually, the business failed. Her husband, burdened by debt, disappeared, leaving behind two sons. She raised her sons while also taking care of her paralyzed mother. In her spare time, she attended night school to get her middle and high school diplomas, and eventually, she enrolled in the Department of Destiny Studies at Dongguk University.
She also learned Chinese characters and gradually became known for doing small readings for people. Eventually, she opened her own fortune-telling business called "Hye-ryeon’s Love." The word spread, and people came. The phone never stops ringing with requests. Once someone becomes a customer, even small follow-up questions are answered for free, like a sort of aftercare service.
She was a quiet and shy person, but due to the nature of her job, she has learned a lot and now speaks confidently. Every time I see her in Seoul, I’m amazed at how much she’s changed. It’s clear that her efforts have paid off. At some point, people began to refer to her as "Ms. Gong."
One day, she reads my palm. Her thumb was lost when she was working in the sewing factory as a child, and her middle finger was poorly reattached after being cut off, leaving it with a strange appearance. As she tells me my fortune, I can’t help but keep staring at her odd fingers.
“Are you curious about your own fortune, Ms. Gong?” I ask her.
“I’ll tell you if you give me a generous tip,” she replies, smiling.
She gave me a look that said I was being annoying, since I wasn’t interested in my fortune.
I genuinely hope she lives a happy life. She deserves it more than anyone else.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
까칠한 금자씨
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얼마 전 옛 친구를 만나 저녁을 먹었다. 그가 잘 아는 사람이 그를 만나고 싶어 한다. 는 말을 내가 하자 |
스님이 깨달음이 없을 때는 산속 깊이 들어갔다가 깨달음을 얻고 나면 산에서 내려온다는 말을 들은 적이 있다. 깨달음이 없는 까칠한 50세는 깨달음을 얻기 위해 조용히 살다가 60세가 되면 까칠한 금자씨들이 친절한 금자씨로 돌아오려나!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Grumpy Geum-ja si
I recently met an old friend and had dinner with him. When I told him that someone he knows wants to meet him.
"Ah! The grumpy Geum-ja."
He seemed to be reluctant to meet her. The term "grumpy Geum-ja" comes from the movie title Sympathy for Lady Vengeance. Even though several days have passed, the phrase "grumpy Geum-ja" keeps spinning around in my head, like it was meant for me to hear.
Lately, there are many "grumpy Geum-ja"s around me. They’re women in their early 50s who have entered menopause. First of all, I am the representative of these grumpy Geum-ja’s. Until I was 30, I was busy studying, working towards my master’s, and it caused quite a stir. Some friends couldn’t marry because they were focused on their studies, while others married later in life. After having children later, they raised them like grandparents would raise their grandchildren. Once their kids were sent off to college, they started focusing on careers they couldn’t pursue earlier. And all of this happened alongside menopause.
Some friends have used their education and become successful, while others are trying to catch up with the ones who are doing well. A few gave up and chose different paths. Now, in their early 50s, those who have settled into a stable life are doing well, while others are still struggling. Those ahead of the game are stressed because they have to keep running to maintain their position, while those behind are frustrated that they can’t catch up. Some friends who have given up on their dreams are still bitter, unable to let go of the things they wanted to do.
It feels like an endless marathon. In the Olympic marathon, you finish once you reach a set distance. But in the marathon of life, there’s no set length. We’re running this marathon of life, with no finish line, until death, all while dealing with stress.
When we meet occasionally, my friends are less grumpy. But if we see each other too often, the grumpiness starts to surface. So, I always remember what my father used to tell me: “Do not be too close, and do not be too far away,” quoting Tao Yuanming. If you’re too close, you become grumpy and hurt your friend. If you’re too far, your friend feels hurt and disappointed. Either way, we end up hurting each other, so some friends choose to just stay away and live without seeing each other.
I once heard that when a monk hasn’t reached enlightenment, he retreats into the mountains. But once he attains enlightenment, he comes down from the mountain. Maybe when these grumpy 50-year-old women gain some enlightenment, they will turn back into the kind and caring Geum-ja by the time they are 60!