Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom

안녕하세요! Hello!

This update includes music from a versatile jazz musician, a bone-chilling show about Korean military life, and a book that reads like a dream (but not in the way you think). Enjoy!

Listening

Kim Oki - Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom (불안은 자유의 현기증)

The saxophonist, Kim Oki, is not a cookie-cutter musician. His music creeps under the skin, reminding listeners of the depth of human emotion, both the good and bad. Kim Oki's songs range from soft jazz, to techno, to genre-less discordant chaos, and their themes cover the spectrum of love and depression. The musician's not afraid to explore uncomfortable topics such as a prejudice, religion, or social ills (such as those featured in UnemploymentBankrupcyDivorceDebtSuicide Rest Stop, a song detailing the miserable life of an unnamed nobody.).
Kim's most recent collaboration with Moon Yirang is as compelling as Kim's other works. Anxiety is the Dizziness of Freedom gives an accurate depiction of anxiety by creating an other-worldly atmosphere. The hypnotic sounds remind listeners of the lonely, disconnected space individuals enter as anxiety dissociates them from their surroundings.
Though at times his art feels disconcerting, Kim Oki's music can comfort those who feel deeply but find their emotions difficult to express. I hope you all find solace in his music like I do.
Below, a selection of the original and translated lyrics from UnemploymentBankrupcyDivorceDebtSuicide Rest Stop.

그 사람의 친구 중 / Of that person's friends
한 명이 빈소에 있다 / One is at the funeral home
육개장을 가끔 떠먹으며 / Sometimes while eating Yukgaejang stew
소주를 들이부었다 / That friend poured him soju
그 사람의 친구 중 / Of that person's friends
한 명은 곧 너무 취했다 / One soon became very drunk
빈소를 빠져나왔다 걸었다 / And walking away, left the funeral home behind.

Kim Su-Cheol - Unfinished Bloom (못다된 꽃한송이)

I discovered the song Unfinished Bloom through this Korean Old Vinyls Spotify Playlist, and was immediately drawn to the song's melancholy chords. As I searched for a way to share Unfinished Bloom with others, I discovered a popular contestant on the show Sing Again performed a cover of the 1983 song in January this year. The song's continued use after almost 40 years speaks to its significance, and the contestant's rock star performance makes for a wonderful tribute.
Below, a 1984 recording of Unfinished Bloom by Kim Su-cheol and the 2021 performance on Sing Again.

Watching

Squid Game

Some words on this mega-hit Netflix series:

I watched the first episode

Hmmm

I read the rest of the plot on Wikipedia

Cool if you watched it

Cool if you didn't

It's all cool

Still, it's very exciting to see a Korean drama do so well in the US! Though the real life reenactments of this violent drama are a bit disconcerting....
Below, the trailer:

A 2021 Netflix series about military deserters and the soldiers tasked with tracking them down. The show, while enjoyable on it's own, has a clear purpose. This 6-episode series draws attention to issues that arise from abuse among draftees in Korea's mandatory military service. In this drama, bullying takes place unchecked and forces soldiers to flee. Sometimes these deserters seek an escape in death, but other times they decide to fight back.

An article from the South China Morning Post gives more detail into the inspiration behind DP, such as real life incidents of suicide, sexual harassment, and murder motivated by trauma from fellow soldiers. While some individuals argue military culture has improved over the years, the fact that DP and similar tales still resonate with audiences proves much change remains to be seen.

Reading

Untold Day and Night by Bae Suah; translation by Deborah Smith

I wasn't sure about this book at first, but I guess that's because I went in expecting a linear story. Rather than drawing me into a plot, reading Untold Day and Night felt like remembering a dream. In this dream, I was a woman having dinner with a young man, who at some point turns into a celebrity. We're at a restaurant, but then the location changes and I become a man remembering having eaten with a young woman during a picnic. Never in the dream do I question the absurdity, and never does this book either. The fluid identity and unfixed plot of dreams transfer into this strange, yes, and also brilliantly conceived novel. Who are we, really? the book asks. Was that really me on that screen? Was that really you on that phone? Or maybe that was me calling you?
Believe it or not this is the most accurate book review I can give you. Happy reading.

Writing

I've been thinking a lot about expectations, even expectations of mundane things. This is how a thing must look, must feel, where it ought to be and for how long. What would it mean to exist without anyone aware? What would we be if no one thought any thoughts about us?

Doing

Visited home from September to October. It was quite a healing trip as small town life gently asked me to calm down, eat good food, and play with my parents' kittens. I almost stayed longer but felt the somewhat-less-gentle call of Korea. Some of my calmness has remained, however, and for that I am grateful.

Small Town USA a few days before Halloween

Below, the caffeinated kitten and the grumpy grandma:

Thinking-The Magic of Not Trying to Explain

Squid Game, the popular Netflix drama I briefly mentioned above, is one of the newest examples of foreign language content making a splash on American shores. Everyone from journalists to TikTok stars have discussed the show, and make various interesting observations. Some viewers picked up on the show's critique of capitalism, while others picked up on the need for more careful translations. These represent two of the many arguments that both drew the show closer to an American understanding (many of us have much to say about capitalism) and thrust it back towards Korea. Now, having been poked and prodded Squid Game's given way to new Netflix darlings like Arcane and Hellbound, and in the aftermath I'm left to wonder whether all the examination of Squid Game truly strengthened the connection between Western and Korean audiences.

In this world overflowing with content I forget to recognize the magical community that forms when two people groups enter the same digital space. Instead, I immediately analyze. Koreans, Westerners, those from Southeast Asia or the Middle East, we all occupy the same figurative space when we consume the same contents. Unfortunately, I rarely linger on this magical connection and quickly skip to critical analysis. Why is it popular here? What's the true meaning of the show? What does it show about Korean society? Is this really a good representation of the original?

There is good in examination, but there is also good in letting things be. It's a marvel that Korea and the US can enjoy the same stories, and a reminder that we occupy this world together. They enjoy, and so do we. We are together in this way, and we are equal.

A shot from a Korean musical, streamed on YouTube for a limited time to draw interest from overseas viewers. Another example of sharing stories.

After asking so many questions about Korean content during my MA I'm ready to quiet some of my analysis and simply enjoy community. I don't need to focus on mutual capitalist critiques when watching Squid Game, or identify with BTS lyrics. I can, but I don't have to. We can dance together, and we can watch together, and we recognize these pop culture overlaps for what they are–magical.

Seeing

An art exhibition by Minsoo Bahn.

Incheon

Seoul

끝까지 함께 해 주셔서 고맙습니다. 다음에 또 만납시다!

(Thanks for reading to the end. Let's meet again next time!)

Comments

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