2008 & 2009
이 포스트를 쓰려고 계획했을 때에는 몇 가지 구조를 생각했었더랬다. 1월부터 12월까지 시간 순서대로 주요 사건을 적을 것인가, 아니면 ‘사람’, ‘문화 (영화, 음악, 책 등)’, ‘사건’ 등 주제별로 나눠서 적을 것인가 하고 말이다. 그러나 이도 저도 아닌 간단하고 쉽게 가자고 최종 결정을 내렸다.
When I first planned to write this post, I was thinking about a couple of structures. Whether to write major events in a chronological order from January to December, or to write down some stories according to different subjects, for example, ‘people’, ‘culture (film, music, book etc.)’, ‘events’ and so on. However, I’ve made a final decision to go simple and easy.
올해를 돌아보면 내 최근 몇 년간 가장 큰 변화가 그것도 여러 개 일어났는데, 남기고 싶은 말은 바로 다음 문장이다. (러브패러독스의 주인장 캣우먼이 한 칼럼에 쓴 문장)
“(정말이지,) 현재에 충실했기에 얻은 미래의 후회는, 차라리 현재를 억누르고 미래에 후회하지 않는 것보다 어쩌면 훨씬 더 멋진 선택일지도 모르겠습니다.”
Looking back, this year has been the most eventful one in recent years, with several major changes. I just want to quote a sentence to describe my 2008, written by one of my favourite columnists based in Korea.
“(Indeed,) a future regret you will have because of being true (to yourself) at present would probably be a much more wonderful choice rather than no future regret because of suppressing your present.”
내년을 맞이하는 나의 마음은 그리 가볍지만은 않다. 하지만 미래는 언제나 불안한 것이라는 사실을 받아들이기로 했다. 모르기 때문에 아직 오지 않았기 때문에 현재의 시점이 되어 실제로 어떤 일이 일어났을 때 그 기쁨과 놀라움이 더해지지 않았던가? 그러니 그저 나에게 주어진 시간을 차근차근 보내는 수 밖에.
My feeling of greeting a new year is not really much excited. But, I’ve made up my mind to accept the fact that the future itself is always insecure. Weren’t there more joy and surprises at the corners of your life when you actually encountered those events at present tense, which were not known nor did happen through the eyes of the future? Therefore, all I can do is fill my present step by step.
물론, 새해에 이루고 싶은 소망과 달성하고픈 결심도 있지만 예고편처럼 지금 열거하기 보다는 그것들이 실현되고 지켜질 때 이 곳에 기록하고자 한다. 올 한 해 그래왔던 것처럼.
Of course, I do have wishes and resolutions for a new year, but instead of listing them like a trailer now, I’m going to record them here when they come true. As I have done so this year.
Fabrizio:
Wonderful touching words. I deeply wish you to fill your present with those dreams finally become true! 새해 복 많이 받으세요 !!!
30 December 2008, 11:11 pm시은:
아아 언니….새로운 이야기들 기대하겠음! ^_^
31 December 2008, 8:42 amDalicia:
Happy New Year to you!!
We wouldn’t know what is ahead of us. But, be prepared to embrace challenges! 
31 December 2008, 8:42 pm고지현:
언니야 새해맞아 어디서 무엇을 보고 있어요?
2 January 2009, 6:17 am이런 멋진 말들을 머금고 한해를 맞겠죠?
보고파요 언니야 새해엔 무엇이든 언니를 행복하게 하길 바랄께요~
Elisabeth:
As so often happens, your post gives me a lot to think about. Happy New Year, Sunkyoung! I hope this year brings you unexpected happinesses.
2 January 2009, 3:36 pmJust Passing By:
I found this blog by following the trail of dead leaves from Everyday Seoul on the City Photo index. The reason I persisted was your use of “the craic”, which I firmly associate with the north of Scotland. And the spelling!
*Then* I found your being hosted on a Korean domain called Naver.com. Is there a connexion?
5 January 2009, 11:59 amSunkyoung:
Thank you all for your kind words! I also truly wish all of you a very happy new year!
JPB – Thanks for finding my blog through a couple of links to different web pages. In short, there is no connection between my reference to ‘craic’ and ‘naver’. It’s just that I first learned the word in Dublin where I lived in 2005 and since then I enjoy using the word. As for my naver blog, at that time I attempted to attract more domestic readers who often claimed that they couldn’t get familiar with the blogspot’s interface. Oh, instead of these sentences I just wrote, this could be easier: I’m a Korean who loves Ireland and its culture.
5 January 2009, 9:40 pmStill Passing By:
Ah, that explains it. The Irish have told the world the craic, although it’s also of common usage in my part of Scotland.
Plus, Naver is the name of a strath {*} in northern Scotland. It was a surprise to see a homonym of this word – which I’ve never encountered elsewhere – also used as a Korean web-portal!
{*} A valley. But, not a narrow, deep valley which is often called a glen. Instead, a wide, shallow valley.
6 January 2009, 12:58 amSunkyoung:
It’s been extremely late to reply to your comment, but thank you for sharing these different meaning of homonyms.
5 March 2009, 1:59 pm