#15. Sonnet

                  Last summer, I took Mr. Yoon’s Sonnet class during Summer Session. The class covered various sonnets, such as Petrarchan sonnet, Spensorian sonnet, Shakespearean sonnet, Modern sonnets, etc. Class was quite demanding, but it was interesting to interpret all those ambiguous words in sonnets and relish various literary devices (most of all, rhyme) the great poets used. =) At the end of the class, Mr. Yoon proposed students to write own sonnet. I think I spent at least three hours writing these fourteen lines—it was so hard for me to search for words that fit the rhyme scheme. Actually, I could not even dream of adjusting iambic pentameter! The completed sonnet is really childish in its literary devices, and the message is too simple that makes me embarrass to say “This is a sonnet”. Think I might try writing another sonnet on the same issue a year later in AP EngLit course! =) Anyway, this is my FIRST sonnet, so don’t mock at it too much – just read it in light mood, and then I would be really greatful! ♥

Thy eyes shining are on me temporal
And thy face smiling is toward me frozen
Thy love is short summer breeze whiffle
Fake traveler - faded dream when waken

(God)
Endure, he shall take root staunchly
Next thy someday; wait, forgiving his flawed.

Alas! Waving pain, crowding endlessly -
Me patience short, not merciful God

(God)
Thy human - why forgiveness is needed.
Thou leaving also scar to thy lover

O I human, not God, my whim acrid
Now see thy pain I caused - I was drunker.

Thou forgive me, me forgive thou -
Love lies forever in forgiveness vow

                 

 P.S. If you understood the theme of my sonnet, can you infer where did I get this idea? This is my impression after reading Hyōten (氷点, "Freezing Point") by Ayako Miura, which is one of the top inspiring books I have ever read.

 P.S.2 Reading this again while posting, it makes me hesitate to "Post" button! This sonnet makes me laugh over my clumsiness =( ㅋㅋㅋ

#7-2. Reading Journal: The Body

Ye Ji Park / 111053 / 10b2

Mr.Garrioch

English Composition

December 1 2011

Reading Journal: The Body

                  As Ron Reiner cinematized Steven King’s The Body, he changed the title as Stand By Me. This newly-made name is absorbed by the majority with much familiarity. So why did Reiner change the title, and why do people feel better about the new version? The answer is simple; the most important theme in this novel, human relationship, is much better expressed in the new one. Throughout the book, as four boys approach to death, adventure, courage, and many other solemn themes, they carefully ask questions to their family and friends, “Will you stand by me?”

Family and friends are, perhaps, the closest relationships an individual can have. Four protagonists in The Body, however, are neither intimate nor amicable with their family. As I mentioned in the last journal (#7-1.Reading Journal: The Body), four boys have “flawed family” in common; Chris has a “really mean” father, and Vern “hated Billy [his brother] like the Arabs hate the Jews”. Teddy had an odd father who made him use glasses and hearing-aid by “shoving … Teddy’s head down against one of the cast-iron burner plates”. For Gordie, the death of his brother made his parents flounder in the wave of sadness and stay indifferent to Gordie.

                  Reading first thirty pages, my first impression was that all boys, except Teddy, possessed emotion of hatred rather than affection to their flawed family. However, as continuing to read the book, I figured out that yearn for attentive, devoted, and loving family was embedded deeply in their heart. Gordie, for example, reproached himself for breathing while his brother was dead and thus making his parents mourn, and wailed over the fact that his father “hated him”. This shows that Gordie felt sorry for his lamented parents—despite none was his fault—and hoped for better .

                  That Gordie was ignored by the parents because of his brother reminded me an essay I recently read; “Cinderella: Sibling Rivalry and Oedipal Conflicts”, by Bruno Bettleheim. The writer argued that why Cinderella story is being so loved by children was because it showed Cinderella’s success in rivalry with her stepsisters. He argued that all siblings fight with each other to gain parents’ attention, frequently misjudging their parents love siblings more. Personally, I quite agree with the claim; I have a sister, two years older than me. Three years ago, she entered a dorm school, and returned home every weekend. I was so angry that my mom always prepare bunch of delicious meals, and my dad, who works and often stays in Cheon-an (where takes nearly two hours from my home in car) only showed off on weekends. The whole family seemed to operate around my sister’s traces; when she came home, party started, and as she left, the house soaked into silence. Going through my sister’s three years in that dorm school, I matured enough not to judge my parent’s quantity of love in such childish standards. Still I remember how anxious, nervous, and irritated I was as thinking I was loved way behind my sister. My experience was merely a fantasy, but what Gordie suffered was reality; I can’t even imagine the depth of sorrow he had felt in his whole life.

                  As Gordie returned from his “The Body” journey, he expected his parents to show at least some kind of concern or curiosity over his whereabouts during past two days. But when Gordie’s mother confronted him at the kitchen, she asked “Where have you been?”, and even before Gordie talks about his specific traces, she sighed and sobbed that she “miss Dennis most in the mornings”. Then she just \stared out the window, her back to Gordie. Gordie was “trembling all over”, because he realized that even after his return from grand trip, his parents’ inattentiveness was still, and it would not change no matter how much time passes by.

                  This, maybe, is the reason Gordie kept Chris at arm’s length throughout his life. Gordie’s relationship with friends was substitute for the futile family, and this need was same for Chris and other two boys, too. But the arising question is; why did Gordie and other two boys, Vern and Teddy, drift apart while Chris did not? The reason lies behind “reliance”.

                  In the novel, when four boys encountered Ace and other Big Boys, Gordie and Chris stood against their threat to protect each other. When Ace asked Gordie to persuade his accompanies to back off Ray Brower’s body, Gordie replied, “Suck my fat one, you cheap dimestore hood”, despite he knew it would be his own “death warrant”. As Ace, in surprise and fury, claimed to “break both of Gordie’s arms”, Chris came forward and shoot the gun to protect Gordie. They both were feeling terrible fear; Chris’s face was “horribly pale”, still they discharged their responsibility to defend friend. Very contrastingly, all that Teddy and Vern did during the duel was to hide behind Gordie and Chris, waiting for the consequence. Gordie and Chris relied on each other, whereas Teddy and Vern asked for lopsided help.

What we need here is
"MUTUAL" reliance,
not ONE person dragging the other.

                  The reason I claim so confidently that whether they bilaterally depend or not is because I have experienced this by myself. I had one friend who had been rapidly close to me within three or four months. She was a funny, sociable, and lovely girl, but she easily fatigued and needed for somebody to help her. I, first, thought grateful of her trust and expectation on me and arduously engaged the role as her “personal counselor”. As time passed, however, I felt tired in listening and advising about all of her concerns, and slowly turned insipidly. Soon after, she realized my change, and now we contact much less than before. This memory makes me feel sad, still I do not regret since the change was inevitable. The axiom, “You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours”, was right. I assume it was same for Gordie; Gordie could not withstand Teddy and Vern, two unconditional depend-ers, as he himself needed help from others. Gordie and Chris, on the other hand, were supporters to each other that gave and received help mutually, which made them able to continue on their relationships.

                  Once I updated my Facebook status about human relationship that it is “complicated enough to kill my head”. My friend then left a comment; “Relation is the most valuable, most troublesome, most complicated, most pleasant, most sorrowful, most fragile thing in the world”. Now reminding this comment after finishing The Body, I agree to the claim wholeheartedly; Gordie’s relationship with his family was the most troublesome and sorrowful, still he had the most valuable and pleasant friend named Chris. My relationship with the friend who depended on me too much was most complicated and fragile one, still I have family and other friends who make me smile. Reading The Body was a great experience that made me feel anew gratitude and affection to those who are standing by me.

#14. Mr.Moon's Assignment: Three Words about Me

On the surface, I’m an outgoing, sociable, and jolly girl. In group meeting, I make a lot of jokes and play the role as “atmosphere creator”. My roommates often say the room would be much more dull and insipid without me. My brightness, however, is not everything; opening the lid of doll and taking out another Matryoshka, the darker side follows. I do have a lot of friends whom I keep amicable relationship with, but stay indifferent to their hard situations. I believe my responsibility is ended in daily pleasantness, and it’s their responsibility to overcome their own problems, unless they ask me for help first. Nevertheless, there still remains the last Matroshka. Regarding the closest friends, those I feel completely trusty and loyal, the boundary between my responsibility and theirs disappears. We share our pain and deeply empathize with each other. I am the Matroshka with three dolls – first superficial, second dismal, and third sincere.

“A good beginning is half the battle.” – A very famous aphorism, still I’m not whether it is true or not. I always plan an outline before writing an essay, usually paying substantial time and concentration. But confronting the completed outline, I feel very pleased with myself, and say to myself, “Well done, it’s enough for today. Let’s do the writing tomorrow” and stuff the outline in the corner. Not only writing, but in other tasks, too, I often plan things nicely but not carry on actions. This makes me a soap bubble that bursts even before floating the air. Lack of acting power is my shortcoming I have to correct.

The fact that final term is D-12, winter vacation is D-25, and when I return to school next February I would be a sophomore sometimes makes me freak out about how fast time flows. Every time I think so, I look back my past. I blush myself and blame my fine memory as I remind the moments of humiliation and embarrassment, and often regret over clumsy decisions or time I spent recklessly. Still, these unpleasant memories are what make me promise to myself not to repeat the past in my future. I am a rearview mirror, who checks my back for coming safe-driving.

#13. Reflective Essay: What I Believe in is Power of Humanity

Yeji Park / 111053 / 6

Mr.Garrioch

English Composition

November 23 2011

Reflective Essay: What I Believe in is Power of Humanity

“If procedure is bad, and result is good, isn’t that idealistic?”

This claim smacked me severely. It was Introduction to English Literature class, and students were discussing Death of a Salesman. The scene was Howard firing Willy, as Willy protested for being road salesman and asked for New York job. I don’t remember exactly how discussion flew that way, but one classmate suggested the idiom “Procedure is more important than result”. Most of the students in the class was in favor of this maxim, and agreed that despite the result is disappointing, good procedure makes the experience valuable. Then one of them questioned how about the opposite, and another student who did not raise his hand for approval to the idiom suddenly opened his mouth – that it is perfect, idealistic state.

!!! OH MY GOD !!!

My first impression was; Oh, My God. My eerie gaze maybe made him uncomfortable, and he started to explain about his argument. What he believed was “efficiency”; he said Howard’s decision to fire Willy was rational and efficient, since Willy was merely an old salesman who did not gain any profit to the company. The classmate said wrong procedure is the easiest way to achieve good result.

The only respond I could show to his opinion was murmuring OMG continuously in my mouth. Efficiency surely has been an important factor in society ever since the Industrialization. One way society believed to maximize efficiency was competition, via distinguishing talented and untalented. In Willy’s times, salesman had to compete with other salesmen to win a contract for higher commissions. Today’s society is no difference; from the moment one joins a firm, he starts hard struggle to beat co-workers for promotion. Actually, society even facilitates competitions directly sometimes; the representative example is education. Richard Wagner, a psychologist at Florida State University, says, "In terms of how we evaluate schooling, everything is working by yourself. If you work with someone else, it's called cheating". Cheating – this is how the society abandons cooperation.

I, without doubt, agree that efficiency is fundamental factor in today’s society; still, I don’t want to see it being the only fundamental factor. What I believe in is the power of humanity—empathy, attachment, and cooperation. Traditional belief was that human nature is competitive and selfish. But there is something more in human. Jeremy Rifkin proposed empathy as a new human nature, in his book The Empathetic Civilization. On Christmas Eve, 1914, in France Flandre area – the German and the British forces stopped their war, sang carol, buried the corpse, shared cigarettes and biscuits, talked about own Christmas memories, all together. Before starting the war again forty-eight hours later, these soldiers felt connected with each other as “human versus human” not as “German versus Britain”. If human nature is only destructive, selfish, belligerent; well, this conciliation would never have happened.

Following this newly-discovered nature, the society can be more efficient than under the control of competitions. The representative is Wikipedia, more generally, collective intelligence. The term refers to a group intelligence that emerges as individuals collaborate. People do not compete over article fee, but cooperate by sharing what they know. This results in voluminous information, which was not even imaginable previously. What society plays now is win-win game, not zero-sum one.

I remember my interview for KMLA entrance. I wrote in my self-introduction letter my interest field is economics, specifically marketing and PR. Teachers then asked me how I could serve for the community, as a businessperson whose goal is maximizing profit. I hesitated few seconds, and then answered that I would try to apply humanistic values in my businesses; for example, inserting a scene of volunteer workers in orphanage into advertisement. Looking back this clumsy answer I gave a year ago makes me smile mischievously; still, I appreciate the spirit in my answer. The spirit that is conscious about power of humanity, the spirit who tries to gaze the world in different perspective from cold competitions. The spirit that pursuits better result via good procedure.

                                                                                                                                     

#8-1. Life Lesson: Sir Nubi and #8-3. Life Lesson: Use Short Times in Balance are another reflective essays I wrote =)  Actually they are quite short to be called essays... Lighter and easier to read, so if you have time, enjoy these too! XDDDD

#8-3. Life Lesson: Use Short Times in Balance

Use Short Times in Balance

Last Sunday evening, me and my friend Yoosun were busily writing first draft for Minjok Herald articles. When I asked her what she was writing about, she answered it is related to time management. According to Yoosun’s calculation, KMLA students spend every three hours a day, from ten minutes of breaktime between classes, few minutes between lunch and afternoon classes, honjung time… All the time summed up, it’s three hours a day, twenty-one hours a week, ninety hours a month. We spend forty-five days a year without a blink or qualm. 

Unbelievable! That was my first impression. Yes, I admit I spend short times inattentively, facebooking, kmlaonline-ing, or just lying on the bed and chatting with roommates. But I never guessed these times combined together could be enough time to write a whole essay. I, mad at myself, decided to glue Different Seasons on my palm so I can read it whenever I have a short break.

Then I stopped and questioned myself, “Wait, is it the best way?” On the Chicken Day, when all my roommates gather, eat and merrily chat together, would I just shut up and keep reading The Body? When other students think about what kind of club activity or volunteer services to do, should I stubbornly continue studying English? Definitely not. What I need is balance. Balance between studying, spending good times with friends, thinking about my vision, balance that would help me to keep those little times in most efficient and helpful way. It would certainly require a lot of effort to keep this in mind and try to act, still defending one-eighth of a day from languid waste – it’s worth a try.

Promise to Myself ♥ On My Diary

Another piece of writing about time management =)

#12. TED Video: Barry Schwartz on the Paradox of Choice

Ye Ji Park / 111053 / 6

Mr.Garrioch

English Composition

September 22 2011

Barry Schwartz on the Paradox of Choice

The talk starts as Schwartz suggests the dogma of modern society about choices and freedom that maximized freedom and welfare is achieved by maximizing choices. This dogma is so deeply embedded in our society so that nobody could be skeptical about. However, Schwartz warns people to be deterred about voluminous list of choices. His grounds for such caution are that “many choices” brings out self-blame, high opportunity cost, and acute disappointment from high expectation.

First, people tend to blame themselves after decision when given a lot of candidates. Assume a guest in blue jeans shop. The clerk asks, “Slim fit, easy fit, relaxed fit? Stonewashed or acid-washed? Button fly or zipper fly?” Considering the amount of questions the clerk asks, there will be hundreds, thousands of blue jeans waiting for the guest’s choice. Finally the guest made decision, but later if he finds out a single scratch, he would be virulent toward himself for not making a perfect choice after answering all the questions.

Second reason regarding opportunity cost is lucid; opportunity cost is a sacrifice for the decision—that is, cost of the foregone products after making a choice. “Many choices” means a person should give up more than in “few choices”, thus higher opportunity cost. Final reason, disappointment from high expectation, is aroused because a person believes at least one of the candidates among thousands will be perfect, and expect too much. Schwartz provided a cartoon saying that “Everything was better back when everything was worse”, because when everything was worse, people could get “pleasant surprise” as finding a choice higher than their expectation. He, thus, argues the way not to disappoint is to expect little.



Blue Jeans in Department Store



But it is not only “many choices” that engenders depression; “few choices” do the same, maybe even more than “many choices”. Given few choices, people do blame themselves. Examining few candidates, which at least have one unsatisfying point, people self-denounce for not trying to find more choices. To give an example of blue jeans, a guest in small shop with only two or three jeans would reproach himself for not going to a big department store. Additionally, if the chance of going to the department store is considered as an opportunity cost, the “few choices” have opportunity cost as much as the “many choices”.



Schwartz also articulated the key to happiness is low expectation, but low expectation is also the key to disappointment. What low expectation brings is efface of motivation; consider the blue jeans again. In the small shop, there were only three jeans, which made the guest lose his expectation. The guest then became dispassionate, thinking himself no matter what choice he makes the jean would be disappointing, then chose any jean between three. If the guest still clung to high expectation, he could choose the best among three with fervor, and relish more happiness. In short, contrasting with Schwartz’s view, low expectation can deflate happiness.

I was profoundly interested from this TED video, since this was directly related to the issue I was recently apprehensive of. Thanks to my parent’s financial state and intellectual ability, I was inherited privilege to have wide range of choices. When I was in the ninth grade, I had three choices for my high school entrance—KMLA, foreign language high school, normal high school—while others had only the last chance. I chose KMLA and fortunately entered the school, but spending almost a year in this school, I sometimes felt dubious about my choice. Listening to Economics lecture with forty other students was far from my expectation of ten students discussing freely about financial crisis. Competing with brainy, diligent students reminded me opportunity cost of studying in normal high school. Thinking all these, I scolded myself once in a while.

However, as writing about side-effects of “few choices”, I interpreted my choice of entering KMLA in new perception. If I were not provided financial sufficiency, for example, I would have entered normal high school, I would have missed SAT and AP courses in KMLA and blame myself for not searching scholarship. Envying KMLA students heading to UPenn or Colombia, I would lose motivation to study and spend three years wastefully.

Given numerous choices, I picked up KMLA, and my disturbance toward this choice is “relax of the the haves”. Disappointing over one candidate from scanty list of choices is “resignation of the have-nots”, and despite of Schwartz’s dissuasion, I would rather choose the former.

#11. Mr.Moon's Assignment: Polygamy

Ye Ji Park / 111053 / 6

Mr.Moon

English Composition

September 17 2011

Should the Government Legalize Polygamy?

Bellum omnium contra omnes, “the war of all against all”. This is a famous quotation of Thomas Hobbes, the social philosopher who suggested the concept of social contract. In his book Leviathan, Hobbes claimed that belligerent and militant human nature would give arise to “the war of all against all”. To prevent the social chaos provoked, humans forged social contract, by giving some of their authority to the government. Hobbes now is valued to possess too negative opinion toward human nature; still, his argument about the government’ role to prevent conflicts between social members is beyond question. Thus, if something is assumed to cause social disturbance, it is government’s role to illegalize it. Representative is polygamy; despite banning this unique way of love seems like invading human rights, it is unquestionable that legalizing polygamy results in numerous conflicts.

Actually, during past millenniums, polygamy had been practiced frequently all over the world. In Korea, for example, since Gojoseon—the first nation existed in the Korean Peninsula—having a concubine was perfectly legal. Characteristics of ancient agricultural society made polygamy as a natural common phenomenon; many wives mean many children, many children mean labor abundance in fields, labor abundance means wealth. Additionally, men from prestigious family married many women to continue on the family line.

And there was no one who resisted against polygamy. This was because people, especially women, the weak in polygamous family, took their assigned role (childbirth) for granted. In other words, women thought the only thing they could do is delivering a baby; they never imagined they could gain financial independence and enter the workforce. – Until the modernization. As the world went through the feminist movement, women recognized their ability was not limited to childbirth, and started to pioneer new life instead of living as a concubine of a man. Since then, polygamy started to cover up its traces slowly, and now except few countries including Tibet and some African nations, keeping an official concubine is regarded as ignoring women’s rights and receives negative public gaze.

Those who engage in polygamy marriage say that they voluntarily choose to be a concubine instead of female worker. However, prejudice toward polygamy is already stuck in people’s mind. No matter how strongly the women insist their free will, majority stares them scornfully. What is more, this scorn is directed also toward children who didn’t choose to born in polygamous family. Rena and Kathleen Mackert, children from polygamous group of Fundamentalist Churst of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (FLDS), witnessed they suffered from local residents’ glances and unfair treat such as less employment opportunities. Likewise, considering the social bias toward polygamy, there is no doubt in outbreak of social conflicts between majority and polygamy family.

Polygamy also brings out serious family conflicts, too. Two women fighting over the husband’s favor is a common scandal in history; Sukjong, the nineteenth king of Chosun Dynasty, is a well-known example. Sukjong, who did not have baby in his relationship with Queen Inhyeon, married the royal concubine Jang. As soon as Jang gave birth to a child, she persuaded Sukjong to expel Queen Inhyeon. However, as Sukjong called Queen back into the palace few years later, Jang cursed Inhyeon spiritually and prayed for her death. Likewise, even in the past when keeping concubines were considered normal, women’s competitions to monopolize husband’s love existed. Such human nature is the same in the present; to give an actual instance, Carolyn Jessop, the polygamy survivor, witnessed there was “tremendous: competition between the wives to get the most favor with her husband in the interview with TIME. Disputes between wives result into rivalry between their children, and the family relationship would be very unstable. Considering these, legalizing polygamy will be condoning hostile conflicts between family members.

It is obvious that polygamy can be another way of expressing love, and to love is one of the most basic human rights. However, considering numerous public and family conflicts the legalization of polygamy would bring – such as contemptuous glances from the society, or jealousy between family members – the government should put their duty to prevent conflicts above insuring polygamous family’s way of loving.

#10. Review: Hardboiled (W&Whale)

I received three CDs for my birthday present; first one is <I'm With You> (Red Hot Chili Peppers), second is self-made album with the giver's fourteen favorite tracks, and the last one is <Hardboiled> (W&Whale). To love every single track in one album is a hard task; actually, in my whole seventeen years of life, there had been only one. And after I heard <Hardboiled>, it became my second.

W (Where the Story Ends), electronic band composed of three members (배영준, 한재원, 김상훈), was formed in 2001, and its first two albums – <안내섬광> (2001) and <Where the Story Ends> (2005) – received attention from music maniacs and critics. But as W recruited a new female vocal, Whale, their music raised a bigger hit. There is an episode about scouting Whale; W had received approximately 400 applications and sample CD, and they already chose one male vocal. But on the last lap, as soon as W turned on Whale's CD, they immediately contacted Whale.

This episode shows how important role Whale plays in this album. It is evident from the CD cover; other three male members are putting dummy masks on their face, to emphasize Whale. And as soon as the CD starts to be played, Whale's voice hit the listener's ear.

Some critics say her voice resembles Horan of Clazziquai, or 김윤아 in Jaurim; maybe it's due to androgynous tone. I remind of "peppermint candy" when hearing her voice.

Pale blue-green sea, wave directed exactly to the listener. This feeling is applied in all genres of songs; not only in strong tracks such as "R.P.G. (Rocket Punch Generation) Shine" – the title track, which once was used as background music for SK advertisement – or "Too Young To Die", the strongest track that used the electronic sounds most in this CD, but also in calm, lyrical musics ("Stardust”, "Whale Song”). Actually, I believe it is the latter that reveals Whale's clear voice better. Whale's voice, accommodating with two totally different genres without the smallest strain, makes listeners to nod their head at why this vocal named herself as "Whale". (Her real name is 박은경, but she named herself “Whale” as a stage name to imply that she is ready to try on all kinds of music, wide-ranging.)

It is not only Whale's voice that makes this album appealing. To summarize this album in one word, it would be “storytelling”. Some songs, such as “아가사 크리스티의 이중생활” or “오빠가 돌아왔다”, are directly influenced by real novels (respectively Agatha Christie, and 김영하). Singing along these songs, I felt like reading synopsis of a short film. I attached lyrics of “오빠가 돌아왔다” (the most storytelling track in the whole album, in my view) both in Korean version, and my interpretation to English.

늘 한 마리 고독한 늑대처럼 세상과 화해하지 못한 채

매섭게 치켜 뜬 눈빛 속에 화려한 슬픔을 간직한 채

학교 앞 큰 길, 그 사거리의 미소년

이렇게 다시 오빠가 돌아왔다

태양을 등지고 돌아 선 모습, 모든 게 멈춘 듯한 한 순간

생각보다 작은 그의 어깨로 가만히 내려앉는 나비 한 마리

또 어딘가 먼 곳을 바라보며 오빠는 가만히 노래했지

현실에 타협할 수 없었던 위대한 패배자들의 Blues

질 수밖에 없는 게임의 법칙, 하지만 후회 따윈 하지 않아

그는 어느새 또 웃고 있었지, 한 번도 본 적 없는 고운 웃음

Always like one solitary wolf, not reconciling with the world

Holding flamboyant grief in his fierce glare

School main street, Adonis of that crossroads

Like this – Older Brother came back.

His back toward the Sun, a moment everything is stopped

Older Brother gently sings, gazing somewhere far away

Blues of Great Defeated, those who could not compromise the world

Rule of this game is, one never win; though one never regrets

He was smiling again, warm laugh I’ve never seen before

But storytelling is not limited to individual tracks; the whole album itself is a “metafiction”. Tracks combined together create a bigger story. There are three MacGuffins in <Hardboiled> that plays the role of intermission in musical. Usually, peaceful, relaxing melodies are introduced right after the MacGuffin, then extended into high-spirited and lively music. Repeating this organization three times (since there are three MacGuffins) makes listeners to think the album as a novel with three chapters, or a grand musical with three acts.

After <Hardboiled>, W&Whale released mini album <Random Tasks> (2009), digital single <Born To Rock> (2009), and EP <CIRCUSSSS> (2011). W&Whale was also selected as “the most original artists of 2010” by Monocle, the cultural magazine of UK. Now W&Whale is acknowledged as Korea’s leading band of electronic music.

Actually, when Whale first joined the team in 2006, she said she hesitated a lot because she thought electronic sounds of machines could not convey emotions. However, as she continues to work with W for more than five years, Whale now admits electronic sounds combined together can deliver even more delicate impressions than acoustic jazz she previously purused. W&Whale says, in chorus, what they seek in their music is “diversity”, by using various electronic sounds and creating extensive sensibility. And this is why I expect forward their next fresh step.

RATINGS

VOCAL ★★★★★

INSTRUMENTS ★★★★☆

LYRICS ★★★★★

ORGANIZATION ★★★★★

FUTURE EXPECTATION ★★★★★

OVERALL 4.8