[소설] I Do I Do: Chapter 1.1

DISCLAIMER: I’m still not good in Korean. Please take my translations with a grain of salt (might as well take the whole salt shaker with you). I’m just doing this for fun and found reading and attempting to translate the novel as another opportunity for me to learn Korean in a fun way.

Mary jane. A lovely shoes with rounded front and a strap. It’s easy to match it with any outfit but if it is worn with a very feminine one-piece dress, it’s like being a princess from a fairy tale. A magical secret moment when a cute and innocent girl changes into a lovely lady. A shoes that hides a secret sexiness.

 

SHOWCASE 1: The place where my mary janes took me.

First day of kindergarten.

Dad bought her only daughter a pair of red shoes. The same kind of mary janes that Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz and Alice in Wonderland wore.

Ji Ahn steps her little foot into the red enamel shoes that sparkles like a ruby. And for the first time Ji Ahn heard the sound of her soul the moment she fastens the thin strap with a click.

“Right, this is it!”

The round front of the shoes covers the toes and everything turns into one – yes, that kind of ‘matching’ feeling.

Every clacking step Ji Ahn took, she heard the sound of magic unfolding. Every clacking sound Ji Ahn makes on each of her step is the sound of magic –  the clacking sound of happiness.

It seems like Ji Ahn can go anywhere just like Dorothy of the Wizard of Oz, just like Alice in Alice in Wonderland, and just like Cinderella who’ve met her prince charming. It seems like it became possible to go anywhere Ji Ahn wants just like magic.

“Shoes, shoes! Take me to the place where magical shoes that are as pretty and as wonderful as you sleeps!”

A place full of shoes that are lovelier than Dorothy’s and more dazzling than Cinderella’s!

Then, if she can grab that happiness by a hand she’ll be happy, won’t she?

Now, if only she can fill her hands with beautiful magical shoes……..

[소설] I Do I Do: Cover

DISCLAIMER: I’m still not good in Korean. Please take my translations with a grain of salt (might as well take the whole salt shaker with you). I’m just doing this for fun and found reading and attempting to translate the novel as another opportunity for me to learn Korean in a fun way.

Inserts:

It’s funny that you will give up on life just because of THAT?
A straight forward cheer to those who have dreams!
The role model of today’s generation – romantic-comedy queen Kim Sun Ah!
Winner of KOCCA’s story-writing contest

So what if you took the wrong path? So what if you have to step back a little?
The safe route is not necessarily the best one!

Front Cover:

She is a natural born shoe-holic. Since childhood, for no apparent reasons, she just happen to like shoes.

(She) thinks Manilyn Monroe’s life is really cool – having a scandal with Kennedy and dying a mysterious death while still in the flower of her youth. (note: the text was cut off on some parts)

Strongly denying it, but honestly I really don’t know. Maybe I’m liking that ‘kid’?

Eliza said, “The world is full of things that you never could have imagined happening. But the things that you thought couldn’t happen, when it happens, it is really cool. Because the things you never thought could happen, is happening.”

Although your classy outfits is shouting Gangnam, your exuding ‘hometown manners’ reveals that you are Chungbuk’s ‘little princess’.

Haven’t been on a date for 10 years. A city workaholic worn out and stressed 365 days a year.

If she were to choose a color to represent herself, she’d probably choose primary colors over pastels. It must absolutely be clear whether something is hot or cool; something like ‘somewhat roundish’ and ‘lukewarm’ doesn’t amuse her.

Inside Front Cover

Do you know what “line” is? A millimeter can make a difference in the quality!

Kim Jong Hak Production Planning
First place winner for ‘Korean Story Contest’ in a KOCCA sponsored Mythopoeia Project 2010
MBC drama

Jo Jeong Hwa (screenplay)

Born in Seoul and majored in Scriptwriting for Film and Theater at Sangmyeong University. He debuted as a junior writer for MBC sitcom Non-stop, and after that wrote scenarios for movies (No Comment Family, Man Who Went to Mars) and dramas (Rays of Sunshine, Stranger Than Paradise) and has then been active on both the silver screen and television.

Park Yi Jeong (novel)

He joined writing contests with the motto of leaving various deeply moving works. He wrote with a wide spectrum. From general fiction, romance, fantasy as well as action, thriller, comics and cartoons, to game stories.
He worked with many experts on different genres gaining him a deep understanding and a strong foundation and was sought by OSMU (One Source Multi Use).
He has also fictionalized movies including Haunters, Petty Romance, Blind and Sunny.

Inside Insert

Eliza said, “The world is full of things that you never could have imagined happening. But the things that you thought couldn’t happen, when it happens, it is really cool. Because the things you never thought could happen, is happening.”

<excerpt from Anne of Green Gables>

Back Cover

“Why does it have to be shoes? Why do I have to be at the bottom?”

“Do you know that good shoes takes you to good places? At first I only thought that pretty shoes brings you good luck. But it’s not the case. Shoes actually can let the magic unfold. The braver I become, the better I feel. So I will be taken to a place where my heart leads me. And that place is the best place that could be.”

I, Hwang Ji An, is a natural born shoe-holic. Since I was a kid, for no apparent reason, I’ve always liked shoes. Even when I have to wear a sweatsuit without make-up, I must wear only the prettiest and most luxurious pair of sneakers.
Tremendous efforts and a deep passion I gained even worldwide recognition for my talents and skills. And in my age, of late thirties, I received the best treatment in the industry being a top designer and gaining a director position in my the company that I work for. And at this rate I think that as long as I continue running forward, there’s no doubt that I can become a CEO and be able to launch a brand under my own name. However, one day I stumbled upon a path that I have never even imagined. Is this the collapse of my dream? Or is this the start of a new life? First I have to try. But because of pride, or perhaps embarrassment I am hesitant.

Inside Back Cover

Director Hwang Ji Ahn’s “Life Coaching” for those who are dreaming a dream.

1. Design your goal.
Hwang Ji Ahn’s coaching tip: You have to sketch your life.

All designs starts from a sketch. Same with your life.  Sensible women design their own life and must know how to combine colors too. Whether life is a first-class luxurious brand, or an imitation on a display rack on the streets depends on your own choice. It’s not somebody else’s, it is your life. There’s always something that is solely your own that you can’t sacrifice or share with somebody else. To me it’s shoes and fashion. Before I even reached puberty, I have already started designing my own life. Dreams, future, desires? I like all of them. The moment you start sketching your life, life becomes beautiful. Keep that in mind. A masterpiece is not born, they are made.

2. Design your tomorrow.
Hwang Ji Ahn’s coaching tip: Once the draft of your sketch is done, start putting the details.

Have no regrets after a day passes by. There’s still another chance for you tomorrow. And that chance has been prepared for you. First of all start from choosing the shoes and the outfit you’ll wear tomorrow. It’ll be the beginning of a change on busy mornings. And you will see improvements on yourself little by little. Before you know it you’ll become the object of envy of others. Refined, fashionable, glamorous, luxurious, lovely, sexy, classy, powerful… Solely through fashion, you’ll be able to possess all of these. The tomorrow that you can design can be as diverse as this. Keep this in mind. When you design your tomorrow, you design your success.

3. Design your confidence.
Hwang Ji Ahn’s coaching tip: Coco Channel said, “I am fashion”

Your own ability. Style is an aura. Successful people are……..

[소설] I Do I Do (intro)

I finally got my I Do I Do novel! Thanks to eggmoonrice!!! She got it for last June 3rd, got it last June 12th and brought to to me last Sunday (17th).

I was in a bad mood because of embassy-related stress so I didn’t bother reading it right away. But now that I’m feeling fairly o-k, my excitement in reading it is slowly coming back. 🙂

At first I was even contemplating whether I’ll read it or wait until the drama’s over to avoid possible spoilers (I hate spoilers), but I realized 1.) this is just book 1, so I am still spared from the ‘ending’ spoiler (from browsing it looks like the story in the book is just right until the last episode that aired last week) and 2.) do I really believe that I will finish reading the entire novel BEFORE the drama ends?

I tried reading the covers and intros and summaries last night. It was still difficult for me. But when I tried reading the start of the novel I was able to understand a big portion of it. And it makes me happy. This is the first time I’m going to read a novel in Korean. I attempted My Name Is Kim Sam Soon before but I still haven’t gotten past the first few pages. I was thinking of starting to seriously read it this summer when I Do I Do came. I’m more interested with I Do I Do for now, so My Name Is Kim Sam Soon would have to wait a bit.

Again, we have book 1. I was a bit disappointed that it’s on paperback (unlike my hardbound Kim Sam Soon. But the cover’s pretty (not to mention the insert with Kim Sun Ah photo. I love the color theme because it’s pink. But the base is white in a matte finish (urgh! I can’t just toss it away on my bag and I must remember not to hold it with dirty hands!).

It’s 335 pages but the fonts are big (way bigger than my Kim Sam Soon novel). I has 9 chapters, or ‘showcase’ as what they used on the book. And each ‘showcase’ is further divided into smaller sections (yey!).

It’s written by Park Yi Jeong (박이정) but the screenplay writer, Jo Jeong Hwa (조정화) is also credited on the book.

Aside from Kim Sun Ah’s photo (that I’ve already removed), there’s also her autograph. I hope it’s enough motivation for me to keep reading (though I’d say I’m sooo interested and curious about the story and in fact, loving it, so I think that should be a good enough motivation for me).

I use a pencil to mark or underline some words on the book. But I use post-its to write notes and definitions. And I have a small notepad to jot down words and grammar explanations. I use naver dictionary to check words out when I’m online and a paper dictionary when I’m not.

I will try reading and translating one section a day if it’s not too long. Or maybe at least a couple of paragraphs a day. Just please note, I am an amateur to this and my Korean is still far from good. Thus my translations will never be accurate. I just want to do this for myself (because if not, I will probably be too lazy to just read). I am also doing this to learn through the novel. But feel free to read it if you want/curious about the novel. And if you speak Korean and you happen to have a copy of the book too and found some errors, I’ll appreciate corrections. 🙂