I am writing this from my office where, after only about 6 weeks after the semester started, I now have internet access in my office.
I won't even detail the elaborate lengths required for me to get a computer in the first place, because it might sound like I was complaining that it was completely insane that the university did not provide a computer with internet access when I started. But I don't like to complain.
Everything about the computer and the operating system is in Korean, so it takes a good memory to do many things. It is a reminder how insidious this whole computer dependent life is that one can perform relatively complex functions in various Microsoft office products without being able to read anything in any of the pull down menus.
The keyboard can switch to Hangul with a keystroke, which is cool. Totally useless to me, of course, but cool that it is there. Like this, 디니앨 마골리스, is my name. That took some hunting and pecking, I will admit. Much study to do in Hangul, to be sure. .
I was thinking about my Korean illiteracy yesterday, since I actually can exist here rather well not knowing even how to interpret any signage, speak the language, and so on. I can sound it out, and, with time, look up the Hangul in a dictionary, but still have no clue what it means. Even aside from the fact that many people speak English, it is surprisingly not too hard to exist in a modern society as an illiterate. It has started to make sense how people in the US can remain functionally or actually illiterate and still hold jobs, get along in society, even own their own homes. I have always thought that teaching literacy is one of the best things one can do as a volunteer public service. I have thought it before, but haven't acted on it in the past. Something to do u8pon return perhaps.
I won't even detail the elaborate lengths required for me to get a computer in the first place, because it might sound like I was complaining that it was completely insane that the university did not provide a computer with internet access when I started. But I don't like to complain.
Everything about the computer and the operating system is in Korean, so it takes a good memory to do many things. It is a reminder how insidious this whole computer dependent life is that one can perform relatively complex functions in various Microsoft office products without being able to read anything in any of the pull down menus.
The keyboard can switch to Hangul with a keystroke, which is cool. Totally useless to me, of course, but cool that it is there. Like this, 디니앨 마골리스, is my name. That took some hunting and pecking, I will admit. Much study to do in Hangul, to be sure. .
I was thinking about my Korean illiteracy yesterday, since I actually can exist here rather well not knowing even how to interpret any signage, speak the language, and so on. I can sound it out, and, with time, look up the Hangul in a dictionary, but still have no clue what it means. Even aside from the fact that many people speak English, it is surprisingly not too hard to exist in a modern society as an illiterate. It has started to make sense how people in the US can remain functionally or actually illiterate and still hold jobs, get along in society, even own their own homes. I have always thought that teaching literacy is one of the best things one can do as a volunteer public service. I have thought it before, but haven't acted on it in the past. Something to do u8pon return perhaps.
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