Saturday, August 26, 2006

Pack of Wolves Update: My Pen is Like New!

For those of you who tuned in a couple of weeks ago, you know I got quite upset when some ill-mannered cow busted my fountain pen.

I bought a new one and sent the old one in for a repair.

I got it back a few days ago and then took myself on a department store run in Shinsaegae Department Store. I know, bad, but I'd just been traumatized by the dumbest phone call in history. Shopping IS therapy.

Anyway, here it is, and it's just like new! It cost me a mere 27,000 won (around $25 USD) to get the nib replaced. I love my Waterman fountain pens.

It's a quirk. Deal with it.

The thing that was cool was I learned a new term this week.

I was talking to a Korean friend of mine and he asked me what the pen I was using is called in English. I told him that we call them fountain pens. This took a bit of clarification because he knows I use cartridges, so that whole bottle of ink and suction thing is lost. Anyway, once that was explained he told me that in Korean fountain pens are called 만년필, man nyon pen. "Man", 만, in Korean (from Chinese, btw) is 10,000 and, 년, "nyon" means year.

So it's literally "10,000 year pen." That makes sense because it means long living or long-lasting pen because you don't toss them when they're out of ink; you just add more ink.

Nice, eh?

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6 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  2. Okay, this is the thing. I had my comments open to anyone, but some ass* (and this is my blog, so I can swear if I want) wrote that 만년필 is also means "dog's penis" and is served at a "dog meat restaurant".

    So clearly this person has a problem with 보신탕, boshintang, or dog soup. Admittedly the common lore is 보신탕 gives a man sexual potency, but I'm not here preaching about the vices of beating dogs before cooking them up for soup and consuming them. I have my opinion on it, but until I choose to write about it here or unless you search for my comments on other blogs or forums, I'll keep it to myself, for now.

    I'm going to post this ONCE.

    If you can't mind your manners in the comment section of my blog, and if you act like you were raised by dogs, then I will delete your cowardly anonymous spew off of MY blog.

    I've left comments open just because it's easier for folks to write and it's easier for me, but I'll moderate them in a quick second if people choose not to behave.

    Go start an "I hate Korea" blog if that's your agenda.

    With that said, stay the hell off my blog, you moron.

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  3. Awesome pen! I need to go dig mine out and revive it with a new ink cartridge! I'm glad I stopped by! Have a wonderful Sunday (Monday for you!)
    Pam

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  4. Vielen danke Pam!

    I'm digging my new pen. It's the start of a new term in a few days, so I'll enjoy breaking it in.

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  5. 10,000 year pen? That's AWESOME. Literally. I think I'm going to show up to class today with one of mine. :)

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  6. I have to say the Korean terms for stuff is sometimes dead on.

    Cell phone = hand phone (more accurate as it's a phone you hold in your hands...obvious, no?)

    Window shopping = eye shopping (dead on because you're shopping literally with your eyes because you're not going to purchase anything. Of course, shopping for eyes is another possible meaning which makes for some bad jokes.)

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Hey there! Thanks for visiting my blog. It's my first blog, and I'm glad folks are still stopping by even though I'm no longer living in South Korea. Feel free to comment. If you want a personal answer, leave your email, and I won't publish the comment. Nasty comments and spam links will not be tolerated.