What I'm Reading...

Pyong Yang by Guy Delisle
Originally uploaded by Oblivia.

I bought this at the Kyobo book store in Seoul. Kyo means "school" and bo means "to assist" - this company made its fortune in selling school insurance. (I don't know what that is.) They diversified into textbook publishing and now, book stores. They are the Chapters/Barnes and Noble of South Korea.

I bought this graphic novel so that I might practice my Korean without the intimidation of reading something too literary. I wanted something easy to read that wasn't a children's book. A graphic novel has the advantages of being quotidien in its language (my forte) and lots of pretty pictures. And to learn a little something about North Korea along the way.

The author, Guy Delisle, is a Quebecois transplanted to France. I had no idea when I bought it and just made the realisation today when I googled him. I figured he was French French from the jacket photo. I didn't read the introduction or the bio, you see, because its written in Korean.

Its an account of his two month trip to North Korea in 2000. English language version available from (Montreal) publisher, Drawn & Quarterly, in September 2005.

This Montreal connection is kinda cool. I'm always surprised and happy when that happens.