Korean

A basement practice room in Hongdae in September: Min-jun brings Eli to his old university senior's band, which has lost its bass player; the bass is here and he's our family's American, hello and I teach science, a teacher so from today Teach and drop the polite speech, then Tae-ho is big brother, Yu-na sings and is younger so Eli is hers too, Ho-jin is the youngest on drums and gets all the jobs, nobody gives orders in this band except Tae-ho, and plug in, let's hear you.

The practice room in Hongdae, the first song: from the top and watch my hand, which hand and there are two, the one not playing and Ho-jin counts four, stop and is that a funeral, once more from the chorus, lighter and don't rush, then deal and the bass player counts in.

The break in the practice room, Ho-jin's riddles: the hottest fruit in the world and I don't know, the nectarine because it's a thousand degrees, a dad joke and it just got chilly, Eli laughed honestly a little, a cow with two legs and a barbershop, then Teach burst out laughing, so the joke isn't dead.

The back office of Mr. Baek's basement club off the Hongdae main street: we're four now and the fee is for three, three is thirty so four is forty, thirty-five but the bass player sets up the amps, could you shoot it to the account, cash on the day and is this the teacher, yes the bass player and a teacher, then teach the drummer time and it's forty.

Soundcheck before the first gig at Mr. Baek's club: play something because the bass isn't in the monitors, play what and anything, don't think and play, whoa the left monitor's dead, is that a rude word and no it's the soft one that even a mother says, oh dear the pedal's acting up too, then thirty minutes left and no cracked notes tonight.

After the first gig, by the bar of Mr. Baek's club, Su-a came and Ha-eun is with Mrs. Park: so how was it and it was fine, from a musician fine is a prize, next time sing with us, let's have a meal sometime, those words mean never right, in Korea yes but come anyway, then I'll think about it which also means no.

The break in the practice room, Ho-jin from Busan: did you really practise all week and all week, really you've got awfully good in Busan speech, what did he just say, that's Busan speech when he's excited, should I answer in it too, no understanding it is enough and you don't say it, then got it and from the top.

The practice room: so like yesterday was kind of something, he learned the fillers before the words, half of Hongdae talks like that, the ad-lib part again with feeling, is ad-lib English, it's English to us like hand-phone and fighting and service, then fighting and here comes the ad-lib, and see he's practically a native now.

The practice room, Yu-na reading the band's group chat out loud: Tae-ho's message says rehearsal tomorrow at seven okay, Ho-jin only wrote two consonants and those two letters are okay, then the crying face and that's me late again sorry in two letters, how do you write thank you in two letters, in the chat the letters and out loud the whole word, and they shorten everything, even they shorten everything.

Between songs at Mr. Baek's club, Tae-ho hands Eli the microphone: say a word to the audience, by day a science teacher and by night still experimenting, our band is not the kind you stick on, he made a pun in Korean, then a three-line poem on his name, even on Sundays I, after instant noodles, practise with this band, applause.

A November afternoon at the science studio and a phone call from the neighbourhood radio station: hello, is this Eli, yes speaking, this is Yoon who produces the morning show, the thing is, a science corner, would you by any chance, me on the radio, our host heard you at the club and will call, then I'll take it as settled and goodbye.

Seven in the morning at the neighbourhood station's studio, with Ms. Han and Producer Yoon: welcome and don't be nervous, I'm not nervous but frightened, on air we say we, how do I introduce myself, your name and what you do and one sentence, hello listeners and I'm Eli a science teacher, every Thursday I'll be with you, perfect and talk to me not the microphone, ten seconds, three, two, cue.

On air at the neighbourhood station, Ms. Han's first question: why is the sky blue, simply put sunlight has every colour in it, and the blue, blue bounces around the most you see, because its waves are the shortest, for example, in a crowd the small people get pushed around the most, so the sky is small people, in a word yes, and in the evening only the tall ones get through.

On air at the neighbourhood station, the first caller of the science corner: we have a caller and please introduce yourself, Park Mi-sook from Mangwon market and Eli is that you, Mrs. Park, but have you eaten and you skipped breakfast right, do you have a question about the sky, so when's that kid coming to eat, right after the show I'll come over, and our listeners are the best.

The practice room in Hongdae on the evening after the broadcast, the band waiting for its bass player: you've gone full celebrity, come off it, Teach sign here for me, cut it out and let's practise, half of Mapo heard your Korean mum, she's not my mum but well she is, his shoulders have gone stiff with pride, enough and they haven't, and from the top, star.

The first snow, outside Mr. Baek's club in Hongdae, the band waiting for his key: I'm dying of cold and my hands are frozen, totally freezing and Mr. Baek's late again, in Minneapolis this is autumn and the winter is really long, wait till January and that's the real cold, put on a hat or your ears will drop off, will a little hat do, a big one that covers the ears, here he comes and door, heating, honey-sweet hot chocolate.

Mrs. Park's kimchi stall at Mangwon market on a gig night, Ha-eun asleep behind the counter: Eli you said whoa in front of the baby, sorry Mrs. Park it's habit, with the band it's fine but here we say my goodness, and awesome, really well done and the best not top, Mum he's gone all Hongdae, exactly and he should talk better than Hongdae, yes Mrs. Park and really well done Mrs. Park.

The practice room in Hongdae on a bad night: stop and what was that, a solo and it was a solo, you played like a robot falling down the stairs, and I played like a turtle and I know and don't say it, I've said it a hundred times and listen to each other, reading scripture into a cow's ear, it's been a thousand years since we rehearsed properly, and a thousand years is one week so from the top and don't rush.

A Saturday morning at the bathhouse in Mangwon with Mr. Kim and Min-jun: in you go and ah refreshing, Mr. Kim this is boiling, in here that's what refreshing means, lie face down and I'll scrub your back, with that glove and that's sandpaper, look at this and a year of dirt, after that into the cold pool and then banana milk, and banana milk is the law and you can't not drink it.

Two in the morning after a late gig in January, the band at the jjimjilbang, the bathhouse where you sleep: it's two in the morning and let's sleep here and take the first train, sleep where, in the sleeping hall on the floor like everyone, first the towel and sheep's head like this, why does the towel have ears, nobody knows and eggs and sweet rice drink then the kiln room, Ho-jin snores really loudly, then Ho-jin sleeps in the cold room.

Seollal morning at Grandma's house in Jeonju, Ha-eun in her first hanbok: the bow first and the words after, may you receive many blessings in the new year, be healthy and make the baby laugh, the envelope is for Ha-eun and you're too big, she bowed too, and one more bowl of rice-cake soup makes you a year older.

A winter morning in Grandma's kitchen in Jeonju: have you eaten, eh, in Jeonju speech, I haven't eaten yet, then eat quick and eat a lot, he can't follow Jeonju speech, he understands and just answers in Seoul speech, I understand the word for eat, that's all you need in this house, and sit, the soup's going cold.

Tae-ho's birthday at his flat, seaweed soup on the table: happy birthday and its two-syllable twin, thirty-seven and don't ask, did your mother make the seaweed soup, back in my day nobody asked about soup, latte is a horse, what, when he starts that's what we say, and eat, take a selfie, I'm not old.

On air again on a February morning, a student phones in: we'll take a call, it's Min-ji from third period, you should be at school you know, it's a holiday you see, what's your question, why doesn't the moon fall down, it is falling and just keeps missing, the moon keeps missing, and our listener is sharper, next song.

The Kims' kitchen on a weekday evening, Min-jun with a new camera: sis, I bought a camera, sure you did, for baby photos, no, a documentary about the market, oh sure, so from when, from next Monday, a three-day resolution, wake up, which Monday, the one that never comes, and Eli is the main character.

Bath time at the Kims' flat, Ha-eun ten months old: yum-yum, no, then bath, why yum-yum and not rice, because she understands yum-yum, dirty means don't touch, naughty, peekaboo, shake your head, clap, finger in the palm, open and close, every Korean baby learns those first, she said ba-ba yesterday, and the word is coming soon.

Sunday lunch at the Kims', Ha-eun's first word: she said yum-yum looking at my rice, that can't be, it's a sound, she looked at my rice I'm telling you, they all say that one first because it's the easiest, then when does she say daddy, not a chance, yum-yum comes first, in this house rice comes first, and my point exactly.

After the set at Mr. Baek's club, Eli tells his first joke in Korean and the band judges it: can I tell a joke too, in Korean, go on, what's the fastest bird in the world, don't know, the blink of an eye, that joke has a beard, but short and the twist at the end, he didn't laugh first and the timing was good, funny for Teach, from Ho-jin it'd be a miracle.

An evening at home, Ji-yeong over for dinner, and Su-a's dare: the reading club needs a reader, Korean stories, aloud, think you can, I'm the bass not an actor, all the more reason, you can do it, with my accent, with your accent they'll all cry, bet on it, deal, you'll see, and Ji-yeong is bringing her whole class.

Mrs. Park's stall at Mangwon market on a March morning, Min-jun's first camera test: camera, action, say anything, anything, is that done now, cut, take two, tell me about the kimchi, this kimchi is thirty years old, well, the recipe is, Ha-eun, don't eat Uncle's camera, cut, blooper, take three, once more, just a touch slower, close-up, smile naturally, and you're the main character of a film now.