아내는 동경 한달살이 가방을 하루만에 챙겼습니다. 울산에서 월요일에 올라와서 수요일에 출국했으니 화요일 하루말고는 달리 시간이 없었습니다. 그러나 한량끼가 있는지, 남편은 갤럭시 24울트라를 챙기고 그것을 넣어 어깨에 매고 다닐 조그만 핸드폰 가방을 챙기면 여행준비는 끝난 셈입니다. 일본 도착 첫날 구글맵으로 길을 찾아다니는 연습을 했습니다. 목표는 숙소에서 11분 거리의 <히구라시 베이커리> 까페였습니다. 일단 처음으로 독도법을 읽혀야 하니 동서남북 어느 방향으로 가얄지 순간 난감했습니다. 맵은 분명히 북서쪽으로 걷도록 말하지만 어디서 해가 뜨는지를 모르니 … 하여간 도착 첫날 구글맵을 이용해서 길을 찾는 방법을 익히고 바로 운전을 시도했습니다. 그것은 차라리 쉬웠습니다. 차선이 바뀌는 것 말고는^^ 운전자 오른쪽에 중앙선이 있도록 하라는 선임자의 팁을 따랐습니다.
맵을 따라 길을 찾아다니며, 운전하기를 익힌 다음 구글맵을 따라서 자전거 타기를 시도했습니다. 비행기에서는 15킬로그램의 무게 제한이 있는데도 헬멧까지 가지고 왔습니다. 헬멧에는 블루투스 오디오 시스템이 있으니 KBS 클래식 콩을 들으며 동시에 맵이 안내하는 음성이 들리니까 일일이 눈으로 맵을 확인하지 않아도 됩니다. 하여간 첫날 시도를 할 때는 아침 저녁으로 늘 오가던 길을 택했습니다. 교회에서는 집으로 목적지를 설정하고 집에서는 교회로 목적지를 설정해서 메커니즘을 익히고, 그 다음 하루 날을 잡아서 전혀 가 본적이 없는 곳, 미즈모토 공원을 향해서 간식과 물을 준비해서 달렸습니다. 맵은 12킬로 50분 거리라고 나왔지만, 자전거도 역대급으로 충분히 낡았고, 사람도 늙었고, 길도 초행길이라 편도 1시간 15분 정도 걸렸던 것 같습니다. 공원을 둘러보며 간식을 하고 다시 무사히 돌아오니 3시간 정도 걸렸나 봅니다.
갤럭시의 도움은 길찾기에 끝나지 않았습니다. 대화가 필요한 가게에서 의사소통을 위해 통역사 노릇을 잘 해 주었습니다. 가령 커피를 사기 위해서 가게에 갔는데 영어로 충분한 의사소통이 되지 않아서 갤럭시를 앞에 두고 우린 한국말로 상대방은 일본말로 의사소통을 할 수 있었으니 새로운 세계가 열린 겁니다. ‘케냐 AA와 디카페인 커피를 중배전으로 볶아서 주시는데 시간이 얼마나 걸리지요?’ ‘1시간 뒤에 오십시오’ 그래서 가까이 있는 <히구라시 베이커리>에 가서 커피 한 잔 마시고 시간이 되어서 돌아갔더니 준비가 되어 있었습니다. 그뿐만 아니라 문화관람을 할 때도 유용했습니다. “파리나 구라파에 가지 않아도 우에노 미술관에 가면 세계의 걸작픔들을 다 볼 수 있어요. 로댕의 “생각하는 사람”과 “지옥문”도 볼 수 있었는데 지금은 어떤지 모르겠구나.~~♡”라고 권하는 주위의 성화에 따라서 뒷날은 우에노 공원에 있는 <서양미술관>을 갔습니다. 그런데 사진을 찍어도 되는지를 갤럭시의 통역기능을 활용해서 물었더니 ‘플래시를 쓰지 않고 금지라는 표시가 있는 그림이 아니면 사진을 찍어도 된다는 소통이 되었으니 감사했습니다.
물론 갤럭시 24 울트라를 가장 자주 활용한 것은 사진찍기였습니다. 그렇다고 다른 휴대폰으로는 할 수 없는 고급 기능을 활용하는 것은 아닙니다. 그래도 무조건 글로 적어야 기억에 남는다는 “적자 생존”에 이어서 “찍자생존”은 동경 한달살이를 알차게 만든 유용하고도 재미있고 손쉬운 방안이었습니다. 사물을 볼 때에 세심한 관찰을 하면서 마음속에 구도를 잡아봅니다. 작품이 될 것 같은 구도가 나오면 바로바로 촬영합니다. 필림 값이 들어가지 않으니 무조건 찍으면 됩니다. 길을 걸으면서나 차를 타고 갈 때도 순간포착의 기회는 있습니다. 일단 찍어놓아야 편집을 통해서라도 괜찮은 사진을 건질 수가 있습니다. 물론 자연만큼 문화를 좋아하지는 않지만 그래도 우에노의 서양미술관처럼 사진을 찍도록 허용하면 심심하지 않으니 관람을 계속할 수 있고, 내가 그리려면 한 평생이 걸려도 불가능한 작품을 갤럭시의 도움으로 언제듣지 내가 볼 수 있도록 소장할 수 있으니 최상급 <찍자생존>입니다. 사진을 찍는 것 뿐만 아니라 어떤 구도로 세상을 바라보느냐에 따라서 나날이 기쁨 기도 감사의 날들이 된다는 것을 꼭 기억하며 앞으로도 살고 싶습니다.
My wife packed our luggage for our month-long stay in Tokyo in a single day. We came up from Ulsan on Monday and were flying out on Wednesday, so she had no other time except for Tuesday. Meanwhile, perhaps having a carefree streak, the husband felt travel preparations were already complete the moment I grabbed my Galaxy S24 Ultra and tucked it into a small crossbody phone pouch. On our first day in Japan, I practiced navigating using Google Maps. The destination was Higurashi Bakery, a café eleven minutes away from our lodgings. Because I first had to master the art of reading the map, I was momentarily disoriented, not knowing which direction was north, south, east, or west. The map clearly told me to walk northwest, but without knowing where the sun rose, I was at a loss . . . At any rate, on that very first day, after getting the hang of navigating with Google Maps, I immediately ventured to drive. That was actually rather easy—apart from driving on the opposite side of the road! ^^ I faithfully kept to a predecessor's golden rule: make sure the center line stays on the driver's right side.
After practicing navigating and driving with the map, I next attempted to ride a bicycle using Google Maps. Despite the strict 15-kilogram airline baggage allowance, I had even brought along a helmet. Since the helmet is equipped with a Bluetooth audio system, I could listen to KBS Classic FM while simultaneously hearing the map's voice guidance, freeing me from having to constantly glance at the screen. For my initial run, I chose the familiar route we walked back and forth morning and evening. I set the route from church to home, and from home to church, getting accustomed to the mechanism. Then, setting aside a whole day, I packed water and snacks and rode toward Mizumoto Park—a place I had never visited before. The map indicated a distance of 12 kilometers taking about 50 minutes, but the bicycle was remarkably ancient, the rider was getting on in years, and the road was completely unfamiliar, so it ended up taking about an hour and fifteen minutes one way. Strolling around the park, enjoying our snack, and returning safely took around three hours in total.
The assistance of the Galaxy did not end with navigation. In shops where conversation was necessary, it played the role of an excellent interpreter. For example, when we went to a shop to buy coffee and English wasn't sufficient, we placed the Galaxy between us; we spoke in Korean and the barista spoke in Japanese, opening up a whole new world. "Could you roast Kenya AA and decaf coffee to a medium roast? How long will it take?" "Please return in an hour." So we stopped by the nearby Higurashi Bakery for a cup of coffee, and when we returned, the beans were ready. It was equally helpful during cultural outings. Prompted by friends who warmly urged us, saying, "Even if you don't travel to Paris or continental Europe, you can see world masterpieces at the Ueno Art Museum! You used to be able to see Rodin's The Thinker and The Gates of Hell—though I wonder how it is now~~♡," we visited the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno Park the next day. When I asked whether photography was permitted using the Galaxy's translation feature, we were told that photos were welcome as long as we didn't use a flash and the artwork wasn't marked with a no-photography sign. I was deeply grateful for such effortless communication.
Of course, what I used the Galaxy S24 Ultra for most often was taking photos. That does not mean I was using advanced features that other phones could not perform. Yet, following the old saying "survival of the note-taker" (meaning only what is written down survives in memory), "survival of the photographer" became a delightful, easy, and rewarding way to enrich our month in Tokyo. Looking at my surroundings, I observe closely and compose a frame in my heart. The moment a composition looks promising, I capture it right away. Since film costs nothing, one can snap away freely. Whether walking down a street or riding in a car, opportunities to seize the moment always present themselves. Only when you have captured the shot can you later retrieve a lovely photo through editing. While I do not love human culture as much as God's nature, when an institution like the Ueno Western Art Museum allows photography, boredom vanishes and one can keep appreciating the exhibits. And with the help of the Galaxy, I can keep in my personal collection works of art that I could never paint even if given a lifetime, viewing them whenever I wish—truly the finest form of "survival of the photographer." More than just taking pictures, I want to live the days ahead remembering that depending on the perspective through which we frame our world, each day can become a day of joy, prayer, and thanksgiving.
My vrou het ons tasse vir ons maandlange verblyf in Tokio in skaars ’n enkele dag gepak. Ons het Maandag vanuit Ulsan opgereis en Woensdag reeds vertrek, so daar was behalwe Dinsdag geen ander tyd oor nie. Maar soos dit ’n man met ’n ietwat sorgelose geaardheid betaam, was my reisvoorbereidings afgehandel sodra ek my Galaxy S24 Ultra gegryp en in ’n klein selfoonsakkie oor die skouer gegooi het. Op ons eerste dag in Japan het ek geoefen om met Google Maps die pad te vind. Die bestemming was Higurashi Bakery, ’n koffiewinkel sowat elf minute van ons verblyf af. Omdat ek eers moes leer hoe om die kaart te lees, was ek aanvanklik effe verleë oor watter kant toe noord, suid, oos of wes was. Die kaart het my duidelik aangesê om noordwes te stap, maar as ’n mens nie weet waar die son opkom nie . . . Hoe dit ook al sy, nadat ek op daardie eerste dag geleer het om met Google Maps koers te kry, het ek dadelik probeer bestuur. Dit was eintlik nogal maklik—behalwe dat die bane omgeruil is! ^^ Ek het bloot die raad van ’n voorganger gevolg: sorg net dat die middellyn altyd aan die bestuurder se regterkant bly.
Nadat ek geleer het om my pad met die kaart te vind en die motor te bestuur, het ek probeer om met Google Maps fiets te ry. Ten spyte van die streng bagasieperk van 15 kilogram op die vliegtuig, het ek selfs ’n fietshelm saamgebring. Omdat die helm van ’n Bluetooth-klankstelsel voorsien is, kon ek na KBS Classic FM luister terwyl ek gelyktydig die stembegeleiding van die kaart hoor, sodat ek nie gedurig met die oog na die skerm hoef te kyk nie. Met my eerste poging het ek die roete gekies wat ons soggens en saans gereeld stap. Ek het die bestemming van die kerk na die huis gestel, en van die huis na die kerk, om vertroud te raak met die werking daarvan. Daarna het ek ’n hele dag opsygesit, water en padkos ingepak, en koers gekies na Mizumoto-park—’n plek waar ek nog nooit tevore was nie. Die kaart het aangedui dat dit 12 kilometer en sowat 50 minute se ry was, maar die fiets was buitengewoon oud, die ryer bejaard, en die pad heeltemal onbekend, sodat dit omtrent ’n uur en vyftien minute eenrigting geneem het. Nadat ons die park verken, ’n ligte versnapering geniet en weer veilig teruggekeer het, was ons seker sowat drie uur lank onderweg.
Die Galaxy se hulp het geensins by roetebepaling opgehou nie. In winkels waar kommunikasie nodig was, het dit uitmuntend as tolk gedien. Toe ons byvoorbeeld koffie gaan koop het en ons mekaar nie na wense in Engels kon verstaan nie, het ons die Galaxy tussen ons neergesit; ons het in Koreaans gepraat en die winkelier in Japannees, en ’n heel nuwe wêreld het oopgegaan. “Hoe lank sal dit neem om Kenya AA en kafeïenvrye koffie tot ’n medium graad te rooster?” “Kom asseblief oor ’n uur terug.” Ons het toe by die nabygeleë Higurashi Bakery gaan sit vir ’n koppie koffie, en toe die tyd aanbreek en ons terugstap, was die koffiebone gereed. Dit was eweneens van onskatbare waarde tydens kulturele uitstappies. Op aanmoediging van vriende wat gesê het: “Al gaan jy nie na Parys of die vasteland van Europa nie, kan jy wêreldmeesterstukke in die Ueno-kunsmuseum bewonder! ’n Mens kon vroeër Rodin se Die Denker en Die Poorte van die Hel daar sien, al weet ek nie hoe dit vandag lyk nie~~♡,” het ons die volgende dag na die Nasionale Museum van Westerse Kuns in Ueno-park gegaan. Toe ek met die Galaxy se tolkfunksie vra of ons foto's mag neem, is daar verduidelik dat dit toelaatbaar is solank ’n mens nie die flits gebruik nie en solank daar nie ’n verbodsteken by die betrokke skildery is nie. Ek was baie dankbaar vir sulke vlot kommunikasie.
Natuurlik was dit die neem van foto's waarvoor ek die Galaxy S24 Ultra die meeste ingespan het. Nie dat ek gevorderde funksies gebruik het wat ander fone nie kan verrig nie. Tog, ná die ou gesegde van “oorlewing deur aantekeninge” (dat slegs dit wat neergeskryf word in die geheue bly voortleef), het “oorlewing deur foto's” ’n uiters nuttige, prettige en maklike manier geword om ons maand in Tokio te verryk. Wanneer ek na dinge kyk, neem ek dit fyn waar en bou in my hart ’n komposisie op. As ’n hoek na ’n kunswerk lyk, neem ek dadelik die foto. Aangesien dit niks aan film kos nie, kan ’n mens na hartelus afneem. Of ’n mens nou stap of in ’n motor ry, daar is altyd geleenthede om die oomblik vas te vang. Slegs as jy dit eers afgeneem het, kan jy later deur verwerking ’n goeie foto te voorskyn bring. Alhoewel ek kultuur nie so liefhet soos God se natuur nie, sorg instellings soos die Westerse Kunsmuseum in Ueno—wat fotografie toelaat—dat ’n mens nooit verveeld raak nie en met vreugde kan bly rondkyk. En met die hulp van die Galaxy kan ek kunswerke wat ek selfs in ’n leeftyd nie sou kon skilder nie, as ’t ware bewaar om daarna te kyk wanneer ek wil—voorwaar die heel beste vorm van “oorlewing deur foto's.” Nie net wat fotografie betref nie, maar ek wil ook vorentoe leef met die wete dat na gelang van die perspektief waardeur ons na die wêreld kyk, elke dag ’n dag van blydskap, gebed en danksegging kan word.