When I left for Korea less than three months ago, one dollar was worth 1008 won. Today, one dollar is worth 1269 won. My first reaction upon reading this was frustration that the easy "lop off three zeroes and stick a dollar sign on it" price conversion no longer worked. ("So, this movie ticket is 7,500 won. That's....not $7.50 anymore. It's....um. Less than that. Or more. Definitely either less or more than $7.50.")
My second thought ran to my salary. "Hey self," I said to myself, "we should pull out some math wizardry--cross-multiplying and solving for x, what-whaaaat!--and figure out how much our salary has changed. In fact, just out of curiosity, let's see how much our current salary is worth today as compared to one year ago." And Y'ALL. I now make SIX HUNDRED DOLLARS AND THREE CENTS LESS EVERY MONTH THAN I WOULD HAVE MADE ONE YEAR AGO TODAY. LET ME REPEAT: $600.03 LESS EVVVVERY MOOOOONTH. THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH CAPS LOCK KEYS IN THE WORLD TO CONVEY MY SHOCK AND DISMAY.
My poor, poor salary. And here I'd been, all "ha HA, you dastardly Wall Street crash, you! You can't get me over here in Korea! Not too badly, anyway! Nanny nanny boo boo!" Meanwhile, the won was in the throes of sympathy pains, determined to suffer just as much as its American buddy. Such compassion it has! It's inspiring, really. Someone buy the rights to that movie, STAT.
Would you like a visual aid? No problem! I am nothing if not accommodating. (Also: aid-y.)
This lil ski slope represents the value of the won against the dollar over the past four months. Just look at it, soaring to new heights! Being all it can be! Climbing Ev'ry Mountain! [Incidentally: why did the writers of The Sound of Music feel the need to apostrophize the word "every"? It was already two syllables! No apostrophe necessary! Anyway.]
Even compared to the day I left for Korea--and again, that was less than three months ago--my salary is now worth $405.79 less each month.
Clearly, the won has been listening to far too much Tom Petty lately.
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1 comment:
You should see what's happening to pension funds. Heard on the news Wed. morning the Russian stock market opened, fell 14% in the first 90 minutes, and was promptly closed until Friday.
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