I’m starting a new section for my blog – story time! I hope you’re as excited as I am. I plan to share my personal experiences in Korea through sweet and silly vignettes, with a new post coming out every Thursday. Basically, it’s the blog version of #tbt (throwback Thursday). 재미있겠죠? 그럼 지금부터 해보겠스니다.
I will open with asking you this: which mountain is the best mountain for eating Continue reading
It’s now or never.
지금이 아니면 안된다.
– saying | 속담
Whatever that thing is that you keep waiting to do because you’re not sure you’ll succeed, or you’re afraid of what will happen if you fail – just do it. Apply for that study abroad. Start a new book in a foreign language even if you can barely read it. You want to get better at Korean? Nothing will change if you don’t take the first step. Do it! You got this!
Translation by yours truly. All mistakes are mine.
During my third time in Korea, one of the things I struggled with the most was one of the simplest household tasks – taking out the trash. It may be second nature to Seoulites who are accustomed to buying the correct regulated trash bags in the right size, sorting out what goes in which bag, and then figuring out where and when they’re allowed to actually put the filled bags outside their homes…
But it wasn’t so easy for me. Continue reading
Begin anywhere.
아무데나 시작해라.
– John Cage 존 케이지
I’ve been gone for about a month in order to focus on the beginning of my last year in undergrad, but I’m back! New posts to come, beginning with this Friday.
Sometimes, it’s hard to know what to do when there’s a huge pile of things that need doing. Assignments, readings, papers, blog posts. Language study. Post-graduation life prep. Where do you start? Just start. Begin anywhere, and then you’ll figure out what to do next. 여러분 화이팅!
Translation by yours truly. All mistakes are mine.
“길은 끝없이 이어진다네…”
“The road goes ever on and on…”
– J.R.R. Tolkien
Language study, study abroad, and in general the adventures of life are never finished. If your language studying motivation is petering out, or you are feeling blue after an amazing summer, or if you haven’t managed the study abroad yet that you’re dreaming of, just remember that the journey isn’t over! It’s a scary business, stepping out your door…but so, so worth it. 힘내요!
Translation and image from The Hobbit (Korean translated version by Seedbook Publishing | 씨앗을 뿌리는 사람. Full English originals can be read here.
After spending so much of my time in cafes around Seoul, I thought I would write a post dedicated to some of my favorite places in Hongdae* to study, write, or just relax with friends.
Blanc is tucked away Continue reading
I am known among my friends as a lover of puns, and this manifests itself as part of my passion for studying Korean. Korean variety shows, particularly Family Outing, seem to have a similar penchant for wordplay, and so I’ve learned a great deal noting down not just what phrases are puns, but which ones are particularly bad (based on the explosive reactions of those who hear the puns). Here is a Reddit filled with cringe-worthy submissions that will make you regret ever reading this post. You’re welcome.
I recently saw Captain America: Civil War, and like any good and studious Marvel fan/Korean language learner, I promptly created a pun out of the name. Though this never occurs while reading the title in English, every time I read 캡틴 아메리카 in Korean, my mind auto-completes it as 캡틴 아메리카노.
Captain America → Captain Americano
Incredibly witty, I know.
But this bad pun origin story doesn’t end there. A few months ago, I learned the connotation behind 라면 먹고 갈래 (not unlike “Netflix-and-chill”) Accordingly, I included a 한잔하고 갈래 with my 캡틴 아메리카노 photoshop edit.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BFo7QarlTUB/
I would gladly enjoy an Americano with you, Captain America. And to my readers, I know. I’m super cool. #icecubestatus
Hope you enjoyed this non-serious post!
읽어 주셔서 감사합니다!
#wyd tho…
BONUS: Here’s even more reasons to regret reading this post:
Lately I’ve been really into a newer webtoon called Spirit Fingers (스피릿 핑거스) and unfortunately I finally caught up with all the currently released chapters, which means that I now have to wait a week between each new installment. While I wait, I thought I’d tell you about why you should check out this webtoon. As I’ve written before, webtoons and manhwa are a great way to practice Korean.
I can be a bit of a snob when it comes to watching or reading things that are created not only to tell a story but also to please or provoke in a visual way, like anime, manga, manhwa, webtoons… These are art forms, and if I don’t like the style, I really won’t be able to enjoy the story. #snobstatus
Spirit Fingers has scenes that are so pretty that I just want to drool on my phone screen. I found this webtoon by accident, I judged it by its art style and decided to keep reading, and I was not disappointed. And not only is the art great, but art is the thing that brings the characters together in the first place!
Continue reading안녕하세요!
If you’re like me and are constantly looking up one word or another and jotting down its meaning, you also probably have encountered words that you can’t find definitions for anywhere. Sometimes I switch between online dictionaries (my main is Naver and Daum is my backup) in order to find more uncommon or unknown words but there are other times where even a random Google doesn’t reveal any hints as to when the word is used or how.
What then? You could either ask a Korean person via Kakaotalk or Hellotalk or you can head over to Naver Open Dictionary. Open Dictionary is a tool by which anyone can submit an unknown word in pretty much any language and ask for people to give their own definitions. This is extraordinarily useful especially if the word or phrase is slang and/or it also needs cultural contextualization. Continue reading
Recently I found out about what really is going on with all those middle-aged Koreans in their stylish hiking outfits and every-weekend trips to hike mountains in Seoul. Hop on the subway early in the morning on Saturday or Sunday and you’re bound to see the flocks of 아줌마들 and 아저씨들 moving en masse to the foothills where the hiking trails begin.
But apparently all is not as it seems, as my language partner informed me – “불륜이 (affair, adultery, unfaithfulness) 많아.” Whilst hiking in the densely forested mountains, alongside a man from a hiking club who has aged but still has the signs of the handsome features of his youth, an ahjumma might think of her husband on the couch at home, drinking, and she starts thinking some more…and perhaps this is how these affairs begin.
To be honest, I’d rather not think too deeply about it. I will leave it to you to imagine (or not) as you desire. Instead, consider doing this next time you go hiking in Korea and see if you get the same reaction:
“Bro, shall I teach you how to distinguish cheating couples?” “???” “HONEY! WHO IS THAT PERSON?” *couples swiftly separate, sweating nervously*
If you’re interested in reading up on suggestions of how to tell if someone’s cheating while climbing mountains, you can check out this Korean blog post.
읽어 주셔서 감사합니다!
A song fitting of this topic, though I’m not a fan of people who cheat…
서울드림 