Today I had such a good time with my teacher and my classmates. :) We went to Samcheongdong, and I realised that a year ago, I was there too on my last day in Seoul! I've come full circle, baby. Anyway, we had a lot of fun and it was so hard trying to hold back my tears when my teacher hugged me again. Really ... I owe my success to her. And because of her I now see the importance of being positive in front of students every day. It does make a huge difference to the student's learning.
I'd wanted badly to catch the sunset at Gwanghwamun again (as per last year) so I stood outside the gate for a long time. As I waited, I looked at the city lights and then I started tearing again. =.= I'm a sentimental fool. Seoul's not perfect, but it's a place I've come to appreciate for all its quirks, just like Yangon.
Had dinner with SY, my friend from HK. I first got to know her at orientation, when she approached me for help and we just ended up going grocery shopping and lunch together on the very same day! Since then we've become firm friends and study buddies ... I'm going to miss her so much.
I'm really thankful for the friends that I've made in this trip. I hadn't expected it, but my Aussie classmate's one of my closest friends in Yonsei. And also for the bonds strengthened - my friend of 3 years SC has finally started to speak banmal (informal Korean) to me, which shows a degree of intimacy, and I got to know my host dad's daughter well too; she's showered me with nothing but gifts since we started meeting for English conversation sessions. Cosmetics (like, WHY?!), coffee, dinner, BREAD ... she thinks of everything. I feel like I have a real elder sister ... T_T
In all, even though I'm loathe to leave everything behind - especially my studies - I think I'll have to do it anyway, like it or not. I must admit that I have, on MANY occasions, questioned God about this: why let me taste heaven, only to take it away from me? But I guess of all the possible answers I can get, one of them is probably so that I KNOW there is a heaven ... and what I experience and evaluate as 'heaven' is a mere tip of the unfathomable iceberg that is heaven, and that this life, no matter how enjoyable, is ultimately something that will pass away.
I'm determined not to lose whatever Korean I've learnt though! So I'm still going to write my diary every day (IN KOREAN), and do self-study! I must do it!!!! It'd be such a colossal waste to forget all that I've learnt! I actually bought extra books by accident, so I'm going to make the best of my post-surgery recovery period to study on my own!
As for work, nothing's on the cards yet and I'm all mentally prepared for it so ... I'll think about that later. :)
It's been a really wonderful break. I'm thankful. :)
Thursday, September 5, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
in media res
Today was the last day of school.
Today, I told myself, today I will not shed a single tear.
It's all my teacher's fault. If only she hadn't wanted to give me a hug. If only she hadn't written the singularly most moving sentence I've ever seen in a long while to me. If only she hadn't had those tears in her eyes as well.
After school, I walked out alone and stood in the cold autumn air, alone. Students milled about me. Most were talking about lunch plans. Some were taking pictures with their friends. And all I could think of was ...
... I'm leaving.
I'm leaving something I love so much. The hurt and sorrow was overwhelming ... I just started crying there, in front of everyone.
Maybe I was being too dramatic but it's so hard for me to leave this behind. Actually, I'd already known this would happen. It happened in Myanmar 3 years ago and I knew, I just knew it would happen in Korea this time. That I would enjoy what I do so much that leaving would be such sheer pain. And yet I still submitted that application. I still made that conscious choice to have my heart broken this way. And now that my heart is in smithereens, I ask myself, why oh why do you do this to yourself?
I'm greedy. I want this to last a bit longer.
:(
Today, I told myself, today I will not shed a single tear.
It's all my teacher's fault. If only she hadn't wanted to give me a hug. If only she hadn't written the singularly most moving sentence I've ever seen in a long while to me. If only she hadn't had those tears in her eyes as well.
After school, I walked out alone and stood in the cold autumn air, alone. Students milled about me. Most were talking about lunch plans. Some were taking pictures with their friends. And all I could think of was ...
... I'm leaving.
I'm leaving something I love so much. The hurt and sorrow was overwhelming ... I just started crying there, in front of everyone.
Maybe I was being too dramatic but it's so hard for me to leave this behind. Actually, I'd already known this would happen. It happened in Myanmar 3 years ago and I knew, I just knew it would happen in Korea this time. That I would enjoy what I do so much that leaving would be such sheer pain. And yet I still submitted that application. I still made that conscious choice to have my heart broken this way. And now that my heart is in smithereens, I ask myself, why oh why do you do this to yourself?
I'm greedy. I want this to last a bit longer.
:(
Friday, August 30, 2013
the final(s)...
I got my results for the final exams today. No paper slip, just a few minutes for feedback and for us to look at our papers.
I did really well though. Way, way, way above my expectations.
Reading: 97.2
Writing: 96
Listening: 94
Speaking: 92.5
My teacher was like, "Linda, you spoke well but you did better for the mid-terms." :)
And so 10 weeks of my student life came to an end ...
just
like
that.
***
I've been feeling extremely lost since yesterday. No daily homework, no diary-writing ... I almost went mad with the lack of activity. Then the very one thought that I've been trying to avoid - my departure. It's so maddening sad. I feel such great sorrow at having to leave Korean behind, and yet I must.
I know I'll never get an opportunity like this anymore. The regret weighs so heavily on my poor battered heart ahaha.
Anyway, autumn is here in Korea, and the weather is beautiful. Just a week ago it was unbearably hot and this week the mornings and the nights are actually chilly. I missed autumn the last time I came to Korea, and I'm going to miss it again this time. :(
I've come to really like and enjoy Korea for what it is. Seoul is definitely not a perfect city but she does have her charms, and I am charmed. I guess it just is the way with anywhere you go. Live in a place long enough and you'll develop feelings for it.
I daresay I won't face much culture shock once I go back to SG, unlike the last time when I'd spent a similar amount of time but in a vastly different city. At the moment, I don't have much work waiting for me, which I was, and am completely ready for when I left my previous job. I have enough to last me quite a few months so no worries, people. The extravagant lifestyle I used to lead will have to be restrained quite a bit, though haha.
So, it's time to go back home.
See you soon, Singapore.
And 정말 감사합니다, 사랑하는 한국. 다시 만날 수 있었으면 더 좋겠다...
I did really well though. Way, way, way above my expectations.
Reading: 97.2
Writing: 96
Listening: 94
Speaking: 92.5
My teacher was like, "Linda, you spoke well but you did better for the mid-terms." :)
And so 10 weeks of my student life came to an end ...
just
like
that.
***
I've been feeling extremely lost since yesterday. No daily homework, no diary-writing ... I almost went mad with the lack of activity. Then the very one thought that I've been trying to avoid - my departure. It's so maddening sad. I feel such great sorrow at having to leave Korean behind, and yet I must.
I know I'll never get an opportunity like this anymore. The regret weighs so heavily on my poor battered heart ahaha.
Anyway, autumn is here in Korea, and the weather is beautiful. Just a week ago it was unbearably hot and this week the mornings and the nights are actually chilly. I missed autumn the last time I came to Korea, and I'm going to miss it again this time. :(
I've come to really like and enjoy Korea for what it is. Seoul is definitely not a perfect city but she does have her charms, and I am charmed. I guess it just is the way with anywhere you go. Live in a place long enough and you'll develop feelings for it.
I daresay I won't face much culture shock once I go back to SG, unlike the last time when I'd spent a similar amount of time but in a vastly different city. At the moment, I don't have much work waiting for me, which I was, and am completely ready for when I left my previous job. I have enough to last me quite a few months so no worries, people. The extravagant lifestyle I used to lead will have to be restrained quite a bit, though haha.
So, it's time to go back home.
See you soon, Singapore.
And 정말 감사합니다, 사랑하는 한국. 다시 만날 수 있었으면 더 좋겠다...
Sunday, August 18, 2013
how to clear a clogged toilet
I learn new things here every day.
3 days ago, on Korea's Liberation Day, of all things I could do I clogged the toilet with too much toilet paper. Over here you ain't supposed to flush toilet paper down the system and I always abide by the rules ... when I am outdoors. When I'm in the comfort of my own home I, well, make myself at home.
So, yes, I clogged the toilet. The slow-draining type, whereby water (+ poop + toilet paper) goes all the way up to the dangerous limit of the rim, and then take forever to drain. And if you attempt to flush again, be prepared for your room to be flooded.
And it happened that when this happened, I was just getting ready to leave my home for school. So I left with a really heavy heart. What if the choke backs up and the toilet floods my room while I'm away? Should I call the landlord on a public holiday? Am I ready for him to deal with my unsanitary toilet mess?????
With all these in mind I went on the almight Internet to search for solutions. Most require a plunger, which I was ready to buy BUT didn't want to coz I try not to make unnecessary purchases, especially when I only have 3 weeks left here. Then I saw a solution which only require 2 things:
1. dishwasher soap
2. hot water. LOTS.
I was skeptical. Come on, unclog a toilet with just these? Even Ernie was skeptical. But I had nothing to lose, so once I got home I immediately poured about 1/4 cup of dishwasher soap into my toilet.
Now imagine dishwasher-liquid-tinted water + poop + toilet paper + tea leaves (oh I forgot to mention, these came out as well). Not exactly a pretty sight if you ask me.
I let this concoction sit for about 5 min, while contemplating how I should phrase my request to my landlord. "Mr. Kim, I'm so sorry to bother you on a public holiday, but my toilet's clogged ..."
THERE IS NO WAY TO SAY THIS WITHOUT LOSING MY KOREAN STREET CRED.
Should I risk my reputation? I even considered (seriously) going to the nearby restaurant to do my business if I were to wait till the following day. But what about the wee hours of the morning? What if I really need to use the toilet then?
Anyway, 5 min was up and I filled my pot with hot water from the tap. 3 pots and the vile concoction came up to the rim of the toilet bowl.
I stared at it in despair. 1 second, 2 seconds ... nothing happened. Everything was swimming around in blue-tinted water, like being in a swimming pool. Mr. Poop and his friends the Tea Leaves family having a wonderful hot spring vacation on Korea's Liberation Day while the boys from the Toilet Paper school practised synchronised swimming.
Lousy internet solution.
I walked away to put my pot on the shelf, and thought, oh well, I'll just let it drain slowly and then face the music (not to mention total, utter humiliation) of having to call my landlord to come and witness this ghastly sight. AND DO THE DIRTY (literally) DEED.
The humiliation was killing me!!!!!
THEN.
MAGIK HAPPENED.
As in the movies, a soft gurgle reverberated in my tiny toilet. As in the movies, I (almost) dropped my pot, turned my head in slo-mo, and to my amazement ...
THE SWIMMING POOL WAS GONE AND SO WERE THE REVELLERS.
The toilet sucked them all up mercilessly, and vomitted clean, clear fresh water again.
I couldn't believe it! So I flushed again, gingerly, totally expecting to have it stuck again but NO. Everything was back to normal. There was even a nice dishwasher smell in my toilet!
Ladies and gentlemen ... forget the plunger. Dishwasher soap and hot water, they are your best friends.
TL;DR: Toilet stuck. Used dishwasher soap and hot water. Problem solved.
3 days ago, on Korea's Liberation Day, of all things I could do I clogged the toilet with too much toilet paper. Over here you ain't supposed to flush toilet paper down the system and I always abide by the rules ... when I am outdoors. When I'm in the comfort of my own home I, well, make myself at home.
So, yes, I clogged the toilet. The slow-draining type, whereby water (+ poop + toilet paper) goes all the way up to the dangerous limit of the rim, and then take forever to drain. And if you attempt to flush again, be prepared for your room to be flooded.
And it happened that when this happened, I was just getting ready to leave my home for school. So I left with a really heavy heart. What if the choke backs up and the toilet floods my room while I'm away? Should I call the landlord on a public holiday? Am I ready for him to deal with my unsanitary toilet mess?????
With all these in mind I went on the almight Internet to search for solutions. Most require a plunger, which I was ready to buy BUT didn't want to coz I try not to make unnecessary purchases, especially when I only have 3 weeks left here. Then I saw a solution which only require 2 things:
1. dishwasher soap
2. hot water. LOTS.
I was skeptical. Come on, unclog a toilet with just these? Even Ernie was skeptical. But I had nothing to lose, so once I got home I immediately poured about 1/4 cup of dishwasher soap into my toilet.
Now imagine dishwasher-liquid-tinted water + poop + toilet paper + tea leaves (oh I forgot to mention, these came out as well). Not exactly a pretty sight if you ask me.
I let this concoction sit for about 5 min, while contemplating how I should phrase my request to my landlord. "Mr. Kim, I'm so sorry to bother you on a public holiday, but my toilet's clogged ..."
THERE IS NO WAY TO SAY THIS WITHOUT LOSING MY KOREAN STREET CRED.
Should I risk my reputation? I even considered (seriously) going to the nearby restaurant to do my business if I were to wait till the following day. But what about the wee hours of the morning? What if I really need to use the toilet then?
Anyway, 5 min was up and I filled my pot with hot water from the tap. 3 pots and the vile concoction came up to the rim of the toilet bowl.
I stared at it in despair. 1 second, 2 seconds ... nothing happened. Everything was swimming around in blue-tinted water, like being in a swimming pool. Mr. Poop and his friends the Tea Leaves family having a wonderful hot spring vacation on Korea's Liberation Day while the boys from the Toilet Paper school practised synchronised swimming.
Lousy internet solution.
I walked away to put my pot on the shelf, and thought, oh well, I'll just let it drain slowly and then face the music (not to mention total, utter humiliation) of having to call my landlord to come and witness this ghastly sight. AND DO THE DIRTY (literally) DEED.
The humiliation was killing me!!!!!
THEN.
MAGIK HAPPENED.
As in the movies, a soft gurgle reverberated in my tiny toilet. As in the movies, I (almost) dropped my pot, turned my head in slo-mo, and to my amazement ...
THE SWIMMING POOL WAS GONE AND SO WERE THE REVELLERS.
The toilet sucked them all up mercilessly, and vomitted clean, clear fresh water again.
I couldn't believe it! So I flushed again, gingerly, totally expecting to have it stuck again but NO. Everything was back to normal. There was even a nice dishwasher smell in my toilet!
Ladies and gentlemen ... forget the plunger. Dishwasher soap and hot water, they are your best friends.
TL;DR: Toilet stuck. Used dishwasher soap and hot water. Problem solved.
the beginning of the end
In a twinkling of an eye (cliche but so true now), I've already spent 2 months here in Seoul and that means my departure is also imminent. Finals are in a week's time ... I'm less concerned about that and more about whether I should return to Seoul.
I'm struggling so hard. Half my mind is filled with vicious, bitter and selfish thoughts. The other half tells me life is not a dream and I should just go back to Singapore. But I'm so unwilling it's painful. I'm so afraid that I'll end up regretting not doing this and feeling super bitter towards Singapore and everything there. I know for sure that once I go back to Singapore, I'll never ever have this luxury of just concentrating on studying.
Anyway, in my diary a few days ago, I wrote about my growing love towards the Korean language:
My teacher responded with this: "I'm thankful too. You're truly a splendid student." Her comment made my day. :)
And oh, I went for a haircut about a week ago. "Haircut" is stretching it a bit far since all I did was to have it trimmed. Haha. And I think I emphasized the "just a bit" part too much, because the hairstylist really snipped off 1 cm!!! Not exactly what I had in mind actually, hahaha. She couldn't speak much English so once again I was blissfully forced into speaking Korean. Being the kiasu Singaporean I am, I actually checked the dictionary for words like "to trim", "fringe" etc. :P
Same thing happened when my wisdom tooth popped out. I wanted to ask my teacher if I should head to the dental hospital directly, and so I searched for the Korean equivalents of "wisdom tooth/teeth" (plurals are not important in Korean grammar), "to extract (teeth)" and "dentist". So when I finally had the chance to ask my teacher, this was my question:
"선생님, 저는 제 사랑니가 나와서 아파요. 건강센터에 가야 되거나 바로 치과 병원에 뽑으러 가야돼요?"
(Teacher, I'm in pain because my wisdom tooth has erupted. Should I go to the students' health centre (heavily subsidised student health care system) or should I go straight to the dental hospital to have it extracted?"
It's wonderful being able to communicate one's desires. Sigh.
Anyway she suggested that I go to the students' health centre because 1. wisdom teeth extraction is not covered by any kind of insurance in Korea, 2. it's going to be way cheaper and 3. she has no idea what to do in a dental hospital. Haha. And oh, on that same day we had a level-wide singing competition. This was the song my class chose:
Naengmyeon is cold noodles which is eaten in ... winter. O.O Anyway, our class came in third, out of 21 classes! Quite an achievement, if you ask me. The crowd obviously enjoyed our performance coz they were all cheering very wildly for us. I feel like a KPop star! :P
That's another beautiful memory to keep. :)
Back to my dental adventures. So with my left jaw hurting like crazy and all swollen, I took to the stage and performed. Right after that I went to the students' health centre and had my tooth examined. The dentist was a kind lady in her 40s who could speak English but chose to speak Korean to me so once again I had the chance to reuse words like 사랑니* (wisdom tooth) and 뽑 (to extract). If I understood her rapid-fire Korean accurately, she said my tooth was still too deeply embedded and extraction would mean having to cut through the gum, which she doesn't think is a good thing to do for now. So she made a phone call to someone, explaining my situation (I understood about 60% of her conversation and thus knew she was talking about me), then sent me home with some meds and told me to go back to see her on Monday.
*the "사랑" in 사랑니 means "love". WHERE IS THE LOVE??!! Hurhurhur... Koreans, you guys have a wicked sense of black humour.
So I've been stuck at home since Friday afternoon just chilling, writing my diary, watching Japanese folktales (super up my alley). My tooth's ok if I take my medication, but once the effect wears off the pain comes back. My jaw's still swollen though, and I'm making this sound worse than it really is. I thought I would be reduced to a whimpering invalid who can only imbibe liquids, but it can't be further from the truth. I'm really living it up here ... :P
I guess there's nothing much for me to do now except to really cherish every moment spent here.
I'm struggling so hard. Half my mind is filled with vicious, bitter and selfish thoughts. The other half tells me life is not a dream and I should just go back to Singapore. But I'm so unwilling it's painful. I'm so afraid that I'll end up regretting not doing this and feeling super bitter towards Singapore and everything there. I know for sure that once I go back to Singapore, I'll never ever have this luxury of just concentrating on studying.
Anyway, in my diary a few days ago, I wrote about my growing love towards the Korean language:
My teacher responded with this: "I'm thankful too. You're truly a splendid student." Her comment made my day. :)
And oh, I went for a haircut about a week ago. "Haircut" is stretching it a bit far since all I did was to have it trimmed. Haha. And I think I emphasized the "just a bit" part too much, because the hairstylist really snipped off 1 cm!!! Not exactly what I had in mind actually, hahaha. She couldn't speak much English so once again I was blissfully forced into speaking Korean. Being the kiasu Singaporean I am, I actually checked the dictionary for words like "to trim", "fringe" etc. :P
Same thing happened when my wisdom tooth popped out. I wanted to ask my teacher if I should head to the dental hospital directly, and so I searched for the Korean equivalents of "wisdom tooth/teeth" (plurals are not important in Korean grammar), "to extract (teeth)" and "dentist". So when I finally had the chance to ask my teacher, this was my question:
"선생님, 저는 제 사랑니가 나와서 아파요. 건강센터에 가야 되거나 바로 치과 병원에 뽑으러 가야돼요?"
(Teacher, I'm in pain because my wisdom tooth has erupted. Should I go to the students' health centre (heavily subsidised student health care system) or should I go straight to the dental hospital to have it extracted?"
It's wonderful being able to communicate one's desires. Sigh.
Anyway she suggested that I go to the students' health centre because 1. wisdom teeth extraction is not covered by any kind of insurance in Korea, 2. it's going to be way cheaper and 3. she has no idea what to do in a dental hospital. Haha. And oh, on that same day we had a level-wide singing competition. This was the song my class chose:
Naengmyeon is cold noodles which is eaten in ... winter. O.O Anyway, our class came in third, out of 21 classes! Quite an achievement, if you ask me. The crowd obviously enjoyed our performance coz they were all cheering very wildly for us. I feel like a KPop star! :P
That's another beautiful memory to keep. :)
Back to my dental adventures. So with my left jaw hurting like crazy and all swollen, I took to the stage and performed. Right after that I went to the students' health centre and had my tooth examined. The dentist was a kind lady in her 40s who could speak English but chose to speak Korean to me so once again I had the chance to reuse words like 사랑니* (wisdom tooth) and 뽑 (to extract). If I understood her rapid-fire Korean accurately, she said my tooth was still too deeply embedded and extraction would mean having to cut through the gum, which she doesn't think is a good thing to do for now. So she made a phone call to someone, explaining my situation (I understood about 60% of her conversation and thus knew she was talking about me), then sent me home with some meds and told me to go back to see her on Monday.
*the "사랑" in 사랑니 means "love". WHERE IS THE LOVE??!! Hurhurhur... Koreans, you guys have a wicked sense of black humour.
So I've been stuck at home since Friday afternoon just chilling, writing my diary, watching Japanese folktales (super up my alley). My tooth's ok if I take my medication, but once the effect wears off the pain comes back. My jaw's still swollen though, and I'm making this sound worse than it really is. I thought I would be reduced to a whimpering invalid who can only imbibe liquids, but it can't be further from the truth. I'm really living it up here ... :P
I guess there's nothing much for me to do now except to really cherish every moment spent here.
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
i'm sorry
... that I don't update this as often as I originally set out to. The main reason's my studies, but laziness plays a huge part too. :X
It's Week 8 now and I have about 3 weeks left in Seoul. It's scary how time flies - every day I wonder where the time has gone. The quick passage of time is made more apparent by how much I realise I've improved in the language, and while I'm glad I'm improving quickly, I'm really sad that this journey's coming to an end for me.
I remember very distinctly my first week in school. I was the only new kid on the block (or rather, in my class) and I had no idea what was going on. Whatever the teacher said, I would look at my classmates and mimic them because I understood nothing at all. It was pretty much the same feeling I got when I was learning Korean in Singapore - not knowing what was going on half the time and wishing time would pass faster so class would end for me. Not a very positive sign of learning, eh?
But in a matter of weeks I saw myself improving so much it was unbelievable. I think the daily diary writing helps A LOT and I strongly, strongly recommend this to anyone who, like me, learns via reading and writing best. Just by writing daily I was improving in ALL 4 skills. Then again, if I were to write with no one correcting my mistakes, I would just be making the same old errors again and again and worse, implanting them deep in my head. My teacher has done such a marvellous job patiently correcting my errors that I know I wouldn't have improved this much without her help. :)
I'm so reluctant to leave my studies behind. I know I started off planning this as more of a personal break but I'm enjoying myself SO MUCH I really don't want to stop what I've just started. It just seems such a great pity to me. Had I known I would be in this state of mind I think I wouldn't even have wanted to start, at all. :(
***
So I went for hapkido class last Sunday.
It was an intro class, so it's not like I'm seriously picking up hapkido. My classmate who does taekwondo invited me and another classmate, and I thought it would be a shame to pass up on this chance to try something new and yet so Korean. I knew it would be painful and difficult but I never realised how dfficult it really is. Add my poor psycho-motor skills into the equation (which already includes a terribly unfit person) and you get what I'm experiencing now: bruises all over my body and a pain in my thighs that makes walking so difficult my classmates ask what happened to me!
But I like hapkido. It makes a lot of sense to me and I like that the philosophy behind it is to cause just enough pain to deter, but never to injure. It's a very graceful sport, and IMO a very useful one too, in terms of fitness and self-defence. I can understand the logic behind every step but I just couldn't execute them well hahaha. I think, if I were to ever pick up a martial art for real, I really need to start from the absolute beginning and that is to condition my body well enough for even the most basic of steps!
As I observed the other participants executing the steps, I couldn't help but notice and envy how some people pick it up with seemingly zero effort at all. There was this guy who, to my utter amazement, did every step perfectly, and for the first time too, while clumsy me took forever and couldn't even get a simple arm lock done well. And an arm lock is really simple (to understand in theory, at least for me), but near impossible to do well in real life for me. Less than an hour later I started looking at the clock and wishing time would just pass faster so I could be released from my agony. Don't get me wrong - hapkido IS fun but for a clumsy person like me, well ... it was really, really, really difficult. :(
On my way home I thought about these 2 things that I'm learning: Korean and hapkido. One comes to me naturally and the other comes to me via lots of hard work, tears and sweat, I suppose. I feel so blessed that what comes to me naturally is also what I love with a deep passion. On the other hand, I really feel for those who just can't get language because like them, I can't get hapkido. And it's not even for lack of trying - if a person fails because he didn't try hard enough, then there's really nothing much to say about it but for a person who, despite his best efforts, can't do well (I know of at least 2 friends in school who are like this), my heart goes out to them. To tell them to "try harder" just doesn't cut it, because they already try so hard. What else can I do, then?
I think of this because in my line of work I also come across many students who are just not linguistically inclined. With students like that I'm careful not to say frivolous yet loaded words like, "It's so easy," or "Why can't you do this?" Well, at least to those who already have tried very hard but yield no results. Do you continue encouraging them to go along the same (futile) route, or do you encourage them to instead find their true passion?
As for those who do no work at all, I have something else to say to them. >:(
I'm rambling. Time to sleep. :) There's school tomorrow, joy!!!
It's Week 8 now and I have about 3 weeks left in Seoul. It's scary how time flies - every day I wonder where the time has gone. The quick passage of time is made more apparent by how much I realise I've improved in the language, and while I'm glad I'm improving quickly, I'm really sad that this journey's coming to an end for me.
I remember very distinctly my first week in school. I was the only new kid on the block (or rather, in my class) and I had no idea what was going on. Whatever the teacher said, I would look at my classmates and mimic them because I understood nothing at all. It was pretty much the same feeling I got when I was learning Korean in Singapore - not knowing what was going on half the time and wishing time would pass faster so class would end for me. Not a very positive sign of learning, eh?
But in a matter of weeks I saw myself improving so much it was unbelievable. I think the daily diary writing helps A LOT and I strongly, strongly recommend this to anyone who, like me, learns via reading and writing best. Just by writing daily I was improving in ALL 4 skills. Then again, if I were to write with no one correcting my mistakes, I would just be making the same old errors again and again and worse, implanting them deep in my head. My teacher has done such a marvellous job patiently correcting my errors that I know I wouldn't have improved this much without her help. :)
I'm so reluctant to leave my studies behind. I know I started off planning this as more of a personal break but I'm enjoying myself SO MUCH I really don't want to stop what I've just started. It just seems such a great pity to me. Had I known I would be in this state of mind I think I wouldn't even have wanted to start, at all. :(
***
So I went for hapkido class last Sunday.
It was an intro class, so it's not like I'm seriously picking up hapkido. My classmate who does taekwondo invited me and another classmate, and I thought it would be a shame to pass up on this chance to try something new and yet so Korean. I knew it would be painful and difficult but I never realised how dfficult it really is. Add my poor psycho-motor skills into the equation (which already includes a terribly unfit person) and you get what I'm experiencing now: bruises all over my body and a pain in my thighs that makes walking so difficult my classmates ask what happened to me!
But I like hapkido. It makes a lot of sense to me and I like that the philosophy behind it is to cause just enough pain to deter, but never to injure. It's a very graceful sport, and IMO a very useful one too, in terms of fitness and self-defence. I can understand the logic behind every step but I just couldn't execute them well hahaha. I think, if I were to ever pick up a martial art for real, I really need to start from the absolute beginning and that is to condition my body well enough for even the most basic of steps!
As I observed the other participants executing the steps, I couldn't help but notice and envy how some people pick it up with seemingly zero effort at all. There was this guy who, to my utter amazement, did every step perfectly, and for the first time too, while clumsy me took forever and couldn't even get a simple arm lock done well. And an arm lock is really simple (to understand in theory, at least for me), but near impossible to do well in real life for me. Less than an hour later I started looking at the clock and wishing time would just pass faster so I could be released from my agony. Don't get me wrong - hapkido IS fun but for a clumsy person like me, well ... it was really, really, really difficult. :(
On my way home I thought about these 2 things that I'm learning: Korean and hapkido. One comes to me naturally and the other comes to me via lots of hard work, tears and sweat, I suppose. I feel so blessed that what comes to me naturally is also what I love with a deep passion. On the other hand, I really feel for those who just can't get language because like them, I can't get hapkido. And it's not even for lack of trying - if a person fails because he didn't try hard enough, then there's really nothing much to say about it but for a person who, despite his best efforts, can't do well (I know of at least 2 friends in school who are like this), my heart goes out to them. To tell them to "try harder" just doesn't cut it, because they already try so hard. What else can I do, then?
I think of this because in my line of work I also come across many students who are just not linguistically inclined. With students like that I'm careful not to say frivolous yet loaded words like, "It's so easy," or "Why can't you do this?" Well, at least to those who already have tried very hard but yield no results. Do you continue encouraging them to go along the same (futile) route, or do you encourage them to instead find their true passion?
As for those who do no work at all, I have something else to say to them. >:(
I'm rambling. Time to sleep. :) There's school tomorrow, joy!!!
Friday, July 26, 2013
중간 시험 (Mid-term exams)
이번 중간 시험은 제가 정말 잘 봤습니다...!
(I did really well in the mid-term exams!)
I received my results today. I wasn't expecting to fail, but I wasn't expecting to do this well either:
Thank God, and I really have to thank my teacher too, who, I think, has been too kind and generous to me.
The exams were held over 2 days. On the first day I took the speaking and reading exams, and the rest on the second day. I honestly thought my speaking was a complete, utter, dismal failure. In class I could speak with a reasonable level of confidence, but during the exam I was a wreck. I dropped/mixed up all the Korean particles (e.g. subject/object/topic markers - bane of my life, prepositions etc) and at one point in time my teacher stopped to say this to me:
"Linda, particles are Level 1 grammar."
I sat there, stunned beyond words. Not a good thing to happen during a speaking exam!
After the speaking test, I sat by myself in the auditorium and reflected. Results aside, it dawned upon me just how woefully lacking I am in my proficiency. Again, I'm all okay in class, but throw me into the real world and I'm LOST. I know all my grammar stuff, I know all the vocab I need to know at my level, but I can't speak. It's a fact, and a fact that I can't hide from.
I felt really, really bad. I felt I had let my teacher down. I felt I had let myself down too.
The reading exam was ... easy. O.O Deceptively easy, because while I understood everything, I made minor mistakes in places that cost me marks.
After the exam I went home and immediately sat down to write in my diary. For the first time in a long while I didn't need to think too long about what to write; I had a topic, and it was about my reflections. So I wrote for about 2 hours. I wrote about how I realise my inadequacy in the language and how being good in class won't always translate to confidence in the real world. It took me a long time to check the dictionaries* but I finally penned down all my thoughts. I ended with this:
"I still enjoy learning Korean and I wish to continue enjoying my time here learning Korean."
* paper dictionary, phone app dictionary, Naver online dictionary, Google translate LOL
It was cathartic. I felt a lot better after doing it and I think being a perfectionist isn't good at times like this. It's no secret to anyone who sees the way I study ... I aim for perfection and excellence, because I believe it is worth every ounce of my effort to do this well. But maybe I was going overboard ahaha.
The next day, I did my writing exam which was again, deceptively easy. The writing exam is split into 2 parts: grammar and essay. The essay was worth 10 points out of 100 ... what?! LOL. Then came the reading aloud exam which I did pretty well in because I practised reading almost the entire night before (nerd alert) and the listening exam wasn't impossible but I knew there was a trap somewhere. Sneaky Korean!!!
After my exam I went for the school worship service and the bible study, both of which are conducted in Korean. The service was still manageable but the bible study ... my goodness, I was SO lost because I believe the language in the Bible is different from daily conversational Korean (which I already have problems with). And true enough, an extremely honorific (and dated) form of Korean is used, and it is not dissimilar to the Korean you hear in period dramas. Everyone was very nice and kind to me in the study group though. There was a teacher who tried to translate for me but she had to leave for class halfway, and then a Korean girl who speaks super good English took over the job. An American guy who speaks perfect Korean also tried to help me by telling me the references in English. But again, it was a reminder of how lacking I am. Anyway, after worship I had dinner with my friends from Hongkong and the Netherlands. We had Korean-style chicken, makkoli and ice cream. Haha.
And today we got our results.
My teacher was very nice when she analysed my speaking with me. As expected, she docked marks for my poor use of particles, but otherwise she thought I did well because I attempted (to a degree of success) a range of grammar and vocabulary taught in class. But I guess the most important reason why I did well was because I understood all her questions and even though I answered falteringly, I didn't need her to repeat her questions or translate them into English for me, because each time she had to do that she would take 50% off the score for that question!
So that was a really pleasant surprise! I didn't expect to do so well for speaking at all, (BTW she gave me an additional 1 mark after reviewing my speaking) but I know she was being really generous.
And that marks the end of the first half of the course. :)
(I did really well in the mid-term exams!)
I received my results today. I wasn't expecting to fail, but I wasn't expecting to do this well either:
Thank God, and I really have to thank my teacher too, who, I think, has been too kind and generous to me.
The exams were held over 2 days. On the first day I took the speaking and reading exams, and the rest on the second day. I honestly thought my speaking was a complete, utter, dismal failure. In class I could speak with a reasonable level of confidence, but during the exam I was a wreck. I dropped/mixed up all the Korean particles (e.g. subject/object/topic markers - bane of my life, prepositions etc) and at one point in time my teacher stopped to say this to me:
"Linda, particles are Level 1 grammar."
I sat there, stunned beyond words. Not a good thing to happen during a speaking exam!
After the speaking test, I sat by myself in the auditorium and reflected. Results aside, it dawned upon me just how woefully lacking I am in my proficiency. Again, I'm all okay in class, but throw me into the real world and I'm LOST. I know all my grammar stuff, I know all the vocab I need to know at my level, but I can't speak. It's a fact, and a fact that I can't hide from.
I felt really, really bad. I felt I had let my teacher down. I felt I had let myself down too.
The reading exam was ... easy. O.O Deceptively easy, because while I understood everything, I made minor mistakes in places that cost me marks.
After the exam I went home and immediately sat down to write in my diary. For the first time in a long while I didn't need to think too long about what to write; I had a topic, and it was about my reflections. So I wrote for about 2 hours. I wrote about how I realise my inadequacy in the language and how being good in class won't always translate to confidence in the real world. It took me a long time to check the dictionaries* but I finally penned down all my thoughts. I ended with this:
"I still enjoy learning Korean and I wish to continue enjoying my time here learning Korean."
* paper dictionary, phone app dictionary, Naver online dictionary, Google translate LOL
It was cathartic. I felt a lot better after doing it and I think being a perfectionist isn't good at times like this. It's no secret to anyone who sees the way I study ... I aim for perfection and excellence, because I believe it is worth every ounce of my effort to do this well. But maybe I was going overboard ahaha.
The next day, I did my writing exam which was again, deceptively easy. The writing exam is split into 2 parts: grammar and essay. The essay was worth 10 points out of 100 ... what?! LOL. Then came the reading aloud exam which I did pretty well in because I practised reading almost the entire night before (nerd alert) and the listening exam wasn't impossible but I knew there was a trap somewhere. Sneaky Korean!!!
After my exam I went for the school worship service and the bible study, both of which are conducted in Korean. The service was still manageable but the bible study ... my goodness, I was SO lost because I believe the language in the Bible is different from daily conversational Korean (which I already have problems with). And true enough, an extremely honorific (and dated) form of Korean is used, and it is not dissimilar to the Korean you hear in period dramas. Everyone was very nice and kind to me in the study group though. There was a teacher who tried to translate for me but she had to leave for class halfway, and then a Korean girl who speaks super good English took over the job. An American guy who speaks perfect Korean also tried to help me by telling me the references in English. But again, it was a reminder of how lacking I am. Anyway, after worship I had dinner with my friends from Hongkong and the Netherlands. We had Korean-style chicken, makkoli and ice cream. Haha.
And today we got our results.
My teacher was very nice when she analysed my speaking with me. As expected, she docked marks for my poor use of particles, but otherwise she thought I did well because I attempted (to a degree of success) a range of grammar and vocabulary taught in class. But I guess the most important reason why I did well was because I understood all her questions and even though I answered falteringly, I didn't need her to repeat her questions or translate them into English for me, because each time she had to do that she would take 50% off the score for that question!
So that was a really pleasant surprise! I didn't expect to do so well for speaking at all, (BTW she gave me an additional 1 mark after reviewing my speaking) but I know she was being really generous.
And that marks the end of the first half of the course. :)
Monday, July 22, 2013
with "power" comes responsibility
It's a rare day that I'm at home at this time (2.35 p.m.)!
By that I mean that I normally study with my friends after school these days. Coz coffee (the cafe kind) is really expensive (5900 won for a cup, which is SG$6.70, and this is a normal Korean cafe chain - not even Starbucks!), most of the time my friends and I study at the basement lounge in one of the dormitories. Once in a while we treat ourselves to some gourmet Korean coffee haha. CoffeeSmith has become my favourite cafe to study in because the place is spacious, plays good music at an appropriate volume (by that I mean that I can speak in Korean comfortably without being conscious that native Koreans can hear me ahaha and that my friends could still hear me without having to crane their necks too much) and has a really nice and warm atmosphere.
And today I am home because our mid-term exams begin tomorrow and we thought it would be good to take a break, review early and sleep early. I'm second in line for the speaking test so I'd better sleep early too.
About the title, I'm doing well in school. In fact ... objectively speaking, I'm doing very well indeed. First of all, I myself am surprised at how fast I am improving. Being here REALLY helps loads, and thanks to my teacher who painstakingly marks my diary entries every day, I'm learning loads from my mistakes. Secondly, even my classmates have noticed my improvement. And finally, I really do work very hard, and I believe that I'm also using appropriate study strategies that further boost my learning ability.
Because I am doing well, I feel I have a bigger duty to be a responsible student before my teachers and my classmates. I feel I have to work even harder to prove that what I've achieved so far isn't a fluke - it came by hard work, sheer hard work. And not just that, a bigger part of me knows that I can never (and for that matter I can never imagine myself as someone like this -) be a selfish student. What I have, and what I know - I am responsible to share it. Because I am a student.
Don't get me wrong. I feel zero pressure from bearing this responsibility, and I don't feel it's a chore to share. In fact, I am completely happy to do both. :) Yesterday, I was helping my friends with some Korean grammar and I felt so ... happy. I've always loved teaching and helping people understand concepts. It was fun, and on top of that teaching them means that subconsciously I get to consolidate and reinforce what I've learnt. It's a win-win situation.
Teaching, and studying. Both at the same time. I can't even begin to express how incredibly blessed I have been.
By that I mean that I normally study with my friends after school these days. Coz coffee (the cafe kind) is really expensive (5900 won for a cup, which is SG$6.70, and this is a normal Korean cafe chain - not even Starbucks!), most of the time my friends and I study at the basement lounge in one of the dormitories. Once in a while we treat ourselves to some gourmet Korean coffee haha. CoffeeSmith has become my favourite cafe to study in because the place is spacious, plays good music at an appropriate volume (by that I mean that I can speak in Korean comfortably without being conscious that native Koreans can hear me ahaha and that my friends could still hear me without having to crane their necks too much) and has a really nice and warm atmosphere.
And today I am home because our mid-term exams begin tomorrow and we thought it would be good to take a break, review early and sleep early. I'm second in line for the speaking test so I'd better sleep early too.
About the title, I'm doing well in school. In fact ... objectively speaking, I'm doing very well indeed. First of all, I myself am surprised at how fast I am improving. Being here REALLY helps loads, and thanks to my teacher who painstakingly marks my diary entries every day, I'm learning loads from my mistakes. Secondly, even my classmates have noticed my improvement. And finally, I really do work very hard, and I believe that I'm also using appropriate study strategies that further boost my learning ability.
Because I am doing well, I feel I have a bigger duty to be a responsible student before my teachers and my classmates. I feel I have to work even harder to prove that what I've achieved so far isn't a fluke - it came by hard work, sheer hard work. And not just that, a bigger part of me knows that I can never (and for that matter I can never imagine myself as someone like this -) be a selfish student. What I have, and what I know - I am responsible to share it. Because I am a student.
Don't get me wrong. I feel zero pressure from bearing this responsibility, and I don't feel it's a chore to share. In fact, I am completely happy to do both. :) Yesterday, I was helping my friends with some Korean grammar and I felt so ... happy. I've always loved teaching and helping people understand concepts. It was fun, and on top of that teaching them means that subconsciously I get to consolidate and reinforce what I've learnt. It's a win-win situation.
Teaching, and studying. Both at the same time. I can't even begin to express how incredibly blessed I have been.
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
i can't believe it
It's ridiculous (no other word to express this) how much I enjoy studying Korean.
Sunday, July 7, 2013
so i've been here 3 weeks ...
Haven't had the time to update because I've been really busy. With studies, mainly, and also going out with people. Haha.
I'm doing well here. My studies are a joy and I really look forward to school every day. And every day, I write a diary entry in Korean and it really, really, really helps my writing to improve. Speaking-wise I think I'm improving too, albeit slowly. In short ... everything's peachy on the studies front.
Living-wise ... it's ok. I lead a very mundane lifestyle in this exciting city, believe it or not. A typical day after school is lunch at home, then homework for a while until food coma takes over and I nap till dinnertime. After dinner, I continue doing homework and revision, and if I have time I'll look at the next day's work. On a less mundane day I study at a cafe near school with my HK friend, or I meet up with either my host dad or my Korean friend for dinner. Sometimes my classmates ask me out for dinner too. Just 2 days ago we went to eat samgyeopsal near school. Samgyeopsal is fatty pork belly and halal me actually ate quite a bit! Well, not to be rude by not eating but also coz it was rather delicious, like extra fatty bakwa or something. I know a few people who would love this. Haha.
And to make my life here easier, I've also purchased a few items that will make packing for home a tad more difficult than I'd expected:
1. rain boots, and heavy ones too, because the rainy season here is no joke. They were cheap though, haha. I got them from this Forever 21-ish shop called 8 Seconds.
2. an iron ... my goodness. My latest, proudest purchase!
3. a spanking new pot from Lotte Mart coz the 5000-won pot I got from Daiso was utterly ruined by my own hands. Oh well.
Seoul far seoul good! I'm really enjoying myself here, and seriously considering the possibility of completing Level 6 here, which, according to my calculations, would take me just almost a year if I don't "deprove" and continue from Level 3. My parents are supportive and I'm really keen about it, but we'll see.
I'm doing well here. My studies are a joy and I really look forward to school every day. And every day, I write a diary entry in Korean and it really, really, really helps my writing to improve. Speaking-wise I think I'm improving too, albeit slowly. In short ... everything's peachy on the studies front.
Living-wise ... it's ok. I lead a very mundane lifestyle in this exciting city, believe it or not. A typical day after school is lunch at home, then homework for a while until food coma takes over and I nap till dinnertime. After dinner, I continue doing homework and revision, and if I have time I'll look at the next day's work. On a less mundane day I study at a cafe near school with my HK friend, or I meet up with either my host dad or my Korean friend for dinner. Sometimes my classmates ask me out for dinner too. Just 2 days ago we went to eat samgyeopsal near school. Samgyeopsal is fatty pork belly and halal me actually ate quite a bit! Well, not to be rude by not eating but also coz it was rather delicious, like extra fatty bakwa or something. I know a few people who would love this. Haha.
And to make my life here easier, I've also purchased a few items that will make packing for home a tad more difficult than I'd expected:
1. rain boots, and heavy ones too, because the rainy season here is no joke. They were cheap though, haha. I got them from this Forever 21-ish shop called 8 Seconds.
2. an iron ... my goodness. My latest, proudest purchase!
3. a spanking new pot from Lotte Mart coz the 5000-won pot I got from Daiso was utterly ruined by my own hands. Oh well.
Seoul far seoul good! I'm really enjoying myself here, and seriously considering the possibility of completing Level 6 here, which, according to my calculations, would take me just almost a year if I don't "deprove" and continue from Level 3. My parents are supportive and I'm really keen about it, but we'll see.
Monday, July 1, 2013
한국 사람같은 싱가폴 사람
It's Monday again!
I just got home after a day of Korean - meaning I spent the bulk of my day listening to and speaking (bad) Korean. I'll explain again. Now I have to shower, review my work and then sleep. I LOVE BEING HERE!!!!
I just got home after a day of Korean - meaning I spent the bulk of my day listening to and speaking (bad) Korean. I'll explain again. Now I have to shower, review my work and then sleep. I LOVE BEING HERE!!!!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
about coveting
More about my prayer for last night. The thing I covet, is the opportunity to study again.
I really like what I'm studying now. The question is, how far should I indulge myself?
I (and many, I would think) call it an indulgence because I don't need it. It does nothing for my future career. It may do some good to my teaching methodology, but seriously, do I need to spend thousands of dollars to improve the way I teach?
But ... studying Korean makes me so, so, so, so happy. Is my happiness worth this much?
And it's not even about money. It's also about my relationships with everyone back at home. To commit to this doesn't only involve thousands of dollars (and tens of thousands worth of lost income), it also means I put my relationships on the line. Church, family, friends.
I don't know ... seriously. The more I see how studying here is paying off in big ways, and how it makes me so incandescently happy, the more I don't want to leave. All I know for now is to enjoy the moment. In September I'll have to return to Singapore anyway, and I'll definitely miss the Fall term. If I decide to return (for about 2 years to finish the course), the earliest would be January 2014. I have some 4 months to consider carefully.
Please pray along with me.
I really like what I'm studying now. The question is, how far should I indulge myself?
I (and many, I would think) call it an indulgence because I don't need it. It does nothing for my future career. It may do some good to my teaching methodology, but seriously, do I need to spend thousands of dollars to improve the way I teach?
But ... studying Korean makes me so, so, so, so happy. Is my happiness worth this much?
And it's not even about money. It's also about my relationships with everyone back at home. To commit to this doesn't only involve thousands of dollars (and tens of thousands worth of lost income), it also means I put my relationships on the line. Church, family, friends.
I don't know ... seriously. The more I see how studying here is paying off in big ways, and how it makes me so incandescently happy, the more I don't want to leave. All I know for now is to enjoy the moment. In September I'll have to return to Singapore anyway, and I'll definitely miss the Fall term. If I decide to return (for about 2 years to finish the course), the earliest would be January 2014. I have some 4 months to consider carefully.
Please pray along with me.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
some thoughts
If you've read the other page on why I've named this blog whyseoulserious, you'll know that one of my top priorities here is to study Korean. However, the main reason why I decided to leave Singapore for a while was really to take a break from a few things back at home, and work was one of them.
It is therefore a refreshing experience to be sitting at the other side of the classroom in a language class. There is still pressure, but the pressure is different. I am free to make mistakes. I'm not expected to know everything, and the best part is the attention is never only on me for extended periods of time. I guess that's part of the reason why I experienced burnout - the constant interaction with people day in and day out was just slowly wearing me out and denying me that chance to recharge my social battery.
Anyway, I daresay I can understand the struggles my teachers (I have 2) have. I used to teach students whose tongue I don't speak, and when they spoke conspiratorially in an unknown language to each other, it was ... disturbing. Yesterday, I experienced it myself, but as a student. Without going into detail, one of my classmates made a subtle jibe in English at a comment made by my teacher which she thought was myopic and narrow-minded, and some other classmates snickered along.
I'm sure my classmates weren't trying to be mean. But when I stole a glance at my teacher, her expression told me everything. It was so familiar, that helpless and forlorn expression. I'm positive she must have felt awkward and disturbed when her students suddenly broke out into English (a language she doesn't know well) and then started laughing, because her face went blank for a while and she abruptly changed the topic. I don't blame her. I would probably have done the same.
The thing is ... many students neglect the fact that teachers are also human. Teachers have feelings too, and teachers don't know everything. Having taught before, I think I know what they want, and I'm so not going to make my teachers' lives hell. I hope that by being a student here, I can 1) study something I enjoy and also to enjoy being a student, 2) learn more about being a language teacher and finally, 3) encourage my teachers.
:)
***
I've started joining the school's worship service which the teachers join too. Haha. It's entirely in Korean and I totally couldn't follow anything today. Should I join an international congregation? I'm rather half-hearted to do so since I'm in Seoul ... we'll see.
Prayer for today: godliness with contentment is great gain. God, please help me not to covet what others have, but to be truly thankful for the many blessings I already have from you.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
settling in nicely
I'm now rather happily settled into living here. The bus system is no longer such a great mystery to me anymore and buying stuff has also become much simpler once I started to be more courageous in speaking Korean, even bad Korean. The people here (or those that I've met so far) are generally very nice and patient towards me when I fumble, so that really helps in settling in.
Today I left my home at 7.50 a.m. to catch the 7.58 a.m. bus but it came a few minutes earlier so I reached school at ... 8.30 a.m.! Granted, I alighted at the bus stop near the main gate, but that meant I had 30 minutes to enjoy a slow leisurely walk to my department. And enjoy I did. As I walked I ate my breakfast (a banana) and my favourite part of the school campus is this mini forest that I have to cut through to get to my destination. So I was a happy kid.
Class today was okay. After yesterday's intense homework assignments, my brain needed some time to get the engine revving and guess what? I was asked to recite the dialogue learnt from the day before. My mind just went COMPLETELY blank and the teacher made me put my arms above my head. Hahaha. I put them down the moment her head was turned. And since our topic for this week is about phone conversations, she actually made us call the information hotline for Seoul to ask for certain phone numbers, such as that of Lotte department store. Nerve-wrecking, I tell you.
No homework today, but we have to write a daily diary. I wish there were more homework ...
Anyway, after school I'd wanted to walk to Hyundai department store to get some moisturising cream but I was too lazy to lug my books and walk that 5 min. Haha. So I just caught a bus headed for home and I made a mental list of the stuff I had to get, such as:
1. salt
2. pepper
3. potatoes
4. enoki mushrooms
5. moisturiser
6. garlic
I thought I remembered an Aritaum store somewhere near my home, but I figured if I didn't see one I'd just get it another day. It might be the lower humidity that's causing my skin to get a bit too dry these days.
So I was merrily minding my own business on the bus when I saw a wet market and an Aritaum store some 5 bus stops away from my home! Quickly got down, and had probably one of the most enjoyable half hour of my time in Seoul so far. First, I got my moisturiser (yay) and in South Korea, you get heaps of samples when you buy cosmetics / skincare stuff. I didn't get heaps like I had the last time I shopped at Etude House, but the girl probably noticed my very dehydrated skin and she gave me some 6 packets of day moisturiser, taking pains to try to explain what it was used for (she didn't speak English). That's a nice gesture. :)
After that it was market day! I bought potatoes from a halmeoni (grandmother) and enoki mushrooms from an uncle whose assistant (also an uncle) shouted "I love you!" just when I was leaving. Hahaha. The enoki mushrooms were going for 6 at 1000 won, but I didn't want that much, so I asked in Korean,
"세 개 괜찮아요?"
세 is the Korean word for 3, and 개 is the counting unit for general items. I wasn't sure if I could apply the counting unit to food like this, but to my pleasant surprise it was used correctly (later I saw the same word written on the sign for the mushrooms). So I bought 3 packets for 500 won!
I must say it's such a great feeling to be able to communicate my intentions properly and to be able to understand the other party correctly. My time spent at the market was enjoyable because I could actually communicate with people, and in a tongue I've been trying to use well since last year. Am so encouraged by the grandmothers and grandfathers! I shall continue to go to this market for my groceries hahaha.
Caught the same bus back home and at the supermarket I got some salt, pepper and garlic. All set to go! Went home, tried to make the same enoki-egg pancake thing that Omma once taught me, didn't quite succeed but the result wasn't half bad. In fact, if I might say so myself, it was pretty palatable! Quite a sense of achievement, actually, and I can understand how some people can enjoy cooking so much (I personally prefer eating more).
But I still hate the washing up. D:
Had a serious case of food coma after lunch, so I napped and after I woke up I decided to make dinner for tomorrow since I would be coming home late after church service in school. I made mashed potatoes while watching the new season of Galileo hahaha. Maybe I can shape it into patties and fry them ...
In all, it was a good day. :) And now I have to translate all these into Korean for my diary.
Today I left my home at 7.50 a.m. to catch the 7.58 a.m. bus but it came a few minutes earlier so I reached school at ... 8.30 a.m.! Granted, I alighted at the bus stop near the main gate, but that meant I had 30 minutes to enjoy a slow leisurely walk to my department. And enjoy I did. As I walked I ate my breakfast (a banana) and my favourite part of the school campus is this mini forest that I have to cut through to get to my destination. So I was a happy kid.
Class today was okay. After yesterday's intense homework assignments, my brain needed some time to get the engine revving and guess what? I was asked to recite the dialogue learnt from the day before. My mind just went COMPLETELY blank and the teacher made me put my arms above my head. Hahaha. I put them down the moment her head was turned. And since our topic for this week is about phone conversations, she actually made us call the information hotline for Seoul to ask for certain phone numbers, such as that of Lotte department store. Nerve-wrecking, I tell you.
No homework today, but we have to write a daily diary. I wish there were more homework ...
Anyway, after school I'd wanted to walk to Hyundai department store to get some moisturising cream but I was too lazy to lug my books and walk that 5 min. Haha. So I just caught a bus headed for home and I made a mental list of the stuff I had to get, such as:
1. salt
2. pepper
3. potatoes
4. enoki mushrooms
5. moisturiser
6. garlic
I thought I remembered an Aritaum store somewhere near my home, but I figured if I didn't see one I'd just get it another day. It might be the lower humidity that's causing my skin to get a bit too dry these days.
So I was merrily minding my own business on the bus when I saw a wet market and an Aritaum store some 5 bus stops away from my home! Quickly got down, and had probably one of the most enjoyable half hour of my time in Seoul so far. First, I got my moisturiser (yay) and in South Korea, you get heaps of samples when you buy cosmetics / skincare stuff. I didn't get heaps like I had the last time I shopped at Etude House, but the girl probably noticed my very dehydrated skin and she gave me some 6 packets of day moisturiser, taking pains to try to explain what it was used for (she didn't speak English). That's a nice gesture. :)
After that it was market day! I bought potatoes from a halmeoni (grandmother) and enoki mushrooms from an uncle whose assistant (also an uncle) shouted "I love you!" just when I was leaving. Hahaha. The enoki mushrooms were going for 6 at 1000 won, but I didn't want that much, so I asked in Korean,
"세 개 괜찮아요?"
세 is the Korean word for 3, and 개 is the counting unit for general items. I wasn't sure if I could apply the counting unit to food like this, but to my pleasant surprise it was used correctly (later I saw the same word written on the sign for the mushrooms). So I bought 3 packets for 500 won!
I must say it's such a great feeling to be able to communicate my intentions properly and to be able to understand the other party correctly. My time spent at the market was enjoyable because I could actually communicate with people, and in a tongue I've been trying to use well since last year. Am so encouraged by the grandmothers and grandfathers! I shall continue to go to this market for my groceries hahaha.
Caught the same bus back home and at the supermarket I got some salt, pepper and garlic. All set to go! Went home, tried to make the same enoki-egg pancake thing that Omma once taught me, didn't quite succeed but the result wasn't half bad. In fact, if I might say so myself, it was pretty palatable! Quite a sense of achievement, actually, and I can understand how some people can enjoy cooking so much (I personally prefer eating more).
But I still hate the washing up. D:
Had a serious case of food coma after lunch, so I napped and after I woke up I decided to make dinner for tomorrow since I would be coming home late after church service in school. I made mashed potatoes while watching the new season of Galileo hahaha. Maybe I can shape it into patties and fry them ...
In all, it was a good day. :) And now I have to translate all these into Korean for my diary.
Monday, June 24, 2013
my first Sunday and Monday
A few updates:
1. toilet paper and detergent bought (more about this later)
2. got my Korean phone number and a data plan too!
Ok let's talk about Sunday.
So I went to the morning worship service at Yonsei on Sunday. The campus was pretty deserted, so I took the opportunity to walk around a little since I had time (didn't get lost at all!). I didn't take many pictures in the end because I stayed at a single spot for way too long ... make a guess what kind of place that is.
Anyway, let's begin from my place. This is how the street just outside my apartment looks like:
This is to the left. And to the right, which is where I always walk to in order to get to my bus stop:
At night it can get a little scary so I make it a point to never go home after 8pm.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the main gate to one of the most prestigious universities in the whole of South Korea:
Unfortunately I can't claim that I was from "one of the most prestigious universities in the whole of South Korea" because I'm only doing a language course here. :X
But I digress. I walked in the same main gate and soon to my right something caught my eye:
A TRADITIONAL GATE????
AND WHAT'S THAT BEHIND?!
TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS! Ladies and gentlemen, this was where I tarried for a long, long, long, long time. Looks like a visit to my favourite place in Seoul (that's the Gyeongbok palace by the way) is much needed.
Random shot of pretty daisies.
The service itself was ok, very Presbyterian though I'm pretty sure the church's non-denominational. No one bothered me and I felt very comfortable there. Singing along to the songs were not a problem coz most of them were hymns and I already know the tunes and of course, reading in hangul. Scripture reading was fine too coz I could follow the verses by listening for key words, but when it came to praying the Lord's prayer in Korean I totally couldn't do it. Maybe I could memorise it ...
After the service, I went home, bought some food from the supermarket and had a quick lunch. Rested a while, and then I headed for my host family's home for dinner.
It was so good to see them again! I can't express how incredibly thankful and humbled I am, to have people who love and care for me like family. It's like this in Myanmar, it's like this in South Korea. Host dad held my hand tightly all the way from the station to the home, and host mum made my favourite Korean dish for me:
SAMGYETANG.
Very, very, very touched. I finished every morsel of it.
***
Today's Monday. Today's also the first day of school.
I won't go into much detail. Basically it was okay and to my relief, following the teacher (who spoke only in Korean) wasn't as difficult as I'd expected. It might have helped that whatever I learnt today I had already learnt in Singapore, so it was more like revision for me. I personally think that my writing and reading skills are much better than my speaking and listening skills, and today proved this very hypothesis. From now on I shall grab every opportunity to speak in Korean!!!! It would be a terrible waste if I did nothing to improve my skills while I'm here.
And oh, I'm the only Asian in my class. My classmates are all angmohs ... D:
Anyway, after class I had coffee with my Korean friend, and then I got a Korean phone number with a data plan. Yay to GPS and Google maps from now on! And uh, Facebook and Kakao and WeChat on the go!
On my way home, I decided to pick up some groceries. I was already carrying 2 bags, one of which was filled with my books, but I thought, heck it, I'm too lazy to come out again. So the Lotte MySuper ajumma and ajeossi looked at me trying valiantly to balance 2 bags, a HUGE bag of toilet rolls (there goes whatever Korean street cred I had) and my groceries. And when I say HUGE, I mean 30-rolls huge:
Looks like someone won't ever find herself in an emergency in the middle of the night.
Came back, unpacked, did some of my homework, made dinner (chicken porridge) and am now taking a break now. I should get back to work ... :D
1. toilet paper and detergent bought (more about this later)
2. got my Korean phone number and a data plan too!
Ok let's talk about Sunday.
So I went to the morning worship service at Yonsei on Sunday. The campus was pretty deserted, so I took the opportunity to walk around a little since I had time (didn't get lost at all!). I didn't take many pictures in the end because I stayed at a single spot for way too long ... make a guess what kind of place that is.
Anyway, let's begin from my place. This is how the street just outside my apartment looks like:
This is to the left. And to the right, which is where I always walk to in order to get to my bus stop:
At night it can get a little scary so I make it a point to never go home after 8pm.
And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the main gate to one of the most prestigious universities in the whole of South Korea:
Unfortunately I can't claim that I was from "one of the most prestigious universities in the whole of South Korea" because I'm only doing a language course here. :X
But I digress. I walked in the same main gate and soon to my right something caught my eye:
A TRADITIONAL GATE????
AND WHAT'S THAT BEHIND?!
TRADITIONAL BUILDINGS! Ladies and gentlemen, this was where I tarried for a long, long, long, long time. Looks like a visit to my favourite place in Seoul (that's the Gyeongbok palace by the way) is much needed.
Random shot of pretty daisies.
The service itself was ok, very Presbyterian though I'm pretty sure the church's non-denominational. No one bothered me and I felt very comfortable there. Singing along to the songs were not a problem coz most of them were hymns and I already know the tunes and of course, reading in hangul. Scripture reading was fine too coz I could follow the verses by listening for key words, but when it came to praying the Lord's prayer in Korean I totally couldn't do it. Maybe I could memorise it ...
After the service, I went home, bought some food from the supermarket and had a quick lunch. Rested a while, and then I headed for my host family's home for dinner.
It was so good to see them again! I can't express how incredibly thankful and humbled I am, to have people who love and care for me like family. It's like this in Myanmar, it's like this in South Korea. Host dad held my hand tightly all the way from the station to the home, and host mum made my favourite Korean dish for me:
SAMGYETANG.
Very, very, very touched. I finished every morsel of it.
***
Today's Monday. Today's also the first day of school.
I won't go into much detail. Basically it was okay and to my relief, following the teacher (who spoke only in Korean) wasn't as difficult as I'd expected. It might have helped that whatever I learnt today I had already learnt in Singapore, so it was more like revision for me. I personally think that my writing and reading skills are much better than my speaking and listening skills, and today proved this very hypothesis. From now on I shall grab every opportunity to speak in Korean!!!! It would be a terrible waste if I did nothing to improve my skills while I'm here.
And oh, I'm the only Asian in my class. My classmates are all angmohs ... D:
Anyway, after class I had coffee with my Korean friend, and then I got a Korean phone number with a data plan. Yay to GPS and Google maps from now on! And uh, Facebook and Kakao and WeChat on the go!
On my way home, I decided to pick up some groceries. I was already carrying 2 bags, one of which was filled with my books, but I thought, heck it, I'm too lazy to come out again. So the Lotte MySuper ajumma and ajeossi looked at me trying valiantly to balance 2 bags, a HUGE bag of toilet rolls (there goes whatever Korean street cred I had) and my groceries. And when I say HUGE, I mean 30-rolls huge:
Looks like someone won't ever find herself in an emergency in the middle of the night.
Came back, unpacked, did some of my homework, made dinner (chicken porridge) and am now taking a break now. I should get back to work ... :D
Saturday, June 22, 2013
every day I am lost
Except today. Because I didn't go out (had to tend to my laundry in case it rained and also coz I was a bit lazy).
But on the other days that I did go out ... man I got so lost it wasn't even funny!
So I had to head to Yonsei University on the 19th for my placement test at 9.30 a.m. I left my home at 7.30 a.m. and reached my school panting and perspiring at 9.30 a.m. (the journey is supposed to only take 30 min). How did this happen?
In a nutshell, I took the wrong bus in the wrong direction. Clearly, 2 wrongs don't make a right. Thankfully I realised my mistake in time and took a cab to school. =.=
SO RELIEVED TO SEE THIS.
Going home wasn't any better; in fact I got super lost trying to find my bus stop. Using whatever limited Korean skills I could muster, I half-asked-half-read my way to the correct bus stop. Then I got down a stop earlier, got lost again, and finally found my way back home.
Total time taken to reach home from Yonsei: 3 hours. (It should only be 30min max!)
And on the 20th I was supposed to meet my Korean friend at Gangbyeon subway station at 3 p.m. because he wanted to take me shopping for all the tech stuff that I need to get connected to the internet. Again, to play safe I left my home at 1.30 p.m. I reached Gangbyeon subway station at 3.20 p.m.
HOW!?
Hehehe. The day before when I had been lost I had spotted Sinchon station and actually had gone in looking for a map. The place had been eerily deserted and completely uncharacteristic of the Korean subway stations that I know. Anyway, I went to this station, tapped in, went down the escalator and this was what greeted me:
O.O
How is this a subway station?! And why was I the only one?!
I sat there waiting for the train to come for about 20 min. In that 20 min I seriously considered the possibility that this wasn't the station I was looking for.
But ... this is obviously Sinchon station!
Finally, I left the place and went out to take a better look. Nearly strangled myself when I saw the words 신촌 기차역 - Sinchon station yes, but Sinchon RAILWAY station. Kill me just kill me.
By then it was 2.30 p.m., so I quickly ran into the nearest convenience store and asked "신촌 지하철역 어떻게 가야 돼요?" (How do I get to Sinchon subway station?) Got the directions, reached my station in one piece, and managed to reach Gangbyeon eventually.
Later I learnt that from this station one could reach North Korea in the past. LOL.
And on the 21st, again I had to go to school for orientation. By then my confidence was on a high, having already lost my way 2 days in a row and actually finding out various ways (and buses) to go home. But I thought I should play safe, and in the end I took the bus that my landlord had told me about: bus 7611. I still remember thinking very smugly to myself: "There's no way I'm going to lose my way today."
I WAS SO WRONG.
Instead of getting down at Sinchon subway station, I naively thought the bus would take me to Yonsei directly and happily sat on the bus till I reached Ahyeon station which is 2 stops away from Sinchon. By then I knew I had overshot and grumbling, I alighted, took the train from Ahyeon to Sinchon, and then RAN to school through the front gate of Yonsei.
Yonsei is a really pretty school but sorry, I was too busy running in the afternoon sun to stop and stare and actually take pictures. Next time ... I promise.
Going home was much better coz my sharp eyes caught the bus 7017 at the bus stop outside Ewha Womans University and I remembered that bus goes to my home, so I took that bus and voila! For the first time in 3 days I actually reached my destination as intended!
***
Tomorrow I'm going to attend a Korean/Engligh service in Yonsei, which is a mission school. Decided to go there because I figure the dual-language service could help me in my Korean listening skills, and at the same time I could still understand what's going on. Service's at 11 a.m., so guess what time I'll be leaving my place?
9.30 a.m. :)
Maybe I can also take pictures ... IF I don't lose my way again ...
But on the other days that I did go out ... man I got so lost it wasn't even funny!
So I had to head to Yonsei University on the 19th for my placement test at 9.30 a.m. I left my home at 7.30 a.m. and reached my school panting and perspiring at 9.30 a.m. (the journey is supposed to only take 30 min). How did this happen?
In a nutshell, I took the wrong bus in the wrong direction. Clearly, 2 wrongs don't make a right. Thankfully I realised my mistake in time and took a cab to school. =.=
Going home wasn't any better; in fact I got super lost trying to find my bus stop. Using whatever limited Korean skills I could muster, I half-asked-half-read my way to the correct bus stop. Then I got down a stop earlier, got lost again, and finally found my way back home.
Total time taken to reach home from Yonsei: 3 hours. (It should only be 30min max!)
And on the 20th I was supposed to meet my Korean friend at Gangbyeon subway station at 3 p.m. because he wanted to take me shopping for all the tech stuff that I need to get connected to the internet. Again, to play safe I left my home at 1.30 p.m. I reached Gangbyeon subway station at 3.20 p.m.
HOW!?
Hehehe. The day before when I had been lost I had spotted Sinchon station and actually had gone in looking for a map. The place had been eerily deserted and completely uncharacteristic of the Korean subway stations that I know. Anyway, I went to this station, tapped in, went down the escalator and this was what greeted me:
O.O
How is this a subway station?! And why was I the only one?!
I sat there waiting for the train to come for about 20 min. In that 20 min I seriously considered the possibility that this wasn't the station I was looking for.
But ... this is obviously Sinchon station!
Finally, I left the place and went out to take a better look. Nearly strangled myself when I saw the words 신촌 기차역 - Sinchon station yes, but Sinchon RAILWAY station. Kill me just kill me.
By then it was 2.30 p.m., so I quickly ran into the nearest convenience store and asked "신촌 지하철역 어떻게 가야 돼요?" (How do I get to Sinchon subway station?) Got the directions, reached my station in one piece, and managed to reach Gangbyeon eventually.
Later I learnt that from this station one could reach North Korea in the past. LOL.
And on the 21st, again I had to go to school for orientation. By then my confidence was on a high, having already lost my way 2 days in a row and actually finding out various ways (and buses) to go home. But I thought I should play safe, and in the end I took the bus that my landlord had told me about: bus 7611. I still remember thinking very smugly to myself: "There's no way I'm going to lose my way today."
I WAS SO WRONG.
Instead of getting down at Sinchon subway station, I naively thought the bus would take me to Yonsei directly and happily sat on the bus till I reached Ahyeon station which is 2 stops away from Sinchon. By then I knew I had overshot and grumbling, I alighted, took the train from Ahyeon to Sinchon, and then RAN to school through the front gate of Yonsei.
Yonsei is a really pretty school but sorry, I was too busy running in the afternoon sun to stop and stare and actually take pictures. Next time ... I promise.
Going home was much better coz my sharp eyes caught the bus 7017 at the bus stop outside Ewha Womans University and I remembered that bus goes to my home, so I took that bus and voila! For the first time in 3 days I actually reached my destination as intended!
***
Tomorrow I'm going to attend a Korean/Engligh service in Yonsei, which is a mission school. Decided to go there because I figure the dual-language service could help me in my Korean listening skills, and at the same time I could still understand what's going on. Service's at 11 a.m., so guess what time I'll be leaving my place?
9.30 a.m. :)
Maybe I can also take pictures ... IF I don't lose my way again ...
My room
I stay in a studio apartment, which means theoretically I have practically everything I need to survive without having to leave my room.
That's in theory. In real life, I go downstairs to the water dispenser for water and to the roof to dry my laundry. Other than that, yeah, I pretty much can huddle in my room in comfort.
Let me show you how my room looks like!
First, when I open my door I'm greeted with this sight:
That's a really cool travel clothesline that I bought from Loft in Kyoto. I've always wanted a travel clothesline. :X Why is it cool? Please look carefully at the blue thing on the right - it's an INFLATABLE hanger!!! And this clothesline comes with cute pegs! Ok let's move on. That's my trash at the bottom right ... I'm not required to sort my trash (thought I would be) so everything goes in here. I empty my trash every 2 days or so, depending on the amount of food waste I generate.
The moment I step in, I take off my shoes and change into comfy bedroom slippers:
I got this pair from the hotel in Shin-Osaka. Hey, they explicitly said the slippers are for me to bring home (I have another pair in my luggage)!
Ok, and to my immediate left is the toilet & shower:
A WASHING MACHINE. Haha. And above it, my wardrobe which contains all my unmentionables. Next to it, a super-mini pantry. That's a hot plate and I believe you can also see the handle of a pot that I acquired from Daiso yesterday at 5000 won (SG$5.50). I figure a 5000 won-pot can last me 10 weeks here. Above the hot plate is where I store my food and tea, and below it, a fridge. Hiding in the gap between the washing machine and the fridge is the detergent provided by my landlord, but it's running out really soon so I'm gonna get some tomorrow ... if I remember.
TO GET:
1. toilet paper
2. detergent
Ok let's continue. Let me show you my bed ...
This is probably where I store most of my stuff. The 3 cabinets above me are full of stuff (mostly books and stationery) and below it is where I put my laptop and all the messy cables. Not sure if you can see it, but I have the origami Totoro and a nanoblock koala to the left of my laptop. I made the nanoblock koala on my 2nd day when I was super lonely. :( The table where you see my Nalgene (containing matcha) and my books is actually collapsible, but I only collapse it when I need to clean the room or when I jump rope (oh yes people, I actually exercise here). Can you see my polka dot luggage under the table? When I collapse the table it covers the space occupied by the luggage so ... I don't actually clean that area. :X
So that's it! My room is really small, comparable to my hostel in NUS, but I'm very comfortable here. Next time I shall post pictures of my neighbourhood and the roof where I sometimes try to catch the sunset while I hang my laundry.
That's in theory. In real life, I go downstairs to the water dispenser for water and to the roof to dry my laundry. Other than that, yeah, I pretty much can huddle in my room in comfort.
Let me show you how my room looks like!
First, when I open my door I'm greeted with this sight:
That's a really cool travel clothesline that I bought from Loft in Kyoto. I've always wanted a travel clothesline. :X Why is it cool? Please look carefully at the blue thing on the right - it's an INFLATABLE hanger!!! And this clothesline comes with cute pegs! Ok let's move on. That's my trash at the bottom right ... I'm not required to sort my trash (thought I would be) so everything goes in here. I empty my trash every 2 days or so, depending on the amount of food waste I generate.
The moment I step in, I take off my shoes and change into comfy bedroom slippers:
I got this pair from the hotel in Shin-Osaka. Hey, they explicitly said the slippers are for me to bring home (I have another pair in my luggage)!
Ok, and to my immediate left is the toilet & shower:
As you can see, I'm running out of toilet paper but I keep forgetting to get more. Those are my shower gel, shampoo and ... dishwashing liquid on the floor.
And next to the toilet is my favourite part of my room:
A WASHING MACHINE. Haha. And above it, my wardrobe which contains all my unmentionables. Next to it, a super-mini pantry. That's a hot plate and I believe you can also see the handle of a pot that I acquired from Daiso yesterday at 5000 won (SG$5.50). I figure a 5000 won-pot can last me 10 weeks here. Above the hot plate is where I store my food and tea, and below it, a fridge. Hiding in the gap between the washing machine and the fridge is the detergent provided by my landlord, but it's running out really soon so I'm gonna get some tomorrow ... if I remember.
TO GET:
1. toilet paper
2. detergent
Ok let's continue. Let me show you my bed ...
That's the window, and I took this picture at about 7.50 p.m. It's 8 p.m. now but there's still light - it kinda looks like our 6.30 p.m. in Singapore. I guess in summer the days are longer. When I look out of my window (which I do often), I see school kids on weekdays coz my home is next to a middle school, and right smack in between 2 universities.
And oh, do you spot my handphone charger on my bed next to the window? That spot is what I call the "Wifi sweet spot" - for those of you who do not know, I don't have Wifi in my room, so in order to use the applications on my phone, I have to resort to stealing street Wifi which is weak and unstable. But hey, beggars can't be choosers, eh? This street Wifi saved my sanity when I first arrived and couldn't get any internet at all.
Now, for the study part of my room:
This is probably where I store most of my stuff. The 3 cabinets above me are full of stuff (mostly books and stationery) and below it is where I put my laptop and all the messy cables. Not sure if you can see it, but I have the origami Totoro and a nanoblock koala to the left of my laptop. I made the nanoblock koala on my 2nd day when I was super lonely. :( The table where you see my Nalgene (containing matcha) and my books is actually collapsible, but I only collapse it when I need to clean the room or when I jump rope (oh yes people, I actually exercise here). Can you see my polka dot luggage under the table? When I collapse the table it covers the space occupied by the luggage so ... I don't actually clean that area. :X
So that's it! My room is really small, comparable to my hostel in NUS, but I'm very comfortable here. Next time I shall post pictures of my neighbourhood and the roof where I sometimes try to catch the sunset while I hang my laundry.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
FINALLY MY FRIENDS
The fact that you can read this means I am finally connected
to the great WWW.
“Finally” seems a little … wrong in the most connected part
of the world (that’s South Korea, by the way). Let me start, all the way from
the beginning.
Part 1: The-great-travelling-adventure-that-wasn’t-to-be
I had been super stressed out and daunted by my journey to
my apartment which isn’t any walking distance to any station. Also, I was going
to lug around some 32kg of stuff (distributed over 3 bags) … wasn’t that
confident I could do it. Anyway, I gritted my teeth and did exactly what I was
told to: take the Airport Railway to Hongik University station (3950 won), and
then a cab to my place (7700 won). It was a long cab journey only coz the GPS
gave the driver a super long roundabout way – by the time he (and I too, for
that matter) realised, we were too near our destination to make any drastic
changes. To make a long story short, I arrived at my apartment in one piece,
and it was so much easier than I had thought. -.-
Checked in (long complicated process that I’m too lazy to
write about), and to my horror my landlord told me there was no … WIFI. No WIFI
in Seoul?! He then handed me a LAN cable and asked me to use that instead, but
I showed him my Ethernet-less ultrabook with a helpless expression. Darn. He
had to leave, so I made the quick decision to quickly rush out and look for a
computer accessories shop, get my Ethernet adapter, and live happily ever
after.
Not … so … easy.
Firstly, it was raining. Secondly …
… THERE WAS NO COMPUTER ACCESSORIES SHOP. I walked into a
few places and with my very limited Korean, some English and lotsa gestures, I
tried to convey my intention but no one understood me. Finally, I decided to go
home, a dejected and unconnected person.
I thought then that I could go look for one the next day
after my placement test. Oh, that’s another story in itself …
Thursday, June 6, 2013
thoughts before i leave ...
No, I'm not all packed yet. But I would say ... 90 - 95%? My only concern now is that I don't carry way more than what the airline allows.
The most common question/remark that I get these days is "Are you excited?/You must be really excited!" Well, I must say that at first when I started to put my crazy plan into action, I was really psyched. Then as the day approached, I realised how woefully weak my command of the Korean language
please just don't let me be in the lowest level!
So now I'm more terrified than excited.
I doubt I'll have any real difficulty living in Seoul, having experienced a bit of it last year. I didn't do the usual touristy thing by staying in a hotel - I did a homestay and besides the palace and museum tours, all I did in Seoul was to follow my host mum to the supermarket, go for evening walks along the Han River, cook Korean food and eat it while watching Korean shows (of which at best I understood 1%). I find Seoul very livable and I LOVE being able to blend in and not stand out at all. Well, that's until I open my mouth to speak English or very hesitant and bad Korean. Seoul's also much easier to get around than Yangon SO! I'll be able to survive here pretty well, I think.
AND OH THE INTERNET HERE IS PHENOMENAL.
:)
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