My summer language program is moving along here in Seoul. Although I’m in level 4 of 6, my Korean still sucks. This is especially true for my listening ability, which is so bad I’m almost about to give up hope on it and concentrate on reading. I still struggle to understand anyone in a daily [...]
Yesterday I made a visit to the Kimchi Museum in Seoul, or as it is officially known the Kimchi Field Museum (Korean site has much more content). To get there, take Line 2 of the subway to the COEX shopping center at Samsŏng station. Walk through the mall and take the escalators down a floor [...]
Michael Breen is a journalist and a writer who has published, among other things, a book entitled The Koreans. I haven’t read it. Something about the presumptuous tone of its subtitle “Who they are, what they want, and where their future lies,” I think, prevented it from making it onto my Korea reading list. The [...]
While visiting Taiwan last week, Sayaka was asked to answer questions in a 心理テスト (A psychological test, a kind of mental game that is supposed to reveal something fundamental about one’s character) by one of her friends there. She was asked to name two 四字熟語 (A four character compound, usually a proverb etc.) that came [...]
I came across this article in the Korea Times the other day. Apparently Japanese who protest the singing of Japan’s national anthem, 君が代 (J) have created an English parody of the song. The pronunciation is said to be similar enough not to be noticed when students sing it. The Guardian also picked up the story. [...]
I have arrived in Korea after spending a wonderful week in Tokyo. Language classes begin next week so I have a few days to settle down into my small apartment near Naksŏngdae station, a short bus ride from campus, and review material from last summer. As most who have been reading anything from the Korean [...]