So far I have only added one page under a new section called Korean language. This contains some basic information about the demographics of the language, as well as the very basics of grammar. I’m currently working on Hangul and pronunciation. I hope to be able to incorporate some of the great video and audio lessons I’ve found.
Right now, it’s smack bang in the middle of spring break and I am finally feeling rested. It is a beautiful warm spring day, and I am working on Korean homework for next week. I finally received notification of the possibility of graduation in the fall, as well as a surprising email from Sogang University; they are going to “see what can be done” to help me with funding for their program!! Rather crazy!
I have to apply for graduation by April 8th…. and I still have work to do getting courses figured out. I’m not that stressed though–after all, technically it’s still spring break ~!
Okay… I’m off to work and chillax in the sunshine. Hopefully I’ll have that Hangul page done by this evening and you all can tell me what you think ^_^
So, I got the new logo and so forth–but I’m still tweaking things around, so don’t be surprised if things change over the next few days. As a way to brush up on my Korean, I am working on the grammar and vocabulary section of this site. I hope to be able to incorporate some nifty lessons for everyone. That way if you’re just beginning, or aren’t sure whether you really want to learn Korean, you can browse around and get a feel for it first ^_^
So, I just wanted to drop an update… I’ll be around working hard and will be back to posting regularly once I’m done with all the changes.
North Korea said Sunday it would no longer move forward with nuclear disarmament in response to a planned U.S.-South Korean joint military exercise.
The announcement was made by the official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA.
“The maneuvers clearly indicate once again that the U.S. and the South Korean authorities are the harassers of peace and warmongers keen to bring a war to this land,” the statement said.
North Korea also announced it would no longer abide by the armistice that brought a truce to the Korean War, saying that South Korea violated the agreement by participating in the military cooperation with the United States.
Disarmament talks were already at an impasse between North Korea, the United States and other nations. The military exercises would bring negotiations to a standstill and push North Korea to boost its nuclear arsenal, the statement said.
“The process for the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula will naturally come to a standstill and (North Korea) will bolster its nuclear deterrent for self-defense,” the statement said.
All talks between North Korea, the United States and South Korea will be suspended if the joint exercises go through as planned, North Korea said.
I’m supposed to be studying–but my brain feels like it’s about to explode. I have three papers (at least 6 pages) and four exams this week. Crazy~! Korean class got really hard really fast. It went from being “oh, yes I understand” to “wtf?” Seriously. I just about exploded the other day…
It’s so hard. We’ve rushed headlong into difficult grammar–to and from a person or a place, the likelihood of doing something (is it definite? probable?), we also learned grammar for choosing an item in a list because… it’s “eh *shrug*” what we’ll do…
is perfect. She skated an Olympic Record short program and followed it up with an amazing free skate last night. She is cool and calm and collected–and still only 19 years old (Mao Asada and Yu-Na being born in the same month of the same year!) I found videos of her singing today. She has a great voice, as well as Olympic standard skating skills. What can’t this girl do?
김연아~! 축하합니다~!
I have exams and papers due next week–so posting will most likely be sporadic–however, the week after is Spring Break, YAY!! I am so happy at an impending week long vacation!! ^_^ I can’t wait. I don’t feel too good today–think I might go take a nap.
I found yet another cool site today – MyEyesTokyo. It’s a wonderful site containing interviews with foreigners living in Tokyo, Japan. Basically it asks what we all want to know–how did you get here, why did you come here, and what are you doing here?
I love it!
Here is a video (made by Hikosaemon–again!!) of an interview he did with Isao Tokuhashi, founder and owner of :myeyes: It’s really interesting and mentions some of the kinds of people interviewed. It’s a really cool concept:
In a strange (이상해) turn of events, I basically caused a restructuring of the second Korean study abroad program–so the upshot is that I can go. Period. It’s for a shorter time frame (only 3 weeks) and I’m still unsure about academic credit… but hey, I get to go to Korea!!!!!!!!!!! I’m excited. I’m hoping I can find a friend to stay with, so I can be there an extra week or two. But, I’m a bit nervous to ask~!
I’m so glad the Koreans are doing so well in the Winter Olympics. There have been a couple times I thought that they got ripped off though (like the women’s team speed skate… grr). But, I think it’s really making people go “Korea? What?” Because I know a lot of my friends don’t know anything about the country except that the North is “kinda bad”. @_@
I’m a bit delirious right now. I fell asleep before (after lunch. Note to self: a glass of merlot with lunch=bad idea) and then had to run out and grab Phoenix from school. I did make (gluten free) cinnamon raisin bread though–so, I’m about to have a warm slice with a cup of coffee. Yum.
This was a waste of a post–but I shall be back with MORE later. Possibly. Unless I fall asleep again~!
Looks like I won’t be going to Korea after all. Despite all the planning and hard work I put in–Sogang doesn’t actually do what it says on the can. Basically their “matching scholarship” only applies to tuition. Since I already received a scholarship from my university for MORE than that, they won’t give me any money. So, I would have to pay for dormitory fees, field trip fees, and airfare all myself. Over $2000. No way I can afford that.
Of course, another program was posted this weekend–right before I received the Sogang information. However, that program is only three weeks long. I wouldn’t receive much (if any) credit for going, and I don’t think my current scholarship is transferable to another program. The program is at at Hansung university–which is currently linked to our university. They offer a full scholarship to four students from my university.
I just don’t know what to do. I feel as though all my plans just went to waste. I needed those 6 language credits. I needed the experience. I needed… that trip to put on my graduate application. So bummed (understatement). It always seems like everyone else gets to just waltz off and do this stuff. Even though I try super hard–it never works out. Now at least two other people in my Korean class will go.
And I most likely won’t.
How ironic. Since I worked SO hard from November for this–and they get to just walk into this other opportunity without even trying.
I discovered that I can apply for a research fellowship–as long as I get myself a faculty advisor and research topic (and proposal) ready by the 17th March. @_@ What am I trying to do to myself here? So far, the only topic I have come up with is “Language, identity, and religion—Korean Buddhist Literature in the modern world” .. with a few edits here and there. I think it’s interesting how much of Korea’s societal construction is based on Buddhist and Confucian thought, but how with the ever increasing effects of globalization and an influx of Christian missionaries, this is slowly changing. Buddhism is still by far the predominant religion–but Christianity is making headway.
I hope, if I do this, that I would be able to contact (and meet with) An Sonjae–also known as Brother Anthony. He is a brother from the Christian community of Taize in France, and lives with other brothers in Seoul. He is an incredibly well known translator and taught English at Sogang University for years. He’s now an Emeritus professor but he still teaches. He’ll be teaching during the summer when I’m there.
He has translated many works including those by Ko Un. This is of great interest to me, since Ko Un was for a time a Buddhist monk. He has been a Buddhist poet, nihilist poet, dissident poet, and many more. It seems that his poetry charts the course of Korea through the 1950’s to the present day. I think it would be interesting to explore the idea of changing identity through the influx of global influences and Christianity. There seems to be an uneasy tension under the surface between the historical narrative of Buddhism and the new wave of Christianity. We’ll see how the suggestion goes across!!
In other news, I have a Korean exam later. I’ve been studying since 8am and I feel as though I don’t really know “what” exactly to study. I’m tired and cranky and have way too much to do. I have to finish a book and write a paper by either tomorrow or Thursday, I have to read a bajillion page article and write a response paper by Wednesday. I have to begin finding sources for my (minimum) 10 page paper, as well as research this proposal. Not to mention all the other things that I have forgotten~! There’s always something right?
and in yet other news–keep out for major design changes with my blog. (Probably not the layout, just the… over all look. Time to redefine myself… again… haha)
One of my favorite sites ever is BACK! チョコチョコ – Chokochoko has returned and is looking SUPER awesome (made me realize that I need to get moving designing a decent banner for this site. Of course, when it comes to design I can never get what’s in my head out of my head!) But, you all should head on over there and take a peek. The layout means it’s super easy to find what you’re looking for without wasting time…
So, I suppose my task now is to actually work on my blog. I am no good at creating things–so we’ll see how this goes!! haha!
March 10th, 2010 | 
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