➹ teaching myself some hangul: 어떻게 or 어떡해?

Knowing how to read and write Hangul is strangely one of my biggest pride and joy ... and at the same time one of my greatest frustrations ㅋㅋㅋ. I mean I think it's super awesome to have a basic know-how so that I can mutter and scribble phrases which none of my peers can ever google translate (nyaha!)... But my skill can only get me as far as short conversations with kids (I assume!) and a ballad song at the noraebang. Anyway, lacking the tenacity and the financial backing to provide myself a formal education on the subject, I will just have to rely on the treasure cover of online resources to learn Hangul! ^^



One of my very first Korean friends used to coach me in Hangul through an exchange of emails. I can't forget one of her initial criticisms on my rookie writing and usage of words...

'어떻게' is right.
Koreans don't write '어떡헤'.
However, we use '어떡해'.
'어떻게' means 'how', and '어떡해' is kind of the expression of pity and asking.

Because this really doesn't matter so much when you say it out loud~ sadly, I think I still switch this up a lot to this day! I think I caught myself with the wrong usage several times in kakaotalk ㅠㅠ. I kind of needed a mnemonic to remember the difference.For now, I just try to recall 2 very common phrases:

나 어떡해? 어떡해? 어떡해? which ends like "he, he, he" ... kind of like the English onomatopoeia for laughing as in "heheheh". Picture the classic kdrama heroine who is foolish and crazy and in trouble all the time muttering "어떡해? 어떡해? 어떡해?" when in the most humiliating situations. Think of it as a sort of go-to panic phrase. Works well with fangirling like this:



And then the other phrase I would recall is:

어떻게 알아? This one I may have heard a LOT of from variety shows hahah! 어떻게 알았어? 어떻게 알았지? No real trick to this one except that "어떻게" is not so much repeated.



Keeping these 2 phrases in mind, I hope to ultimately correct my confusion between these 2 words. Let's see me not misuse them in kakaotalk from here on! 화이팅! ^^

➹ what are Koreans asking me?

There are some Korean elders who seem to have this fondness and amusing interest on foreigners. Foreigners who speak the slightest Korean are even more interesting so it seems. They would approach us tourists and start small chats regardless of how much we struggle with our sparse broken Korean. It's as challenging and confusing as it is absolutely endearing! And that's why it makes for a thoroughly memorable travel experience. We would usually leave bowing respectfully, immensely amused, and all too regretful that we cannot fully understand and answer their questions.

I asked a Korean friend about it and she speculated that here are the questions we probably often get:
1. Where are you from? (어느 나라에서 오셨습니까?)
2. Can you speak Korean? (한국어를 할 줄 아십니까?)
3. Have you ever been to Korea before? (전에 한국에 와본적이 있습니까?)
4. With whom do you visit Korea? (누구와 함께 한국에 방문하셨습니까?)
5. Where do you stay? (어디서 머무르십니까?)



And then here are the questions I ASSUME they are asking just because of some keywords I recognize. I can't quite make out the full sentences but they should more or less be asking these:
1. How do you like Korea?
2. How did you learn Korean?
3. Are you students?
4. What places are you visiting?

It should be easy enough to answer these questions. The only thing to watch out for is accidental or careless usage of Banmal. I made it a point to remember Talk to Me in Korean's note that mixed usage of Cheondaemal and Banmal is such a major no-no. From someone whose basic Hangul lessons came from Korean dramas and Kpop songs, this is severely challenging. Coming from a culture which makes no special distinction between formal and informal speech and amongst persons of different ages makes that even more complicated. This means making an effort to consistently say 죄송합니다 instead of 미안해, 감사합니다 instead of 고마워 ~ even if the latter option has been better imbibed from watching kdramas.

It's fun to speak with locals especially since they make it a point to show how much they appreciate your Hangul efforts. Even if you make mistakes, it's all cool as long as you show how sincere your attempts are. Anticipating what the usual questions would be might work for folks who want to build their confidence on this. Planning and preparation will certainly pay off. But even if we get lost in translation in the middle of things, I'm pretty sure a polite smile can resolve a lot of tension. Remember~ 미소는 만국 공통어입니다. Everyone smiles in the same language ^^.



* full credits on the images go to www.kumhongfancy.co.kr *

➹ random: korean animals

I love learning Korean like a kid! There are plenty of regular smart phone apps which help me with basic Korean words and phrases but it's just more fun (and tons cuter!) to use those apps for preschoolers ㅋㅋ. Anyway, here is a really simple yet really cute flashcard app called HelloHello Animated Animal Flash Cards from Yuil Jung.



My favorite animals from the set are those which remind me of k-drama lines! Say turtle "거북이", always (ALWAYS!) makes me recite Kim Joowon's mantra from Secret Garden~
김수한무 거북이와 두루미
삼천갑자 동방삭
치치카포 사리사리센타
워리워리 세브리강

And then dolphins "돌고래" make me think about how that guy from Strawberry Fields calls 안구정화 members ㅋㅋㅋ! So yes, I have a very silly way of memorizing random words. If I don't have a drama reference, I would copy a cartoon drawing of that word…




The cartoons are all copied from my HelloHello flashcard app. Beyond cute, right?

HelloHello Animated Animal Flash Cards has a free version (Lite) with 10 animated animals on it. The full version has 50 ^^.

I also have these other flashcard apps:
한글 익히기 체험판 from GZcommunication
Flash Cards Korean from FunFunSoft

➹ 한글 translations of inspirational quotes

미소는 만국 공통어입니다
Everyone smiles in the same language.
Source: KTO Facebook Page



I thought that statement was incredibly inspiring ~ and so amazingly beautiful in 한글. So I suddenly wanted to find more quotes in Korean. It was mildly surprising to discover that save for the multitude of English sites posting quotes from kdramas, there aren't a lot of other online search results for Korean quotes. There are a couple of those for proverbs and sayings and even some for slang phrases but none really for quotables. So then I realized that there aren't a lot of quotables in my own native tongue as well. Or if there are, they would sound old-fashioned, awkward or even downright corny. Could it be that in these recent years (or decades even) we've enriched the worlds' English quote reserve at the expense of extinguishing quotes of other languages? ^^ Just saying ~

So anyway, it was also mildly surprising that the best resource for getting 한글 quotes or 한글 translations of quotes is via social networks! This Twitter @aQuoteAday account for one is PURE GENIUS^^! So much thanks for sharing some wonderful Korean translations of a variety of quotes. Here are some of my favorites (I backtracked to quite a long while agooooooo):

성공과 행복은 확률의 문제가 아니라 선택의 문제이다
Success and happiness are not matters of chance but choice -Zig Ziglar

믿는이에겐 증거가 필요없고 안믿는이에겐 어떤증거도 소용없다
To those who believe no proof is necessary; to those who don't no proof is possible. -Stuart Chase

가볼만한 가치가 있는 모든 장소는 지름길이 없는 법이다.
There are no shortcuts to any place worth going. - Beverly Sills

의견은 생각의 결과물이 되어야지 생각의 대체물이 되어서는 안된다.
An opinion should be the result of thought, not a substitute for it. - Jef Mallett

인생에서 노력없이 성취할 수 있는 것이 단하나 있는데 그건 실패라고 한다
The only thing in life achieved without effort is failure." -Anonymous-

정신병자가 되지 않으려면 때때로 미친짓을 한 번 씩 해줘야만 한다.
You must do a crazy thing once in a while to keep from going nuts.

And lastly, it doesn't exactly sound like a quote but it's worth remembering (and repeating to thyself)~

불가능은 없다. = Everything is possible.

And oh yeah, major kudos to King Sejong! ^^

➹ random: 잘자 mask

I went shopping for a new eye mask and found one with a simple and straightforward design:



How cute is it? I think it's perfect ^^.
잘자 (jalja) ~~~ Sleep tight everyone!!!

Note to self: I have to find a matching face mask, right? I wish there's one saying "할말이 없어".
.

➹ yes man @ HBO

Originally written on Mar 11, '10 7:30 AM (salvaged from dying blog)

Jim Carrey learns and speaks a little Korean in the movie. That's all I needed to know ^^.

His pronunciation was totally awkward. Ah, but it was quite adorable. I've read a few unpleasant reactions on how the Korean language and culture were depicted in the movie though. I suppose it would be similar to me taking that slightest tiniest bit of offense when the Philippines is pictured as a backward island farmland. Also similar to how I figuratively roll my eyes in a WTH reaction when people almost can't believe how good we speak English. Oh well.

On the flipside, I can imagine how other Koreans might be amazed at Carrey's efforts to speak the language. There's a lot of them who are pleasantly amused at the most basic 한글 expressions. At least that's how people explained why the 할아버지's were so persistent on conversing with us on our Seoul trip last year. Even if all I can say was "미안해요" meaning "sorry". I really should have used "죄송합니다 ..."

Anyway, the 한글 선생님 told Carrey "잘했어요" meaning good work. Meanwhile, Carrey's endearing conversation with the Korean saleslady at the bridal shop was promptly subtitled ... except perhaps on the Soo-Mi 화이팅 part? But it works out ok.



Cuteness ^^.

The movie was still entertaining, regardless of the plenty discouraging reviews I saw hehe ^^. I thought the terrorist plot was just funny! Am I evil that the communist NK is humorous for me? Ah, well ... overanalyzing just makes me old.

Oh and by the way, HOLLYWOOD BOWL? Romantic eh? Oooh, I remember how much I researched about that place last May 2008... Oooh... -->

And oh! oh! "Let's be scared together" was an "awwwwwwwww"-moment for me ^^.

➹ 오늘의 생생 한국어

Originally written on Jul 2, '09 08:50 PM (salvaged from dying other blog)

[!!!]
Learning Hangul is … omo … painfully challenging.

I felt a small sense of pride when I was able to briefly converse with a few locals on our last trip to Seoul. If for anything, I was reassured that my pronounciations were half decent since they were somehow able to understand my struggling babbles. But good gracious, I used up all the korean I know on those few exchanges mostly during bargaining or giving taxi directions! I have got so much ~ too much to learn.

It makes me sad to think that my vocabulary is still embarrassingly limited. There’s still so very little that I get from context clues though I still enjoy watching sj shows without subs. Haha, and I can only sing slow songs on Norebang since my internal processor can’t catch up with the fast song lyrics just yet! Aish…

Ah, but how I enjoy learning these Hangul songs. I’ve graduated from the romanized lyrics months ago (nyaha, proud feat). But I still need the English translations to belt out correct emotions for each song. And ooh, the rapping is so cool. One day, I’ll need to master some more rap verses~

The first rap verse I had down:
그댄 나의 전부
눈부시게 아름다운 나의 신부
신이 주신 선물
행복한가요
그대의 까만 눈에서
눈물이 흐르죠
까만 머리 파뿌리 될 때까지도
나의 사랑 나의 그대
사랑할 것을 나 맹세할게요

The second was:
언제나 어디서나
날 따라다니는
이 스포트라이트
어딜가다 쫓아오지
식당 길거리 카페 나이트
도대체 얼마나 나이 들어야
이놈의 인기는 식으려 들지 원
섹시한 내 눈을 고소영
아름다운 내 다린 좀 하지원
어쩌면 좋아
모두 나를 좋아하는것 같애 ~

I seriously need to figure out an effective way to learn this. I thought I’d get by with just aimlessly surfing the net and maybe fixing my cable channel steadily at Arirang! Ah, but apparently, I still have to try and lead a normal life (i.e. family, friends, work) and I can’t dedicate all my time to learning Hangul hehe. And so I’m stuck! I want to be composing blog entries in Hangul right now … but alas … OTL