To help myself study hangul, I threw together this Flash game. It reviews the different characters of the Korean alphabet and asks you to match each character to a sound. If you miss five times, you lose. I hope this is useful to somebody, but even if not, it's helped me learn a lot just making it.
Make it bigger
Friday, May 30, 2008
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Learning to Talk
People keep telling me that many Americans go to Korea knowing literally none of the language. I don't want to be that guy, so I've been taking lessons online. It's a great program, and it's cheap too -- just a buck for the first month.
I haven't been learning much in the way of grammar or sentence structure so far; I'm concentrating on useful phrases to start out. After a few weeks of that, hopefully I'll be ready to look at how the language actually works. In the meantime, I'll use this blog to take notes. Key phrases I've picked up so far. I'm sure my dear friends will correct me if I've typed something wrong! (Thanks in advance, Kristin.)
안녕하세묘 annyeonghaseyo - "Hello." (I also learned how to make my computer type in Hangul, the Korean alphabet. It's hard when you can't see at a glance what keys type what characters.)
네 ne - "Yes"
아니에요 anieyo - "No"
저눈 (name)-임니다 jeo-nun (name)-imnida "I am (name)."
반갑슴니다 bangapseumnida - "It's a pleasure to meet you."
감사함니다 gamsahamnida - "Thank you" (most formal sense; other forms of "thank you" are 고맙슴니다 gomapseumnida and 고마워 gomawo).
I haven't been learning much in the way of grammar or sentence structure so far; I'm concentrating on useful phrases to start out. After a few weeks of that, hopefully I'll be ready to look at how the language actually works. In the meantime, I'll use this blog to take notes. Key phrases I've picked up so far. I'm sure my dear friends will correct me if I've typed something wrong! (Thanks in advance, Kristin.)
안녕하세묘 annyeonghaseyo - "Hello." (I also learned how to make my computer type in Hangul, the Korean alphabet. It's hard when you can't see at a glance what keys type what characters.)
네 ne - "Yes"
아니에요 anieyo - "No"
저눈 (name)-임니다 jeo-nun (name)-imnida "I am (name)."
반갑슴니다 bangapseumnida - "It's a pleasure to meet you."
감사함니다 gamsahamnida - "Thank you" (most formal sense; other forms of "thank you" are 고맙슴니다 gomapseumnida and 고마워 gomawo).
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
It's ON.
Tonight I signed the contract.June 28, I'll be on my way to South Korea. That's about six weeks away. Six weeks of being totally American. Six weeks of Dave & Busters, disc golf, karaoke at Jack Quinn's and being around my friends and family. Then the adventure begins.
I did choose to sign on with the school in Changwon, partly because I've looked into their curriculum model and like it, and partly because the city is beautiful. Also because I have a friend there already -- the recruiter assistant who talked to me about a totally different job suggested this one because she lives there. So I know one person who lives in the city already.
I guess tomorrow I'll turn in my resignation and become a lame duck for five weeks. I plan to make June 17 my last day at The Gazette. This is also my brother's birthday, which is kind of cool. I'll be in Colorado Springs for another six days after that, teaching Vacation Bible School, cleaning out my apartment, and hanging with friends. My friend Nikki is getting married that Saturday, the 21st. I'll hang out in town the 22nd to say my goodbyes, then drive to my parents' house on the morning of the 23rd. I'll stay with them through the 27th and then fly out of Kansas City on the 28th.
I'll arrive in South Korea on the 29th, settle into my apartment on the 30th, and start work on July 1. (Two weeks later I'll turn 31. Huh.)
Friday, May 9, 2008
The wind blows hard against this mountainside
No, this blog will not be an unending homage to Mr Mister. This is just the beginning. But "Korea Eleison" kind of sums up this grand adventure I've decided to embark on. Korea, have mercy.
Today my wild-hair dream of moving to Korea to teach English took on a degree of realness. I talked to my family about the decision, and informed my supervisor at work that I will be taking off in a month or so. No, I don't have a definite date or even a specific destination yet, but the working relationship I have with my boss permits me to tell him stuff like that which I think he deserves to know. I don't think this makes me officially a lame duck. Yet.
Right now the decision centers on one main possibility: GnB ChangWon Towol, in Changwon. It's a town of about half a million people in the southeast part of the country, near the coast. It's not one of the three big cities, but it's not in the sticks either. And it's a half-hour bus ride from the port city, Busan.
I've asked my recruiter to get me a couple of concessions from the school -- namely, a settlement allowance to buy some stuff when I get there, and a firm departure date around July 1. I was hoping to hear back tonight, but that's clearly not happening as it's now 7 p.m. Friday Korean time. Looks like I'm in a holding pattern for the weekend.
If this job doesn't pan out, I have a couple of other options I'm looking at. The nice thing about getting a job in Korea is that it's easy -- the job offers come to you. It's just a matter of picking a good one and not getting screwed. Right.
Today my wild-hair dream of moving to Korea to teach English took on a degree of realness. I talked to my family about the decision, and informed my supervisor at work that I will be taking off in a month or so. No, I don't have a definite date or even a specific destination yet, but the working relationship I have with my boss permits me to tell him stuff like that which I think he deserves to know. I don't think this makes me officially a lame duck. Yet.
Right now the decision centers on one main possibility: GnB ChangWon Towol, in Changwon. It's a town of about half a million people in the southeast part of the country, near the coast. It's not one of the three big cities, but it's not in the sticks either. And it's a half-hour bus ride from the port city, Busan.
I've asked my recruiter to get me a couple of concessions from the school -- namely, a settlement allowance to buy some stuff when I get there, and a firm departure date around July 1. I was hoping to hear back tonight, but that's clearly not happening as it's now 7 p.m. Friday Korean time. Looks like I'm in a holding pattern for the weekend.
If this job doesn't pan out, I have a couple of other options I'm looking at. The nice thing about getting a job in Korea is that it's easy -- the job offers come to you. It's just a matter of picking a good one and not getting screwed. Right.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)