So What's Your Story?

[Bouks]

That is an amazing story. Hweiting, Marie-ssi! Thank you for telling it.

And if you're starting to recognise the fine line between language obsession and mental illness, then...welcome to mental illness, nice to see you here with us (Be assured that it's the best kind of mental illness there is, and probably the most productive kind!)

I envy you - I couldn't pick up and move to another country now, what with my circumstances and family. But you never know what life will bring, and I never like to believe that any of my foreign language addictions, uh I mean, studies, would go to waste.

[jaesun]

Hi Rooraa

I’ve been studying for about a year (I think January ’07?). I spent the first few months learning Hangul and basics. It’s gone a lot quicker, after I discovered Integrated Korean online at Indiana U, and this site.

My name is actually Jason but because that was already registered when I joined the site, I just made up “Jaesun”. In Hangul my name is 제이슨.

Yes, manga and mangwha are art! I’m a fan, too. I should look around the forums here to learn more about mangwha. I mean, there are soooo many sites about Japanese manga, Korean graphic novels are not as accessible.

I agree that mariefrennette's story is the best. Didn’t Marie post about 시주? I’ve lost track of that conversation. I mean I totally can't find it. Isn't that stupid? Anyway I found a site with a whole bunch of 시주. It is entirely in Korean.

http://my.dreamwiz.com/choi3131/home.htm

On the left, click on the "문학 베움터" button. Then on the next page there is a link for "시주 해설". A whole list of poems, with commentary (I think, my Korean is not great!)

Who else will tell what brought them to 한국말?

[Spydermike1]

Hello all,

This is my first post

My story is kinda similar to Kieth's where I'm a Korean Living in America. I'm half Korean (my dad is white and my mother is Korean), and obviously I speak English very well LOL. I decided to try and learn Korean mostly becuase my mother owns a Sushi Bar, and i'm one of 5 people working there. My mother, My step-father, Ahjima and Gipsonime all speak Korean as their first language. So learning Korean would help me to communicate with my family! They all speak alittle english, my mother being the best out of them. and while I do speak alittle Korean i don't speak enough to hold a conversation with them. I'm just kinda like the little kid who says one word and points at something and hope they understand me LOL.

[Keith]

Marie's의 이야기는 아주 대단하죠? ㅎㅎ 근데 여러분 이야기는 다 재밌어요!

Hi Mike!

Welcome to the site, and thanks for posting! Just wanted to encourage you to keep on studying! Studying in order to communicate with your family is something very dear to me. My aunts and uncles always ignored the kids because most of the kids in my family didn't speak much Korean. We did, but nothing spectacular (me included).

But after studying, and getting a better grasp of Korean, I realized I missed out on a lot of amazing family stories. I heard my grandmother tell me about her experiences in the Korean war. My aunts were quick to mention that she would send my Aunt out to get food while guns were firing off left and right! She told me about traveling down river, and being very quite to avoid being detected by soldiers. I learned about my family's immigration, why and how they came to be in America. I learned about how my parents met, how my grandparents met. What life was like in Korea in the 50's and 60's. And so much about that!

All that information gave me a much better understanding of my family history, my family, and as a result, a better understanding of who I am. So I'm really excited to see you make the effort to start communicating with your family! And I hope we can help you out while we're at it

[shanshanchua]

All that information gave me a much better understanding of my family history, my family, and as a result, a better understanding of who I am. So I'm really excited to see you make the effort to start communicating with your family! And I hope we can help you out while we're at it

I think that's so true, particularly of people who are in two cultures. And the good thing is - since Korean is so much a part of your family, your life, even your work, you'll probably be able to progress at a much faster pace! As they always say in Korean, 화이팅, Mike!

[rooraa]

히히, I love saying 화이팅!

I just found out I'm one of the top ten poster! Place 9 ^^
Not bad....=]

[Bouks]

Holey moley, I'm #7 I'm not at any kind of shortage for words, am I...

[rooraa]

and congrats on that! Teehee, lucky SE7EN
We need more people like you to come the forums active

(oh by the way, have you checked out the new boyband from Sm town, Shinee? Their song, Replay aka Noona you're so Pretty is extremely catchy =])

[Bouks]

Haha..."noona"...what is she, 18 months older than the rest of them? Let's see them put some 40-year-old "noona" in there, then I'd be impressed

I'm trying to resist getting into the Korean boy band thing...you are making it harder, rooraa!

[rooraa]

haha I know, right?

Aww why are you resisting? It's all in good fun =]

Oh I heard that in Korea, they are making a Hallyuwood:

Hong Kong star Jackie Chan and Korean actress Choi Ji-woo will be the honorary ambassadors of Hallyuwood, an`` Asian entertainment mecca'' in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

``Jackie Chan was chosen because of his continuous interest toward Korea and also his friendship with top Korean hallyu (or the Korean wave) stars. We thought he would be perfect to introduce the Korean culture to the world,'' an organizer of Hallyuwood was quoted as saying by Yonhap News.

Along with Chan, Korean actress Choi Ji-woo will also represent the Asian entertainment mecca. The 32-year-old actress has gained popularity not only in Korea, but also in Japan and China through dramas like ``Winter Sonata (2002)'' and ``Air City (2007).''

``Choi was born in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, so she was more than eager to join Chan,'' another organizer said.

The two stars will attend a ceremony proclaiming them as ambassadors and also the ``Hallyuwood Start Festival,'' which will be held near the construction of the venue today.

Hallyuwood is a project developed by the Gyeonggi Province that will offer an experience where visitors can learn about hallyu and Korean culture all in one place. It will offer a theme park, shopping malls, hotels and other cultural facilities related to hallyu. It is expected to open in 2012.

Chan recently announced his project of the Asian version of ``We are the World'' for the relief of victims suffering form the Shichuan earthquake with Korean singer and producer Park Jin-young and director Kang Je-kyu.

Source: Koreatimes

www.asianbite.com

looks to be quite interesting!

[seolli]

Hello

For me, i started learning in december'07 after liking TVXQ. I felt that it would be easier if i can understand what they were singing/saying without having to always look for english subs. And I'm currently a beginner~ ahah i have two korean friends in my school, but when they speak korean to each other, the speed they speak makes me go O.O...cause they're really fast and i only manage to catch some phrases.

But somehow, because there's hanja, it's easier for me to learn. But what i've realised is, there's lots of words that are more similar to my Chinese dialect, Teochew/Hokkien, than the normal chinese.
And hahah i plan to study in a University in Korea next time, after my A levels in Singapore. Btw, is Kyung Hee University good? Cause i knida want to go there.

PSPS: Is there anyone here that's a TVXQ fan? *flails arms about* xDD

[TheMingi]

Hello all,

My name is Bryan, and my desire to learn Korean stems from the fact my Chinese is better than my Korean! I just finished serving as a Christian missionary to Taiwan for one year and will be in Seoul with extended family until early July before going back to California.

Let me know if any of you are around and want to meet up and hang out. I'm 23 (so please, no 40 y.o. 아저씨s or 아줌마s haha).

- Bryan

[shanshanchua]

Let me know if any of you are around and want to meet up and hang out. I'm 23 (so please, no 40 y.o. 아저씨s or 아줌마s haha).

I hope that is a joke...otherwise you would really incur the wrath of the 아저씨s and 아줌마s!!!

[Bouks]

There *aren't* any ajeossis or ajummas in KoreanClass

I am 38 years old, and one of my closest Korean Skype friends is a 24-year-old college student. And he isn't my youngest friend, either.

[manyakumi]

I'm a 38 year old(Korean age) ajeossi, hehe