Gee ...Korean Language is Indeed Unforgiving...

Yes...it's darn difficult to get the hang of it..I mean...the Korean language.

Even the Koreans themselves got to be reminded about how to use the proper language.

As for me...apart from having to learn the language...at times..by looking at this weekly-poster posted inside the lift at KBS Hall....I came to realize that..Korean language is indeed a challenging language to master.

Afternoon for kids during summer

It's already 8 pm and yet the sun is still shining. I overheard some 'commotion' at the parking lot. I knew it. Kids were playing around the parking lot in front of our apartment complex. Well, it's summer and they have more time to play around.

Eyra and Freya already makes friends in the neighborhood.

Although all of them are foreigners, they do not speak English. Of course, they speak Korean. 

Yes, all ( I think) foreign kids in our apartment complex know Korean and use Korean on daily basis. They go to Korean kindergarten, elementary school. So....it's an amazing sight for us, parents..who still find it hard to speak Korean.^^

Yes, English is NOT their international language, instead, it IS Korean language. 

At times I find it funny and surprisingly interesting to know this.

Well, it just shows or proves the fact that kids learn language (even foreign ones) at a much faster pace than adults do. 

Level 7

Level 7 in Korean Language really perturbs me....in a good way. Well, it is way more difficult than I thought it would be, though. What I have learned so far....seems to be so inadequate to conquer the different subjects and classes I am into.
 In short: I think I have put myself in a positively challenging jeopardy of my life in term of learning  ...... Korean language.
7급이 생각보다 너무 어렵다.
지금까지 벼웠던 (지식, 인식, 등...) 것들을 가지고 수업을 들을때 자신감이 있는 줄.......알았는데.....^^ 와 ^^....땀이 날 수 밖에 없다. ㅋㅋㅋ

TOPIK

TOPIK or Test of Proficiency in Korean Language was like a nightmarish-type of thing these days--at least for me. OK, to start with. I got to get through this lots-o-fun test.  (the good part: I got my intermediate level already). Done that. (check!).
NOw..comes the most boldly daring part of me: trying to beat it for its higher ground--that is to say---I got to get my advanced level. (Did that today) (Check!).

a so-called forced-courtesy smile on my face.....^^

what seems to be the problem, then????
I felt like I blew it.
Gosh....I got to admit that Korean language is so .........difficult.  (ok.....couldn't describe it literally right here).
I started the test at around 9.30 this morning.
Got up early and got a ride by subway to Sungsil University in Seoul where the test took place.
Got my classmate by my side, well...we were on the same mission--so to speak.
Did I study and prepare well? I think I pretty much did. Well, not that much I guess. but the thing was that.....no matter how long I've been trying to ram it up myself .....hook myself up.....with all the twists and tricks....it seemed to me..that I need more and a looooooot to learn again.
Gosh, vocabularies and grammar in Korean did give me a blow on my head (read: brain)!!!
I felt like what I've been learning up to now....is not yet complete or sufficient enough to get me prepared for the test.
I felt like I need more than just.....books. I need to squander myself on more real Korean news: be it those on the newspaper or TV or books. I need to learn and read more and more.
OK...what a great day today...it was indeed......to spend it on a hot-seat like TOPIK test^^
a good lesson worth-remembering, Suray? You beT!

Eyra's textbooks

 The  textbooks that Eyra uses at school in her 1st year of elementary school. It does cover lots of subjects ranging from mathematics, Korean language (국어), Exciting Life, Reading, How To Live Smart, Well-mannered Life:), and of course....Listening and Writing. Ok...that would a lot for a first timer...but from what I saw ....the books are fun to watch...in the first place. Then, it is also good and seems to be so interestingly captivating for any children to do with.

It's amazing that all of the books are freely distributed for all children: thanks to Korean Government who put emphasize on the importance of early education right in this country.
Well, Eyra still has a lot to catch up, but she's getting along well to cope and learn with the totally new environment.

Bingo??

First, I thought they were doing some kind of Bingo.^^ I was wrong. I was so oblivious that they were actually doing a tracking practice.They were drawing the lines over the dots that once they do so, a series of numbers would appear. A good practice for kids to learn the numbers and how to write them.
So...I thought it was Bingo.
It was almost 11 pm and they insisted on doing this until they finished up to number 60. Eyra and Freya were busy doing this while I had to make sure that they were on time to go to bed afterwards.
One of the good things of being in Korea is that my children can learn both English and Korean at the same time. It was amazing to see how the kids could grasp both languages at the same time. They are now able to count in Indonesian, Javanese, English, and of course....in Korean language. Kids do have a mind of their own in learning new languages. ^^

Masjid Itaewon, Seoul

It was Friday, March 2, 2012.
A not-that-cold day to start with...but in the afternoon...it was getting windy and cold.
And...to make things more interesting...I was taking my family to Masjid Itaewon for the first time.

The only one and the biggest Masjid in Seoul lies right here in Itaewon. And...it is my weekly 'ritual' to come here to have my Friday prayer-- an obligatory for all Muslim men.
So, usually, I have to leave my class earlier. I am so glad and happy that all of my teachers at HUFS really   respect the diversities of their students. As for me, they give me permission to leave the class early every Friday since I have to be at the masjid by 1 pm. I have only 30 minutes to get myself to the masjid.














Alhamdulillah...though more often than not....I am-- being-- late...I still manage to perform the prayer.
That day...in particular..since it was still a term break, I could ask my family to go along with me.

It was a good experience for them, too.

They could see the Masjid and met other friends there, too.

Personally, the visage of the Masjid always soothes me.

The sermons held in three different languages: Arabic, English, and Korean are always interesting for me; for I can learn the multicultural aspect of it, too. More than that, meeting other friends from other countries is also a so called 'added value' to the visit.

@ Itaewon

Now that we are coming for the first time, it was a good time to capture the moment of being there with the family and friends.

somewhere in Itaewon

Bye-bye, friends

from left: Mai (Japan), Seogon, Gaheun, Sangil (Korea), Soso, Yurim
alone at the back: Tanapat^^ (Thailand)
others come from China

So, this was the day when one of our classmate (Sang il ssi) had to leave the class without having to finish it. He got to be in Pohang to start his class at a university there.
So, that was the last day he went to school...and thus...we luckily managed to say goodbye and wished him luck.

Me, Tanapat, Sang  il

Sang il has been living in Pakistan until he finished his high school, or that's what I learned, though.
So, it is his time to start a university-level life right here in his parents' country.
Quite an interesting story, indeed.
Some of our classmates showed up and met him and wished him luck.
Been quite nice to know all of those friends of mine at level 5.

Completing level 5^^

Finally, the Winter term ended last February...with a heart-warming news that I got. I passed my TOPIK exam.....and also...I finished my level 5 term at ohaktang. ^^ phew..what a relief.

me, Cheongang, Jeong seonsaengnim, Munyeon,
 Soso, Mai Okune

Never thought that I could catch up my breath to complete the seemingly impossible tasks.

Oops someone's coming..Wait!!^^

Well..first thing first....out of 12 students in my class, 7 of them were my friends from China who knows Hanca....^^.











They know it so well (of course) that it was so easy for them to understand any new words in Korea. Gosh....lots of Korean words did indeed come from Chinese words.......^^.
And then......I have three friends whose either Mom or Daddy was Korean by origin.^^







Great!!!!!
I had to compete with them.
Well...it was tough, really.
But then...I could learn a lot from them. It turned out that the class was so fun and helpful for me.
At least, I could learn directly from my fellow friends on how to use certain patterns or words.

Most of all, level 5 exposed me to another level of academic Korean language...that I desperately need in order to be able to participate in real classes later on in my graduate school.
So, this is a kind of achievement in itself..for me....for being able to complete this level. and now....





I have to prepare for the level 6 starting from March 5, 2012.
---

Seoul Cheese Pizza: the nearest and cheapest,
yet yummy pizza near our campus

First thing first.....these were the pictures of our classmates who showed up during the so-called graduation day...
we did also have lunch at a nearby pizza eatery.
Lots of memories and lessons I got from the class.

3급 친구들을 만남

This term has yet to be over.

me and Ullan

Yet, we decided to have lunch altogether along with our beloved teacher from the previous term when we were still at level 3. Usually, we would have this kind so-called 'lunch party' or whatsoever it is.....at the end of each term as soon as we have our 'graduation' day. But, today....I found it a bit odd yet...satisfyingly feel-good moment indeed.

ready for some ...get set....

Well, yes....most of us--except Eva--chipped in. ^^
Let's see....where we went today.
I vaguely remember where we were for lunch, today. But, I still vividly remember that it was just around our campus corner. I was informed that our friends had been there.
All of us came up to have the samgyeobsal 삼겹살 that surely I could not eat since it was grilled pork.
Me and Ullan had no other choices but to order something we love: dwenjang chike. 된장찌개(?)
It was lucky that the banchan were great, simply because it offered some nice tofu with its Korean touch of eatery.

 I had like....3 courses of tofu since I kept asking the ajumma to give me more...^^ well, that was the only dish that I could eat.....
Indeed, been a great day today....meeting our friends of previous term.
Funny, eh?
I would not even have started thinking about having this kind of lunch-meeting with my very own present classmates....while I just did it with my friends.
OK. the thing was.....our feeling of being one and being re-united again was somewhat differently necessary.
We will never change the time we used to have for anything.
Some of our friends -- as I learned along the way -- would not continue up to level 5.....which means that they are about to leave Korea.
Ah..that's why...we had this lunch!
Oh....I like wearing the blue APRON with a CASS on it. ^0^

Eyra Learning Hangeul

It has been a month or so since Eyra started learning Hangeul or Korean alphabets. She is going to Korea to meet me this coming December or in January. I do not know when...but it's just that she needs to be prepared. After all, we are planning to send her to the local school in Korea where she will be able to mingle and befriend and learn and get exposed to Korean life and culture. I know that it might be hard for her since she has not  had any previous experiences of what Korea is. But, time will tell since she is a kind of eager to learn and know more about it.

So, she kinda likes it.
She keeps learning how to read and write in Korean.
Adi, my colleague back home, is the one who teaches Korean to Eyra.
Hope she will be able to make the most and the best out of it.
**Oh, the colorful studying desk that she is using is a gift box set from Susu Bendera:) We've been collecting the receipts of the milk purchases we made for the past one year.....^^. It's free in the sense...that we did not have to buy for it. 

What a small City Seoul is!!!

I bumped into my classmates in Dongdaemun at night.
I mean...it was not a holiday or anything.
I was supposed to stay in the room and studying or anything.^^ (chuckles)
But..here I was...taking a stroll in Seoul at night...with my friends.
....and what were the chances of meeting someone you knew right here?
Yes, unexpectedly...I came across Ahmed, my friend who is studying Korean language at the same university as I am right now.

He was walking down the street coming towards us when I just met him.
He was with his brother in law who also happens to be my friend at HUFS.
hmmm what were the odds of meeting them at night^^
Oh, they came from Saudi Arabia and we felt like brothers already: Muslim brothers.
Good to know them.
Seoul is a small city, eh?

Dinner @ Doota, Dongdaemun's Fashion Shopping District

Doota.
I think most of youngsters in Korea or those Seoulites must know this so-called Doota.
or..Doota Tower.
Ok. first thing first..this is the pic of Doota Tower that boasts itself to be one of the must-see fashion haven for anyone interested in Korean-style accessories and latest & hip-to-date styles.

X-mast already!

But, I am not gonna tell stories about this mall.
I just had dinner at the 7th floor of the building where a food court is widely laid out there. With a night view overlooking the crowded mass of people with the intersecting cars passing by the over crowded street in the midst of cool temperature in Autumn night, the diner could not have been better.
What's more...I was having the dinner with my new Korean friend from Korea University, my new Malaysian friends who are studying and traveling to Korea, and my student who is on a 2-week trip for both academic and leisure activities. ^^
Ok.
The fun part was that...the price is relatively + reasonably cheap for a place like this. I mean....it's not so much different from the prices at my campus. Ok, then.
The interesting part was that...I could choose a lot of non-meat dishes. A big surprise for me.
The cool par was that...the ambiance of the place itself was OK-lah. ^^

Oh about my friends:
There is Minju, a Korean who is fairly fluent in Bahasa Indonesia since she learned it in Bali and Jogja. She visited Jogja twice and I got an impression that she loves it. I was surprised to know that she speaks Indonesian, especially she is not majoring in the language....for she is attending the Geography department.^^ Hmmm...
Then, there is Yahwe, a Malaysian who is currently studying Korean language at Korea University.
Then, there is a traveler, a Malaysian who on purpose came to Korea for a week or so to explore the city. His name is Ryan. He's now studying in Singapore--that's what I learned--and had this off-season period to travel to Korea. With the sophisticated camera on his shoulder all the time, he looks just like a pro photographer. It was a great advantage to have him around..coz he took indeed splendid pictures. (too bad that I haven't yet got any from him since he must not have uploaded them into the net).
Then, Dita...my student who's visiting Korea for a cultural and social visit thanks to the PAS invitation.
She seemed to be enjoying her time here.
Well....with the full stomach, we were then ready ....and heading ourselves toward Cheonggyecheon...^^
(see my entry about this...)

Korean Language Mid Term Exam

It's been two months since I became a student again.^^.
I felt the sense of jittery and restless prior to taking the exam.
Guess, that was what my fellow students back home might have felt whenever they were preparing for any test.
So, being in a Korean class might not seem so challenging for some. But, it was for me. And it is.
I never thought that vocabulary is so strenuously distressing in the first place.
I did not know what to do with the bombardment of newly induced vocabularies every day. I said: Every Day. Yes, I felt like being choked up.
I got to swallow, gulp, chew, lick, smear, sense, feel the new senses of vocabularies.
Not to mention the seemingly out-of-place idioms that adorn the Korean language.
Well, all of these are challenges too interesting to overlook^^
So, I might as well fight for it.
And..that was the simple reason as to why I was struggling and keeping myself awoke late until  the wee morning to study (or: memorizing) the patterns and other related trivia.
I thought that the Reading section was so difficult that I used most of my time being in the room.......learning.
Then, this morning, it turned out that Reading was ok, but...on the other around, Listening and Structure were way too out of imagination for me. Sure, I did it quite well, to some extent.
I came out of the exam room with a smile on my face; hinting that I did it quite well. At least to the point of where I was going.

Animal Earmuffs and Headmuffs(?)

It is really cold outside. (the Glee's 'Baby, It's Cold Outside' rings in)...^^
Anyway..I just want to share the picture-taking we had this morning in the class.

Our Japanese friends--Chika and Akane-- happened to come along with the earmuffs and headmuffs they were putting on their heads. All of a sudden, we wanted to try put them on on our heads since it looked so warm wearing them.
So, the Doraemon and the Horangi (white tiger) headmuffs they brought were kind of cute.
I tried putting it on my head..even our sonsaengnim, too.
It was indeed like a a feeling of being sucked into the state of child-prone jubilation.
Indeed.
Love it.

종이에 적어 보는 일

여기에다 적을 것들이 주제 없이 제가 그냥 마음대로 쓰고 싶은 점이다....

4급이 진짜 어려워서  반복하게 되면 어떻게 할까? 5급으로 못 올라가면끝장이다. 공부하는 것이 너무 힘들다. 그래서 책상앞에 있는 벽에다가 자식의 그림을 걸어 두면 언제든지 함께 있는 것 같다. // 평생이 무너진 것 같다는 생각이 들면 이번호로 전화를 걸어서 얘기해 보라고 했는데 그럴 리 가 있을까? // 고향에 와 보니까 옛날에 같이 공부했던 친구들이 깡그리 없어졌다. //오늘의 뉴스에 의하면 정부가 믿을 수 없는 쇼핑몰의 상품을 매매하는 것을 금하고 있대요.// 그 사람이 심각한 문제에 젖어 있기 때문에 일을 하는 둥 마는 둥 하고 있다는 걸 봤다.// 어제 만난 쌍둥이가 인생관이 다른다. 동생이 비관적이고 형은 낙관적이다.// 전에는 이바지가 까만색이었는데 시간이 흘러서 퇴색했다.// 방금 산 과일이 변질 되지않도록 냉장고에 넣어 야 한다.// 미래에 대해 막연한 생각을 가지고 있는 젊은이들이 많다.// 그 사람들이 의리가 있는  것 같다. 사장님이 하라는 것들을 따라간다. 그런데...의리 때문에 그럴까? 약속을 지키고 싶어서 그럴까? //   OECD 자료에 따르면 요세는  양호한 경제를 가지고 있는 나라가 몇 개 밖에 없다고 발표되었다.// 지금까지 우리반 선생님으 말씀을 여석개의 항목으로 다시 적을 수 있을 까?// 이런 문제를 간단하게 단정하지 말고 좀 깊게 생각하면 방법이 보일 것이다.//
...
마지막 문장이 맞을까?
요리를 하다가 소금을 설탕인 줄 알고 넣는 바람에 요리를 그르치고 말았어요.  (?) ^^

blitzkrieg paper

Within three hours I managed to finish 3-page long paper in Korean--that frankly I am not satisfied with.^^ Well, I got no other choices but to squeeze the ideas out of my head just to make this 3-page long paper that I wish I could have done it better.
The thing was that...I was planning not to take the exam as I was jut a non-regular or sit-in student in this class. That's it.
But then....I was wrong...I did not know that it would be a different pose should I not do it.
Actually, I was bold enough to send an email asking a permission for not taking the exam...but......as what I had feared.....an instant message snoozed into my inbox informing me that I should (the euphemistic way of  saying 'must') write the paper as others did. ^^
The deadline was just three or four hours left...and I got no ideas to write down.
It was a good thing that I did send an email for confirmation.
....
Now that I had done it, the frenzy feeling of being released from the upside-down shell ...bestowed me.
I was exhilarated..............
Although deep down I was kinda worried since I did not check my Korean grammar as to whether it was acceptable in term of paper works in academic area. Oh, swell...at least up to the moment..I can just talk myself in.....that it was over...for the meantime^^.

classmate's birthday

Yesterday was the first time ever that within 6 hours I had meals three times. For sure it was not completely me at all. I had a late lunch  after class (2.pm) when my friend asked me to accompany her for her late lunch...at 5pm. Well, since it would be a good time to talk since I had not met her for quite a while....
Just when I had not yet finished having my 2nd lunch....my friend, Taekcho, texted me...informing that it was our friend's--Illiya--birthday. So, he asked me to make a surprise party for him. Since Illiya sits next to me and he's been more like a brother to me...I could not help but agreeing to his plan.
So, we met again at 8pm.
Since it would not be any birthday party without any cakes, we decided to buy some at Paris Baquette near campus. It's a good thing that I had my LG membership card for additional 10% off. ^^ (one of the so many privileges of having this LG Card--not to mention the free movie ticket every month for any movie I want to see in any cineplex) ^^ what a treat.
back to the party...

then we met four other friends and off we went to a Chinese restaurant.
It was the first time ever for me that a restaurant in Korea served lamb satay and fried eggplants just like what I had back home in Indonesia. Hmmm what a treat. So, we did have a goooood time celebrating Illiya's B'day. The dish (though we felt so sorry for not being able to eat them all) was good and the cake was yummy.




Since we were in Korea..and this would not have been any close to Korean culture should we just go back home after party.....we ended up throwing ourselves into another 2-hour session at noraebang or karaoke room. It was a shocking revelation to each of us since most of us sang! we did sing songs that actually kinda portrayed the true and real personalities of who we were individually. It was a good thing that we spent the time together like this since it would eventually work just fine for our friendship.
It was 1 in the morning.
We were strolling back to the dorm.
..........and today...two of us...came late to class.
and what's worse.....we were a weezzzyyyyy sleeeepppyyy...during the class:)
our sonsaengnims were wondering as to why we were kinda tired.......
Oh, swell....

classmate's birthday

Yesterday was the first time ever that within 6 hours I had meals three times. For sure it was not completely me at all. I had a late lunch  after class (2.pm) when my friend asked me to accompany her for her late lunch...at 5pm. Well, since it would be a good time to talk since I had not met her for quite a while....
Just when I had not yet finished having my 2nd lunch....my friend, Taekcho, texted me...informing that it was our friend's--Illiya--birthday. So, he asked me to make a surprise party for him. Since Illiya sits next to me and he's been more like a brother to me...I could not help but agreeing to his plan.
So, we met again at 8pm.
Since it would not be any birthday party without any cakes, we decided to buy some at Paris Baquette near campus. It's a good thing that I had my LG membership card for additional 10% off. ^^ (one of the so many privileges of having this LG Card--not to mention the free movie ticket every month for any movie I want to see in any cineplex) ^^ what a treat.
back to the party...

then we met four other friends and off we went to a Chinese restaurant.
It was the first time ever for me that a restaurant in Korea served lamb satay and fried eggplants just like what I had back home in Indonesia. Hmmm what a treat. So, we did have a goooood time celebrating Illiya's B'day. The dish (though we felt so sorry for not being able to eat them all) was good and the cake was yummy.




Since we were in Korea..and this would not have been any close to Korean culture should we just go back home after party.....we ended up throwing ourselves into another 2-hour session at noraebang or karaoke room. It was a shocking revelation to each of us since most of us sang! we did sing songs that actually kinda portrayed the true and real personalities of who we were individually. It was a good thing that we spent the time together like this since it would eventually work just fine for our friendship.
It was 1 in the morning.
We were strolling back to the dorm.
..........and today...two of us...came late to class.
and what's worse.....we were a weezzzyyyyy sleeeepppyyy...during the class:)
our sonsaengnims were wondering as to why we were kinda tired.......
Oh, swell....

Sports and Games = No Classes

It is supposed to be held tomorrow (Friday, Oct. 14, 2011)...but since the weather forecast predicted that it would be raining tomorrow....the sports and games are held today.
This morning, all classes from level 1 to level 6 jammed the whole soccer field and tennis court in campus. We had the games and sports to celebrate the diversity that we have right here. It is once again plainly visible for us to see that there are around 400 foreign students who are currently studying Korean language and culture at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. Not to mention those in the graduate school--who did not participate in the event.

From left: Elmira, me, Borey, Felix, Wawan, Aigerim,
(+ Jobirson)

Taekcho, me, Illiya

It was actually a once-every term activity. Last year, I heard that they also had a singing competition in Korean. But, this term we had this sports and games competition. It turned out to be quite an interesting thing to do, apart from being stuck in the classes with books that do not talk. But, today...I am sure that most of the students did practice using the Korean language as their medium in conversing with others.
There were four teams distinctively differentiated by the colors of T-shirts: blue, yellow, red, and green.
I am in the blue team who got the most awards from the event.
It was indeed such an interesting event.
Since all of us are required to take part in at least one activity, I decided to try my strength in running competition....only that it is not a usual one since I got to run with my partner with our legs tied into one another. It was the sprint of our day. I found it hard at first since we got to coordinate our movement together.
We did it anyway. It turned out to be quite fun.
As usual, taking pictures is a must-thing to do.:)