Korean Diaries and Pens

Happy New Year!

It’s already 2013! I can’t believe how 2012 went by that fast! How was your new year? Did you guys made resolutions? I did some though I doubt I’ll stick to them hehe. For my first post this year I’d like to share about Korean diaries and pens that I have.

I’ve been obsessing about decorating my 2013 planner/diary! Been writing one every year since I was in 5th grade. It makes me laugh whenever I read the old ones I have. I’m glad that I write one every year because I can reflect on whatever I did in the past and just laugh about them in the present.

My old planners/diaries are left back in the Philippines and these are the ones I have brought with me. The Alice in Wonderland diary was my 2010 diary, blue one on the left was my 2011 diary and the white one on the right is my 2013 diary.
I love this part of my 2010 diary! Tickets of concerts I’ve been to and the movies I’ve watched.A look inside my 2013 diary.Now with drawings and more colors ^^.Inspired by those 다꾸 (다이어리 꾸미기) blogs I saw on Naver I did all those drawings on my diary which I think makes it really cute XD.

Now I’ll show you my pen collection!I’m obsessed with pens! And I do really use all of these! Some of them are really pricy though T^T.

Staedtler pens which I love for coloring are 1,000won each! I didn’t buy all at once though there’s a one whole pack of them with all the colors. I also use Monami pens for coloring and the pens have 2 sides for fine and medium. Dong-A Fine Tech RT pens are the only black pens I have! XD I bought them the other day because I really don’t have one! They’re okay I guess but I feel they’re more 0.4 than 0.3mm O.o. Then my favorite pens which are Pilot Hi-Tec-C and Dong-A Fine Tech pens! They are all around 0.28-0.3mm. They all look like candies right?

Here’s a list of 다꾸blogs that you should check out!

Sor Sora | 헤수니 | Guyang | 단발머리쫑아 | 펀치넬로

Random Things I Learn

I haven’t been really studying both Korean and Japanese lately—and I’ve been using this line for the last couple of posts lol. As you all know I’m very lazy that’s why my progress in Korean is very much slow compared to those who actually started learning the language later than I did. But that doesn’t mean I’m not learning anything! I randomly learn stuff from the things I see on tv and online.

So the other day I really wanted to write something on the foggy window of the bus I was on because I was that bored! I know I’m so random! I wanted to write something that’s cool so I looked for a Japanese song title on my ipod that I could write. I found miwa’s  春になったら and wrote that on the foggy window without knowing what it means. Yeah, I wrote the Kanji as well without knowing the right strokes but I’m now familiar with that character which is great because I know it’s important to know Kanji.

I was curious on what the song title means so I looked it up on Naver by using their Korean-Japanese dictionary because it’s just easier. I think it means “봄이 되었다/ 봄이 되면” or “Spring has come/If spring comes”. 春 can be read as はる or　しゅん which means spring and になった is past/ or present form (not sure) of になる which is 되다. I have no japanese grammar knowledge yet I’m just guessing what it means but I’m glad it’s right when I asked my friend about it. Thanks Zara!

And today I posted a photo of Rurouni Kenshin on Kakaostory and I wanted to at least write the name in Japanese and so I did. I was a confused with the Kanji of Kenshin’s name so I stared at the poster and looked for the right one when I typed it in. るろうに剣心. I found it. I’m already familiar with the character 心 and don’t ask me how I learned it because it’s a long story. I wanted to know what the characters mean so I went to look for it. るろうにんmeans 유령자 (vagabond) and 剣 means 칼 검 (sword) and 心 means こころ or 마음 in Korean and heart in English. I got it! No wonder why that’s his name.

Kind of strange but before when I first learned Japanese back in my university I wasn’t really into it even though I was learning a lot in class. Now it’s really different for I feel excited whenever I learn something new! The same feeling I felt when I was first studying Korean. I guess I’m having “the kick” to be more passionate in learning Japanese!

I also learn random things in Korean and though I’m not really studying it much I’m quite surprised with myself whenever I read news because I can fully understand them! I don’t know how that happened but that feels good at least.

So how about you? How are you learning these days?

PS. For those who are curious about what happened to my naturalization interview I’m sorry I’m not going to share it here because I already ranted everything on twitter.

[Korean Audio Blog] 귀화시험

I recorded this almost 5 o’clock in the morning so I apologize for my cracked voice and awful pronunciation…oh yeah plus the giggling.

I did this fast as I could because I was getting sleepy and I think I was makig too much noise. I didn’t get the chance to correct my mistakes too but anyway it’s been a while since I recorded something and still as you can see my korean still sucks.

I’m Back!

Hi guys! It’s been actually a year since I last updated this blog! I’ve been really busy with work and I’ve been helping out my sister around the house because she gave birth to another baby. I don’t even have time to go out with my friends T_T so there’s been a lot of delays and such with some things. Since it’s been so long I had problems logging into my wordpress because I actually forgot my password and which email I used for this account! Anyway I’ll be writing about what happened to my learning journey so this post might be the first part of my year!

I got addicted to 해를 품은 달 when the year started and I’m still quite questioning myself why. Archana mentioned the books to me last year and I got interested especially when I found out that Hwon was going to be played by Kim Soohyun! I bought the books and learn quite a lot of things. I didn’t read them all by the way I just skipped those stuff that I wasn’t interested in and I find it weird to read an exotic(?) scenes in 사극 form. Got familiarized with 사극 speak, more Korean culture and tradition!

Reading the books made me more curious about Korea’s history so after the drama ended I endulged myself into watching more 사극 dramas! 공주의 남자, 황진이, 동이 and 바람의 화원! 공주의 남자’s the only drama I got to finish in the list because I got too hooked! While watching these dramas I also did a lot of research on history and details I noticed while watching. From how they read time back in Joseon, different kind of 비녀s and hanboks, ranks, the kind of society they had and etc. I enjoyed both watching and learning so I’m looking forward to more 사극 dramas!

Influenced by my 사극 dramas I went to 경복궁 last Valentines Day! ALONE! XD Sorry for the photos I really had to combine them together because there’s so many.

I’m always about novels and Korean textbooks that sometimes most of the time I couldn’t help myself but buy more. I bought a Topik book last spring and I regret it! The explanations were horribly done even though it’s in English and you’ll just give up on it because you’ll never get what it’s suppose to say. On the other hand I bought two books about history! Thanks to Nora for recommending me Seoul Selection! I bought the translated version of Samguk Yusa and Korea, Old and New: A History. I wish they could’ve just written the names in 한글 because it’s quite confusing to read them romanized.

I lost interest in Kpop and I didn’t watch much dramas neither in summer except 응답하라 1997!  A friend told me to watch it when I was whining about how bad the dramas on tv were XD. I got hooked easily! The theme of the drama was so good though it had some flaws but I don’t really care. It’s your kind of drama I swear! I’m pretty bad at explaning on how awesome it is but you should watch it if you haven’t!

I haven’t been studying Korean for months now so I don’t think I really improved that much. My writing and speaking is better than before now since my church friends and I always exchange messages on our little 카톡방.

I’m trying to learn Japanese again! Since I completely forgot everything I learned in my Jap class before I’m starting from the beginning which is learning hiragana and katakana OTL. I don’t have my japanese textbooks with me here so I’m relying on pdf files I downloaded online. I drifted away from watching Korean dramas instead I watch Jdramas now. I learned quite a few vocabs and grammar through watching though I have no idea how to write them down as of yet.

I have so many things to blog about but this is getting long so I’ll probably just post them next time! I hope you guys are well^^

한글 파크 – The Korean Language Book Heaven

image credit: angrypolishgirl.tumblr.com

I saw about this great place on tumblr and decided to check it out today. I was so excited that I forgot that I was freezing XD. The place was small but filled with Korean related books such as language textbooks from all universities, grammar books, Korean recipe books, Korean culture and history books and so on. I felt like I was in heaven! It was my first time to be surrounded by ONLY Korean books. I seriously want them all.

There’s more books than what you see in the second photo actually.

I was checking everything that’s in there! I was also loud too ahaha couldn’t hide my excitement! I think I’ll be coming here more often! I bought the book that Allan 선생님 of Pegasus Society for Korean Studies used to teach us in 왕 Advance class on skype. I didn’t get to find it in bookstores like Kyobo and Bandi and Lunis so I was so glad I found it in Hangul Park!

When I got home and opened the book I felt like I was committing suicide by reading it XD It’s so hard! Definitely not for self-study but I’m sure I’ll get through this like my other books besides I already studied some lessons before through Allan 선생님’s blog. I think I need to buy the workbook as well.

If you’re looking for a variety of Korean books you should pay this place a visit!

How to get there:

If you get off at 신촌역, exit 1, and walk straight towards 동교동삼거리, past 현대백화점 you will find a truely magical place. On the 3rdfloor of a red-brick building (1st floor is 신도약국) is 한글파크 – a bookstore that has all the books for learning Korean. And by all I mean that they even had the shit used in 청주. They also have books on Korean culture, children’s stories and comics. They are open until 8pm on weekdays and 6pm on Saturdays. They also have a website where I think you can order online: www.hangulpark.com
주소: 서대문구 창천동 72-6
Tel: 02-364-9544, 02-561-9544

-angrypolishgirl

Again I’m on a book high..I really REALLY can’t help myself whenever I’m in a bookstore. I also bought these books this month

And yesterday I almost bought the TOPIK 150 Essential Grammar but thankfully I compared it’s contents with Intermediate College Korean! They’re very similar when it comes to grammar points so I decided not to get it. My sister thinks I’m wasting money on Korean books since I already have a bunch but it’s like an addiction which is hard to control hehe.

Giveaway Winners!

First of all I want to thank everyone who participated in my blog’s 2nd anniversary giveaway. I didn’t expect that I’ll be receiving a lot of entries and it quite touching to know that there are more Korean language learners out there! To be honest, at first I thought this giveaway would fail since I do know that I have more lurking readers than those who actually comments on my posts XD.

It’s been really hard for me to decide which entries to choose so I asked my fellow language blogger Archana to help me out. We actually picked up 3 entries and thought about our decision quite carefully. I honestly wanted to just give 3 books when I read the essays but that’s impossible for I am low on budget T^T So it broke my heart to drop one entry. I’ll be sharing some quotations from the entries that made me and Archana liked them.

My motivation to learn Korean is simple. The language is fun and interesting;
therefore it is not even like learning. Practicing this language is more like any other
hobby that I enjoy. Even when I have a full schedule, if I have to choose between
studying Korean and doing something else, I will usually choose to study.

and..

Fangirling is still an important part of my Korean learning journey as it still served its primary role of
being my motivation and source of interest throughout this whole process. But unlike before, I do it
now as part of studying the language. And as I progress on learning the language I suddenly realized
that I became less and less of a fangirl and I just grew more as a language learner. I totally fell in love
in studying Korean because of deeper reasons which is beyond that of simply the current wave of KPOP
and boybands. I fell in love with the language because of its unique and interesting nature which keeps
me going everyday. It is such a beautiful language which challenges me and keeps me wondering “how
and why” certain things related to it came to be. And it keeps the fire of my passion to learn burning.

I actually wanted to quote the whole essays but it will make this post even longer XD. So the winners are..

Melinda Childs and Kat Detros

Congratulations! Your entries appealed to me and Archana! You will be receiving one book each according to what level that you want. Please email me your full name, full address and the level of textbook you want! Please send them before this coming Wednesday for I am planning to send the books by Friday^^

To those who were not picked, I’m really sorry but please do continue on learning Korean! It takes time and a lot of patience to be fluent or at least be good at it. I do know it’s hard to find books in some countries so I recommend TTMIK and Clare You’s Intermediate College Korean, both are good for self-study.

Giveaway clarification

I think there’s been a misunderstanding about my giveaway. I won’t be giving away two books each to two winners, like that will make me so broke the whole month T^T I’m sorry. I’ll be only giving one book to  each winners because I can only afford two..like I said Yonsei textbooks are expensive.

So one book to each winners and since I’ll be picking two winners that’s two books. I’m really sorry I should have made it clearer in my post but I wrote that like 3 in the morning and I was in a rush so..ㅠㅠ Redundant post I know.

Updates on the essays, I received a lot so guys thank you soooo much for your entries and for joining!