산 넘어 산

Once again I've reached the point where I sigh and think to myself once again that language is a never-ending battle. It's that annoying plateau of language learning where you don't feel at all like you're improving, alas. The proverb in the title means "Mountain after mountain," the Korean proverb for life, etc. being a never-ending battle. Of course, you can apply it to basically anything--just finishing my interview midterm yesterday, I felt so relieved, but then of course remembered that there's still the presentation next week, and then the final...and then Level 6!

But as I learn more and more Korean, I realize more and more how much this proverb applies to language learning. After realizing how no matter how much vocabulary I learn and try to remember, there are still countless loads of vocabulary to learn, not to mention separate their meanings (another annoying thing about learning vocabulary in foreign languages--having difficulty separating subtle means of words and not being able to "feel" the differences like I can in English). But I've also realized how language learning is never-ending for English too. I don't know if other people had the same experience as me, but I definitely remember reading books in middle/early high school and not knowing a lot of words. Of course, flipping through the dictionary was tedious, but I realize that, and studying vocabulary for the SATs were the tricks that really multiplied (maybe not multiplied...but adding a lot to) my vocabulary. My language partner got me a Korean (elementary school) dictionary for Christmas, which was really nice of her and has been helping me with my vocabulary. I won't lie, it's pretty frustrating to search for definitions of Korean words, only to be bombarded with more Korean words I don't know! But I remember back to when I did that with English dictionaries and just grin and bear it hehe. As frustrating as it is to feel at a plateau like my sentences are still awkward, my vocabulary not enough, my listening subpar, etc., the best philosophy is probably, as I just said, to grin and bear it (grit your teeth if you translate it into Korean 이를 악물다).

I have just a few pictures to upload this time--a few from when our class went to make "knots" (a funnily vague translation for 매듭) near COEX Mall and a few from when Hiroko and Naoko and I went to World Cup Park once again to prepare for our presentation. Bear with my camera, which, alas, due to the harsh winds of Hallasan, had its filter destroyed, leaving me with a lens that gets soiled easily, so you'll see random pieces of dust :(.
As expected, Korean knots not only look difficult to make, but are actually quite difficult to make. Not only do I lack finger technique, but the strings are also extremely small, making it hard to weave them through the holes. But, with the help of friends and the teachers, we all were able to make one (somehow)! And here's our first class picture, yay! Left to right (first row to second row): Nomin from Mongolia, Anastasiya from Russia, our teacher Oh Seungeun 오승은 선생님), Hiroko from Japan, Jennie from US, Naoko from Japan, Yu from US (but born in Japan and lived there to 6), Miyuki from Japan, Pei Wen from Taiwan, and me!
Yummy Omu Rice with fried chicken stuffed with kimchi.
I know, I take way too many food pictures hehe.
The sun sort of beginning to set at Noeul Park (노을 공원 - Sunset Park)--with a creepy person art sculpture on the left.
Hiroko and Naoko walking the snowy roads.
The (sort of creepy) sculpture.
Pretty park--I'd love to see the actual sunset some time--maybe when it's warmer haha.