So it's been a long year since I last updated, and looking back on my posts, I realize how silly I sound when I blog haha. But that's okay, I'm sure I'll look back on this year's posts too and laugh at myself.
And now I'm really here, for a whole 9 months too. Phew, that's pretty ridiculous--it'll be triple the time I was here last year, not to mention the longest I've been away from home, by far, but I'm sure I'll learn a lot of life lessons, and of course, greatly improve my Korean (hopefully :D). I've also found out recently that the Department of Defense rates Korean as the hardest language for English speakers for learn (a Category V language, which includes no other language in their list), requiring 75 to 88 weeks to learn to proficiency (not even fluency).
Wonderful.
What have I gotten myself into? Well, I solace myself with the thought that after Korean, any future languages I learn will be a walk in the park :), maybe. I had my interview today for placement into Sogang University's language program and I absolutely blew it. Just before it, I had lunch with my friend 민걸 who I hadn't seen since last summer (he doesn't speak English) and I felt really really confident about my Korean after talking to him. But I entered the room and absolutely froze and sweated profusely (gross, I know) from nervousness! Not only did I completely blank out on responding but the way I formed my sentences were so horribly poor that I felt like I belonged in Level 1! Well, at least I can't fall back into Level 3 since I graduated from it. So I placed into Level 4, despite doing a second year of Korean after doing Level 3 while studying Level 4 with Angela 선생님's help. Ah well, I guess at least I'll know all the material. I also have to get used to speaking in Korean again (gosh three months working in a baby lab and not speaking a word of Korean to anyone can really deteriorate your ability!). Hopefully these two weeks I have before classes start will gear me up for class at least, if not a chance to advance to Level 5 (which may be too scary anyway).
But backtracking a bit, I should probably give some background. My flight was pretty awesome--I had the wonderful luck of having 3 seats all to myself (a couple was next to me, but they moved to other seats--did I offend them? I don't know). So I lay down over all of them and slept for a good 6 or 7 hours, effectively conquering my jetlag (or so I think =]).
I'm staying in an apartment near Hyundai Department Store with another Light Fellow, Bob, whose blog you can read here: http://bobinseoul.blogspot.com
It's pretty nice! Fairly spacious, with all the amenities that we really need. I'll take some pictures and upload them some time soon. Only problem is for some reason we have a lot of ants. We don't even know where they're coming from, considering we don't have any food. Oh well, better than cockroaches or mosquitoes. Hopefully they'll go away and we won't have to call an exterminator...I don't even know how we would begin to explain wanting an exterminator in Korean hahahaha.
Setting up my bank account was pretty ridiculous, considering there's SO much bank terminology I barely understand in English, let alone in Korean. But at least I understood the most important points and I did a lot of smiling and nodding :). I don't know if even a year here will allow me to understand bank jargon (in any language ;]). Next up is getting my cell phone plan...which will require me to get an alien registration card first. Great. Official business and logistics never cease to be the bane of my existence!
Well, it's time for me to meet up with Heeseung, Tiffany (two girls from my Korean 132/142 class) and our first semester TA Sally for dinner! Yay!
Edit: Okay here are some pictures of my room with Bob. As you can see, it's much larger than my 하숙집 last year :).
Random lonely plant that the last tenants left behind...
탈모 means hair loss, so I guess we're near a hair loss health clinic or something XD.
Lotsa luggage strewn around--we're getting shelves soon!
And because Engrish is amazing: this seems to be a photocopy from an English-learning book that Bob found (I guess it was left behind by the last tenants). You can click the picture to see the awesome conversation and see that despite all the normal comparisons, the last one just had to be "AIDS and the Common Cold"!
And some more Engrish for fun :D.
5 comments:
Welcome back! You're going to be absolutely amazed at what you'll gain from a 9 month stay vs a summer. Looking forward to your blog.
Haha that is crazy about the Dod and its categorization of Korean! You'll be fine - foreign languages are tough, even for a language nut like you. My freshman roommate has been studying Spanish since freshman year of high school, spent a year in Spain during her junior year, continued to study the language intensively in college (she's a Spanish major), has spent this past summer in Spain and she still doesn't feel "fluent," though she feels confidently proficient. I think her definition of fluent may be a bit stringent but you get my gist
Also, get two spray cans of the Korean equivalent of Raid for Ants and buy a bunch of ant traps to place around your apartment. We had an ant invasion in our apartment last year and thank God I didn't have to take care of it (my roommate and her mother arrived a week before everyone else and had the misfortunate of addressing the problem), but the problem will only get worse if you leave it be and you will need to get an exterminator. Sorry to be the one to tell you that
Have fun! I'll be reading/skimming these, you have an audience
love love love your posts - not only cuz you're an awesome writer, but also cuz it's about korea LOL. it's gonna be a good semester. good luck!! miss you already~
Yay! Tyler's back in Korea and back to blogging, I am very excited to be able to read about your experiences in a country I might never get to on my own. I love you dearly but we really need to work out a better time to talk than at 4am my time. Hope the ants stop marching... and you're confidence in Korean returns.
"I am more intelligent than you!"
Definitely prepping Korean kids for life in the States.
Anyway, glad you made it to Korea and I hope you don't starve and go homeless for lack of cash. Can't wait to hear more from you soon.
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