The Colours, The innocence - Korean Hanbok

My university's government scholar advisor has a peculiar dressing style. When we visited him in his office, he would always be in his Korean Traditional garment called Hanbok (한복).

"Tell them dear, that if eyes were made for seeing,

Then beauty is its own excuse for being..."

(Ralph Waldo Emerson of "The Rhodora")

The culture of wearing Hanbok started in ancient Korea but the present Hanbok that we can now see and wear originated from the Joseon Dynasty. Hanbok brings out the innocence and feminine side of the lady wearing it because Hanbok for woman is really a conservative traditional costume.

Before:

After :

I envy the women. For men, at first Hanbok did look like a piece of mismatched attire but only after through proper tucking, it turned out better. The emphasis is on the waistline especially when the attire is worn together with the loose belt so sometimes a guy can look a bit sloppy not because it's casual but because it's very loose.

Hanbok is worn only on special occasion these days since a piece of hanbok is really expensive. A handmade one can be made from silk and it can easily fetch more than a few million Won (A few thousand dollars).

Hanbok can be divided into many types and among them is the Jeogori (저고리) which is more easily seen among Koreans because of the less complexity unlike the ceremonial Hanbok.

Hanbok is usually worn on special occasions like Korean Thanksgiving Day (추석) and Lunar New Year (설날). Though, in weddings too, we can find couples wearing Hanbok and I always find woman wearing Hanbok look way better than the poor guy (because I am a guy. ^^).

But truthfully... Guys never look great in Hanbok. Do you find my advisor looking good in Hanbok? Only kids and women wearing hanbok, they do look great. Nevertheless, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. Right? Hanbok can look great for everyone.

ADV - Korea-made apps rock the global market

Today, many of you would have know what smartphones are and their many uses and fantastic applications available. Aside from its domestic success, made-in-Korea apps with its excellent technology are now stepping into the global market.

You might have seen that there are many made-in-Korea apps that were constantly ranked as top-sellers in overseas app store.

App store is an open market that sells applications for iPhones and iPads. Surprisingly, there is one Korea-made app that was ranked as the first top paid app in US. Do you know what it was? The name of the app is ‘Cartoon Wars’.

It is an arcade war game that combines “Defence Genre” and “RTS”. To win the game, you must capture the enemies’ castle by producing as many units as possible. ‘Jolla man’ which is a well-known cartoon figure in Korea, is the main character of the game.

Well, there are still many more made-in-Korea apps that are growing rapidly in the overseas market. Let’s check out some hot apps!

“Best of Britain” Galaxy Tab App by Samsung

Visitors searching for information with the UK tour mobile app in Galaxy Tab (Photo by Consumer Times)

Samsung Electronics and British Tourist Authority signed a partnership for utilizing the mobile contents to promote the London 2012 Olympic Games. With this contract, Samsung Smartphone users will be able to download the tour informations provided by the British Tourist Authority easily.

With a Galaxy Tab, there is no need to worry when traveling to UK. It has all the information you need as a tourist, such as museum, historic site, accommodation, restaurant, etc. This app will be available for download a month from now when Galaxy Tab is to be released in Britain.

Don’t be disappointed that you can’t have this application recently named as the ‘Best of Britain’ right now. Once it comes out, it will not only introduce its innovative technology to all countries of the world during and after the London Olympic, but also make you worry-free.

Various images of Galaxy Tab (Photo by Blog ‘Britain- You’re invited’)

Want to see cool apps? Here’s more

Edited until here but do read more at this link

15 April 2011

If your tomorrow meets today, will the tomorrow be better than today?

Tomorrow is Charlie Chaplin's birth anniversary and Google did a fantastic job designing the homepage commemorating it. Cool. I always remember Charlie Chaplin with his trademark Hitler-like mustache and his walking cane.

“A tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a lonely fellow, always hopeful of romance and adventure.”

Charlie Chaplin (16 April 1889 ~ 25 December 1977)

Dongdaegu Market - Korean rice cake

Around my university, there's lots of interesting places to go. For the I-have-lots-of-time type of guy, he will go directly to the downtown for movie and fine dining (He probably will be broke by the end of month if he's there too often though).

For the lazy ones, he will order food through delivery service. Sometimes, the very common place students from this campus will do is just to visit the market.

Why market? Well, to get to the bus stop (the very convenient 간남약국 bus station), we need to pass through a small lane that had been converted into a small market called 동대구시장 (Dongdaegu Market). This is the place where fresh market produce, freshly baked bread and Korean street food can be found.

The best way for any tourist visiting Korean market is to try out the rice cakes or Tteok (떡) available there. Tteok is served during celebrations or important day such as weddings and also to honor the deceased.

There's a particular rice cake that is very common in Korea, just ask any Koreans and they will definitely know that Songpyeon (송편) is the must-try. Other than Injeolmi (인절미), a type of rice cake made after the glutinuous rice flour was pounded and mixed with dried/powdered beans. It is extremely common to find Songpyeon of all rice cakes available.

Songpyeon

What is Songpyeon then? Songpyeon is made from glutinous rice flour and some sweet filling such as nuts that were added into the rice ball. It was then shaped to look like Chinese gold ingot (in my opinion). Songpyeon is usually eaten during Chuseok (추석) or Korean Thanksgiving, a day I always remember as one of the most eerily quiet day in my campus.

I think it's pumpkin cake

Sweet and fluffy

Korean Thanksgiving day falls on mid-autumn, the 15th day of the 8th month in the Lunar Calender. Ethnic Chinese too celebrates this day and during the Mid-Autumn festival, instead of Songpyeon, we will eat Moon cakes. East Asians like the ethnic Chinese and Korean share almost an identical culture.

Today is my "Songpyeon day", nah, it is just another day that I am again extremely bored. Tried Songpyeon and an unknown cake (I did not ask for the name, it looked nice so instinctively, I bought it. Just kidding. I bought it just to try out), which I think is the 호박빵 (Pumpkin cake). Each pack is 2000 Won.

If you are at Dondaegu Market, you can find 3 stalls selling tteok, just walk to the end of the market and there's a medium size stall on your right. This was the shop I went to. Nevertheless, I am not saying that the other stalls do not sell nice tteok. It was just that I bought my tteok at this stall on that fortunate day.

Suicide at KAIST - My Viewpoint

Korea, among developed nations, is a country with the highest cases of suicide. In just a span of few months, 4 students and a professor committed suicide at the same university - KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology). For the Korean students there, they blamed it on the overly competitive environment since KAIST is among the top university in Korea.

KAIST has an unique system whereby students who do not attain CGPA of 3.0 and above will be penalized with deduction of the full scholarship given to all KAIST students. Some students already with study pressure will have to then find other means in earning money to pay the penalty if he/she failed to achieve the expected result.

The core issues are not the penalty imposed to "weak" students but in my opinion, the students' mindsets and through it, the Korean education system must change. From young, the students were taught to be the best so that they can easily find employments. Henceforth, the students hate failures and will usually work hard until he/she achieve what they want in life. For them, maybe entering the best university like KAIST?

When a person enters the best university, of course, he/she must do the best. If a person fails to achieve the expected result in a competitive environment, do you blame the system of penalizing the "weak"? Or do you blame the students? Again in my opinion, we should choose the right university not based on ranking or because of good employability in future. We should choose it based on the environment itself.

If a person knew that he could not cope with extreme stress, by all means pick a less competitive university. A less competitive university (most probably with lower ranking) does not equates the students as weak students. From young, I believe a university is the place to nurture us to be matured individuals and not wholly about studies. Though, my mum like all Korean mothers, thought of it otherwise - Good results are a must.

Hence, the students must be able to make decisions not based on other people's opinions but his/her true intentions based on his/her capabilities. Since what that shapes our lives are through our actions, if we want to live in a competitive environment, we should really be prepared for it. Instead of pointing the blame at the competitive environment, I think the students ought to be prepared when faced with it.

Though I do not blame the KAIST students for suggesting that competitive environment is the cause of suicide, but first, we must always ask, what makes the environment there so competitive? Isn't it the students' mindsets?

(This is just my opinion/views on the recent spate of suicide in Korea and I am sincerely sorry if I did offend anyone. I am just a 2nd year university student, so I am never a qualified person to comment on this. My view can be wrong because there are other better opinions around on the causes of suicide there at KAIST. Thanks for reading.)

Korean Language Program @ Daegu

Hi guys,

I guess, other than my friends, most "visitors" of this blog are interested in learning and knowing more about interesting places in Korea, life here and the culture (Of course through my viewpoint). I believe to learn more about the country is to know the language.

I'll open the door for you :)

Language can open wide range of opportunities if mastered well, a person can listen and understand foreign songs/movies without translation and speak with the locals without fear of misunderstanding and so forth.

When I was in high school, nobody knew that I can speak in Hokkien or the Taiwanese language. Since nobody had ever asked me about my language ability, I did put it to good use sometimes when people were talking about me or friends.

Back then, it was so cool that I can understand every single word they had just said but yet no one knew it.

My university, Kyungpook National University has been for ages the center of Korean language education in Daegu.

My 대학교 or university (shot taken during autumn 2010)

Korean Language Program Overview

This course is designed to offer Korean language instruction to overseas Koreans and foreigners who at least have completed high school. Before instruction starts, students take a placement test for a proper placement.

Experienced instructors in teaching Korean language with at least a master’s degree in the humanities or social sciences will use various audio-visual materials for live education.

In addition, the exploring Korean culture program will provide good opportunities to understand Korean culture.

- 4 semesters per year :

10 weeks of classes, plus cultural activities every semester

- 4 ｘ 1-hour classes per day, 5 days per week :

200 hours of language instruction per semester

Korean Language Courses

1. Classes are taught by experienced instructors and focus are on listening, speaking, reading, writing, pronunciation, and practical and academic skills.

Kyungpook National University during winter 2010

2. Based on the results of the placement test, students will be registered in the appropriate level according to their Korean language proficiency (beginner, intermediate, advanced levels).

3. Class size: around 15 students per class.

4. Cultural program every semester: activities include visiting historical and culturally important places, field trips, plus lots of hands-on experiences.

5. Certificate: A certificate and transcript will be issued to students who successfully complete each semester.

Do read more at this link for the scholarships offered, fees and information.

You are not alone ^^

If you are lonely or bored while in Kyungpook National University (KNU), there are always friends (and me too) who will try and make your time here at KNU be an interesting one. Hope to see you soon in my university~

Lets eat together, Samarkand in Daegu

How well do you know about food? In Korea, I like going to classy restaurants not for the food, I went there for culinary experience. In Daegu, there are lots of Uzbek and also some from the Central Asia regions, some of them are working while a small group of them are students.

Most of them are extremely kind but they would be a kinder if we say "Ti krasivaya" to the ladies which means "You're beautiful" in Russian. Just kidding :)

My Russian language teachers/friends while at the language institute

All Uzbek can speak Russian and they can really be fantastic Russian language teachers. When I was learning Korean language, I learned Russian while attending Korean classes at the same time from my Russian friends. Hence, this is why my Korean proficiency can be sucky at times. lol.

As time passes, due to time and aging. I could not speak or remember any Russian phrases now. Lets not talk about young age Alzheimer.. So instead of "Privet", I'll stick to my "안녕하세요" thingy.

To get to the best Uzbek restaurant in Daegu, first we have to visit the downtown. I recommend having Uzbek food at Samarkand. This is not my first, second or third time there. I used to have either lunch or dinner there once a month. But these days, unless for special occasions, I don't really go there anymore.

The restaurant

The menu list

I always order "Plov" (around 6000 Won) and a pie (2000 Won) when I am here for lunch because they are simply delicious. For dinner, I will have nicer meal, like grilled meat with bread together with some stew (I have forgotten all the names of the food I had ordered except for only the "Plov").

The humble Plov and the pie

The dishes

나이스

Uzbekistan food in Korea can be said to be delicious for first timers but for real Uzbek, the food here are just ordinary and nothing special. The "Plov" is just so-so because my Kazakhstan friend can cook a better one.

I think central Asia countries share almost the same culture and food. I might be wrong as the food can be different but at least I know I did try some countries' national food right here in Daegu. Paka!