Korean Language Exam

My Korean Language Level Exam was over today. Basically, this exam comprises listening skill, reading, writing, speaking and grammer.

And today, i am kinda disappointed. It seems (again) that my efforts to get good results in it doesn't pays off. It's like even though you have put so much effort in learning it, there are always someone that is better than you. Very disappointed actually.

My result were nothing to be boasted, i scored 19 over 25 in reading, others were a lil' more than half of the given percentage, lets say 27.5 over 40, some were 2/3 of the total marks but for writing paper, i have yet to know my result. However, this is not what that makes me *uhhm*. What makes me so upset is my speaking skill part. only a miserable 9 out of 30! Wow... what a record.

Usually, i speak only to the locals but mostly it's like "Ol ma ip ni ka? (how much is it)", "Yolk chon won... wah... bi sah yo... (6000 Won... wah, so expensive!)" and also my famous sentence starter "Ke ro mion (in that case)" but i never realise that the speaking part in exam included "Ji man (sentence connector)" "ji man" means "but". and i never use "but" when i speak with Koreans.

It was and still is tough learning Korean, really, everyone learn it in 2 months while us, the scholarship recipients learn it in only a month. Korean language is tough because there is so many rules when learning it, when we speak to old people, we use "jo nen (i)" but when we speak to friends, we have to use "nah nen (i)". It gets harder and harder as we progress.

Comparing with other languages, in the speaking part, i would say korean is tough. But in the complexity of the characters, chinese (mandarin) characters are complicated. And, korean "word" has so many meanings, example, "Jom" can mean " a little" and also "please".

Couldn't type in korean as i am using my laptop without any pre-installed korean language typing software, yet. Very sleepy too...

Lost in Jeonju/Seoul?

Seoul Subway.

View of Seoul from top.

Most beautiful place so far, Jeonju.

Jeonju from the top of hill.

Korean Government Scholars at KNU.

Though i went to Jeonju two weeks ago, i would say it was one of the most beautiful place in Korea other than busy Seoul so far. I had visited/travelled to Kyongju, Jeonju, Seoul, Daegu (my city... lol) and next on my list will be Busan and Jeju Island. Hopefully, i will be visiting Busan before next year.

But Jeju Island, it costs hell lots of money, so i am trying to "save" little by little.

Here are some pics of Jeonju and Seoul. Couldn't post many due to my urge to sleep (and it seems that i can only upload 5 photos in this post!), i studied from 8 pm till 2 am yesterday (or should i say today) Korean language was a tough nut to crack!

Have a nice day =)

Love, Friendship & Sacrifice

Language are meant to be used rather than be kept and used only in times of need. Since, there's nobody to speak to in english back here in Korea, i would say that my english proficiency has started to deteriorate. (Ahhh!!!)

From writing articles, stories, poems for my school magazine (PFS Mag Year 2004, 2008), back here, i do not have much opportunities to use it, but the best part is i can speak another foreign language (Korean) and this adds to my 5th languages (and dialect) that i can converse in (English, Malay, Chinese, Hokkien) but sometimes one could add another, Indo language as it's extremely similar to our Malaysian language.

Maybe i can also learn another foreign language here... Russian... lots of ready made "teachers"... lol...

This is my movie review for issue no 333, my review is Pearl Harbor, honestly, it was a very very touching movie, i would rate this movie as my 4th best after Dark Knight, Forest Gump and Titanic. For those people who are curious about "how on earth can i rate a movie as each and every person have their own preference and taste?" I would say, dear critics, my answer goes like this, "Yes, we have our own preference when watching a movie, maybe some likes action-packed or even romance type movies. But i believe, the best movies are movies that can touch you, touch you deeply and at the same time brings out the best of these actors/actresses.

Here's my review...

"Nobody would ever believe me (until they have seen it) that the greatest movie of all times is Pearl Harbor. It was a 2001 film yet it brought much values needed in a cinematography, a movie that tells us about the history and reminds us about the weaknesses of humans. True enough to the title of the movie, the story begins and ends with Pearl Harbor.

It’s a tale that centers two young boy and their phases to adulthood. Naive as they were, they have an enormous curiosity and interest in aviation. Their common interest in planes were seen when Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck) and Danny Walker (Josh Harnett), both the main characters and childhood friends in the film, accidentally started a crop dusting plane and nearly killed themselves by doing so.

Then, fast forward, they were now adults and Rafe decided to do what that is best for his career – flying. He volunteered to fight the Nazis on the Western front under the Royal Air Force pretext because at that time America was still in peace time. But before he left for England, he had to undergo a check-up but his eyesight was not perfect enough to be accepted as a pilot. So he begged Evelyn Johnson (Kate Beckinsale), a nurse to allow him to pass the test so that he would be able to fulfil his dream of becoming a pilot.

Luckily for him, the nurse sympathised him and passed his check-up. Coincidences as it may seems, he met the nurse again and this was where they fell for each other. However, he was shot down in combat and was presumed to be killed-in-action only to return to find that his lover had fallen for another guy, his childhood friend, Danny.

The movie also briefly tells us a true aspect of what had happened before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor, the ignorance of defence preparation before the imminent strike by the Japanese. Race does not matter when defending the motherland, the blacks (which at that time were relegated to cooking jobs) courageously assisted in eliminating the enemies. At the same time, both Rafe and Danny after reconciling, they put their aviation training to good use by downing enemy’s planes.

Both of them show important values, they are willing to sacrifice their lives for the country and they are always there for one another when the going gets tougher. However, the movie is not a fairy tale as one of them gave his life to save another. This movie may or may not touch your heart but for me, it has imparted me with many values and offers a whole range of moral education, history and entertainment.


Kyle Tan Jin Soon (Department of Korean Language, Kyungpook National University)"

Spring in Korea (PART I)

This pic was taken last month, at the start of spring in Korea

My 2nd Week and Counting...

Today is my longest day away from home and family. 2 weeks plus. Usually, it's just a week (Sunburst Youth Camp in Singapore) or the normal Red Crescent Annual Camp (4 days 3 nights) annually. Here, experiencing different cultures, different environment and new things to be learned everyday...

Im looking for a place
Im searching for a face
Is anybody here I know

Cause nothing's going right
And everything's a mess
And no one likes to be alone...


카 일 단 진 순

We laugh, we sing, we learn..

It was now day 5 (or 6?) since i arrived from msia... until now, i still have much difficulties in talking to my room mate, he's a korean. Sometimes, i hope that i would be given another shot in my STPM (A-level).

Though my result was okay, but it's not what that i had expected (i expected to get 4 FLAT!!! lol...) So now, i am in Korea, under scholarship... it was surreal at first (to receive this scholarship) because i received the offer even before my results were out, i thought it was a prank when i received the call from the korean embassy.

Life in the uni was suprisingly interesting. moreover, there were so many places to explore but since i have no basic korean language skills, it was pretty hard. I noticed that there were lots of cc (cyber cafes) around my uni and most (not all...) students, during their free time, play computer games or chatting (ICQ, rarely MSN)! Why??? well, i think the weather here is so cold (between 3~10 Degrees) that it makes everyone more comfortable staying indoors.. No wonder, they have the most broadband users.

Still, i am pretty much lazy to post the pictures of my campus, etc as i have yet to buy the 2-pin socket for my laptop. and i really need my adobe photoshop cd... left it at home again... sigh...

"A thousand miles seems pretty far
But they've got planes and trains and cars
I'd walk to you if I had no other way"

~Here There Delilah~

Miss home so much... hope to be back someday.

Korean Escapade

Anyo Haseyong!!!! LOL, I've reached Korea just yesterday, about 8-something in the moning (local time in korea which is an hour earlier...) There were many things that i have forgotten to bring back home (my laptops adapter, cables, etc!!!)... Currently, i have no lessons yet, so i am like wasting my time surfing the net here and there. I miss my home, family, friends, my CC (cyber cafe) kakies (buddies), food (hmmn, i began to crave for more malaysian food... sigh..) and american idol... so many things...

What can say is that i am a bit homesick, there were times when i regretted spending so much time in front of the com than going out with my friends for some outing or whatever. Now!!! i couldnt even use my laptop (for games, etc), i did not bring along my ADAPTORS!!! dang... so now i am stuck with my dorms's PCs... haiz...

At this moment, the cherry blossoms start to bloom already, it's spring time... but the word "spring" does not really mean spring, it was cold, i think less than 3 degrees... much more cooler when the windy breeze hits you... it's like opening a freezer and experiencing a huge cold gust of wind... Oh, did i tell you about Korean food, to be honest... i am not really into it, my first taste of korean food here was at a rest station (more like the rest house along the PLUS expressway), there i tasted a very nice chicken (is it???) meatballs, it was really nice and costed only 2000 won (about RM 7... dun let the malaysian price scare you off... here da pricings are like that) and also steamed (or baked???) potatos at only 2500 won... it was just okay, but the meatball was superb... and yes, during my first day (at 9 PM!!!) here, i met only 5 Malaysians there.. sad... as i am the only person taking the language course there...

Well, the trip to the bus terminal in Daegu (the 3rd largest city in korea) from the airport was expensive (it's a 4 to 5 hours ride) and cost 32000 won... wah!!! then, i took a cab to my uni at 3800 won... Okay, i am not going to talk about it anymore! talking about the pricing is totally different as the cost here is much more expensive.. what i am going to talk more is about the food, yes, food!!! kimchis for some (not me... LOL) is nice but what i can say is that it's extremely spicy, man, i spitted out the first time i tasted it... man, and guess what? there's meals of kimchis everyday in my uni (or as the matter of fact, every unis!!!) ...

Here, the uni provide food for everyone... its very good that i do not have to pay a single sen/won on it.. lol... i am saving coz i did not receive my allowance yet, and sadly, i still have lots of malaysian currency that need to be exchanged to won and i do not know how to use the atm either, it was all korean... and yes, everything is in korean and not bilingual (korean and english or mandarin, etc), so i am really having so much difficulties... and the food served here is more like western style one, you pick what you want laid on the cafeteria table (er, i am not so sure how to call it btw...) So you take a tray, then you pick some rice, at least 2 vege dishes (pickled veges, KIMCHIS, etc), another korean traditional food and a meat (always beef... hmmn...), then if you prefer to take like bread, there's only jams, pork or beef slices (it was nice... non halal ones... more like the sliced luncheon meat in malaysia... as much as you want...) and packed milk (interestingly, malaysian never consume much milk, maybe milo with milk, but here there's boxes of milk ready for consumption)

So now, i am still "surviving" and hopefully my journey will be smooth flowing once i have the grasp of some korean language... hopefully...


ps. i will post some pictures sometime soon...