Alphabet Soup
I have recently done something that has way improved my life in Korea. I learned the Korean alphabet.
Korean characters, unlike the ones used in English, make the same sound everytime you see them. Although I am now reading at a first-grade level (or lower,) at least I am reading. I can sound out most words I see. This does not mean I will understand the words I am reading, but I can sound out words and this has revolutionized my life here.
I have learned a lot of the words for foods I like, and even know the words for many foods I have never tried. Now, when I walk into a restaurant I can read a menu and realize what most things are. This means a lot of menus around Korea have gone from two or three items I know how to order to twenty or thirty. This really opens up my options.
I have also realized that many words are very similar to their English counterparts. On my walk to work I read words all the time that are easily translatable for me. Some examples of groups of symbols I have walked by for months that have now become words to me: piano, Americano (in the coffeeshop - most of the words on a coffeshop menu make sense to me when I sound them out,) supermarket, chocolate, and many many others. To be honest, I get a thrill and a sense of accomplishment when I read a word. Until now, I have felt like a small child wandering into the middle of a movie with no idea of what is going on, but now I kinda know what is going on.
Speaking of movies, there are lots of English movies and TV shows on my TV. Generally, the titles are written in Korean in the corner of the screen. I enjoy trying to figure out what movie is on by reading the words before I figure out what movie it is by the images.
I have even encountered some Korean words that I have learned just from living here, and now I read them on signs or storefronts and can figure out what I am looking at. The word "hof" loosely translates to "bar." Not all bars are labeled with the English translation, "hof," but now that I can read it, I know where they are. Same goes for singing rooms. They are called "noraebongs" in this country and I just realized that a few of the buildings in my neighborhood are these kind of establishments.
This has also helped me with my job. I understand my kids better and the problems they have in the classroom. There is only one character in Korean for an L/R sound. Kids are always messing up these two letters and I get it now - I know a little better how to fix their problems.
I feel smarter and more in control of my destiny over here now. I am still functionally retarded when it comes to communicating in Korean, but now I have a little insight into what's going on around me.
This might all sound cheesy, but it is incredibly frustrating to be illiterate. I am still a foriegner, I am still an outsider, but now I have a little more access to things in this country.
Life is looking up (plus I got some this weekend, which always helps.)
Much love from Seoul
Korean characters, unlike the ones used in English, make the same sound everytime you see them. Although I am now reading at a first-grade level (or lower,) at least I am reading. I can sound out most words I see. This does not mean I will understand the words I am reading, but I can sound out words and this has revolutionized my life here.
I have learned a lot of the words for foods I like, and even know the words for many foods I have never tried. Now, when I walk into a restaurant I can read a menu and realize what most things are. This means a lot of menus around Korea have gone from two or three items I know how to order to twenty or thirty. This really opens up my options.
I have also realized that many words are very similar to their English counterparts. On my walk to work I read words all the time that are easily translatable for me. Some examples of groups of symbols I have walked by for months that have now become words to me: piano, Americano (in the coffeeshop - most of the words on a coffeshop menu make sense to me when I sound them out,) supermarket, chocolate, and many many others. To be honest, I get a thrill and a sense of accomplishment when I read a word. Until now, I have felt like a small child wandering into the middle of a movie with no idea of what is going on, but now I kinda know what is going on.
Speaking of movies, there are lots of English movies and TV shows on my TV. Generally, the titles are written in Korean in the corner of the screen. I enjoy trying to figure out what movie is on by reading the words before I figure out what movie it is by the images.
I have even encountered some Korean words that I have learned just from living here, and now I read them on signs or storefronts and can figure out what I am looking at. The word "hof" loosely translates to "bar." Not all bars are labeled with the English translation, "hof," but now that I can read it, I know where they are. Same goes for singing rooms. They are called "noraebongs" in this country and I just realized that a few of the buildings in my neighborhood are these kind of establishments.
This has also helped me with my job. I understand my kids better and the problems they have in the classroom. There is only one character in Korean for an L/R sound. Kids are always messing up these two letters and I get it now - I know a little better how to fix their problems.
I feel smarter and more in control of my destiny over here now. I am still functionally retarded when it comes to communicating in Korean, but now I have a little insight into what's going on around me.
This might all sound cheesy, but it is incredibly frustrating to be illiterate. I am still a foriegner, I am still an outsider, but now I have a little more access to things in this country.
Life is looking up (plus I got some this weekend, which always helps.)
Much love from Seoul
posted by Kyle at 12:27 AM
1 Comments:
Did you ever end up counting her tattoos?
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