Honja Joe

Unfortunately (from your point of view) but very fortunately from mine, nothing really interesting happened this week. I didn't even get any pictures of anything really. So, I will just try to regale you with some of the funny things that happen to me here. I did, however, actually clean my apartment!!! Spring cleaning came a little late this year, but hey, better late than never. Deep cleaning... gotta love it. I'm staying really busy though. Between being class president, studying, and working, I have very little energy/motivation to do anything else.

They call me "Honja Joe." [ "Honja" is a Korean word that would translate to alone/solo. My classmates call me that sometimes in reference to me never really hanging out with them. Most of the time, I just have other things to do, and the others... well let's just say there's some truth to the honja-ness in me. Sometimes, I really just want to be alone. I spend all day with people, and sometimes I just wanna sit in my (now clean) apartment and enjoy some good quality time with my friends me, myself, and I.

Korean is the same. It just keeps building on itself. Learning a language at this speed is like trying to build a house of cards in a hurricane: once you've set up the base and start building on it, you realize the base vanished, and you have to start over again. Soon, I'll actually be able to go out and actually be able to speak to people. Once I get to that stage, I can start really improving my speaking. At this point, I can pretty much understand people, if they are speaking clearly that is. If they are mumbling/anything happens to impede my hearing at all, I'm totally lost. In your native language, if you miss a few words, it's OK because your mind knows what goes in the blanks based on probability and common phrases. Take all that away and you have no idea what's said. Imagine hearing, "Hey man, how's it ________?" and not knowing what goes in the blank.

As a result, funny situations occur. A wise woman once told me that learning a new language is just an excuse to publicly humiliate yourself. I couldn't agree more. 2 weeks ago, I went into the convenience store to buy a drink before I started teaching. I gave the man my card to pay, but something was wrong with the machine, so he was trying to fix it. In general, foreigners don't know a lick of Korean, so Koreans just don't even bother speaking to them. (I guess after enough blank stares, you just get tired of it.) So the man just started mumbling to himself about how the computer wasn't working. I thought I would shock him with my Korean prowess. I said, "Oh, don't worry. I have siblings too." (Really, I meant to say "cash" but I got the words mixed up. In my defense, they are somewhat similar. hyon gum vs. hyong jay.) Needless to say, the man was surprised, I just wish I knew it was at my lack of Korean prowess. So, he gave me a look that said, "um... ok." and went back to trying to fix the computer. I thought that he must not have heard me. (Sometimes, when I speak Korean, I speak a little bit too softly because I am more unsure of what I'm saying/accent/pronunciation etc.) So, after mentally checking my pronunciation in my head, I said it louder. "Um. I have siblings. SIBLINGS." The poor man didn't know what to do. Luckily, he saw that I had cash in my hand and just took it. Later on, I realized my mistake.

The speed of my thinking/speaking is definitely improving. Korean children especially have the habit of stopping dead in their tracks when they see me. I guess I'm just a little too tall and white for them. Since foreigners usually don't speak any Korean, some Koreans have developed the habit of talking about them right in front of them. Adults usually have a bit more tact, but kids are horrible with this. "Oh look! It's a foreigner!" *cue silent awkward staring* Last year, the only comeback I could do was, "Oh look! It's a Korean!" but that seems just a bit under par for me now. Last week, as I was making the walk of shame back to that same convenience store, 4 kids saw me and said, "Oh look! A foreigner is coming!" Surprisingly, I instantly thought of a response, "Why are you calling me a foreigner?" Lucky for me, right before I said it, I noticed one of their mothers standing right behind them, so I thought it probably best to just pretend like I didn't understand Korean. I knew the convenience store owner would back that story up.

This sparked a question in my mind, "What can I say to kids that do that?" Normally, just speaking anything in Korean is enough to shock them into silence/shame. However, I want something that will also shame them in their own language. So began my quest of insults. After days of pondering and searching, I just asked a Korean. Here's what I'm saying next time (when no mothers are present), "What? Is this the first time you've seen a foreigner?" The Korean that told me this said that if someone were to do that to him as a kid, he would literally have just ran away. If I'm feeling especially cranky, I guess I can pull out, "What are you looking at?" (which surprisingly translates almost directly. The Korean literal translation would be "look what?")

I don't really mind when kids do this to me. In the end, kids will be kids. When adults do it though, it's kind of offensive. Unless of course, they're of the female persuasion, and what they're saying isn't bad. As I'm dozing on the bus, I hear 2 girls across the aisle talking about me:

Girl 1: Oh, look. It's a foreigner. He's not bad. You should go try and speak English to him!
Girls 2: No! I don't know English well enough. I wouldn't know what to say.
Girl 1: You can do it! Just think of the sentence before you speak it. You can do it!
Girl 2: Nooooo! Don't make me! Stop!

I would be lying if I said a big grin didn't slowly creep across my face. Half of me wanted to just be like, "Oh, you don't have to speak English, I can speak Korean." But at the same time, that's about just as far as the conversation would've gone. I would've been met

with surprise and a whole lot of Korean spoken too quickly for me to understand. It's what I call setting myself up for a fail, and as the convenience store owner knows, I do it all to often.

Luckily, I've actually found a study buddy. One of my other classmates is actually serious about learning Korean, so we have begun studying together after classes (when he or I don't work). He has a very similar story to mine. He taught in Korea last year, liked it, and now wants to explore the Korean language. It's refreshing finding people that are more along your wavelength.

One of my classmates finally picked up on the notion that I look like a Roman, so he drew this of me in class. The artist is an 18 year old British "chap." He's taken it upon himself to be my fashion conscience. "Joe, the Roman look has been out of style for about 2,000 years now. Try changing the hair if you can't change the nose." My response, "Et tu, Brute?" Growing up with 3 siblings, it doesn't feel like home if someone isn't ridiculing you about something.

If you're into this sort of thing, here's some easy listening Korean music. This band has a pretty nice sound. Their name is "busker busker." I learned this week that a busker is a street performer. Not sure if I'm crazy or if it's just an uncommon/non-American word. Either way, I'm now wiser. Enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXV7dfvSefo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SKunZTZzXc

Busy Week/Weekend

I did so much this week that I'm actually really surprised I accomplished it all. The phrase, "Time flies when you're having fun" is definitely true, but it also flies when you aren't having fun. It just flies, and when you're busy, it soars. This week was midterms for my school. I did OK, but I definitely could've done better had I "screwed on my thinking cap" before some of the exams. I did really good for a Westerner, but when I compare my scores to my Chinese friend, I realize how far I have to go. When I look at my score, "Booyah! I got a 90% in speaking!" When my Chinese friend looks, "Arrrrgh! Why did I get a 96%?" (Two different cultures)

This weekend was really cool though. On Saturday, I went to a baseball game. Not only is this the first time I've done it in Korea, but it's also the first time in a very very very long time since I've gone to one. Unlike America though, Korean baseball games are really exciting. There are cheer leaders that lead the crowds in cheers. It's very much like how BJ societies do it. Every player has their own song that the crowd chants when that player goes up to bat. The entire crowd gets into it, which makes it a whole lot of fun. 

My Chinese friend told me about a food festival that was going on today in Seoul. She went on Saturday and told me in no uncertain terms, (translating from Korean) "It's really good. Hurry up and go with your friends. The Vietnamese food is really good, so you had better eat it or else..." My initial thought to this was "of course communists are gonna stick together." I was right. The Vietnamese wasn't that great compared to the selection before me. Of the 50 or so countries represented, I probably tried stuff from about 20 of them. At this point, I'm so stuffed, that if this blog is cut off in the middle, it probably means that I exploded and hit "publish" with my last dying breath. 

I'm gonna try and recall all of the different countries I bought something from, but I'm probably leaving a few out: Vietnam, Thailand, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Chile, Turkey, Sri Lanka, Kenya, South Africa, England, Bangladesh, and a few others I can't remember. It was AWESOME!!!! I've never seen/heard so many languages and cultures in one place. It really opened my eyes as to how big and small the world is. Seeing all of these different cultures and looking at their similarities and differences was just really cool. It's probably the coolest thing I've done here to date. 

Now, I have to gear up for the week to come. I've been seeing my Korean improve a lot recently, and it's giving me more and more motivation to study. I am now able to talk to people on a very basic level if they keep the conversation simple enough, talk clearly enough, and speak slowly enough. It's a lot of ifs though... It reminds me of someone who thinks because he learns one self-defense move, he can fight anyone. "OK. Punch me. No, not like that; you're doing it wrong. You have to punch me with your right hand. There you... No no no. Aim for my face. Yeah, like that. Now watch this!" 

 FYI, the last picture is the baseball stadium BEFORE everyone got there. The game was really packed.

Cloudy with a Chance of Failure

Sorry if this is a bit short. I've been studying all day with a short language exchange break. This week, we have midterms. I'm not really nervous about them. I am pretty confident in the classroom. It's just when I go outside of the class that I have a lot of problems. In the classroom, we're all using easy vocabulary and speaking really slowly. When I try to speak with other Koreans, I'm lucky if there's a sentence that I know every word on. I go through stages of demoralization and whatever the opposite of that is. (I'm losing my English every so swiftly.) So, although I'm not concerned about midterms, I'm still really motivated to study in order to be able to function outside of the classroom. The most beautiful and horrible thing about languages is how much vocab exists! For example, take the word "take" You can say take, steal, grab, snatch, pick up, carry etc... And that's not even getting into the slang. 

I did, however, get a scholarship to my school. Because my grades were high, they were deceived into thinking that I might turn into something someday, so they gave me half of my tuition back. Don't get me wrong, it's a huge blessing! I was really stoked, but I'm just glad they can't see me outside of class. This semester, I'm gonna have a bit more competition for it. Another American joined the course who is really good. Nothing motivates me like some good competition!

I think the most difficult thing for me right now is speaking. At this point, I "know" about 1500 words (give or take a few hundred). However, they rarely come to mind when I'm speaking. I can listen to them and understand them, but when I open my mouth to speak, I'm constantly stumped. Oddly enough though, if I'm writing, I can do that at a fair speed. It's just something about speaking... I plan on practicing that quite a bit in the near future.

Other than that, I can't really think of too many things that are different in my life right now. But then again, my head is swimming in random Korean right now... well, more like drowning anyway. 

I think right now I'm a mix of both of these pictures. I just wanna sleep now... zzzz

 Hope you all enjoyed the random pics. The cherry blossoms are just about done blooming here now, but I did get a few pictures before they go away. I especially love the first pic about people turning into vegetables. Cracked me up, but then again, I've seen my teacher grading my homework and doing the same thing, so I guess I shouldn't judge too much. Such is the way of learning languages. It's a contest to see how effectively and efficiently you can humiliate yourself. The person who does it the most gets... laughed at the most I guess.

New Beginnings

After a full week of "rest," classes have resumed again. Needless to say, level 2 is a bit harder than level one. My teacher speaks at about the speed our galaxy is spinning through the vast reaches of space. (For those of you less astronomically inclined, do some research. It will do you some good.) Whereas this is much more difficult, it definitely helps my listening a whole lot. No longer do I listen for every single word, but for the whole idea. If I stop for even a second to think, "What was that word again?" I'm 20 sentences behind. Figuring out words by context... I don't remember learning English when I was a kid, but if it's anything similar to this, it must have sucked a lot. I only remember being frustrated when my parents would spell things out. "Hey should we go get some I-C-E-C-R-E-A-M?" Curse you disadvantaged intelligence!

I tried something very new this week. One of my Swedish classmates invited me to go with him to a Star Craft tournament (once again, educate yourselves) that took place on Thursday. All I knew about Star Craft was that it was a certain type of video game, and nothing more. I had more fun there than I've had in a while. Until you've seen a bunch of Koreans jumping up and cheering quite adamantly about 2 people playing a video game, you haven't experienced true joy. Turns out, the CEO of Blizzard (self-education) was there. He bought pizza for everyone in the room. I am now a fan.

At the event, they had signs that you could write on. In between games, the camera man would go around, and if he liked your sign, he would film you and put you on international TV. I was on TV twice! My friend and I both wrote "I'm with stupid" with an arrow pointing at the other in both English and Korean. When we were on TV, the commentators were trying to figure out what the English one meant, and when they got to mine, they started laughing. I'm famous! Unfortunately, no one has just recognized that fact yet. I'll give it a few days, or weeks, or months, or years... or never. 

I got a complement from my teacher this week in the form of an accusation. (Compliment??? I'll leave self education for another day.) Either way, I guess it works. I finished a problem early and was waiting for everyone else to finish, when my teacher began speaking to me. "Joe, why are you in the class with all the Westerners?" (The why in the previous sentence should be read very accusatorily.) She continued, "You need to switch to the harder course with the Japanese and Chinese students - [who do nothing but study all day every day. And then when they get tired of that, they decide to review what they've studied.] [sic]. You should do it!" At that moment, I decided to break out my fluent Korean, "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." Which roughly translates to, "Uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh." in English followed by a very version of saying, "But I don't speak Korean so good." I probably will eventually switch to the faster track, but I'm happy taking it at a "slower" pace for right now. (Slow for Koreans, but fast for those of us of the Western persuasion.) I think it's important to get a firm grasp on the basic grammar before hurdling myself into something a bit more scary.

Enjoy this video short video of what the Star Craft tournament was like.

One More Lee in Korea

So much has happened these past 2 weeks, I know I won't be able to write it all down. So, I apologize if this blog drones on for a bit. I'm going to try and capture the true comedy that occurred.

So, I think the first big thing that happened was the speech contest. Overall, it went well. I was able to get by with my Korean without looking like a complete idiot, or so I thought. To those in my class and most of the students, I did fine except for a minor hiccup. I was all set behind my podium ready to interview students that were going to come up and give their speeches. However, at the last minute, they threw me a curve ball and told me that I would have to walk out in front of everyone and interview them there. This meant that I would now have to hold my "script" as well as a microphone. I was fine with it. (I had to be.) But my hands wanted a bit more notice apparently. For the first interview, my hand was quite noticeably shaking. However, after that, everything was under control.

At the end of the speech contest, they were giving out awards to everyone who participated. (I guess in Korea, the concept of "Everyone's a Winner" also flies. And here I thought that was just something Americans did.) When the teacher handed my co-mc and I our awards, he interviewed us a bit. (I guess he also figured that we could speak better than most. False assumption #1.) He asked me, "blah blah blah." To which I replied, "I have no idea what you just said." He then asked me a bit easier question which I'm pretty sure I answered incorrectly anyway. The next day, I asked my teacher what he said to me. She translated it to "nervous." So, expanding on her lack of English, I'm guessing he asked something like, "So, were you nervous much?" On the bright side though, my award was this alarm clock! I often wonder what kind of a message they're sending with it though. "Hey, great job, but you should probably wake up earlier so you can study a bit more." Or, "We noticed you didn't have perfect attendance, so this is our way of making sure that you maximize your educational experience. Your grades were a bit low, so quit slacking." Whatever the exact message, the meaning is understood.

The next major event probably happened on Sunday. I wanted to show Jon and Greg the place where I used to live, so we went down and hung out there for a while. We decided to watch "Lincoln" which by the way was an awesome film. After the movie, the public transportation was closed for the night, so we decided to stay in a Korean sauna for the night.

-An explanation of Korean saunas aka jjimjilbangs: This is a place where many people go to relax and sleep when not staying at home. You get a pair of pj's and can visit different sauna rooms, or you can wear no pj's and go visit the hot tubs. It is a very cheap way of staying somewhere while getting an overall relaxing experience. The total cost usually comes to about 10 dollars per 12 hours. And now continuing the story....

To no one's surprise, Greg was not the biggest fan of this. He did not go to the "No pj's" section. He opted for just going to sleep. Jon and I went and chilled in the hot tubs for a bit and then went to sleep. However, I did not go there for sleep. It is a rare occasion that I can sit in a bath, so I milked it for all it was worth. About 4 in the morning, I'm sitting in the hot tub with another Korean man. (We'll call him Bob.) Both of us following man-code and minding our own business. Then, this other Korean man (who we'll name Buster) walks in with a bucket.


--Just follow the man-code. Mind your own business.--

Buster decides to get into the hot tub next to us and splash the water around with his bucket while simultaneously making sounds I can only equate to grunts. (I would guess Buster's age to be around 60.) At that precise moment, Bob and I spoke the same language fluently - the language of facial expressions. I looked at him and said, "Yo, is this a Korean thing that I don't know about?" And he answered, "Dude, I have no idea what is going on right now."

Buster apparently got bored with the tub he was in and moved over to Bob's and my tub. Buster started repeating his ceremonial dance of the naked Korean man panning for gold. Bob didn't last long though. He gave me the look of, "Good luck with this guy, I'm outta here." After Bob communicated this to me, I decided that my best course of action was to stare at a point on the wall and think about how not funny that point was. When I finally realized Buster had come finished without apparently finding any gold, I decided it was safe to resume a forward facing posture. I looked up and found Buster looking directly at me. (Someone had obviously never taught him the man-code.) Buster decided to discard the language of facial expression for one he thought I spoke better - English. "Haa-eee!" After realizing he had said, "hi" I instinctually responded in kind.

At this point, my first strategy of "that wall is not funny" was beginning to fail. I decided to follow in the footsteps of Bob and get out of there as fast as I could. Apparently, Buster was growing bored anyway. After I showered off and was on my way out, I saw him repeating his sacred rite in yet a different tub. I wasn't expecting to get relaxation and a show, but I guess you never know what's going to happen here.

I took Jon and Greg to a traditional Korean market to buy some souvenirs. That day, a Chinese girl from my language group had joined us. (I have to say one thing about Americans including myself: we suck at bartering. I'm a bit more used it now, but I still disdain the practice. What is something really worth anyway?) Greg and Jon had no idea that you are supposed to barter at markets. I was only in translation mode as they were looking around. I was mostly just talking to the Chinese girl (Yubi) in Korean. Greg asked how much something was, and I translated. After he found out the price, he started pulling out his wallet. The Chinese girl immediately turned to me and told me, "That's way too expensive, you can get a discount."

I looked over and saw Greg had all the money in his hand. I thought, "Well, that ship has sailed." But I went up to him and said, "Greg, if you desire a more compatible price, you need to voice your displeasure in comprehensible vocabulary." (Most Koreans speak/understand a fair amount of English.) Greg responds with, "This is too expensive." So, I turned to ask for a discount. The ship hadn't quite yet sailed, but it was pushing away from the dock. I was able to get a 3 dollar discount, but apparently Yubi was not pleased overall with Greg's lack of bartering. I had to explain to her that we don't do that in the U.S. She couldn't seem to contemplate a place where no bartering takes place.

I could tell a few more stories, but I fear I may lose all of my readers due to the sheer length. I think despite all of the complaints and difficulty with chopsticks, Jon and Greg enjoyed their time here.

Now, I have to gear up for my 2nd semester of language school. I'm finding that the more Korean I learn, the more I learn outside of school: mostly grammar. Seeing as I know the basic grammar structures right now (simple past, present, and future) it becomes a bit easier to pick up different forms. Unfortunately, it doesn't become easier to speak them. Understanding and speaking are 2 very very different things. I plan on seriously watching some Korean TV/movies this semester in an attempt to learn more how people actually speak instead of proper speech. For example, I'm learning stuff like, "Hello, how are you?" instead of, "What's up?" or "Yo."

And Then There Was More

So, in case you all didn't notice, I actually wrote 2 different blogs this week because quite a bit happened. So, if you haven't read the previous blog yet, go back and read that one first. Unless of course you like jumping in with no context. After this long in Korea, I'm an expert at it.

They say that every rose has its thorns. (First let me point out that "they," although not always, tends to be a credible source. However, in some things like environmental issues, international affairs, and North Korea, "they" tend to not know what "they" are talking about.) I'm sure everyone has heard about the news regarding North Korea. All I can say is that sometimes a baby will cry to get what they want. I really wouldn't be too worried about it. I've seen some American reports, and let me assure you that the media is blowing it out of proportion. Whereas North Korea did actually make a threat against South Korea, it is a result of military exercises that are happening. This usually happens during these times. However, this time the North has threatened a bit more than usual. Either way, I'm in God's hands, so I am really not concerned at all. I have bigger things to worry about right now.

Anyway, back to roses and thorns. It turns out that the phrase can sometimes be reversed. I've revised it to the following: "Some thorns can maybe sometimes have a rose if you're lucky." Maybe someday I'll be clever enough to put those lyrics to song like my more fortunate compatriots in the band "Poison." It turned out that in addition to being MC for the speech contest (a very big nasty thorn), I also gained my first private tutoring student (the rose). I guess it was a kind of "I scratch your back you scratch mine" kind of thing going on. I had my first lesson yesterday, and it went great. I do have to say though, I almost feel like I'm swindling them out of their money though. I literally get paid to talk - something people have been paying me to not do my entire life.

I joined a language exchange group at my school. We had our first meeting last night. I realized that I really need to start studying more. I met with one Korean guy and one Chinese girl. We talked in Korean about 90% of the time. Well, OK. That's not the real truth. They spoke Korean, and I listened and understood most of it. Whenever I did open my mouth to try and talk, I must have sounded exactly like so many of my students before me. "This morning.... um.... I ... eat breakfast..... um.... not." What made it more embarrassing was that the Chinese girl had been studying for as long as I have, yet she was quite a bit better. To my defense, she is in the faster track where they not only cover more material, but speak no English whatsoever in class. In my class, if something is confusing enough (which constitutes just about everything) the teacher will explain in English. At the end of the day though, I had to at least trick myself into being proud of myself. Being able to understand as much as I did and communicate to some extent was reassuring. PEOPLE ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND ME! (The time it takes for me to communicate can go jump off a cliff.)

I find that the problem with communication comes in the immediateness of it all. If I have time to think, then I will usually not only say what I want to say, but say it with perfect grammar too. However, throw me in with the wolves, and all that comes out are screams. Like anything else, it will just take more practice. I need to get out of my room and out in public more often in situations where I'm forced to speak it.

 This is a sign close to my school that I pass almost every day and think, "Man, I should take a picture of that." Well, I finally did. I think it's pretty clever. I'm not exactly what it says, but here's my best guess. "People's tools throughout history have changed into blah blah blah I don't know." A picture is worth a thousand words, and that is never truer than in a foreign country.





I saw these guys today as I was walking through a famous street in Seoul. Must be the Korean version of Mickey Mouse. Somehow, these mannequins don't look quite as friendly though. Mickey Mouse was nice and friendly, but some of these Korean ones look like they might "learn" you do death. I'd especially stay away from that monk on the left. (In a nature documentary voice) Notice how he fools his prey, the Korean child, into come close. Now watch as he imparts all of the knowledge in the world into his victims ensnared brain. So, we see that another childhood has been snatched away. The circle of life is complete.

Snowing in Seoul

I've finally broken a life long curse. Apparently, from stories of "classier" times, there used to be huge snow storms that caused 9 foot snow drifts blah blah blah. Well, everywhere I've been for the past forever years, it doesn't snow much. It's finally been broken! It's been snowing all day here. I think there are about 3 inches on the ground right now, and it's still coming. After church, my friend and I were just walking the streets of Seoul enjoying it. Occasionally laughing at the random Korean kid wipe-out of course.

As my friend an I were walking, we came across a skating rink. I caught this gem skating in traditional Korean wear. He's to the left of the guy wearing the bright red coat. It may look like a p-coat, but in reality it's not. It's kind of like a big foot shot though. He was moving just a bit too fast for me to catch him. However, UNLIKE the big foot photos, this one is just a guy in a costume.

I of course took this opportunity to do something special. Not only did I do a perfect imitation of the moon walk, but I also bought some hot chocolate because, as we all know, hot chocolate on a snowy cold night is like nectar of the gods. The Korean writing phonetically says, "Hot choco." (The Koreans say choco with the ch sound.) And the subscript says,  "Original." Somehow, I kind of doubt that the Koreans came up with hot chocolate. Call me crazy, I know. But it seems more like an American/Western thing. Luckily, it doesn't taste much different from the real thing though, so everyone walks away happy.

Classes have been going great so far. I think midterms are coming up in 2 weeks or so. I'm not too worried about it though. I've been doing really well, and I *feel* like I've retained what we've learned so far. On Friday, I realized however, that I am getting to a point in the class where I'll start forgetting things if I'm not using them. So now, I'll be meeting with one of my classmates after class a few days a week to practice speaking. Our first session went great, if you consider a conversation made up of:

Me: How is your coffee?
Russian: My coffee tastes good, and it is hot.
Me: Where is the coffee?
Russian: The coffee is on the table.
Me: Where is the table?
Russian: The table is in the coffee shop.
etc.

I guess it comes with learning a foreign language though. I know I would have loved to be one of the Koreans there listening to the "conversation." Nothing like listening to 2 idiots bumbling at a coffee shop. It seems, however, that I never really learn something until I fall on my face in public over it. For example, on Friday, we learned the vocabulary for saying something is hot, cold, warm, cool, etc. So, when I order my coffee, the lady asks me if I want it hot or iced (cold). Me, not wanting to show weakness to my classmates responded with, "We are going to drink our coffee here." The lady then asked me in English, "Hot or cold?" After that, I instantly played back in my head what she had said in Korean. So, like a true man, I responded courteously in English, "Hot" and quickly left to go stick my head in a trash can. But now, I REALLY know the word for hot. Unfortunately, that's not the most embarrassing story. I took my classmates to lunch once. The chef asked me how spicy I wanted the food, and I responded with, "Oh. Hello. We are from Yonsei University."

I've been finding that it just takes situations like that to ingrain things in to my head. It's one thing to have an academic knowledge, but when it gets shot at you a million miles an hour, it's different. Next time, I'll just respond with, "I'm a dumb American." That way, I can at least laugh with everybody else. I'm sure the more Korean I learn, the bigger mistakes I'll make. At least someone will be laughing at my jokes, intentional or not.

I'll be getting a phone this week on Friday Lord willing. I don't know which one I'll get yet, but I've narrowed it down to the Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Note 2, or the Samsung Nexus. I've totally ruled out the I-phone. When in Rome.... For those of you who have smart phones, you can download Kakao talk if you want to be able to message me. It's an app that lets you text using the internet. For those of you who may be too "classy" to know what smart phones are... don't worry. I still love you.