Frustrations
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A Korean promise
As I continue to learn about this incredible and often completely impossible country, one thing seems to always hold. It’s so hard to make a Korean stick to a promise. Like I’ve mentioned before, good intentions are everything in Korean culture. Saying you’ll do something, meet someone, help someone, invite someone – all of these…
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Gender roles, sexism, and feminism in Korea
Yesterday, I went to the teacher’s lounge for a cup of coffee, when I met one of my older male colleagues. He asked me how I had spent my Chuseok holiday, and I replied that I had mostly spent it in my office, as I had no Korean family to spend Chuseok with. And growing…
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It’s Buddha’s birthday – and I need a break
Not from the festivities that is, it’s absolutely amazing to see all the lanterns hanging everywhere in Seoul these days. So colorful and bright that it’s impossible not to feel happy when you look at them. No, I need a break from school. Oh, I know I sound like a spoiled brat when I say…
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My midterms, my week in Denmark, and my hurt Korean pride
I’m back, and brace yourselves for a long update. I haven’t been active on the blog for the past couple of weeks due to, well, the title of this post should be self-explanatory. It may seem like three random concepts without any rhyme or reason, but put toghether they pretty much summarize what has been…
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Hell week, or how my medical Korean got an upgrade
This week has without a doubt been THE toughest week I’ve ever spent on the Korean peninsula. And technically I shouldn’t really complain, because it was actually my husband who suffered the hardest ordeals during the past seven days. Last weekend he started complaining that his stomach hurt but his appetite was normal and he…
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Korea the impossible country
Prepare yourselves for a real Korea rant. I’ve now been living in Korea the impossible country for four months (seriously, where did the time go?!), and the more I feel that I’m getting under the skin of the Koreans and their culture, the more I often feel completely frustrated, confused, and quite often disappointed. I’ve previously…
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Shopping in Edae
I remember once reading in a teen magazine “one of the greatest things about being a girl is that you rarely get so depressed that new clothes, new shoes, or new makeup can’t cheer you up”. Since you all know from my twitter feed that I was less than happy about the events that unfolded…
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So you can’t make it? Nope!
Those of my readers who know me well will know that if there’s one thing in this world I tolerate badly (besides dairy) it’s tardiness. Nothing is more frustrating than when people are late. Although the Korean mentality is balli balli (quickly quickly), everybody in this country seems annoyingly unable to show up on time. This week…
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Taking the good with the bad
My move to Korea continues to prove a quite challenging task indeed. Yesterday, I spent several hours at the, among foreigners much dreaded, Korean Office of Immigration. This is a necessary evil in order to receive my “alien registration card” (aww, doesn’t that word just make you feel welcome?) which is mandatory for all foreigners…
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All or nothing?
This weekend I’ve been working hard on my listening skills through podcasts, Korean TED talks, and of course a few subtitle-free episodes of 여름향기 (currently have 4 episodes left). During all this listening I’ve made a strange discovery. It seems to me that I either understand everything (여름향기) or next to nothing (random Korean podcast on Korean culture from…
Sofie to Korea 