Uncategorized
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Rays of light in the dark
I’m writing this on the darkest day of the year. In Denmark that means less than 6.5 hours of daylight, and this year, December has been unusually dark and gloomy. No snow (which is totally fine) but lots and lots of rain. There were 2 weeks straight where it was so overcast that I couldn’t…
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A sigh of relief
I’m sure the whole world watched the final days of the American election with tension and anxiety and breathed a sigh of relief when it became crystal clear on Saturday that Joe Biden was the new President-elect to the United States. I know I did. Why do I care when I live in Europe and…
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Staying motivated(?)
When I wrote this headline I must admit that it sounded odd to me because the truth is that I’m currently anything but motivated. My TOPIK plans are down the drain for this year at least, my purpose for taking the TOPIK has been postponed indefinitely, and there is really no external reason for me…
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My happy place
I try to make a habit of practicing gratitude and give thanks for all the wonderful things I have going on in my life. I find this daily practice particularly helpful in a year where none of us are having the 2020 we had planned or hoped for. One of the things that made me…
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Making the best of a bad situation
If you wish to skip my corona-rant, please start reading from the third paragraph. It’s getting increasingly difficult to stay focused on the positive when we’re constantly being bombarded with discouraging figures, prognoses, and tragic news reports of lives lost to this vicious virus that’s currently sweeping all over the globe. Not any less discouraging…
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Nami Island
With some extra time on my hands these days, I had made plans to take a day trip out of Seoul with a Danish friend who’s also living here. We decided to go to Nami Island since I had never been there before even though it’s only a relatively short drive out of Seoul. Nami…
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A Korean favorite: Leesle modern Hanbok
One thing that continues to fascinate me about Korea is the omnipresent mix of old and new wherever you turn your eyes. Whether it’s the busy streets of Seoul where modern skyscrapers mix with ancient palaces and temples, or the food scene where Western burger restaurants and traditional kimchi jjiggae places may be cramped closely…
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The power of serendipity
Acquiring a new language is much like discovering a new identity. A new version of yourself if you will. If you know more than one language, then I encourage you to try and think about this for a few minutes. Are you the exact same person in both or all languages? My guess is that…
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Gratitude
While Monday was tough for me, I feel that things have been picking up a bit the past couple of days. Since I’m on sabbatical, I’ve got a lot of time on my hands these days for reflection, which can seem overwhelming. Nonetheless, after days of feeling bored and empty, I’ve decided to take matters…
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One day at a time…
The main purpose of this blog has always been to write about all aspects of Korea, studying Korean, preparing to move there, dealing with language and cultural struggles while living there, all written in a light and cheerful tone. However, since I’m now once more out of Korea and back in Denmark, I feel that…
Sofie to Korea 