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Korea: A year in the life
“525,600 minutes, 525,600 moments so dear. 525,600 minutes – how do you measure, measure a year? In daylights, in sunsets, in midnights, in cups of coffee. In inches, in miles, in laughter, in strife. In 525,600 minutes – how do you measure a year in the life?” Well, the cast from the musical “Rent” didn’t…
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To Japan and back
Last week, my husband and I went on a semi-impromptu trip to Kyoto in Japan. It was the first time for both of us and definitely a memorable experience. To the ignorant Westerner, Japan and Korea may sound almost synonymous but the reality is very very different. Japan is really NOTHING like Korea. It’s so…
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The art of mildang
If you don’t live in Korea or at least do so vicariously through Korean dramas and movies, chances are that you have not heard the term “mildang”, or 밀당 in Korean, before. Mildang is an abbreviation of milgodanggigi (밀고당기기), literally meaning push and pull, and refers to the constant power struggle between two people of…
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Small daily joys in Korea
With only three weeks left before I’ll leave Korea for over a month, I’ve started to reflect on the things that I’ll possibly miss and definitely look forward to coming back to in early August for my second year here in Seoul. I guess you never really know what you have until you realize that…
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This week in Kpop-land
I have a confession to make: I’ve actually liked Kpop for a looong time. Since 2008 to be precise. Obviously back then, I had no idea about what they were singing, but man I just loved Big Bang, Rain, and Wondergirls, and I still get super nostalgic when I hear the song “Haru Haru.” Even…
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Making travel plans
Summer has finally rolled around here in Korea, and in less than a month I’ll be jetting off to Denmark for a full five weeks of vacation before going back to Seoul for another year. I can’t wait to go home for a while and see my family and friends again. I also won’t be…
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Getting back on track with Japanese
As regular readers of my blog will know, I gave a pitiful attempt at learning Japanese in the fall. Then I got busy with my Korean studies at Sogang, and I didn’t really feel like studying languages in my free time since I felt that it was all I did during the day. I never forgot…
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Korea: a last-minute country and how I learned the true meaning of “김 샜어”
Since I’m no longer in school in the morning I now have plenty of time to update my blog. So everyone, brace yourselves for yet another Korea rant! There’s no doubt that I absolutely love living in Korea, and that this country will always feel like a second home to me. That said, after having lived…
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A trip to my beloved Busan
Even though I live in Seoul, the southern city of Busan will always have a very special place in my heart. There’s just something about the atmosphere in that city. The skyscrapers by the shore, the beautifully lit-up bridges at night, the enchanting Busan dialect – it really has that je ne sais qois. Busan…
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Korea’s sampo generation
When living in Korea, you often hear particularly younger people talk about Korea as Hell Joseon, (Joseon being the old name for Korea). Hell Joseon symbolizes the inhumane competition and pressure that many young people are facing during their school years and when searching for a job. Aside from describing the difficulties in getting employment…
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Sofie to Korea 