Yanghwa bridge
For most Koreans, Yanghwa bridge (also known as Yanghwa daegyo) is more than just one of the many iconic bridges spanning the wide waters of the Han River. Yanghwa daegyo […]
How fast can you lose a language?
In less than a week I’ll once more be jetting off to Seoul and I’m beyond excited. I’ve already spent two months away from my second home and I cannot […]
I’ll be fine
It’s no secret that I’m on an emotional rollercoaster these days and that the joy of being free and independent and the frustration of feeling useless are battling for my […]
What I miss about Korea
You don’t know what you have until it’s gone. I’m well aware that I wrote a semi-rant post in June when I was under a lot of temporary stress and […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Experiencing reverse culture shock and… Now what?
I’ve been back in Denmark for almost two weeks now, and I’m slowly, very slowly, starting to settle down here. While I’ve landed physically, I’m mentally still in Korea (who […]
Korean hand gestures
Koreans use their hands a lot when they speak, but their hand gestures differ significantly from what we know from Western culture. I have no idea why I never thought […]
My backpacking trip to beautiful Jeonju
I’m now only two weeks away from my departure for Denmark, and I’m trying to make the most of my time here in Korea before I leave. Although I’m insanely […]
Missing you…
I miss you, 보고싶다 (bogoshipda), jeg savner dig, tu mi manchi, ich vermisse dich, 会いたい (aitai), tu me manques… No matter which language you say it in, these words are almost […]
The sixth Korean sense: nunchi
Nunchi, spelled 눈치 in Korean and literally meaning ‘eye measure’, is a concept you’ll inevitably have to deal with when living in Korea. Nunchi is a set of unspoken rules […]
The Korean mindset and locus of control
I’ve often heard Koreans say some version of “되면 하는 거고 말면 말고”, which directly translated means “if things work out we do so and so, and if things don’t […]
What I look forward to about leaving Korea
A week ago I booked my flight home, so now it’s official. I’m leaving Korea at the end of next month just 5 days shy of my second anniversary of […]
How to text in Korean like a pro
Texting, preferably done through the chatting app, KakaoTalk, is a crucial part of living in Korea. Even though you may be used to sending and receiving text messages in English […]
What does it mean to be fluent?
Are you fluent in Korean? This is a question that I hear quite often and my usual answer is yes. But to be honest, the correct answer is maybe. Because, […]
