Korea
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What makes you happy?
This may seem like a mundane question, but how often do you really think deeply about this? As we go about our lives, it happens much too often that we fail to pause and really think about what truly makes us happy. In the end, finding out which things make you happy and putting in…
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Random things I’ve noticed while living in Korea
As I go about my daily routine in Seoul, I don’t always pay attention to these small things, but nonetheless I thought it was worth doing a post on utterly random things I’ve come to notice or realize while I’ve been living in Korea. Staircases wind counter-clockwise The number 4 is usually substituted with an…
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Could you speak up, please? Korean speech levels
This post is motivated by some questions I’ve received here on the blog. How exactly does age and social status determine how people speak to each other in Korean? Since this is a quite technical matter, I’ll try to make it as simple as possible using my own experiences from different situations and interactions here…
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A trip to Suwon
Having been busy with work in Seoul over the past couple of months, I rarely had the chance to get out of the city. This changed last week, when I went to Suwon for the very first time. Part of my husband’s job while we’re here in Korea is to develop exchange programs between his…
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Going all Korean in Hongdae
This Friday I did something I haven’t done in a loooong time. I went to an international language exchange meet-and-greet party in Hongdae. Alone! With my husband out with some friends, and my Korean best friend abroad on vacation, I was without my usual companions for a Friday night on the town. Since it had been…
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Week two: Slapped by Seoul, hugged by Ilsan
My second week in Korea has been quite a bumpy ride and definitely anything but boring. I started my week by attending the conference of the Korean Economic Association and saw this as a great opportunity to be introduced to my new colleagues. I did get to bow and shake hands with many people including…
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Why I love Korea
I’ve now spent almost a week in the country I’ve come to know and love. The country which for the next year will be my home – Korea. But why do I love Korea? I often ask myself this question. Certainly not because it’s hard to find a reason to do so, but more because…
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Sofie in Korea
This ought to be the title of my blog the next year, because this is exactly where I’ll be! I’ve finally moved to Seoul, and I’ve spent the past few days getting settled and adjusting to the time difference. We’ve moved into a great apartment (quite large for Korean standards) right on campus of my…
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My inbox suddenly turned Korean
As we get closer to the day where I move to Korea, the planning intensifies. I’m in almost constant contact with my new Korean colleagues, the administrative staff at my Korean University, my Korean friends, and anyone else who’s kindly offering their help. When I checked my work email this morning I had six unread…
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Korean inspiration
I love learning something other than just the language when I’m learning Korean. I also find that as my Korean skills continue to improve, I’m able to use Korean to learn about other things as well. A truly satisfying feeling! Among excellent resources for broadening your horizon in Korean, I highly recommend the 세바시 channel…
Sofie to Korea 