Korean culture
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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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Watching an old classic from a new perspective
I just finished watching the 2014 Korean tv series “My love from the star” (별에서 온 그대) for the umpteenth time. Although I know the story and many of the lines by heart, to say nothing of the soundtrack, this time I watched it with completely different eyes. I watched this show for the first…
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48 hours in Jeju Island
After three years in Korea I finally (!) made it to Jeju Island, which is located south of the mainland peninsula. It’s not that I have not wanted to go earlier, but being a lousy driver I needed someone willing and able to drive to go with me in order to go and come back…
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The most recent Korea-Japan trade conflict
Korea and Japan may be many things but close friends is not one of them. Every year, some conflict arises and it usually originates from Japan’s lack of apologies and sincere repentance for war crimes committed during the occupation of Korea from 1910-1945. Since the anti-Japanese movement is very strong in Korea, Koreans often ask…
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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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49 days
Yesterday marked the 49th day following the passing of my best friend. In Korea, this day is usually marked by a memorial service, which has its roots in Buddhist tradition and is widely practiced across religions all over the country. I attended this memorial for my friend at his resting place yesterday together with his…
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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 about writing about this before but in the past few weeks I have experienced all most of these hand gestures first hand (haha, lame pun intended),…
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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 busy during the week with teaching and test grading and preparation I’m free on weekends, and with my husband already back in Denmark I’m even…
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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 governing interpersonal relationships and can loosely be translated as ‘awareness of your surroundings’ or ’emotional intelligence’. Generally speaking, you can use the word in five…
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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 work out we just don’t.” I believe that this ‘maybe, maybe not’ mindset to some extent explains why I oftentimes feel that I clash with…
Sofie to Korea 