Hi! I'm Smiles :), one of the founders of The Korean Language! I'm having a wonderful time learning to make web pages in Microsoft FrontPage, but I'm even more excited for THE KOREAN LANGUAGE to have it's own little 2nd home.
Why am I so interested in Korea in the first place? That's a good question. Several years ago, 1997 I believe, a group of Korean students came to my university to be in our new ESL program. I noticed them (because we don't have many Asians where I'm from) and started watching them. They seemed full of energy, always laughing and smiling, and I wanted to meet them. I got my chance when one of them joined an organization I was part of. He called himself "Tom Cruise", so that is what I will call him: Tom. Tom came to a retreat with us and was the life of the party. Although he spoke very little English, he was outgoing and friendly and worked very hard to get to know us and to communicate. The main thing I remember about that retreat is learning a Korean Christian song that Tom played on the piano and taught us the words to. After that, he introduced me to the rest of the Korean students and I was hooked. I helped them get by in this strange new land, and they taught me about their land and culture: their pride. I taught them English and they taught me some necessary phrases in Korean (Sa-rang-hae-yo: I love you, pab-sa-jo: please treat me, and ha-ji-ma: quit it!). I learned to eat Kim chi and sing Korean songs and I loved every minute of it. When most of those students left, I promised I'd go to Korea someday.
Someday is usually a long way off. So I thought "someday" and casually looked into teaching ESL there after I graduate from college. One day, as I walked past the door of our International Education office, I noticed a poster on the door advertising an exchange program with Ewha Woman's University. On a whim, I stopped in and asked for the information. Reading the booklet filled me with the passion to go, and a couple weeks later, I stopped back in the office, and said, "I want to go to Ewha". I was surprised by the reply: "Great! Better go get your passport and VISA." It was that easy.
So the next fall, I found myself at Ewha Woman's University, in the heart of Seoul. I was studying Korean sociology, religion, art history, and the Korean language in classes while my real education was getting by day to day. Although I felt pretty good about the Korean I'd learned on my own at home, it was severely lacking. So although I could read and write a bit, I couldn't even begin to explain my every day needs to the people around me. But I didn't have to fear. A few days after classes began, a girl introduced herself to me in the cafeteria and then introduced me to her friends. They took me to Kyungbokgung and to Korea's National Museum and out to a club with live music. Later, a couple girls who had seen me in the dormitory called me and shyly asked to meet me. So we did, and became close friends.
Well, I forgot to bring a towel, so after drip-drying for a few days, I asked my roomate where I could buy one. She pointed me to GrandMart, which wasn't too far away. As soon as I set off, it started to rain. I didn't have an umbrella, and I was determined to buy my towel, so I continued. I was thinking how silly I must have looked with my dripping blonde hair in a world of black hair under umbrellas when several girls ran up and invited me to walk under their umbrellas. I was so grateful to them that I even walked to a building that was out of my way with them...and had to come up with a reason why I was there when they thought I looked lost. Finally one girl said she had free time and wanted to accompany me all the way and shop. It was a good thing because the store was hectic and I don't think I would ever have found towels on my own. once I got back home I opened my package and found I had bought a package of SMALL hand towels rather than the one bath towel I had expected. Well. Three washcloths work as well as one big one towel, right?
Too many to list: The "alive" feeling of Shinch'on at night. The kimchi. My friends who always took care of me. Norae bang (Karaoke rooms). Celebrating Chusok the traditional way. Eating dokkbokki every day. The wonderful Ondol (floor) heating system which kept me so warm. The kind halaboji (grandfather) who was so proud to give up his seat on to the subway to a foreigner. The concerts. The secluded and comfy atmosphere of Korean coffee-shops: perfect for talking with friends for hours on end. My crazy, funny, kind roomate who thought nothing of talking on three phones at the same time. Homemade Shik-hyae (rice punch). The baby who stopped screaming when he saw me and just stared open-mouthed. Gigantic Kyobo Bookstore with mirrored ceilings and billions of books I couldn't read. The ADCUS club members who took me in as an honorary member and made me feel completely welcome. Mokkoli. The man who sold dokkoch'i (skewered barbecued chicken) at the front gate of Ewha for 1,000 Won. The Dandelion Patch: a coffeeshop/bookstore/library where you paid by the hour and got free drinks and pleasant atmosphere for study. The view of Seoul from my dormitory (but not the hike up the mountain to get there!). The people who stopped me on the street to have a chance to "practice their English". The subway. Accent. I think I could write a book, but I'll move on.
So you are wondering what any of this has to do with TKL. Right. I just got a bit sidetracked. While I was in Korea, I spent some of my freetime on the internet, where I ran into this tiny little club called The Korean Language. It's founder was a Korean guy, with whom I soon became friends. He helped my with my Korean homework while we were both online in the middle of the night, and we decided to become co-founders. Eventually, we even met and went out for pi-bim-pap and had sticker photos taken together.
I'm back home finishing school, but I think about Korea every day and really hope to return soon. So I try to keep up on my Korean studies (although I spend more time in my club than I do studying) and am constantly searching out new ways to stay in touch with the country I love. Hence, the huge links page. I guess that's it. If you actually read this far, I'm very impressed! Thanks for your time! See you in Korea! :)
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Created by "Smiles" :) Copyright 2000 Comments about this site?