How I'm Learning Korean

I plan on teaching English in Korea after I graduate college next December. I've been taking Korean at my college for a year a half, and have fulfilled my school's language requirement. But what now? I want to continue learning the language, because I would love to be fluent. So what now?

I watch a lot of Korean dramas, which helps me catch on to more conversational Korean (as well as the most dramatic, love-struck Korean you can imagine.) I also listen to kpop...all the time. I listen to it in the car, in the shower, at work. All the time. Jackie Chan said he learned English by listening to Elvis Presley, so I feel like listening to kpop should help me out too. I listen for words that I know and try to figure out the point of a song. If I hear a word or phrase I don't understand I look it up.

Another method that I have to learn Korean is to go to Ellicott city and read signs. There are a lot of Korean restaurants and grocery stores in Ellicott city so there are always signs to read. I'll look for words I already know, and try to figure out what new words mean. Especially in grocery stores. This helps me build vocabulary.

I keep debating about whether I should try rosetta stone...but then I think about people like Megan Bowen, aka chonunmigooksaram, the YouTube personality, who learned Korean mostly from just jumping into the culture. That makes me not want to spend almost $400 on some software. By the way, her Korean is almost as awesome as her YouTube channel. She's hilarious, I do recommend you watch her videos, whether you want to go to Korea or not.

Anyway, these were a few techniques that I'm using to learn Korean. If you have any more that may be helpful, or if you've tried Rosetta Stone, let me know!

Where Have You Been?!

Is it just me, or is college the killer of everything creative, fun, happy, and great? Okay, I'm probably exaggerating quite a bit, and it's probably a severe case of senioritis, but I just can't wait to graduate. The excitement of being a freshman is long gone, replaced by a sense of dread to wake up three days a week, get dressed, and commute 45 minutes to 1 hour in (sometimes heavy) traffic to a school that has done not much of anything for me but stifle my desire to create! In other words, I've been trudging myself to school and to work and therefore have had no motivation to write...anything. Those 12 page papers I've been cranking out like clockwork this semester have in no way quenched my thirst to express myself. After spending the last (almost) 4 years writing to satisfy teachers pen's, I just don't know what direction my own creativity is meant to go.

I feel like without a deadline I can't come up with anything, and even then, something just doesn't feel right about what I regurgitate onto my word processor. My boyfriend says I need to take it back to the good ol' days of pen on paper, but um, it's 2013.

Well, this is my attempt to get back into the flow of writing. I need to push myself, challenge myself, and just do it. When I lay in my bed, I get hit with a lot of good ideas, but I don't know what keeps me from actually writing them down. Of course, by the next morning they're gone, along with my hopes of becoming that bestselling author.

Well, anyway, the moral of the story is...I'm back. I have one class and two finals keeping me from Winter break, and I am making a promise to myself to get started on this novel.

My Dogs Are Barking

AKA Long Time No Blog, Huh?

AKA I Got A Job!

It's been a while since I've posted. I've been lazy busy. But, a lot of things have been happening, so I'll let you know.

Update 1: I finally got a summer job. I got a random phone call from a temp agency that wanted to place me at Verizon for the summer. I was skeptical at first, but it turned out to be legit, and now here I am, blogging after my first day of work. I'm a greeter. So I just stand around for 8 hours and get people checked in. It would be wayyyy sweeter if I could sit at a little desk and check people in, but hey, a job is a job and beggars can't be choosers, right? Anyway, super excited.

Update 2: Me and my boyfriend hit our 8-month mark yesterday. Aww, sweet sweet love love. I made us dinner. First time making porkchops. Also made baked potatoes, and string beans. It was nice. That's my boo.

Update 3: I've been hitting the gym off and on. I'm hoping to make it a serious routine in my life. I want to get fit for my brother's destination wedding (Cancun, Mexico) in October. If I hit my goal body, they might have to force me not to wear a bikini to his nuptials. Just kidding...maybe.

I think that's all. Wow. I thought I had more going on in my life. Oh well.

Until next time,
Me.

May 25th - WHAT AM I DOING?!

Today's challenge is to talk about something someone told you, about you, that really stood out in your mind. But, honestly, I don't want to. I don't wanna blog about myself. I wonder what's so great about me. Currently, I'm a college student, no job, no income, no more car. I'm in a funk.

I guess that's why I haven't posted in a while.

But, there's good news. I've got a job interview on Tuesday. A job would definitely get me out of my funk. I'll actually have things to talk about. Everything is looking up.

So...I guess that's what I'm doing.

May 16th: Challenge Accepted

Today's challenge is to talk about something in your life that you've overcome. I haven't technically overcome this little problem, but I promise you I'm working on it.

I "suffer" from Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Basically, I have frequent panic attacks, I tend to over worry, I am prone to stress as well as episodes of depression. I can recognize that I have negative thought patterns, but I often have trouble figuring out how to change them. I've gone to therapy, I take medication, and I take every day one step at a time.

Recently, I thought I was doing better. I hadn't had a serious panic attack in a few months, I was regulated on my medicine and feeling great. But, I don't know, I slipped back into my old habits, and no amount of breathing techniques were helping. I'm home for the summer now, and although it makes me feel pretty crappy, I can focus this time on getting back to that good place that I was at. I guess I've gotta go back to therapy.

So yeah, there's that.

If you're interested in reading a little more on the thought process of a panic attack, click here to read a short piece I wrote about my anxiety.

May 14th: Ten Things That Make You Happy!

I love this one! I guess it's because I'm excited to tell you the things that make me happy...because, well, they make me happy! These are in no particular
order.

1. Chipotle

A Chipotle Burrito Bowl with chicken/steak, pinto beans, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, guac, and pico de gallo is the way to my heart. I had one today, and it was oh so good. Love at first, second, and third bite.

2. Curling up with a good book

Nothing better than getting in that super, ultimate, lazy comfortable spot with your favorite book, and losing yourself in another world. When I was a little girl, my mom would swear up and down that I was in another world. I had a gift, I could ignore everyone around me when I got into a good book.

3. Those few moments right before you fall asleep at night

Maybe, while reading that oh-so-amazing book? I don't really know what it is, but there's something about those surreal moments before you lose consciousness that ca be so incredibly peaceful.

4. Puppies

So...I've never had a puppy, but I spend so much time imagining the kind of cutie I'll get when I move out of my parent's place. Probably a Bichon Frise, because they're just soooo cute. Something about those cute little puppy dog eyes that gets me every time.

5. Laughing/Making others laugh

I get such a sensation form laughing with friends, or just making them laugh. It really makes me happy. I'll find any reason to laugh.

6. Tumblr

Shameless plug. I love this site. Hours of procrastination entertainment. I feel like not much more needs to be said. Except, they have a gif for EVERY mood you may ever/will ever/have ever felt.

7. My Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ

'Nuff said!

8. Writing

Writing is my favorite past time. It gives me the opportunity to escape. It allows me to figure out, and understand what I'm feeling. It challenges me to look at situations from different angles. It really is my outlet.

9. Eating and food and cooking

I don't remember where I heard this, but "my favorite meal is my next one." Haha. I love food. I love eating it, cooking it, everything. Eating is great, trying new foods is great, and preparing a meal for a loved one is great.

10. My mom

She really is crazy. But I love her. Through thick and thin, rough and tough, high and low (can i come up with anymore cheesy lines?) she's there for me. She's always pushing me to do my best, and pushing me to enjoy my life, because sometimes I get so caught up in existing that I forget to live. I love this woman. Truly

May 13th: Public Apology

Today's challenge is to issue a public apology to anything you want. Serious, funny, or creative. Unfortunately, this post may prove to be none of those things. (I'm so good at self-deprecation)

I'm sorry,

But, I'm not amused by people that use the Internet to create an entirely different persona for themselves. I can't take you seriously if I know you outside of the Twitter or Facebook, and you're a completely different person than you portray. Who are you trying to impress? A network of netizens that you will probably never meet? Do you feel validated by every like, retweet, reblog, and follower? If you're gonna spend all of your time on the Internet, then at least find a way to get paid doing it. 

I'm sorry that you can't be as "cool" in reality as you are online. I'm sorry that you value the opinions of strangers as much as you do. I'm sorry you spend your days in front of a screen making a persona that you can't live up to. 

Actually,

#notsorry Be you, no one can do it better.