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Showing posts with label learn korean. Show all posts
Showing posts with label learn korean. Show all posts

The need to study Korean

It's already mid of Ramadhan and what have I done lately?



Other than improving myself and doing the best in this holy month; I could not forget learning Korean. Every week, together with my Conversation Exchange partner we scored each other language weaknesses. I promise to meet up with Yong Soo 선생님 once a week to discuss what we have studied and what area we need to improve. It turned out to be fruitful! Just because I have a person to talk to so it made a whole lot of difference. Sometimes what I said will be quite weird to his ears cause I did direct translation from English..haha.



Of course I itched to join Korean classes!!  I have to calm myself down though for about 2 months or so before I can sweat out totally in Sogang University. Teehee..



When I told him that I applied for Sogang University, he was baffled. Why Sogang? He hailed from Korea University which is among the top three best universities in Korea. SKY - Seoul University, Korea University and Yonsei University. Here I am, all the while thinking that Seoul and Korea are the same university!! ^^; Apparently, they are not.



Korean parents feel proud if their children successfully enter those SKY universities regardless of major. My teacher studied French but after graduating he became a network engineer. How odd, right? He said, as long as you enter the best universities you could find great jobs from great companies, namely the giants alike - Samsung, Hyundai, LG.







This was his first time trying Malaysian food after three months staying here!




We discussed a lot about the academic expectation from Korean society's view which I am deeply curious since I set my foot in Seoul. I have met a lot of students in their winter school uniform coming home quite late almost every night, about 10 or 11pm while I was taking a night stroll. I wonder why Korean students are still in school at this hour? If I remember it right, I would have been on my bed already back in my school days.



By the way, I checked with Sogang University which level will I be placed when the semester starts in December. They gonna make an oral test to check my conversation level in mid November once the schedule is out. I told them that I have taken TOPIK exam but they told me that my Korean fluency will determine my level instead of the TOPIK score which has no oral test at all. Yikes!! I have to practise speaking a lot now.

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Sogang University's Admission Letter

I have received the admission letter!!

That means, a part of me is already there!! My soul..my Seoul? hehe..it feels like a dream and I had to pinch myself several times. There are so much sacrifices done to study in Korea. A lot of dramas, dilemmas and heartache in this one life changing decision. No pain no gain. Hopefully it's gonna be a fruitful journey, Insya Allah. *cue - City Hunter's OST -It's alright*

It seems surreal that this time the reason I'm going mainly is to improve, to understand the language better which in the end helps me to comprehend the culture and the people better. *I might become a bookworm for a while*

I paid the fee around USD1,550 via Maybank's counter and have to pay RM25 processing charges and RM2 cable charges. The process is not viable via Maybank2U website as it needs the passport details of the recipient. So I had to go down to the bank personally to wire the fees.

Sogang university's representative received the money after 3 business days and informed me there are about 30,000 won extra from the fee I paid and I will get the money once I open a bank account in Korea.

So this is the much awaited admission letter for your eyes only. ^^



If you are planning to learn Korean in Sogang, you may refer to their official website: KLEC SOGANG

It's gonna be winter semester.
I hate cold.
I hate winter.
But it's a good time to study and hibernate.
I will become a bear. Zarina bear. 곰나나.

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Sogang University


Hi everyone,

It's have been a long time since my last update right?

What have I been doing?

I have decided to pursue learning Korean for real (not that I haven't..hehe) but for serious. After so much hesitation, I chose Sogang University to study. Currently, I'm sending some required documents for the administration to process my application. My plan is to study for a year starting from this December 2011.

Here's the reply from Sogang University on my application:

"Dear Zarina Jani

Thank you for applying to Sogang University Korean Language Education Center (KLEC).

I need more documents to admit you to study in Sogang University KLEC.
So, would you please send your scanned passport, Alien Registration Card (if you have), bank statement (deposit over than 3,000 USD)  and diploma (transcript from university or college is possible) to me via e-mail. (KLEC must check that documents because of Korean Immigration Rules for foreign students.)

I will send a mail about your total tuition and Sogang’s bank information after I check your documents.

Thanks again for applying to KLEC’s 2011 Winter program. I look forward to meeting you soon at Sogang University KLEC."


Can't say whether I have gone nut or what, but this is really like a giant leap for me. There are a few things that I want to achieve by sincerely studying Korean but firstly, I just want to speak proficiently without stuttering. ^^ I would like to thank Heo Young Seang at BotheringSeoul for the motivation.

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Korean TOPIK Exam 22nd Edition

I'm back! ^^ I have braved the storm and it's time to lead a normal life again. Heh..

My point of view: The exam was hard. Period.

There were around 10 candidates taking the exam with me in UKM (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia) for intermediate level and all were ladies. Exam started from 9.00am for reading and writing section, break for half an hour between 10.30am to 11.00am and then continued with listening and comprehension for another an hour and a half.

Now, let's just wait for the result after 2 months shall we?

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Meeting a South Korea fan

Last Tuesday I met Chrystal; one of my blog readers and my good friend Fydah. We had dinner at Bubba Gump, Sunway Pyramid together. The food was nice and the company was great. All in all, I am glad that we met! Chrystal will be going to South Korea in May for about a month and she is curious about the whole planning and preparation as she will be traveling alone this time. Based on her past experiences, she has done backpacking numerous time with her friends and I am totally confident that she will survive in South Korea even going alone.

Chrystal 씨, 한국에서 즐거운 시간 보내세요!

My dinner, BBQ beef ribs and chicken thigh. This
goes straight to my chubby cheek. ^^
Chrystal and me doing the "small heart". My friend, Fydah- she's
from Keningau, Sabah.

Big heart.

Definitely will come again. Burpp..Alhamdulillah.

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Free Korean Lesson in Seoul


These are FREE Korean lessons done by volunteers in Seoul vicinity.

Yeoksam Global Village Center


How to go: Gangnam Station, Line 2, Exit 1 or Yeoksam Station, Line2, Exit 3. Map is here.
Contact details:

Heekyoung Han - hbreeny@sba.seoul.kr Tel : 02-3453-9039
Kayoung Oh - erioness@hanmail.net Tel : 02-3453-9038

The people in Yeoksam Global Village Center is organizing free Korean language class for 16 weeks starting from . There is no fee required but the students have to purchase the text books. The program is offered only for foreign residents and the goal is to help them to understand Korean culture more by understanding Korean language! (My sentiment indeed ^^)

What I like about this website:
It organizes a volunteer program which allows you to mingle with Koreans. This might be weird for you but whenever I travel to another country, I love to join this sort of program which allows me to mix around with the local more. I just have to have a taste of living there for real. ^^ So, if you have run out of ideas where to visit or what to do in Korea, why not get involved in charity? Giving out is good!! *sorry..do I sound like a preacher? or a mother? haha..*

They have done the likes of:
  • Lectures and performances on traditional cooking, tea ceremony, art, and many others
  • Sagunja Painting
  • Candle Making
  • Volunteering at St Mary's Hospital
  • Oriental Flower Arrangement

Korean Study Room

How to go: Sookmyung women university station, Line 1, Exit 2
Contact details: Haemin 010-3374-9389, Sanhyun 010-6807-8985


It's free, just pay for the books. A very kind and big hearted Lee Sunju started this program to help foreign residents understand Korean culture more by understanding the language. Her aim is to teach Korean abroad one day! ^^ So, this Korean Study Room is her base to jump for more.


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Korean Grammar Dictionary

I'm glad I found you..oh my Korean Grammar Dictionary

How do I found thee?

It was in the wee hour when I listened to TTMIK Iyagi about Couple-Tshirts in Korea. Choi Kyong Eun; one of TTMIK(Talk To Me in Korea) teachers was saying..lalala "입을 때만 해도".

What does that mean? Thanks for being my Capricorn self, my curiousity is always at it peaks. Immediately I 'Naver'ed and 'Google'd it with keyword search '때만 해도 grammar' and wallah..I found this website! Sweet right? ^^

It is truly a simple site. Honest. I love it's simplicity, straight forward approach of explaining Korean grammar.

The explanation and sentence sample. That's it.

Happy Learning Korean!!

Couple shoes anyone?

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Learn Korean language on italki





This is another option to improve your level for serious Korean learners out there.

Recently, I was torn between taking an online class and normal class at ICLS, Bukit Bintang but due to time constraint, in the end I opted for Italki. There's not much difference in the class rate per hour but I couldn't afford to drive all the way downtown and going through that horrible rush hour at the golden bermuda area.

  • You have to have a credit card or Paypal account to pay for the lessons
  • You can choose various teachers and different rates are offered
  • Schedule is determined by the teachers
  • Teachers will get the payment only after you have completed the session
  • You need to have Skype or MSN account to contact the teachers.
  • Study at the comfort of your own house/room

How much you need to pay for Italki ?
The teacher will charge per session or class by ITC (Italki credits) - for example if a teacher charges 60 ITC per hour, it is equivalent to about RM19. However the teacher would normally request a student to confirm a 10 hour class/session per registration. So, you may need to purchase 600 ITC for 10 hour class/session in this case either with your credit card or Paypal. Don't worry, payment will be only transferred to the teacher's account only after a session completes.


ICLS
  • ICLS stands for Inter Culture Language School
  • It has three branches - Subang Jaya, Damansara and Bukit Bintang. I studied my beginner class in Japanese in Bukit Bintang, Fahrenheit building (Old KL Plaza).
  • Classes are on weekdays (2 times per week - 7.00pm-8.30pm) or Saturdays (2.00pm - 4.00pm)
  • If you want to start other than beginner level, you need to sit for placement test. The teacher will determine your level based on the test's result
  • One level is about 1 month and a half to complete

How much you need to pay for ICLS ?
Tuition fee - RM380
Book - RM25
Registration fee - RM30
Total -RM435 / 18 hours ~ RM24/hour

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22nd TOPIK Exam on April 2011





Another TOPIK exam will be held on April 2011 and this one is gonna be the 22nd. Those who are keen to sit for the exam, you need to register between 26th January and 10th February 2011 at your designated sites.

For Malaysians: UKM - Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

Don't come empty handed. ^^ You must bring:
  • 2 IC photos
  • RM80 for the fee
  • A black pen to fill up the form
Check out my post on how to register for TOPIK exam.


Me before the exam


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How to register membership at TOPIK website

TOPIK has a new website:


Click at 회원가입 - membership


Checked the box and press the button 회원가입.


Fill up your details.


아이디 - ID
비밀번호 - password
비밀번호는 영문숫자 조합으로 6자리 이상 입력해 주십시오 - Use at least 6 alphanumeric characters for password.
비밀번호 확인 - confirm password
한글성명- name in hangeul letters
영문성명- name in roman letters
생년월일- fate of birth
성별- gender
국적- nationality
한국인 - Korean
재외국민 - Korean living in overseas
재한외국인 - Foreigners in Korea
외국인- Foreigners living in overseas
주소 - address
이메일- e-mail address
직접 입력 - direct input
전화번호- phone number
핸드폰 - handphone number
SMS 수신여부 - Agree to receive SMS
이메일 수신여부 - Agree to receive e-mail
예 - Yes
아니오 - No


After filling up all the information, press 등록 - register.
Do not press 취소 - cancel.
You will be prompted with 저장 하시겠습니까? - Would you like to save?
after you press 등록 - register, and press OK.



You can choose your own language preference on the top-right corner
of the website.

Useful information from TOPIK website:
  • Test Introduction
  • Test Information
  • Application process
  • Test results
  • Past years' papers

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My Korean S-TOPIK Exam Result

Hohoho..Merry Christmas!

Here is the result for my Korean S-TOPIK exam (19th installment) for beginner level which I sat on the third Hari Raya (12th September).  Jjajang!! giving myself a pat at the back..자리나, 잘 했어! 수고 했어!

TOPIK stands for Test of Proficiency in Korean.
S means Standard.


Vocabulary and grammar - 96/100
Writing - 85/100
Listening - 90/100
Comprehension - 80/100 (Hmm..I should read more and understand more. Hwaiting!)

I got grade 2 - high beginner!  Yeay!

Each Korean TOPIK level is evaluated with different grades to determine the proficiency as below:

Beginner level - grade 1 and 2
Intermediate level - grade 3 and 4
Advance level - grade 5 and 6 

Grade 2, 4 and 6 are more proficient than grade 1,3 and 5. 

As of right now, I'm preparing to take the intermediate level which is much harder than it seems to be and I don't know if I have much time left when April comes. Thanking Min Young and Mi Hyeon onni for their patience on teaching me Korean and conversing in broken Korean for my sake..hehe. 

Check out the TOPIK official website here for past year's paper and our good friend; Satish has done a good job on updating everything related to the TOPIK exam at his blog http://www.topikguide.in/


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How to register for Korean TOPIK Exam

I have been asked by an avid Korean language learner who happened to visit my blog on how I registered for the recent Korean Language TOPIK exam. Here's the step. However this may be applicable ONLY for Malaysians.

FYI, Korean TOPIK exam is held twice a year; April and September. Registration should be done 2 months ahead. For April, you should register in February and for September exam you should register in July. It's better for you to check either of the sites below for accurate registration dates.




OR



All notification will be put up on both websites as above.
The exam will be done in Pusat Pengajian Bahasa dan Linguistik, UKM - Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Selangor. Please bring 2 IC photos and RM80 for registration fee.

How to go :



From the North and South highway take Bangi exit. After that you will see the roundabout, take 12 o'clock exit. Then go straight and you will see another roundabout, take 3 o'clock exit. Go straight and you will find the entrance to UKM. Register yourself at the guard post and the security guard will guide you to Pusat Pengajian Bahasa & Linguistik.

Address: Pusat Pengajian Bahasa & Linguistik, FSSK, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, UKM, Bangi 43600, Selangor Darul Ehsan. Malaysia

Person in charged:

Ryu Seung Wan 03-8921-6556
Mrs. Haslina 03-8921-6476
Please call during office hours : 9am to 5pm.

Check my post on Korean TOPIK Exam to download past year's paper.

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TOPIK Exam Done

I am SPENT!

I slept a bit late last night to review the 18th TOPIK paper one last time. The thing that I worried most was the listening part, because my mind could not sit still for even one second. Hehe..I lost focus very much easily.

Leaving home at 7.45AM and most of the examinees were already loitering around the waiting area at Pusat Bahasa dan Linguistik, UKM. Phew..at least I wasn't late. Just because I forgot where I put my steering wheel lock key, had to run up to the 12th floor (by the elevator of course) and scrambled through my disorganized luggage  from Hari Raya travel the day before; I thought that I would be damned even before the exam. ^^

The funny questions that I was asked before taking the exams:

From the guard: "Awak ni Melayu kan? Kenapa ambil periksa Korea?" - You are Malay right? Why you sit for Korean exam?

From another two guys in front of the Pusat Bahasa: "Tak balik raya ke?" - You didn't go back to your hometown to celebrate Eidulfitri?

Arghhh..I had to set this seriously-difficult-to-answer questions aside before I even walked into the exam hall. Aigoo..^^ hehehe..

The examinees mostly were fresh blood. I mean 90ers, late 80ers..hehehe. They are the university students taking the compulsory exams before continuing their studies in Korea. Some of them are coming from mixed marriage, Korean-Chinese family.

I sat for two papers. One was from 9.00AM to 10.30AM for vocabulary and essay writing. Later, they served choco-pie and mineral water for refreshment during the 30 minutes break. The exam was continued with the second part - listening and comprehension from 11.00AM to 12.30Noon.

My verdict: Be prepared. Be well prepared. Just be fully prepared. ^^ The exam was tougher than JLPT (Japanese Proficiency Test) from my point of view. I wished I had studied the Intermediate paper too instead of only the Beginner paper.

How to download TOPIK Exam past years paper
Go to official site: http://topik.or.kr/


Click on the 수험정보, then click on 자료실 under the drop
down menu


On the left hand side, under 자료실, click on 기출문제


The list of past year paper for Beginner, Intermediate, Advance
and Business are available for FREE download.

초급(A,B형) 정답지 - Beginner Part A and B Answer Sheet
초급(A,B형) 문제지 - Beginner Part A and B Question Sheet
초급, 중급, 고급 듣기대본 - Beginner, Intermediate, Advance Listening Scenario/Question sheet
초급, 중급, 고급 듣기파일 - Beginner, Intermediate, Advance Listening mp3 file
초급 - Beginner
중급 - Intermediate
고급 - Advance
실무 - Business


Say you want to download the question sheet for beginner level
Click on 2010년도 제18회 초급(A,B형) 문제지 and then
you will see the above site. Just click on the file to download
and for Non-native examinees, you should download B형 part only.


Check out the souvenir from my TOPIK examiner this morning.
An OMR pen..hehehe.
컴퓨터용 - for computer usage

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TOPIK: Korean Language Exam

I received an email from UKM  (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia) for my application to sit for Beginner level Korean Language Proficiency Exam (TOPIK).

Click here for UKM Korean language department blog.


My name is the second applicant.  Yeay!

TOPIK exam is held twice yearly. Once in April and the other in September. The fee is RM80 and it has three levels; Beginner, Intermediate and Advance. Apparently, I will take Beginner level. ^^. It seems tough because you need to write an essay so you have to know the grammar well and memorize as much vocabulary as possible.

For Malaysians , you could register in March 2011 for April placement if you wish to take the exam.
Check the official website here.

I refer to Sogang University's Korean lesson closely for TOPIK exam's preparation.

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Talk to Me in Korean


This is another worthy source of Korean Language studies that I follow now. If you remember Hyun Woo Sun from Korean Class 101, he is the creator of this portal (yeap..the same Hyun Woo). I have met him personally in Seoul and now he is no longer with Korean Class 101. I still learn from KoreanClass101 though and a few other notable websites.

What makes me want to learn from TTMIK (Talk to me in Korean):
  • It has some what similar format with KoreanClass101 but better layout and easy on eyes graphic. Not too much hype and messy website template. It makes learning easier
  • FREE podcast and notes (Donate to help them, cause they help us ^^)
  • friendly teachers with fast response after you comment
  • just because Hyun Woo Sun is jjang!! ^^
Head over to TTMIK to learn!
Add TTMIK in Facebook too.

Hyun Woo Sun also has a few other websites about Korea that you might be interested to browse:
  1. sendmetokorea
  2. why-be-normal.com
  3. Hyun Woo Sun in Youtube
  4. Language Cast
  5. HyunWooSun
  6. DailyPhotos


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Naver Game

Have you ever tried using Naver, the most popular search engine in Korea?

Naver (Hangul: 네이버) is by far the most popular search portal in South Korea, with a market share of over 70%, compared to 2% of Google.Naver was launched in June 1999 by ex-Samsung employees, the first portal in Korea that used its own proprietary search engine. (Info by Wikipedia)

Naver is like what Google is to us and like what Baidu is to Chinese. Korean prefer Naver than Google. Since I am still crawling to read Hangul hence 'Naver is never' my favourite search engine..hehehe. My host's children use Naver to play games or read manhwa (manga in korean) everytime after school.

At one time, I was looking behind Haein's shoulder to check at a game she was playing in junior Naver. Yes...there is a junior Naver. ^^ With Haein and Hojin's help, I found a few games which could help me learn Korean better. The games are primarily for Korean children to brush up their English but I think it works for me too and I hope it will help others learning Korean as well.

Here's how:

1. Go to Naver website - http://www.naver.com/



2. Click at junior naver -

and you will be directed to the website : http://jr.naver.com/index.html



3. Click at AB영어스쿨 and you will be directed to http://study.jr.naver.com/english/


4. Click at the picture above 영어게임 and you will be directed to http://jr.naver.com/english/list.nhn?id=game&cid1=1

5. I will normally play these two games to improve my vocabulary

There are other games of course but there are too many for me to try. You could hunt them yourself ok?

PS. You may need Flash installed in your PC to play the games.

Tell me if it is fun and helpful ok?


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Learn Korean: Arirang TV


Arirang TV has a VOD (Video on Demand) section for Let's Learn Korean. I had this one subscribed about 2 years back but simply due to the hallyu wave. Last week, yet again because of hallyu, I logged in albeit forgetting my id and password. I am so surprised that you could easily start speaking Korean if you watch this 10-minutes lesson video, even for a beginner like me.

They have Season 3 and the latest season 5 on the site. Season 5 engaged a few foreigners on the show to play Korean language games. Currently besides my ol' conventional by the book study, I definitely will listen to Arirang Let's Speak Korean at least 3 VOD lessons per day.

The hosts Lisa Kelley and Kim Young are awesome!!

Head over to the site and subscribe. It's FREE ^^

Lets succumb to learning once again. As Jo Kwon said in MBC - We Got Married - " No Pain, No Again " Ooopss...hehe. Gain.



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Free Korean Course in South Korea : Geumgang University


What?!! Free?? Hmmm...There's nothing as free in this world. No pain no gain right? Unbelievable but believe it or not, it is real. Pinch your cheek now...^^

Geumgang University
is offering Spring or Autumn 4 months FREE Korean course in South Korea!!

OMFG!! ehehe...

Wait..I have never heard of this university before. What the heck..Guys, if you are really keen on learning korean language in this land of morning calm, why not grab this chance. Just save some money on that plane ticket and some shopping to do, shall we?

Applicants must be fluent speakers of English, Japanese, or Chinese, and they should either be:

(1) be currently enrolled in university studies,
(2) be on leave from university studies, or
(3) have graduated from university.

Successful applicant will be offered a furnished dormitory room, which is shared with a Korean student, and provided with free meals in the school cafeteria. Moreover, they will receive further financial support provided that they meet the scholarship regulations of the Geumgang Language Center.

Tempting? 빨리!!

I'm too late for Spring course though. Uwaa..autumn is such a nice season.

Click here for details.

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Learning Korean: Chuno OST- Beige 달에 지다

Lately Chuno drama is a craze in Korea, not to mention Malaysia too..hehe. I love Jang Hyuk's role here. Totally mind blowing with that sexy chocolate abs. Kekeke..The OST too lists several excellent numbers. Particularly, I like this song by Beige.



달에 지다

가슴이 울어도 나는 못가
서투른 몸짓도 더는 못해
고운 꽃하나를 향내듯
새들의 노랫소리도
머물다 이는 사라지는 한켠의 꿈일까
저 달이 슬피 운다
저달이 슬피 웃는다
헝클어진 그대 두눈처럼
내 시들어진 꿈처럼
바람이 불어온다
바람이 함께 늙는다
곱게 자람 꽃들도 다 별이되어 지는데
내 맘은 아직도 그 자리에
상처를 남기고 떠난 사랑
어설픈 미련이 나를 울려
어제의 찬란한 태양도
해맑게 웃던 모습도
한겨울 깊은 시름속에
묻혀진 꿈일까
저 달이 슬피 운다
저 달이 슬피 웃는다
헝클어진 그대 두 눈처럼
내시들어진 꿈처럼
바람이 불어온다
바람이 함께 늙는다
곱게 자란 꽃들도 다 별이되어 지는데
내 맘은 아직도 그자리에
바람이 불어온다
바람이 함께 늙는다
곱게 자란 꽃들도 다 별이되어 지는데
내 맘은 아직도 그 자리에
나나나나 나나 나나나나나나 나나나나 나나나 나나

Romanization:

ga seum i ur eo do na neun mot ga
가 슴 이 울 어 도 나 는 못 가
seo tu reun mom jit do deo neun mot hae
서 투 른 몸 짓 도 더 는 못 해
go un kkoc ha na reur hyang nae deus
고 운 꽃 하 나 를 향 내 듯
sae deur ui no raet so ri do
새 들 의 노 랫 소 리 도
meo mul da i neun sa ra ji neun han kyeon ui kkum il kka
머 물 다 이 는 사 라 지 는 한 켠 의 꿈 일 까

jeo dar i seul pi un da jeo dar i seul pi ut neun da
저 달 이 슬 피 운 다 저 달 이 슬 피 웃 는 다
heong keur eo jin geu dae du nun cheo reom
헝 클 어 진 그 대 두 눈 처 럼
nae si deur eo jin kkum cheo reom
내 시 들 어 진 꿈 처 럼
ba ram i bur eo on da ba ram i ham kke neulk neun da
바 람 이 불 어 온 다 바 람 이 함 께 늙 는 다
gop ge ja ran kkoc deul do da byeor i doe eo ji neun de
곱 게 자 란 꽃 들 도 다 별 이 되 어 지 는 데
nae mam eun a jik do geu ja ri e
내 맘 은 아 직 도 그 자 리 에

sang cheo reur nam gi go tteo nan sa rang
상 처 를 남 기 고 떠 난 사 랑
eo seol peun mi ryeon i na reur ul lyeo
어 설 픈 미 련 이 나 를 울 려
eo je ui chan ran han tae yang do hae malk ge ut deon mo seup do
어 제 의 찬 란 한 태 양 도 해 맑 게 웃 던 모 습 도
han gyeo ur gip eun si reum sog e mut hyeo jin kkum il kka
한 겨 울 깊 은 시 름 속 에 묻 혀 진 꿈 일 까

jeo dar i seul pi un da jeo dar i seul pi ut neun da
저 달 이 슬 피 운 다 저 달 이 슬 피 웃 는 다
heong keur eo jin geu dae du nun cheo reom nae si deur eo jin kkum cheo reom
헝 클 어 진 그 대 두 눈 처 럼 내 시 들 어 진 꿈 처 럼
ba ram i bur eo on da ba ram i ham kke neulk neun da
바 람 이 불 어 온 다 바 람 이 함 께 늙 는 다
gop ge ja ran kkoc deul do da byeor i doe eo ji neun de
곱 게 자 란 꽃 들 도 다 별 이 되 어 지 는 데
nae mam eun a jik do geu ja ri e
내 맘 은 아 직 도 그 자 리 에

ba ram i bur eo on da ba ram i ham kke neulk neun da
바 람 이 불 어 온 다 바 람 이 함 께 늙 는 다
gop ge ja ran kkoc deul do da byeor i doe eo ji neun de
곱 게 자 란 꽃 들 도 다 별 이 되 어 지 는 데
nae mam eun a jik do geu ja ri e
내 맘 은 아 직 도 그 자 리 에

na na na na na na na na
나 나 나 나 나 나 나 나
na na na na na na na na na na na na na
나 나 나 나 나 나 나 나 나 나 나 나 나

Translation:
Even if my heart cries, I can't go
with my clumsy self.
When the scent of a lovely flower lingers,
and the birds' song is silenced,
is this all a vanishing dream?

The moon is crying sadly,
The moon is smiling sadly,
Like your two teary eyes,
Like my withering dreams.
The wind is blowing, the wind blows together
Even when the lovely flowers wilt and becomes stars
My heart is still by your side.

The person who left behind pain
My foolishness bring me to tears
Like yesterday's radiant sun
and your brilliant smile,
is it all just a dream
that's buried in the winter's sorrows?

The moon is crying sadly,
The moon is smiling sadly,
Like your two teary eyes,
Like my withering dreams.
The wind is blowing, the wind blows together
Even when the lovely flowers wilt and becomes stars
My heart is still by your side.

The wind is blowing, the wind blows together
Even when the lovely flowers wilt and becomes stars
My heart is still by your side.

Hangul Lyrics Source: Here
Romanization and Translation Source: Soompi Chuno Forum

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Shopping in Korea

I don't adore shopping or even window-shopping per se. Really hate to dilly-dally and waste my time (sorry shopaholics, cause I am not in that group, definitely). Do I sound so nerdy? Hahaha..I am half a guy here.

But, here I am telling you about my shopping experience in Korea for autumn and winter. I hope I don't sound too boring though. Verdict: I had two coats prepared for winter but after getting some advice from my korean friends, it would be better if I shop once I reach Seoul.

When I came around end of September, the weather was temperate and warm like in Malaysia so if you're coming in to Korea around this time, you don't have to bring thick clothes. If you feel cold, cardigan or thin jumper will do. You could layer your clothes if you are prone to cold weather. Sneakers are fine but bring more socks. Your feet will be smelly because you will walk a lot. Trust me on this one. Korea's landscape is 70-80% mountains so you could imagine. You can't escape fatigue!!

However for middle-October, you may need thicker jumper. My two cents - just bring one good jumper and layer. The rest, buy the clothes in Korea. Due to global warming, autumn span is shorter than winter and the weather drastically change unknowingly. minus 2 degree is normal but if there's wind, you gonna die in the cold. Yikes! Buy a good pair of gloves. They sell it almost everywhere, on the street side and don't forget to bargain the price!!

November and December are cold ranging from 10 to minus 10 degrees. On some days it would be colder depending on the region you are in - Gangwondo, Seorak mountain are will be colder compared to the southern part. Maybe, you could buy cheap winter clothes in bundle shops in Malaysia and buy a better one in Korea.

Why? Because you're gonna be green in envy when you see Korean are so stylish in winter. They wear fashionable clothes, pretty scarves, winter boots. Arghh..they have SALE almost everywhere! If you look around in Migliore, Doota, APM and Lotte shopping complexes, they have huge price slashes for autumn and winter clothes!!

My case - we bought winter clothes from Basic House, where Hyun Bin and Yoon Eun Hye are the ambassador for 50,000 won.

Later when we walked into Young Plaza (next to AvenueL)in Myeongdong - we saw a very stylish winter coat for 29,000 won because they had SALE there. Darn!

Clothes are cheaper in Dongdaemun (compared to Malaysia) and you could haggle the price (in most of the shops). Just try your luck!

How? (if you don't know Korean..it's ok!)
1. Smile
2. Greet anyonghaseyo
3. Ask - olmayeyo
4. If you find the price is too ridiculous - haggle/bargain - kakka juseyo
5. If the price cut is reasonable - buy. If not, just walk over to the next shop. There's loads of shops selling similar stuffs. Don't worry!
6. Don't forget to say - Kamsahamnida.

Learn the basics

1- il
2- i
3- sam
4- sa
5- o
6- yuk
7- chil
8- pal
9- ku
10- ship

baek - hundred
chon - thousand
man - 10 thousand

eg. 100 won - baek won
1000 won - chon won
10,000 won - man won

varieties:
200 - i baek won
300 - sam baek won
the rest follows

2,000 - i chon won
3,000 - sam chon won
the rest follows

20,000 - i man won
30,000 - sam man won
the rest follows

For example, if the price is:
8,500 - pal chon o baek won
60,250 - yuk man i baek o ship won
9,700 - ku chon chil baek won

Interesting?

Listen to FREE podcast from KoreanClass101 before you travel. Life will be a lot easier. Trust me! ^_^

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