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"Fandom Korean”: Fancafes

A lot of the vocabulary I learned when I first came to Korea (in 2013) I learned from my fangirling lifestyle. I was lining up for music shows, applying for fansigns, and navigating my way around fancafes, so I learned a lot of words that are very important for fans to know. 

Since I figured it would help a lot of fellow fans out, I’ve decided to compile some lists of vocabulary that are essential to making your fandom lifestyle easier.

Of course, I highly recommend learning to read Hangeul (the Korean alphabet) if you haven’t already. You can check out my listography for a list of recommended Korean study materials!

This list is going to be related to fancafes- helpful words and phrases for joining, navigating boards, and understanding notices. I’m using Bangtan’s fancafe as a model, so while other fancafes are most likely similar, I’ll be pulling specific vocabulary from Bangtan’s fancafe as well.

This post is going to assume you already have a Daum account. If you don’t have one, I’m pretty sure there’s tutorials if you search on our best friend Google!

If you see any words on a fancafe that you’d like me to add to the list, feel free to send me a message and I’ll add them ^^

Logging in/Joining

로그인: log in (literally lo-geu-in)

카페 가입하기: join the cafe

아이디: ID, daum account name

비밀번호: password

입력: enter (fill in)

로그인 상태 유지: stay logged in

Cafe boards

전체공지: general noticeboard (Bangtan- this is where you will find posts for concerts, fansigns, preorders, etc.)

공식자료: official data

통합친목: general forum

10대친목: teens forum

20대이상친목: 20s+ forum

등업신청_공지: level up form_notice

등업신청_정회원: level up form_regular member

정회원_등업확인: regular member_ level up confirmation

등업질문건의: level up inquiries board

채팅하기: chat room

Frequent words

안내: info (lit. guidance)

모집: recruitment

회원: member (i.e. cafe member)

상세: details

정보: information

확인: confirmation

판매: sale

예약판매: preorder 

등록: registration

일정: schedule

팬사인회: fansign

공방, 공개방송: music show, live broadcast

녹화: recording

사전녹화: pre-recording

금지: prohibited

응원법: fanchant

투표: voting

신청: application

출시: release, launch (i.e. of an item or product)

취소: cancel

댓글: comment

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Hanja - 폭 (暴)

A small collection of commonly used vocabulary containing the hanja “폭” (暴), since I’ve come across a lot of these words lately.

暴 by itself has a meaning of “fierce,” “wild,” or “violent,” so it’s used in a lot of words that exaggerate the force or magnitude of something.

Pro tip: Put any of these words into Naver Dictionary to find a plethora of example sentences and usage details.

폭행(暴行): assault, violence

폭력(暴力): violence

폭설(暴雪): (sudden and/or heavy) snowfall

폭염(暴炎): heat wave, sweltering heat

폭우(暴雨): (sudden and/or heavy) rainfall, torrential rains, downpour

폭발(暴發): explosion, outburst

폭식(暴食): eat too much at once (binge eat)

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2017.06.08 - Resolutions Update

Back in January, I posted a list of resolutions to accomplish in 2017. Now that the year is nearly halfway over, I thought I’d check in and see how much I have left to do!

Can you believe 2017 is almost half over? Because I can’t. I swear, each year goes by faster and faster.

I’m going to look at each of my resolutions and trackable goals to see what I’ve achieved, and what I still need to work on.

Find and continue an athletic hobby

Trackable Goal:  Enroll in some form of exercise by February 14, 2017. 

Completed! I enrolled in my acrobatic academy back at the end of January, and I’ve been working on attending regularly. I started out with twice a week, but cut back to once a week due to time and money restraints. I have been improving a lot, and I’ve noticed my strength and stamina increasing as well. I’m going to try to supplement these sessions with some workouts at home during the week, so I can be more consistent with my exercise.

Improve my flexibility

Trackable Goal: Achieve full left leg, right leg, and middle splits by December 31, 2017.

In Progress. I had a setback due to pushing myself too hard in my gym class, so I’m working on getting back to where I was before I strained myself. The past month I’ve noticed a lot more improvement though! My middle splits are finally back to where they were before. Right leg is aaaaalmost down to the ground. Left leg still has a long way to go (which my acro instructor finds funny, since I’m a lefty in the gym). Signing up for acro has helped this goal along (as much as it’s hindered it, lol), so I’m hoping to reach my goal by this December. I’ve gotten in the habit of stretching every night before bed, which has the added benefit of being a great way to wind down after a long day at work.

Achieve Level 6 of the TOPIK

Trackable goal: Register for the 52nd TOPIK on February 6, 2017

Completed!

Trackable goal: Complete writing book by March 13, 2017

Failed. I didn’t finish my writing book by mid-March, though I did knock out a good portion of it.

Trackable goal: Take the 52nd TOPIK on April 16, 2017

Completed!

Main goal achieved. I received my score report a few weeks ago, and found out I obtained Level 6. I am so so happy about this, as it’s been something I’ve been working toward ever since I began learning Korean. I’ll be spending the rest of the year reviewing and trying to work on my speaking and translation!

Looking back...I have accomplished a lot of the things I set out to achieve this year. Maybe I should set a few new goals so I stay motivated.

I hope everyone is having a good 2017 so far! You still have plenty of time to make the changes you want to see in your life.

[skyetokki-blog]

Confusing Words - Days Off

Recently I realized that there’s a bunch of words in Korean that have been confusing me, and these words are all related to the same topic: days off. I’m collecting their definitions and Hanja here to make sure I nEVER GET THEM MIXED UP AGAIN. I hope some of you benefit from this.

This post covers the following words: 휴일, 휴진, 휴무, 휴가, 휴강, and 연휴.

휴일(休日): If you look at the Hanja, it’s literally rest+day. Day of rest. Holiday. Break.

휴일 잘 보내세요. “Have a good holiday.”

내일까지 휴일이에요. “My break lasts until tomorrow.”

휴진(休診): Rest+(clinical) exam. This is used for when doctors’ offices are closed. 

금일 휴진. “Closed today.”

side note i used that by accident referring to the day mY GYM closed and my instructor laughed at me pls don’t be me pls get these words straight

휴강(休講): Rest+Memorize. If you know the word 강의 (lecture), the hanja 講 is the same in both of these words. 휴강 is used when a class or lecture is canceled. 

한국어 강의는 오늘 휴강입니다. “Today’s Korean class is canceled.”

휴무(休務): Rest+labor. Hence, resting from work. Used when businesses, companies, etc. are closed. Can also be used to refer to the person’s day off (from work).

어린인날에 휴무합니다. “We are closed for Children’s Day.”

저는 이번 주 금요일에 휴무가 있어요. “I have a day off on Friday.”

휴가(休暇): Rest+space(crack/gap). Used for a break or vacation. (Though generally when referring to school vacations, the word 방학[放學] would be used.)

여름 휴가 “Summer vacation”

휴가 가요. “I’m going on vacation.”

연휴(連休): Adjacent+rest. Used to indicate a longer vacation. I usually hear this when people are talking about Chuseok or Lunar New Year, which are the biggest holidays here in Korea. It can be used to refer to long weekends (3+ days) as well.

추석 연휴 “Chuseok holidays”

설 연휴 “Lunar New Year holidays”

If I can think of any more 휴(休) words that I get mixed up I’ll be sure to add them here! Happy studying~

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Using Naver Dictionary

Naver Dictionary was my first and has continued to be my best friend when it comes to learning Korean. It’s accurate (97% of the time), reliable, and can be used for studying in various ways. 

In this post I’ll cover the following:

How to look up a word

Vocabulary lists

Adding a word to your list

Making a new list

Other tips

How to study using the dictionary

Open Dictionary

Using the dictionary for translation

I’ll be using the Korean language version of the dictionary. There is an English version available, but I strongly suggest immersing yourself in the Korean version. It’s not that different, but you get the bonus of successfully navigating a website in Korean, hooray!

I’ll start with a list of useful vocabulary to know when navigating the dictionary. (Side note- If you haven’t yet learned Hangeul [the Korean alphabet] I strongly suggest you do so!)

검색: search, look up

사전: dictionary

단어: word

본문: meanings, definitions

예문: example

단어장: vocabulary list

추가: add, insert

만들다: make

번역기: automated translator

더보기: see more (more info)

확인: confirm

취소: cancel

1. How to look up a word

When you first head to endic.naver.com you’ll probably see a page that looks like this.

There’s a search bar in the middle- this is for entering words, phrases, or sentences. You can enter any search term in Korean or in English. The green “검색” button is what you’ll use to search.

When you’re ready to search something, just type in your term and click the green button! (TIP: If you don’t have the Korean alphabet enabled on your keyboard you can read how to do that here. For PC users/For Mac users)

After you type in your term and click the green search button, you’ll be taken to a page that looks like this.

I searched the word “유용하다” - It’s visible in the green bar near the top of the page.

Right under the green bar is a collection of blue linked words. These are related search terms.

Under that, the first category under the results is 단어/숙어. This category will give you various meanings as well as idioms (if applicable) for the word. Usually the first result under this category will be the one you’re looking for. As you can see, the first result for 유용하다 is “useful, helpful, valuable.”

If you scroll down, you’ll see another bolded category titled 본문. I personally don’t pay attention to this section much. It usually gives English words and shows how the Korean word relates to the English word.

The next category is one of my favorites. Under 본문, you’ll see a bolded category titled 예문. This is a collection of sentences in which the term you searched is used.

I always reference this when searching a word, because many words have nuanced meanings in many different contexts. At the bottom of the category, you’ll see a button called “예문 더보기,” if you click this it will take you to a separate page listing all the example sentences.

Under 예문 there’s sometimes a category titled V LIVE 자막. 

These are user submitted as well as official translations for content on the V LIVE app. I find this useful to see how words are used in speech, since V LIVE is a streaming video service.

2. Vocabulary Lists

Naver Dicitionary has a cool feature where you can save words to a personalized list. In Korean, you’ll see the word 단어장.

Before attempting to use this feature, you’ll need to make a Naver account if you haven’t already. If you switch the homepage to English you can sign up easily. After you’ve registered your account, make sure you’re logged in!

I’ll continue with my example word, 유용하다.

On the original results page, you’ll see a little box with a red plus symbol next to the word.

This box says “단어장추가” (”Add to word list”). If you click it, the box will expand and show any current lists as well as the button to create a new vocabulary list (”새 단어장 만들기”). 

When you click “새 단어장 만들기” a small window like the one below will appear.

You can enter a name for your vocabulary list here next to “단어장 이름.” When you’re satisfied with the name, you can click “확인” (“confirm”). This will create your new word list, as well as add your selected word to the list.

You can access your vocabulary lists via the homepage, or the small icon in the search results page. Look for the word “단어장” or “내 단어장” (highlighted in screencaps below).

After going to your selected list, your screen will look something like this.

You can navigate your lists in the right-hand box that shows your profile.

I’ve highlighted the option near the top that says “퀴즈풀기.” This puts your words into a “quiz” form so you can test yourself on the meanings. I don’t use this feature much (I prefer flashcard sites like memrise) but you can try it out if you wish!

I highlighted the box that says 발음듣기 (pronunciation) but I’m pretty sure this only works with English words, as I’ve never gotten it to work for Korean vocabulary words lol. Why did I highlight that. Moving on.

3. Other tips

In this section I’ll just tell you how I prefer to use Naver Dictionary to study, as well as introduce the Open Dictionary feature.

Whenever I don’t know a word, I’ll look it up using the search function and note the meaning (in the 단어/숙어 section) but will especially pay attention to the 예문 section. I find reading the word in the context of applicable sentences helps a great deal when trying to remember what the word actually means, as well as seeing how it’s conjugated and what particles it takes. If I find a sentence I really like, I might write it down to really remember it. I’ll always save the word in a vocabulary list as well, so I can access it whenever I need to. (Bonus tip: If you are familiar with Chinese or Japanese characters, paying attention to the Hanja next to the word can help greatly as well!)

Another good feature of the dictionary is the Open Dictionary section. Here you’ll find a collection of slang or new words that aren’t in the “official” dictionary. If you’re trying to look up a word that’s not in the official dictionary, your results might look something like this.

The highlighted box says “오픈사전” which means “open dictionary.” If you see this box next to a word, it means the translation comes from the open dictionary section and not the official dictionary. If you click on the word, it’ll take you to a more detailed page such as this one.

One thing to keep in mind about the open dictionary is that it’s user-submitted definitions, so there’s a possibility the translations could be misleading. As you can see here, there’s various definitions of the word “심멎.” Use discretion when attempting to find meanings for words like this!

4. Using the dictionary for translation

You may be tempted to use the little box at the bottom of the homepage that says “영어 번역기.” So let’s do a little experiment.

I chose one of Bangtan’s tweets. Let’s put it in the translator and see what it comes up with.

Yikes.

Okay, so it’s not absolutely horrendous but we can do much better.

A good thing about the translator is that it lists all the words used in the space under the translation box. You can use this for quick reference if you’re suspicious of a translation. But if you want to be really sure, you can search them for yourself using the dictionary main page and browsing relevant sections such as 단어/숙어, 예문, and V LIVE 자막.

Let’s give it a shot.

The first word is 600만. This is translated correctly as “6 million.” 

The rest of the sentence is 언제 됐냐. If you search “언제” in the dictionary, it tells you that the meaning is “when.” Simple enough. 

However, 됐냐 is conjugated. If I enter “됐냐” into the dictionary search bar, I can find example sentences and meanings, and I find out that 됐냐 comes from 되다 - to become. I look through the example sentences and V LIVE translations and conclude that 됐냐 means something like “how did ~ become” or “how did ~ get.”

So, 600만 언제 됐냐 means something like “When (언제) did it become (됐냐) 6 million (600만)?” or “When did we get 6 million?”

Next sentence: 이제 뭐하지.

Searching 이제 reveals that it means “now.”

If you search “뭐하지” in the dictionary, you can find specific examples where 뭐하지 is used. Awesome! 

The V LIVE section of the results gives many situations where 뭐 하지 is used. Looks like it means something similar to “What should ~subject~ do?”

So, 이제 뭐하지 could mean “What should we do (뭐하지) now (이제)”

Last sentence! 일단 미리 축하추하.

Searching 일단 reveals that it means “first.”

Searching 미리 shows the definition of “in advance” or “beforehand.”

Searching 축하축하 and scrolling to the V LIVE section gives situations in which that specific phrase is used.

Looks like it’s a casual spoken way of saying “congratulations.”

So! Put that all together and we get 일단 미리 축하축하 “First of all (일단) congrats (축하축하) in advance (미리).”

Now, this won’t get you a perfect translation. However, I find this method to be much more accurate than just plugging everything into an automated translator. Also, if you’re trying to study Korean, it’s a great way to use something like your favorite idol’s tweet and turn it into a study session! If you’re trying to do something like level up on a fancafe (coughcough) this method will provide you a much more accurate translation as well.

---

This is a really quick overview of Naver Dictionary and the ways I use it, I hope you can get some use out of my own little tips. I kind of rushed putting this together, so there might have been some things I missed or overlooked. If you have any questions or suggestions please let me know!

[skyetokki-blog]

2017.05.25 - TOPIK results!

Finally, my score results are out!

두구두구두구두구

6급 합격자는 나야나~ 나야나~

I got Level 6!

The highlighted numbers are this year’s scores. The numbers below that are from last year’s test (which you can read about here and here). The scores for the three sections are out of 100 each, with the highest possible total score being 300. You need 230 points to achieve level 6!

Writing: 64 (last year - 56)

Listening: 96 (last year - 74)

Reading: 96 (last year - 80)

Total Score: 256 (last year - 210)

I’m disappointed in my writing score, since I studied quite hard for that section this time and thought I’d at least scrape a 70. As you can see, it only improved 8 points compared to last year. I think this was due in part to the questions being sliiiiightly different than the ones that I had studied, enough difference that it threw me off with regards to writing format. My first instinct upon seeing this score was “I MUST TAKE TOPIK AGAIN AND GET A HIGHER SCORE” but really, I got level 6 so there’s no need..ha..

The wonderfully amazing thing is my listening and reading scores. Getting a 96 on each section means that out of the 50 questions per section, I only missed 2 questions each. (Each question is worth 2 points.) Getting such a near perfect score was unthinkable to me! The highest I’ve ever gotten on practice tests has been around 90~92. I am extremely proud of myself for getting these scores and I know I will probably never be able to achieve that again (cries). 

It still hasn’t hit home that I’ve reached a goal I’ve been aiming towards since I began learning Korean in January 2013. After four years and counting of what was largely self-study, obtaining this goal is a huge milestone for me. To those who are learning Korean like me, I hope you realize that great progress is possible as long as you work hard and use the opportunities available to you.

Now that I’ve conquered the TOPIK, it’s time to set another concrete learning goal. Right now I’m just reading books to keep up on my comprehension skills, but I’m considering that as a leisure hobby. I think I’ll work on more of a translation angle, since that looks good on a resume and broadens my job prospects if I decide to stop teaching. I also need to work on my speaking (as evidenced by my writing score, my production of the language is weak compared to my comprehension), so I’ll be thinking of more ways to boost that in the coming months.

Thank you to everyone who’s congratulated me! I really appreciate and am grateful for the support. I hope everyone else is working hard towards their goals (language learning or otherwise!) this year. 

[skyetokki-blog]

How I've been studying Korean these days: watching dramas. I've gotten a bit tired of just studying grammar after taking the TOPIK a couple weeks ago, so I decided to work on my listening comprehension by watching dramas without subs. I actually haven't watched dramas in quite a while; up until last week the most recent drama I watched was Cheese in the Trap, lol. Anyway, for those who are interested in ways to improve their listening as well as understanding of pronunciation, dramas and other shows are a great way to start! If you're just starting out, use subs in your native language and see if you can pick out words that you know while listening to the show. Make note of them, mentally or physically. If you're an active listener you'll find yourself picking up more and more vocabulary and phrases here and there. This was actually one of the ways I got used to hearing Korean when I first started learning. I'd actually mimic the characters a lot, replay certain parts and try to say sentences with the same intonation. It sounds stupid but it really helped me. Now that I'm moving on to more advanced learning I'm just watching with no subs and really concentrating on picking out words I don't know. Last year I would watch with Korean subs, but I realized that I was way too dependant on the subs and I would forget to just listen. Watching with no subs at all has really forced me to pay attention! TL;DR Being an active listener while watching Korean shows will greatly improve your listening comprehension. Happy studying!

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My Korean Textbook Collection

I’ll provide a link for each book, but keep in mind most of these books are unavailable on international websites ): I’ll do my best to find intl links, but if I can’t, a Gmarket or Interpark link will be provided.

1. Korean Grammar in Use: Advanced

This is by far my favorite grammar anthology. I bought it on Interpark last year after reading so much praise about it online. There are three levels: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced. Right now I only have Advanced since I used it to study for the TOPIK II, but I’d like to get my hands on Intermediate sometime soon for review and practice purposes. The grammar points are divided into helpful sections and each section provides situations and practice in which to use the grammar. This textbook is excellent for self study!

2. Ganada Korean for Foreigners: Advanced I

I used this book and workbook back when I attended the Ganada hagwon in Hongdae for a few months of Saturday classes last year. It’s a pretty old book in that the examples are kind of outdated. They updated their beginner and intermediate levels, but they haven’t gotten around to updating the advanced levels yet I guess. I haven’t used these books much but they were helpful when I was studying through a group class. I’m not sure how useful they’d be for self study. Ganada is a great hagwon though! If you’re interested in classes you can check out their website here.

3. 핫토픽 II 쓰기

I bought this book last summer in Books Libro in Hongdae so I could study for the TOPIK II. It’s an excellent self study guide for the writing portion of the test. It walks you through the grammar and vocab needed for each question of the test, and provides you countless practice questions. I highly recommend this to anyone studying for the TOPIK II!

4. 합격의 신 TOPIK II 읽기

Also used this book while studying for the TOPIK II. I found it back when I was living in Wonju at the one main bookstore the city had lol. It’s very helpful for the reading section. The book is divided into sections based on the types of questions on the test, and it thoroughly prepared me for each kind of question. It has practice questions throughout the book and some mock exams at the end! Again, highly recommended for TOPIK students.

5. ���파 한자능력검정시험 8급

I bought this book on Interpark at the same time I bought Korean Grammar in Use because a) it was cheap, and b) I’d always wanted to study hanja. I knew some kanji from back when I studied Japanese, but learning it again in the context of Korean has been really useful. Level 8 is the lowest level, so it teaches you how to write 50 basic hanja. Some of the strokes are different so I get confused between Japanese kanji and Korean hanja sometimes, but I’m working through this book every now and then when the mood strikes. It’s very easy to follow along!

6. 데미안 (Demian)

Bought this on Interpark when I found out about the connection between Demian and Bangtan’s WINGS haha. It comes with both an English version and a Korean version, which is why I decided to buy it. I’ve read the English version, but I’m saving the Korean version for a later date since I’m working on another book right now. 

7. 나는 아직, 어른이 되려면 멀었다

This is a book that Taehyung was reading back in 2015? I believe. I found the title intriguing so I picked it up at my local bookstore when I was living in Wonju. I read it for a few months and then life got busy so I stored it away, and only just finished it a few days ago. It’s a collection of short essays about growing up, friends, love, and just feelings and thoughts. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it to low or high advanced learners who are looking for a book to read.

8. 밤 열한 시

This is a book Namjoon recommended years ago. I actually ordered it back when I was in college; I went to the bookstore in the nearby Koreatown and ordered it through them. The vocabulary is quite advanced so at the time (around 3 years ago?) I really struggled to read it. Even after challenging the Level 6 of TOPIK I still find it difficult to read at times. It’s a collection of pensive, self-reflective essays (a popular genre in Korean literature). Since I finished the book above this one, I’ve picked this up again and I’m reading a few essays before I go to bed every night.

Not pictured:

9. 살아있는 동안 꼭 해야할 101가지

I picked this book up back when I was in college at my Koreatown bookstore. I was a high intermediate level at the time and this book was exactly what I needed to get started in reading Korean literature. It’s a short essay style (as usual) and is divided up into 101 things to do while you’re alive. I found it quite inspiring!

10. Korean for Beginners: Mastering Korean Conversation

This was the first official Korean textbook I ever used. My Korean culture club at university offered Korean tutoring, so I picked up this book to start working through. It’s a very lighthearted read, which made me more motivated to keep studying with it. It’s a very gentle introduction for those who don’t really have any experience with the language whatsoever!

11. Ewha Korean Level 2 (Link is Level 1 since I couldn’t find an intl link for Level 2)

I used this book when I was studying abroad at Ewha in 2013. It’s full of colorful pictures and situations and I really enjoyed studying with it! There’s a workbook as well and it includes plenty of practice for the grammar points and vocabulary. I bought Level 3 and self studied with that a bit but I left it at home in the US because books are heavy lol. I’m not sure how self studying with these would go, since I did have a background in Korean before I used them. However, I do strongly recommend Ewha Womans University’s Korean Language program! Here’s the link to their website. If you’re interested in studying abroad do check it out ^^

[skyetokki-blog]

Hello everyone! I’ve decided to start posting my Korean study notes here.

These will just be pictures or random text of the things I’ve been studying personally, to keep for my own records and to help motivate other learners. 

I am not posting these in an attempt to teach others, so please don’t request me to post about certain topics. I am not here to teach you! Please don’t expect that from me ;;

I’ll be tagging posts like these with the hashtag “gongbutokki” for those who wish to follow along~

[skyetokki-blog]

2017.04.18

I took the TOPIK II for the second time!

This past Sunday (April 16) I took the TOPIK II for the second time. It was almost exactly one year after I took it for the first time. (You can see my post about that here).

Compared to the first time I took it I was much more prepared. The first time I really only studied the reading section since that was my strength to begin with, but this time I studied a lot more writing since that ended up being my weakest score. I was also just much more familiar with the test, having gotten more used to the format over time.

I was late registering so I couldn’t get a spot in Seoul, but I did manage to grab a spot in Seongnam which is a suburb about an hour away from where I live. So I took the subway there the morning of and spent the hours before the test doing some last minute review in my writing book and generally just trying to stay calm lol.

The exam is always listening and writing first, then a break, and then reading. Listening went a lot better than I thought it would? Like usually near the last 10 questions my brain starts getting really sluggish and it’s difficult to keep up with the advanced vocabulary, but I really surprised myself and powered through it.

Writing is immediately afterwards, so I just jumped right into the two easy questions and then tried to spend most of my time on the graph analysis and the dreaded essay. I have a very minimal background in academic writing since my Korean is largely self-taught, so writing coherent thoughts in Korean has always been my Achilles’ heel. However, I did much better compared to last time. I really owe my thanks to the book I used to study, which I’ll link at the bottom for anyone interested. I actually ended up finishing with about 10 minutes to spare, so I spent that time catching and fixing small spelling and grammar errors I’d made in my rush to cram all my thoughts in.

The 20 minute break after listening/writing was much needed. I ate an energy bar and stretched the whole time, since I was getting an awful crick in my neck after two hours bent over a test paper. I was really looking forward to the reading section though, since I’m most confident in that area. It ended up going quite well, I finished the 50 questions with plenty of time left over so I read through my answers and actually caught a really dumb mistake I’d made in the early intermediate questions LOL. Thank goodness.

Overall I’m really proud of myself compared to last year’s outcome. The thing I noticed the most is that I can answer the questions much quicker now, and I’m a lot better at extrapolating answers based on context, which really helps when you don’t know some vocabulary or grammar.

Waiting is always the worst part ): Scores don’t get released until the later half of May, so I’m going to do my best to forget about it until then, haha.

To anyone interested, these are the books I used to study this time around!

Korean Grammar in Use: Advanced

핫 토픽II 쓰기

합격의 신 TOPIK II 읽기

If anyone reading this is considering taking the TOPIK, I really encourage you to! It’s a great learning experience and the perfect chance to test your skills and see what areas you need to focus on. Happy studying!

[skyetokki-blog]

2017.04.02

Long time no post~

I’m back with a resolutions update!

I’m still attending the acrobatics academy I mentioned in my previous post (all the way back in January...oops). I was going twice a week for about a month or so, but right now I’m only going once a week because my work has been a bit busy and exhausting recently. However, I’m making a lot of progress and I’m seeing myself getting stronger, so it’s really rewarding every time I go! Hopefully I can switch back to twice a week once work settles back down again.

My stretching is progressing quite slowly. I’m still remembering to stretch almost every night, which I’ve found really calms me down and makes me relaxed and sleepy. My pelvis still aches sometimes thanks to that too-much too-soon stretching I did a couple months ago, so my splits are nowhere near I want them to be, but I refuse to push myself too fast again. 

Aaaand the TOPIK. It’s in exactly two weeks. (internal screaming) I haven’t finished my writing book, which I said I’d finish by mid-March, so I’m kind of disappointed in myself about that. However, I’m working on pages when I can and I’ve also taken some mock reading and listening tests to brush up on those areas as well. I got an 84 (out of 100) on the recent Listening test I took, which is really good if I want to get level 6. Confidence boost ay~~~ My writing has definitely improved as well, now that I’m getting used to the grammar needed for the writing questions. Hopefully I can squeeze in a lot more studying these final two weeks.

Other random life updates:

I went back to the US for a week during Lunar New Year to visit my family. It was exactly the kind of break I needed. I didn’t do much during that week, just chilled with a few friends and tried to get as much time with my family as possible. I had forgotten how much I missed them until I got on the plane to Texas and felt tears welling up in my eyes at the thought of seeing them again. I have to say, it was the hardest thing to leave them and come back to Korea and real life again.

Also, I got a cartilage piercing a few weeks ago! That was quite nerve-wracking for me since I have a huge fear of needles. I went with my co-worker since she wanted one too, and I made her hold my hand through the whole thing lol. I ended up passing out anyway but the staff were really nice and made a place for me to lie down and gave me lots of gummies. My piercing is healing quite nicely now though it is quite dangerous when the kids at work accidentally pull my hair or ear, ouch.

My current job contract will be up in about 4 months, so I’ll have to decide soon whether I want to renew or find a different job. I really like my students and I’ve grown attached to the point that I don’t want to leave them, but the management at the academy has changed some things and I don’t really like the changes so I’m not sure if I want to stay. On the other hand, finding another job is a gamble because it could end up being a terrible place haha. I’ve been thinking about that a lot these days but I just think the same thoughts in a circle over and over again. Hopefully an answer will show itself.

I hope everyone’s having a good start to April! 

[skyetokki-blog]

2017.01.22

Resolution updates!

Can you believe January is nearly over? I certainly can’t.

I’ve been surprising myself these past few weeks because I actually made some progress on quite a few things.

If you’ve been reading my tweets, you’ll probably know that I signed up for classes at an acrobatics academy. I started the second week of January, but ended up having to take a break after my third lesson last week because I severely pulled a muscle in my abdomen. My body really isn’t used to all the exercises and I definitely pushed myself too hard, too fast. I’m paying for that now, unfortunately. I stretched my inner thigh muscles too hard as well, so my progress in flexibility has been slowed to a snail-like pace. I can’t even do a cartwheel without hurting. Don’t be like me, kids. I got too full of myself once I realized I remembered how to do the tricks I did when I was younger, and I didn’t stop to think about my body’s current condition. ANYWAY I will be easing into things this next week and hopefully take better care of myself. That being said, I guess I achieved one of my goals: to enroll in some sort of class by mid-February. Check! Now to just keep it up and truly get stronger and more flexible.

I’m trying to study for the TOPIK more actively than I was at the end of last year, so I’ve been carrying around my writing book in my bag whenever I go to work or just go out to a cafe or something. I’ve made quite a bit of progress, though I do need to buckle down if I want to finish it in mid-March as planned. I’m getting into the last half of the book which focuses on the essay-style questions so it’s quite heavy material and it’s difficult to get through even a page a day. But due to the difficulty, I feel quite accomplished with each page I finish! April 2017 TOPIK, here I come.

Is anyone else making progress on their 2017 goals? 

[skyetokki-blog]

2017.01.05 - Resolutions

5 days into the new year and not much has changed for me.

But!

I have decided to go along with the whole ~resolution~ thing to actually get some stuff done. 2016 was a decent year for me, but I don’t feel like I made many gains related to personal satisfaction and well-being.

I’m not fond of super vague positive resolutions because you can’t really track them or set yourself to any specific deadlines, so I’m going to do the opposite and make more rigid easily trackable resolutions here. If any of you reading this are feeling up to it, feel free to hold me accountable at any point this year. (By “hold me accountable,” I mean asking me things like “Hey Skye, how’s your studying going?” I do not mean mothering/babying/pestering/patronizing/flat out annoying the heck outta me.)

Skye’s 2017 Resolutions

Find and continue an athletic hobby

I’ve been feeling my stamina and strength decline severely after I graduated college. I used to be really athletic as a kid, and in college I was always on my feet. I’m really feeling the need to get back into exercise, but I always get really bored of the gym and running and weight-lifting. My goal for 2017 is to find an athletic hobby that I enjoy and want to keep pursuing. I’ve been considering a few options related to dance or gymnastics, so I’m going to decide on one and get started soon!

Trackable goal: Enroll in some form of exercise by February 14, 2017

Improve my flexibility

This is related to my first goal. I used to be extremely flexible as a kid thanks to gymnastics training, and I desperately want to get that flexibility back if only for personal satisfaction. I’m going to stretch for at least 10 minutes every night before bed, effective immediately. I’m going to take monthly pictures of my progress.

Trackable goal: Achieve full left leg, right leg, and middle splits by December 31, 2017

Achieve Level 6 of the TOPIK

I achieved Level 5 of the TOPIK last spring, and now it’s time to challenge Level 6! I began studying again last fall but fell off the wagon quite quickly after starting my new job in Seoul. My study books have been gaining dust on my bookshelf, they must be so lonely ): Each week I’m going to study at least one advanced grammar point and complete at least 3 sections of my writing book.

Trackable goal: Register for the 52nd TOPIK on February 6, 2017

Trackable goal: Complete writing book by March 13, 2017

Trackable goal: Take the 52nd TOPIK on April 16, 2017

So there you have it, 3 main resolutions with set deadlines. What about your resolutions? If you made any, what are they and how are you doing so far?

[skyetokki-blog]

2016.12.23

23. What you’d really like to do tomorrow

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve, can you believe it?

I almost enjoy Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day itself. The anticipation of such a special day is nearly more fulfilling than the actual day.

Tomorrow I’d like to stroll around and enjoy some fresh winter air, visit old favorite places and reminisce a bit, and make new memories. I’m already looking forward to ddeokbokki and green tea lattes and 0 degree weather and probably some last minute Christmas gifts.

I hope everyone will enjoy their weekend!

-

I still haven’t wrapped Christmas presents oh no

[skyetokki-blog]

2016.12.22

22. Something all people should know

How to be aware of others. My goodness.

I don’t understand how people can go through life thinking of nothing and no one but themselves. Is it really so hard to be aware that there are other people around you, people with brains and hearts, people who have emotions and agendas just like your own?

It would be really great if we all could slow down a little and be more considerate of each other. Speak with kinder words, move with more cautious actions. This is something I myself need to work on as well.

So yeah if everyone could just be a little bit nicer, that would be cool.

Thanks.

-

When a group of friends take up the whole sidewalk and you’re walking the opposite direction and there’s barriers on either side so you can’t get around them but none of them move to let you get by holy f*ck pay attention you do not own the sidewalk!!1

[skyetokki-blog]

2016.12.21

21. Advice you’d give to someone else your age

Usually these kinds of questions are more like “advice you’d give to your past self” or “advice you’d give someone 5 years younger than you” but giving advice to someone my age seems a bit...patronizing. I feel really awkward trying to tell someone my age what to do. 

We’re all going through different struggles, we all have our strengths, our weaknesses, our fears, our hardships, our backgrounds, our hopes, our wishes, our dreams. How could I possibly give advice to such a diverse group.

The best I can come up with is simply to smile. Sometimes life gets really, really hard. I don’t dare compare struggles, and we shouldn’t compare ourselves to anyone else, but we all have those days when something happens and we feel like there’s literally nothing that could lift our spirits. 

Just smile. Make yourself smile. Fake it if you have to. Things will change, and inevitably get better, even if it takes longer than you’d like. Don’t let your smile go to waste.

-

I finally missed a day, oops. 

[skyetokki-blog]

2016.12.20

20. Favorite winter traditions

When I was growing up we always went to see a Trail of Lights during the Christmas season. It was just a park with Christmas lights and decorations everywhere, but to little me it was the most magical thing. You could take pictures with Santa, enjoy some homemade hot chocolate, and run around the giant Christmas tree made entirely of twinkle lights. I always enjoyed the drive to the place too, for some reason the warm car and Christmas carols and hour-long drive were always really soothing.

Another thing I always looked forward to in winter was hot chocolate and movies. My mom would buy huge tubs of Swiss Miss (the kind with the marshmallows of course) and I’d beg for it every time we watched a movie in the winter. We had this big stack of old duvets in the corner of the living room, and I’d make a blanket fort with them before starting the movie, then sit there with my hot chocolate and enjoy the warmth all around me. My parents usually kept the heater on low to conserve energy, so I really appreciated anything warm.

I really love the winter months the most, the warmth of homes and loved ones is so symbolic (and cheesy and cliche but who cares) and it’s such a special way to end one year and begin the next. Some hot chocolate sure would be good right now.

-

Actually I really shouldn’t make hot chocolate because I have had more than enough sugar today. I’ve been really worried about my sugar intake lately. (I say as I continue to drink toffee nut lattes like my life depended on it.)