Blog Title: Amanda Takes Off...

Study Study

I've been feeling frustrated with Korean for about a week now.

So a few days ago I went back to EZCorean and reloaded all of the beginner level Korean words to my flashcard study list. I didn't keep stats on how long it took me to go through the stack the first time I did this (around January or February, I think). But I know I went through this stack very quickly. I guessed on a lot less words, and even the words I guessed on, I was using Korean root knowledge of. OK, so things are improving.

Sunday, Good Man helped me study while I was driving him to school. He was running through my current stack of flashcards.

"중간."

"I don't know," I said.

Good Man said, "'In the middle of.' It's Chinese. 중," he drew 中 with his finger.

"Ahhh! 간! 간! 'Interval.' Like 시간! 'Time!' 공간! 'Space!' I should write that 中 Hanja on that flashcard."

Good Man nodded, "Yes. read more.. 형."

"'Big brother,' um...and 'form? shape? appearance?'" Good Man nodded and I remembered a flashcard from WordChamp (another flashcard site I go to). "Oh! 인형! 'Doll,' right? Person-appearance?"

Good Man stared at me. "Wow! I never thought of that, but you are right!"

I suddenly realized that all of my assumptions about 스포츠 형 머리 were wrong. "Oh! And seupocheu hyeong meori isn't 'sports big brother haircut!' It's 'sports form haircut!'"

Good Man laughed, "Yeah? Why'd you think it was the other 형?"

"Master always has that haircut and he always calls Haan Dong Master 'older brother' and the guys he meets in the military are 'older brother.' And they all do sports and have that haircut, too."

Good Man said, "You're silly." He turned to another card and burst out laughing. He threw his head against the seat and laughed and laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" I glanced over at his lap and saw why he was laughing. "But it helps me remember!"

(엄마하고 딸이)
붕어 빵이네요.

The daughter is
the spitting image of
the mother.

붕어빵 (bungeo bbang) is a fish-shaped red-bean paste pastry. Apparently a slangy way of saying someone looks like their mother (or any other family member) is to say they're like bungeo bbang. I didn't know the word, so I drew a picture of it.

It made sense to me.

Haiku

korean music
you go girl so hot tell me
moth flame death come quick

* Yes, her new CD appears to be named It's Hyorish. Indeed.

Mother's Advice

I am feeling very depressed about learning Korean right now (though I have been updating my 한국어 공책!), but what happened Thursday morning amused me.

Mother called, while Good Man was still asleep. I answered the phone and we spoke in Korean (of course).

"Oh, Amanda!"

"Yes, how are you Mother?"

"Why are you home? Are you sick?" she cried, sounding worried.

"No, today is...American Chuseok," I said. "[Good Man] is sleeping."

"Really?"

"Yes, he is so busy lately," I said. "Oh, Mother! [Good Man] started a fire!" I told her the story and then added, "And I started a fire, too!"

She understood both of my stories, and I finally woke Good Man up. After she'd finished talking to Good Man, I picked up the phone again.

Mother told me to be well and then suddenly spoke tat tat tat fast. Although I couldn't repeat what she said, I immediately understood.

"Don't start any more fires!"

"You Don't Need Me Anymore."

"[Good Man]! '내일 친구가 결혼해요. 내일 날씨가 좋았으면 좋겠어요.' That means 'tomorrow my friends are getting married. It would be great if the weather is nice,' right?"

"Yes."

"[Good Man]! '나무꾼은 허리를 굽혀 인사했습니다.' The woodcutter bowed from the waist?"

"Yes."

"'울음을 터뜨리다?' Burst out crying?"

"Yes."

"What is 사...사라지다? To go under the water?"

"Yes, in this context, but 'disappear.' I don't think you need me anymore."

Of course he's wrong. I asked what 터덜터덜 (teodeol teodeol) meant. Without a word, he came into the room, walking like a sad donkey. The dictionary defines it as plodding, but "plodding" doesn't quite describe what he did.

I was going to write about using 이솝 이야기 to study Korean, and then I struggled with two stories in a row. I can't even read a stupid book at a second grade level. Why do I bother with this?

Thanks, and A Brothel?

Tonight Good Man and I went to a restaurant near our house. It's this hole-in-the-wall, greasy-spoon looking Mexican joint and bar.

A few months ago, I asked my students about this place and they said it was great.

We walked in and nothing seemed too unusual, except that the shades were drawn. There were a few people eating, one group of really loud guys. We ordered our food and Good Man helped me with my Korean a bit.

Shortly before we received our food, I realized that everyone was staring at us. Really staring at us. Even the waitress was sort of giving us odd looks, though she was nice enough.

And then I looked around and realized that all of the people eating were men.

The joint had six or seven waitresses—much more than necessary—and all of them were wearing tight red pants and tight white shirts and about a pound of makeup. Good Man said, "I feel uncomfortable. I feel like we're in Hooters."

When we were almost done with our meal, a woman wearing extremely short hot pants came in and started setting up...something. And then two hired security guards came in.

I didn't know the word for "brothel" or "whorehouse" so I said to Good Man, "포주 집인것 같지?" This seems like a pimphouse, doesn't it? He agreed. Oh, and for the record, "brothel" is 사창가.

I don't think we'll be going back.

Yesterday we did not eat at a whorehouse. We ate at Mark's Lover's house. And it was wonderful.

Good Man at Mark's Baby Grand

Good Man, Mark's Co-Worker and Me
I need new jeans.

Me

Preparing

Uncorking

The Turkey
Doesn't this look like a cover of a magazine?

(One of) The Stuffing(s)

Yams
We made this.

Some of the Other Dishes

The Sun