This project explores the fundamental link between the Korean language and the cultural values of collectivism and Confucian hierarchy. In Korean society, communication is "relative"—the words one chooses are dictated by their social standing compare
Read more…When I arrived in Malang in the fall of 2024 for my Boren Scholarship, I had a rough first few weeks of adjustment. It was a new city, with new food, and a new set of germs my immune system was not accustomed to. I came down with something that felt
Read more…Last semester, one of my classes included readings on the development of Chinese “super-apps”, and one of the most consistent recommendations I have received for traveling abroad was to download apps like WeChat and Alipay before leaving to be prepar
Read more…Since recently it is the season of cherry blossom, I searched on youtube for Korean News on cherry blossom. The transition of seasons in South Korea is not merely a change in weather; it is a synchronized national event defined by the arrival of the
Read more…Artifact: Reply 1988 (Episode 1: "Hand in Hand" – The Food Sharing Sequence)
For this post, I have selected the opening sequence of the drama Reply 1988 as my primary cultural artifact. Specifically, I am focusing on the scene in the first episode whe
Read more…A unique aspect of modern Korean culture is its strong presence in esports, particularly through games like League of Legends. Before learning about Korean esports culture, I saw gaming mainly as a form of entertainment. However, I was surprised to d
Read more…The film Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho, left a strong impression on me because of how it portrays class differences in a subtle but powerful way. At first, I thought it would simply be a story about two families from different economic backgroun
Read more…The Netflix series Squid Game initially drew my attention because of its intense and dramatic concept. My first reaction was shock at how extreme the games were and how quickly the situation escalated. However, as I continued watching, I realized the
Read more…One of the most meaningful cultural artifacts in Korea is Kimchi and the communal tradition of Kimjang. Before learning about kimjang, I mostly saw kimchi as just a common side dish served with Korean meals. However, exploring its cultural background
Read more…I decided to research the Gyeongbokgung Palace because I visited it with my friends on a trip. From the outside you can see how beautiful the palace and the architecture is. I could easily tell that this was an important place to those in the area an
Read more…For my third artifact, I picked the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are arguably one of the most important Hebrew cultural artifacts ever discovered. The scrolls were found in 12 different caves near the Dead Sea, close to a place called Qumran in Jordan. A
Read more…I was unable to paste the image I found, so I have included the link here:
For this cultural post, I wanted to investigate the Silk Road and its historical significance, as it is a topic I have often heard referenced as incred
Read more…For my second cultural artifact, I decided to look deeper into the concept of Pancasila, the foundational ideology of Indonesia. Previously, I did research and wrote a thesis in Indonesian on the historical legacy of this ideology, and decided to dig
Read more…The LIttle Prince is one of my favorite tale of all time. The Korean musical adaptation of The Little Prince (어린 왕자), based on the original novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and performed in South Korea with Korean lyrics and dialogue.
The Korean mu
Read more…Over spring break last year, I went to South Korea and decided to get each of my family members a gift from there. My dad has always been interested in masks and skulls, and these are two things I have seen in a lot of different cultures. When I went
Read more…
For my second cultural artifact, I have chosen to do mezuzahs. I have put a picture below, they are pretty recognizable, even for non-Jewish people.
A part of the mezuzah has a handwritten scroll, called a klaf. It normally has the following torah v
Read more…Oracle bones are commonly recognized today as incredibly important artifacts that have provided key insights into the development of the Chinese language, as well as Chinese history. It is difficult to identify when they were first discovered, but a
Read more…For my first cultural artifact post, I decided to research the Chinese civil service exams. I had often heard them referenced in various history classes or discussions of education and government structure, and I was curious to learn more. It was som
Read more…For my first authentic cultural article, I want to focus on the Ketef Hinnom scrolls. These are two extremely small scrolls made completely out of silver, and they contain the oldest passages of scripture ever discovered. I have attached an image of
Read more…
In October of 2024, while studying abroad in Indonesia, I had the chance to check something off my bucket list. This was visiting Kalimantan. I hoped to see orang hutan and other wonders of the natural world, but I soon became very interested with t
Read more…
