For this week's biweekly journal, I wanted to talk about some of the things I have worked on over the past two weeks. First I want to talk about a new show that I began to watch. The show I started to watch is called The Return of Superman. This show is about children, specifically celebrities' children. I always knew this show existed, but I never was interested until I found out that a new guest would appear. The guest was Kang Gary, who is a famous rapper, but also gained a lot of popularity through running man. He was an original member that was part of the show for 8 years but left the show to pursue his own passions. Within those years, Gary married someone and had a child. The child’s name is Kang Haoh. The show mainly shows the life of the child and the parents and what they do for 48 hours. This show was very helpful because it helped me to remember what it was like for me to learn Korean as a child. I am honestly hooked at how cute the child is, but also how well the child speaks for someone who is only 2 years old. Along with my other programs, I expect to watch this program to help me expand my Korean vocabulary, but also to learn more about Korean culture within a family context.
In addition, I had the opportunity to talk to my grandpa this week in Korean. My grandpa on my mother’s side is someone that I do not normally get to call, but through circumstances, I was able to give him a call. I was able to practice speaking formally to my grandpa and ask him how he is doing. He told me that he was doing fine and that he has been busy since he is getting ready to move to Riverside. I was surprised, but I was excited for him. I told him that I would ask my parents to go see him during spring break and that I would call him more often. He thanked me and told me that he appreciated the call. This experience was very new since while I am here, I do not get the opportunity to speak formally as much as I do back home in California. I knew that my formal speaking was rusty, but it was nice to practice and I hope to practice more by calling him in the future.
Lastly, during my lessons with Jimin I got to learn about a Korean dish called budaejjigae. In English, this stew is translated as Korean army stew, which is a stew that dates back to the Korean war. This dish was created by Koreans when they wanted to eat a hot and spicy stew during the rough times of war. The soldiers created a spicy broth and put everything they could find, including canned meat, vegetables, beans, and ramen. This concoction became a staple for many Korean soldiers and has since been a very popular dish for many Koreans to this day. During my lesson, I learned about the history of this dish and the recipe for how to make this popular dish. Hopefully, when I get the chance during spring break, I will be able to try to make this stew for myself and enjoy it.
Comments
Hey Elliott! I’ve watched “The Return of Superman” several years ago when the triplets Daehan, Minguk, and Mansae became a big hit for the show. I didn’t know Kang Gary was a guest, for he’s one of my favorite celebrities after watching him on the show “Runningman.” It’s so weird to see him as a mature and responsible dad on the show after seeing him act very childish and lighthearted on other Korean variety shows. Also, let me know if you make the budaejjigae! I’ve made it before and it’s actually not that hard to make.