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Because this is my last language journal ever, it has made me reflective on what this program means to me and how much that has changed since I began it. I originally began SDLC because I wanted to be able to communicate with a research collaborator that only spoke Portuguese and Spanish. I wanted to be able to create a foundation in Portuguese similar to what I had in Spanish. I was just talking with Leticia the other day about being connected with her and having no idea what to expect or how we would work together to create a learning environment that was conducive to both us. I remember Michael talking about how when it is two students working together it can truly become an exchange of language learning that is mutually beneficial. I had no grasp of what that meant or how it would manifest, but I look back and see how much Leticia and I have unknowingly grown toward that aim of this program. My senior year would have been wildly different without her and Portuguese in it. I truly think it has helped me grow so much as a learner, a cross-cultural communicator, and someone who understands more about the world. I came into this program equipped with my practical reasoning for why I needed it and came away with so much more. My mind quite frankly being blown by the Sapir-Whorf Hypothesis, so many delicious brigadeiros (a Brazilian desert made from condensed milk, chocolate, and sprinkles) and an amazing dinner with good Portuguese friends (thank you Michael!!), as well as so many good memories of laughing until we cried with Leticia over things that just did not translate well from Portuguese to English.

Reflecting on SDLC is also making me look forward to my next year. I recently received a fellowship for a year-long internship in Laos. The first two months of the program are completely dedicated to language learning to make it a truly immersive program. I hadn’t thought much about it before joining the SDLC program, but if I continue to do international work, language learning is going to be a constant challenge that I will have to navigate and be able to adapt to. It is so amazing that I was able to be a part of this program not only for the Portuguese skills I have built, but also for the general language learning skills I have accumulated. They are tools that I know I will be using for the foreseeable future, which is encouraging!

I am also traveling to Kenya for a grant I was awarded before I travel to Laos. However, for Kenya, I only know very basic Swahili and likely will be relying on my minimal skills and translators. It will involve a lot of on-the-fly language learning that I think this program has prepared me for. I know how to extract necessary vocabulary to learn and how to be resourceful with just a few sentence structures I know in a new language. I am excited for all of these new experiences and my ability to bring SDLC with me through all of them!

We are currently working on a lot of grammatical rules in Portuguese, such as being able to describe objects at certain distances, and other topics like telling time and how to express your habits. We are getting more into the nuances of Portuguese, which makes the lessons more and more of a challenge for me as a learner, but also for Leticia as a teacher. These topics are where our communication in English can become more confusing. We are definitely working on ensuring that we both understand what we’re trying to communicate to each other and most importantly, I understand the concept in the way that she wants me to. It’s interesting to watch her realize that a lot of the things that are a given for her do not make sense to me as an English speaker. It makes me realize how difficult it would be to explain certain rules of English, particularly when I have no idea why they are that way. However, I think it has been a good challenge for us and I think has truly pushed us to be a better teacher and learner, respectively. We have also taken some breaks to talk about more silly topics or interesting Brazilian cultural topics.

We have gotten very comfortable at this point in recognizing how much we can get done in a lesson for the day. I think we have also done a better job at having continuity between our lessons, even though they are only twice a week. I have had a lot more homework this semester, as I mentioned previously, which has required me to critically think about the topics we discussed during a previous session and then be more prepared going in to the next when we review the assignment. Leticia has also been amazing about pulling a topic out of the woodwork that we reviewed weeks ago and saying that we should review it. It definitely helps me in thinking back on topics as well as connecting them to the ones we’re learning currently.

As with any introductory language class, what we have been continuously building toward is me being able to describe my identity as well as my current surroundings and mood. It has been fun to be able to build that figurative paragraph in my head and be able to work on it every few sessions with Leticia to show our progress through so many topics in Portuguese. I can now say my name, where I’m from, how old I am, describe my status as a student, my habits, my likes and dislikes, where I am currently, what the time is, and more. It feels rewarding to be able to pull these phrases and vocabulary out to also try and connect them to the grammatical rules we are currently reviewing. Our lessons have become increasingly interconnected as we make progress and review more and more. It has been truly amazing to see how much we are able to do in just a school year with the two of us.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jaz4vzgTkluXIp-8Um9sbyrJmDu-8Pe1/view?usp=share_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1g6_gKxzrYGbX4fSugP7HJ33B00e2xC4F/view?usp=sharing

Throughout this semester as a language learner and cultural explorer, I had a lot of fun yet encountered difficulties throughout the learning journey. The greatest difficulty that I experienced was how I had to find a way to improve my Korean when I was already somewhat proficient with the language. I was a little lost at the beginning of my learning journey, trying to really get a hold of what it should look like. My learning partner, Vivian, really helped me a lot in finding great sources so that I could improve in every area that I intended to focus on. The areas included reading, writing, listening, speaking, and learning new cultural factors of Korea. Other helpful sources were the SDLC 105 course and sources I received while I was studying abroad at Yonsei University. The Self-Directed Language Learning course really expanded my view of learning a language. There are so many more components to learning a language that do not always have to be the literary part of the language. It led me to branch off into the cultural elements that relate to and build the language. Also, the sources from Yonsei University were more literary, with rules of sentence structure and ways of interpreting Korean writing. 

These sources were based on my self-interest which was entertaining yet included a lot of new aspects that expanded my vocabulary inventory, cultural knowledge, and linguistics. The three main sources that I used were YouTube, Netflix, and Naver. Since my goal was to become more native in every aspect, these sources helped with my fluency. Some specific channels and shows that I would recommend others watch include The Korean Englishman, Infinite Challenge, and The Glory. These contents are full of Korean culture that is not really spoken about and provide realistic experiences. 

The website platform, Naver is a great tool for learning more formal and business related Korean skills. It provides short and entertaining yet heavy topics through its news articles and news videos. 

These platforms were perfect as they suit the more media oriented culture that Korea’s development and innovations provide. 

Vivian, my language partner, was super helpful in reviewing my writing and speaking skills on the topics we have covered. She also provided new perspectives on certain Korean cultures. I feel more comfortable holding conversations that are more casual, including slang terms or abbreviations that are trending in Korea. 

I think this semester I had a good balance between studying the literary and cultural aspects of learning about Korea and Hangul. I started applying more Korean perspectives in my daily life, such as how I would translate certain phrases in Korean or how I, as a Korean, would view a certain topic. 

During the summer, I am planning to continue my individual studies and also prepare for the next semester. I am hoping to have a more planned schedule by splitting the areas I need improvement in instead of aiming for them all at once. I am grateful to be in this class and to really embrace my Korean identity and learn more about where I come from. 

I think my first research on Korean and Korean culture would start off with its language family and the history with other countries. I believe that Korea has developed and fully  established their own language, but still holds a lot of influences by other countries. I would start by investigating the basics of the language, Hangul, and its grammar rules, syntax, and writing systems. Although research the history and culture would be a big factor in getting an insight of the language’s development and usage, I would want to focus on more of the modern developments. 

It seems like the modern Korean language has been shortened a lot. I saw this video on how we ask someone for their names and the prediction was that we don’t even say anything. It was a funny video, but in some parts a little concerning. I believe that this had occurred due to all the media and the fast paced life style. I would dive deeper in where it all started with all the abbreviations and slang terms. The culture components would appear heavily on my work. 

This month I focused on my Korean writing skills, which is an area I struggle the most with. Using one of the sources that were recommended by Yonsei University, called 서강한국어 쓰기 1, I used it as a reference to learn different types of Korean writing styles, the spacings, and new vocabulary terms that are relevant to my daily life. This book contains a lot of relevant vocabulary terms related to college life such as the library, campus, and school activities. 

Spacing is very confusing in Korean because it could totally change the meaning of a word or sentence.

For example, the sentence “한나가 방에 들어간다” means “Hannah is going in the room” while “한나 가방에 들어간다” means “Hannah is going in the bag.” With the difference of one spacing mistake, the entire purpose of the sentence changes. 

There were three significant rules that highly improved my spacing. The first rule was to always separate the words. This really required me to figure out whether the letter was a morpheme or a word that could stand alone. The second rule was to always connect the preposition or postposition with the noun. These two should not be separated as the morpheme of prepositions would not make sense standing alone. Finally, the third rule was to always separate the morpheme that signified the numerical amount of the word. 

Relating to this topic, the book really helped me address one of the differences between 은 and 는, which are morphemes that directing the verb. I also learned that there are other versions of these propositions, which are 을, 던, and 이었던. The difference between 은 and 는 depended on the tenses. 은 was used to direct the verb when it was in the past while 는 was used for what is currently happening. I am still working on using these directing morphemes that depend on the vocabulary, tense, and lexical category. 

Another aspect of writing that I focused on was how to transcribe references of other people. Since my major is business, a lot of my work contains interviewing respondents and transcribing them to find the trends and themes. Not only that, we also have to do a lot of research and provide references. When transcribing these interviews, I always have to use the 문어체 style which is a formal way of writing. After a quote, the typical follow-up is “라고 답했다.” With these new rules, I am able to transcribe any interviews. After or before mentioning the quote, I would write my analysis. This skill will be very useful if I have to provide strategic insights to the company and they require evidential proof of consumers. 

Apart from writing, I am still watching a lot of videos, reading the news, and having discussions with Vivian. I think it is really nice to watch something Vivian has recommended, as we are able to talk about it during our meetings. Like how we would normally talk about an American show, having discussions in Korean really improves my fluency in casual conversations.

This month, in addition to continuing to concentrate on the TOPIK vocabulary list, we will also be reading news items and watching Korean movies without subtitles. Vivian showed me an interview with the five characters from the drama The Glory, who are the five antagonists that bullied the protagonist. Since we both watched The Glory and thought it was incredibly intriguing, she showed me the interview. In the video interview, they discuss the exciting things that took place during filming, and at the end of the segment, each of them creates a poster of another cast member. Kim Hieora, who played the role of Lee Sa-ra in the drama, stated that because Lee Sa-ra was a drug addict in the drama, she made it a point to study many individuals like Lee Sa-ra and discovered that they were all extremely thin, acted erratically, and had bad complexions. She also mentioned that she made it a point to observe many people like Lee Sa-ra. Consequently, during filming, she mimicked the mannerisms and appearance of drug users on purpose, engaged in physical activity, and drank less water than usual. During the portion of the activity in which they were going over the poster, each of them wrote down what it was that they wanted to say to the other, but none of them knew what the other had written. At the same time, both of them put down how much they liked the other. On the posters, each individual also estimated the mbti of the other person, and I was astonished to see that three of the five persons had "I" as the initial letter in their mbti. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, or MBTI for short, categorizes individuals into one of 16 distinct "types," each of which is identified by a unique combination of psychological characteristics and a four-letter code. The first letter of the code may either be a "E" or a "I," and the letter "E" refers to extroverts while the letter "I" refers to introverts. It took me by surprise because each individual appeared to be highly talkative and articulate. Vivian asked me if I had taken the MBTI exam, and I responded that I had. I then asked her to guess my initial letter, and she guessed correctly, identifying myself as the letter "I." Although the results of this test will tell the person doing it, whenever they are accessible, what kinds of individuals with particular MBTIs are not compatible with mine, I believe that this test can only be used to provide a broad categorization of people's personalities since, after all, there can't possibly be just 16 types of people in the entire world.

     In this month, I continued to take iTalki lessons with Karen老师, met with Leyao for our weekly meetings, and read Chinese passages + character practice.

     I meet with my iTalki teacher, Karen老师, for 1 hour twice a week to practice speaking Mandarin and Cantonese. Because she is a native speaker of Cantonese and Mandarin, it helps to sometimes switch the conversation from one dialect to the next. The lessons aren’t formal language classes where we read passages from a textbook and discuss. Rather, we have an open conversation about topics such as health, beauty, Taiwan/China relationships, our future plans, etc. I prefer this style of learning because it has helped me gain confidence in my speaking skills in both Mandarin and Cantonese. After the semester ends, I am planning to continue these lessons with Karen老师 to help me maintain and improve my speaking skills. 

    Meeting with Leyao, my language partner, has always been one of my highlights of my week because we plan fun activities to do from food excursions to doing cultural activities. One food excursion we did for this month was to go to Kokee Tea, which is a milk tea shop. We did some research online and found that Kokee Tea sold egg waffles, which is a popular street food in Hong Kong. We decided to go and try it out, but when we got there, it turned out that they took it out of the menu. We got milk tea instead, which was still delicious, but I wish we could have tried the egg waffles. Egg waffles are called such because the waffle has egg-shaped pieces, and can be eaten plain or with toppings such as chocolate, seaweed, pork floss, etc. You can picture the texture and shape of bubble wrap and that is pretty much what egg waffle is but an edible version.

     One of the passages I read this month was about Chinese/Taiwanese/USA's relationship because my other Chinese class was reading about the same topic. These passages around this topic showed that my vocabulary in Cantonese (or Mandarin) is quite limited and when reading or speaking about specific topics such as politics in this case is quite difficult for me. Same with talking about my science research with my iTalki teacher because there are certain things such as the "immune system" or "cytokine" that I just do not know how to translate from English to Cantonese. However, I think as I continue to read more about politics or science in Chinese, I will slowly learn how to express those specific vocab words. 

Podcast Interview - Somyung, Rachel, David

https://richmond.box.com/s/kqnjem3o27iol2o29e7zim3qs355fzam

I uploaded the podcast interview on Box.

Please let me know if the link does not work.

Thank you.

david.kim123@richmond.edu

I thought when I started learning Korean I thought as long as I can read and pronounce the alphabet and memorize words that it wouldn’t be that hard. However, I quickly learned that I would need to develop a kind of second brain for Korean. I would need to start learning the language like I was a baby. I thought it was very interesting when we talked about articulatory phonetics. There are some words in different languages that I can’t even pronounce. This is wildly interesting because it makes me think about how other languages came to be. Also, I thought it was very interesting to study grammar. Grammar varies very differently from language to language. At first, I thought it wouldn’t be that hard to wrap my brain around different grammar rules. But while learning Korean I quickly realized the simple switch from English’s subject, verb, object order to Korean’s subject, object, verb order compelled messed with my brain. So it was good to learn how grammar exactly works. I also enjoyed reading and watching how different cultures function differently and American cultures. I will most likely continue studying different cultures rather than their languages. I will expose myself to different media from different cultures and hopefully travel out of the country more often. 

I think the most engaging activity we did was when we shared different aspects of the languages we were learning. For example, one time we shared the differences in weird sounds in Korean, French, Spanish, and Oromo. I thought that was the most helpful because it created a more personal connection to what we were learning and helped me remember the concepts better. Also, learning by engaging with classmates and the teacher is always my favorite way of learning. I wish to continue learning about the evolution of languages. I always wondered how languages evolved over time. I would like to understand how and why English spoken in the 1700s changed to what is spoken present day. And in general, I would like to study how other languages transformed over time.

Korean martial arts date back to the prehistoric era. It was originally used for military purposes and has changed and evolved throughout the years. Some of the most popular Korean martial arts practiced around the world today are Taekwondo, Hapkido, and Taekkyon.

The history of Korean martial arts is closely related to Korea’s history itself. Korea has a very long history of invasions and war from other countries constantly badgering them. Because of this, Korean people began to create combat skills for survival and self-defense. During the Joseon dynasty, martial arts became much more official and formalized. The Korean military would establish martial arts schools and training programs. During this time martial arts developed into the popular martial arts we see today such as Taekkyon. During the 20th century Korean martial arts had a resurgence throughout the whole world. Taekwondo became a widely popular martial art practice across the world. Taekwondo was officially recognized as a sport by the Olympic Committee in the year 2000. 

Korean martial arts aren’t all about the physical aspect. It also had a large philosophical side. In order to fully recognize your true potential Koreans believed you needed discipline, self-control, a sense of responsibility, and respect toward one another. It was very important to grow the body’s strength alongside the strength of the mind. Many Korean martial arts also incorporate traditional Korean values, such as Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism. For example, Hapkido, which means "the way of coordinating energy," incorporates principles from both Confucianism and Taoism, emphasizing the importance of balance, harmony, and humility.

Taekwondo is one of the most popular Korean martial arts. Taekwondo translates to “the way of the foot and fist.” The part “Tae” means the use of the foot or legs. The part “kwon” means the use of hands. And the part “do” refers to the philosophical and spiritual aspects of the art, emphasizing the importance of personal growth and development. Taekwondo trains focus on kicks, sparring, and self-defense. In Taekwondo you are expected to be able to kick high, fast, and with strength. Also, in a normal Taekwondo training session, you are expected to ”spar” against a classmate. “Sparring” is a simulation of a real fight using Taekwondo techniques. Both people sparring would wear equipment such as a helmet, gloves, and shin guards. Sparring is necessary in order for students to fully understand how to implement techniques they learned and to develop their other athletic skills such as strategy, timing, and reflexes. Self-defense is another skill learned in Taekwondo. Students will learn how to escape “grabs” from an opponent. They also learn how to properly fend off enemies using their bodies or nearby objects.

Hapkido is another popular Korean Martial art. Hapkido is a more practical martial art. It focuses primarily on self-defense. And it uses the enemy's strength against them instead of relying on brute strength. Also, in Hapkido you learn how to disable an opponent by using joint locks, throws, and attacking pressure points. Hapkido was created in the 20th century by a group of martial artists. They wanted to create a form of martial art that was more effective and efficient than other forms of martial arts. They drew inspiration from Judo, a Japanese martial art, and Kungfu, a Chinese martial art. Hapkido was invented primarily for self-defense. You would use an opponent's “energy” against themselves. Thus, this martial art was much more applicable to all people who needed a form of defense. 

Taekkyon is a form of martial art that is much more different than the other two. Taekkyon is often called the “dance of martial arts.” In Taekkyeon you utilize your whole body and move in dance-like patterns. Similar to Hapkido, Taekkyon is more about using an opponent's energy against them. You would move your body in a way that redirected an opponent’s attack. Taekkyon’s primary philosophy was to resolve conflict peacefully and without harm. 

Korean martial arts have a deep history dating back thousands of years ago. Also, Korean martial arts have undergone many changes into what it is today. The different forms of martial arts may be different however they share a similar philosophy of self-defense and discipline. These attributes display what general Korean philosophy is about.

I am still writing a few sentences every day making sure to include new vocab. I am currently trying to use a lot more conjunctions and advanced adjectives. This helps me sound more fluent and natural in my writing. For listening I am listening to a lot of Korean music. I try to stay away from K-pop music because it is harder to hear the lyrics and also get lost in the music and lose focus on the words being sung. I am listening to 80’s Korean music. They sing a lot slower so it is easier for me to understand what is being said. By listening to music I am able to pick up on repeated words and every time I listen to a song again I understand more and more of what’s being said. I am continuing to read short paragraphs in Korean. I make note of sentence structures that confuse me and take a few minutes to fully understand what is being said. Then I try to write my own sentences in the same structure. For speaking practice, I call my parents every other day and I try to talk in Korean as much as possible. However, talking to my parents in Korean isn’t the best practice because they are fluent in English too so whenever I am stuck I am tempted to switch over to English. However, I call my grandparents every few weeks and they only speak Korean. Thus, speaking to them in Korean is much better practice because I am forced to remember all of my Korean knowledge. Over this semester I have improved my writing skills. However, I wish to improve my speaking skills. My language partner gave me a few tips to help me accomplish this. She told me over the summer while I am home I could dedicate part of my day where I would only speak Korean to my parents. During this time English is forbidden and I can only use Korean. One new strategy I used was solely using Korean when speaking. This has helped me strengthen my “Korean brain” because I am forced to think in only Korean. It is difficult but I have found myself using words and grammar in new ways to help me convey what I want to say. Also, switching to only a “Korean brain” has helped unearth old Korean knowledge and skills I had when I was younger and spoke Korean. For example, the other day I was talking to my Korean friend and I used a conjugation that I have never learned before. He pointed that out and complimented me and I realized that I knew that conjugation because either my parents used that conjugation a lot when speaking Korean around me, or I used it in my speaking when I was younger and spoke Korean. I will continue to use transitional words and advanced vocabulary in my writing and speaking. Also, I will continue to speak and write only in Korean.

Reflection Paper #2

David Kim

30262888

david.kim123@richmond.edu

Throughout this course and this semester, I have gained insights into different areas and different perspectives as a language learner and cultural explorer. A big proportion of the new insights I gained is actually based on the knowledge I earned through the readings of the course. I got to learn that there are detailed parts of the brain when you are learning a new language or even when you are communicating. I already knew that grammatical categories, part of speech, syntactic order, and much more are different between different languages. However, I never knew the concept of phonetic inventory. Phonetic inventory is an index of the different sounds and sound sequences used in a distinct language. I learned that each language has a distinct phonetic inventory. Because of that reason, some languages would have to use the same alphabet to represent sounds that are not in the phonetic inventory of the target language. I still find the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) difficult because it looks similar to the English Alphabet, which I am familiar with, but incorporates an entirely different system of pronunciations. Also, International Phonetic Alphabet is easier to forget because I would use it much lesser than any other language. I would use English and my target language Korean in real life, but I would only see International Phonetic Alphabet during this class or whenever I search for something in the dictionary. One of the most interesting topics that I have enjoyed was the language family. The fact that a group of languages has a common ancestral language was very fascinating to me. Different versions of the language family tree diagram are always inspiring to watch and study because they include the history of various languages and cultures. Some languages might have several descendants. Some languages are “dead” or disappeared because there is nobody else left who uses or spokes those languages. There was a question that I used to have since I was a young child, which was solved through the course. ‘Why would Korean words have similar pronunciations with the same meaning as Chinese and Japanese words?” I had a hypothesis that it would be caused by the short distance between countries, but I would actually never think about it deeply. When I became a college student at the University of Richmond, my question was solved through SDLC 105. Language can change or become similar to the languages that are used or spoken in the closer areas, implying the idea of sprachbund. Sprachbund is also known as the linguistic area, area of linguistic convergence, or diffusion area. As a person who experienced sprachbund in real life and questioned about it, I felt complete after knowing the idea of it. I was also surprised that this phenomenon was not only happening in Asia but all over the entire world. I know how languages die or disappear, but I am not sure how languages start. In the future, I want to learn more about how languages form. I will be continuing my learning based on the knowledge and insights I gained through this course.

Language Learning Journal #4

“Confession” - Yun Dong-ju

David Kim

30262888

david.kim123@richmond.edu

As I read and studied the poems of Yun Dong-ju, I felt that I was learning more about my target language and having a better understanding of the culture and history. I thought it would be nice to finish this semester with another poem of Yun Dong-ju, so I chose Confessions by Yun Dong-ju. Confession was written in 1942 by Yun Dongyu, during the Japanese colonial era. The main theme of this poem is constant self-reflection accompanied by history. The first paragraph talks about his shameful self discovered in the copper mirror. This can be also seen as people who lost their country. The second paragraph of the poem shows that there is no need to repent for a long time because it is a shameful history. The third paragraph is about repentance of past frustrations and repentance for failing to overcome the depressing circumstance. ‘One happy day’ can be interpreted as the day of independence of his own country. The next paragraph shows his resolution through self-reflection. The last paragraph of the poem illustrates the future life of living in frustrating situations. Confession contains the conscientious attitude of the writer in the form of self-examination as the work reflects on himself living a cursed life in the Japanese colonial era. This work was written in the age of twenty-four. I could see his deep spirit through analyzing and dismantling himself based on Oriental ethics from an objective view. Yun Dong-ju finds dynastic relics and his face through a medium called a blue rusted copper mirror. This mirror is itself 'me' and reflects me. Not only does he reflect on and repent of his past life through the mirror, but he realizes his current embarrassment in light of the future, which is a 'one happy day.' So the mirror in this poem is not just an instrument of inner self-reflection, but a medium of historical awareness. It is a window into the future. He writes a penitent note about his life living without any joy, while thinking of another penitent note to write on ‘one happy day.’ The meteorite refers to a shooting star and is often reminiscent of death, so the writer’s self-awareness in this passage is very depressing and tragic. However, it could be very emotional of predicting his fate, considering that Confession was written just before he moved to Japan. He died in jail six months before his country's independence after being arrested for independence activity in Japan. In fact, many symptoms of shame are revealed in Yun Dong-ju's poems. Most of his embarrassment is linked to affection and shared emotions such as greed, hate, and pain. This seems to come from the ontological questions and reflections about himself and the pure consciousness of self-loathing and compassion that follows. Yun Dong-ju's poem derives from a sense of disorientation and loss. The ontological self-awareness and suffering in emotion collide with the purity of his heart and result in the poetic emotion of shame. As a Korean myself, I am truly proud of him and I want to carry on his spirit and courage.

Korean Resource

https://www.artinsight.co.kr/news/view.php?no=51661

English Resource

http://dh.aks.ac.kr/Korea100/wiki/index.php/Beloved_Poet_and_Independence_Activist,_Yun_Dong-ju

Cultural Post #4

Doenjang-jjigae

David Kim

30262888

david.kim123@richmond.edu

When I was writing the cultural post about Kimchi-jjigae, I was also thinking about the other famous jjigae, which is doenjang-jjigae. Jjigae is the name for a Korean stew, which has a variety of meat or vegetable ingredients. As the main ingredient of Kimchi-jjage is kimchi, the main ingredient of doenjang-jjigae is doenjang. Doenjang is a thick brown paste made from fermented soybeans. Soybeans were first cultivated and eaten around the Korean Peninsula 4,000 years ago. Wild and intermediate species of soybeans are still found in southern Manchuria, China, which was the land of the old Korean Peninsula. Since the Korean Peninsula is the birthplace of soybean culture, fermented soybean paste has been made for a long time. According to "Samguk Sagi,"  King Sinmun of Silla always included doenjang on the table when he greeted the queen. Doenjang was an indispensable basic food for people’s diet. The concept of jang (fermented paste) itself was first introduced by ancient China. However, the main ingredient of doenjang-jjigae, doenjang, was made in a completely different way from the method of China. In other words, jang originated from Chinese jang processing technology and ancient Koreans recreated a new type of jang. During that time period, doenjang was thick as if soy sauce and soybean paste were mixed. As it was passed down to China, the Chinese envied the ancient Korean’s fermented food technology, and called the smell of doenjang "Goryeo-chi." The method of making doenjang from the Korean Peninsula then spread to Japan around the 8th and 9th centuries. Northeast Asia has developed a fermented paste food culture. Japanese miso, Chinese Hwangjang, and Chinese Dujang are popular. However, Korean doenjang-jjigae is the only food you boil a paste in an earthen pot. At first, doenjang was used as a spice for greasy food. Then doenjang has been used as a basic seasoning for soup and stew. The era of doenjang opened at the end of the 19th century. Doenjang-jjigae is boiled with various ingredients such as vegetables, tofu, seafood, and meat-based on doenjang, and the taste varies depending on what you add. The easy cooking process also contributed to its popularity. Chop the beef and slice the garlic thinly, and put it in an earthen pot. Add doenjang, pour water, add desired ingredients such as tofu and mushrooms, and boil it over medium heat. Along with doenjang, some red pepper paste or red pepper powder is mixed. The ingredients can be changed according to the season. In other words, green peppers in summer, mushrooms in autumn, and dried radish greens in winter are fantastic partners. Jang, which is widely used in various dishes, exhibits the best flavor when making stew. Doenjang with various ingredients such as meat, vegetables, tofu, and mushrooms enhances the synergy of the taste in the paste that has a savory taste and a savory smell. Maybe that's why soybean paste stew has been loved consistently. When I go back to Korea, I want to have a delicious doenjang-jjigae for my meal.

Korean Resource

https://encykorea.aks.ac.kr/Article/E0016942

https://www.asiae.co.kr/article/2019032914351665742

English Resource

https://www.factsaboutkorea.go.kr/bbs/view.do?nttId=NI_00000000000004148&ln=en

Image: https://mykoreankitchen.com/doenjang-jjigae/

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1viRfduACrUD_tapgGCOJ86WpwAWjIwWX/view?usp=share_link

It is so crazy that this is my last learning journal. Throughout my time with my language partner Genet, we have developed a really nice relationship. Our interactions transformed from initially very formal, structured conversations to now often having to hold ourselves accountable to retreat back to language learning because our conversations get sidetracked into so many other things. However, although it might not directly seem so, even these conversations that are seemingly off-topic have been paramount to my language learning journey. These conversations have exposed me to intellectually captivating topics awakening interests I didn’t think I had while simountnsouly fostering a good personal connection with someone part of my target language community. Our personal conversations have also open the gate for language learning topics. For instance, Genet is getting married soon and our conversation about that paved the way for a language learning activity about this topic; learning sentences and vocabulary in Afaan Oromo about weddings, event foods, music and dancing, preparations for events, clothing, etc. I have noticed that from my second learning journal to now Genet and I spend a lot more time conversing in Afaan Oromo outside of the lesson plan for that day. I am far more confident when greeting her and asking her about her day/week, school, and work and likewise understanding and answering her questions for me. With Graduation coming up, this has also informed the tasks we have focused on/done during our lessons. This is perfect and immensely beneficial because I am able to use what I learned right away which consequently reinforces it in my mind and makes it far less likely that I forget what I learned after class. What I have struggled with however is having this same confidence when I speak with natives apart from my language partner. My father is also a native speaker and when he talks to me in Afaan Oromo, my confidence vanishes and I am not able to respond with the content that I have learned, which is a lot. As both Genet and my father keep reiterating to me, the only way to continue learning is to speak! I must remember this especially after my time with Genet is done. I think the happiest moment in my language-learning journey was speaking to my grandmother on the phone during Easter and hearing her pure happiness when I spoke to her in Afaan Oromo. I think that conversation really allowed me to contextualize the progress I have made. 

For this cultural post, I would like to go over the traditional Korean clothing called 한복 (hanbok). This YouTube video by the Korean Englishman is a vlog of three British men going to the Korean palace called Gyeongbokgung dressed in hanboks. The three different types of hanboks that they tried was the 왕 (king’s) hanbok, typical male’s hanbok, and a woman’s hanbok. It was interesting to see how the king’s garment was significantly different from the men’s hanbok. It was made in bright red cloth with distinctive gold designed on each side of the arms and on the center of the body. 

Hanbok is a traditional Korean clothing, not only by South Korea, but also North Korea and Korean-Chinese (조선족). However, through separation of all these groups, the styles of hanbok has significantly changed overtime. Back in the days, during the Joseon dynasty, only those who where in high class positions were able to wear hanboks. But nowadays, anyone is able to rent or purchase hanboks with stylistic designs.

Especially for women’s hanboks, they are very colorful and typically with flower designs. There are two parts to a female hanbok. The short jacket is called the 저고리 (jeogori) and the skirt that you wear under the jacket is called 치마 (chima). There are also specific details for the hanboks such as a square shaped belt for the king, a ribbon for the jeogori, and a wide-rimmed hat for the men. This cultural clothing I believe significantly represents Korea’s unique identity and customs. Hanbok is worn during important days such as Korean Lunar New Years, weddings, and birthdays. It is a symbolization of the pride of Korean in celebrating their heritage. Lately, I have been seeing a lot of celebrities wearing altered versions of hanboks to show their Korean identities and bring awareness to the Korean culture. Some may argue that the change is ruining the traditional look but it is a good way to really tie down different cultures Korea is known for. 

It was interesting to see how the YouTubers were able to go to the Gyeongbokgung Palace without paying an entree fee for wearing the hanboks. The Gyeongbokgung Palace was the main royal palace during the Joseon dynasty. This Palace was where the king lived and was the government of Joseon. However, during the Imjin War, some of the premises of the palace was destroyed due to the fire. 

When I went to Korea for my study abroad program, a lot of my friends went to the Gyeongbokgung Palace to try on the hanbok. I think it is a great way to promote the Korean culture and a way to fully experience what it was like to live in one of the Korea’s palaces. I remembered that it had also been a known spot for visitors to take picture and host big events such as the New Years. 

I really rely on this YouTube channel by Korean Englishman because I think it’s a great source to learn a lot about Korean culture. Without myself actually experiencing the culture, we are able to receiving the feeling of going to these places and trying new things through the vlogs. 

Video

     Just this past February, Hong Kong’s Leader, John Lee Ka Chiu, announced that Hong Kong Airlines will collectively give away 500,000 free airplane tickets to travelers all around the world. This comes as Hong Kong begins to lift COVID restrictions including the mandatory mask requirement. By organizing this massive giveaway, it shows how much Hong Kong relies on tourism for its economy. As COVID restrictions are lifted all around the world, many are eager to jump on a plane and explore another’s culture through landmarks, rituals, traditions, and food. Travelers who win a free ticket or are going to Hong Kong this upcoming summer will most likely be swept away by the delicious aroma of food leaking from restaurants and from hawker stands. Food is undoubtedly one important part of one’s culture, and in this month’s cultural post, I will share the most classic and unique foods in Cantonese culture specifically in Hong Kong. This will be a full itinerary from breakfast to lunch and then to dinner.

    At the heart of a traditional Cantonese breakfast is dim sum 点心 or more colloquially “yum cha”, which directly translates to “drink tea”. The idea is that drinking tea is an activity that is done with many families and friends together, so “yum cha” is a traditional Cantonese breakfast that is eaten with families and friends. From all the dim sum places I went to, whether in the states or in China, there would be round tables rather than square or rectangular tables. This is to help facilitate conversations with members at the table. The table has a glass Lazy Susan so that dishes could be easily accessible to all members. At dim sum, there are dim sum carts filled with a variety of dishes that are pushed from table to table. The food isn't in large portions, rather they are served on small plates. Some examples of these dishes include the following: chicken feet, rice noodle rolls with shrimp or pork, crystal shrimp dumplings, xiao long bao, bbq pork buns, and fried taro dumplings. When you order the dish, you also hand the worker a long menu, and they will stamp whatever you order. Each dish is around $3 to $5 USD. Then，this menu is then taken to the checkout to calculate the total cost of the meal.

    There isn’t really much of a difference between lunch and dinner meals. In America, when I think of lunch, I think of sandwiches whereas for dinner, I would think of pasta. In Hong Kong, foods that are normally eaten for lunch can also be eaten at dinner such as beef brisket noodles 牛腩面. This savory, umami dish is made up of noodles with toppings such as bok choy, daikon, and chunks of beef. The dish can be in soup form with beef broth or without the soup. This dish would be perfect for the winter with the steaming hot soup but can be enjoyed year around. Another iconic dish originated from Hong Kong is Clay Pot Rice 煲仔饭. Like its name, this dish is served in a small clay pot. The chefs use the clay pot to cook the dish and then serve it to their customers. Rice is usually cooked first, then various toppings are added such as Chinese sausages, chicken, beef, etc. The dish is done when there is a thin layer of rice that is slightly burnt on the bottom of the clay pot to give it a crunchy texture. Clay Pot can be eaten at lunch or at dinner. 

     Besides breakfast, lunch, and dinner dishes, Hong Kong is quite known for its pastries and sweet delicacies. For tourists, when in Hong Kong, their egg tarts 蛋挞 are a must try. Egg tarts in Hong Kong are well known because of their crispy, flakey pastry skin with soft, sweet egg custard filling. Another delicacy that is unique to Hong Kong is their egg waffles 鸡蛋仔. The shape resembles bubble wrap while the taste is closer to a waffle. Egg waffles can be bought from street vendors, and oftentimes there are different fillings that customers can choose to put into each bubble. For example, one popular and delicious flavor is 紫菜肉松鸡蛋仔, which seaweed and pork floss filling. There are many classic flavors as well such as chocolate 朱古力。 

     This isn’t a comprehensive list of foods in Hong Kong, but instead highlighting some of the most popular dishes in Hong Kong from morning meals to desserts. One of my favorite items on this list is the egg waffles. I had them when I visited China in 2014, and the flavor and texture blew my mind. It was crunchy on the outside but warm and soft on the inside. I hope in the near future I will be able to eat some！

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hong_Kong_cuisine

https://expatliving.hk/classic-hong-kong-food-local-dishes-street-food-snacks/