Blogs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGhKwCq7SZk&ab_channel=Maangchi

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6893577/

In my last cultural post, I discussed the importance of onggi and mentioned that this earthenware was used as a storage container for kimchi and soybean paste. Today I’ll be focusing on the process of making Korean sauces. Recently, jang damgeugi, the making of sauces such as gochujang (red chili paste), doenjang (soybean paste), and ganjang (soy sauce), was noted as a cultural asset as it was chosen to be documented as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage in South Korea. Specifically, fermented soybean paste has been around since the era of the Three Kingdoms of Korea and the customs of passing down this traditional method has since been going on for centuries.

To begin this process, workers boil down the soybeans and mash them into solid bricks. These bricks are referred to as meju. The technique used to dry the meju can be different depending on the region one lives, but essentially, they are naturally air-dried by hanging them up.  Once dried, the meju are carefully placed in an onggi such that they do not break apart and covered with brine (salt water) and chilis. As the mixture marinates, the fermentation process allows the brine to become ganjang while the meju later become doenjang. Although China and Japan uses fermented soybeans in their cuisine, the process in Korea is distinguished by its capability to make ganjang and doenjang simultaneously.

Some of Korea’s well-known condiments are ganjang, sesame oil, doenjang, and gochujang. I’m glad I researched more into this because I wasn’t aware of these processes and got to learn about them. I think that food is one of the most important things about a culture and it is always interesting to learn how my ancestors prepared food so that I’m aware of doing the same for my future descendants.

Although most people have used ganjang aka soy sauce when preparing food, doenjang is not commonly used in cultures outside of Korea. It possesses a strong, rich smell that cannot be missed and is used as the base of doenjang jjigae (stew). Flavor-wise, it is similar to miso soup but a bit more on the pungent side. If you’ve had Korean BBQ, doenjang was likely used in the ssamjang, aka the red dipping sauce as a flavor enhancer.

Furthermore, I’ve ran across a research paper related to doenjang. The scientists wanted to see whether doenjang caused health troubles due to its high salt content or had benefits because it is a fermented food. They experimented and found that although doenjang is high in salt, the intake improved (lowered) blood pressure and decreased renin and aldosterone levels in rats compared to high salt intake. The conclusion was that eating traditional fermented food does not directly tie in with hypertension and can even be beneficial for those are normally healthy. They also confirmed that kimchi also is not associated with anyone getting an increased risk for hypertension. This is wonderful news to me as I have just had some kimchi on the side during lunch.

The past Halloween, there was a serious stampede in Itaewon, and many reports about Itaewon say that the TV drama "Itaewon Class" has attracted a large number of tourists, so I went to watch this drama, it's produced by Netflix. At the beginning of watching this TV series, I did not know what it wanted to express, but as the story progressed, I was deeply attracted, not only because of the story but also because of the character characteristics of the protagonists. The first two episodes of the series made me feel very sad. The hero's father died unexpectedly when he was at school. He wanted to avenge his father but was sent to prison. After two years in prison and seven at sea, he came to Itaewon to open a bar and want to avenge his father in a proper way. I admire the way the hero holds fast to his beliefs in the face of all kinds of adversity, and always holds out hope for a new life. However, what attracts me most in this drama is not the hero's experience and success process, nor the love story between the hero and the heroine, but the supporting actors in the drama, as well as the character and life experience of the heroine.

The heroine doesn't appear until the third episode. When she faced the campus violence, she directly posted the video exposure on the network, using her identity as an SNS blogger with 760,000 fans, set off the network's public opinion, and let the abusive girl suffer the network violence. In addition to being decisive and tough, the heroine has an IQ of 162 and is good at everything. She is not only gifted but also has a clear mind. After confirming her heart for the hero, she gave up the offer from a top university without hesitation and decided to help the hero realize his dream. One thing I really like about the heroine is that she not only knows what she wants and how she should do it, but she's also pretty sure she can do it.

Although many people dislike the supporting actress, they think she is selfish and scheming. But I think this character is actually the most real one on the show, and she shouldn't be hated. Because she, like most ordinary people, is hesitant, cowardly, selfish, and insecure when faced with a choice. Unlike the hero and heroine, most people in the world are like the supporting actress. On the face of campus, violence does not have the courage to stand up to help the bullied, in the face of others to provide huge free help will choose to accept, in the face of choosing "to protect themselves" or "to help others" will always choose the former. I also like the supporting cast, which includes rich people and prison inmates, transgender people, and mixed-race people. Everyone's past is different and they have their own difficulties in life, but they are working hard for the future.

Besides watching this drama, I also went to learn more about Itaewon. About why it was named “Itaewon" One theory is that because it was originally a military camp where American troops stationed in South Korea after the Korean war, many military families lived there, including many mixed Americans and Koreans. At that time, in South Korea, which had long emphasized the single nationality, people could not accept children of mixed race, so they were called "freaks". Therefore, the original meaning of Itaewon was freak’s yard. Later, the name was changed to today's "Itaewon" because it took a homonym. Everyone who works in the bar of the hero has been or is being, regarded as a "freak" or an outcast by most people in this society. But in the bar, they not only got the equal opportunity to work but also made concerted efforts to reform the store and open the business together. No one worked for the boss, they all worked from the heart for themselves, and they helped each other grow together.

Mahsa Amini Protests

On the 16th of September (2022), Mahsa Amini (known by her Kurdish name Jina Amini to her family) died in a Tehranian hospital. Though the Iranian government claims otherwise, Amini's family contests she had no prior health conditions, making the fatal stroke she suffered strange, to say the least. 

Some aspects of women's rights in Iran (and the 'morality police') must be explained in order to understand how these protests have come about. Shortly after the Iranian Revolution of 1979, the new ruler (some might say dictator) decreed all Iranian women must wear a hijab in accordance with Islamic law, despite the woman's faith or background. For context, below is a depiction of the different types of Islamic headwear:

"Boris Johnson's burka jibe: Why do some Muslim women wear the veil?" BBC News

This distinction is important as different regions in the Middle East mandate different types of headwear (a common misconception about Middle-Eastern countries is that all women are forced to wear burkas or niqabs, which is not true). The Guidance Patrol (colloquially known as the 'morality police') -- which is a sect of the Law Enforcement Command of the Islamic Republic of Iran (or FARAJA for short) -- enforces the mandatory dress code for women in Iran.

Amini was visiting her brother in Tehran. On the 13th of September, while out with her family, she was arrested by Guidance patrol; the police chief of Tehran would later make a statement attributing her arrest to overly tight paints and an improperly worn headscarf. She was transferred to the custody of Moral Security (another sect of FARAJA). There are eyewitnesses claiming Amini was beaten while still in the police van, though FARAJA denies this. Only two hours after being arrested, Amini's family was informed she had suffered a heart attack and a brain seizure, and was being transported to Kasra Hospital. Again, she was -- as described by her family -- a 22-year-old with no prior health conditions. Amini died, three days later, and was in a coma since her arrival at Kasra. 

Journalist Niloofar Hamedi covered Amini's coma (and eventual death), and the Iranian government, as a consequence, arrested him a short while after. Hamedi's coverage allowed the Iranian public to know of the circumstances around Amini's death; protests ensued later that day on September 16th (the day of Amini's death). 

Below is a video of tens of thousands of protesters gathering at Amini's death site, forty days after the tragedy occurred. 

If you have read any of my Monthly Language Learning Journals, you are already familiar with the Iranian government's response to these protests: a widespread shutdown of the internet and communication services -- the most intense one Iran has ever experienced. This was in an effort to disrupt protesters' abilities to gather, but it has far from silenced anyone. This is an ongoing situation, so, unfortunately, I do not have an ending to this historical event yet. Maybe one of my future cultural posts will be an update.  

References

BBC News. "Mahsa Amini: How one woman's death sparked Iran protests - BBC News." 5 October 2022. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZMvrkU_eEY. 

Fassihi F, Engelbrecht C. "Tens of Thousands in Iran Mourn Mahsa Amini, Whose Death Set Off Protests," NYT. 27 October 2022. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/26/world/middleeast/iran-protests-40-days.html. 

Skopeliti C. "'This Generation is really brave': Iranians on the protests over Mahsa Amini's death," The Guardian. 27 October 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/oct/27/this-generation-is-really-brave-iranians-on-the-protests-over-mahsa-aminis-death

October

Preface: Mahsa Amini protests (again)

Wow, already two months+ into the semester -- time is really flying! I wish I had a good update from the September post, but alas, I do not. The internet blockade is still going. I suppose it has only been about a month or so, but this time feels different than the shutdown in 2019 (caused by a hike in gas prices). As I mentioned in the September journal, that one only lasted about a week, and the current internet shutdown is on week seven. The primary mode of communication we use, Whatsapp, is almost completely blocked out. If we meet early in the morning, it seems to work, but the quality has dropped. Instead of twice per week, my language partner and I are meeting three times a week, so at least that is an improvement from September.

I think over winter break I will try to find another language partner on iTalki, but I want to wait until classes have died down so I can adequately explain how I want to learn; so for right now, I am just going to keep talking with my father as my primary language partner. 

PLO Lessons & Progress

In the last journal, I had reviewed/learned up to E31 (E=Elementary, please see August post for further explanation). I just finished E38, so only two more lessons at the Elementary level (E39 & E40)! Though I am definitely not where I predicted in my learning plan, I still think I am making good progress despite the circumstances. Before this past summer, I had made it to the Intermediate level, so I am going to talk a little bit about what I anticipate for the upcoming month (and the last learning journal). The jump from Beginner to Elementary on PLO was significant, as the main texts got longer, more complex, and more difficult. The jump from Elementary to Intermediate was intense if I remember correctly. Right now, I am going through about one lesson per session, but when I get to Intermediate, this may (and probably will) slow down, as the lessons are much longer, and start discussing more abstract ideas (economy, lifestyle, etc.), so the vocab might be harder to remember. I am getting ahead of myself, though, as I have not started Intermediate yet -- I assume if I keep the current pace that I am at, I will begin the Intermediate level around this time next week. 

The decreased number of sessions per week is definitely an adjustment, as I think it is harder for me to remember the vocab from previous lessons. Currently, the best way I am counteracting this issue is by listening to the audio files/main text videos on PLO when I would normally have a session with my language partner. PLO has some sample questions after each lesson that I previously ignored, but now I am taking those quizzes in place of my language partner quizzing me. 

In SDLC 105 we have finally started grammar! I am very excited, as I think this area has -- by far -- been my biggest struggle in Farsi. Though in the Elementary lessons it has not proved much of a hindrance, I know the Intermediate level will be much more involved, so I feel like I will be more adequately prepared to dissect it this time. 

Hello and welcome back to another journal~

I’m continuing to study and research more about Korea, but instead of regurgitating all of the information, I thought I’d share more about my progression and some of my “highlights” from the past couple of weeks!

I mentioned previously about how I was a guest speaker for my art professor’s upper-level class and that I got the opportunity to teach the students about the Korean alphabet to form their names. Afterwards, the professor invited me to lunch for the following week and I responded with an excited “yes”. At first I wasn’t sure if our conversations would be in Korean or English since, of course, we use only English in class, but as our discussions proceeded, I found that we smoothly transferred from English to predominantly Korean. It was very nice to be able to speak in my first language with a professor for the first time since even with my friends, we tend to mix the languages into Konglish. We got to know each other a little more and she even shared her academic experiences from Korea.

I also noted that I wanted to get used to texting in Korean and it’s been going pretty well so far! I actually attempted this same goal in previous years but never really stuck with it because I type so much faster in English. I told my mom my goal for using only Korean when I’m texting her so that she could keep me accountable and correct any of my spellings or grammar. She has a teaching background so she’s been patient with me and my slow thumbs, but I can see the progress already. Whenever I want to say a particular word but don’t know the best translation, I’ll text the English word in Hangul and she’ll respond back with the Korean word. I’ve also found myself “speaking” differently when I text. If we were speaking in person, I’d naturally speak in a formal yet casual way, but due to the formal vs informal language in Korean, I found myself being more conscious of using formal language when texting. Additionally, I’ve been texting my aunt in Korean too! This just happened to occur without any particular goals because I was used to texting with my mom. While I attempted to do this with my dad, he’s been wanting to get better in English, therefore, most of our texts are in English with him attempting to use some new internet acronyms.

My sister’s now a first-year in college and with roommates and hallmates in her room and lounge, we’ve been communicating in Korean whenever we FaceTime. This is actually very unlike us because although we know and use both languages, we communicate in English. I’ve noticed that it’s when we want a more private conversation we use the language that the surrounding people can’t understand well. It’s funny how we did this in Korea by using English and now we do this but with the scenario flipped.

Currently, I am working on learning how to say what the weather is like and continuing to learn how to say the date and time for basic conversation (like being able to tell time, date, day of the week, and integrating that with how to tell what the weather is like in, using simple sentences). Next on my agenda is learning vocabulary for food items so if I am going out to eat at a Korean restaurant with my language partner, I will be able to order food and ask questions about items on the menu. I hope I will be able to accurately understand the format of how the sentences are formed and be able to purse that. Through learning Korean, I have been a little frustrated with memorizing the vocabulary and speaking it the proper way when pronouncing the words. I did find songs on Youtube for learning Korean have really helped me get a better grasp on memorizing which I will continue to use as it made me a more hopeful in my language journey. I think I should really use Korean music more often to learn vocabulary as it keeps me more engaged, and also, I can become more and more familiar with translating the words as I listen to the songs. And I also think that using Quizlet will be of great help to me as well which I will start doing now on forward, for vocabulary and phrases that I am still having difficulty with. A not-so-successful experience in my learning would be me not allotting enough time needed to Korean and having to spend more time on topics than initially planned for. Part of the reason for this was having to take some time off from class due to illness but also balancing work from other classes, but I will find a way to better manage time for homework. Something that I would like to do as a long-term goal is to focus more on understanding the basic format of Korean sentences for word order to preserve a sentence’s meaning and also learn conjunction words and use them properly in Korean so in the future, I will be able to make a sentence more complex and diverse. I think another goal I would like to accomplish is using what I’ve learned so far to have a short dialogue with my partner to see how far I am. I think in the beginning the strategies used were effective and they have helped me improve. But as I am learning more, I think by integrating quizlet, learning Korean songs, and managing my time better I will do even better.

Languages often become extinct when the speakers of that language no longer use it anymore or pass it on. This could be caused by a culture that slowly dies out because of natural disasters, invasion and the integration and influence of other languages which can change it to something new. Linguists can help preserve a language by making resources for the language available in the form of texts, sound recordings, promoting the language. A dead language can be studied but it may be hard to bring it back. It would have to be collectively agreed upon to be spoken. Efforts that are currently underway to document linguistic diversity include transcribing the language IPA and collecting texts that display the language.

Going back and looking at the video to see what I planned out my language journey of Korean has changed slightly. I have mostly been using the Oxford Picture Dictionary Second Edition (English/Korean) for my language journey as it contains lots of terms and vocabulary that has been beneficial to my progress. Some learning strategies that have been incorporated that I have found helpful is using music to learn the learn the language. I believe that learning vocabulary through songs helps me to better retain news word and their meaning. I think to improve my communication competence, I should listen to the Korean language more often and since I’ve learned a little more vocabulary, I can begin to learn rules of grammar to improve my grammatical competence. Building on sociolinguistic competence will be very important for Korean when using honorifics for those that are older or have high status.  I most definitely would like to learn how to navigate the language while having a limited vocabulary to improve my strategic competence.

During this month, with reviewing previous material at the beginning of each meeting. We go in-depth into words for weekdays and counting, also memorizing words on the list provided by TOPIK, which is a language test like TOEFL. 

Besides the questions that we learned last month “How are you today?” and “How’s the weather?” another basic question that could be asked during a conversation is “What day is today?”, we began to learn words for each weekday and Vivian also taught me an easy way to memorize it. The words for each weekday in English follow a rule that every word ends with “day”, Korean words for each weekday also follow that rule, instead of “day” it has “요일” at the end of each word. Monday is “월요일”, Tuesday is “화요일”, Wednesday is “수요일”, Thursday is “목요일”, Friday is “금요일”, Saturday is “토요일”, Sunday is “일요일”, and every word for a weekday in Korean is formed by 3 letters or characters, the only difference is the first character. So an easy way to remember is it takes out the first character and remember them in order as a sentence, like “월화수목금토일”, every time just count through the sentence and add “요일” after the character could give the words for the specific weekday. While practicing the pronunciation of weekdays, Vivian point out a mistake that I always made, which is some times I forget to give the last consonant of the previous character to the later character. For example, when pronouncing the Thursday “목요일” (Mogyo-il), since the second character “요” is in the form of starting with a vowel, so the last consonant of “목”, which is “ㄱ”, should be pronounced with “요”(Mo-gyo-il). Vivian explained to me that the reason we should pronounce it in this way is to maintain consistency. Later I also learned the word tomorrow “내일”, yesterday “어제” and today “오늘". An interesting point is the word for “the day after tomorrow” is simply double the first character in tomorrow “내일” and gets “내내일”. 

There are two ways to count numbers in Korean, so we learned them one by one. The first way we learn is commonly used when talking about dates, prices, and phone numbers. For me, I think it’s easier to remember than another way since within 100 I only need to remember 1-10, which is “1일 2이 3삼 4사 5오 6육 7칠 8팔 9구 10십”. When I want to say for example 22, I just have to combine 2이 and 10십 to get 20이십, then add 2이 after it to get 22 이십이. For numbers over 100, just have to remember how to say hundred and thousand and combine the number I need to form the words. Another way of counting numbers is more complicated, the formation of the words for numbers over 10 doesn’t like the way in previous counting way, I have to remember every number’s Korean words. This second counting way is used when expressing age or ordering food in a restaurant.

Our standard lesson structure is as follows. We review vocabulary. I practice signing sentences that use this and previous vocab privately before presenting it to her. She has me sign a short story, then we discuss a new grammar concept in ASL. Last week, for example, I watched a video on noun-verb pairs which is how to differentiate the noun form of a verb from its verb form (ex. A rake vs to rake). Nouns use a smaller, quicker movement whereas verbs use longer and slower moves. 

I have made two playlists on Youtube of videos by Chris Gorges, Signed with the Heart, Take Lessons, and ASL Meridith to study vocabulary for food, animals, nationalities, school supplies, and body parts. This helps me build my skills independently and quicker than just doing vocab on calls with my instructor. 

One thing that I am still struggling with is my facial expressions. I am an expressive person, generally speaking. However, there are specific movements that you have to make with your eyebrows when asking questions. Yes/No questions have eyebrows up while more open ended questions have eyebrows down. When speaking to one person in a group, it is also recommended to keep your eyebrows up to denote specificity. 

I need to get better about scheduling times outside of class to study. Last year, during my in person classes, I watched a lot of vocabulary videos on Youtube to pick up more ASL. It is a very easy task since I’m just sitting down with my computer to essentially watch tv for 20 minutes. Still, I cannot bring myself to do it. I think that this has to do with ASL being my only online class now that we are finally getting off Zoom. None of my classes this semester or last semester were virtual which is very different to how things were set up a year ago. This makes me think of the larger context with pandemic era learning environments. I feel that they need to be all or nothing when it comes to virtual education. Either all classes should be online or they should all be in person masking. If you have a mix, then it deprioritizes the class in the setting that you dislike.

Korean language in itself is in its own category and is its own family language. It was found that it may or may not have distant ties to the Altaic Language Family which consists of languages such as Turkish, and Mongolian, but historically although Chinese is a part of a different language family, there are some influences that it has made on the Korean language. Because Korean is in its own language family, I am unable to relate or connect it to other languages as much except for the fact that it is a character-based language when written like Chinese and Japanese. And possibly there are vocabulary words that may be similar between Korean and Chinese (Hanja).  Languages change over time because of culture, historical events, and more connection with the world and more interactions with cultures that have differing languages. Linguists track and predict the changes in languages change over time by recording and comparing how language has evolved from past to present. 

What I found of interest to me specifically about Korean Culture is the history, the music and food. I would say this would relate to the topic of language as these aspects of Korean culture as they are a reflection of each other and intertwine in many areas. The Korean Language itself has historical influence and development to it throughout history, and music itself is a form of language in its own way. The way sentences are formed and the types of words that may exist in Korean but not in another language can provide a new way to express emotion and communication, in a way that may be different from English. With the topic of food, building relationships and bonding over Korean food and traditional dishes can be a way to use the language and build vocabulary by learning new ingredients and new dishes. With these topics, I would need special vocabulary in order to discuss them in Korean Language. These topics (food) have been included in my learning plan so I will be able to engage with the topic soon.

The Seven S's & Nowruz

Nowruz is the Persian/Iranian name for the Iranian/Persian New Year. Its meaning combines نو noh – meaning 'new' – and روز ruz – meaning 'day.' In a Tehrani accent/Farsi dialect, the pronunciation is [noːˈɾuːz]. It is rooted in Zoroastrianism, but it is wildly celebrated in Iran and other Islamic countries despite not practicing the Zoroastrian faith. Zoroastrianism was more or less the 'original' religion of Iran, before the 7th-century Arab conquests and the 1979 Iranian Revolution. It is an ancient monotheistic religion that has traces in other major religions today (Christianity, Islam, Judaism, and even Buddhism). Because of this, the Zoroastrian roots in Nowruz can to a certain extent be seen as ancient Iranian culture. 

Nowruz begins on the spring equinox (its timing is more similar to the Chinese New Year rather than the Western New year on January 1st). Every year, the exact moment at which the sun crosses the equator is calculated into a precise time, and this time marks the beginning of Nowruz.

There are many different traditions and ceremonies leading up to and during Nowruz, but that is for another cultural post. For today, I will be focusing on هفت‌ سین (haft-sin), or the Seven S's. An example is shown below, which will be further explained. 

A custom for Nowruz is to prepare a table with seven items that all being with the letter س (sin), whose closest English letter equivalent would be 's.'  Here are some examples (any of these may be chosen, alongside other items listed in the paragraph below, as long as the total number of the items on the table ends up being seven):

• سبزه (sabze), sprouting grass, lentils, barley, or wheat
• سمنو (samanu), a sweet pudding made from wheat germ
• سنجد (senjed), a Persian olive
• سیب (serke), vinegar
• سیر (sib), apples
• سیر (sir), garlic
• سماق (somāq), sumac, which is a Persian spice
• سکه (sekkeh), coins 
• سنبل (sonbol), a hyacinth
• ساعت (sā'at), a clock

There are other things that may be placed on the table for the Seven S's that don't necessarily start with س (sin), like the following:

• ماهی قرمز (māhi-ye qırmız), goldfish (shown in the picture above in the middle)
• تخم‌مرغ رنگی (tokhm-e morg rangi), painted eggs (for fertility)
• آینه (āyina), a mirror (or a bowl of water)
• 'books of wisdom'
  • sacred texts like the
    • Quaran,
    • the Avesta (the sacred text of Zoroastrianism), and the Bible,
  • culturally/historically books like
    • the Shānāme of Ferdowsi -- an ancient Iranian epic that I will write a cultural post on this later as it deserves its own,
    • or the Divān of Hafez.

Each item has different symbolic roots in Nowruz, please comment if you are curious about any of the items. 

References

Shapur Shahbazi A, "HAFT SIN," Encyclopaedia Iranica. 1 March 2012. https://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/haft-sin

United Nations, "International Nowruz Day." https://www.un.org/en/observances/international-nowruz-day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlwnBy16W0E

After arriving in Korea for the first time after 12 years, our family headed straight for my maternal grandparents’ house in the countryside north of Seoul. When we arrived, I saw beautiful fields, an old storage building, and many odd-looking jars that were so big that I could probably fit in them. I asked my parents about the interesting containers and they responded by telling me that the onggi (옹기) were traditional Korean earthenware mainly used as storage for fermentation processes. I was able to open a couple of them with my grandparents and saw kimchi and some soybean paste. My parents mentioned that we could also call these jars hangari (항아리) which reminded me about an old Korean tale called Kongjwi and Patjwi where a hangari was used as part of a chore.

As I was looking back at some old pictures, I came across the picture above and decided to do some more research on onggi and how they’re made. I also found a video that goes through the making process of onggi which is also included at the top.

Although the origin of onggi can be traced back to 4000-5000 BC, the current form’s popularity rose in the 18^th century. Since the materials to make the vessels (clay and sand) could be conveniently found near the mountains, onggi was affordable and was not limited to just the upperclass. There are four types of onggi which are classified due to the different firing and finishing processes. The oji onggi is the preferred style that is glazed after the molding of the onggi. A jil onggi is one that is unglazed which helps with air flow and can be used to store water. The ban onggi is salt-glazed before baking at a high temperature. The reaction with the salt creates a lighter yellow-brown color. Finally, the phu-rae onggi is one that is salt-glazed and involves a reduction-cooling process. (Who know there would be so much chemistry involved!) This style creates an even more durable vessel but was not commonly produced do to the long, tiring process. Due to the porous material, all onggi are cleaned with just water. Other factors such as soap could get into the microscopic holes and affect the next material placed inside. Furthermore, onggi are traditionally kept outside together in a common area called a jangdokdae. In the picture above, one can see that inside of being scattered around, they are on top of a mini underground storage room. The kimchi is usually located in an onggi that’s underground to prevent it from freezing. Onggi can still be bought today, but due to the advances of technology, the traditional ways that require physical labor of creating an onggi is slowly disappearing. According to the video linked above, there are only about 20 people in Korea who are certified to create a Korean onggi that follows the traditional, proper guidelines.

Now that I understand the history and process of making an onggi, I’m excited to check them out again once I visit Korea… hopefully in the next 3 years!

Last semester I was in the class Introduction to Contemporary Dance as my art general education requirement. We learned about a range of dancers, dance forms, and schools of thought that have developed across the world. One of the dance forms that we particularly focused on was capoeira, a dance created in Brazil by African enslaved peoples and Indigenous Brazilians. They were not allowed to learn how to fight, so they created capoeira as a ‘game.’ If they disguised strength training and fighting practice as dance and play, then it could not be taken away. It was a form of discrete empowerment and community strengthening. Everyone gathers in a circle and creates a common rhythm. This can be supplemented by instruments such as the berimbau. Then, they sing with two people playing the game (dancing) in the middle. Capoeira involves Portuguese language because there are specific songs that are sang in a capoeira circle. One that we learned in dance was just variations of “ohhh sim, sim, sim, oohhh, nau, nau, nau,” which means “oh yes, yes, yes, oh no, no, no.” However, I think that was for simplicity. There are more complex songs in which people tell stories as well. There is also language to describe specific moves, such as an esquiva (‘dodge’) and meia lua (‘half moon’). There is an extensive language component to capoeira because it was developed as a covert language communicated through bodily movements, meaningful phrases, and song. Capoeira continues to evolve from its historical roots and still thrives in Brazil as an art form.

I tried Hanbok when I was traveling in Korea. It was really beautiful, which made me want to know more about Hanbok. Hanbok is the traditional clothing of the Korean nation. It was not originally what it is now, because of the Tang dynasty’s strong influence and culture exported, and Korean clothes were the exact same style as those of the tang dynasty. But from the beginning of the Ming dynasty, Korea gradually changed in the clothing of that time, and then developed to Hanbok. The change is mainly reflected in women's clothing. The belt of the blouse is gradually moved from the right side to the middle, and the waistline is also gradually moved up to form the current short top. Men's clothes basically only added their own national aesthetic on the basis of the clothes of the Ming dynasty, and only made subtle adjustments.

The color of Korean clothing can represent identity, and with the change of seasons, the color of Korean clothing will also change. Except for important festivals, the Korean people will generally wear white Hanbok, so white is the basic color of Hanbok, Korea is also known as the "white-clad nation.”

Hanbok is made up of many parts. The 저고리 (jeogori) is a basic upper garment of the Hanbok, which has been worn by both men and women. Men usually wear the 저고리 with a 바지 (baji) or pants while women wear the 저고리 (jeogori) with 치마 (chima) or skirts. It covers the arms and upper part of the wearer's body.  바지 (baji) refers to the bottom part of the men's Hanbok. It is the formal term for 'trousers' in Korean. Compared to western style pants, it does not fit tightly. The roomy design is aimed at making the clothing ideal for sitting on the floor. 치마 (chima) were typically made from rectangular cloth that was pleated or gathered into a skirt band. This waistband extended past the skirt fabric itself and formed ties for fastening the skirt around the body.

Hanbok is classified according to its purposes: everyday dress, ceremonial dress, and special dress. Ceremonial dresses are worn on formal occasions, including a child's first birthday, a wedding, or a funeral. Special dresses are made for shamans and officials. Nowadays, Hanbok is only worn on festive occasions or special anniversaries. But since it is a formal dress, most Koreans keep at least one Hanbok for special times in their life such as weddings, 추석 (Korean Thanksgiving), and 새해 (Korean New Year's), Children wear Hanbok to celebrate their first birthday (돌잔치). 

The color of the Hanbok symbolized social position and marital status. Bright colors, for example, were generally worn by children and little girls, and muted hues by middle-aged men and women. Unmarried women often wore yellow 저고리 (jeogori) and red 치마 (chima) while matrons wore green and red, and women with sons wore dark blue 저고리 (jeogori). The upper classes wore a variety of colors. Contrastingly, commoners were required to wear white but dressed in shades of pale pink, light green, gray, and charcoal on special occasions.

Patterns were embroidered on Hanbok to represent the wishes of the wearer. Peonies on a wedding dress represented a wish for honor and wealth. Lotus flowers symbolized hope for nobility, and bats and pomegranates showed the desire for children. Dragons, phoenixes, cranes, and tigers were only for royalty and high-ranking officials.

The difference between sound and spelling is that sound is auditory while spelling is more visual and can be used to assist in figuring out the phones of a word for speech and pronunciation. Spelling is a visual representation of translating sound in which it can then be replicated. This concept is significant to my language learning efforts because it will allow me to better understand how Korean sounds and be able to connect the spoken language being written. The Phonetic inventory of Korean includes consonants and vowels, and like American English, it also has diphthongs. Some sounds that exist in Korean but not in American English include an l/r sounding consonant that has a specific sound like the requires a slight rolling of the tongue, which is called a trill. And other sound in the Korean language that's not really prevalent in American English is ue (oo-ee). There are diphthongs in Korean language too, so it is important that I am able to identify them and be able to spell them as well, when writing. I will be able to acquire the ability to discriminate segments in listening by relating how the word looks when written and relating that segment to the specific in memory. 

Currently in my journey of learning Korean, I am learning about the two different number systems used in Korean language which are the Sino Korean and native Korean number system. Native Korean numbers are used in situations like counting people, things, hours, age, etc. Sino-Korean numbers are used for time (minutes), days of the week, months, and years, etc. 

I hope to be able to efficiently apply the correct number systems within conversations. I would like to be able to state how old I am or someone else is, count items/people, tell time, learn the days of the week, and months/years. I hope to accomplish by the end of the week, the ability to state my age, the time/date in Korean.

Some strategies that my partner and I have worked on is that we would first review the numbers (sound and spelling) and then I practice and memorize them on my own. After I become more comfortable with the numbers, I would spell them out in hangul so I can fully grasp how the sound relates to the spelling. And then I would then be quizzed on random numbers. The book from global studies has really helped both me and my partner as it provided me a visual and showed me the different uses of the two number systems.

I think that this strategy has been effective as I have been progressing with memorizing the numbers. I think that now, using the numbers in conversation (forming sentences) and the correct situation would be a good challenge to really solidify the topic of numbers (time/date/age).

While learning Korean, I’ve experienced some moments of frustration due to the process being slow at times as it may take me some time to fully grasp the concept. I think most of it really has to do with focusing on not just memorizing but also relating the Korean word (the sound of the word) to a specific object, so it comes to me easily like my native language or other languages I know well.

This process of language learning, however, has been really enjoyable. I really like the motivation I receive from my language partner, and I love to see the small steps of progress I am making each meeting we have.

Spelling is the order in which letters are placed to create a word. It does not have a one-to-one relationship with sound, which is noise that can be strung together to create understandable words. Letters can have various sounds, particularly when placed in different orders, making the relationship between the two inconsistent. This makes it difficult to spell a word after hearing it or pronounce a word you read. This is a significant factor in my language learning because it is a big obstacle. English pronunciation is very different from Portuguese. The rules are also very complex. It is also a reason why it is important to focus less on spelling initially to be able to better understand the way words sound first, instead of constantly trying to make a connection between the way things are spelled and the way they sound. After some research, I have found that the phonetic inventory of Portuguese is extensive and varies by region of Brazil, depending on various dialects. My language partner usually gives me multiple pronunciations for words that she says are of various dialects. The internet also says that Portuguese is one of the most sound-diverse languages in the world. My strategy for learning more about the sound system of Portuguese and ensuring that I am able to distinguish its nuances is through my language partner and badgering her to repeat words as well as say them in a sentence so that she says them more naturally. I also think listening to some of the music she has sent me could also help. Below are examples of sounds in Portuguese that I do not believe I use in English:

Ex. the m in sim (yes), pronounced si with the barest hint of an m (like in mug) – it’s as if you were about to say the m and someone cut you off

Ex. the lh in Julho (July), pronounced, I believe, like a y but also with the barest hint of an i sound before it, like in igloo.

These are some of the sounds I have been having the hardest time with.

September

Preface: Mahsa Amini protests

The first full month of SDLAP has passed, and I feel like I was making great progress until about halfway through the month. Last week, on the 16th of September, the Mahsa Amini protests started. Before this point, I was meeting with my language partner almost every morning (ranging 5-7 times a week). This past week, we were able to meet twice. I don't know how the frequency of my lessons will affect my learning for the rest of the semester. We were still able to talk because my language partner is finding ways to circumvent the internet blockage with a VPN; that being said, however, this only works at certain points in the day, so the normal time we were meeting had to change, and it conflicts with the classes I take. 

Neither of us thinks it will last that long, maybe a few weeks. Protests not too dissimilar from this happened due to the increased gas prices in Iran (2019), and the internet blockage was only a week. I am a little apprehensive, though, because last time my dad (who is my language partner) was still able to use a VPN and avoid the blockage. This time it seems much more intense, but that is my opinion based on my past experience, not an article. 

I do want to note, for anyone that reads this, that a lot of the negative media about Iran is unrightfully generalized to include Iranians -- not just the government. So, although this has been a setback, I do not wish to reinforce any negative stereotypes about the country, or at least about the people that live in it. I just think this is an important aspect to appreciate about modern-day culture/politics in Iran, that there is a definite split between administrative affairs and then the actual opinions/beliefs of 'everyday' Iranians.

PLO Lessons & Progress

In my last post, I had made it up to Elementary Lesson 23 (please see August post for an explanation of PLO). Before the protests, we were averaging about 3-4 lessons a week, as some days we would do a new lesson, and others we would either continue the previous day's lesson or practice conversational speaking (using the topics of the previous lesson for some structure. By September 16th, we were planning to start E31, but had to postpone the session for a few days due to the political situation. Later last week, we finished E31, but that is as far as I have reviewed, considering the circumstances. 

Learning about articulatory phonetics in SDLC 105 is helping me contextualize/articulate some of the unique characteristics of Farsi. I am really excited to get more into points of articulation, as I think it might help with a few of the phones that trouble me. Nevertheless, I think my pronunciation in Farsi is one of my stronger sides, as I have grown up hearing the language.

I think my favorite lesson was E27, which was about the New Year. The lesson talked about Nowruz in Iran, the Spring Festival in China, and then the American New Year. It is a funny coincidence that I take Chinese at UR, so it was a sort of collision of worlds. I think I am getting a better grasp of the sentence structure, as the more lessons I learn/review, the more examples I have of different types of verbs.

For my concluding thoughts, I am just a little frustrated, as before the protests I finally felt like I was starting to return to the place I was at before the summer, only to have another setback. I hope everything cools down soon.