Pages

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Moving This Blog Page to KeopiJuseyo

Due to an unforeseen overlook on my part about learning the language, I had inadvertently created a (funnily) "incorrect" name for my blog.

Thus I have rectified it by moving the entire blog to a name directly reflective of the perspective the blog is coming forward from and into.

So kindly head over to: http://keopijuseyo.blogspot.com


Saturday, October 12, 2013

Droptop and Blacksmith Restaurant - IU's drama

Currently I am up till episode 23. Against the backdrop on the drama, these food places keep appearing since IU was working in the Blacksmith Restaurant (supposedly Italian food). And DropTop Cafe where the "players" keep meeting up or having a drink. I don't know where is the sundaeguk restaurant near her home.

Anybody knows where does IU do the hike to collect spring water? It is supposed to be walking distance from her home, since she went with her grandma and mother and elder sister Hyesin.

Why current mind with respect to the drama: 어떻게
What's going to happen next?! What will happen when IU finds out her real mother is the teacher?

Wow: this is a drama that perhaps everybody in Korea has watched it diligently, according to the census ratings, TV ratings report in Wiki.

This is perhaps my fourth or fifth Korean TV drama series. The first one was by Ha Jiwon, "Secret Garden". That got me started seriously thinking watching Korean drama will surely improve my understanding and learning process of the language. I watched another Ha Jiwon's drama "King 2 Hearts" in HD. It wasn't as fascinating due to the fact the story was part comedy, part serious (I like the types of show Ha Jiwon involves in usually about patriotism and unification), part black ops, part sad drama/romance. So it was strange for a scene Ha Jiwon was so sad and disappointed and crying, then another scene soon after, she is making her funny usual way.

This is a sample of what she does best, from 100 Days With Mr Arrogant (내사랑 싸가지 ) :


Today was Lesson 2 Level 0 at Kongbubang

Today was Lesson 2.
It was mainly revision since the actual teacher wasn't here. But we got up to the "final consonant" section, and also a good revision of the "w" sounds.

It was perfect. Cause one word that is 100% teochew appeared. What is "sin"? 죄 (ju-aey) I previously had written some discovery of similar words from Korean and Teochew and compiled them haphazardly based on discovering it, there and then, and whenever I had good internet to update. So I guess I will port them over or tidy it up. It's currently still there are: "KoreanTeochewLanguage.blogspot.com"

Kongbubang's FB Group page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kongbubang/

Lessons are 1000 Won for cost of material/rental/volunteer, Saturdays 4pm.

After the lesson, I walked to Yongsan Electronics Market but it was quite a disarray and many shops closed.


Thursday, October 10, 2013

IU is Lee Sunshin

After learning more hangeul, I am able to decipher some interesting facts about my current favourite Korean drama. When the hallyu craze set forth along Thailand in 2004, I was still busy with my online work in the internet cafe, whereby I had just 2-3hours max (due to laptop battery life in those days), but I can't stop noticing the people in the cafe were listening and watching Korean movies, drama, songs. This Thai cafe attendant, she kept singing some songs and now I remember them: I Think I (by Byul).

The last 1.5 days, the internet was down. (see previous post)

So I have been watching several episodes of "You Are The Best, Lee Sunshin". (I am not using the Soon Shin transliteration cos it's very American ie. using common words like "soon" to replace actual translation. The reason is, soon (pun not intended), you'll end up mixed up in the mind still thinking in English words. E.g. when you see "sundae" you will think it is a sweet dessert).

So "Sunshin" is better. Similarly this happens alot in Thai transliteration whereby it messes up your language learning. Like "kao paad puu" (rice fried with crabmeat) becomes the very wrong "cow pad poo".

IU aka Lee Sunshin


Due to some restrictions by KBSWorld, they only allow a slather of "10 minutes" preview of each episode. I was making up the drama by my own imaginative drama to connect the dots of the next 50 minutes per episode, and some basing on flashbacks of the next episodes. Deconstructing the episodes backward to fill the gaps!

I am at Episode 19 now. Still waiting for IU's debut. Oh, Lee Sunshin's debut music video with "K-O-K".

Another new fact: Lee in Korean is just "i" ie. "이"


Miracle in Room No 6

Here are some photos of my room. Simply great. I get lots of shelves, wardrobe, hanging bar, strong bed, WiFi and LAN, fridge, TV, mirror. I found a stack of clothe hangers on the top "recycling section". I guess many students move in and out. And some just left their still in good condition stuff for others to use.

Top shelve with small packets of "kim"
(seaweed/laver like 6 thin slices per pack weighing 2 grams)
Some Koreans just take it and slab some rice and eat as a snack or meal


Fridge with Cheonyeon cider bottles and bokbunjajoo wine (red bottle)


WiFi and LAN was down for a day ALT soloution

The WiFi and LAN was down for a day plus. The alternative remedy was to tap into some free WiFi signal to have some temporary respite from the drought of bits and bytes.

I used an Aztech WL556E Repeater combo to get some B20 (bits 2 O instead of H20 got it?).

Since it is very weak signals all around, I used several methods. When one fails, I changed to the other. Else I go for a walk.
First method: Using Repeater mode by scanning a best open signal and repeating it. This mode can restrict by MAC address, so if I only wanted MY devices to get the signal boost, I can.

Second method: set as a bridge. Bridging another WiFi signal, then using the LAN port to draw the bits onto my laptop. This will render the other devices netless. But at least I could still continue to do real stuff on the laptop.

Deciphering Monster Baby Setue

Walking the walk around Hongdae, and eating mainly convenience store food (kimbap, dosirak), it came across me that there should be western fast food ie. burgers and fries. I saw the attractive local joint called "Lotteria". It's brightly coloured and have similar use of colour scheme like other fast food burger joints. It's not Lottery - topia. (from Insectopia).

Meandering the small roads to the supermateu that I frequent, I came downwards to the subway area and found on the corner a Burger King shop.

I was impressed by the menu layout. The "Hero Set" is priced within a set of dosirak's price. Between 3600 and 3900 KRW.

But my language skills are not at a comprehensible conversational level yet. Level Zero according to Kongbubang. (see Kongbubang label)

So today, after I got my internet running again, I was determined to break at least part of the code. I saved up the receipts and began to do it.

The first receipt was the one I wasn't liking so much. It turned out to be: Dalrim Seteu. (

The next, is "Monster Baby Seteu". (몬스터베이비) I wouldn't have thought of that creative name. There was a (C) next to the Monster Baby word, and initially thought it was "Set C". It is the copyright logo!

So with that deciphered, I cross search online using the Korean scripts instead of previously searching "Burger King Menu Korea" that ended up results from Insectopia.

Wow, I found a treasure trove of the King's ransom. Burger King's own fan club. It is or not, the photos don't lie. Specially taken photos, updated with the brilliant menu that I can only see in the Burger King's counter top yet ashamed to want to take a photo of it since there is a long queue and staff were wondering why a "Korean" man couldn't read well. Is it a guy from "Miracle in Cell No 7"?

The link: http://blog.naver.com/PostView.nhn?blogId=bromilife&logNo=40195131944
By: http://blog.naver.com/bromilife (Bromilife)

This card was for me.
How to use it? Points, discounts?
Plus a wet-towel compliments of Burger King Hero Set.