Today is Chuseok (추석) here in Korea. It is equivalent to thanksgiving at home. In the Chinese culture we also have a holiday on the same day (Lunar Calendar August 15). We call it mid autumn festival where we eat moon cakes, drink tea and appreciate the moon all the while being thankful for a good harvest. Korea's holiday is a bit more extensive. It actually lasts 3 days, the day before and after actual Chuseok. People usually go to the eldest son's house or the eldest person's alive house (ie. grandma/grandpa). There they eat, they might do the ancestral bowing ceremonies if they are not Christian or of any other religion that does not allow bowing to other "gods".
It's just a big time for family and train and bus tickets are booked way in advance. Traffic is unbelievably crazy, a normal 4 hour drive turns into 10 hours during this holiday.
I chilled in the dorm today but a friend of mine was able to bring me some moon cake so I can celebrate the Chinese way. One day it would be nice to see how the Korean's celebrate this lovely holiday but for now I only know tidbits.
So for all my Korean friends out there 추석 잘 보내세요! And for all my Chinese friends out there 中秋節快樂!
Hi! sorry to barge in like this, but I'm just wondering, is it fine that I don't speak korean?(other than hello, thank you and some really random words lol) so does it matter? or should I consider going to other english speaking countries if i don't speak korean...
ReplyDeleteHello Huey,
ReplyDeleteNo no you're not barging in at all.
It all depends on you. I didn't know that much Korean before coming to Korea the first time and I absolutely loved it! If you are open to the experience and will not be scared off my language barrier by all means come.
With that said, if you are the type of person that needs the comfort of communication then maybe going to an English speaking country is suggested.
The program here allows you to learn Korean and we interact with Korean students a lot. So they always lend us a helping hand whenever we don't know something in Korean.
I've actually done a exchange program during high school so i'm not too scared about the culture shock and stuff... i was just thinking about things like going on to the streets and not knowing what everything says... and the teachers, i know they teach in english, but do they have strong accents? :)
ReplyDeleteyour blog has got me really excited about this program! good stuff! ;)
Huey,
ReplyDeleteSorry for the late reply. Many students come to Korea without knowing any of the language and it's not a big deal because there are usually Korean students, who know English and help you out, OR there are returning International students who know enough of the Language to navigate.
Like I said before you will be learning the language too so many pick up on things usually or hangs out with someone who does haha.
The teachers, it all depends on the teacher. I haven't encountered a teacher yet with an accent so bad I can't understand them but yes they will have slight accents. I find the Korean English accent isn't that difficult to navigate compared to some other language accents.
I am glad you are excited about the program. Let me know what you end up deciding!