Friday, October 12, 2012
At the pumpkin farm
The highlight of this little outing was the cat. As soon as I walked over, it ran right up to me and followed me around for an hour. I wish I could have brought it home with me.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
The easiest way to learn Hangeul/Hangul/한글
When I first started learning Korean, I wasn't sure where to start. The Talk to Me in Korean website/podcast is a great source of information. It's all free, you get the PDF files plus you are able to hear the pronunciation of the words. All of that is great.
I was perplexed because there are sounds in Korean that we do not use in English. Therefore, you really need to learn 한글 (the Korean alphabet) in order to say these words correctly.
The problem is, where do you start? Do you learn the words first or do you learn 한글 first? And if you learn 한글 first, what is the best way to go about it? I wanted to find the most efficient learning method and this is what I realized.
The first TTMIK lesson teaches you how to say "annyeonghaseyo" 안녕하세요 and "gamsahapnida" 감사합니다 (hello and thank you). The PDF shows it romanized and in 한글. I didn't know it at the time, but the TTMIK teachers really know what they are doing because here is what eventually happens if you are committed to learning.
I wrote 안녕하세요 over and over on a piece of paper. I was trying to perfect the letters, not memorize the spelling. That did not help me. Sure, my writing was a bit better, but I still couldn't commit any of it to memory. So I finally said, even if I ONLY remember the letters in "annyeonghaseyo" 안녕하세요, that is enough for now. I began writing it in 한글 again. (ㅇ=placeholder if a vowel is the first letter in a syllable block, ㅏ=a, ㄴ=n, ㄴ=n, ㅕ=yeo, ㅇ=ng, ㅎ=h, ㅏ=a, ㅅ=s, ㅔ=e, ㅇ=placeholder, ㅛ=yo.) This time, I was able to remember what each letter was and I could recognize these letters in other words, even when I didn't recognize the words themselves.
This is the most effective way, in my opinion, to introduce 한글 into your studies. Just memorize the letters for one word. Start with "annyeonghaseyo" 안녕하세요, just like in the TTMIK lessons. Then, once you have mastered that, move on to "gamsahapnida" 감사합니다. I say this because "gamsahapnida" 감사합니다 has a lot of letters that are not in "annyeonghaseyo" 안녕하세요 (ㄱ=g, ㅁ=m, ㅂ=p, ㅣ=i, ㄷ=d), so it will implement those into your studies. And this is also one of the first words you learn with the TTMIK curriculum. After that, you can move on to the rest of the alphabet.
If you start by using flashcards, you may feel overwhelmed. (I was.) It isn't particularly difficult to learn 한글, but you are learning an entirely new alphabet and that is a lot of information to memorize. It helps to be able to associate it with something rather than just reading each letter separately on an index card.
**It should be noted that some letters (ㄱ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅎ, ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ, ㅣ) change sounds depending on their position within a syllable block and the letters that proceed/follow them.
I was perplexed because there are sounds in Korean that we do not use in English. Therefore, you really need to learn 한글 (the Korean alphabet) in order to say these words correctly.
The problem is, where do you start? Do you learn the words first or do you learn 한글 first? And if you learn 한글 first, what is the best way to go about it? I wanted to find the most efficient learning method and this is what I realized.
The first TTMIK lesson teaches you how to say "annyeonghaseyo" 안녕하세요 and "gamsahapnida" 감사합니다 (hello and thank you). The PDF shows it romanized and in 한글. I didn't know it at the time, but the TTMIK teachers really know what they are doing because here is what eventually happens if you are committed to learning.
I wrote 안녕하세요 over and over on a piece of paper. I was trying to perfect the letters, not memorize the spelling. That did not help me. Sure, my writing was a bit better, but I still couldn't commit any of it to memory. So I finally said, even if I ONLY remember the letters in "annyeonghaseyo" 안녕하세요, that is enough for now. I began writing it in 한글 again. (ㅇ=placeholder if a vowel is the first letter in a syllable block, ㅏ=a, ㄴ=n, ㄴ=n, ㅕ=yeo, ㅇ=ng, ㅎ=h, ㅏ=a, ㅅ=s, ㅔ=e, ㅇ=placeholder, ㅛ=yo.) This time, I was able to remember what each letter was and I could recognize these letters in other words, even when I didn't recognize the words themselves.
This is the most effective way, in my opinion, to introduce 한글 into your studies. Just memorize the letters for one word. Start with "annyeonghaseyo" 안녕하세요, just like in the TTMIK lessons. Then, once you have mastered that, move on to "gamsahapnida" 감사합니다. I say this because "gamsahapnida" 감사합니다 has a lot of letters that are not in "annyeonghaseyo" 안녕하세요 (ㄱ=g, ㅁ=m, ㅂ=p, ㅣ=i, ㄷ=d), so it will implement those into your studies. And this is also one of the first words you learn with the TTMIK curriculum. After that, you can move on to the rest of the alphabet.
If you start by using flashcards, you may feel overwhelmed. (I was.) It isn't particularly difficult to learn 한글, but you are learning an entirely new alphabet and that is a lot of information to memorize. It helps to be able to associate it with something rather than just reading each letter separately on an index card.
**It should be noted that some letters (ㄱ, ㄷ, ㄹ, ㅂ, ㅅ, ㅇ, ㅈ, ㅊ, ㅎ, ㄲ, ㄸ, ㅃ, ㅆ, ㅉ, ㅣ) change sounds depending on their position within a syllable block and the letters that proceed/follow them.
The Good Guys of Reality TV
If you have ever watched a reality show competition, you know the people on those shows are usually less than friendly and quite a lot of them are only out for themselves. They will do whatever it takes to win, whether it is saying their grandmother died or throwing a teammate under the bus. These shows make people ruthless and it is incredibly rare that you will find one person who has convictions and a kind enough heart not to fall into that trap. So imagine finding two of them.
When the first episode of Project Runway season 8 aired, I immediately wanted A.J. Thouvenot to win. His designs were fun and whimsical, like a cross between Betsey Johnson and [the now defunct] Heatherette, only better. (His taste in music is impeccable as well, but that really isn't the point.) There was something about him then that really interested me and I wanted nothing more than to see him make it all the way to Bryant Park, just based on his work alone.
And then came the dreaded team challenge. That was honestly one of my least favorite challenges in Project Runway history. For whatever reason, the designers threw away their own aesthetics and decided to create a cohesive collection that had none of their signatures on it. Because of this, A.J.'s team landed in the bottom. Before appearing in front of the judges, they all decided not to put the blame on any of their teammates. When asked who the weakest member was, however, they caved and used Michael C. as their scapegoat. Only A.J. refused to do so, naming himself instead. That is when I wanted even more for him to go to Fashion Week. He was not like the others. The garment he made was not something he ever would have sent down the runway during an individual challenge. It was unfair that he went home because of something that just wasn't him and because he refused to give someone else's name to the judges. I had so much respect for him in that moment, and I still do now.
Face Off is another talent-based show, featuring makeup artists from around the country. On the first episode of season 3, Rod Maxwell rushed over to help two of his fellow competitors who were having trouble with one of their molds. Actually helping the people you are competing against? Unheard of! Not only that, but when he appeared with his teammate before the judges during the first challenge, Rod talked him up so much that I was sure he would be the one to win. Instead, Rod won. And I was really happy for him because it is so rare to find someone who thinks of other people while competing on a show where they are supposed to try to win.
Unfortunately, Rod was eliminated tonight. It broke my heart because he seems like such an amazingly nice person, with such a good heart, and only good things should happen to him. This is what he said on Twitter after the show aired:
Even after his elimination, he was still so gracious. It's very admirable and it only makes me wish he would have won even more. He is immensely talented, so even though he is no longer competing on Face Off, I know he will do well elsewhere.
There should be more people like A.J. and Rod on these shows. I would rather see friendly competitors than all of the drama between contestants.
When the first episode of Project Runway season 8 aired, I immediately wanted A.J. Thouvenot to win. His designs were fun and whimsical, like a cross between Betsey Johnson and [the now defunct] Heatherette, only better. (His taste in music is impeccable as well, but that really isn't the point.) There was something about him then that really interested me and I wanted nothing more than to see him make it all the way to Bryant Park, just based on his work alone.
And then came the dreaded team challenge. That was honestly one of my least favorite challenges in Project Runway history. For whatever reason, the designers threw away their own aesthetics and decided to create a cohesive collection that had none of their signatures on it. Because of this, A.J.'s team landed in the bottom. Before appearing in front of the judges, they all decided not to put the blame on any of their teammates. When asked who the weakest member was, however, they caved and used Michael C. as their scapegoat. Only A.J. refused to do so, naming himself instead. That is when I wanted even more for him to go to Fashion Week. He was not like the others. The garment he made was not something he ever would have sent down the runway during an individual challenge. It was unfair that he went home because of something that just wasn't him and because he refused to give someone else's name to the judges. I had so much respect for him in that moment, and I still do now.
Face Off is another talent-based show, featuring makeup artists from around the country. On the first episode of season 3, Rod Maxwell rushed over to help two of his fellow competitors who were having trouble with one of their molds. Actually helping the people you are competing against? Unheard of! Not only that, but when he appeared with his teammate before the judges during the first challenge, Rod talked him up so much that I was sure he would be the one to win. Instead, Rod won. And I was really happy for him because it is so rare to find someone who thinks of other people while competing on a show where they are supposed to try to win.
Unfortunately, Rod was eliminated tonight. It broke my heart because he seems like such an amazingly nice person, with such a good heart, and only good things should happen to him. This is what he said on Twitter after the show aired:
Even after his elimination, he was still so gracious. It's very admirable and it only makes me wish he would have won even more. He is immensely talented, so even though he is no longer competing on Face Off, I know he will do well elsewhere.
There should be more people like A.J. and Rod on these shows. I would rather see friendly competitors than all of the drama between contestants.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Pseudopod - Kill Screen
If you are look for a good scary story and enjoy video game creepypasta, I have something for you!
Kill Screen
This is one of those video game stories, but since it’s not based on a game like Zelda or Pokemon (you know, a game that is so well-known that it’s almost impossible to take the story seriously), it actually is kind of creepy.
Plus, they play 8-bit music in the background. It’s awesome. That alone makes it worth listening to. It adds another dimension to the whole, “Oh, my video game has a mind of its own and is trying to kill me,” thing, one that you don’t get when you are just reading text on a screen.
Here are some other horror-themed podcasts you can find on iTunes.
Horror! Old Time Radio
Vintage Horror Radio
Kill Screen
This is one of those video game stories, but since it’s not based on a game like Zelda or Pokemon (you know, a game that is so well-known that it’s almost impossible to take the story seriously), it actually is kind of creepy.
Plus, they play 8-bit music in the background. It’s awesome. That alone makes it worth listening to. It adds another dimension to the whole, “Oh, my video game has a mind of its own and is trying to kill me,” thing, one that you don’t get when you are just reading text on a screen.
Here are some other horror-themed podcasts you can find on iTunes.
Horror! Old Time Radio
Vintage Horror Radio
Happy October!
It is finally October! And that means that I can openly declare my love for all things Halloween without people giving me weird looks like they did in September. It's like you start putting the Halloween decorations out September 1st and people get all judgmental on you. Do not even think about it now. I can do whatever I want until November!
So what do I want to do?
Ideally, I would go to Salem again. But that is out of the question, especially considering that I still cannot walk on my foot. (Well, I can, but I probably shouldn't because it still hurts.)
That means the next best thing is to update this blog every day until 11:59 p.m. on October 31st.
I just scoffed at myself. Because for one thing, I should update my other blog instead, since that is the "real" blog and this is just the backup blog for when that one crashes for good. But I like it over here and I don't have to worry about flooding anyone's feed with constant updates throughout the rest of the month, so this is where all of my Halloween needs will be met.
The second reason I scoffed is because, regardless of what I say and how much I love Halloween, I have serious doubts that I will update this blog daily. I literally started thinking of ideas for posts ON September 1st and I have written exactly one since then. In my defense, I had family visiting for the last two weeks of September and I dedicated a lot of time to learning Korean. I have good intentions, but I am easily distracted.
We'll see how it goes!
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