Hey everyone!
I cannot believe that today has marked by fifth day at Korean school! Time has really gone by quickly and I thought that maybe you guys would like an update!
I hope that you all have been well and that by reading my blogs, your day will be filled with happiness and smiles to share!
Much love and keep dreaming,
Momo
Art Credit: (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/468022586248385936/)
As I have probably mentioned before, I have appreciated and enjoyed my life before Korean school and helping out with the media at church. However, before all of this, I also couldn't help but feel a bit cooped up. I love going on long car rides and wandering malls or book shops. Most weekends, I wouldn't go places besides church and Costco because I would feel bad to ask my parents to take me places since they work long hours during the week days. Of course, this was a selfish thing on my part. I should've been content with where God had me. But, like all situations, that time God placed in my life was there for a reason. Also, it was during those times that God gave me valuable ideas and hobbies such as learning Korean, baking, and of course, writing on this blog. Be assured that He knows what you need without you having to tell Him.
So, whatever you're going through now, if you feel like you're losing your motivation to do the things you once loved to do or if a situation you're going through is not ideal, know that you will be blessed if you take refuge in Him. He'll take care of even the things you didn't know you needed help in.
Anyways, Korean school! These past five classes have been a rollercoaster. I have learned so much, gained friendships, made mistakes, and made my move on a potential best friend. (Beedo)
Today, I made my first mistake in Korean. Making mistakes in a language you are learning is very common. When I was in the cafeteria giving my dirty dishes to the ahjumma who washes dishes, the lady who did my placement test went up from behind me and said, "Ah anneong, Momo!" (Hi Momo) I was taken aback a bit because I didn't expect her to surprise me from behind. Nervous with my eyes uncontrollably twitching like a diseased bird, I accidentally said, "anneong" back! Do you know what this means? This is sort of the equivalent to "sup" in English. It is very disrespectful in Korean and I said it. Yep! I messed up on saying hi! Good going, Momo! So, she looked at me with a mixed expression, put her dainty hand on my sweaty shoulder, said that I should say "anneonghaseyo" instead and walked away. T_T Of course.
(Usually I give myself a good minute or two pep-talk before I try to speak to a Korean person, even if it's in English.
However, like this situation, it couldn't be avoided. T_T) This pep-talk goes a little like this in my head, "Ok, there's that oversized pink sweater wonder in the distance. I should probably bow and say anneonghaseyo so that she can get to know me. Maybe she'll want to be my friend. Wait, she's talking to another person right now! Let's retreat! But no! I'm too close to her it'll look like I'm avoiding her and that's not my intention-well, not really! Ok, so let's casually, without looking too nervous, walk past her so that it'll look like I just happened to pass by her and not have had followed her since we were eating lunch downstairs. Don't make creepy eye contact, don't make creepy eye contact. I swear, if you mess this up...you'll still be thinking about it at 9pm when you're writing about this on your blog and will have to treat yourself to something unhealthy in the kitchen while you sing to kpop. *facepalm Ahh! She saw me! An..neong...ha..seyo! NO! HOW CAN YOU MESS UP SAYING HI?!?! Ahhh Momo!"
Anyways, (still sobbing) that's my first big mistake I made-I'm sure there's more to come, so I'll update you then!
On the other hand, Korean has been going pretty well if I must say so myself! I am really trying to study on my own at home and am extremely grateful for the many YouTubers out there who make videos to help awkward Korean learners like myself! My friend and I have also signed up for the Korean SAT which tests your Korean skills, so that'll be fun, I think. T_T (Wiping tears)
In class, my teacher is speaking more Korean to me, and though I mostly guess what he's saying and hoping for the best, it's pretty fun! For instance, ahh! Here's another thing I did today. I was really proud to have said "can I use the bathroom?" in Korean and came back ready to tackle math when I found a tack on the floor. So, I decided for the good of society to pick it up. But, what would a normal functioning person do? They would just stick it back into the ginormous bulletin board that took up a whole wall. But no! What did I do that even my classmates and teacher questioned? I walked past this huge bulletin board and placed the tack very awkwardly and daintily on my teacher's desk and walked away when he asked me why I was giving him this. I told him I found it on the floor. He gave me a blank expression. The class and myself included laughed. So, I walked back to my seat, laughing nervously, knocking into a chair, and sat down, still laughing nervously.
SAT math was ok- I guess. T_T There's always the smart kids who associate words such as "fun" and "easy" with math, while there's me who's just scribbling down whatever I can to fill up the paper so that it looks like I'm doing something until my teacher walks over and I frantically erase all remnants of doodles on my paper. After this class, my friend and I were talking to my teacher about the trip to Korea I was talking about. I don't think he knew too much about it, but apparently, if you win this Korean speaking contest, you can win a trip to Korea. I think I'd rather wait, plus I'd rather not enter a competition. Then, my friend brought up the Korean SAT. We decided to do it together, as I have mentioned earlier in this post. My teacher was glad that we wanted to join and said that we are his favorite students.
Lastly, the girl who I was talking about earlier...We are getting to know each other more! She is so fun to hang around and I am hoping that she feels the same about me. I find that we laugh a lot together and she gets things about me that I didn't know she would get. Hopefully, we can keep this up!
Thank you so much for staying with me to the end! I hope that you were able to laugh with me as we talked about my experiences. Please know that whoever you are, wherever you are, and whatever is happening in your life, that God's plan is the one to trust! Keep looking to Him and you'll see what can happen when you draw near to Him.
Photo credit: (https://www.pinterest.com/pin/365565694736595846/)
Much love and keep dreaming,
Momo