Hi everyone~! Those of you who have been following the blog and facebook page should have heard that I was organizing a casual meetup for Korean learners and I just came back from the meetup!!

It was kinda stressful dealing with all the last minute crop-ups (the cafe told me 1hr before the meetup that they couldn’t accommodate us and I had to argue with them..) but I had loads of fun organizing it! I’m not a good organizer but I still hope that everyone had fun! ^^

I’m hoping to turn this into a bi-weekly meetup but given my lack of time etc and the fact that I cannot find a good venue, I’m not too sure when the next meetup will be.

If anyone knows a place that can fit 30-40 people and allow for people to mingle and walk around and talk, let me know! People were suggesting booking a function room somewhere, will have to see how.

I’m super tired right now. ㅋㅋㅋ I’m more comfortable ‘hiding behind my blog’ but I did make a few awesome friends today!

Besides the numerous things I have to do for my studies etc, here’s a list for Korean-related items!

1. VLOG – haven’t done that for ages

2. audio blog – did one but yet to upload

3. Study for TOPIK – I don’t want to fail and waste my money

4. Register for TOPIK ㅋㅋ

5. Blog more often

6. Get all those textbook reviews out

ㅎㅎ

Giveaway results up on Facebook page. Wanted to do a separate post for it but I’m too busy D:

Bought an extra copy of 짜장면 더 주세요 for myself, so don’t be too surprised if you see me blogging about it again! I’m definitely sending the 2 books out

Excited about the first meetup tomorrow.

What is on your to-do list for learning Korean / Korean related? ^^

담에 봐!!

I don’t like to generalize or stereotype, but I’m getting really annoyed by some people who are either close-minded, one-track mind, non-accepting etc etc.

Attended an interview not too long ago where the interviewer is rather close-minded and not very sensitive to the importance of language and the fact that a deep understanding of culture in order to really build ties between people etc etc. I felt like I came to an interview where I have to conform to a particular way of thinking – and I just simply lost interest halfway through.

Singaporeans are too fixated on the idea of ‘all-rounders’. Sure, these people are awesome – but how many true all-rounders are there around? What’s wrong with being specialized? -.-

Oh well. That’s not my main point. Maybe it’s just the awesome group of people I hanged out with in Seoul, but everyone does not judge. We all have different interests, thinking, mindset etc but we respect each others’ lives, decisions etc.

I seem to only have problems with narrow-minded people in Singapore. SO ANNOYED. I think I’ve blogged about it before, but I can’t stand people questioning my passion for Korean. Now that the Hallyu fever is burning in Singapore, I get that a little less – more admiration for the fact that i can speak Korean and watch dramas without subs :/

(A series of events today plus seeing my friend’s tweet on similar issues inspired this post)

But I keep hearing annoying conversations around on how they can speak Korean after learning for a few months and how they can watch and understand dramas. Hello?!

I don’t know what is your definition of ‘being able to speak’. I would never dare to use the term so loosely and easily. Personally, I think I only dare to tell people that I speak Korean after learning it for 3.5 years. Even up till now, I still find it a little uncomfortable and I prefer to say I’m able to converse but am still learning.

I find it amusing when I see people talking about loads of stuff and acting like they know everything when in actual fact, they are talking nonsense. People just can’t admit that they don’t know certain things – not as if it’s an interview. And it’s even more amusing when people are not doing it to continue a conversation but STARTING one. Sigh. I may not know a lot, but I do know enough about Korea / Korean to know that you are talking rubbish. I see that a lot in Singapore. SIGH.

I’m not trying to talk bad about Singapore/Singaporeans but seems like I’m meeting the worse of the lot? LOL.

I don’t conform to the ‘standard’ and sorry I will never do so.

so. annoyed.

I just had a bad day dealing with all kinds of nonsense. sigh.

Please let me know your experiences. I hope I’m not the only one feeling this way.

p.s. Still deciding on the winners for the giveaway! Will post the results soon

Source: “브랜드 아니면 안 써” 초등생 가방 20만 원대

Korean elementary children’s school bags are getting ridiculously expensive. Branded bags are in high demand, especially those in limited editions. These branded bags are usually sold in shopping malls, priced at an average of 159,000won and can go up to 290,000won. Due to the competitive nature of Koreans, parents are concerned that their children will become 왕따 (outcasts) if they are seen with ‘cheaper bags’.

The news interviewed a elementary school girl (year 3) who said that ‘bags with cartoon characters are cute.. but there are quite a number of my classmates with branded bags’.

Looking at it from the perspective of a kid, I wouldn’t want to be seen with a ‘shabby bag’ whereas all my classmates have ‘nice bags’.

I remembered how Billabong, Roxy and other American surfer brands were the trend in my middle school days in Singapore. Each bag cost around $60 (55,000won) or so and everyone wanted one, and so did I. I didn’t even like the design that much, it was just the mentality that I don’t want to ‘fall behind’ and I want to have a common topic with my friends too. Looking at it from now, it’s a silly mentality, but so common among the kids. Such trends, although unhealthy, are common everywhere but Koreans seem to bring the competition up a notch.

I wouldn’t really blame them for wanting one when you look at the designs. Even I get very excited looking at the nice designs. I’ve never seen nicer bags than these. I want the 2 bags on the right of row 1 and 2!!! But that is besides the point.

source: Bean Pole’s official blog

The news also mentioned that the trend for high school students seem to be expensive North Face jackets, and branded backpacks are the current ‘hot item’ for the elementary kids.

True.

I did not come across / pay attention to elementary kids when I was in Korea, but I did notice that majority of high school students were wearing North Face jackets in winter. The color seems to be standard too – black. I didn’t give much thought to it until I went into a North Face store and realized that each jacket easily cost 250,000 or more. How can so many students, or their parents, afford such expensive jackets? I know they are of good quality and probably can last quite a few years, but essentially you are still paying a premium for the brand, especially since it’s imported.

Whose fault is this? The brands who are actively targeting the kids market (and their parents)? The competitive nature of Koreans? Brand consciousness?

The idea of brand consciousness and competition seems to pervade all levels of society. Designer bags are common in universities and most of my friends own something from Bean Pole at the very least.

Go down to Sinsadong (신사동) on a weekday afternoon. You will see socialites (or wannabes) decked in branded goods from head to toe and there seems to be specific spots they love, one of which is the open concept cafe COFFEE SMITH.

It seems to be the place to be seen in. I would want to try it next time I’m in Seoul in summer. I will try to stand out in my t-shirt, shorts, backpack and slippers – bringing some Singaporean style to Seoul.

Back to the issue, it does seem like competition and brand consciousness is a serious problem in the society, especially when it trickles down to the kids. When I was a kid I have no idea what branded goods are. The same can’t be said for the younger generation.

If I am a parent, I definitely would not want to encourage such unhealthy competition. But this is not something I can change on my own and I would not want my kids to become outcasts and force my morals on them and make them carry shabby bags and refusing to listen to them. Yet, I wouldn’t want to spend 159,000 on a bag. I’ll settle for something in between. >.<

My conclusion? Having kids in Korea is gonna be so expensive.

What’s your opinion on the issue? Feel free to share!

p.s. Those who know me know that I don’t really like to write opinionated articles on the blog to avoid generating hate and anti-fans. We will see how things go. I love an intellectual argument, but no hating please!

———

Tips for Korean learners!

Like I say, try to watch and listen to the audio first! If you come across an unfamiliar word, try to hear what it is and then search it on the dictionary. It’s difficult to ‘recognize an unfamiliar word’, but it trains your listening ability. Only when all else fails, look at the transcript to see what the word is. Then listen to the audio again to see if you can recognize the word.

^^

Didn’t expect my books to be so popular. I’m really sad about parting with them ㅠㅠㅠ but I know they will find new good owners who will have much more use for them than I do!

The sale will also give me a little money to perhaps buy some more advanced books ^^ I can’t wait for the day I can let go of my advanced books too ㅎㅎㅎ That will mean I am nearly fluent!!

Anyways there are still some good ones for sale, particularly the KLPT intermediate preparation book! ^^

Here’s the link to the photo album of the books! Please private message me on FB (faster) or email me at seoulareyou@gmail.com if you are interested in purchasing them. Only for sale in Singapore. I will not entertain sales on the comment section of this post!

I’m REALLY REALLY looking forward to the 1st meetup on the 28th! When I first created it, I didn’t send any specific invitations at all. But as of now, there are 34 confirmed members, and quite a number of maybes and people invited. I would really like to thank everyone who has been passing word around and also showing support in this event!

I can’t wait to meet everyone!!!

Alrights, it’s getting late and I still need to settle some stuff before going to bed! Hope everyone will have a good week ahead.

p.s. The 2nd post of the special series – korean learners may be out tomorrow.. or next week?

——————-

About the guest author:

Charles Montgomery is an English professor in Dongguk University in Seoul. I had the pleasure of meeting him (although for a short while) when I was in Korea! Check out his site and his twitter!

Korean Modern Literature in Translation

Twitter @KTLit

One of the remarkable things about Shanna is that she is using (well, til last
semester) primarily self-study to learn Korean. I, on the other hand, am the living
example of how self-study can be a failure. Which is odd, because in most other
arenas, I am a complete self-studier. When I was a webmaster I learned to code
all alone in my office. When it came to literature, I just sat in my office, coffee
shops, bars and at home, and read. But with language? I am not a self-studier.

I came to Korea over three years ago, and my Korean is still shameful. Prior to
leaving I took a few months of Korean at a hagwon in Sunnyvale California, but
its classes were inconveniently scheduled, and I had a more than full time job. So
when I got to Korea, I could say ‘hello’ and ‘thank you’ and that was about it.

I did quickly learn to say “Cass 오백 씨씨 주세요!” but that was about it. So, I
bought a Korean textbook and brought it to my little apartment. I opened it
once, diligently worked away at the first chapter, memorized about 15 words,
then tossed the book on my desk until “the next time.”

The next time was about 10 days later, I could remember none of the vocabulary
I had ‘memorized,’ and the work I had done looked like hieroglyphics. So, I
plunged in once more, and with three phrases memorized (“nice to meet you for
the first time”/ 만나서 반갑습니다 and “goodbye” in two forms depending on
who was departing 안녕히 계세요/ 안녕히 가세요). I then marched out into the
world and tried to practice my exciting new knowledge.

Alas, this turned out to be harder than I thought. As it turned out, I worked
primarily with English speakers (except in the classroom) and even when I met
Koreans, it was incredibly artificial to try to force my phrases into conversation.
I mean, how often did I really meet someone for the first time? So I might learn
a few phrases, but I could rarely use them, practice pronunciation, or learn what
the responses to them might be.

I was also in Daejeon, which I will just say, trying to be polite, is not that
cosmopolitan, and the natives seemed to have no interest at all in my cruddy
Korean. So, I buckled down to reading translated Korean literature, which
became my little window on the culture (did I mention my blog at www.ktlit.com
is all about modern Korean literature? Well, now I have.^^)

Next year, I moved to Seoul and repeated the textbook/desk/real-world cycle
about three times.

Even when I did sit down with the textbook, I found that I was easily dis— hey,
did you know that you can find streaming NFL games on the internet? And I
wonder what my friend Martin is doing right now? Hmmm… do I want a snack? -
– tracted.

And when I went out to practice my Korean, I ran into several problems. The first
was that I still only had this list of artificial phrases to use, and they were rarely
relevant to events in life. I could scarcely use them in real situations. The second
problem was where I worked, in the English Interpretation and Translation Department at Dongguk University. The professors and students I worked with
were all effusive in offers to help me, but their English was simply too good for
this to work out. Everyone in my division is an excellent English speaker and
when my Korean faltered, they would just code-switch and, bang(!), we’d be back
in English.

As it turned out, cabbies and restaurants DID want to engage me (the lure of easy
돈!) so like many expats, I did self-learn taxi-Korean and some restaurant-
Korean.

On occasion I took a tutor, but fitting them into my schedule was difficult and
they were expensive. In addition, many of them didn’t really seem to have taught
before, and this meant a lot of time was wasted.

I met Steve Revere, whose Korean is brilliant, and he gave me copies of his
two “how to learn Korean” books. I repeated the textbook/desk/real-world cycle
yet again. And got distracted. And got busy in the translation area. And traveled.
And drank. And generally just passed my Korean textbooks as I whisked myself
out the door.

I also looked at the many resources on the internet, but as my interest in one
waned I would just skip to another, and I couldn’t settle down with any one (or
two, or three, or four…..) site and make any progress.

I made one abortive attempt at doing Korean pen-pal with my best friend back
in the States (he’s Korean by birth, and bilingual), but as soon as he returned my
first email, I just let it sit there, with other emails to answer, and in a language
I’m OK at.

As it turns out, I am not a self-learner. The mighty intarwebs (via Wikipedia) says
self-learners have these characteristics.

1. self-observation (monitoring one’s activities);

2. self-judgment (self-evaluation of one’s performance) and

3. self-reactions (reactions to performance outcomes).

To me that first one is all about discipline… watching what you do and
scheduling what you do. Let’s just say that I suck at that.

The second one is also problematic for me. Language-learning takes time, and
I’m a short-attention-span-theater person. If I study something and don’t see
immediate progress? I move to something else that has an immediate payoff, like
a popsicle, beer, or watching downloaded episodes of Trailer Park Boys. So in the
short term I judged progress (which is the improper scale) as insufficient, and
lost the will to continue.

The reaction? I’ve described it above: on to pursuits with quicker results; putting down the textbooks.

Sure, in three years I did learn some things, but as last semester ended I re-
indulged in step 2, and realized that my silly expectations and lack of discipline
had conspired to pretty much halt me in my tracks.

Twice, I had entered formal classes in Korean, and in the three weeks that I had
stuck with that (Yeah, I know, lame), I had achieved most of my progress. My
university did not have me teach a winter-session class this break, and that gave
me the opportunity I had been evading. As I type this I am halfway through
my first month of formal classes. That is, the first month of formal classes that I
will complete. The formal classes impose upon me the discipline I lack, and the
instructor’s responses are based on rational calculation of how anyone would be
doing two weeks in. If she says I’m doing well, I can ignore the evidence of my
lying eyes.^^ This means that steps 1 and 2 of the “self-learning” characteristics
are (thankfully) being imposed on me.

In that two weeks I have learned more Korean language (as opposed to
vocabulary, a surprising amount of which it turns out I have picked up along
the way) than I did in the previous three years combined. Even better? I’m
enthusiastic about the process and intend to take two classes next month. In the
Spring semester my schedule is a blessing – I will be able to continue my lessons
if I choose to.

For the moment, I choose to!

So, while I give mad props to the folks like Ms. Tan, who can buckle down and
teach themselves, I have to say that it is bricks and mortar for me.

However it is good practice to listen to short news clips and SBS News offers video clips together with the entire transcript of the video.

Each video is about 1 min + or so and this is a great length for those who are just starting to listen to news broadcast.

In order to increase the effectiveness of learning, I would:

1. listen to the broadcast without watching the video (a pure test of listening skills)
2. watch the video and listen
3. read the transcript
4. watch the video again to make sure you can catch everything after reading the transcript

You can also learn some formal expressions and new vocabulary from listening to the news ^^

Thanks to everyone in Singapore who have responded so well to a casual meetup among us Korean learners! There are currently 21 confirmed people as well as quite a number of ‘maybes’. I’m really happy but a little worried since this is the first time that I’m organizing such a huge meetup! >.< Looking forward to meeting everyone though! Im currently fretting over the venue. Any help will be appreciated LOL (around city hall).

I’ve come up with another idea for a special series featuring Korean learners / bloggers and I’m looking for people to contribute! ^^

Basically, it’s just a series where one/two learners will be featured each week. I hope to get people to share their learning journey, methods of learning Korean, motivations / reasons to learn Korean etc etc.

I would like for the series to become a place where Korean learners can find some motivation, inspiration, 공감 (the English word eludes me..), generate discussion etc or simply just reading about a fellow learner’s story!! So it would be nice to leave a comment if you read the guest posts!

Who can join:

• Basically anyone who are learning Korean – total beginners to fluent speakers!

Do not worry about writing ‘useless / unhelpful / uninteresting’ stuff. There is no such thing as an uninteresting post. Seriously, I appreciate all posts and I’m sure everyone does too!

Things you can write about:

• Outline of your Korean learning journey
• your motivations / reasons (try not to turn it into a total fangirl post ㅎㅎ)
• Methods you use to study Korean / tips?
• Problems / obstacles faced!
• Books you are using / recommend
• Experiences in practicing the language / trips to Korea
• ETC

The above list is just a suggestion, but free rein is given to all guest bloggers! Audio and video clips of you talking in Korean will be a major major plus, but optional! Don’t be shy about it! We are all in different stages of learning but we pass by the same stages too! ^^

My policy is basically not to edit (maybe just spelling errors or creating headings?) but if you would like me to, you can tell me ^^

When to submit / format:

This is an ongoing series that will have no end (unless otherwise stated in an update to this post). This means that if you see this post 3 years later and is interested to contribute, feel free to email me!

1. All submissions should be made with the email title Special Series – Korean learners to seoulareyou@gmail.com
2. I will get back to you on when your post will be published (depending on number of submissions etc) and send you the link to the post!
3. You are free to include links to your social media sites accounts (twitter. facebook. youtube. tumblr etc etc)
4.  If you didn’t introduce yourself in the post, it would be nice to include a short note on who you are too or any background information you want to include!
5. Photos are very welcomed but please have it hosted elsewhere and provide me with the link to the image! (my free space is dwindling fast!)

I have already received 2 submissions so far (even before this formal announcement! xD) and they are awesome! I’ll be sharing them next week ^^

Firstly, let me briefly go through the choices that you have:

1. Gositel / livingtel

2. renting a very small apartment

3. doing homestay

4. living in a apartment converted into a mini hostel

Each of the choices has its own advantages/disadvantages, but since I chose choice 1, I’ll focus on it at the moment.

If you are going on exchange to a university, you may find that their international dormitories are too full or occasionally in a location that is not very accessible and convenient (as in KU).

A gositel / livingtel is an ‘upgraded version’ of gosiwon that boasts a slightly better facility. Most of the gositels in university areas are populated by exchange students, korean students (from other cities), language program students etc.

A gositel can either occupy one / more floors of a building or have their own building. The general idea is that a floor is divided into many SMALL rooms, and they share a common kitchen, with some kind of common area. Each floor usually has an office for the ajusshi living there and it is usually located by the door.

I have lived in two gositels: one very bad (A) and one pretty good (B) and I’ll make reference to both from time to time.

Rooms:

The rooms are usually very small (don’t ask me for dimensions), but there’s barely enough space to walk around. You stand in the middle and you can reach your bed, your table, the bathroom door and the main door – essentially a shoebox size.

There are usually 4 types of rooms:

1. inner window (내부창) with bathroom
2. outer window (외부창) with bathroom
3. inner window without bathroom
4. outer window without bathroom

Outer window / bathroom are usually the more expensive options. Inner window simply means a really SMALL square window (video below). I don’t open the inner window for privacy reasons and this means the room can get a little stuffy at times. Having an outside window means u are subject to the elements of the weather (super cold in winter) and mosquitoes in the summer. Having your own private shower facility is the best (for girls at least) but there’s also a common shower / bathroom on each floor.

Most rooms have a mini TV and a mini fridge. Bathrooms have the sink and the toilet bowl near each other and you shower using the shower head connected to the sink.

Kitchen:

Unlike what you see in photos, kitchens are not big. Usually it’s annoying to have more than 2 persons in the kitchen but sizes vary from places to places. Gositel A had a spacious kitchen with a kimchi fridge and gositel B had a smaller one with a normal fridge.

Most gositels provide free kimchi, cooked rice, ramen packets and eggs. Gositel A leave their eggs outside in room temp and I often see bad eggs around. I never touched eggs there. The cooked rice are left to keep warm in the cooker but sometimes I feel that the rice looks super old. The eggs in gositel B are HUGE and refrigerated and their rice is the purplish kind (which I like!) and cooked twice a day.

Utensils and bowls are provided and the quality of each varies. Gositel B is good. I usually use their plates / bowls.

Common Area:

Again, there’s no such thing as a common area (for most gositels). Whatever you see in the photos is taken at such a deceiving angle. Most gositels say they provide a PC and although they do, it’s usually the super old PC and located near the entrance of the gositel. It’s so weird to sit there and do your stuff so I suggest you either bring your own laptop or go to school to use their computers. All gositels like to save space and maximise the use of their space.

Internet / Misc:

Most gositels do not offer wireless network service and they provide just a ethernet cable. A solution may be to buy your own router device. There is usually a dustpan / vacuum machine for common use and also an ironing board and iron! Don’t expect too much though D:

General Tips:

• Buy your own cleaning sponge. I am a clean freak and I use my own sponge to watch the utensils before and after using
• I buy my own pot / pan. A small ramen pot cost around 3000won and a frying pan 5000won in Daiso (the savior of all exchange students) and I keep those in my own room after washing!
• I never iron my clothes. Try to buy clothes that do not need to be ironed

Here’s a video of my room in gositel B

How to search for a gositel!

Now that I’ve outlined the facilities in a gositel, it’s time to talk about how to search for one. Gositels are abundant, especially near university areas and they are usually the better ones (I think). There are bound to be popular / unpopular ones and it’s good to check out reviews while you are searching. However, most reviews (in English) are not detailed and perhaps the better ones may be in Korean.

Each university usually have a few gositels that they recommend but doesn’t mean they are the best. Never trust what you didn’t see. That’s a good starting point to begin your search though.

Type in 고려대 고시텔 / 리빙텔 and you should see an array of results. Each gositel has their own site and never believe what you see in their photos. You can use that as a guide, but seriously, nothing looks that nice unless you happen to choose a newly opened gositel.

Gositels are priced at around 300,000 to 650,000won and of course, you get what you pay. A decent room in a decent gositel costs around 480,000won, so take that as a guide.

Each gositel website has a notice board where you can enquire about the room prices / availability, move in date etc. You typically type in a message, input a password (anything) and submit. The ajusshis in the gositel typically knows some English and will reply you within a day or so. If you know Korean, just type in Korean. Reservations are made this way and some places require you to wire a deposit to them.

These places fill up very fast (especially the ones located near schools and in convenient places), so most people won’t have a choice but to choose based on what they see online. However, it would be awesome if you arrive earlier, stay in a backpackers hotel, go see the gositels in person to check out the places before deciding. But hardly possible in reality.

Useful tips / info (moving in):

• Most gositels require to stay for at least 3 months. Some levy a penalty fee if you move out early, others are more lenient and just require a 2 weeks notice or so
• You may have to sign a contract. BE CAREFUL OF WHAT YOU ARE SIGNING. I can’t stress that enough. Verbal agreement is one thing, a contract is another. Make sure you know exactly what you are signing. Read every single clause.
• They usually require a deposit of 100,000won (which is part of your first month rental fee)
• Keys require a deposit of 10,000 – 20,000won
• Know your contract. Some places cheat by counting a month as in 30 days while others count a month as in 20 nov to 19 dec.

If possible, please visit the gositel before you hand in any money. The surrounding matters too. Gositel A was located in a badly lighted building on the 4th floor and I didn’t like to pass the noraebang and pc bang located downstairs. You always meet random people smoking at the stairways and I hate it. Gositel B has it’s own building and everything is well lit with an elevator. The stairs are nicely tiled and the whole place well ventilated. The front door is locked after 10pm and you have to use an electric key to open it. Adds safety.

Other Tips:

• location of the neighborhood is important. All gositels may be located near the university, but neighboring streets may have very very different atmosphere/culture/noise level
• ASK AROUND. There isn’t a wealth of information readily available, but I’m sure you can find someone who said they use to attend that university as an exchange student etc. Just email the person and ask. I’m sure most of them will be willing to help. (If you want to know about KU, email me. But be nice)
• Choose a gositel near the subway station and on the main street. You won’t want to walk home in the wee hours in the alleyways. It doesn’t matter if the gositel is a little far from school, you will probably be coming home more often from a subway station / bus stop

I might do a review of Gositel B if I have time. But if you want to know the name of Gositel A, send me an email. I won’t entertain questions about it on the comment section.

I have 2 items for giveaway:

1. Korean Grammar for International Learners

2. Kids storybook: 짜장면 더 주세요!

To be concise, the first one is a grammar book (in English) that covers most of the grammar up till the intermediate level. The 2nd is just a very very fun storybook that talks about the history, making process etc of 짜장면! I’ve just flipped through a few pages and it looks like A LOT of fun! They have short dialogues, short explanations and also longer passages. So it’s actually kinda high level too~!

I love fun books and I want my readers to be able to read a book for a long time and have loads of fun with it (not just read it within 10 min).

More pictures of the 2nd book will be up on the facebook page!

How to enter the giveaway:

1. Like the facebook page (if you have facebook)

2. Tell me:

• where you are from / how long you have been learning korean (your korean learning journey!)
• WHICH BOOK DO YOU WANT (pick one!) and why!
• be creative! you can choose to do it in any format you want~~!

all entries must be submitted via email to seoulareyou@gmail.com by 25th Jan 2012

Feel free to comment on this post, but it will NOT be counted as an entry! I will pick the winners and announce them on the 26th.

I ship internationally (i’m going to be so broke ㅠㅠ) but NOT TO KOREA. I run this giveaway with the aim of giving a small gift to those who are passionate about Korean but finds it hard to get access to korean materials in their home country.

p.s. I’m thinking of doing a special series inviting people to share their experiences of learning Korean, tips etc. I did something similar before (for a short while on the other site) but I feel like doing it again. If anyone is interested, drop me an email!

I just thought it would be nice to hear other learners’ experiences and it will be posted as a guest post on my blog!

p.s. I’m not earning money from this blog so this giveaway is kinda small. I still hope you will like it and enjoy taking part in it! All I ask it that I can flip through the books (I’ll be super careful with it) and review them on the blog! ^^

(This is very random but I dream of setting up a mini Korean books library in Singapore)

There’s an upcoming meetup for korean learners in singapore! check out previous post for details! or facebook event page here!