저는 마리아입니다.
저는 스물한 살입니다.
저는 개를 좋아해요.
그리고, 저는 읽어고 쓰를 좋아해요.
만나서 반갑습니다!
(That should all translate fairly easily in most online translators! But, for those of you who don't feel like copy and pasting, here's the English version-- with a bit more detail.)
Hello! My name is Maria, I'm twenty-one years old, and a senior this year! (Woo!) I am an IAS major with a focus in East Asian (specifically Korean) studies and I also have a minor in Political Science. I have a pet dog who is my pride and joy;
(personal photo of Bug: look at that adorable under bite)
I have been to South Korea twice and it will forever and always be my true home (I plan to move there after graduation). There I have a Korean Mom (umma) and a pseudo Korean Dad (who I call ahjussi, or 'old man');
(personal photo of my Umma and Ahjussi: look how pretty my Umma is!)
One of my best friends (really she's more of my sister than anything) is my Korean Mom's real daughter;
(personal photo of my Seulgi-unnie and I; ah, how I miss her ㅠㅠ)
I love my real mother too, of course, but she hates having her photo taken and would likely kill me for sharing her picture on here! Let's see, I love cooking, specifically Korean food (who would've guessed). I'd show some pictures but I can't find any at the moment. I also love to read and write, as well as watch movies and tv shows (yep, Korean ones too).
I work for the University of Oklahoma in the Center for Teaching Excellence where I am an Instructional Designer (student employee);
(these are my coworkers, they're the best! credit in the photo link)
Well, that seems good for now! Maybe I'll add more at another time. Lastly:
I hope to one day work in North-South Korean / U.S. Relations and I'm really passionate about North Korean human rights violations. I want to make a difference and to help people.
It's nice to meet you all!
~ 마리아
(wc:400)
(wc:400)
Wow! How awesome to have such a rich connection with another culture. How did you get involved with Korean culture and what inspired you to focus your studies there? I would also love to hear more about humanitarian efforts in North Korea.
ReplyDeleteI love to cook as well but I don't think I've ever done any remotely authentic Korean dishes. What's your favorite Korean dish to cook? Are you able to find good quality ingredients here? And I have to ask, what's the best local Korean restaurant?
Your blog also looks really nice! I can't wait to read your stories because I think you will bring a wonderful and unique perspective to this class.
Everyone always asks me that! Understandably so, of course, but that doesn't seem to make it any easier to answer. I've always been interested in Asian culture. My great-grandmother loved Chinese culture and I grew up with that and my father spent part of his teenage years in Japan and his love for the culture influenced me a lot as well. However, in my junior year my friend Seulki moved to the States with her Aunt and Uncle and came to my high school. We quickly became the best of friends and she shared a lot of her culture with me. Somewhere in all of that Korea just sort of 'clicked' for me. Then I did a two month study abroad in the summer of 2013 and somehow I just knew that Korea was home for me. The language, the food, the culture, the people, the history-- all of it.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.hrw.org/asia/north-korea <-- Here is a great link to a great site that has a lot of information about the current North Korean Human Rights violations and the world trials. I really think that one of the best ways to help is to spread the word! So many people glance right over Korea and don't notice it at all. Awareness is the first step in making a difference!
Oh, Korean food is so delicious and so healthy! My favorite dish to cook is Kimchi Jjigae, which is a traditional kimchi stew. It's just a really home-y type of a dish that really takes me back to my umma's little house. A lot of the ingredients are just your favorite fresh vegetables and meats! The key to making something Korean usually lies in two special sauces (Gochujang https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gochujang and Doenjang https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doenjang), Kimchi and Sesame Oil, all of which you can find at almost any local oriental store. There is a Korean Market right in Moore. It's very easy to find, it's called Dong A Korean Market.
I have two restaurants that I highly recommend! One has a wonderful selection of just about every Korean food you could want (including table top grilling!). It's Dong A Restaurant, right next to the little Market in Moore. The other is Fusion Cafe: Wing It which is right in Norman on Main St., right next door to Thai Thai! They have a much smaller selection of dishes but they are all top notch. They also have the best Korean wings, and I dare I say it wings in general, this side of the pacific ocean!
Oh, your dog is such a cutie, Maria! Maybe he can be a character in a story for class... or even a Storybook: Bug goes to Korea! (always possible in the world of the imagination)
ReplyDeleteI'm also so curious how you became connected to Korea. Was that something that happened here at OU... or sometime long before that...? I have never been to Korea, but I sure am a fan of Korean food. In Berkeley (that's where I went to school), there was a great Korean cafe on the south side of campus and a great Korean cafe on the north side of campus so, basically, you were never all that far from Korean food. Yummmmm!!!!
Oh, when I went to post my comment, I saw you had more to say in your comment... you might copy-and-paste some of that comment up in the Introducton so that everyone will get to read that too!
Hi Maria, I really love your passion for the Korean culture. I dabbled in a little bit of KPop and I really love the group 2NE1. Those girls are so fierce and usually have really entertaining music videos. I have also heard nothing but great things about Korean dramas. Is there one that you might recommend? I think the path in life you are on is inspiring.
DeleteHello! I'm sorry but I'm truly terrible with anything even remotely related to social media (this class has definitely been a challenge). I rarely remember to comment (even though it's an assignment) and am even worse in remembering to reply to comments!
Delete2NE1 was my first Kpop group! A lot of Kpop groups are really fun. The culture of Kpop in general is just interesting, different and fun. The group Sistar is pretty fierce in their own way, too. More so in that they have that same confidence and strike out to do what they want instead of following the same trends as everyone else.
Secret Garden is probably one of the very best 'first time' dramas! It has a little bit of all of the usual classic Korean drama 'cliches' (for lack of a better term). Also, I highly recommend anything with Kim Soohyun or Song Joongki. They're both fantastic.
Lastly, the Korean movie A Werewolf Boy is my favorite Korean movie of all time and it got a 100% on rotten tomatoes! ( I didn't even know that was possible but whoa, that's how great it is!)
I know the assignment is past due but I'll be comment on your blog soon!
Hi Maria!
ReplyDeleteWow what an interesting life! I think it is great that you have such a passion for Korea. I would love to talk more about Korea with you because I don't know that much about it! When do you plan on moving to Korea? It will be great to take back all the experience and information about the United States, too. I love how the University of Oklahoma has so many resources to learn so much about other countries. Great luck to you this semester!
Hello! I'm sorry but I'm truly terrible with anything even remotely related to social media (this class has definitely been a challenge). I rarely remember to comment (even though it's an assignment) and am even worse in remembering to reply to comments! (Sorry, that's the same apology I gave Mary but I didn't know how else to word it.)
DeleteWell, this is my senior year so hopefully after graduating I'll be moving out there to teach English and study for my Master's. I'm always up for anything Korean! So if you ever want to chat about Korea or have any questions just let me know!
It is so wonderful that you were able to spend time in Korea! I studied abroad in Spain last summer and it was the best experience I've ever had. I was fortunate enough to stay with a host family. I was able to learn about the culture first hand. I always try to push people to study abroad. It really opens the mind and makes you a better person for doing it. I'm excited to see how you can incorporate your experiences into your storytelling this semester!
ReplyDeleteHi Mariaaa. I was the one with the dope test blog post you commented on haha. I love that you embrace korea so much. I am a senior as well but a super sayian senior. I have never had korean food I would love to though! Sushi is probably my favorite food but I eat anything, That Beyonce song was beautiful. She's the best. But so is the Weeknd and Drake aha. You seem sweet! If so stay so.
ReplyDeleteIt's great to meet you!
ReplyDeleteI'm a senior, too! It's so weird that our time here is almost over.
That's incredible that you got to travel to South Korea and that you had such a great time. It's always awesome to hear about other places and to see people who are so excited about it that they plan to go back.
Again, it was great meeting you and I hope you have a wonderful rest of your semester!
It's nice to meet you!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed that you posted a picture of you and your colleagues. That was a very nice and interesting touch to your introduction. Your layout is really cool too. It is awesome that you already know where you are going to move after graduation. South Korea will be such an adventure.
Hello Maria!
ReplyDeleteYou had a very interesting and unique introductory blog post. I think it was clever to have some Korean on your actual page because I can tell that it is your passion! I would love to go to Korea someday, and you make it sound like the people and the food are great! Your aspirations to help people have human rights in North Korea are truly admirable and I wish you all the best in life and in this glass.
Hi Maria,
ReplyDeleteIt is really interesting that you have plans to move to South Korea after you graduate! I’m a senior too, so it’s always neat to hear about other people’s plans after graduation. I hope that you get to make a difference, especially for North and South Korea. That’s a really admirable dream. I hope that you get the chance to accomplish everything that you want to!
Hi Maria!
ReplyDeleteFirst, I just want to say I think it’s awesome that you started your introduction with a portion in Korean! It was such a great way to demonstrate how important that aspect of your life is! What made you decide to travel to South Korea, and was it your travels that sparked your love of the country? It’s pretty awesome that you plan on moving there after you graduate. That’ll definitely be an amazing experience.
Also, I think it’s hilarious that you mention your actual mom killing you if you had posted a picture of her—that’s the reason there aren’t any pictures of my mom on my blog!
Hope the rest of your studies go well!
Hi Maria!
ReplyDeleteSo nice to meet you!
I think it is so cool that you have different parts of your blog in Korean!
I am also a senior, but I am graduating this month. It is a very exciting and kind of frightening feeling!
I really like the colors and feel of your blog! It is very different from others in the class!
Hello Maria,
ReplyDeleteI think you also mentioned that you were surprised to know that you still had not met people in the class. Well, hello there! I really loved reading your introduction as I love learning about other cultures. I think the language detail was something very unique and special to your introduction. It was so nice to get to know you and I wish you the very best in your endeavors.