Archive for the year 2011
Korean Festivals in April Posted by Ginny on Apr 11, 2011
Weather wise, April is an awkward time because just when you feel it’s getting warmer, it suddenly rains or gets cold. That’s why it’s sort of risky to hold outdoor festivals in a month like April. There are some awesome April festivals in Korea. Some have been canceled, but some are taking place or will…
Korean Tea Posted by Ginny on Apr 7, 2011
What’s a great way to stay trim and quench your thirst at the same time? It’s simple, drink tea! Here are some of the most common herbal teas that Korean people drink: Boricha (보리차) is basically barley tea. The barley that is used to make this drink is unhulled and roasted before it is stewed…
Jindo Arirang Posted by Ginny on Apr 4, 2011
There are a couple of Korean folk songs that are called Arirang (아리랑). One Arirang song in particular that we will listen to is the Jindo Arirang (진도 아리랑). The Jindo Arirang is from Jindo Country (진도군) and is one of my favorite Arirang songs. If you’re wondering what Arirang means, it’s a name of…
Korean Fortresses Posted by Ginny on Mar 29, 2011
If you look at Korean history, there are times in every era when the Korean people had to defend its territory from invaders. One way the Korean people defended its borders was to build a fortress. It’s an impressive feat for a fortress to remain to this day, because many of them have been damaged…
Korean Flowers Posted by Ginny on Mar 27, 2011
As the weather gets warmer in Korea, people begin to look forward to the beautiful flowers that will bloom in the spring. In Korea, people have traditionally associated the beginning of spring with the blooming of forsythias. In Korean Forsythia is called genari (개나리). Up close these flowers are yellow and have four petals, but…
Korean Proverbs Posted by Ginny on Mar 21, 2011
There are some useful Korean proverbs that you can use in everyday life. These proverbs are high frequency proverbs, so you’ll probably hear them a lot if you haven’t heard them already. Korean proverbs often use very vivid and extreme situations to prove a point. This proverb below is one fine example: 하늘의 별 따기(Haneulwi…
North Korean Cities Posted by Ginny on Mar 17, 2011
North Korea is a country shrouded in mystery because very few outsiders have had access into the country. We have some idea of what some places look like from the hidden footage that has managed to leave the country. There is the notion that North Korea is a barren and impoverished country, which is probably…