Your Two Cents: What do you do at your family get-togethers???

As you all know, next week (February 2nd) is Lunar New Years in Korea...and many other Asian countries! This is HUGE in Korea. It falls within the TOP TWO holidays in Korea. This is similar to Chuseok where everybody goes to visit their parents/family and eat LOTS and LOTS (and LOTS and LOTS) of good food for pretty much 3-5 days straight. This week, we have an EXTRA long holiday because Lunar New Years falls on a Wednesday. So Many people get the rest of the week off. Some even get the day or two before it off as well. Lucky bums. Hehe

ANYWAYS, I don't know how many of our listeners celebrate the Lunar New Year, but I thought this would be a good question to throw at you guys:

How often do you have BIG family get togethers (with ALL your extended family members)? And if you do have them, what do you traditionally do at them? If you say eat and play games, I want you to be specific. What kinds of foods do you eat? What kinds of games?

I'm Korean, but I grew up in America, but out of all the states, I grew up in Hawaii. So the types of food I grew up eating is just about as FUSED as you can get. So I'm curious what types of foods other people are used to. :)

Answer away, and be sure to tune into KPI next Sunday!

Your Two Cents: Stereotypes About Koreans???

Hi everyone, hope you all had a great weekend. :)

This week's two cents question is going to be about all the amusing stereotypes regarding the Korean people. For example, when I tell people that I'm Korean, the first two things that I hear are: 1. Oh...you must have quite a temper! and 2. You must be able to drink a lot.

I think most people have heard the first one. Koreans are known for their fiery tempers. You can experience it even on the streets with angry pushy ajummas trying to get to the front of the line. Or perhaps with stubborn ajushis that can't stand young'uns acting like they own the world.

Let me know of ANY (positive or negative) stereotypes you've heard about Koreans or Korea. Don't be afraid of being offensive! I think this should be quite interesting...

Answer away, and don't forget to tune into KPI this Sunday to see if your answers are announced!

Your Two Cents: Tips On Learning Korean???

Hey all,
New year so I figured I should change up the Y2C picture as well. How original huh...two cents for Y2C -.-;;

ANYWAYS, looking over all of your new years resolutions, I saw a lot of similarities. There were a LOT for learning Korean. Wing actually asked this question so props to WING! And Selene suggested in making Wing's question into a Y2C question, so also props to SELENE!

Do you have any tips or advice or personal experience to share regarding learning Korean? If maybe you don't have any tips or advice, maybe funny stories or anecdotes about your efforts? If you have none of those either, maybe some difficulties you personally had in learning Korean. Or questions on a certain word or phrase? Myself and the listeners will try our best to answer each other's questions!

I shared this on the KPI show last Sunday, and I noticed another listener, Isaac said the same thing, but I found watching Korean dramas with the English subtitles (or whatever your first language is) to be REALLY helpful. I would pause the drama every time an interesting word popped up, and I would jot it down. You got to review those notes too because learning a new word is only 10% of it. You got to review, review, memorize, memorize, and eventually USE that word to make it your own.

Another thing I did was to find a Korean penpal. They have all these penpal (email penpal that is) services on the internet where they link you up with a person from the country of the language you want to learn. You write to them in Korean and they will write to you in English (or again, whatever language you're most comfortable in). Then you can correct each other's mistakes, learn about each other's culture, etc. I actually met up with my penpal when I visited Korea. He was very nice. PLEASE BE CAREFUL THOUGH. There are a lot of weirdos on the web, so meeting your penpal blindly is NOT SAFE. If you do feel it is safe to meet with them, BRING SOMEONE ELSE ALONG! Preferably someone who has a black belt in taekwondo! :)

Well, post up your answers and don't forget to tune into next week's KPI!

Words Behind The Music: JYP Nation "This Christmas"

“This Christmas”
-JYP Nation



Christmas (that’s what I want)
Fall in love this Christmas (that’s what I need)
Fall in love this Christmas this Christmas this Christmas


I just wanna be in love this Christmas.
내가 원하는 선물은.
The present that I want
정말로 이것 하나뿐 이야.
It’s really just this one thing
사랑에 빠져 있는 것 to fall in love

올해도 쓸쓸한 겨울 밤 거리를 혼자 걷고 있으면
if I have to spend another year walking the lonely winter streets at night by myself
스치는 찬 바람이 내 옷을 뚫고 들어와 가슴이 시려오고
the cold wind brushes past me and shoots right through my clothes to chill my heart
수많은 사람들 속에서 행복해하는 모습들 보며
as I watch the many people just full of happiness
한참을 미소짓다 결국엔 쓸쓸히 돌아서 발걸음을 옮겨
I may have been smiling but in the end I end up lonely turning around taking steps away from all this

I don’t wanna be alone this Christmas.
나도 누군갈 만나서
I too want to meet someone
다른 거리의 연인들 처럼 사랑을 속삭이고 싶어
And walk along the streets whispering love/sweet nothings like the other couples
That’s all I want.
해가 가면 갈수록 난. 외로움에 더 지쳐가나 봐
As time goes by I become more and more defeated with loneliness
익숙해지지 않고 점점 더 혼자라는 걸 실감을 하게되고
rather than getting used to it, I become more and more aware of the fact that I’m alone
올해는 나도 웃고 싶어 영화에 나오는 모습처럼
This year I too want to smile like the images in the movies
예쁜 크리스마스 트리 아래서 선물을 함께 주고 받으며 밤을 지새우는
I want to stay up all night by the pretty Christmas tree exchanging presents



자꾸만 돌아오는 겨울이 이제는 무서워 아름다운 캐롤이
I’m not afraid of the winter that keeps coming back around. The beautiful carols…
내 가슴을 찔러 도시의 화려한 불빛이 나를 슬프게 해 눈엔 눈물이
…stab at my heart. The bright lights all around the city make me sad. The tears in my eyes…
oh no 이제는 그만 no Christmas 달력을 넘길 수 있다면
oh no. make it stope now. No Christmas. If I could just flip the calendar…
해마다 December 12월은 뛰어넘어 너무 아퍼 그리고 외로워
…every year when December, the 12th month comes around, skip past it. It hurts so much and I’m lonely.

이젠 혼자 있긴 싫어. 더 이상 슬픈 Christmas는 싫어.
I no longer want to be alone. I no longer want a sad Christmas.
이번엔 내 소원이 꼭 이뤄 질거야.
This time my wish will come true.
I wish my dream comes true.

I just wish. This year.. It’ll be different.
No more lonely Christmas. I wanna fall in love this Christmas.

Your Two Cents: 2011 New Year's Resolution???

It's the first week of a brand new year and sure...this may be an overplayed question, but I'm going to ask it anyway!

What is your new year's resolution for 2011??? The Year of the RABBIT!

Last year was MY year (year of the TIGER) and so I expected it to be an extra special year for me. And it WAS! I met AMAZING friends that I know will forever be in my life from here on out. I've experienced love (all different kinds of love as love doesn't only have to be between man and woman right?!)...like the true kind. I've had many, MANY amazing work experiences, offers, opportunities...KBS World Radio being one of them. February was the first month I started here at KBS World so to think that a year has already almost gone completely by is...mind-boggling!

I'm going to try to think positively. So 2011 will be an even BETTER year! So what's my resolution for it? Well, the obvious one would be to lose weight. I'm gonna try to lose about 10 more pounds (4-5 kg). Aside from that, I want to work hard in a way where I don't get burnt out. I also want to take more risks whether that be physical, financial, emotional, etc. Perhaps I'll start up stocks. Maybe I'll buy a share of J.Tune Entertainment! LOL

Okay so let me know what YOUR new year's resolution is and tune into KPI this Sunday to see what other listeners had to say!

Thank you ALL for an AMZAING 2010 and here's to an even greater 2011!!! Love you guys!