중앙데일리

Where Buddha meets shaman

Here’s this week’s tip on Korean language and customs: Q: I was told that the upright version of the swastika symbol on the streets of Korea appeared only on Buddhist temples. But as I learned to read signs in hangul, I found that not all the buildings bearing the Buddhist symbol were actually temples. One that I recently spotted in northern Seoul read “Janggun,” which means “a general” in Korean. What does that mean? A: As Buddhi…

July 04,2004
Is there a missing gate?

Here’s this week’s tip on Korean language and customs: Q: I heard that in the ancient capital of Korea, there were gates at all of the entrances to the city. I know about Namdaemun in the south, Seodaemun in the west and Dongdaemun in the east. But I’m curious as to what ever happened to Bukdaemun, the north gate? A: The ancient gates of modern Seoul were actually used in the old days. They surrounded Gyeongbok Palace, the seat of g…

June 27,2004
Taxi rides in Korea not so economical

Here’s this week’s tip on Korean language and customs: Q: I’ve lived in Seoul for a little more than a year. As soon as I learned a few expressions in Korean, I began riding Korean taxis. Here’s what puzzles me. Sometimes when I’m riding in a cab, the driver will pick up someone else along the way if we are going in the same direction. When I share a ride with a friend we each pay half. I tried to do the same thing with the random man…

June 20,2004
Buy the bag and be punctual

Here’s this week’s tip on Korean language and customs: Q: My neighborhood in northern Seoul has really been cleaned up in the past few years. One thing I wonder, though, is how come there aren’t any trash cans in Korea? In my neighborhood, people throw garbage bags in the street or in parking lots all the time. The sight and the smell are quite awful. A: There used to be trash cans everywhere in Korea, but people would often use t…

June 13,2004
A custom to pore over

Here’s this week’s tip on Korean language and customs: Q: Since I arrived in Korea last year, I’ve been invited to both formal and informal social gatherings where wine is present. I’ve noticed that there is something unusual about the way Koreans drink wine: They hold the wine glass almost obsessively when someone is pouring the wine. At first, I thought this was to prevent the wine from spilling, but it seems as if the drinker “must” ho…

June 06,2004
“Number 18”

Here’s this week’s tip on Korean language and customs: Q: I’ve gone out with Korean colleagues to sing in a noraebang, or karaoke room, many times. I noticed something interesting in Korean expressions. Why do Koreans call their favorite songs “sipalbeon” or “number 18”? I’ve asked several Koreans where the expression comes from, and to my surprise, no one seems to have clear answers for me. A: Colloquial Korean language today i…

May 23,2004
There’s a price for that bargain

Here’s this week’s tip on Korean language and customs: Q: Why won’t the sales ajummas at Dongdaemun market let customers try on the clothes they might want to buy? People aren’t likely to buy something if they cannot try on. A: Stores at Dongdaemun Market may be open for retail customers during the daytime, but most of their business transactions are in fact wholesale, taking place in the early-morning hours. That explains why the me…

May 16,2004
Study room meets hotel

Here’s this week’s tip on Korean language and customs: Q: In university neighborhoods around Seoul, many buildings have signs in Korean saying “Gosiwon” or “Gositel.” What does that mean? A: These residential facilities, popularly known as gosiwon in Korean, were originally made for young adults preparing for the civil service or bar examinations, called gosi in Korean. Because of the exam’s stiff competition, serious or self-disci…

May 02,2004
What’s ibuprofen in Korean?

The following is a tip on traditional Korean language and customs in response to a query from a Mr. Valetti, who wrote to us from New York City: Q. Mr. Valetti: I was visiting Korea for several weeks with a group of American performers last month. A couple of female dancers had a bad case of menstrual cramps and asked me to get an effective pain reliever or ibuprofen. It’s a common over-the-counter drug in many countries, so I went to …

Apr 11,2004
Eyes in the sky are watching

The following is a tip on traditional Korean language and customs in response to a query from a Mr. Morse, who wrote to us from Seoul: Q. Mr. Morse: I cannot believe how many cameras are found on Korean streets. In places I’ve seen several cameras on a single block. The whole thing reminds me of Hollywood sci-fi films where citizens are monitored around the clock by Big Brother. What exactly do these cameras spy on, and how many are the…

Apr 04,2004

1 ... 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 ... 109