MKH
Exploring the cultural differences in the context of an international marriage of an Australian woman and Korean man (now with two children)
We blog about our lives: About Korean culture, about Australian culture, about trying to be bi-cultural. We show snapshots of our lives in the comics on the blog and we explore more cultural differences on YouTube, as well as sharing our life together in South Korea.
We have a book out in Korea! goo.gl/DCsjq3
한국어 문의 ^_^ 휴권 ( 권순홍) sunhonggwon@gmail.com
MKH
Can you see our daughter Jisoo in this music video?
1 year ago | [YT] | 7
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MKH
Of course we still have communication problems sometimes even though we have been married for a long time. Oh and pigu is dodgeball!
1 year ago | [YT] | 50
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MKH
Repost, since it cropped off top before.
1 year ago | [YT] | 44
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MKH
1 year ago | [YT] | 40
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MKH
Yul is learning Korean reading and writing at school but I am teaching him to read English at home. I wasn’t raised bilingual so when I was learning to read as a child, I didn’t have this awareness of different languages that Yul has. The Korean language is almost completely phonetic and is quite easy to read but in comparison, English can seem like a mess. Koreans also know their history about King Sejong and the development of Hangul, so perhaps that’s why Yul was also asking about who invented English. Maybe when he is older he will learn to appreciate all the influences English has and how it grew and changed over time.
A challenge for parents raising kids to be bilingual is maintaining the interest in both language, so they continue learning both. As Yul is now in elementary school, there is a big focus on Korean, so he possibly feels like learning to read in English is much slower and more boring. I also try not to pressure too much because I want him to discover how amazing reading is for himself. I was a voracious reader as a child, and I want my children to also have that escape from the world too.
1 year ago | [YT] | 74
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MKH
Hugh has been out of Australia too long! He doesn’t remember the slang. He heard an Australian guy say this at a work event and then came home and repeated it to me. Unfortunately he thought it was “boom boom” instead of “whoop whoop”. Also, where I am from it’s not necessarily “out whoop whoop”. I am from a reasonably sized country city and it’s the much smaller places, that are further out, that we would say are “out whoop whoop”.
Hugh was also naked during the conversation last week but I drew some undies on him at least. (Some things never change). Yul also had no idea what we were talking about, but he still thought it was funny.
1 year ago | [YT] | 56
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MKH
Living in Seoul we are surrounded by great BBQ Restaurants but as a family we don't get to go out to them that often. It is usually a special occasion. So, Jisoo does get very excited when she sees the BBQ meat as she loves it. Already as a two-year-old she can tell the difference between cheap meat and good quality meat and can be fussy about it. Only the best meat for her apparently!
When Hugh was young and growing up in the countryside of rural South Korea, meat was still something of a luxury so he didn't get to eat it every day. He remembers getting upset at his parents and grandparents when there was no meat in a meal. Meat was absolutely his favourite food. Yul will eat meat but doesn't love it like that. In the comic (and in real life) he was only eating rice and the egg dish. I am also not a big meat eater and just like Korean BBQ occasionally.
I spent most of the meal having to frantically cut up the meat and cool it down for Jisoo, who spent the whole time yelling for more meat. We tend to use the Korean word "gogi" for meat at home, even when speaking in English, so Jisoo was mixing languages here too. This is her copying our examples, rather than her not knowing the difference.
These days Hugh has to be careful about eating too much meat because of health reasons, so it is still something for business meetings and special occasions. His former child self would be disappointed!
1 year ago | [YT] | 60
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MKH
Comics are back! On the blog and on social media. How things change...
1 year ago | [YT] | 38
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MKH
2 days ago we had a memorial for Sara @hojusara in Seoul. Thank you to everyone who sent in messages to be displayed and thank you to those that came and cried and laughed and talked with us. This is the video we played at the memorial: https://youtu.be/p-_cxi6Z-bs
3 years ago | [YT] | 121
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MKH
Heartbroken and horrified at what happened in Itaewon, Seoul. We are okay and were not in that area. But have been upset and worried for 24 hours watching the news come in. Making sure friends were okay. But friends of friends died, others were at the scene trying to help, some managed to leave just in time, so there is a lot of collective trauma here...
3 years ago | [YT] | 121
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