Celebrating Lunar New Year in Korea

They have a ceremony where the family bows to a home made altar crammed with fruit, fish, rice cakes, possibly pictures of the relatives who are being honored, along with liquor and incense. It was quite serene and moving the first time I witnessed it.  The tenth through fifteenth time, the mystique was gone.  Here's to hoping the sixteenth time adds a laser show.  And here are some things you may want to ask:

Do I receive money from my elders?     Jaw-doh yong-dohn bah-dah-yo?저도 용돈 받아요?
(I've checked on this many times and the answer is always 'no' (ahn-nee-yo아니오).  Also,don't give kids coins when they ask you for money.  For some reason, they never seem to find the humor in it.
Why do they do that?      Wayguh-run goat hahm-nee-kah?왜 그런것 합니까?
When do I have to bow?(and how many times?) Jaw-nun awn-jay jull hay-yahday-yo?(doh myuht-bone hahm-nee-kah?언제 절 합니까? (또 몇 번 해야 되요?)
How much longer 'til it's over? Jay-sah awn-jay guhn-nah-yo? 재사 언제 끝나요?

The Lunar New(sull-lah 설날)is February 3rd of this year.  For Koreans, it means a memorial ceremony for relatives who have passed on, getting your New Year's lump-sum allowance from your aunts, uncles and grandparents, a hard day's work in the kitchen and/or plenty of holiday TV specials with han-bok clad announcers.  For ex-pats it means a much-anticipated long weekend.  Why not try out some of your new Korean and do something fun!  If you do go native or get roped into going to the memorial service (like me) check out the website for some helpful questions to ask and some ways to pass the time!
 

Winter (Gyaw-ool겨울):

… "It's the most wonderful time of the year"… I'm pretty sure when Andy Williams was singing these words, he wasn't in my apartment last week when the boiler went out.  Yes, that's right, folks. We're in the throws of winter in Busan! And if the decimation of Korean ground hog population this year is any indication, we are in for a long and cold one. (For the benefit of our non-North American readers, Ground Hog Day is the day when a ground hog comes out of his hole and if he sees his shadow… actually it is too complicated to explain and embarrassing that we actually have a holiday based on the psychology of woodchuck. Please consult the 1993 Bill Murray movie of the same name for details.)

Busan winters are very cold and characterized by little to no snow, and a rather pungent white radish kimchi.  On the bright sight, the beaches are virtually free of people (except on the weekend).   Not far from Busan though, you can enjoy all the winter sports and snow related fun you are used to back home.  Here are some ways you can express your winter preferences, desires, dislikes and requests:

I like to______________.    Jaw-nun________-nun gull joh-ah hahm-nee-dah 저는_______는 걸 좋아합니다
I want to_____________.    Jaw-nun________-goh sheep-aw-yo. 저는______고싶어요
I hate (to)____________.    Jaw-nun________(-gee) shee-raw-yo. 저는_______기 싫어요
Let's go_____________.     ________-goh gahp-shee-dah. ______고 갑시다.

Activities (to fill in the blanks of the above phrases):
ski = skee-lull tah 스키를 타              sled =sull may tah 설매 타   snow board = suh-noh boh-duh tah 스노 보드 타
make snowmen = Noon sah-rahm mahn-dull 눈 사람 만들          make delicious winter kimchi = beck kim-chee mahn-dull 백 김치 만들
play in the snow = noon-ay-saw nohl 눈에서 놀           write my name in the snow = noon-ay ee-ruhm-ull suh  눈에 이름을 쓰  eat yellow snow  = noh-rahng noon-ull mawg 노랑 눈을 먹
 

Have language or culture questions for Professor Gus? Email him at jgswanda@yahoo.com.