MIDNIGHT!/ Sunday, January 15, 2012
An unforgettable experience.
I gathered up much self-discipline to finally start on my presentation slides for FYP by plucking myself down at the newly renovated Novena Starbucks. And it became one of the most interesting experiences because I ended up sitting behind a group of Koreans.
In the past, I would normally just ignore conversations which I can't comprehend because it's of a different language. But ever since I started learning the Korean language, I can't stop my brain from listening to people talking in Korean. It's like a reflex action.
So, throughout the period of me doing up the slides, it was really distracting. I was trying to figure out a way to minimise the amount of data needed to be presented and trying to understand what the group was talking about. haha! I wasn't exactly eavesdropping since they spoke very loudly.
Somehow I guessed they were talking about Singaporeans speaking Singlish, and people from other English-speaking countries speaking English, and something about Cantonese and Hokkien. I heard both sino-korean and traditional korean numbers here and there, but couldn't understand the context which they were used in.
But, it was pretty amazing trying to figure out whether the group was using 반말(informal) or 존대말(formal) with each other. The conversation was peppered with '요' ending after some sentences occasionally and most sentences ending without it. I've heard someone using 안녕하세요 and another using 안녕. So, I assumed the group was made up of people with different ages.
Just to share something I got to know recently...
In dramas, when the boy and girl who are in love starts using 반말(informal) with each other, the Korean viewers would usually squirmed in their seats and feel the love between the couple.
But I'm very sure for us non-Koreans, we do not actually know the fact that when a couple starts using 반말(informal) with each other, it meant that their distance in the relationship between each other has closed up and they are open with each other about their feelings.
I only just got to know this, so I'll find a chance to re-watch some past dramas and take note of the changes. :) But I guess, it won't make me squirm or whatnot since I'm not entirely immersed in the culture. But it's surely an interesting knowledge.
Now it's back to studying for HISTO test. All the best to me!
Now and Forever.
8:26 AM <3
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