TOPIK !!!!

It has been a while since I last updated this blog!

Want to share a few links and info regarding the TOPIK( Test of Proficiency in Korean ) or 한국어능력 시험. 

All previous exams' questions and answers are located here.

Either by design or compulsion there is not much English language support at the official TOPIK site. I found another blog which has a post on how to download earlier papers. The link on how to download is located in this blog post. This blog also has some posts on Korean language.

My Korean teacher recommends language books by Yonsei and Seoul National University for grammar relevant to the TOPIK exam.

I have found only one guidebook for TOPIK written in English. It is published by Darakwon for basic, intermediate and advanced TOPIK. There is also an essential grammar series for TOPIK by The Korean Book Center. I usually buy books from Kyobo or yes24.

With the last TOPIK exam (19th exam, 12 Sept. 2010) having ended disastrously, I have gone a little slow with exam preparation. The focus these days is to talk more and more in Korean(despite making mistakes) with colleagues, study grammar regularly and form longer sentences while writing/talking. After all, I am studying Korean for making a difference in my everyday life. What is the whole point of cramming grammar rules/ vocabulary, without actually internalizing them. So, currently the idea is to become progressively proficient in Korean without getting stressed by the fact that I could not make it! Language proficiency needs to be happen naturally, not by rote learning!

For more Korean listening skills, these days I tend to have a look at content in talktomeinkorean.com. I find the content quite interesting.

The classes in the company campus are a regular affair too!

파이팅^^

NOTICE:

THE 22nd TOPIK would be held on 16/17 April 2011.
Registration can be done from 26th Jan.2011 to 14th Feb. 2011

Korean Vegetarian Restaurant!

It almost seems oxymoronic to say Korean and Vegetarian  together! I have been having this opinion that except say Insadong at Seoul, it maybe almost impossible to find a Korean restaurant serving only vegetarian/vegan fare. And was I surprised!

Last Saturday, after an early morning show of Toy Story 3 at the Suwon Station CGV, I found myself on the way to this Korean restaurant, Tranche,  along with Korean friend's family. It is about 6 km  from Suwon station towards the west of Suwon and located in a rural area nestled near the mountains.

There are quite a few restaurants in the vicinity- after a hike of the mountains, these restaurants get business from Koreans! We reached around 11 am, and since lunch hours begin at 12, we thought it better to take our seats and then go a walk around the restaurant. Another surprise awaited us- except for a couple of tables, the rest were already reserved! Just shows that if a restaurant is good enough, people will go far to enjoy its fare.  

The buffet spread is one of the largest I have seen anywhere. Except for a couple or so dishes which had fake meat (probably made from bean), the rest were vegan. The thing with fake meat is that if food looks like meat the reversion that I get is the same, does not quite matter if it is meat or not. Probably ,fake meat dishes are good for people who cannot stay away from meat in a restaurant, or for people transitioning from meat-based diet to a vegan/vegetarian diet.

Coming back to the spread, I ate to my full and yet I had not tasted all the dishes. And, since there was a Korean message pasted on the wall, requesting that food not be wasted, I was doubly cautious! It is not often that I get to eat Korean vegetarian food. Probably that made the food more delicious since I valued this oppurtunity to indulge my taste buds. I finished off the lunch with watermelons and cold cinnamon tea. 

 And the price for the buffet was quite affordable. I found it difficult to believe that the restaurant people could afford to price it relatively low for the buffet. I would surely go there again and recommend the place whole heartedly to all vegan/vegetarian Korean food seekers!


Address:
뜰안채
수원시, 권선구 호매실동 821-1

Tranche,
821-1, HoMaySilDong, GuanSonGu, Suwon City

Business Hours:
             Lunch 12:00 ~ 15:00
             Dinner: 18:00 ~ 21:00

Phone: 031-291-5879

Respected the notice requesting customers not to waste food!

Independence Day Celebration @Indian Embassy

August has been all about travelling for me! 

Today was another first. 

Celebrating Independence day along with the Indian ambassador! 

The location had been moved to the Indian embassy (Hannam-dong) from the Ambassador's residence, due to unpredictable rains. The place was small and probably more people came than was expected. Despite the chaos and sadly, bad organisation, it was worthwhile to have gone there. Especially, since I have never been there since I started living in Korea! 

Happy Independence day! 

The Indian Ambassador Skand R Tayal

2010 Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Theatre Festival

The 14th edition of the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress Theatre Festival was inaugurated yesterday( 14th Aug 2010) I was lucky to have made the effort to go there! It is really surprising as to how little I know or have been bothered to participate in happenings within the city! I am shocked that in the last 4 years I have not heard of this festival!

The inauguration took place at the Haenggung Plaza-2 near Paldalmun. Prior to the formal ceremony, I was witness to an exciting drum performance. 

The formal inauguration itself was a "royal" affair from the Suwon fortress, the live video of which we could see in the screens.

And, after those short speeches by the "big" people of Suwon, the opening performance began. Never saw before a musical performance where the props are made from disused components. It was an awesome perfomance and I surely look forward to going for a future performance from them. The Noridan (너리단)  company is involved in Eco-music parade performances. More info related to them may be found here.  

The festival is on until the 22nd of Aug 2010.  Outdoor perfomances are being held at Yeongtong Byeokjeok Park, Hwaseo Park, Hwaseong Haenggung Plaza-2  and Hwaseong Haenggung Plaza-1. Indoor ones are being conducted at Suwon Youth Cultural Center and KBS Suwon Art Hall. The outdoor acts are free while the indoor ones are paid.


The schedule, ways to reach venues and other relevant information maybe found here.

Make the most of the festival while you can!

Bongnyeongsa Temple, Suwon

A recent Sunday evening found me on a short drive to the Bongnyeongsa Temple (봉년사) at Suwon. Have been there about 4 years back ( the way time flies!) along with our Korean neighbours. Considering that the temple is located (behind the Suwon world cup stadium) about 6 km or so from where I stay, it is surprising that I have not been there more often!

The temple is located in quite a big complex and includes a Buddhist school  ( university?). This is the second temple that I have seen being handled by Buddhist nuns. The various sculptures and natural surroundings gave me some photo oppurtunities!  For somebody like me, who likes visiting Buddhist temples and appreciates their traditional architectural styles, this temple complex in Suwon is quite interesting!

Some images follow along with the location map(from the temple site):