Life of Me

Good Morrow, Lovies!
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How many letters are in the alphabet of various languages you know?
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Hanguel has 24 basic letters. There are 14 consonants and 10 vowels, plus some paired characters that create a different singular sound when combined.
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Those latter digraphs are what really confuse me, but so do letters that sound different depending on where they occur in the word --like it's R on top but an L if it's at the bottom, or S at the top and T at the bottom.
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Along those same lines is the fact a character could represent a particular letter, like T, but another letter could be a D or a T. Just stick to one sound per letter please!
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For the life of me, I can rarely hear the difference between J and CH either. Hopefully that is something I can improve with time...
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Good Morrow, Lovies!
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How much snow do you have?
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I took this photo last week (and forgot to post) because I wanted share our first snow of the year... Guess I should have waited as we got some major snowfall over the weekend.
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The news said it was only a little over an inch, yet it looks like more than that. And, apparently, we can expect a snowstorm within the next couple of days too.
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Good Morrow, Lovies!
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Do you know the origins of your native language?
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Today I'm learning the history of Hangeul! Apparently it is considered one of the most scientific and efficient writing systems in the world despite being invented back in the 14th century when the king wanted to nix using Chinese Hanja. The change was officially announced on October 9, which is still a national holiday.
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Hanguel didn't catch on right away, and was even banned for a time when Korea was occupied by the Japanese. However, by the 1950s-90s it became a big part of establishing cultural independence.
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Hanguel is more logical as the words are spelt as they sound, unlike English and our weird silent letters or illogical pronounciations. When learning there's less emphasis on spelling drills than pronounciation practice.
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Good Morrow, Lovies!
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Do you like Mexican food?
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My local radio station does lunch hour requests and, by asking for a song, you're also put into a draw for a gift certificate from a local restaurant.
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I happened to win and yet never actually heard my song because my lunch hour was switched. Also, so I didn't have my name in every day, I'd also use my parents names... and dad won too.
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We went out to eat for lunch the other day. My chorizo tacos were delicious but spicy! (Cant remember what dad ordered is called.) I also got to try churros, which I'd been wanting to do for a while. They were a little greasy, but not bad.
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Good Morrow, Lovies!
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Want to learn Korean with me?
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I've been using duolingo for months and yet the words are just not sticking in my brain. This year I decided to take a different approach and learn one word (or set of words) every week. I hope I can keep this up and not forget!
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Person
사람인
"sara-min"
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Good Morrow, Lovies!
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What is your New Year's resolution?
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Every year, I pick a theme song to represent what I want the year to be like. This way, I can play it as part of my morning routine and also when I need encouragement.
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As I know there will be some obstacles and situations beyond my control over, I chose the BTS song "Yet to Come". This will serve as a reminder the best days of my life may not happen this year but they will happen.
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I also chose supporting words: nourish, aspire, align. These are to help me take the next steps towards my dreams. I want to nourish my ideas, aspire to better things, and align myself to make them happen.
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Good Morrow, Lovies!
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Did you reach your goals for the month?
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Mind: I have been working harder to memorize the Korean alphabet and how each character sounds. I am still struggling with my combo syllables, but the individual letters I am doing better.
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Body: It was such a busy month that I had to check my fitbit app just to see how I did last month. It was pretty much on par with previous months.
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Soul: Other than going to church on Christmas Eve and the occassional praying, I am seriously lacking in this category.
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Work: semi-good news is that my contract was extended. It can end at any time (with four weeks notice) but may last up to six months. Plus, the staff Christmas party I organized went rather well.
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Life: I went to a few staff events and also saw a lot of family. Not to mention a couple coworkers tentatively tried to matchmake me with a guy in a different department.
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Good Morrow, Lovies!
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What will you be doing at midnight?
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As I have to work tomorrow morning and have no one to kiss, my plans for the day are to read, watch a movie, and go to bed by 10pm. Not the most exciting way to end the year, but at least I'll begin 2024 well rested!
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#2023

Good Morrow, Lovies!
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Have you attended any Christmas parties?
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For the past couple of months I have been planning two events. The first had been the executive staff Christmas dinner party. It was easier in the month, but I forgot to post a picture of it until now.
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The venue was beautiful, the food delicious, and everything went nearly perfectly! There were just a couple of things that popped up that I hadn't anticipated (such as the servers not knowing how to properly set a table) but it was nevertheless declared a success!
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Good Morrow, Lovies!
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Do you get the week off between Christmas and New Year's?
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I had to return to work after Boxing Day, but things are fairly slow. It's nice as it means I get to catch up on things there had been no time for prior now... Like decluttering the supply closet or updating my notes.
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After work yesterday I was also inspired to tidy my desk at home. It had been a disaster since the autumn and needed a good clean. It felt so good to get that done!
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Despite being so busy both professionally and personally, I still have notes everywhere in attempt to learn Korean. One such tactic is to have sticky notes with the hangeul and English pronounciation tips so if I ever have a minute and can practice another letter.
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Good Morrow, Lovies!
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What did you get under the Christmas tree this year?
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I combined my birthday and Christmas gifts for this photo. My parents gave me "Seoulmates" by Susan Lee, the "Little Mermaid" and "Barbie" movies, two pairs of pj shorts and fluffy lounge pants.
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Aunt Cheri gave me reading socks, and my Nana gave me the nail care kit plus fifteen dollars. My grandpa and my Papa both gave me twenty bucks each.
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Coworkers gave me "The Curated Closet" book, a gift card for Chapters, and a lot of sweet treats (food not pictured). My bestie made me a birthday bookmark.
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With the gift card and money, I purchased "The Name Drop" plus "BTS: Beyond the story" books and the Suga funko pop. (I already pre-ordere jhope on cyber Monday, but am still waiting on it). I tried to buy a particular BTS album, but no stores had it nor could order it.
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