Midterms

Annyeong haseyo!

  In contrast to other posts, these past ten days have been relatively uneventful due to the vast amount of midterms we had. They all went very well! I figure this would be a good time to explain what I have been learning in my classes.

  I'll start with Korean. Update: my first Korean test went horrible. I'm talking about one correct out of fifteen listening questions (am I really that bad? Yes I am). This was not due to lack of studying--confusion sets in when there are three different letters for a consonant that sounds almost exactly the same in all three cases. But oh well! My second lesson test (dates, numbers, etc.) went very well and my midterm was decent at best. The lesson at large? Learning a second or third language is difficult, but incredibly beneficial. Am I embracing Korean culture? Absolutely. But I think a culture cannot be fully experienced unless you can fluently speak that language. Apart from Korean, almost all of my friends here are fluent in 2-3 languages. It is beautiful and fascinating to listen to them switch from one language to another. It's motivating me to improve my German and learn other languages (It's never too late, folks! There are plenty of mobile apps that can teach you a second language for free.)

  My global media class has been very thought-provoking. We essentially discuss US/Western media companies (CNN, Fox, BBC, etc.), as they're the most prominent. The most intriguing topic to me so far has pertained to how the media has covered the candidates of the 2016 election. I was shocked to learn that according to the Tyndall report, 1/3 of all coverage given by CBS, NBC, and ABC in the early primaries in 2015 was devoted to Donald Trump. The value of his news coverage at that time was calculated at over $1.8 billion--some speculate the media did this to improve their ratings as news outlets. The main questions that arose: Are these corporate media companies, or even public broadcasting companies, capable of being non-partisan and fair? Whose interests are they serving? Does the media hinder candidates from having a level playing-field, is it hindering democracy? This is a topic I continue to think about critically.

  My remaining three classes all relate to development. Ever wonder what that "fair trade" sticker on Ben and Jerry's ice cream is all about? I have been learning what's involved in this process: giving small-scale farmers access to the global market in a way that meets international labor standards, ensures a decent pay for farmers, and also develops that area through a social premium. We compare fair trade to free trade and direct trade. I would encourage you to do a quick google search if you ever find yourself twiddling your thumbs. In addition, I've been learning how education is one approach to a country's development, as well as studying all sorts of theories about international relations.

I won't bore you anymore! Enjoy some random pictures from the past days. Thankful for all of you.

Enjoying some wonderful sushi at a restaurant near school. Took us 15 minutes to try and translate the menu and order. We weren't really sure what we ordered in the end.

Turns out this was some fancy California roll with orange fish eggs sprinkled on the top. "Omg, Annie ate fish eggs?" Well of course I wiped most of them off, but naturally still consumed some ;)

A portrait I took of Mariem on our beautiful campus. Clearly, autumn is setting in.