수능(Korean university entrance exam)

As some of you might know, I haven't written any posting for a while. I seriously apologize about it..!











While I haven't been here, I got a message from a reader. It was asking about how to be student in Korea, and scholarship. So, today I'm here to let you know about them. I can't be sure all but I'm just going to tell you as much as I know.

Before you understand about University entrance exam in Korea, you should know what's 수시 and 정시.

수시 is kind of nonscheduled admission, but it's usually on summer vacation.

People needs high school record,  portfolio, or essay, depends on the admission. It can require some grades of entrance exam.

정시 is scheduled admission with entrance exam, and it might require essay test depends on admission.

About a week ago, it was a day of 수능. 수능 is an university entrance exam in Korea. It's like SAT in US or A-levels in the UK. 

The exam is only for A DAY and it's every 2nd Thursday on November. 

So, it was 13th november in this year.

Everyone with high school diploma can take the exam, 수능.

At the 수능 day, you can see cheering in front of schools where people take entrance exam.

http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=102&oid=003&aid=0004815880

http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=102&oid=001&aid=0005364633

Here's timetable of 수능

Korean, Math, and English is required subjects, and examinee chooses one section among science, social studies, and vocational inquiry section, and they need to choose 3 subjects in the section. 

There's also foreign language and Chinese character. It's optional. You can take one of the subject, or you can go home without taking any of that sections.

In my case, I took Korean, Math, English, and Vocational inquiry section(Computer, Commercial economy, and Accounting.)

As you can see the exam starts pretty early, so people can be late. If you are going to be late, you can call to the police.. :o

And then, here's what happens

http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=102&oid=001&aid=0005921986

http://news.naver.com/main/read.nhn?mode=LSD&mid=sec&sid1=102&oid=001&aid=0006583393

Yeah, police will give you a ride. D:

Anyway.

After several weeks later, examinees get a result paper. According to my memory, there's raw score, standard score, percentile, and grade. 

You can get entered depends on your result. 

Even though you can get entered university depends on the result of the exam, it seems like you still need not only grade, but also luck.

Now, examinee must be nervous waiting for their result. I wish the best wishes to them. :)

Next time, I will be back with a posting about Scholarship in Korea.

p.s : These exam is only for Korean. There's another admission for foreigners. :)

추석 그리고 송편(Chuseok, and Songpyeon: half-moon-shaped rice cake)

Last week, there was one of biggest holiday in Korea. The holiday was "CHUSEOK".





























So, what's that?

























Chuseok is like Thanks Giving Day in USA. Chuseok is 15th August in the lunar calendar. What people do on Chuseok is actually similar with what people do on 설날(Seollal).
Getting together, Having a memorial ceremony for ancestors, and making traditional foods...





























But the biggest difference is that there is special rice cake for 추석!

Its name is 송편(Songpyeon: half-moon-shaped rice cake)

Ta-da! Here's 송편!

My aunt gave me some, so I fortunately could enjoy it at home!

USUALLY there are two colors of 송편: Green, and white.

White is original, and Green is mugwort!

So, what's inside of it?

Let's see then!

I picked one of white 송편

And....

There was sesame(actually sesame with honey)!!

And inside of green 송편..

There's same thing -.-;;;

I found all of them made with sesame because young people usually like sesame 송편 because it's sweet!

BUT

Usually there are three kinds in 송편: Sesame, bean, and mung beans.

Since it's invisible, people don't know which taste they are going to eat! 

Random taste..!

It can be one of fun you can get during 추석

So..

Which one will you eat, so? :D

전(Jeon: Korean pancake)

Few months ago, I posted about 설날. In the post, I introduced a bit about 전. I introduced about 3 kinds of 전, but there are many kinds of 전 in Korea.













For the last few weeks, it was rainy, rainy, and RAINY in here. 전 is the most well known food when it comes to rainy day.



















Wait, but why Korean people tend to eat 전 in rainy day?












I don't know why exactly, but there are some suppositions.


1. The sound from 전 when it's cooked is similar to the sound of rain.

2. During the Agricultural Age, people couldn't farm in rainy day, so they used to make 전, and eat it.







Anyway, whatever! It's delicious no matter why people started to eat it on rainy day! :P

















So? I really really fancied 전 for the last few weeks, and I decided to go to a restaurant.

Rainy day means 전 with 막걸리(makgeolli: rice wine)! >:D

So I ordered them. I was drinking 막걸리while I waited for 막걸리.

Yeah, it's a pictures of 전.

They were cooked..!!!!!

*Few minutes later*

Ta-da!!

Here is 모듬전(assorted jeon)!

It's 깻잎전(kkaennip jeon: Sesame Leaf Pancake).

There were meat inside of this 전

This is Korea style Meatball.

It's one of common 전 in here, so you can find it on national holidays like 설날, or 추석.

It's a piece of 녹두전(Nokdu Jeon: Mung Bean Pancake)

It's actually round, but I just cut it to eat easily.

It's Mushroom Pancake

These are 두부(Tofu)전, and 동태전(Pollack Pancake)

This is 고추전(Gochu Jeon: Chili Pepper pancake).

And it's 부추전(Buchu jeon: Leek Pancake)

Even though I posted Jeon so far, there are more kinds of 전.

So? There are so many kinds of 전 you can try. :)

And..

When is the next rainy day? :D?

수박화채 (Watermelon Salad)

During this summer, I tried to introduce some Korean summer season food. It seems like summer is going to end, so I may need to move to another topic.














But














Sometimes, I feel the weather is still hot! Hot! HOT!




















So, I'm going to let you know another summer food.
It's really EASY and SIMPLE.  So, you can try it wherever you are in now!

When I was young, I used to make 수박화채(Watermelon Salad) over summer. I think I liked it more than 빙수 at that time.

Yeah, 수박화채 is today's topic. :P

Firstly, chop watermelon and put it into a bowl.

And add other fruits you want, and pour milk.

Lastly, pur cider, and  depends on your liking, add sugar or honey, and ice.

How about trying "watermelon salad" if you have any fruit? :D

한반도 지형(Korean Peninsula-shaped Cliffs -Seonam Village) in 강원도 영월(Kangwon-do Yeongwol)

Some people have asked me that this blog is for food.
Whenever I was asked, I answered "NO", but it's true that most of my posts are about foods! :o










So, I'm going to stay away from food today.
















Few days ago, I went on vacation. I went to several places in few cities, and I'm going to introduce about them one by one.

Today's place is 한반도 지형(Korean Peninsula-shaped Cliffs/Seonam Village) in 영월(Yeongwol), and 영월 is in 강원도(Kangwondo)

In the morning, I arrived at the entrance of 한반도지형

You can see the introduction of 한반도지형

한반도 지형 is 57th state-designated cultural property.

Even it's written in English as well.

- It looks like a miniature of Korea. The east side is steep and the west side is gentle. The thick pine wood that reminds you of the Baekdu Mountains and the similarity with Ttangkkeut village(Haenam) and Homigot(Pohang) are profound.

Here is explanation. It's about what you can see and get to know in this place.

Anyway, let's go!

Just walk, walk, and walk...

While you walk, you can see stone towers people made

and evening primroses

Walk more and more~

Yeah, left side is the way to 한반도지형! ;)

Even though it's august, and summer, it was windy, and it was really nice weather! :D

After walking 150m more,

And then..

Ta-da!!

Here's the 한반도 지형! 

There is map of Korean peninsula, so you can compare.

So, what about visiting here? ;)