Mood of the day: Annoyed.
Wake-up call (aka TOPIK results) is coming in 3 days. Incidentally, that day will also my blog’s 5th anniversary. 5 years of writing Hangukdrama. It will be greaaat if I fail TOPIK (i.e. fail to get level 6 and also get a lower score than last year) on the same day. As of now, I don’t even want to entertain the thought of completely failing the test.
Phone interview (that was supposed to happen last week) didn’t even come at all. Without a single explanation or reply to my email. Greaaat. If you are going to set up a fixed time, either make that call or give me an explanation. I don’t think that’s asking too much.
Random things happen everyday. Received a call this morning and apparently I may be / supposed to be / should be going for the 2013 세계한국어웅변대회 because the first place of the 2012 Korean Speech competition couldn’t make it (I was the 2nd place). I have zero idea what’s going on but the prelims is sometime next week and if I miraculously get past the prelims, the finals will be held in Hanoi, Vietnam sometime in July.
I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S GOING ON AND IT’S KILL ING ME
Google’s my best friend and apparently the topics should be as follows (information from another country):
주제 :우리말 우리글 바로쓰기 및 지구촌 보급을 위한 내용
가. 한글문화 창달과 지구촌에 한국어 보급을 위한 방안 (Propose(?) plans to promote Korean culture and dissemination of Korean language in this globalized world)
나. 평화통일을 대비하여 분단으로 이질화된 한국어 복원 및 융화 방안 (Proposal plans to restore and harmonize the Korean language that has been divided to prepare for unification)
다. 아름다운 국토보존 및 균형발전을 위한 방안 (Propose plans to preserve and develop the beautiful lands of Korea)
라. 청소년의 국제적 교류를 통한 한국어 역량 개발 및 문화교류 방안 (Plans to improve Korean language capacity and culture exchange through international exchange among teens) – awkward translation…….
마. 전 세계에 우리나라의 문화와 관광자원를 홍보할 수 있는 방안 (Propose plans to promote Korean culture and tourism to the world)
바. 외국인은 대한민국의 문화와 한국어를 소재로 연제는 자유 선택 (Free topic for foreigners to talk about Korean culture / Korean language)
Greaaat. NOT.
I’m not inclined to do the last topic to be honest lolol. This competition is for overseas Koreans and foreigners. lolol so am I supposed to compete with… Koreans? mm I’ll worry about that later? For now please tell me know I am supposed to come up with a script and memorize it within a week, on top of my own personal stuff? I still have my first academic conference to prepare for. I should also mention that I haven’t spoken Korean in months.
Should I also mention how I generally hate last minute notification, inefficiency and waste of time?
48 hours a day. That’s what I need.
24 Comments
Kay
27 May, 2013 at 5:49 PMHaha. I probably would not survive with that much stuff to do 🙂 48 hour days are essential to anyone I think (wish we could have them)
PS: stupid. or maybe not idea would be to memorize the script in Anki line.by.line although that just sounds plain tedious to me (: Good luck though!!!!
hangukdrama
28 May, 2013 at 1:33 PMAnki.. hahaha to be honest I haven’t tried it out at all ^^;
alodia
27 May, 2013 at 6:32 PM헉!!! Was thinking of joining a speech contest here where the winner will be competing in… guess where… Hanoi! I just saw the ad last week, then disregarded the thought after 5 minutes. I dunno…. I just don’t think I can come up with something better than the last speech I wrote last time. As far as I can remember from the ad I saw, the topics were easier and simpler. Maybe a different category or contest but same event in Hanoi.
hangukdrama
28 May, 2013 at 1:33 PMhahahahaha it will be amazing if we end up meeting in Hanoi. But I guess that’s not possible, since I decided not to do it. ㅎㅎ our meeting place shall be in KOREA hahahaha. Glad to see you back online!
alodia
30 May, 2013 at 3:44 PMI’m not doing it either. Just like you, too much on my plate right now. Just starting anew and still in the middle of nursing a broken heart. I don’t want to get myself stressed once again since I just started enjoying the feeling of not being stressed at the moment. So I’m just gonna enjoy work, work out perhaps… Just started studying Korean seriously once again and catching up on my dramas at the moment. Just waiting for my internet to be reconnected and will be back to blogging once again. 🙂
Yeah, we should meet in Korea next time. In KOREA! ^^
Oegukeen
27 May, 2013 at 7:15 PMWow, you seem in over your head.
But I’m sure it will all go well. You are hard working enough 🙂 Still, I wish you good luck!
hangukdrama
28 May, 2013 at 1:32 PMThanks 😀
Seoullyu
27 May, 2013 at 7:36 PMSeems tough, good luck managing to do everything! 화이팅! ^^
hangukdrama
28 May, 2013 at 1:32 PMThanks!
Clayton Wong
27 May, 2013 at 8:45 PMWow! I had no idea (until now) that things were that way for you. I now feel bad for giving you a hard time about excel. I believe things have a way of working out in the long run. Keep having faith – all will eventually be well 🙂
hangukdrama
28 May, 2013 at 1:31 PMhehe no worries at all! 😀 😀
LK
27 May, 2013 at 8:54 PMJust seeing those topics scare me.. ㅎㅎ
Aww.. It seems that you’re really busy these days and I agree that last minute notifications are annoying.. If you can’t handle it though, I think it’s alright to give yourself a break.. 🙂 Anyway, more opportunities will surely come your way, especially because you are super great (I sound like your super fangirl)! ^__^ Good luck on whatever decision you may come up with, 아자~!!
ps: Smiles suit you better, so don’t forget to smile once you’ve thought this over!! 😀
hangukdrama
28 May, 2013 at 1:31 PMhehe thanks for leaving a comment 😀 😀 Decided not to take this up. Too much too handle and I want to relax a little! ^^
Michael
28 May, 2013 at 4:28 AMAh, I was gonna say, I just did an advanced HSK test a few weeks ago, probably about the same time u did TOPIK, so I’m getting my results soon… I SOOO HOPE I PASSED, then I can focus 100% on Korean ( just like u wanna focus on JP).
Good luck! Also, if you have to choose between all of these, do it… you will have better results doing 3 things well, than doing 10 things poorly 😛 .. remember, multitasking is way overrated 😉
hangukdrama
28 May, 2013 at 1:30 PMHSK! I was wondering if I should do it also since Korea is pretty big on certificates. It seems that I’m neither considered Mandarin Chinese or English native, so perhaps I should prove it ><; How was the test? Hope you get your desired results!! ^^ yupp multitasking is not that enjoyable. Decided to concentrate on whatever I already had on my plate for now!
Lucie D
28 May, 2013 at 5:51 AMWho doesn’t wish to have 48 hours…
Those topics seem interesting, almost everything about proposing some plans.
I’m sorry to hear that the telephone interview ended up… erm, non-existent I guess I could say.
Speaking of phones, reminds me of my phone faux-pas today…. put together several phone numbers to call to the UK to ask whether they would be interested in considering my job application (since I fulfil all their requirements and the only thing is that I’m Czech and I’m residing at home)…. happy to have some free time for myself, I finally get down to calling numbers (I hate phones… actually no, despise them), the only number I manage to get through to, tells me there is a bank holiday in the UK. -_-”
I digress…. ok, good luck with everything. I’m sure you will manage! And I’m sure you passed your TOPIK! 🙂
hangukdrama
28 May, 2013 at 1:28 PMhahaha! Public holiday / time difference. For me, I always have trouble calculating time difference. D: Even though Korea is just one hour ahead I get all confused >< Hope the applications go well! 😀
Lucie D
30 May, 2013 at 3:37 AMThanks! 🙂
orbiter
28 May, 2013 at 10:55 AMThe 1st place person probably pulled out because the subjects are so mind-numbingly dry (IMO). I’m also ever so slightly irked that the 주제 says “우리말 우리글” when the competition includes foreigners. I dunno, just me being oversensitive. As much as I love the country, the people and the language, I could use a little more 배려 in such instances. Hrm.
Jia you jia you!
hangukdrama
28 May, 2013 at 1:26 PMAgreed! And it feels kinda weird that there’s a last option “for foreigners”.
ethel
29 May, 2013 at 12:42 PMall the best! for both topik results and the competition. hahaha the topics seem like they’re just making use of “free ideas” from the foreigners so that they don’t have to pay some market researchers a huge sum LOL
hangukdrama
29 May, 2013 at 4:28 PMhahahaha!!! decided not to take on the competition xD
Alice
1 June, 2013 at 12:50 PMHere it is again. Koreans and their last minute tendencies. And them assuming that everyone else is fine with last minute notifications and change of plans. HAHA anyway I’m a little late in this. missed out this entry for some reason!
hangukdrama
1 June, 2013 at 9:16 PMTOTALLY. I try not to stereotype but I’ve been getting it too often D: