4/30 Spring Weather

Talk about spring weather in Korea.

Spring is one of the most beautiful seasons in Korea. The weather is mild and the temperatures are just right for outdoors activities. There are many days when we get perfect picnic weather. Among them, May is the best. People even call May the "Queen of Spring" as the climate is so ideal. Many people go on outings to enjoy the warm breeze and sunshine. Cherry blossoms bloom in the spring season as well. They create a magnificent view. The only problem with spring is the yellow sand storms that blow in from China. The contaminated particles in the air are very bad for our health. People wear masks when there are yellow sand storm warnings.

@ Speaking Tips>> warning vs. alert  경보 vs. 주의보

ex> An alert was issued first, and then a warning.

ex> The alert was upgraded to a warning.

@ A yellow sand storm warning was issued.  황사 경보가 발령되었다.

@ Related Topics>> Seasonal Weather (2012.4.30), Yellow Sand Dust (2012.6.5)

@ Homework>>

1. 봄에는 어디서 따스한 바람을 즐길 수 있다. (enjoy the warm breeze)

2. 벚꽃 피는 게 보고 싶어. (cherry blossoms bloom)

3. 주변의 산들이 멋진 장관을 이루었다. (create a magnificent view)

4. 이번 달에는 황사 경보가 많았다. (yellow sand storm warning)

4/29 Canceling an Appointment

Talk about when you canceled an appointment.

I remember a time when I was supposed to get my hair done at the hair salon. I had a hair appointment on a Saturday. However, I came down with a nasty flu the day before the appointment. I got so sick that I couldn't even get out of bed. I felt very bad about missing the appointment, but there was nothing I could do. I called the hair salon and told them that I couldn't go. I asked them to reschedule my appointment. Eventually, I made a new appointment and got my hair done a few days later.

@ Speaking Tips>> reschedule  일정을 다시 잡다

ex> I reschedule my trip to America.

ex> I reschedule the meeting in a hurry.

@ I would like to reschedule.  일정을 조정하고 싶은데요.

@ Homework>>

1. 내가 기다려야 되는 줄 몰랐어. (be supposed to)

2. 나는 오늘 4시에 미용실 예약이 있어. (have a hair appointment)

3. 다행히 예약을 놓치지는 않았다. (miss the appointment)

4. 나는 예약을 새로 잡아야 했다. (make a new appointment)

4/28 Vacuum Cleaner

Talk about how vacuum cleaners help you clean the house.

One of the home appliances that has brought about the biggest change in our lives is the vacuum cleaner. Before we had the vacuum, we used to sweep the floor with a broom. But now, we use the vacuum to clean the dust on the floors. It sucks up dust very easily. It has become a lot easier to clean the floors. Plus, these days we have robot vacuum cleaners. They have sensors that help them clean the floors automatically. You just have to turn it on and it cleans the floors for you. It even goes back to the charger by itself. Overall, vacuum cleaners have changed how we clean the house drastically.

@ Speaking Tips]>> suck up  흡입하다, 빨아들이다

ex> Water is sucked up into the pipe. 

ex> Plants suck up water underneath the surface.

@ The robot vacuum cleaner does wonders.  로봇 청소기가 정말 놀라운 일을 해.

@ Related Topics>> Household Chores (2011.10.8)

@ Homework>>

1. 그 결정은 문제만 일으킬 것이다. (bring about)

2. 나는 빗자루로 먼지를 청소했다. (clean the dust)

3. 진공청소기는 순식간에 먼지를 빨아들였다. (suck up dust)

4. 진공청소기가 자동으로 바닥을 청소했다. (clean the floors automatically)

4/27 Home Appliances

Talk about various home appliances you use at home.

There are many home appliances I use at home. There is the fridge, the washer, the vacuum, the microwave, the humidifier, etc. First of all, one of the most important appliances is the fridge. It keeps food cold and prevents it from going bad. Next, the microwave is used to heat things up. It has made our lives much easier. Since we eat a lot of instant food these days, the microwave is one of the most-needed appliances. Last but not least, the humidifier is a must-have item in the house. Korean winter is very dry and the humidifier helps to keep the house less dry.

@ Speaking Tips>> must-have  필수인, 꼭 있어야 하는

ex> It is a must-have item for the spring season. (봄철에는 그것이 필수 아이템이다.)

ex> There's a list of must-have apps for travelers.

@ That's an air purifier.  저건 공기 청정기야.

@ Related Topics>> Refrigerators (2015.3.10), Kitchen (2010.11.22)

@ Homework

1. 고기가 상한 것 같아. (go bad)

2. 이것 좀 전자레인지에 데워 주세요. (heat something up)

3. 컴퓨터는 우리의 삶을 훨씬 편리하게 만들었다. (make one's life much easier)

4. 하이힐은 여자들의 필수 아이템이다. (must-have item)

4/24 Star Audition Program

Talk about a star audition program you've watched recently.

I remember watching the final episode of KOREA STAR season 4. There were two finalists who were neck-and-neck. No one knew who would win until the last moment. They were both very talented singers. I sent a text message to support one of the contestants myself. In the end though, the other contestant won the entire contest. I wasn't disappointed because she was a great singer as well. So, that was the last episode I remember watching. I think the final episode of all talent competition programs is the most memorable.

@ Speaking Tips>> neck-and-neck  막상막하인

ex> The game was neck-and-neck. 

ex> They finished the race neck-and-neck. 

@ The contestants are so talented.  참가자들의 재능이 대단해.

@ Related Topics>> Audition TV Program (2011.6.1)

@ Homework>>

1. 마지막 회는 휴대전화로 봤어. (the final episode)

2. 그는 모든 것을 마지막까지 미룬다. (until the last momnet)

3. 나는 문자 메시지를 보내고 답장을 받았다. (send a text message)

4. 나는 그가 최종 우승하리라곤 예상치 못했다. (win the entire contest)

4/23 searching for Restaurants

Talk about how you search for places to go eat at.

I have a list of restaurants I go to pretty often. But I like to try new places as well. Because we have the Internet, it's very easy to search for restaurants. I type in a menu and an area on my cell phone. It shows me tons of places I can go to nearby. There are pictures of the menus and reviews from people who went there. So, that's how I decide where to go to eat. My family members aren't picky with food. They like to experiment with new restaurants as well. I normally do a search online and pick a menu or a place to go to. They were happy with the choices I made most of the time.

@ Speaking Tips>> picky  까다로운

ex> Are you picky with people?

ex> He's not picky with clothes.

@ I'm not good at picking menus.  나는 메뉴를 잘 못 골라.

@ Homework>>

1. 이제 새로운 곳에 가 볼 때야. (try new places)

2. 나는 이름과 주소를 입력했다. (type in)

3. 그 도시에는 가 볼 만한 곳이 많다. (tons of places)

4. 내 남자친구는 입맛이 까다롭지 않다. (be not picky with food)

4/22 Changes in Restaurants

How have restaurants changed over the years?

I think restaurants serve a larger variety of foods from other countries these days. For example, there are many more Japanese, Thai, and Vietnamese restaurants in Korea. We see a lot more restaurant chains these days as well. These franchises are all over the place. Plus, we see a lot more fusion restaurants these days. They don't serve just one type of menu. They mix up menus from many cultures. People can enjoy various types of dishes at those places. Because people have become much busier than in the past, they eat out more often. That's probably why there are more kinds of restaurants out there.

@ Speaking Tips>> eat out vs. eat in  나가서 먹다 vs. 집에서 먹다

ex> Shall we eat out tonight?

ex> I'm not in the mood for eating out today.

@ Do you want to eat out or eat in?  밖에서 먹을래 집에서 먹을래?

@ Homework>>

1. 서울에는 어딜 가나 아파트가 있다. (all over the palce)

2. 내 책들이 모두 섞여 있다. (mix up)

3. 나는 여러 가지 음식을 요리할 수 있다. (various types of dishes)

4. 나는 요즘 외식을 더 자주 하는 편이다. (eat out more often)

4/2 Korean Movies

Talk about how Korean movies have changed over the years.

I used to watch Hollywood movies in the past. But now, I enjoy watching Korean movies because they have become much better than in the past. They are a lot better in quality. In fact, Korean movies are hitting the all-time record in the Korean box office. Korean movies are also being exported overseas. They are winning awards at big film festivals. Some Korean actor and actresses have successfully made their debut in Hollywood. Some Korean directors have done so as well. Meanwhile, some big-scale Hollywood movies are being shot in Korea. "The Avengers" sequel was shot in Korea actually.

@ I'm not that much of a movie fan.  난 그렇게 영화를 좋아하는 편이 아니야.

@ Speaking Tips>> in the box office / box office hit  흥행 성적 면에서 / 흥행작

ex> The film was hugely popular in the box office.

ex> The movie did very well in the box office.

ex> The new movie became a box office hit.

@ Related Topics>> Movies (2012.3.13)

4/1 April Fools’ Day

Talk about April Fools' Day.

People play jokes on one another on April Fools' Day. Some make verbal jokes to others. For instance, they would pretend that they are getting married or something. These days, many people also send prank text messages to trick others. They also post jokes on their social networking sites. Some make prank calls to various locations. Some newspapers even print bogus articles to trick their readers. Even television or radio shows are known to join in on the fun as well. When a person figures out it's a joke, you say, "April Fool!" Overall, it's important to remember that jokes should not go over the line.

@ You can't fool me.  난 못 속여.

@ Speaking Tips>> prank vs. prankster  장난 vs. 장난을 치는 사람

ex> I got a prank call from someone.

ex> I realized that it was a prank.

ex> He was such a prankster when he was young.

@ Related Topics>> April Fools’ Day (2014.4.1, 2013.4.1, 2012.4.2)