National niece 국민조카 IU from SBS Running Man

My best times learning Korean (at super basic level 0.01) was with a great Korean speaker friend Andy Kim (korean roots, American, lived in South America). I learnt words from the barbeque table like water (mul), mulbyeong, bul (fire), and also IU. I had heard about IU a little, until he told me she is the Korean people's little sister and in Korean is 국민조카 - (translated as national niece/nephew) - gugminjokha; and she was able to sing very well and even at the crescendo (of high notes), she can do a progressive push 3 notes upwards.

Then I went back and watched the Youtube video and yes: she does it - effortlessly. (no strain in facial expression, as in most singers who are singer top of their lungs or notes, they will cringe showing much effort)

So finally now I can read some Korean words and here was the "nation's little sister" from a short skit of the Running Man TV program. IU was singing to wake up the participants on a presumably very cold winter morning. That means she woke up way ahead, prepared studio stuff (make-up etc) and mock as a singing bird to wake them. What fortunate luck those goons!

Watching Korean KBS TV Drama Episode 38

After going through the guessing game phase of only getting 16.7% per episode (10 minutes preview courtesy of KBS), some lucky spell came upon me in Room Number 6, and I found myself with full 60 minute episodes (Episodes 11 till 50 Final) of the strangely titled drama "Choegoda Lee Sunshin" aka "You Are The Best Lee Soon Shin" or in hangeul:

최고다 이순신

Episode 1 was given by KBS in Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPzdIHf-EQM&list=PLMf7VY8La5RH9WZlNQfwnilE-uSKlEshz&index=5


Good news though: Now suddenly, KBS has released total full 5 episodes with English subtitles (see above link). Therefore it is likely KBS will eventually release all of them in Youtube.

To wrap the nice atmosphere up, here is a snippet from Episode 38:

Finally IU has the chance to act in a drama scene and she was so happy that the director gave her positive feedback.

2nd Welcome to Keopi Juseyo

After making an unknown language blunder with the naming of the blog, I thought of a PLAN B to fix it. Therefore here is V2 and a second welcome to this blog - renamed: Keopi Juseyo.

Here is a picture of a happy IU happy that the name is fixed!
IU: Really?!

IU: chungmaal yo (정말 yo) really?!

Droptop and Blacksmith Restaurant - IU's drama

Currently I am up till episode 23. Against the backdrop on the drama, these food places keep appearing since IU was working in the Blacksmith Restaurant (supposedly Italian food). And DropTop Cafe where the "players" keep meeting up or having a drink. I don't know where is the sundaeguk restaurant near her home.

Anybody knows where does IU do the hike to collect spring water? It is supposed to be walking distance from her home, since she went with her grandma and mother and elder sister Hyesin.

Why current mind with respect to the drama: 어떻게
What's going to happen next?! What will happen when IU finds out her real mother is the teacher?

Wow: this is a drama that perhaps everybody in Korea has watched it diligently, according to the census ratings, TV ratings report in Wiki.

This is perhaps my fourth or fifth Korean TV drama series. The first one was by Ha Jiwon, "Secret Garden". That got me started seriously thinking watching Korean drama will surely improve my understanding and learning process of the language. I watched another Ha Jiwon's drama "King 2 Hearts" in HD. It wasn't as fascinating due to the fact the story was part comedy, part serious (I like the types of show Ha Jiwon involves in usually about patriotism and unification), part black ops, part sad drama/romance. So it was strange for a scene Ha Jiwon was so sad and disappointed and crying, then another scene soon after, she is making her funny usual way.

This is a sample of what she does best, from 100 Days With Mr Arrogant (내사랑 싸가지 ) :

IU is Lee Sunshin

After learning more hangeul, I am able to decipher some interesting facts about my current favourite Korean drama. When the hallyu craze set forth along Thailand in 2004, I was still busy with my online work in the internet cafe, whereby I had just 2-3hours max (due to laptop battery life in those days), but I can't stop noticing the people in the cafe were listening and watching Korean movies, drama, songs. This Thai cafe attendant, she kept singing some songs and now I remember them: I Think I (by Byul).

The last 1.5 days, the internet was down. (see previous post)

So I have been watching several episodes of "You Are The Best, Lee Sunshin". (I am not using the Soon Shin transliteration cos it's very American ie. using common words like "soon" to replace actual translation. The reason is, soon (pun not intended), you'll end up mixed up in the mind still thinking in English words. E.g. when you see "sundae" you will think it is a sweet dessert).

So "Sunshin" is better. Similarly this happens alot in Thai transliteration whereby it messes up your language learning. Like "kao paad puu" (rice fried with crabmeat) becomes the very wrong "cow pad poo".

IU aka Lee Sunshin

Due to some restrictions by KBSWorld, they only allow a slather of "10 minutes" preview of each episode. I was making up the drama by my own imaginative drama to connect the dots of the next 50 minutes per episode, and some basing on flashbacks of the next episodes. Deconstructing the episodes backward to fill the gaps!

I am at Episode 19 now. Still waiting for IU's debut. Oh, Lee Sunshin's debut music video with "K-O-K".

Another new fact: Lee in Korean is just "i" ie. "이"