[러시아 유학일기] #24 / 낯선 곳에서 만나는 익숙한 불편

written 28 March 2020

Now, registered Koreans of Novosibirsk State University do not appear to be more than 10 people. Before few weeks, there were actually about 20 Koreans, but suddenly they disappeared from here. The reason is, coronavirus. This late March, COVID-19 has been started to spread in Europe, including Russia. While, Korean goverment almost successed to limit rising danger of infection. This is why, many Koreans decided to go back hometown, though there is possibility of infection in airport and aircraft.

 

Talking about Koreans, I prefer to not get along with them. Most annoying tradition in Korean language is age-hiearcy. For example, my roommate is about 28 years old, and I talk with him in ban-mal speech (informal, familiar, talk-down form). But for me, there is some limitations if I speak to him.  If someone is older than me, I cannot use some words in conversation with him. While, he doesn't have any limitation in speech. 

 

Until this point, I can make it out, because I've accustomed to this culture. But problem is on the other point. If I make a conversation with my older roommate in ban-mal speech, there's no problem. But problem rises, when another guy joined in our conversation. For example, if 24-year-old Korean(which is older than me, but younger than my roommate) decided to talk to roommate in jondet-mal speech, and roommate answers to him in talk-down form, our "hierarchy" will be completely messed. And I'll be remembered as "breaker of the rule". Ban-mal and Jondet-mal is most strange tradition of Korean language, and very uneffiecient form of speech. This makes me not to be get close with any Koreans.

 

Anyways, to be focused in my own works and study, and to decrease a chance to get virus, I decided to get single room. I will try to search and demand it to dean, from next weekday. Of course, current roommate in double room is a good Korean guy. But whether how he behaves, to live in double room with whom - is annoying lifestyle for me. Firstly, staying in home with him, talking in Korean all day, doesn't help me at all in any sphere of learning Russian. Secondly, I'm a noise-sensitive person, so small noises that my roommate makes, causes falldown of my productivity. Lastly, sometimes I had to get unwanted extra contacts with others, which feels not comfortable for me.

 

오랜만에 영어로 글을 써보려니까 문장 구성도, 문법도, 단어도 많이 잊어버렸다는 것을 느낍니다. 아직 펜팔친구를 깊게 사귀진 않았고 그 중에서도 영어화자는 더더욱 없어서, 첨삭해줄 사람이 없다는 점은 슬프네요. 아무쪼록 제가 아직까지는 명백한 1개국어 화자라는 것을 절실히 느낍니다.

 

If you're going to teach me about grammar and English phrases, please put your comments in secret mode, as topic of this article is "Familiar uncomfort".