Daniel Yasin

Daniel Yasin
Name in Latin Alphabet:	Daniel Yasin
Nationality:	Austria
Affiliation:	East Asian Economy and Society / Korean

자기 소개

My name is Daniel and I am glad to participate in the 23rd AKS Summer Program as the representative of Austria. I study Economy and Society of East Asia, with focus on the three major players in the region; China, Japan and South Korea. During this program, we have to choose an East Asian language we want to study in order to deepen our knowledge with East Asian culture. As I have chosen Korean as my language, I was thrilled to hear that I have been accepted for this program. Before that, I have studied three years of Japanese and have spent a year living abroad in Japan. So seeing the differences and similarities in these coutries' culture is a great experience for me.

I look foward to experiencing all the different activities that the Academy of Korean Studies is offering us and am especially thrilled to be making a small overnight trip with all the participants of this program, seeing historic sites of Korea. I hope that after I finish this program, I will not only have improved my Korean language abilities, but also created new bonds of friendship, spanning all over the globe and contributed to a fun and laid back environment within our limited timeframe. "Menschen kommen und gehen. Freunde bleiben." (People come and go. Friends stay), as the saying in German goes.

Personal Experience

Lesson in Samulnori

Practicing Samulnori in the great Conference Hall

In the first week of the AKS program, we engaged in something, which I have not even heard before coming to Korea. Samulnori is a traditional Korean percussion music. It literally means "Play of the four things" in reference to the four different instruments used in this kind of music. Members of the AKS program got a chance to choose one instrument and practice with a skilled teacher. We studied four simple patterns, combined and mixed them to make one continuous song. While it was difficult in the beginning, to get used to the size of the drum, the way you sit in front of it, the new beats and patterns, it eventually worked out really well. And even though I got sore arms from all the drumming, it was a thoroughly engjoyable experience. I am glad that AKS has chosen to give us the opportunity to play Samulnori not only once, but twice within our time in Korea.

• 사물놀이

Korean Lessons

I am in the beginner's course at AKS and so far I am extremely happy with the care and help the teachers are providing us with. We are given practice homework every day and get feedback on it the very next. There is also a speech that has to be prepared in front of class, but the length is chosen appropriatly to our level. Since English is mostly avoided by the teachers, you have to overcome any inhibitions regarding speaking in Korean, but through that you quickly improve your listenting and speaking skills. Also the fact that these classes take place daily, makes them highly effective at aquiring language skills in a short amount of time.

• 한국어 수업

Trip to Gyeongju

At Sukgulam just before the great Buddha

During the third week at AKS, we were able to participate in a trip to the famous historical city of Gyeongju in the southern part of Korea, what would have been known as the Silla region in ancient times. Once we reached the city, our first stop was at the Anapji lake, which is famous for its beautiful scenery especially at night, when lights get turned on all around the park in order to illuminate the surroundings. On the next day, we went to see not only the local kingly tombs, but also to the national museum, where we could see the real artifacts discovered from the Silla region. On the evening we were brought to the sea, which for many was even a first time experience. Also the underwater tomb of King Munmu was a sight to behold, with waves crashing against this famous rock, said to protect Korea's shores. The weather at the beach was wonderful and the cool breeze was a welcome change from the brooding heat during the day. The last day we went to Bulguksa to experience a Buddhist temple from within, in all its impressive glory. Additionally we went to see a statue of the Bodhisvatta Kannon, high up in the mountains, which is said to have a crystal put into his forehead shining brilliantly just when the sun goes up. We had one last lunch in Gyeongju and made our way back home.

Changdeokgung

The Changdeokgung Palace

우리는창덕궁에갔어고공전안에가이드뒤를따라갔어요. Inside Changdeokgung Palace, it was already a hot and humid day. The wide open parks and gardens did us no favor in this regard, even though they were stunning in their beauty. 한복을입는사람이많이볼수있었어서정말재미있었어요. Completed in 1412, it has since become a UNESCO world heritage site in 1997 and after much of the palace has been destroyed in fires or by war, it has always been rebuilt by the Korean people. 조선시대의건축학과가구을본 경험이었어요. The nature surrounding the palace as well as inside is complimenting the man-made structure on every step. As a group, we had a great bit of fun there, as everyone was taking pictures the whole walk through. 저는전적으로창덕궁에가고싶어요!그장에가서기뻐요.

• 창덕궁 관람