Waaay back in February I started taking tae kwon do classes. I had recently gotten my blood pressure checked and it was a little high. This bummed me out because one of my goals is to get off blood pressure medicine. As I walked to my car (which is really a mini-van) I determined that I needed to add something to my exercise routine. At that precise moment I spied the local tae kwon do center. Perfect!
Tae kwon do is Korean martial arts and it is awesome! I can punch, kick, use nun chucks, and even break a board with my hand. AND my blood pressure has gone down. Yeah, I rock.
But the real (secret) reason I love tae kwon do is because my teacher, Master Kim, is from South Korea. Every class is also a learning session of Korean language and culture. Oh how I love a two-for-one deal. I can now count to eight in Korean with real confidence.
Master Kim has lived in the United States for ten years. He has an American wife. He has American kids. He runs a business. He deals with Americans on a daily basis. He speaks English. Really. He does. But I have the hardest time understanding him. Giggles and The Boy go to class with me once a week and they don't understand him either.
I found this video of Leeteuk speaking English to some American fans at his radio show. As I watched and listened I realized that he sounds a lot like Master Kim.....
Uploaded by YesungCenter on Apr 20, 2011
The funny thing about this is that Leeteuk avoids speaking English when ever he can. When Super Junior was in LA last September he didn't even say "hi" in English. I thought they could all take some English lessons. Well, it turns out they all know enough English to get by.
And as I have learned from Master Kim, you cannot tell how much a person has mastered a language just by talking to him. You have to get to know him. And understand him. And really listen to him. And have a conversation with him.
I think that would probably work with any person you are trying to communicate with. Don't just talk to them. Know them. Understand them. Really listen to them. And have a conversation with them.
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