Now That I Think Back, It Was All Great Fun!
From the school years, we have been trying to build competency fit for the global era we live in.
When you successfully acquire ability, it feels really rewarding.
That is because you worked hard for it, but when you look back, there are also happy memories. which we have collected.
When you successfully acquire ability, it feels really rewarding.
That is because you worked hard for it, but when you look back, there are also happy memories. which we have collected.
The person who helped me adapt to life in Vietnam
Manager LEE YEONG CHAE, Property Management TeamThis was when I worked in Vietnam, where people use an app called Grab to take a ride in a taxi or on a motorcycle. And since they still use cash most of the time, it’s important to know how to communicate. However, the drivers don’t always speak or understand English, so you might often get overcharged. You may have to go half the day to a place just across a bridge. So I learned Vietnamese for survival, such as "right, left, stop here, that’s okay," etc. But it doesn’t work on the meter that is already charging a lot. It is easy to misunderstand words because there are six intonations in Vietnamese, and arguing is not a problem for them. You just have to deal with it. (ㅠㅜ)
Then one day, I saw a familiar Korean face on a billboard while walking with a colleague. It was ‘Park Hang-seo.’ This was when Park Hang-seo was rising as a hero in Vietnam, just like Gus Hiddink rewrote the history of soccer in Korea with the World Cup in 2002. So I asked my Vietnamese colleague who was with me, “Do you know who that is?” Yet, he was shocked and said, “Oh my gosh! What are you talking about? You don’t know that guy? Park! Hang! Seo! He is really famous in Vietnam!” and raised his thumb.
That was a big help to me, and the next time I got into a taxi, I tried saying, “I’m from Korea. Do you know Park Hang-seo?” The result? I was immediately free of taxi rip-off. There were significantly less drivers who tried to overcharge me, and they became very friendly. To them, “No. 1 is Park Hang-seo, No. 2 is Park Ji-sung, and No. 3 is Son Heung-min.” After that, I continued studying Vietnamese and learned more tips, while adjusting to the culture. And my life as a resident employee has since been smoother. Later, I would sometimes cheer for Korea vs. Japan game or for Vietnam vs. Thailand game (which is equivalent of Korea vs. Japan). I would like to take this opportunity to thank Manager Park Hang-seo for saving my taxi fare. (^^)
Then one day, I saw a familiar Korean face on a billboard while walking with a colleague. It was ‘Park Hang-seo.’ This was when Park Hang-seo was rising as a hero in Vietnam, just like Gus Hiddink rewrote the history of soccer in Korea with the World Cup in 2002. So I asked my Vietnamese colleague who was with me, “Do you know who that is?” Yet, he was shocked and said, “Oh my gosh! What are you talking about? You don’t know that guy? Park! Hang! Seo! He is really famous in Vietnam!” and raised his thumb.
That was a big help to me, and the next time I got into a taxi, I tried saying, “I’m from Korea. Do you know Park Hang-seo?” The result? I was immediately free of taxi rip-off. There were significantly less drivers who tried to overcharge me, and they became very friendly. To them, “No. 1 is Park Hang-seo, No. 2 is Park Ji-sung, and No. 3 is Son Heung-min.” After that, I continued studying Vietnamese and learned more tips, while adjusting to the culture. And my life as a resident employee has since been smoother. Later, I would sometimes cheer for Korea vs. Japan game or for Vietnam vs. Thailand game (which is equivalent of Korea vs. Japan). I would like to take this opportunity to thank Manager Park Hang-seo for saving my taxi fare. (^^)
Chinese that doesn’t feel like Chinese but is indeed Chinese
Senior Manager PARK SEON YEONG, Human Resource 1 TeamWhen I was at university, I wanted to speak Chinese, so I bought a DVD of a Taiwanese drama, determined to memorize the whole thing. The drama was Meteor Garden, a Taiwanese version of Boys Over Flowers.
I set a goal from the beginning to watch this drama 20 times, and did really watch it about 20 times during that year. And I really memorized all the lines and my Chinese improved. But the problem was...
I did become good in Chinese, but I learned it with a Taiwanese accent.
It was like learning a dialect. So when I speak Chinese, I always get asked, “did you learn Chinese in Taiwan?” Everyone! When you learn a language by listening to it repeatedly, to improve your global competency, remember to check if it is an accent commonly used!
I set a goal from the beginning to watch this drama 20 times, and did really watch it about 20 times during that year. And I really memorized all the lines and my Chinese improved. But the problem was...
I did become good in Chinese, but I learned it with a Taiwanese accent.
It was like learning a dialect. So when I speak Chinese, I always get asked, “did you learn Chinese in Taiwan?” Everyone! When you learn a language by listening to it repeatedly, to improve your global competency, remember to check if it is an accent commonly used!
To my friends who strived with passion
Senior Manager PARK DONG HO, Information Security TeamI would like to talk about my experience struggling to obtain an SAP certificate with my colleagues who joined the company with me when I first started working. This was in late spring of 1999, when we had to take classes in an SAP education center in Yeouido and take a test on the last day. I remember we studied really hard every day without weekends. These days, the test results come out immediately, but back then, we got the results in the mail about a month later. How nervous I was when I got the big envelope...
Studying for a test at the time gave me confidence and I obtained many different certificates after that. I believe that the spring of 1999 was a very worthwhile time in my life. It taught me a lesson that all you need is strength to persevere and effort. My friends who studied with me at the time, are you all doing well? I hope you stay strong wherever you are, and I'm always thinking of those times!
Studying for a test at the time gave me confidence and I obtained many different certificates after that. I believe that the spring of 1999 was a very worthwhile time in my life. It taught me a lesson that all you need is strength to persevere and effort. My friends who studied with me at the time, are you all doing well? I hope you stay strong wherever you are, and I'm always thinking of those times!
2021.07.01