Utah
‘It’s just been fun sharing our culture’: Utah restaurant owner serves up Korean lessons too
Estimated learn time: 4-5
minutes
WEST VALLEY CITY — Utah had little or no Korean presence when Solar Choi moved to Utah in 2004 to attend BYU. However little by little, Solar hopes to alter that.
The 1st step was opening up Utah’s first all-you-can-eat Korean BBQ, Yummy’s Korean BBQ, in Orem. Then got here a second location in West Valley. Three years in the past, Solar additionally started providing Korean lessons out of the eating places and he is at the moment organizing his first group journey to South Korea later this yr.
“After I first got here in 2004, there was nothing like that right here. In order that’s type of my aim is to carry that right here,” Solar stated. “Particularly with the craze with like Korean tradition, Ok-pop and flicks and all that stuff — it is simply been enjoyable sharing our tradition.”
Solar, whose mother and father are from Korea, grew up talking Korean at dwelling. He went on to minor in Korean at BYU and serve a two-year mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Korea. He bought the thought to start out providing Korean lessons in Utah after realizing that there weren’t locations within the state for newcomers to study the language.
“Extra than simply instructing, it is also serving to our college students expertise that tradition,” Solar stated.
His ardour for sharing the tradition is obvious throughout the lessons, the place he throws in recommendations on slang, foreign money trade, meals and extra. In between studying about grammar, one scholar says the recipe Solar shared along with her for seawood soup, often called miyeok guk, turned out nice.
“It is simply enjoyable having the ability to share with them my background, although I am Korean American and I used to be born and raised right here,” Solar stated. “It is simply me having the ability to know the language, the tradition and having the ability to share that with everyone else. I feel it is one of the best factor.”
Solar has labored with dozens of scholars, together with a handful of Korean adoptees. Solar stated this system is an opportunity for them to regain the tradition and language with the last word aim of returning to Korea and discovering their organic mother and father. He at the moment has about 50 college students between Orem and West Valley. The Korean lessons are $150 per thirty days, and tuition contains weekly classes and a Korean lunch with Solar, a month-to-month one-on-one tutoring session with a trainer in Korea and entry to recordings of all of the lessons.
For Katie Lens, a Draper center schooler who’s half Korean, this system has been a possibility to expertise her tradition in a brand new approach.
“My mother is Korean and I simply wished to study it so I may discuss to her and the remainder of my household as nicely,” Lens stated. “Plus I like the tradition.”
Lens’s mom, Carol Lens, stated it has been thrilling to look at her daughter study the language.
“To see her decide up curiosity within the language and a have such an unbelievable useful resource right here with Solar and simply his ardour to share the Korean tradition and language — it is superb,” she stated. “For those who actually simply wish to throw your self in and be dedicated to studying the Korean language, that is unbelievable. I simply really feel so fortunate that we discovered Solar and to know that he does this makes me so comfortable.”
Kim Spencer-Thomas, one other one in all Solar’s college students, stated her curiosity in Korean language and tradition snowballed after she fell in love with Ok-pop. She started lessons in July in preparation for a visit to South Korea later this yr.
“I’ve put a variety of work into it. It isn’t the simplest language. I’ve taken French, Spanish and signal language and Korean is by far a really tough language,” she stated. “However I do really feel prefer it’s fairly enjoyable. Taking Korean is without doubt one of the funnest issues I’ve ever achieved.”
Jodee Steffensen, 70, has been taking lessons since August after making an attempt to study Korean on her personal with on-line programs for a number of months. She’s planning her second journey to South Korea later this yr and hopes to make use of the nation as a base to go to different nations within the area as nicely.
“Asia usually is one thing that, as I used to be rising up, actually wasn’t within the highlight. So it is like this complete new world that is new, completely different, stunning and thrilling,” she stated. “I’d say do not consider age as a barrier if you wish to exit and take a look at one thing new. It is superb how a lot enriched my life is as a result of I discovered one thing new to expertise.”
Extra details about the Korean lessons is offered at connect2korea.subkit.com.