On Language ...

We have been learning basic language, but I haven't retained much beyond "Hello" (an nyong ha se yo) and "Thank you" (kam sam ni da).

There are many sounds that exist in the Korean language that sound the same to our American ears, but are very different to a Korean. The reverse is true as well. For example, Koreans don't hear the difference between our "r" sound and "l" sound. Which explains why rice may be pronounced "lice", and our tour guide told us we were staying at a Lamada hotel, when it was actually the Ramada. There are 2 cities very near each other, Chungju and Cheongju. They both sound the same to me, and I have no idea which one we actually stayed in.

Also, the "Romanization" of Korean words can be done in different ways. One way of writing a Korean word is done to make it easier for a Korean. The other way is to make it easier for an English speaker to recognize. This explains why on our itinerary we are staying in Kyungju, but my Lonely Planet book calls it Gyeongju.

It's all clear as mud.