Studying a language really gives one a sense of a culture. I am a first-generation Korean-American who immigrated to Hawai'i when I was 6. My education started in Hawai'i as a kindergartner. I had no formal education in Korea, and the only Korean I spoke was the limited Korean spoken at home with my siblings and parents. Trying to assimilate into the Hawai'i community by learning English was my top priority, and Korean was put on the back burner.

Being the youngest of four siblings, I was a constant source of entertainment (my brother made sure of that) as I butchered the Korean language.

I decided to study in Korea for cultural enlightenment. I was in Korea for about 10 months during my collegiate years. While studying Korean, I came across a word that encompasses who Koreans are. The word is: woo-ri, which literally means us, our, we.

In the individualistic U.S., we often say, "my family" or "my neighborhood." In Korea, Koreans would say "our family," "our country," "our school," or "our neighborhood." Instead of saying "my mother," Koreans would say "our mother," to collectively show that it's not one sibling's mother but the mother of all the siblings in the family. Even saying something as simple as "my friend" would be more appropriate as "our friend" in group-oriented Korea.

One theory from a Korean professor is that the Korean Peninsula has been invaded by neighboring countries throughout history and thus developed a unified mindset versus individualism. Another theory is that Koreans were farmers, not hunters, so the "woo-ri" culture evolved out of a lifestyle where the harvest is about working together and sharing. Koreans culturally place others before oneself and therefore desire to share. Respect for one another through sharing and therefore "woo-ri" expresses the self as a group versus an individual.

EPISODES 65 AND 66

Tonight at 7: Il-han announces his plan to divorce Michill. Soo-pyo tries to talk Il-han out of it, but he won't listen. Yang-pal tells Seolchill to reconsider her deployment to Iraq. Michill arrives in Chooncheon to start her new job at a clinic.

Tonight at 8: Jongchill takes a day off at her mother's and tells her she now understands her mother-in-law's feelings. She also tells Myong-ja about Chan-soon's relationship with Soo-pyo. Shin-ja drops by the restaurant.

'SURGEON BONG'

EPISODES 5 AND 6

Tomorrow at 7:50 p.m.: Moon-kyong hopes Seung-min gets a brain-dead boy's heart. The ambulance carrying Dal-hee and her patients gets into an accident. Kun-wook is torn with guilt over Seung-min's condition.

Tuesday at 7:50 p.m.: Dal-hee finally performs her first surgery when Dr. Jang falls asleep in the OR. Joong-geun performs a heart transplant. The hospital finds out Seung-min isn't Kun-wook's son.

'QUEEN OF THE GAME'

EPISODES 15 AND 16

Wednesday at 7:50 p.m.: Even with his amnesia, Sin-jeon cannot deny his attraction to Eun-seol and wonders what really happened between them. Eun-seol decides to curb Sin-jeon's feelings by telling him that she plans to marry Pil-seo.

Thursday at 7:50 p.m.: Sin-jeon regains his memory but hides it. He regrets everything that has happened, and asks Pil-seo to give Eun-seol the love he couldn't give her. Sin-jeon also visits Eun-seol's father.

'SNOW FLOWER'

EPISODES 11 AND 12

Friday at 7:50 p.m.: Kang-ae's announcement of retirement sparks media attention. Kang-ae finally gets a physical per Ji-sup's order. Kang-ae plans to take a trip with Dami, but Dami has already made plans to visit her father in Japan.

Saturday at 7:50 p.m.: Dong-woo again proposes marriage to Kang-ae, and Kang-ae tells him she'll seriously consider it. Gun-hee comes back to Japan to meet Dami, and the two finally meet and catch up.