Things I like about Mindpasta

1.  People give hugs.

2.  Learning about KPop songs.  Using the playlist.

3.  Having Korean words incidentally sneak into conversations.  Being able to practice words I’ve learned or look up what a new friend is saying doesn’t feel like studying.

4. Having people to say good morning or good night to.

5.  Photo sharing.  Communicating doesn’t always have to use words.

6.  You can tell your secrets to the Bamboo Forest.

7.  Hearing the voices of people in audio clips.

8.  Connecting with people by playing games.

9.  Mini vocabulary lessons mixed in with games, chats, and music.  Often Korean word is about something that was just mentioned, just in time learning.

10.  Instructions for games use pictures, not words, so understandable no matter what your language may be.

11.  Site is designed for an international audience.

12.  People are friendly.  You can pop in any time and find someone there.

13.  Getting your fortune read.

14.  A community of people to chat with who get references to KDrama andPop.

OK, I am slightly addicted to Mindpasta.

First, there are Ryan (the resident Korean) and Greig (the webmaster) who kindly welcome you in.  Then there is a large group women learning Korean from many different countries.  It is similar to tuning in to a Facebook stream of interesting people who all are fans of Korea.

For learning, I can study the mini grammar lessons, vocabulary, and quizes or practice writing sentences or deciphering the Korean others have written.  I can share with others tidbits I have discovered.  I can learn tidbits from them (like a recipe for sweet red bean paste).

Community

On my language learning journey, I am visiting different websites and interacting with different communities.  Each has it’s own flavor.

1.  Dramabeans is my go to place for Korean Drama talk.  A friendly group of women with a handful of men too.

2.  Interpals is how I made some Korean friends for pen pals and language exchange.  It is a bit of a wild place for the uninitiated.  Many people are there looking for romance, not language exchange, and you must be careful to avoid scammers.  Yet I had very positive experiences and have a handful of very nice Korean men and women I met there that I have kept in touch with for months.

3.  LingQ is a site for the dedicated self-learner.  I get the feeling these are very smart people, the “adults”, whose discussions can lead me to Wikipedia looking up a wide range of intelligent topics such as linguistics, teaching, literature, culture, world affairs, and more.   Lively grammar discussions can break out.  It feels like the kind of conversations I use to have in college.  It is serious and focused.

4.  Mindpasta is a more social place where people are sharing and hanging out together.  It feels like a young crowd. I picture them as Kpop and KDrama fans who are taking a break from studying at college to play a few games with friends.  There are people there my age. I am young enough at heart to fangirl over the Korean variety show Roommates, JYJ’s Hero, or Micky in Rooftop Prince.   Posts are in several languages, although English and Korean are the primary ones I’ve seen.  Mindpasta is simply a lot of fun.

5.  Talk to Me In Korean is a site dedicated to Korean learning.  It has the most Korean content:  videos, audio, text lessons, plus books.  Hyunwoo Sun (선현우), Hyojin An, and the rest of the staff are native Koreans.  Their bright enthusiasm, high energy, and humor have made them a large following.  It is an excellent source for the Korean language learner.

For me, I like having a mix of time spent with the different sites.  I am glad to add Mindpasta to my favorite sites list.

See what Mindpasta looks like

 

 

 

Emoticons in Mindpasta and how to use them
: ) = smile  : ( = sad  – _ – = nervous  _ – _ = updown  < 3 = heart  x D = laugh  : Q _ = spit  : 3 = kiss  : P = tease  + _ + = puss  ㅠ ㅠ ㅠ = cry  – – / = yellow  – – | = red  3 : = kiss1  @ @ @ = oops  ㅎㅓㄹ = hul  O _ O = owl  ~ _ ~ = feelgood  * _ * = mute  = _ = = panda  ; – / = sulk

o ) =  ( o =  O T L =  ~ / =  / ~ =  ( * =  * ) = 

= 3 = =  ~ m =  m ~ =  ) B =  B ( = 
*Notice Use them without space

Cost of games on Mindpasta:

Free – photo, Youtube, Learning Language, Quiz, Book, Todo, bottle, time, Mpedia, vote, write, AvoidPoops, HannaCard, Math, Animated gif,
Pinks: rock/paper/scissors (3), bamboo (1), beg (1), hugs (1), ItsWar (1), whosethere(1), lie detector (1), garden (1),
Greens: fishing (3), darts (3), bread (1), ssori (1)
Emerald: dice (1), catchfly (1), Findchick (1), flagup (3), piCop (1), RunningMushroom (1),
Blue: Angry shark (1), hensvsaliens (1)
Black: Lord of Perfume (1), rat, PandaWar (2)

 

2 ways of searching Mind
1. normal way : it will show minds from every friends here
example : http://mindpasta.com/minds/?query=Korean&x=-802&y=-10&thinker=
2. move to your friend’s page and search mind there : it will show that friend’s minds
example : http://mindpasta.com/minds/?query=Korean&x=-802&y=-10&thinker=ryan