The world is so closed when you're illiterate

I'm learning Hangul, and I plan on having a basic grasp of it within the next couple days, and to be reading (though not understanding, for lack of vocabulary) at a 3rd grade or so level by the end of this week.

It's easy enough once I remember what sounds come from which letters. Each symbol block in a word is a syllable. A lot of Korean menus and signs actually are written as phonetic English in Hangul, so I'll be making my life and ability to acquire vocabulary much easier by learning to read. I'll also get a lot more out of Rosetta Stone.