2008년 11월 9일 일요일
Cast Your Vote...
If I could have participated in the U.S. presidential election, I would have voted for Obama. Not only he possesses excellent background, speech skills, intelligence, and experience, but also his skin color will mark a historical time period. I do not want to be considered a racist here, because I am not, but the black population deserve to be compensated and recognized through Obama's election. However, the primary reason will be because of his inspirational spirit. He has the power of grabbing attention and wittly inspire the crowd. While watching a debate he was present in, it made me say "wow... he is indeed a president-worth person." Also, he has the right motivation and purpose to help guide the United States in the right direction.
This I Believe Rewrite
I came across a quote in a magazine I picked up at Target on an ordinary day in 2006, when I was in Rhode Island spending one year with my dad who was on a sabbatical leave at Brown University. The quote was said by the headmaster of Rhode Island School of Design. It made me think for a while, and somehow it lingered in my head. “Study hard, play harder”… Yes, indeed! You have to work hard to be successful, but it is more important to enjoy moments of your life while you may. Over the next few weeks, it slowly became clear to me that I should live my life based on the quote. I believe that I should study hard and play hard to aspire to a satisfying life.
The world today is very competitive; I mean super competitive just like a jungle where animals fight each other for survival. Have you seen Mean Girls? Yeah, I’m talking about the scene at a mall where Lindsay Lohan imagines people as mean and aggressive as animals: explosive, destructive, and savage-like. People these days do whatever it takes to become successful. I swear, if SIS students are given guns and weapons saying that they will be granted 4.0 GPA, they will start shooting each other. Well, they may not. But my point is that SIS students are that desperate to get good grades. In Korea, private institutions hagwons are flourishing throughout the nation. Parents literally make their kids live there whenever they get a bit of break from school. Even my parents signed me up for a full week program of hagwon during the Korean thanksgiving break from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. I am still a teenager whose brain is still fresh and malleable. I need a lot of experiences and fun for proper maturation of my brain. However, teenagers like me are under enormous pressure to study hard and get good grades. Of course, studying hard is a given to have a successful life in the future. Yet, experience also plays a huge role in making a life successful.
On that week of the Korean Thanksgiving break, regardless of the stressful schedule, I met up with my friends for dinner, shopping, and relaxation, managing the stress level. I would suffer through the first half of the day and run to Apgujung Rodeo to meet my friends, then complain and gossip away my stress. My point is, for motivation, it is important to relieve stress by having fun. Hence, while studying there must be a balance in enjoying life. However, enjoying too much will disrupt studying. The balance between studying and having fun, as I like to put it, should be aware of.
So, study HARD during the school days and release stress on Friday nights. That way, there will be no regrets when looking back to the past. If the balance does not maintain, there will be disappointments and discontents. I guess another way to state this quote is "live life to the fullest, without regrets." To me, two important things for high school students are “studying” and "enriching." In such a critical time period that will shape our future, grades and experience will pave the way of lives and determine personalities. I am going to study hard, in order to seek success and not to disappoint my parents, while seeking every excitement I can get from my life.
The world today is very competitive; I mean super competitive just like a jungle where animals fight each other for survival. Have you seen Mean Girls? Yeah, I’m talking about the scene at a mall where Lindsay Lohan imagines people as mean and aggressive as animals: explosive, destructive, and savage-like. People these days do whatever it takes to become successful. I swear, if SIS students are given guns and weapons saying that they will be granted 4.0 GPA, they will start shooting each other. Well, they may not. But my point is that SIS students are that desperate to get good grades. In Korea, private institutions hagwons are flourishing throughout the nation. Parents literally make their kids live there whenever they get a bit of break from school. Even my parents signed me up for a full week program of hagwon during the Korean thanksgiving break from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. I am still a teenager whose brain is still fresh and malleable. I need a lot of experiences and fun for proper maturation of my brain. However, teenagers like me are under enormous pressure to study hard and get good grades. Of course, studying hard is a given to have a successful life in the future. Yet, experience also plays a huge role in making a life successful.
On that week of the Korean Thanksgiving break, regardless of the stressful schedule, I met up with my friends for dinner, shopping, and relaxation, managing the stress level. I would suffer through the first half of the day and run to Apgujung Rodeo to meet my friends, then complain and gossip away my stress. My point is, for motivation, it is important to relieve stress by having fun. Hence, while studying there must be a balance in enjoying life. However, enjoying too much will disrupt studying. The balance between studying and having fun, as I like to put it, should be aware of.
So, study HARD during the school days and release stress on Friday nights. That way, there will be no regrets when looking back to the past. If the balance does not maintain, there will be disappointments and discontents. I guess another way to state this quote is "live life to the fullest, without regrets." To me, two important things for high school students are “studying” and "enriching." In such a critical time period that will shape our future, grades and experience will pave the way of lives and determine personalities. I am going to study hard, in order to seek success and not to disappoint my parents, while seeking every excitement I can get from my life.
2008년 10월 20일 월요일
Why Dress?
Sadly, appearance is a big part of what and how people define each other. Even if one may have the nicest personality, if he or she has a rough appearance, most people will be reluctant to speak to him or her. Following this topic is the standardized mind sets of the people in the society. One is expected to dress appropriately according to the events; one is expected to have “quiet” appearance to school, formal appearance at work, “fun” appearance at concerts, and so on. Hence, because society has created what is called “normal looks,” or narrow views of the people, people live each day modifying their appearances.
As a product of the society, even I gasp at people who dress “outrageously.” I would think to myself, ‘is that person not afraid of what other will say?’ Because appearance delivers strong impressions and messages, people often judge each other based on it; appearance speaks one’s identity. I dress not only because I simply enjoy it, but also because I do not want extra attention that may cause others to think or judge my identity incorrectly. Although one may claim that he or she is not afraid of what others think of them, in the end everyone is ought to care about it since it will provide as the source of his or her perceived views of identity. Why is it such a big deal to impress the correct identity? It is because of how people treat each other based upon it. Identity greatly influences how one is going to behave.
People modify appearances to reflect accurate identity they want to portray. As the society evolved, it became a place where people choose how to treat each other based on appearances and identities. Also, as the range of “acceptance” became narrow, people adjusted to be treated as what they deserve.
As a product of the society, even I gasp at people who dress “outrageously.” I would think to myself, ‘is that person not afraid of what other will say?’ Because appearance delivers strong impressions and messages, people often judge each other based on it; appearance speaks one’s identity. I dress not only because I simply enjoy it, but also because I do not want extra attention that may cause others to think or judge my identity incorrectly. Although one may claim that he or she is not afraid of what others think of them, in the end everyone is ought to care about it since it will provide as the source of his or her perceived views of identity. Why is it such a big deal to impress the correct identity? It is because of how people treat each other based upon it. Identity greatly influences how one is going to behave.
People modify appearances to reflect accurate identity they want to portray. As the society evolved, it became a place where people choose how to treat each other based on appearances and identities. Also, as the range of “acceptance” became narrow, people adjusted to be treated as what they deserve.
2008년 10월 14일 화요일
This I Believe: Study Hard, Play Harder
I came across this quote in a magazine I picked up at Target on an ordinary day in 2006, when I was in Rhode Island spending one year with my dad who was on a sabbatical leave at Brown University. The quote was said by the headmaster of Rhode Island School of Design. It made me think for a while, and somehow it lingered in my head. “Study hard, play harder”… Yes, indeed! You have to work hard to be successful, but it is more important to enjoy moments of your life while you may. Over the next few weeks, it slowly became clear to me that I should live my life based on the quote. From then, I believed that I should study hard, and play harder to seek a satisfying life.
The world today is very competitive; I mean super competitive just like a jungle where animals fight each other for survival. Have you seen Mean Girls? Yeah, I’m talking about the scene at a mall where Lindsay Lohan imagines people as mean and aggressive as animals: explosive, destructive, and savage-like. People these days would do whatever it takes to become successful. I swear, if SIS students were given guns and weapons with the words that we will be granted 4.0 GPA, they will start shooting each other. Well, they may not. But my point is that SIS students are that desperate to get good grades. In Korea, private institutions, so called hagwons, are flourishing throughout the nation. Parents would literally make their kids live there whenever they get a bit of break from school. Even my parents signed me up for a full week program of hakwon during the Korean thanksgiving break from 9 A.M. until 4 P.M. We are little teenagers whose brains are still fresh and malleable. We need a lot of experiences and fun for proper maturation of our brains. However, we are under enormous pressure to study hard and get good grades. Of course, one better study hard to have a successful life in the future. Yet, experience also plays a huge role in making one’s life successful. Additionally, for one to be motivated, it is important to relieve stress by having fun. Hence, whilst studying, one should know how to enjoy life. Enjoying too much will disrupt your studying nonetheless. One should know how to balance between studying and having fun, as I like to put it.
So, study HARD during the school days and play CRAZY on Friday nights. That way, you will have no regrets when looking back to your past. If you do not study hard, you will definitely be disappointed and discontent. But if you only study alienating yourself from the wonderful land of excitement, your life will be miserable. I guess another way to state this quote is "live life to the fullest, without regrets." To me, two important things for high school students are “studying” and "enrichments." We are in the critical time period that will shape our future; our grades and experience will pave the pathway of our lives and set our personalities. I am going to study hard, in order to seek success and not to disappoint my parents, whilst seeking every excitement I can get from my life.
The world today is very competitive; I mean super competitive just like a jungle where animals fight each other for survival. Have you seen Mean Girls? Yeah, I’m talking about the scene at a mall where Lindsay Lohan imagines people as mean and aggressive as animals: explosive, destructive, and savage-like. People these days would do whatever it takes to become successful. I swear, if SIS students were given guns and weapons with the words that we will be granted 4.0 GPA, they will start shooting each other. Well, they may not. But my point is that SIS students are that desperate to get good grades. In Korea, private institutions, so called hagwons, are flourishing throughout the nation. Parents would literally make their kids live there whenever they get a bit of break from school. Even my parents signed me up for a full week program of hakwon during the Korean thanksgiving break from 9 A.M. until 4 P.M. We are little teenagers whose brains are still fresh and malleable. We need a lot of experiences and fun for proper maturation of our brains. However, we are under enormous pressure to study hard and get good grades. Of course, one better study hard to have a successful life in the future. Yet, experience also plays a huge role in making one’s life successful. Additionally, for one to be motivated, it is important to relieve stress by having fun. Hence, whilst studying, one should know how to enjoy life. Enjoying too much will disrupt your studying nonetheless. One should know how to balance between studying and having fun, as I like to put it.
So, study HARD during the school days and play CRAZY on Friday nights. That way, you will have no regrets when looking back to your past. If you do not study hard, you will definitely be disappointed and discontent. But if you only study alienating yourself from the wonderful land of excitement, your life will be miserable. I guess another way to state this quote is "live life to the fullest, without regrets." To me, two important things for high school students are “studying” and "enrichments." We are in the critical time period that will shape our future; our grades and experience will pave the pathway of our lives and set our personalities. I am going to study hard, in order to seek success and not to disappoint my parents, whilst seeking every excitement I can get from my life.
2008년 10월 12일 일요일
44% of Korean Ivy League Students Quit Course Halfway
1. I was not surprised by the article at all. My parents and I often talk about how rigorous and blind Korean parents are. They work their children like machines, sending them to hagwons at every chance they get.
2. I never heard of such case where students drop out However, I did hear a lot of cases where students were not doing so good. Usually they had hard time managing the work load since they’ve been trained to do everything so perfect, they couldn’t handle all the work given.
3. I believe the problem is the mind sets of the Korean parents. They OVER work them to the point where they wear out by the time they reach college. Also, because they send their children to hagwons makes the children’s studying habits very dependable; they can not manage to understand and study independently in a given time. However, the fact that they are too worn out is indeed the biggest problem.
4. Participating in extracurricular activities enriches one’s mind and allows one to have a well circulating social life. It broadens one’s point of view and reduces stress. Overall,
having some time off from studying helps one to take a step back and open up for other aspects of life.
5. Likewise as I mentioned in number 4, studying can interfere with the one’s views on other aspects of life. He/she will have poor socializing skills and will have high level of stress which will definitely affect his/her behavior.
6. Whilst studying hard, one should know how to get out of the studying mode. He/she should have experiences in diverse activities which will ensure them to have an open mind and views. Studying too hard may be the longest way to reach success. Hence, Korean parents should learn to know the balance of studying and other activities that will lead them to success.
2. I never heard of such case where students drop out However, I did hear a lot of cases where students were not doing so good. Usually they had hard time managing the work load since they’ve been trained to do everything so perfect, they couldn’t handle all the work given.
3. I believe the problem is the mind sets of the Korean parents. They OVER work them to the point where they wear out by the time they reach college. Also, because they send their children to hagwons makes the children’s studying habits very dependable; they can not manage to understand and study independently in a given time. However, the fact that they are too worn out is indeed the biggest problem.
4. Participating in extracurricular activities enriches one’s mind and allows one to have a well circulating social life. It broadens one’s point of view and reduces stress. Overall,
having some time off from studying helps one to take a step back and open up for other aspects of life.
5. Likewise as I mentioned in number 4, studying can interfere with the one’s views on other aspects of life. He/she will have poor socializing skills and will have high level of stress which will definitely affect his/her behavior.
6. Whilst studying hard, one should know how to get out of the studying mode. He/she should have experiences in diverse activities which will ensure them to have an open mind and views. Studying too hard may be the longest way to reach success. Hence, Korean parents should learn to know the balance of studying and other activities that will lead them to success.
Fiction 59: time is ticking
'Flip flip... Punch punch," the room was filled with sounds of students flipping away pages and punching numbers in calculators. Anxiety, suspense, timorous... This was the moment they have studied for months. 'Tick tock," regardless of their feelings, the ignorant clock wept through a cycle around. A moment later, I heard the proctor call the time, "all pencils down!"
2008년 10월 9일 목요일
Fiction 59: Mood
As i walked into the classroom, I felt the sudden change of atmosphere; the room was tensed up. "Haha... What's everyone up to?" I nervously tried to uplife the mood. Yet, the only response I got was frightened looks. "Okay, what the heck is going on? Oh snap..." I instantly froze when I saw the gun on the floor.
2008년 10월 5일 일요일
Grammar
Writing is something that we encounter until the end of our lives. Whether it is just simply writing a letter to a friend, or writing a journal, or even writing a report for a class, it is inevitable to avoid writing. Thus, it is crucial to have a solid fundamental--grammar. However, even after years and years of learning about grammar, some topics are hard to master. The topics are: commas, verb tenses, and prepositions, at least for me. When writing a paper, I easily get verb tenses and prepostitions mixed up, resulting in a confusing essay; the sentences become awkward, and not flowy. Additionally, the incorrect use of commas add to the poor sentence fluency. Hence, in order to successfully deliever my thoughts effectively through out my life, I believe I should work on being able to write sentences that flow well. In other words, improve my ability to use appropriate commas, verb tenses, and prepositions.
2008년 8월 26일 화요일
High/low Comedy
High Comedy: Comedy of a sophisticated and witty nature, often satirizing genteel society.
Low Comedy: Comedy characterized by slapstick, burlesque, and horseplay.
"few of the many examples of low comedy in Shakespeare are: the porter scene in Macbeth, Launcelot scene in As You Like It, and the Trinculo-Stephano-Caliban scene in The Tempest. The famous Falstaff scenes in King Henry the Fourth are examples of how Shakespeare could lift low comedy into pure comedy by stressing the human elements of character and by infusing an intellectual content into what might otherwise be buffoonery. "
http://www.dbu.edu/mitchell/comedydi.htm#Low%20Comedy:
Low Comedy: Comedy characterized by slapstick, burlesque, and horseplay.
"few of the many examples of low comedy in Shakespeare are: the porter scene in Macbeth, Launcelot scene in As You Like It, and the Trinculo-Stephano-Caliban scene in The Tempest. The famous Falstaff scenes in King Henry the Fourth are examples of how Shakespeare could lift low comedy into pure comedy by stressing the human elements of character and by infusing an intellectual content into what might otherwise be buffoonery. "
http://www.dbu.edu/mitchell/comedydi.htm#Low%20Comedy:
2008년 8월 24일 일요일
Is Jon Stewart the Most Trusted Man in America?
1. Comedy is a dramatic performance that provides pleasure and humor, where the performance can come in many different forms. Stewart claims that his primary role is that of a comedian because he believes "comedy [is] a kinda of catharsis machine, a therapeutic filter for grappling with upsetting issues." The Daily Show is different from other comedy shows in that it serves other serious purposes other than to make people laugh. "Speaking thruth to power in blunt, somtimes profane language, while using satire and playful looniness to ensure that their political analysis never becomes solemn or pretentious." The show not only provides laughters, but also contribute to the society by discussing current issues.
2. "...it's really a gathering of curmudgeons expressing frusturation and upset..."
Curmudgeons: a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person.
When Mr.Stewart was explaining how the offices for the Daily Show is run, he describes the morning meeting as a gathering of cantakerous people. I have never seen this word before in my life. I think word choice is one of the most crucial factor in building an effective speech. Even though Mr.Stewart may not say much, by utilizing decorative and creative words like Curmundgeons, he is able to speak persuasively, easily grabbing the listeners or readers' attentions.
http://jaggedsmile.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/curmudgeons.jpg
tongue-in-cheek-measure
bloviation fests
cognitive dissonance has become a national epidemic
throwing spitballs
looniness
grist for the funny mill
delve into
loftlike space
curmudgeons
colonoscopy
Carsonesque
high-frequency radar for hypocrisy
parsing the foibles
eviscerations
emperor has no clothes
bifocals
trendy hipsterism
hog-stomping Baroque
a hewing process
Aesopian logic and fury
overwrought speech of a shaken host
abscess
make wisecracks
grappling
sweat equity
2. "...it's really a gathering of curmudgeons expressing frusturation and upset..."
Curmudgeons: a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person.
When Mr.Stewart was explaining how the offices for the Daily Show is run, he describes the morning meeting as a gathering of cantakerous people. I have never seen this word before in my life. I think word choice is one of the most crucial factor in building an effective speech. Even though Mr.Stewart may not say much, by utilizing decorative and creative words like Curmundgeons, he is able to speak persuasively, easily grabbing the listeners or readers' attentions.
http://jaggedsmile.files.wordpress.com/2008/01/curmudgeons.jpg
tongue-in-cheek-measure
bloviation fests
cognitive dissonance has become a national epidemic
throwing spitballs
looniness
grist for the funny mill
delve into
loftlike space
curmudgeons
colonoscopy
Carsonesque
high-frequency radar for hypocrisy
parsing the foibles
eviscerations
emperor has no clothes
bifocals
trendy hipsterism
hog-stomping Baroque
a hewing process
Aesopian logic and fury
overwrought speech of a shaken host
abscess
make wisecracks
grappling
sweat equity
2008년 8월 18일 월요일
Haiku Autobiography 2
Arthur came running towards me, out of breathe. He was trying to explain something but I couldn't make sense out of the things he was spitting out, "He...CAR!!!...Jasmine." I assumed he was playing another stupid joke on me and simply walked away. Then Mike popped out and said the same thing, "He...CAR!!!...Jasmine." Unable to hold my patience any longer, I exploded on the street. Moments later my eyes suddenly opened. "Oh, it was just another stupid dream." Everyday I dream of pointless things and wonder if it has to do anything with my life. What does it mean?
Haiku Autobiography
"Mine!!!!!!!!" Julie screamed from the right side of the court. She bumped up the ball, and it slowly fell my direction. I let Tiffany know that I will set for her to hit. 'I am going to make this work,' I thought to myself. Few moments later, the ball was on the other side of the net and we were jumping up and down with joy. But before we were ready, another ball vigorously attacked us. Once again we beautifully pull it off. At the end of the practice, we were drenched in sweat. Yet, we were smiling of satisfaction.
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