Monday, December 7, 2009
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Essay on Abortion
Okay, so a few months ago my biology teacher asked me to write this essay on abortion. Man it took me a whole freakin Sunday to do it!! Of course I spent like 2/3 of it creeping around in Youtube, but it was tiring anyhow. As you can see, not many 'real' ideas are included actually - I just used the thesaurus to make it seem longer and more text-book like.
In today’s world of vast scientific development, abortion, or pregnancy termination, has become a prevalent method used by women. Typically, an abortion is conducted after the deliberation of the mother; if she feels physically or socially unable to continue her pregnancy, she chooses to bring an end to it. So why, with much confusion I wonder, is it a topic of such social controversy? Of course, the mother would have to face dire consequences for it, mostly mental traumas. However, I strongly oppose to banning abortion for two reasons; violation of the mother’s right to decide, and the predictable increase of illegal and unsafe abortions.
First of all, whether an abortion is detrimental to the woman or not, it is ultimately the mother herself who chooses to have it. And, as mentioned above, choosing to have an abortion is undoubtedly not an impulsive decision; she would have been through many ponderous self-debates. So why is it hard to conclude that she has made the best decision for herself? How do others get to decide for her? She is the one who would be going through the actual labor of continuing pregnancy, delivering a baby, bringing it up well, and other obligations unnecessary to mention. If she feels she’s not ready to carry on those things, it would only be fair to respect her decision. The government should not violate one’s right to decide nor be in control of her body.
Second, legal or not, abortions have been, and always will be a part of society. Therefore restricting it would only increase the rate of illegal, unsafe abortions, which could afflict the woman’s health more severely. A new law would be needed to tackle such illegal abortions and further legal hassles would be endless. If abolishing it is out of the option, why illegalize it and yield additional consequences, when legalizing it will provide safe and more reliable procedures? Banning abortion would only manifest the current government’s defects in implementing a new law, and be a futile waste of national finance.
Of course, when taking abortion as an option, a woman has to get past the possibility of some serious consequences. Infection, sepsis, recurrent miscarriages and rarely death could be the complications of abortions. Most of all, the woman would face major psychological damage from the experience, such as depression. However, as said above, the woman will probably take all of this into account while deliberating before deciding; it is her free will. In addition, banning it will rather increase the threat of such physical outcomes, as could be deduced from the increase of illegal, unsafe procedures. As for the psychological traumas, well, delivering the baby or carrying the burden of raising it could be equally as traumatic; we, as outsiders, never know.
All in all, I strongly suggest that abortion should not be banned. I repeatedly tout that aborting a baby is undeniably a choice of the mother herself, and abortions will continue to be conducted regardless of the government’s effort to annihilate it. It’s difficult to understand why abortion is causing such a dispute when there are countless numbers of children worldwide living in poverty, famine, and under environments where they could develop an attraction towards crime, warfare, etc. Wouldn't it be much more practical to support and help these kids instead of using up our valuable time to debate on such a meaningless matter?
In today’s world of vast scientific development, abortion, or pregnancy termination, has become a prevalent method used by women. Typically, an abortion is conducted after the deliberation of the mother; if she feels physically or socially unable to continue her pregnancy, she chooses to bring an end to it. So why, with much confusion I wonder, is it a topic of such social controversy? Of course, the mother would have to face dire consequences for it, mostly mental traumas. However, I strongly oppose to banning abortion for two reasons; violation of the mother’s right to decide, and the predictable increase of illegal and unsafe abortions.
First of all, whether an abortion is detrimental to the woman or not, it is ultimately the mother herself who chooses to have it. And, as mentioned above, choosing to have an abortion is undoubtedly not an impulsive decision; she would have been through many ponderous self-debates. So why is it hard to conclude that she has made the best decision for herself? How do others get to decide for her? She is the one who would be going through the actual labor of continuing pregnancy, delivering a baby, bringing it up well, and other obligations unnecessary to mention. If she feels she’s not ready to carry on those things, it would only be fair to respect her decision. The government should not violate one’s right to decide nor be in control of her body.
Second, legal or not, abortions have been, and always will be a part of society. Therefore restricting it would only increase the rate of illegal, unsafe abortions, which could afflict the woman’s health more severely. A new law would be needed to tackle such illegal abortions and further legal hassles would be endless. If abolishing it is out of the option, why illegalize it and yield additional consequences, when legalizing it will provide safe and more reliable procedures? Banning abortion would only manifest the current government’s defects in implementing a new law, and be a futile waste of national finance.
Of course, when taking abortion as an option, a woman has to get past the possibility of some serious consequences. Infection, sepsis, recurrent miscarriages and rarely death could be the complications of abortions. Most of all, the woman would face major psychological damage from the experience, such as depression. However, as said above, the woman will probably take all of this into account while deliberating before deciding; it is her free will. In addition, banning it will rather increase the threat of such physical outcomes, as could be deduced from the increase of illegal, unsafe procedures. As for the psychological traumas, well, delivering the baby or carrying the burden of raising it could be equally as traumatic; we, as outsiders, never know.
All in all, I strongly suggest that abortion should not be banned. I repeatedly tout that aborting a baby is undeniably a choice of the mother herself, and abortions will continue to be conducted regardless of the government’s effort to annihilate it. It’s difficult to understand why abortion is causing such a dispute when there are countless numbers of children worldwide living in poverty, famine, and under environments where they could develop an attraction towards crime, warfare, etc. Wouldn't it be much more practical to support and help these kids instead of using up our valuable time to debate on such a meaningless matter?
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Book Report on Tuesdays with Morrie
Title: Tuesdays with Morrie
Author: Mitch Albom
Publisher: Anchor Books
Year: 1997
Volcabularies:
1. inexplicably: incapable of being accounted for or explained
2. insidious: operating or proceeding in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect
3. dab: to pat or tap gently, as with something soft or moist
4. aphorism: a terse saying embodying a general truth, or astute observation
5. congestion: an excessive or abnormal accumulation of blood or other fluid in a body part or blood vessel
6. replenish: to make full or complete again, as by supplying what is lacking, used up, etc.
7. audiovisual: of, pertaining to, involving, or directed at both hearing and sight
Comments:
Before the school made it mandatory for us to read this book, I had vaguely heard of its existence and had an abstact image of what it might be like. Well, my prediction had been correct; it was another one of those books about the true meaning of life, death, fame, money, friendship, love, and all the things considered to be lacking in today's society. But because I had not had the chance to actually encounter books like these(or, for that matter, any english book since I entered high school) I was eager to start turning the pages.
In the book, Mitch Albom, a successful sports journalist bumps into his old sociology proffessor(Morrie) on TV, who was dying from Lou Gehrig's disease. He realizes that he has not contacted Morrie for sixteen years and visits him. The two arrange to meet on Tuesdays, on which they will have oral lessons on the topics mentioned above. On each lesson they have Morrie expresses his views towards life as a dying man, and through this Mitch discovers he had changed into an adulterated work-a-holic. He rediscovers his proffessor and tries hard to take in his aphorisms. However, Morrie's disease eventually takes over and he dies towards the end. The book is based on a true story.
To my surprise, focusing deeply on the book was easy, regarding that the only time I could split up to spend reading it was between the long bus rides between home and hakwon. I at once felt content with Morrie, especially with his views toward emotions. This is because I consider myself quite an emotional person, and his lessons gave me tips on how to deal with my own problems. For instance, I read that it is important to 'detatch' oneself from emotions, and how we do that is by fully diving into it. A few days after reading this, I was feeling tremendous jealousy towards an aquaintance and decided to use this lesson to get over it. While I would have just held back and swallowed it before, I let it get me deeper and deeper. After I thought I had understood what jealousy feels like, I slowly was able to detach myself from the emotion. From that day on I have always used this detaching techique whenever I confronted an emotional problem. I felt that Morrie, in his shriveling body, contained knowledge that could be used among everybody.
Also, Morrie's lesson on marriage left me thinking for a while. The fact that it is not surprising to find people rush into marriage and get divorced some 6 months later perked up one short but strong question; What would my marriage be like? Would I be one of those people, or, like Morrie, get engaged in a true marriage where I would feel how important a loved one is?
I believe that what today's people lack the most is love. Not something that starts and ends quick and leaves nothing but a list that reads 'sum of money I wasted on him/her', but real love. Love that requires a lot of respect. Love that gives you a lesson. Love that one can depend on when he's on his dying bed. And, I profoundly felt that I want to have that when I myself get engaged in marriage years later.
All in all, reading Tuesdays with Morrie was an experience like no other. I found out that this was actually a document on a real happening, and searched on Youtube the Nightline show Morrie appeared on right away. After looking through all of the nine videos, I felt that I had learned a life-time lesson on everything. I recommend this book to anybody who feels he/she could use up some time to relax and think.
Author: Mitch Albom
Publisher: Anchor Books
Year: 1997
Volcabularies:
1. inexplicably: incapable of being accounted for or explained
2. insidious: operating or proceeding in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect
3. dab: to pat or tap gently, as with something soft or moist
4. aphorism: a terse saying embodying a general truth, or astute observation
5. congestion: an excessive or abnormal accumulation of blood or other fluid in a body part or blood vessel
6. replenish: to make full or complete again, as by supplying what is lacking, used up, etc.
7. audiovisual: of, pertaining to, involving, or directed at both hearing and sight
Comments:
Before the school made it mandatory for us to read this book, I had vaguely heard of its existence and had an abstact image of what it might be like. Well, my prediction had been correct; it was another one of those books about the true meaning of life, death, fame, money, friendship, love, and all the things considered to be lacking in today's society. But because I had not had the chance to actually encounter books like these(or, for that matter, any english book since I entered high school) I was eager to start turning the pages.
In the book, Mitch Albom, a successful sports journalist bumps into his old sociology proffessor(Morrie) on TV, who was dying from Lou Gehrig's disease. He realizes that he has not contacted Morrie for sixteen years and visits him. The two arrange to meet on Tuesdays, on which they will have oral lessons on the topics mentioned above. On each lesson they have Morrie expresses his views towards life as a dying man, and through this Mitch discovers he had changed into an adulterated work-a-holic. He rediscovers his proffessor and tries hard to take in his aphorisms. However, Morrie's disease eventually takes over and he dies towards the end. The book is based on a true story.
To my surprise, focusing deeply on the book was easy, regarding that the only time I could split up to spend reading it was between the long bus rides between home and hakwon. I at once felt content with Morrie, especially with his views toward emotions. This is because I consider myself quite an emotional person, and his lessons gave me tips on how to deal with my own problems. For instance, I read that it is important to 'detatch' oneself from emotions, and how we do that is by fully diving into it. A few days after reading this, I was feeling tremendous jealousy towards an aquaintance and decided to use this lesson to get over it. While I would have just held back and swallowed it before, I let it get me deeper and deeper. After I thought I had understood what jealousy feels like, I slowly was able to detach myself from the emotion. From that day on I have always used this detaching techique whenever I confronted an emotional problem. I felt that Morrie, in his shriveling body, contained knowledge that could be used among everybody.
Also, Morrie's lesson on marriage left me thinking for a while. The fact that it is not surprising to find people rush into marriage and get divorced some 6 months later perked up one short but strong question; What would my marriage be like? Would I be one of those people, or, like Morrie, get engaged in a true marriage where I would feel how important a loved one is?
I believe that what today's people lack the most is love. Not something that starts and ends quick and leaves nothing but a list that reads 'sum of money I wasted on him/her', but real love. Love that requires a lot of respect. Love that gives you a lesson. Love that one can depend on when he's on his dying bed. And, I profoundly felt that I want to have that when I myself get engaged in marriage years later.
All in all, reading Tuesdays with Morrie was an experience like no other. I found out that this was actually a document on a real happening, and searched on Youtube the Nightline show Morrie appeared on right away. After looking through all of the nine videos, I felt that I had learned a life-time lesson on everything. I recommend this book to anybody who feels he/she could use up some time to relax and think.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Been So Long
Woah......... It's been like 2 months since I posted my last 'post'. What happened to the vow I took(to write freely on this blog at least once a week)? Gotta work up.
The reason I suddenly decided to write again after all these days is because I have something really important to say.
Man, do I feel proud!
You see it's summer vacation and I had nothing do to, literally, so I decided to check out my blog. You know, look at all the good comments, smile, look at the bad comments, contact the people who wrote the bad comments, pay them back, smile, and so on. I was then looking through the posts I had written ........... when I bumped into the post in which I temper-tantrumed about how much homework we were given. As I read what I wrote about several weeks ago, I couldn't help but notice that although I had described the amount of our tasks as something against any logical reasoning, I ultimately succeeded in doing them!! In Time!! To have realized this was astonishing and I suddenly became overwhelmed with self esteem.
When I think of it now, I think I was apprehensive about everything at that time. Now I know that every complaint I spat out, every curse I put on our school was nothing but an excuse to let myself think I was behind others. I am no different from anybody who comes to our school; therefore why should I be the one to express what everybody feels inside out loud? I am so ready for the second semester. The challenges I will face in a few weeks will be no different from the ones I faced months before, so I think I'll be able to handle them more efficiently.
However...........(gulp)....... it is true that I am a bit concerned about myself. Man, everybody, and I do mean EVERYBODY, seems to be studying. I have always recognized "Vacation" as a "Period of relaxation and preparation", but emphasized on the "relaxation" part more than anything else. Conversely, everyone else seems to think differently. I feel unspeakable inferiority towards them.... Oh well. If anything bad happens, it's my fault, so I shouldn't complain. Best wishes to everyone who worked hard these past few months.
The reason I suddenly decided to write again after all these days is because I have something really important to say.
Man, do I feel proud!
You see it's summer vacation and I had nothing do to, literally, so I decided to check out my blog. You know, look at all the good comments, smile, look at the bad comments, contact the people who wrote the bad comments, pay them back, smile, and so on. I was then looking through the posts I had written ........... when I bumped into the post in which I temper-tantrumed about how much homework we were given. As I read what I wrote about several weeks ago, I couldn't help but notice that although I had described the amount of our tasks as something against any logical reasoning, I ultimately succeeded in doing them!! In Time!! To have realized this was astonishing and I suddenly became overwhelmed with self esteem.
When I think of it now, I think I was apprehensive about everything at that time. Now I know that every complaint I spat out, every curse I put on our school was nothing but an excuse to let myself think I was behind others. I am no different from anybody who comes to our school; therefore why should I be the one to express what everybody feels inside out loud? I am so ready for the second semester. The challenges I will face in a few weeks will be no different from the ones I faced months before, so I think I'll be able to handle them more efficiently.
However...........(gulp)....... it is true that I am a bit concerned about myself. Man, everybody, and I do mean EVERYBODY, seems to be studying. I have always recognized "Vacation" as a "Period of relaxation and preparation", but emphasized on the "relaxation" part more than anything else. Conversely, everyone else seems to think differently. I feel unspeakable inferiority towards them.... Oh well. If anything bad happens, it's my fault, so I shouldn't complain. Best wishes to everyone who worked hard these past few months.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Book Report 2
Title: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 3/4
Author: Sue Townsend
Publisher & Year: 도솔, 초판발행 1990. 2. 12.
Vocabularies -
1. consolation - the act of consoling; comfort; solace.
2. introspection - observation or examination of one's own mental and emotional state, mental processes, etc.; the act of looking within oneself.
3. slopping - to be unduly effusive or sentimental; gush (usually fol. by over).
4. malingerer - to pretend illness, esp. in order to shirk one's duty, avoid work, etc.
5. diabolical - having the qualities of a devil; devilish; fiendish; outrageously wicked
and many, many more.....
Summary:
Adrian Mole is a troubled adolecent. He is bullied at school, his parents don't care for him, has skin problems, has to take care of a bitter old man, his dog causes trouble, and is heartbroke. He even experiences being a one parent child, and at one point was so poor that his phone got cut off. However, aside from all these things he believes himself to be an intellectual. He would read as many books as he can to increase his knowledge, and frequently write poems to cultivate his sentimental abilities. Although this boy goes through rough times, most of the things turn out well in the end(his mother comes back to his father, his father gets a job, he succeeds in becoming lovers with Pandora, befriends Bert Baxter the grubby old guy, etc.).
Comment:
Unlike all the other books we were forced to read, this one was actually fun. This is probably because the speaker is around the same age as me, and of his problems are almost the same as mine. I nodded in agreement to almost everything he would list in diary and felt relieved when things turned out to be good at the end.
Out of all the happenings in this book, there were some parts that I expecially liked such as when he protested against the school for its dress code regarding socks, when his father and mother reunited, and when Bert Baxter got married. However, I have to say that my favorite scene of the whole book was when Adrian hang out with Pandora. Judging from the things he said, Pandora is the beauty queen of his school. Usually this kind of people do not hang out with geeks like Adrian, but somehow he got to strike up a relationship with her. This proved that Adrian is not a complete loser afterall, and might have encouraged every male-reader who thinks he's a nerd to not lose courage.
I heard that there are some sequels to this book. I'll give them a try when I have time(I don't know when that will be, or if it will even exist).
Author: Sue Townsend
Publisher & Year: 도솔, 초판발행 1990. 2. 12.
Vocabularies -
1. consolation - the act of consoling; comfort; solace.
2. introspection - observation or examination of one's own mental and emotional state, mental processes, etc.; the act of looking within oneself.
3. slopping - to be unduly effusive or sentimental; gush (usually fol. by over).
4. malingerer - to pretend illness, esp. in order to shirk one's duty, avoid work, etc.
5. diabolical - having the qualities of a devil; devilish; fiendish; outrageously wicked
and many, many more.....
Summary:
Adrian Mole is a troubled adolecent. He is bullied at school, his parents don't care for him, has skin problems, has to take care of a bitter old man, his dog causes trouble, and is heartbroke. He even experiences being a one parent child, and at one point was so poor that his phone got cut off. However, aside from all these things he believes himself to be an intellectual. He would read as many books as he can to increase his knowledge, and frequently write poems to cultivate his sentimental abilities. Although this boy goes through rough times, most of the things turn out well in the end(his mother comes back to his father, his father gets a job, he succeeds in becoming lovers with Pandora, befriends Bert Baxter the grubby old guy, etc.).
Comment:
Unlike all the other books we were forced to read, this one was actually fun. This is probably because the speaker is around the same age as me, and of his problems are almost the same as mine. I nodded in agreement to almost everything he would list in diary and felt relieved when things turned out to be good at the end.
Out of all the happenings in this book, there were some parts that I expecially liked such as when he protested against the school for its dress code regarding socks, when his father and mother reunited, and when Bert Baxter got married. However, I have to say that my favorite scene of the whole book was when Adrian hang out with Pandora. Judging from the things he said, Pandora is the beauty queen of his school. Usually this kind of people do not hang out with geeks like Adrian, but somehow he got to strike up a relationship with her. This proved that Adrian is not a complete loser afterall, and might have encouraged every male-reader who thinks he's a nerd to not lose courage.
I heard that there are some sequels to this book. I'll give them a try when I have time(I don't know when that will be, or if it will even exist).
Friday, June 5, 2009
A Song
One Last Cry - Brian McKnight
My shattered dreams and broken heart
Are mending on the shelf
I saw you holding hands, standing close to someone else
Now I sit all alone wishing all my feeling was gone
I gave my best to you, nothing for me to do
But have one last cry
One last cry, before I leave it all behind
I've gotta put you outta my mind this time
Stop living a lie
I guess I'm down to my last cry
Cry......
I was here, you were there
Guess we never could agree
While the sun shines on you
I need some love to rain on me
Still I sit all alone, wishing all my feeling was gone
Gotta get over you, nothing for me to do
But have one last cry
One last cry, before I leave it all behind
I've gotta put you outta my mind this time
Stop living a lie
I know I gotta be strong
Cause round me life goes on and on and on
And on.....
I'm gonna dry my eyes
Right after I had my
One last cry
One last cry, before I leave it all behind
I've gotta put you outta my mind for the very last time
Been living a lie
I guess I'm down
I guess I'm down
I guess I'm down...
To my last cry...
What other time than now would these lyrics mean so much to me?
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Prevent Global Warming
This is an essay about ways to stop/prevent global warming. Okay okay, I confess that the part about farting and it's effect in increasing the emission of CO2 is actually not valid information. I know for sure though that cow farts are leading contributers to global warming because they hold so much CO2, and decided that human farts can't be that different. If any one of you who views this essay happens to hold vast knowledge in science and can logically explain why my assumption is wrong, I will edit the part at once.
It is needless to point out global warming as a serious, world-threatening issue. Due to greenhouse gases emmited by humans over the past 50 years, global surface temperature has increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the last century. It is predicted that the temperature will continue to rise in the future, causing various phenomenons such as rise of sea levels, change in the amount of precipitation, expansion of sub tropical rainforests, and so on. All of these are certainly not things to welcome; we must conceive the significance of global warming and try our best to prevent it. In this essay I will introduce various efforts to prevent Global warming, both personal and national.
Some personal efforts to combat global warming can be exemplified as planting trees, using public transportation, and curtailing the comsumption of carbonated drinks. As for planting trees, the main cause of global warming is the world-wide emission of Carbon Dioxide, and it is clarified that trees convert CO2 into oxygen. Using public transportation means personal automobiles will be less used, ultimately resulting in the reduction of CO2 as well. Now for reducing the comsumption of fizzy drinks, it is proved through various researches done by scientists that human farts contain CO2. Drinking these drinks will cause humans to fart, and if many people do this simultaneously,.... well, you get the picture. Carbonated drinks may be tasty, but they are not helpful in preventing global warming.
There are also notable national efforts to stop global warming, and suitable examples would be the Kyoto Protocol and Geoengineering. The Kyoto Protocol is the world's primary international agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and currently covers more than 160 countries and over 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The treaty expires in 2012, and international talks have begun on a future treaty to succeed the current one. Geoengineering means changing the Earths environment on a large scale to suit human needs, such as "carbon dioxide air capture". Although no large scale geoengineering projects have been made yet, it is considered an innovative move to prevent global warming.
As you can see from above there are many ways to stop global warming from proceeding such as planting trees, the Kyoto Protocol, and even reducing the consumption of fizzy drinks. Humans must quickily realize that global warming is now a life threatening reality, and put efforts to implement the methods suggested at all costs.
It is needless to point out global warming as a serious, world-threatening issue. Due to greenhouse gases emmited by humans over the past 50 years, global surface temperature has increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the last century. It is predicted that the temperature will continue to rise in the future, causing various phenomenons such as rise of sea levels, change in the amount of precipitation, expansion of sub tropical rainforests, and so on. All of these are certainly not things to welcome; we must conceive the significance of global warming and try our best to prevent it. In this essay I will introduce various efforts to prevent Global warming, both personal and national.
Some personal efforts to combat global warming can be exemplified as planting trees, using public transportation, and curtailing the comsumption of carbonated drinks. As for planting trees, the main cause of global warming is the world-wide emission of Carbon Dioxide, and it is clarified that trees convert CO2 into oxygen. Using public transportation means personal automobiles will be less used, ultimately resulting in the reduction of CO2 as well. Now for reducing the comsumption of fizzy drinks, it is proved through various researches done by scientists that human farts contain CO2. Drinking these drinks will cause humans to fart, and if many people do this simultaneously,.... well, you get the picture. Carbonated drinks may be tasty, but they are not helpful in preventing global warming.
There are also notable national efforts to stop global warming, and suitable examples would be the Kyoto Protocol and Geoengineering. The Kyoto Protocol is the world's primary international agreement on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and currently covers more than 160 countries and over 55 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. The treaty expires in 2012, and international talks have begun on a future treaty to succeed the current one. Geoengineering means changing the Earths environment on a large scale to suit human needs, such as "carbon dioxide air capture". Although no large scale geoengineering projects have been made yet, it is considered an innovative move to prevent global warming.
As you can see from above there are many ways to stop global warming from proceeding such as planting trees, the Kyoto Protocol, and even reducing the consumption of fizzy drinks. Humans must quickily realize that global warming is now a life threatening reality, and put efforts to implement the methods suggested at all costs.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Stunned
A random list of things which have nagged me since Monday:
Book report on 고대로 부터의 통신 due 6/10
Book report on "Republic" - Platon due 6/30
Book report on the Adrian Mole book (which I haven't even taken a glimpse at the cover yet) due 6/20
Make and hand in a squared shaped cusion complete with a fancy bear design sewn by hand
Presentation on "Why Men Don't Listen, Why Women Can't Read Maps"due 5/28
Vocabulary(really hard and really frustrating) test on 6/10
Big exam on "everything" 6/17
Prepare for geography presentation
Prepare for "Debate Club" audition(I don't even fully understand the topic yet) 5/30
Essay on Global Warming due next week
Field trip report due 6/12
Final Exams 7/1
AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAA
Chaos.
The single, simple word which pretty much describes everything this week.
Just after we got back from our school trip, after days of fun, laughs, and for once some freedom, we got hit on the back of our heads(literally, for some). It's as if the teachers were waiting for us to get our minds cleared, and when we did, filled them up with more junk. Do they possibly think we can somehow complete all these tasks on time? I can already imagine how this weekend would be like, and I hate every bit.
Book report on 고대로 부터의 통신 due 6/10
Book report on "Republic" - Platon due 6/30
Book report on the Adrian Mole book (which I haven't even taken a glimpse at the cover yet) due 6/20
Make and hand in a squared shaped cusion complete with a fancy bear design sewn by hand
Presentation on "Why Men Don't Listen, Why Women Can't Read Maps"due 5/28
Vocabulary(really hard and really frustrating) test on 6/10
Big exam on "everything" 6/17
Prepare for geography presentation
Prepare for "Debate Club" audition(I don't even fully understand the topic yet) 5/30
Essay on Global Warming due next week
Field trip report due 6/12
Final Exams 7/1
AAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRRRRHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAA
Chaos.
The single, simple word which pretty much describes everything this week.
Just after we got back from our school trip, after days of fun, laughs, and for once some freedom, we got hit on the back of our heads(literally, for some). It's as if the teachers were waiting for us to get our minds cleared, and when we did, filled them up with more junk. Do they possibly think we can somehow complete all these tasks on time? I can already imagine how this weekend would be like, and I hate every bit.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Hmm...
Hey, I just realized that this whole blog thing could be really fun. I desperately felt throughout this weekend that for once in my life I must organize all the complex, chaotic emotions gurling inside me, and none other than this blog would be so useful a tool to do that. Why hadn't I thought of this before? From now on, I vow to myself that no matter what happens, I will write freely on this blog at least once a week.
Hmm.. let's just start by telling what I did over the weekend. This weekend, first of all, I experienced excruciating emotional pain; never in my life had I felt anything like it. I did whatever I could do(including walking around Yeonje-gu without a specific destination in mind for 2 hours, wearing only a white shirt and shorts and sandles) to keep the incident out of my mind, but I guess it was useless because I'm still feeling dreadful. I really hope time will eventually cure for me.
Um,, what else did I do... oh right I gained access to the video of me singing which was shot by Mr.황(http://minihp.cyworld.com/22676483/355636753)...-_- Whoa, I'm viewing it again as I'm writing this and I really really really sound and look like a fool. I love singing, and people tell me that I'm good at it, but the problem is that whenever I get up on stage my voice cracks like popcorn. I'm gonna have to get over that soon, or I'm really gonna mess up our band's show on our school festival.
Another thing I did was to buy the sheet music for a song called 같이 걸을까(Walk with me) by 이적(Lee Juk). I was just randomly looking through things on Youtube when I found the video which used the song as the background. I fell in love with it the second my ears got hold of it, so I decided to give it a try on my new portable keyboard(the one you see me playing on the video above). I was surprised to find that it's actually easy, you just need to give some slight changes on the basic chords. I can imagine how well it would sound if combined with my cracking voice..lol
Let me see.. I went out to Seomyun with my family and ate dinner at a meat restaurant called Korea(고려). I practically devoured the food withought thinking so I don't know if it was good or not, although I remember hearing my mom say the meat's too tough. After that we went to the bookstore to fumble through some English books. I still haven't finished reading "Stupid White Men" that I bought at the same store about 2 months ago, but I bought another book anyhow. It's called "50 Great Short Stories". Hm, sounds just about as fun as having a tooth pulled out.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. This weekend our former president Ro-Mu-Hyun commited suicide. I'm embarassed to say that I'm not into politics so I didn't feel anything special about it. But to my astonishment, my father cried like a baby! He even visited Bong Ha town to participate in the funeral(??). I knew that Ro graduated from the same highschool as my father, and is the only president in Korean history to have avoided criticism from him, but it was still sad to see a grown man break into tears.
Well, I guess that's about it. It feels really good to do writing like this, without concerning all the stupid things the school requires us, like keeping the proper structure, using good grammer, volcabulary, whatsoever. I feel as if I have found an escape route against the complex things going around me. Most of all, through this, at least some of the emotional pain I held has gone. For those of you who are dying to know what makes me suffer so much, I'm sorry to say that I can't reveal it at this point. Maybe, when I'm fully cured I'll post a writing containing all the details.
Hmm.. let's just start by telling what I did over the weekend. This weekend, first of all, I experienced excruciating emotional pain; never in my life had I felt anything like it. I did whatever I could do(including walking around Yeonje-gu without a specific destination in mind for 2 hours, wearing only a white shirt and shorts and sandles) to keep the incident out of my mind, but I guess it was useless because I'm still feeling dreadful. I really hope time will eventually cure for me.
Um,, what else did I do... oh right I gained access to the video of me singing which was shot by Mr.황(http://minihp.cyworld.com/22676483/355636753)...-_- Whoa, I'm viewing it again as I'm writing this and I really really really sound and look like a fool. I love singing, and people tell me that I'm good at it, but the problem is that whenever I get up on stage my voice cracks like popcorn. I'm gonna have to get over that soon, or I'm really gonna mess up our band's show on our school festival.
Another thing I did was to buy the sheet music for a song called 같이 걸을까(Walk with me) by 이적(Lee Juk). I was just randomly looking through things on Youtube when I found the video which used the song as the background. I fell in love with it the second my ears got hold of it, so I decided to give it a try on my new portable keyboard(the one you see me playing on the video above). I was surprised to find that it's actually easy, you just need to give some slight changes on the basic chords. I can imagine how well it would sound if combined with my cracking voice..lol
Let me see.. I went out to Seomyun with my family and ate dinner at a meat restaurant called Korea(고려). I practically devoured the food withought thinking so I don't know if it was good or not, although I remember hearing my mom say the meat's too tough. After that we went to the bookstore to fumble through some English books. I still haven't finished reading "Stupid White Men" that I bought at the same store about 2 months ago, but I bought another book anyhow. It's called "50 Great Short Stories". Hm, sounds just about as fun as having a tooth pulled out.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. This weekend our former president Ro-Mu-Hyun commited suicide. I'm embarassed to say that I'm not into politics so I didn't feel anything special about it. But to my astonishment, my father cried like a baby! He even visited Bong Ha town to participate in the funeral(??). I knew that Ro graduated from the same highschool as my father, and is the only president in Korean history to have avoided criticism from him, but it was still sad to see a grown man break into tears.
Well, I guess that's about it. It feels really good to do writing like this, without concerning all the stupid things the school requires us, like keeping the proper structure, using good grammer, volcabulary, whatsoever. I feel as if I have found an escape route against the complex things going around me. Most of all, through this, at least some of the emotional pain I held has gone. For those of you who are dying to know what makes me suffer so much, I'm sorry to say that I can't reveal it at this point. Maybe, when I'm fully cured I'll post a writing containing all the details.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Book Report 1.
Title - Building Green
Author - 이찬승/황우연/안세정/구은영/김진홍/이종은
Publisher & Year - 능률교육, 2009. 3. 1.
Vocabularies -
1. Sustainable - Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment
2. Architect - A person professionally engaged in the design of certain large constructions other than buildings and the like
3. Economical - Avoiding waste or extravagance; Thrifty
4. Supply - To furnish or provide (a person, establishment, place, etc.) with what is lacking or requisite
5. Convert - To change (something) into a different form or properties; Transmute; Transform
6. Generate - To bring into existence; Cause to be; Produce
7. Rooftop - The roof of a building, esp. The outer surface
8. Drainage -Aa system of drains, artificial or natural
9. Bamboo - Any of the woody or treelike tropical and semitropical grasses of the genera Bambusa, Phyllostachys, Dendrocalamus, and allied genera, having woody, usually hollow stems with stalked blades and flowering only after years of growth
10. Indeed - In fact; In reality; In truth; Truly (used for emphasis, to confirm and amplify a previous statement, to indicate a concession or admission, or, interrogatively, to obtain confirmation)
11. Currently - At the presenttime; Now
- Dictionary.com
Summary -
Due to the increasing interests towards sustainable development, a new style of buildings, called 'Green' buildings are becoming popular. These constructions are economical, safe for health, and environmentally friendly. A few examples of these buildings include Clackamas High School in Oregon, whch has big windows that reduce the need of electricity; the new research center at Oberin Colege in Ohio, which has solar cells on therook that convert sunlight into electricity; Calhoun Shool in New York City, which has an entire rooftop garden which keeps the temperature nice; the new library in Santa Monica, California, which was built with a special drainage system to collect rainwaer planned to be used in toilets and for watering the grass; Chicago Center for Green Technology, of which the ceiling tiles are made of newspaper; the Women's Cultual Center in New Mexico which is built with old tires packed with dirt.
Comment -
I'm glad to hear that the world is finally apprehending the significance of conserving the nature. It is everybody's obligation to protect the environment, and hopefully this book(?..) will affect many.
* The reason I put (..?) is because this is actually not a book. It's a short little passage from our "High School English Textbook".
Author - 이찬승/황우연/안세정/구은영/김진홍/이종은
Publisher & Year - 능률교육, 2009. 3. 1.
Vocabularies -
1. Sustainable - Capable of being continued with minimal long-term effect on the environment
2. Architect - A person professionally engaged in the design of certain large constructions other than buildings and the like
3. Economical - Avoiding waste or extravagance; Thrifty
4. Supply - To furnish or provide (a person, establishment, place, etc.) with what is lacking or requisite
5. Convert - To change (something) into a different form or properties; Transmute; Transform
6. Generate - To bring into existence; Cause to be; Produce
7. Rooftop - The roof of a building, esp. The outer surface
8. Drainage -Aa system of drains, artificial or natural
9. Bamboo - Any of the woody or treelike tropical and semitropical grasses of the genera Bambusa, Phyllostachys, Dendrocalamus, and allied genera, having woody, usually hollow stems with stalked blades and flowering only after years of growth
10. Indeed - In fact; In reality; In truth; Truly (used for emphasis, to confirm and amplify a previous statement, to indicate a concession or admission, or, interrogatively, to obtain confirmation)
11. Currently - At the presenttime; Now
- Dictionary.com
Summary -
Due to the increasing interests towards sustainable development, a new style of buildings, called 'Green' buildings are becoming popular. These constructions are economical, safe for health, and environmentally friendly. A few examples of these buildings include Clackamas High School in Oregon, whch has big windows that reduce the need of electricity; the new research center at Oberin Colege in Ohio, which has solar cells on therook that convert sunlight into electricity; Calhoun Shool in New York City, which has an entire rooftop garden which keeps the temperature nice; the new library in Santa Monica, California, which was built with a special drainage system to collect rainwaer planned to be used in toilets and for watering the grass; Chicago Center for Green Technology, of which the ceiling tiles are made of newspaper; the Women's Cultual Center in New Mexico which is built with old tires packed with dirt.
Comment -
I'm glad to hear that the world is finally apprehending the significance of conserving the nature. It is everybody's obligation to protect the environment, and hopefully this book(?..) will affect many.
* The reason I put (..?) is because this is actually not a book. It's a short little passage from our "High School English Textbook".
Conserving World Heritage Sites/Providing Social Welfare
Here's what "seems" like a short little essay on a serious topic. Actually it doesn't even 'seem' like one because it's too short and illogical(especially the second body paragragh and the conclusion). Well my alibi here is that I wrote this right after I came back from our school's 4-day-trip, which means tonight's sleep will be my first one in 4 days. I know it doesn't exactly make sense but hopefully it will at least be comprehendable.
Debate 3: The limited governemtal budget should be spent on conserving the world heritage sites rather than providing social welfare service: providing food, shelters and part-time jobs for the homeless.
During an economical crisis like today, it is significant for the government to act wisely upon its people. In this aspect I strongly suggest the limited governmental budget be spent on conserving the country's heritage sites rather than providing social welfare. Effectiveness and pride are the two main reasons for this.
First, conserving heritage sites brings immediate growth in the country's tourist industry, thus contributing to economical welfare. On the other hand, helping the poor causes temporary improvements which only satisfy the poor themselves. Even if the supported try to make themselves worthy to the country, their efforts will become apparent in a period of time uncomparable to that of protecting heritage sites. It is thus clear that the former option is much more effective than the latter.
Second, conserving heritage sites gives the country pride; the sites act as the country's mental pillars, reminding the people how old and sacred their history is. However, helping the poor seldom draws the people's interests, and usually leaves little or no mental changes.
As shown above, taking care of heritage sites brings much more benefits than socially helping the poor. The government should straighten up apprehend what is right.
* I just figured out that indenting a paragraph is impossible. Don't blame me if it's too hard to read the words.
Debate 3: The limited governemtal budget should be spent on conserving the world heritage sites rather than providing social welfare service: providing food, shelters and part-time jobs for the homeless.
During an economical crisis like today, it is significant for the government to act wisely upon its people. In this aspect I strongly suggest the limited governmental budget be spent on conserving the country's heritage sites rather than providing social welfare. Effectiveness and pride are the two main reasons for this.
First, conserving heritage sites brings immediate growth in the country's tourist industry, thus contributing to economical welfare. On the other hand, helping the poor causes temporary improvements which only satisfy the poor themselves. Even if the supported try to make themselves worthy to the country, their efforts will become apparent in a period of time uncomparable to that of protecting heritage sites. It is thus clear that the former option is much more effective than the latter.
Second, conserving heritage sites gives the country pride; the sites act as the country's mental pillars, reminding the people how old and sacred their history is. However, helping the poor seldom draws the people's interests, and usually leaves little or no mental changes.
As shown above, taking care of heritage sites brings much more benefits than socially helping the poor. The government should straighten up apprehend what is right.
* I just figured out that indenting a paragraph is impossible. Don't blame me if it's too hard to read the words.
Introduction
Hello, this is Young Seob Lee. I am 17(15 in the west) years old, and I'm currently a 1st grader of Busan International High School. The things planned to be posted in this blog will usually be too academic and boring, but please understand that my personal interests are completely different. If you want to know me better visit my Youtube channel:
ttp://www.youtube.com/user/young0607
There aren't much, but you'll understand what things delight me.
ttp://www.youtube.com/user/young0607
There aren't much, but you'll understand what things delight me.
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