Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Where I'm From
from the red,blue,white,yellow and black.
I am from the sky over them all
(not from the earth)
I am from the mix
the American Dream
whose influence crossed the globe
and back again
I'm from playgrounds and pokemon,
from Seabreeze and Foster.
I'm from the Dear-Santa-Clauses,
and the spaghetti-with-chopsticks,
from Darn it! and Dang it!
I'm from the three sixteen
with my hand in the air
reading a wordless book
I'm from Jilin the Northeast
deep black snow and a bundle of clothes
From a sudden trap into a cold darkened pit
frantically grasping for the warmth around you
Back to my home where I first set off.
Long ago
Can't recognize
it's still unclear a shock
I am from a confusion
wandering around a triangle----
on the ground then back to the sky----
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Waterfall
water is calm, water falls water crashes
water is clear but waterfalls are blue
water slips through the rocks, drops on the leaves
it creates loud music and unimaginable beauty
water is clear but waterfalls are blue
the green trees look down at the blast of the fall
it looks at it, looks at it with envy
water is clear but waterfalls are blue
My mind is clear, but my mind-in-action is unstoppable
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Times Article
My article comes from the New York Times. President Obama has found his pearl in his overwhelming power as the strongest man of the world, the President of the United States. Mr. Obama told a gathering of soldiers that he would not risk more lives “unless it is necessary to America’s vital interests.” This sounds familiar to what Kino was thinking, of using the pearl for his own interest. Obama is now thinking of securing Afghanistan with American power by sending in 30,000 more troops and raising the military budget to 734 billion dollars compared to Bush's 667 billion. Like Kino, Obama and has a good starting priority, to keep his nation safe from enemy threats. But even great wealth and power can ruin a nation, and like the theme in the the story,if your not careful that it doesn't control you.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Reader's Response of The Pearl
If this story is a parable, I have my own meaning of it. And as I read this story, I could read my life through it. A great fortune such as The Pearl of The World has not yet come to me but if I did encounter such as a fortune I could follow either one of the two paths that were given. There was Kino’s choice and there was Juana’s choice. In this parable I drove my life through those two characters’ circumstances. When I came to the point of decision of which path I should take, I reviewed the moral of the parable for some extra discernment.
The mood and tone of the story helped me to realize a lot of what kind of feeling the author wanted to give me to figure out what the moral of this story was. With the different tones and moods that I felt while reading this book I could understand the characters’ feelings more deeply. When Kino was telling Juana about their plan of escape I could sense in his tone that he was caring more about the pearl than his family, and the mood was full of suspense. The tone of Juana’s reply was sorrowful and worried. Through this observation I can make clear distinction between the two options of facing the challenge of having great wealth. That is how mood and tone can also reveal the morals of stories’.
When Kino and Juana found the pearl, their minds were filled with the wonderful things they could do with that new wealth. They both went out in pursuit of those happiness’s the wealth can buy. And piece by piece Kino and Juana’s lives were getting ruined. Here their roads split. Kino was an ambitious man and would risk his life in search of happiness. Juana was cautious and decided that the pursuit of such happiness could actually ruin their lives. Kino let the happiness drive his life, but Juana discovered that at the end they would lose their own lives while clinging on to a now useless pearl that they thought would make their lives better. To me, the moral of this story is to take control of your life, and not get other things such as wealth to take control of it.
One day if I obtained great wealth, enough to fulfill all the wishes I wanted, but through that wealth my life started to fall apart, I would remember this book. What is driving my life? Is it my wealth? Then I will push it aside and grab the reins of my own life.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tone
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Guess the Mood
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Wealth and Happiness song
-Bob McFerrin
(whistling)
Here's a little song i wrote,
you might want to sing it note for note,
don't worry, be happy
in every life we have some trouble,
when you worry you make it double
don't worry, be happy
dont worry be happy now
dont worry be happy
dont worry be happy
dont worry be happy
dont worry be happy
aint got no place to lay your head,
somebody came and took your bed,
don't worry, be happy
the landlord say your rent is late,
he may have to litagate,
dont worry (small laugh) be happy,
look at me im happy,
don't worry, be happy
i give you my phone number,
when your worried, call me,
i make you happy
don't worry, be happy
aint got no cash, aint got no style,
aint got no gal to make you smile
but don't worry, be happy
cos when you worry, your face will frown,
and that will bring everybody down,
so don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy now...
don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy
don't worry, be happy
now there this song i wrote
i hope you you learned it note for note
like good little children
dont worry be happy
listen to what i say
in your life expect some trouble
when you worry you make it double
dont worry be happy
be happy now
dont worry, be happy
dont worry, be happy
dont worry, be happy
dont worry, be happy
dont worry
dont worry be happy
don't worry, don't worry, don't do it,
be happy,put a smile on your face,
don't bring everybody down like this
don't worry, it will soon pass whatever it is,
don't worry, be happy,
i'm not worried
This song says that it will be easier to be happy when you don't worry. This song particularly emphasizing on worries that come from poverty; such as no home, late rents, no cash. I don't think the composer believes that happiness and sorrows come from wealth but just that worrying or delighting in these things do. So don't worry when you have these problems and just be happy is the moral in this song.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
CONGRATULATIONS!! YOU JUST WON $259,000,000!!
Monday, October 5, 2009
Clue 1
A piece of literature does not have one definite meaning, but rather, a variety of different understandings according to each person. What the reader wants the article to be is what it is. As the readers go through a story he/she makes connections according to his/her experiences, relationships, personalities, or imaginations. This whole theory of reading is called the Reader Response analysis. Three steps are involved in Reader Response. Step number one, is to find an interesting book to read. Step number two, is to be an active reader as you make connections between characters or situations. Step number three, take a while when you finished and have a conversation with the story telling it what you also been through (in your head). Remember, that in Readers Response the writer is not implying anything to you, but rather you are implying something to the story, which will help you see different things in the story. That is why it’s not called Writer’s Response.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Warm Up
Clue 5
Clue 5
“’ Will he take you away?’
‘Of course he will.’
‘Besides, it’s not just me he’s after’ ” This states that this man will take a lot of people away which is exactly what Jesus will do on his second coming. All of these references were included to give the reader the clues of the theme of “Jesus”.
Clue 5
Clue 5
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Clue 4
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Clue 4
Clue 4
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Clue 3
Not only is it important but it is also an exemplary theme of a story. It compresses everything the bible says in brief and deep meanings. Which is what all literature should have. Reading a piece of literature without having a theme statement would be very blank at the end, because you don't know what you just read about. In these ways Literature can relate to John 3:16
Monday, September 14, 2009
Clue 3
The process of finding themes:
1#. Read the story thoroughly.
2#. Find suspicious places that might bear the treasure underneath, such as the title, plots, symbolism, etc.
3#. Dig deeper and dig more places
4#. Keep these themes in your mind to let the story impact you.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Clue 3
Clue 3
Clue 3
Clue 3
Clue 3
Monday, September 7, 2009
Clue 6
This metaphor is describing Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God. Obviously he wasn't a small,humble, dumb animal but a symbol of a sacrifice that will pay for the sins of the world. This metaphor gives God a different name that we can call him. And not only describes him as a God that we cannot communicate with because he is too holy, but as a humble lamb that came to save us. There are also a lot of other metaphors that describe God. Which helps us to think about God as a colorful god and not a plain holy untouchable, indescribable, unseeable god. In some way metaphors bring the reader and the object being described closer to each other. Metaphors brings more connection to the reader than plain adjectives. Which also means that metaphors of God bring us more closer with us.
When God describes himself in metaphors he is trying to use our human terms to let us understand better of what he is saying. Metaphors are tools that God is using to connect our world to his world.
Clue 6
Authors use figurative language to express their ideas with more detail, decoration ,and accuracy. Saying that the boy ran quickly and that the boy ran as quick as a dog, gives a more specific meaning to it. Figurative language also gives the essay some variety rather than describing everything in adjectives. These kinds of additions that authors can give to their articles can impress the reader more with the higher quality and skill of writing. The reason why figurative language may seem like a higher level in writing is because figurative language does not directly imply but rather includes some reasoning and thinking to figure out the meaning of the author. And authors always should want to try to improve their articles.
But actually, authors do not use firgurative language too much. If used too much it will lose it's effect on how it normally does. So when you're writing you should remember that too much of the figuratives and you will ruin your paper, but with a bit of it, your paper can be come more beautiful. And papers should always look beautiful.
Figuartively speaking....
A simile is a way of describing things by using "like" or "as".
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Friday, September 4, 2009
Clue 1
This book focuses on the famous bloody Civil War battle, Gettysburg. From changing perspectives of Union to Confederate to Union to Confederate, the writer takes the story of each side. This book taught me a lot about the realities in war, and the way of the American 19th century man. I did not have much to connect with in this book, because I have never fought in a war, or had been in a situation as rough as in the Civil War. In the Civil war brothers separated by the slavery border had to fight each and close friends such as General Armistead from the south and General Hancock from the north. And currently I am separated from friends and family back in China, it may not be to the point that I have to kill them like in the war, but it still showed me one thing about the world. Although it sounds flawed and just pessimistic, it is almost every time true, that the world splits apart friends and children are meant to separate from their parents.
Clue 1
Other than to improve your vocabulary, reading skills, and writing skills literature has many other important benefits, and without reading you cannot obtain those benefits. One importance with interacting with literature is the innovative ideas you can get from it. Facts are good to know, but ideas are better, because it is ideas that change the world, and not facts. Another significance in reading is to listen to what other people have to say. Although this doesn’t usually apply to stories, many times it can provide interesting and inspiring thoughts that help you know more about the world. Connecting with literature goes in deeper than interacting, and when reading stories, you must connect to it. When reading just for fun, a story can just provide some entertainment. But connecting with a story is essential for reflecting on real-life situations to fictional-life in the story. Through contrasting, you think about life which might sound a bit queer, but actually will help you live in a big-picture and not like you’re the only one in your life.
Clue 1
Clue
Clue
In our world, what if everyone had an eyeball that took in colors differently from everyone else? What if I asked two little boys what color the grass was, and they both replied green, but when I switched their minds into each other’s bodies, asked them again, and each of them replied “Blue!?” and the other “a light …pinkish color!”? What if this color wonder affected our emotions? I have an eye that takes pleasure in what I call the colors, blue, and green, and orange and everything else except dark brown and pink. What if that affected my personality and others’ with the same color choice? Than that would mean what I find beautiful would also depend on my own colors that I favor. Then is there no set unchangeable definition of beauty? What is beauty?
Beauty would be the colors that can give us peace and pleasure. The objects we see or the abstract things we feel all express themselves in colors, and when they are the colors that our minds classify as good, they are then beautiful.
Scientifically whatever we see is light being reflected off the object, and perceived by our eyes. Everything we see is the masterpiece of light. Whoever can conquer light and control it would possess the key to the vision of every single shade of color. Faint lights would express dark smooth colors. But bright lights would express a soft exciting light. But not only can it change the aspects of color, but it can create it. When light is emitted into a complex glass prism it can separate it into all possible colors. It is not a mixture of all colors, like black, but a creator of all colors. If light can be any color, it is then beautiful because it possess all possible colors and every single one of every human being’s favorite ones. Light is the ultimate beautiful substance. And here is the biblical evidence:
Genesis 1:4
And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness.
John1:9
The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.
Behold the beauty of Light!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
personal ad
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
My Utterly Perfect Murder
Clue
At first Lizabeth’s nostalgic and strange moment seemed to me, very unique. It was the story of a special girl from the rural lands of Maryland. But taking a viewpoint from above and looking at the structure of plots and not sentences, Lizabeth’s story became just another common example of every kind of mistake in our lives.
In the beginning Lizabeth was bored and with some friends chucked rocks at Miss. Lottie’s marigolds. Every mistake starts with a temptation. Burdened with guilt she spends the rest of the day in silence and regret. Usually these same patterns follow a mistake. Hearing her father, the one who used to life the family up, collapse, she gets stressed and depressed. And through that, without thinking, makes a huge error of demolishing the marigold field. This is also another way mistakes occur, out of carelessness.
In just one day, Lizabeth attacked Miss Lottie’s marigolds twice. The first offense was out of pure temptation and thrill, and the second out of rage. Both mistakes had a different degree of impact, one as an exposition and the other as a climax. The change of degree of similar events and the emphasis of mistakes in the structure, implied to me the theme of Marigolds: mistakes launch off from temptation or unconsciousness.
Clue
The structure of a story consists of the exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Not all stories are written in that order, but if parts of the rising action are in the climax and the writer forgot to include some of the exposition so he/she added it in the end. A story becomes misstrucutred.
Stories should also be structured in categories of interest. Readers must be able to identify the climax of the story and understand when a specific part of the story should be focussed on. Discovering and understanding the focus point of the story will change the quality of the story. Like finding a pure and beautiful pearl in an oyster, the climax can change the price of the story.
Another type of story can also apply to the same need of plot structure, and that is the story of our lives. Whether we read an article or write a story, the structure of our understanding of facts cannot be disorganized. The importance and value of understandings can make things simpler and more enjoyable in our lives.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
connection to a character
My dad did not die and I am not depressed, but I guess I could say at dorm and at school I am not that active, and pretty reclusive and it's getting boring, but the one thing I really strive to do is run for cross-country practice after school.
Similarly in this book Oskar does not like school and does not have any friends, but when school ends he sets out immediantly to find the owner of the missing key lock.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Clue
CLIMax
short
story short sto
rt story short story sho
rt story short story short stor
t short story short story short story fallING actION
RISing ACTion short story short story short story
short story short story short story s
hort story short story short story short story
short story short story short story short story short REsoluTion
EXPOsition short story short story short story short story short story
CLUE
Jesus contains life. This life is a light to man. Man looks for a light shining in the darkness. Man looks for Jesus shining in the darkness. The darkness cannot overcome the light.
The Word who created the world, the Light which enlightens all men, was coming into the world. He came to his wandering own, whom he created, whom he loved, and whom were lost. Many even rejected their creator and light. But even still, some received the light and became children of God, and became "little lights".
The word that Moses gave to God's chosen people was from God. But the Word that came down from heaven was God,and the Word wanted to proclaim what was written about himself. Moses brought the laws, but through Jesus Christ, grace and truth overflowed to the people like a fountain of life. And God proclaimed to us and made himself known,through the Word.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
My Short Story
This week our school closed down due to a few students and teachers getting the contagious swine flu. Just two days ago my sister and I arrived to our school on a boring two hour bus ride, and the thought of going back was frustrating. So after our two hour bus ride, we took a twenty minute subway, got on a taxi, and finally arrived at a place we would call home for another week or so.
Our original plan was to go to one of our aunt’s home, but we were told not to by both our mom and our aunt, because we might contaminate our cousins with the flu. It was the same reason with my dad’s side grandparents. My mom’s side grandparents didn’t even have room for the two of us, and plus, they were moving. Who did we have left? My great-grandmother. For some funny reason my aunt and my mom did not consider that she might get the flu from us too. There are some benefits and negatives about living with her. Not only is our great-grandma great, but she’s also partially deaf.
When we arrived “home” at about 11 o’clock, we were shocked to see our grandma come out of her room to greet us. She reminded me of a turtle. Her skin was wrinkly like a turtle, she had about no teeth, almost like a turtle, and her back was a bit arched, making her a bit shorter than my sister, Young, which also looked like a turtle. She remembered our names and greeted us with a warm smile. We bowed and smiled and spoke as loud as we could with the little energy we had left in us. Our great-grandmother told us to go in and sleep, and so we picked the biggest room that reeked of some unknown stench, briefly unpacked and slept the best sleep we had in weeks. We knew that our everyday schedules would contain lots of free time with great-grandma, and at least I was thinking:”Oh great…”
More interesting facts about my great-grandmother are that she had a rich husband who obviously, passed away earlier than her. During the Japanese occupation my great-grandmother was a young lady, and she survived the oppressed times with the tiny morsels she could find. Not all the food she took in were clean, and that not only probably gave her a tummy-ache, but also a beaten up, strong, and tough digestive system. That means she could even eat rotten food if she wanted to. I guess her perspective of food being very precious still remains with her till now, because right now in the refrigerator there is a half-eaten egg, a peach with a bite in it, some very dry kimchi, some of the ttang-soo-yook (fried pork in sweet sauce) from yesterday, and I’m speculating that that red stuff is parasite infested fish eggs. Not only does she have a food collection, but she also has a toilet paper collection, gum collection, and I heard that in her room, which I don’t ever dare go in, there is a whole newspaper collection over her bed. There was a 70 years gap in the 6 meter distance between our two rooms. Living here will be hard.
Young and I woke up at around 10 am the next morning and started our day with an amazing view of the Han River, and then we saw our great-grandmother peaking into our room asking us to come for breakfast. We immediately replied “No!” with a smile and loudly. After we each took a shower, Young and I took off, and spent our day with Young’s friend. It was fun, but not great.
Our great-grandma is also tri-lingual. She speaks Korean, Japanese, and a great bit of English, for her age. She was a teacher at one of Seoul’s top elementary schools as she put it. Young and I could tell that she loved being a teacher. Ironically we, my sister, great-grandma, and I, got to sit together on the couch. And my great-grandma began.
“SO WHAT SCHOOL ARE YOU GOING TOO!”
“TAEJEON INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL YOH*! (if speaking with elders you must add yoh)”
“AH… WHAT DO YOU MAJOR IN!”
“WE ARE IN HIGH-SCHOOL. HIGH-SCHOOLERS DON’T MAJOR YET YOH!”
“HEY YOUNG-JAE… YOU SHOULD MAJOR IN TEACHING. ALL GIRLS SHOULD TEACH. YOU SEE I WAS ONCE A TEACHER! AND UH.. I TAUGHT AT…..”
Like this, we heard our great-grandma’s life story, and I enjoyed it a lot, except Young didn’t because she had already had this conversation before, and she disliked how great-grandma told her all girls should major in teaching. After the interesting story Young left, but I stayed.
“HEY… LOOK AT ME. (and in English) NOSE, MOUTH, HEAD, HAIR, EYE, EAR, NOSE, HEAD.”
“WOW GRANDMA! YOU’RE SO GOOD AT ENGLISH YOH!”
“I WAS A TEACHER AT ONE OF THE BEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS HERE. YOUR GREAT GRANDFATHER HAD A JOB AND SO WE NEEDED TO MOVE SO I WENT TO THE LIBRARY AND STUDIED HARD TO BECOME A TEACHER AND…”
She told me another interesting story about her life, although some of it was repetitive.
“ (in English )NOSE, EAR, MOUTH, HAIR, HEAD, EYES… (Korean) WHAT’S ARM IN ENGLISH AGAIN?”
“ (in English) ARM!”
“WOW! YOUR ENGLISH IS PRETTY GOOD TOO!!!”
“hehehe..”
That was finally enough for me, so I got up and walked back into my room, where my sister was. She asked me what great-grandma and I were talking about so I replied casually: “WE TALKED ABOUT…” and then I realized I was speaking ridiculously loudly. My great-grandma is funny.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
classwork
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Reading
..Last Five Things that I've read.
Times Magazine
Autobiography of a North Korean refugee

a book written by...

TCIS handbook

Tuesday, August 11, 2009
First Stab at Essential Questions
I read really slowly and don't read much. But when there is a book I really enjoy I can finish in two or three days. I guess the one reason i don't read is because I read too slowly and my attention flies away to something else.
2. How can I improve and grow as a reader?
I can improve and grow as a reader, if I can find books i really enjoy, or if I'm forced by the teacher. One thing I would like to improve as a reader would be to not only read more often but to read quicker.
3. What purpose can literature serve in my life?
Literature can expand your way of communication, by providing you with fancy words to say, and say them in the right way, they could also introduce you to ideas that could change the way you live.
4. What resources can i find in the library that will help me in this course and other courses?
The library can provide a quiet and peaceful atmosphere to read in, and some interesting books for each subject.





