Descriptive Essay

It was almost the end of first semester, few days before the summer vacation. Most of the classes, by then, had covered all contents planned for the semester, and teachers usually gave study hall to students instead of extraneous class. By then, with a very important exam just around the corner, I was obsessed with anxiety, studying most of the study hall sessions instead of taking a nap or chatting, like other students. But on that day, it was unbearably hot that I lingered to take my books out of the drawer. Allowing myself just a short minute of break, I lowered my head on the desk and closed fatigued eyes.

It was just after the P.E. class, and most of the students in the class, enervated, were sleeping. The class was soaked in tender smooth, but through the crack of that silence, I heard something soft. It was the combination of hundred melodies, each in slightly different tune, together bringing the sound of well-sharpened pencil smoothly brushing clean white sheet. Opening my eyes, I saw across the window a big tree, shaking itself fluently to the rhythm of the breeze. Enthralled by the magical harmony, I approached the window, opened the curtains and leaned over the window to take a close view of the tree.

The leaves on the tree were truly innumerable; about hundreds of leaves were dangling on each of the tree’s limber branch, densely veiling all the tops of the tree. And all those lime-green colored trees were refracting the golden sunshine of late afternoon, turning themselves into deep yellow. The wind running across the leaves was not only scribing a letter, but also passing through this party hall where blondes and their light-green partners were dancing. The convivial leaves never hesitated, even for a second; they incessantly shifted their date, grazing themselves to others, resulting kaleidoscope of sounds and colors.

My friend, who was sitting next to me, grumbled for drawing aside the curtains as the sunshine fell down on her face. I muttered words of apology, gazed at the tree for last and shut the curtains. But the scene remained deeply inside me – it was much more beautiful and surprising than any other tourist attractions I had ever been.

Yesterday, I took my steps back to middle school, and revisited the classroom I had stayed about a year ago. Sitting at the same spot, I opened the window, expecting to discover the precious scene in my memory. But what I was confronted was bare, thin tree, with hollow branches, being swallowed feebly in the harsh gust of wind. I was petrified, shocked, and stood by the window numbly about five minutes, maybe wailing over the lost beauty of the tree that now remains only as a fragment of my memory.

♥                                                                                                                                                                         ♥


Writer's Comments 

 1. Blog Changes: Since this blog will not be used for assignment purpose any more, I will start using here much more freely :P Stop labeling the titles, posting not only English essays but maybe Koreans, too, sometimes...? Only purpose is to keep this blog continually :)  One close teacher advised me to invest time every day at something, and I think it would be really cool if that "something" becomes writing... So: Try to write every day, maybe everyday is burdensome, then at least to think various subjects to write on or plan outline :D Maybe one writing per week would be great!

2. Writing Change: Recently read The Great Gatsby (F.Scott Fitzgerald), the most "beautiful" book I have ever read! I regret reading the abbreviated Korean version when I was young :( Fitzgerald's style, all the descriptions, imagery, metaphor, symbolism... All the writings I had done until now were close to expository, quite logical stuffs... I always tried to cancel extraneous adjectives and used simple sentences to deliver my message. But hey, here is new world, Fitzgerald told me about the beauty of descriptions! New style to challenge... And this is my first work, my first descriptive essay ever! XDDDD I will be very glad to receive advises to improve my descriptive essay writing style, so don't hesitate to post comments! 

Jan 15 2012

#8-4. Life Lesson: Pigeonworld Love

Sitting at the bus stop, I stared at two pigeons near my feet, fiercely struggling to hog a small piece of waffle. It was obvious that the larger one was claiming the high ground; every time the small one tried to peck the opposite, the large stroke its wings so that the small one forgoes the attack and takes a step backward, staggering. As the large one started to devour the waffle, the small turned away to find another food. Feeling compassion for the defeated, I threw bread crumbs to its side. And the very next moment, even before the small one put the crumbs to its beak, the large pigeon, which just finished up his waffle, flew this side and attacked the small again. The small, already beaten once, meekly gave up the crumbs and moved aside again. I tried several times more, but the result was the same.

Gazing the pigeons' world where the law of the jungle prevails, a question aroused in my mind; whether the pigeons know about love and companionship? Pigeons are usually observed in a group, two or three, wandering the street together. But this group seems to be formed by chance—not a sign of intimacy at all—considering the vigorous violence these members have for the food.

Considering the pigeons are vagabonds on the street, and the only way to survive on the street is to be swifter and stronger than others, it seems quite natural that pigeons do not form any relationship. Partner is just a hindrance in the wanderer’s living. When Mr. Pigeon was alone, he could eat a whole bag of cracker, but with Mrs. Pigeon along his side, he has to restrain his glut. When Mr. Pigeon was alone, he could just fly away when confronted a wild cat, but with Mrs. Pigeon along his side, he must stay near the nest and protect her. Mr. Pigeon’s everyday life goes much more complicated and onerous, with Mrs. Pigeon.

One day, Mrs. Pigeon died. Mr. Pigeon is now free from his duty to look after her. Mr. Pigeon, now, no more overlaps Mrs. Pigeon with a weaker creature he fights with for food. Instead of sympathizing to weak dueler, and yielding food to him, Mr. Pigeon can just trample on him and win the meal. Mr. Pigeon is no more warm-hearted sympathizer, but just a bloodless fellow, attacking the feeble opponent recklessly.

Not only this. When Mrs. Pigeon was alive, Mr. Pigeon did not attempt to do something risky or adventurous—for example, approaching the trash can where a wild cat residue—thinking of Mrs. Pigeon who will be waiting for him at their nest. Now, Mrs. Pigeon gone, Mr. Pigeon miss someone who would cry for his absence, thus will hesitate less to carry on dangerous acts. Without Mrs. Pigeon, the weak partner, Mr. Pigeon’s limits are gone – not only his ability to empathize with weak creatures, but also ability to value himself, is gone.

I don’t want to see large pigeon beating the small one and dominating the food any more. What I want to see is the large pigeon, overlapping the opponent to his weak partner and sympathizing him, thereby offering some food to the small one. This is why I hope all the pigeons to form a pair, take a partner, so that they can turned into warm-blooded creatures, learning how to care about weaker others, and also how to respect their own life. 

#15. Sonnet

                  Last summer, I took Mr. Yoon’s Sonnet class during Summer Session. The class covered various sonnets, such as Petrarchan sonnet, Spensorian sonnet, Shakespearean sonnet, Modern sonnets, etc. Class was quite demanding, but it was interesting to interpret all those ambiguous words in sonnets and relish various literary devices (most of all, rhyme) the great poets used. =) At the end of the class, Mr. Yoon proposed students to write own sonnet. I think I spent at least three hours writing these fourteen lines—it was so hard for me to search for words that fit the rhyme scheme. Actually, I could not even dream of adjusting iambic pentameter! The completed sonnet is really childish in its literary devices, and the message is too simple that makes me embarrass to say “This is a sonnet”. Think I might try writing another sonnet on the same issue a year later in AP EngLit course! =) Anyway, this is my FIRST sonnet, so don’t mock at it too much – just read it in light mood, and then I would be really greatful! ♥

Thy eyes shining are on me temporal
And thy face smiling is toward me frozen
Thy love is short summer breeze whiffle
Fake traveler - faded dream when waken

(God)
Endure, he shall take root staunchly
Next thy someday; wait, forgiving his flawed.

Alas! Waving pain, crowding endlessly -
Me patience short, not merciful God

(God)
Thy human - why forgiveness is needed.
Thou leaving also scar to thy lover

O I human, not God, my whim acrid
Now see thy pain I caused - I was drunker.

Thou forgive me, me forgive thou -
Love lies forever in forgiveness vow

                 

 P.S. If you understood the theme of my sonnet, can you infer where did I get this idea? This is my impression after reading Hyōten (氷点, "Freezing Point") by Ayako Miura, which is one of the top inspiring books I have ever read.

 P.S.2 Reading this again while posting, it makes me hesitate to "Post" button! This sonnet makes me laugh over my clumsiness =( ㅋㅋㅋ

#7-2. Reading Journal: The Body

Ye Ji Park / 111053 / 10b2

Mr.Garrioch

English Composition

December 1 2011

Reading Journal: The Body

                  As Ron Reiner cinematized Steven King’s The Body, he changed the title as Stand By Me. This newly-made name is absorbed by the majority with much familiarity. So why did Reiner change the title, and why do people feel better about the new version? The answer is simple; the most important theme in this novel, human relationship, is much better expressed in the new one. Throughout the book, as four boys approach to death, adventure, courage, and many other solemn themes, they carefully ask questions to their family and friends, “Will you stand by me?”

Family and friends are, perhaps, the closest relationships an individual can have. Four protagonists in The Body, however, are neither intimate nor amicable with their family. As I mentioned in the last journal (#7-1.Reading Journal: The Body), four boys have “flawed family” in common; Chris has a “really mean” father, and Vern “hated Billy [his brother] like the Arabs hate the Jews”. Teddy had an odd father who made him use glasses and hearing-aid by “shoving … Teddy’s head down against one of the cast-iron burner plates”. For Gordie, the death of his brother made his parents flounder in the wave of sadness and stay indifferent to Gordie.

                  Reading first thirty pages, my first impression was that all boys, except Teddy, possessed emotion of hatred rather than affection to their flawed family. However, as continuing to read the book, I figured out that yearn for attentive, devoted, and loving family was embedded deeply in their heart. Gordie, for example, reproached himself for breathing while his brother was dead and thus making his parents mourn, and wailed over the fact that his father “hated him”. This shows that Gordie felt sorry for his lamented parents—despite none was his fault—and hoped for better .

                  That Gordie was ignored by the parents because of his brother reminded me an essay I recently read; “Cinderella: Sibling Rivalry and Oedipal Conflicts”, by Bruno Bettleheim. The writer argued that why Cinderella story is being so loved by children was because it showed Cinderella’s success in rivalry with her stepsisters. He argued that all siblings fight with each other to gain parents’ attention, frequently misjudging their parents love siblings more. Personally, I quite agree with the claim; I have a sister, two years older than me. Three years ago, she entered a dorm school, and returned home every weekend. I was so angry that my mom always prepare bunch of delicious meals, and my dad, who works and often stays in Cheon-an (where takes nearly two hours from my home in car) only showed off on weekends. The whole family seemed to operate around my sister’s traces; when she came home, party started, and as she left, the house soaked into silence. Going through my sister’s three years in that dorm school, I matured enough not to judge my parent’s quantity of love in such childish standards. Still I remember how anxious, nervous, and irritated I was as thinking I was loved way behind my sister. My experience was merely a fantasy, but what Gordie suffered was reality; I can’t even imagine the depth of sorrow he had felt in his whole life.

                  As Gordie returned from his “The Body” journey, he expected his parents to show at least some kind of concern or curiosity over his whereabouts during past two days. But when Gordie’s mother confronted him at the kitchen, she asked “Where have you been?”, and even before Gordie talks about his specific traces, she sighed and sobbed that she “miss Dennis most in the mornings”. Then she just \stared out the window, her back to Gordie. Gordie was “trembling all over”, because he realized that even after his return from grand trip, his parents’ inattentiveness was still, and it would not change no matter how much time passes by.

                  This, maybe, is the reason Gordie kept Chris at arm’s length throughout his life. Gordie’s relationship with friends was substitute for the futile family, and this need was same for Chris and other two boys, too. But the arising question is; why did Gordie and other two boys, Vern and Teddy, drift apart while Chris did not? The reason lies behind “reliance”.

                  In the novel, when four boys encountered Ace and other Big Boys, Gordie and Chris stood against their threat to protect each other. When Ace asked Gordie to persuade his accompanies to back off Ray Brower’s body, Gordie replied, “Suck my fat one, you cheap dimestore hood”, despite he knew it would be his own “death warrant”. As Ace, in surprise and fury, claimed to “break both of Gordie’s arms”, Chris came forward and shoot the gun to protect Gordie. They both were feeling terrible fear; Chris’s face was “horribly pale”, still they discharged their responsibility to defend friend. Very contrastingly, all that Teddy and Vern did during the duel was to hide behind Gordie and Chris, waiting for the consequence. Gordie and Chris relied on each other, whereas Teddy and Vern asked for lopsided help.

What we need here is
"MUTUAL" reliance,
not ONE person dragging the other.

                  The reason I claim so confidently that whether they bilaterally depend or not is because I have experienced this by myself. I had one friend who had been rapidly close to me within three or four months. She was a funny, sociable, and lovely girl, but she easily fatigued and needed for somebody to help her. I, first, thought grateful of her trust and expectation on me and arduously engaged the role as her “personal counselor”. As time passed, however, I felt tired in listening and advising about all of her concerns, and slowly turned insipidly. Soon after, she realized my change, and now we contact much less than before. This memory makes me feel sad, still I do not regret since the change was inevitable. The axiom, “You scratch my back and I'll scratch yours”, was right. I assume it was same for Gordie; Gordie could not withstand Teddy and Vern, two unconditional depend-ers, as he himself needed help from others. Gordie and Chris, on the other hand, were supporters to each other that gave and received help mutually, which made them able to continue on their relationships.

                  Once I updated my Facebook status about human relationship that it is “complicated enough to kill my head”. My friend then left a comment; “Relation is the most valuable, most troublesome, most complicated, most pleasant, most sorrowful, most fragile thing in the world”. Now reminding this comment after finishing The Body, I agree to the claim wholeheartedly; Gordie’s relationship with his family was the most troublesome and sorrowful, still he had the most valuable and pleasant friend named Chris. My relationship with the friend who depended on me too much was most complicated and fragile one, still I have family and other friends who make me smile. Reading The Body was a great experience that made me feel anew gratitude and affection to those who are standing by me.

#14. Mr.Moon's Assignment: Three Words about Me

On the surface, I’m an outgoing, sociable, and jolly girl. In group meeting, I make a lot of jokes and play the role as “atmosphere creator”. My roommates often say the room would be much more dull and insipid without me. My brightness, however, is not everything; opening the lid of doll and taking out another Matryoshka, the darker side follows. I do have a lot of friends whom I keep amicable relationship with, but stay indifferent to their hard situations. I believe my responsibility is ended in daily pleasantness, and it’s their responsibility to overcome their own problems, unless they ask me for help first. Nevertheless, there still remains the last Matroshka. Regarding the closest friends, those I feel completely trusty and loyal, the boundary between my responsibility and theirs disappears. We share our pain and deeply empathize with each other. I am the Matroshka with three dolls – first superficial, second dismal, and third sincere.

“A good beginning is half the battle.” – A very famous aphorism, still I’m not whether it is true or not. I always plan an outline before writing an essay, usually paying substantial time and concentration. But confronting the completed outline, I feel very pleased with myself, and say to myself, “Well done, it’s enough for today. Let’s do the writing tomorrow” and stuff the outline in the corner. Not only writing, but in other tasks, too, I often plan things nicely but not carry on actions. This makes me a soap bubble that bursts even before floating the air. Lack of acting power is my shortcoming I have to correct.

The fact that final term is D-12, winter vacation is D-25, and when I return to school next February I would be a sophomore sometimes makes me freak out about how fast time flows. Every time I think so, I look back my past. I blush myself and blame my fine memory as I remind the moments of humiliation and embarrassment, and often regret over clumsy decisions or time I spent recklessly. Still, these unpleasant memories are what make me promise to myself not to repeat the past in my future. I am a rearview mirror, who checks my back for coming safe-driving.

#13. Reflective Essay: What I Believe in is Power of Humanity

Yeji Park / 111053 / 6

Mr.Garrioch

English Composition

November 23 2011

Reflective Essay: What I Believe in is Power of Humanity

“If procedure is bad, and result is good, isn’t that idealistic?”

This claim smacked me severely. It was Introduction to English Literature class, and students were discussing Death of a Salesman. The scene was Howard firing Willy, as Willy protested for being road salesman and asked for New York job. I don’t remember exactly how discussion flew that way, but one classmate suggested the idiom “Procedure is more important than result”. Most of the students in the class was in favor of this maxim, and agreed that despite the result is disappointing, good procedure makes the experience valuable. Then one of them questioned how about the opposite, and another student who did not raise his hand for approval to the idiom suddenly opened his mouth – that it is perfect, idealistic state.

!!! OH MY GOD !!!

My first impression was; Oh, My God. My eerie gaze maybe made him uncomfortable, and he started to explain about his argument. What he believed was “efficiency”; he said Howard’s decision to fire Willy was rational and efficient, since Willy was merely an old salesman who did not gain any profit to the company. The classmate said wrong procedure is the easiest way to achieve good result.

The only respond I could show to his opinion was murmuring OMG continuously in my mouth. Efficiency surely has been an important factor in society ever since the Industrialization. One way society believed to maximize efficiency was competition, via distinguishing talented and untalented. In Willy’s times, salesman had to compete with other salesmen to win a contract for higher commissions. Today’s society is no difference; from the moment one joins a firm, he starts hard struggle to beat co-workers for promotion. Actually, society even facilitates competitions directly sometimes; the representative example is education. Richard Wagner, a psychologist at Florida State University, says, "In terms of how we evaluate schooling, everything is working by yourself. If you work with someone else, it's called cheating". Cheating – this is how the society abandons cooperation.

I, without doubt, agree that efficiency is fundamental factor in today’s society; still, I don’t want to see it being the only fundamental factor. What I believe in is the power of humanity—empathy, attachment, and cooperation. Traditional belief was that human nature is competitive and selfish. But there is something more in human. Jeremy Rifkin proposed empathy as a new human nature, in his book The Empathetic Civilization. On Christmas Eve, 1914, in France Flandre area – the German and the British forces stopped their war, sang carol, buried the corpse, shared cigarettes and biscuits, talked about own Christmas memories, all together. Before starting the war again forty-eight hours later, these soldiers felt connected with each other as “human versus human” not as “German versus Britain”. If human nature is only destructive, selfish, belligerent; well, this conciliation would never have happened.

Following this newly-discovered nature, the society can be more efficient than under the control of competitions. The representative is Wikipedia, more generally, collective intelligence. The term refers to a group intelligence that emerges as individuals collaborate. People do not compete over article fee, but cooperate by sharing what they know. This results in voluminous information, which was not even imaginable previously. What society plays now is win-win game, not zero-sum one.

I remember my interview for KMLA entrance. I wrote in my self-introduction letter my interest field is economics, specifically marketing and PR. Teachers then asked me how I could serve for the community, as a businessperson whose goal is maximizing profit. I hesitated few seconds, and then answered that I would try to apply humanistic values in my businesses; for example, inserting a scene of volunteer workers in orphanage into advertisement. Looking back this clumsy answer I gave a year ago makes me smile mischievously; still, I appreciate the spirit in my answer. The spirit that is conscious about power of humanity, the spirit who tries to gaze the world in different perspective from cold competitions. The spirit that pursuits better result via good procedure.

                                                                                                                                     

#8-1. Life Lesson: Sir Nubi and #8-3. Life Lesson: Use Short Times in Balance are another reflective essays I wrote =)  Actually they are quite short to be called essays... Lighter and easier to read, so if you have time, enjoy these too! XDDDD

#8-3. Life Lesson: Use Short Times in Balance

Use Short Times in Balance

Last Sunday evening, me and my friend Yoosun were busily writing first draft for Minjok Herald articles. When I asked her what she was writing about, she answered it is related to time management. According to Yoosun’s calculation, KMLA students spend every three hours a day, from ten minutes of breaktime between classes, few minutes between lunch and afternoon classes, honjung time… All the time summed up, it’s three hours a day, twenty-one hours a week, ninety hours a month. We spend forty-five days a year without a blink or qualm. 

Unbelievable! That was my first impression. Yes, I admit I spend short times inattentively, facebooking, kmlaonline-ing, or just lying on the bed and chatting with roommates. But I never guessed these times combined together could be enough time to write a whole essay. I, mad at myself, decided to glue Different Seasons on my palm so I can read it whenever I have a short break.

Then I stopped and questioned myself, “Wait, is it the best way?” On the Chicken Day, when all my roommates gather, eat and merrily chat together, would I just shut up and keep reading The Body? When other students think about what kind of club activity or volunteer services to do, should I stubbornly continue studying English? Definitely not. What I need is balance. Balance between studying, spending good times with friends, thinking about my vision, balance that would help me to keep those little times in most efficient and helpful way. It would certainly require a lot of effort to keep this in mind and try to act, still defending one-eighth of a day from languid waste – it’s worth a try.

Promise to Myself ♥ On My Diary

Another piece of writing about time management =)