Sieun Kim / Chapter5 first draft / Tuesday 1pm

Always try to do your best

 

My mother is a person who I admire the most. This doesn't mean I admired her since I was young. I always saw her working hard since I was a little baby. So I thought she was a person who only works and works and works. She seemed very strict to me. It was not easy for me to tell her honestly about my faults. However, she wasn't a kind of person like that. She was good at making friends. She had many friends all over the world who can help her whenever she needs help. I knew this when I became 20 years old. I travelled many countries with my mom and wherever we go, there were her friends who greeted her. They all praised her. She was a person who not only worked well but also took care of people around her. Yes, now I remember. She is an innocent and childlike woman. She is about 50 years old but she still likes dolls. She cries while watching sad movies or dramas. She is a sensitive and caring lady. I wondered why she seemed so strong to me. She acted like that. Why? I asked her about her childhood, lots of questions and I figured out why she is a person full of vitality. She grew up in a poor family. She studied wearing gloves in winter at home. Her older sister worked to pay her tuition. So she tried her best to enter a good university for her older sister. As a result, she got formal education and now she is a professor. She rebuilt her family fortune and now her family members all live in a good condition. She also resisted dictatorial government. When I interviewed her, she told me a lot about the dictatorship and how schools that day were different from nowaday's. It was really interesting. Through her, I could know that my mom is a truly splendid woman who should be respected and I learned that I can do a great thing when I try my best. 

Hwang Jeongsoo / Chap. 5 First draft / Tue 1pm

                                                                                1st

     Can he change?

 

When I asked him to tell me the life in army, he said, "What's wrong with you?" with a puzzled look. To be honest, I don't want to hear about the army thing. More accurately, I haven't been interested in army even though he works in the military. I haven't tried understanding his scar caused by the soccer game in army. It is only the soccer game in army that gives him a scar. Why doesn't he change for ten years?

When I saw him first, he was about to decide to be a ROTC. After he spent two years as a ROTC, he was commissioned second lieutenant in 2004. He served in the military for 6 years. After he was discharged from a captain, he became a civilian worker in the military through the test in 2011. As I looked back upon the time when he was in army whether he was a corps leader or is a civilian worker, he has been always diligent and positive.

 In the beginning of the interview, I asked him how many things have been changed in the soldiers' life. "Too many." First, the accommodations of soldiers significantly improved. He said that there were 1 or 2 story buildings where they were so old that soldiers felt very hot in summer and cold in winter ten years ago. There was a sort of bed where about ten soldiers sleep together, which means each individual didn't have his own bed. "But now, every soldier has his own bed." The accommodation building has been improved. In addition, in the past, soldiers weren't supposed to bring their cell phones and they would be punished if they did. Now, they can bring cell phones, hand them in the military, and get them back on leave. To this generation, a cell phone is a big deal so they are so delighted to this change.

 "How about the attitude of the soldiers? I heard that there are many problems caused by some soldiers." He seemed that he had lots of things to talk. As he always said, he noted that the younger are absorbed in individualism, which causes them not to adapt the culture in the military. Although not all soldiers are in relaxation of official discipline, the problem is truly the issue these days. He is not the person who exaggerates a vertical relationship but he thinks it is needed in the military because it is in military where they are. He concerns the better the condition of the life in the army, the more problems occur. When I was told that these days, soldiers can surf the internet, sing in the singing room, play games, and exercise in the gym after daily tasks, I said, "Is that true? Is that a military?" I was a little bit shocked because my notion about the army stays in the past. I am not sure if it is better or not but I am sure that Korean army has changed a lot for ten years.  

 I hope to see Korean young men serving the military feel confident of what they are doing in better environments including civilian workers. I want him to act as if it's the first year in the army. Though many things change, something should be the same as it is.  

 

wang luying/ chapt5 first draft/ tue1

My boyfriend has always been someone that I look up to, we are really different yet similar in so many ways, and doing this interview with him was no doubt a good way to get to know each other better and it was a fun experience for both of us.

 

He came to China a year and half ago, working as an English teacher at an English tutoring center, most of the times we are in different countries but we always try to make the best of every situation.

 

I set up the interview over Skype and started by a pretty common question, "why did you come to China in the first place? "

 

"A good friend of mine, Tom, you know him, he was working at this English tutoring center with his wife and they both loved the job and the city. So when the tutoring center needed a new foreign teacher, I took the chance and applied for the job, I'm still really glad I did."

 

"Have you been to China before, or any Asian countries?"

 

"No, I haven't, but I have heard so many wonderful things about Yantai from Tom so I wasn't that worried. I went to Japan with my parents when I was little so I can't really remember any of it but I think I had fun."

 

"Which country do you like better? England or China?"

 

"To be honest I love it here, England is always so gloomy and cold and wet all year round, the weather here is quite perfect, and the people are really nice to me all the time."

 

"Is Chinese hard to learn?"

 

And then he started to laugh real hard with a little embracement on his face, "you know how it has been for me, it is so hard, I can never get those intonations right but I am glad that you are always there to help and correct me."

 

"What is your biggest passion?"

 

"Music, guitar definitely, guitar was my major back in University and I have been playing guitar for 12 years." And then he pointed at the two guitars right beside his bed, one electric and one acoustic and laughed. 

 

"Wonderful, I'm going to go on to some personal questions, are you ready for that?"

 

"Always."

 

"How did we first met and how long have we been dating? Don't get it wrong haha. "

 

"Well, we first met at the English tutoring center during my first week in Yantai, you were my teaching assistant and we have been together for over a year now and it has been great, I am glad that we have been together for so long, I feel like I have matured a lot in that time. You have been by my side during all that time, and being in a relationship with someone who you care about so much is really easy."

 

"What's the most important thing in being in a relationship? "

 

"I would say you have taught me that good relationships really depend on honesty and respect, and if you have that, it is pretty natural."

Yeo Eun Ki/Chapter 5 first draft/ Tuesday 1pm

There are many different kinds of love in our world. There is the love between a man and a woman, passionate and exciting. We often say we love our friends, and those important in our lives. And certainly there is the deep love we have for our country or humanity. And at one time or another, all of us claim to "love" trivial things like cupcakes or puppies. But there is the love we have for our family members. And even within that love, I always like to think there is a separate category for a mother's love. A mother can be the strongest person in the world for her family. With strength, resilience, and selflessness that cannot be compared to anyone else in the world, a mother's love knows no bounds.
  By my grandmother's bedside there was a packet of medicine and some tangerines. She coughed a little and sat up in bed. "This interview is for what?" she asked me again, and there was still sleep in her eyes and confusion on her face. "My school, grandma. I'm writing about you," I smiled brightly. "I want to talk about a mother's love. And you're the strongest mother I know." I pressed record and started with question one.
  "Tell me about getting married to grandpa," I said. "You married young, didn't you?" My grandmother nodded and launched into her story. "I was only twenty-three." My grandmother was born in the countryside of the South Chungcheong province. Like most families living in Korea at that time, she grew up hungry. By her parent's orders, she moved to Seoul to marry my grandpa. They had met only once prior to their marriage, and my grandmother admits to being unimpressed by him.
 True to her first impression, my grandpa proved to be a poor father and husband to his family. "It wasn't because he didn't want to," my mom, who had been listening to our interview, interrupted, "It was because he didn't know how. Most men of that time didn't. Your grandpa thankfully never raised his hand against any of us. He was just disinterested in our family." My grandmother learned from the very beginning of their marriage to scrimp and pinch with the meager earnings my grandpa brought home. "Most days, there wasn't enough rice so I mixed it with flour and make porridge for myself and the children." She paused. "Your grandpa always had a bowl of rice to eat. But not us. Sometimes I was so hungry and tired I wanted to sit down and cry but had no strength to." She went on to tell me how my grandpa would never come home early and leave my grandmother to take care of the children. "I did everything. From handling the money to making sure there was something on the table for them to eat. I wanted my children to never grow hungry."
  The cheerful mood at the start of the interview slowly faded. I felt grave and almost tentative as I asked, "But what made you go on? Wasn't it difficult? Did you want to give up?" My grandma looked straight at me and said, "I thought about leaving for my hometown. Just abandoning everything and leave." When I asked her why she didn't, she shook her head while rubbing her knees. "I couldn't just go back home. My parents would never allow it." My grandmother sighed and looked regretful. "So I stayed in Seoul with my children. Your mom and aunt and uncle are the only reason I stayed sane and alive. I worked hard to bring my children out of poverty." My grandmother then proceeded to tell me how she would buy a very cheap house, mend it, and sell it at a better profit. She laughed and looked very proud of herself. "By the time your uncle came along, I had sold four houses. And I didn't even spend half of the money I earned. I kept the cash under the wardrobe and saved and saved. Even your grandpa didn't know about the money." My grandmother bought a nice house of her own before my mom was born. By then the family was much better off than it had been when she had first gotten married. "But the hard life changed me," she said simply. When I asked her to elaborate, she said, "I used to be very docile and shy. I didn't dare stand up to anyone. And I always kept to myself." But the struggle to escape poverty had my grandmother getting to arguments with men twice her size over the cost of rice, throwing away her pride to ask her relatives for money, and roughening her hands to work in the bitter cold or the stifling heat. The more she talked, the more animated my grandmother grew. I looked down at my list of questions and saw that she'd answered half of them without me even asking her.
  Finally I asked her, "Do you regret your sacrifice for your children?" My mom was very quiet beside me. My grandma's eyes shined with unshed tears. "Never. Not a single one." My eyes followed her gaze and saw her hands, rough and wrinkled and no doubt tough from the decades of hard work. "I have this very nice house. Your mom, your aunt, and your uncle have all graduated from universities. All of them are happily married and well off. And I even have you, and all my other grandchildren." she reached over and took my hand, rubbing it to warm them. She smiled at me and her eyes crinkled into half-moons.  
  After the interview was over, I got up and straighten my clothes. And before I left my grandmother's bedroom, I walked over to her dresser. In front of the large mirror, there were several photographs. I recognized my own picture, taken when I was an infant. Below mine is my cousin's. She still has the same smile. My uncle's graduation picture is kept special in a glass frame. My eyes lingered on the last photograph; the picture of my grandmother in her late 60s, looking dignified into the camera. "It gives you a different perspective of your grandmother, doesn't it?" my mom commented from behind me. I nodded. Sacrifices are not easy to make because you are doing something for someone else. But mothers can do it. Mothers can throw away their whole lives for their family. And that is why they are so important.  

Hyun woo Jun/ Chapter five first draft/Tuesday 1:00pm

전현우 

영어기사일기와쓰기

201402934

Interview with Kim Jin Hyuck

 

 

Thesis: People should never give up during hard moments.

   It is a very bright, sunny day around two o clock afternoon. I arrived church early for Sunday service, as I see that there is only one middle-aged man with short, black hair in the room. He is about 5 feet 9 inches tall and wears glasses, a light black shirt, and short pants. This man named Kim Jin Hyuck is rumored to be a man who changed his personality completely after returning from the army. I think he could be interesting so I ask for his time for an interview about his story. I guess there is enough time for us to talk before the service. I begin asking questions such as how and what made him change his personality, how was his personality before and what else was involved during his change in the army.

 

   I asked him about how he first got to know about Christianity. He replied, "I was born in the year 1992 and I am the elder brother of the two in my family. I started to attend church just because my friends were there. But in my first year during middle school, I stopped going to church because my parents had a divorce. Sometimes the deacons would call me to come to church, which I did go at times, but as expected, there was no change in me."

 

  "How was your personality during childhood?" I asked.

Jin Hyuck said that he was actually a very shy kid during childhood, but the divorce has affected his personality. He started to become angry easily and his heart was full of hatred. He was basically wearing a mask of pride and strength to protect myself from others. Because of this, he would also get into arguments and fights with infamous kids at school and cause trouble.

 

   I asked him how he tried changing his personality. He answered "Yes, but my personality got worse as the time passed by. I started to not trust anyone because both of my parents lied to each other. I enjoyed being with my friends, but they never became my best friends because deep inside I did not trust them. So I would draw an imaginary line between me and them. I did not like to be honest with them. I also liked to be alone especially during group projects and homework. I did not like to be in synch with other people so I would do them all by myself."

 

   I asked him how life was in high school. He replied that as soon as he became a student in high school, he applied himself to become a member of Student Guidance Leadership group, a group of students who would punish those who disobeyed the rules of the school. He did not care whether they were seniors or not, as he would forcibly grab them to the disciplinary office. At that time, he felt like a very proud and arrogant man who did not care about the hierarchy and relationships of Korean culture. But during his third year in high school, he was now assigned to be the leader of the Guidance group, which made him realize all the responsibilities and his own disadvantages. His life was full of stress because he had to handle many problems at once. He was worried about how to lead the group, his future, personal family issues, and studying. At that same time, he met Navigators Missionary Church under the invitation from Mr. Kim Hyo Yeon. The original reason he went there was to study English from him. He needed to study English as soon as possible to get ready for college preparation. "But one day, Mr. Kim proposed me to study the Bible as well, which it did give me a little of interest." Kim Jin Hyuck continued, "So I accepted his proposal and started to study the Bible. It was very boring as I would not invest much time reading it and would also not pay attention during Bible study. Nothing was felt in my heart during meditation and that of course did not help me to change my personality."

 

   I asked how he started to believe and have fellowship with God. Jin Hyuck said, "My father's job is a taxi driver. One day he picked up a Portable Music Player (PMP) in his taxi and gave it to me as a present. I thought this was useful to me so I registered it in the company's homepage to receive service. While doing that, the owner of the PMP had reported the police that someone had stolen his device. The police had found the device on the homepage by chance so they called me and came to the front of my house. My father explained the situation truthfully that it was lost, not stolen. The police had to do some research about this incident so they took my father with them. This was the first time I prayed earnestly to God, worried that my father might be arrested. Hours later, my father returned with no problems. After a few days, I had given thanks to God and decided to accept Jesus Christ."

 

   I asked, "How did you get the scar in your face?" He replied, "It was during my second term in my first year in college that this horrible event occurred to me. In the year 2011 November 2^nd, I was riding a bicycle down the road until suddenly a man appeared in the way. I avoided hitting him but this made me lose my balance and I bumped against a pillar that supported a bridge. The pain was too severe that I couldn't feel the pain. When I looked down the floor, a huge amount of blood began to flow from my nose and my head. Luckily, I was able to regain my consciousness and someone nearby helped me to get to the taxi. I arrived at a college hospital and went to take emergency measures and the doctors told me that I needed to take a surgery right away. But according to the CT scan result, I couldn't take a surgery right away because of a few amount of oxygen have entered through the hole in my head. It was dangerous to do the surgery so I stayed in the hospital for about two to three weeks. The doctor said that the left side of my head was severely broken with some nerves disconnected in the process. On the fourth week, I finally had my surgery. They have also placed around twenty screws into my head to reshape my broken bones. After the surgery was done, the doctors had dried my neck so that no type of liquid could flow through it. I was not allowed to drink water for three hours, which it was a very painful moment and an experience of hell for me, as it reminded me of the story of the rich man and Lazarus from the Bible. After the surgery, I began to worry about upcoming college Finals tests, hospital bill, and the possibility of the shape of my face to become bad."

 

   I asked about what he did to solve all these problems. He said, "During my time in the hospital, I was not able to do anything, so I decided to spend my time praying about my worries to God. A few days later, I was discharged from there, and all my worries miraculously disappeared as my grades were better that I had expected, the surgery bills had decreased, and the surgery was very successful. I then realized that God had planned this to change my arrogant personality. So I became more interested to learn about Him. But after four months, I had to go to the military even though I was injured a few weeks ago. It was because the surgery was very successful."

 

   "Tell me about the army." I pleaded. He said, "I went to the army at the age of twenty two. At first, I thought that I could spend the military life in peace. Unfortunately, it was not as good as I had imagined it to be. In boot camp, my pride was broken all because of the military rules not fitting well with me and the treatment from others. After boot camp, I was assigned to the artillery group. My pride was once more broken here. It was very hard to get accustomed to the work and the hierarchy of the military. Getting a good and constant relationship was a very hard task too. Each time I struggled with these problems, I would meditate and study the Bible. I began applying the Word into my life style, as this helped me to not get angry easily anymore and become more forgiving, I had also began to believe that hardship comes from God with a purpose."

 

   I then told him to briefly describe his new self. Jin Hyuck answered, "I had realized that I cannot change my own life. It was God who had done it all. In conclusion, I had matured through hardships and sufferings with God not leaving me. I had become who I am today through God and the military service. Now, I thank God everyday for changing my life."

 

   I learned many things through this interview. Sometimes you can have a lot of trouble and worry about future such as studying in college. If you are a man, you might also have to worry about military service. But if you think back, all these hard tasks were actually easier than you thought. They were never impossible in the first place. I believe that all hardships will turn into experience that will help you live wisely and enjoy life to the fullest.    

Yeonjae Hwang/Chapter5 draft/Tues 1pm

 

Interviewing A.

 

I went to a girls high school that none of my friends went to. I was the only one assigned to go there, so when I entered the school I had no one in familiar and had to make friends all from the bottom line. However despite of my concerns, my first year of school life was successful. I made numerous friends from diverse groups, which all of them are still in close contact with me up to this day.

One of them is my friend called A. We were in the same class during our first year of high school, and after school we would seek for a delicious restaurant and spend pleasant times of our own. We talked a lot, contacted each other frequently, and met often even after our graduation. She was indeed one of my closest friends. I thought I had known the best about her and it was vice versa for her too.

But there was one thing I never knew since then. And this confession is based on what I have heard and interviewed from her. My friend was the only child who had lived happily with her parents. However, at the age of her middle school years, a small crack appeared on the surface of her parents' relationship. "I was too young to know such, but as time passed by I started to realize the difference and slowly felt that something was going wrong", she said. Back then, her mother was a normal worker at a company and her dad was an illegal moneylender. She said that she lived a very abundant life in terms of material wealth, "honestly, our family had a lot of money. Especially for my dad, he piled up bunch of money in a huge closet at our house and spent it as if he was using water, but you know what the strange thing was? The money never shrunk."

She told me that she still does not know the exact reason for her parents' divorce, yet she estimates that it perhaps would be due to her dad's occupation. Her mother originally knew his job before their marriage but as the job is first illegal and secondly is very harsh, which to the general public is known as a Korean version gangster, my friend reflects how hard it would have been for her mother to tolerate and sacrifice all those. "After their divorce, I stayed with my dad. It was when I was 15 years old. As I was young, I could not accept the fact that I had to live apart with my mom. Moreover, there were days when my dad did not come home for days. Later, I found out that he was in prison. Such life was repetitive for him and me. And sometimes, he brought up women that looked nearly as the same age as my mom to our house. Those new face women changed constantly. Although I was young then, I knew that it was his girlfriends." It was hard for my friend to understand her dad and accept the new faces, so there were times she shouted and swore at them whenever they showed up, eventually making them to stop coming to the house.

"I promised to myself that I would not live the same as my dad. But the fact that he is my one and only person never changes and as I am grown up than before, I am now able to control myself and manage to stop the inner conflicts within me. During my middle and high school years, I kept struggling to myself and was disappointed at things I could not change just because I could not accept the whole situation. Unlike then, now I somehow learned to accept and let go of some parts that is out of my control. So I feel a lot better and try not to care about it much." While answering to my questions, my friend looked very calm.

Concluding the interview, I asked her my last question: whether she has any regrets or not. "It would be a lie when I say no. Frankly, yes I do have regrets about what I have said to my dad when I was young. Yet, other than that, I have no regrets in terms of what I have done and my actions to handle the problem for myself." Indeed, my friend was as the bravest person that I've ever seen.

 

 

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Eunwoo Kim/Chapter5 first draft/Tue 1pm

As time goes by...

After a long time, I made a phone to my mom. Since I have been to Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, I started to live in Seoul and my mom has lived in Cheonan. Other than usual conversation, this phone call was special because it was about an interviewee and an interviewer, not as a mother and a daughter. I remembered my mom told me "Students these days don't think carefully or deeply, compared with the students old days." I was curious what she meant by that and what kind of things she wanted her students to learn.

It has already been 28 years since she has stood in front of high schoolers as a teacher. "How my first school looked like? Oh, well…" She remembered it looked like a school in a countryside that would come out from a movie. She said she was so excited and delighted to make her dream come true, but there was a funny episode that she cannot forget still. "Boys liked me, but girls were on the alert toward me. I was in confusion and couldn't understand why they were offended." Her curiosity was solved one month later. Some girls came to her and said sorry. They were offended to her because there was a male teacher before she came and he was a celebrity in the school. Girls would wait outside of this single male teacher's house to do laundry and cook for him. My mom came to the school to fill up his empty seat, so girls treated her as if he left because of her even though there was other reason for him to leave. After a month, knowing my mom more, girls started to open their heart toward my mom and like her. "This situation became an old memory, but I cannot forget it and still remember the students. They were refreshingly naive and pure." She was charge of a literature club at that time so had much time to spend with students, talking about books and stories. There was no computer or something special to enjoy, so for students, school was everything. Teachers were their celebrities, hanging out and talking with friends was their fun culture. When a vacation came, students would send handwriting letters to my mom with pretty dried flowers or leaves, saying "I miss you teacher. I hope you are doing okay and see you when the school begins!"

However, these days, she is sad that the more times goes by, students become more calculative and thoughtless. They only think about themselves. Because they can easily get many fun things and interesting information with smart phones and computers, teachers are not in their category anymore. They are getting used to many visuals through smart phones, many students are becoming less patient and have busy brains. There are even some students who think seriousness is foolish. "I feel pity for many students that their bodies grow up, but their mentality is so light. Many students are so thoughtless. I mean, they don't think about other people, society and country, but only them."

assignment/ narrative composition/ 11.24/ Dan Kim

Thesis: you should never stop dream to reach your goal.

 

Title: Dreaming Guitarist

 

I entered a music studios then moved to the room where my teacher was playing his guitar. In the far right corner of his room, a lot of expensive professional guitars were placed on a guitar stand. And the opposite side of the stand was big Marshall guitar amp with small guitar effectors. On his desk was a big monitor screen with a bunch of music graph going up and down along the teachers' strum. "Yo teacher, I'm here." I shouted to him, because he barely hears anything when he plays a guitar. "Oh, ya already here my boy? Ok let's start today's lesson real quick. What we gonna learn today is phrygian mode with a combination of diatonic 5th scale…" I interrupted his line "hold up man, before that can we do some lil' pep talk with you today?" He replied "Ha ha. Ya already sick of learning harmony theory my boy? Fine, we need some refreshment sometimes. Ain't you play some time, than ya'll be dumbass. ha!"

 

I asked him "you know, what made you to take this job? I mean, when did you thought you should be guitarist and why?" He made some wrinkle in his forehead and knitted his brows for a moment as if trying to gaze his past day. "Hmm… I just liked rock music when I was a school boy like middle or high something and imagined myself being a star like Guns&Roses, Metallica or Red Hot Chili Peppers. And why especially guitar? C'mon, you come here every week to learn guitar, but ask something like that? A band can't exist with some sick guitar solo and riff, and that's damn true!" Yup, he thinks the center of a band is guitar and loves the instrument so much. That'll hold true forever for him. And I think that love and pride is the reason he is so skilled and perfectionist about his instrument.

 

I asked another question "then wasn't it hard to become like this, professional guitarist?" He lifted edge of his mouth and made a little smile and said "Oh, I bet ya couldn't even imagine how hard it was to achieve all those skills, money, or else. When I first started my guitar, there was no lesson or teacher at all. Everything I could do was listening to music just over and over till I can play the note with my guitar. When I tried to copy Beetles' Let it be, it took me like forever. But as the number of the song I copied gone up, I became bit better and better. But I felt that wasn't enough for me to become guitar hero." I asked him again "then what else did you do?" he restarted his story "well, when I graduated my high school, I gave up going to college and moved to Seoul from my hometown. Ya know the cliché used a lot in movies, like some enthusiastic guy filled with his dream going to big city with just a little bit of coin, right? Well I was that case. I came to Seoul to find a teacher who can teach me and band that I could practice together with some people." I was surprised. I've known him for 1year and noticed that he is reckless and very adventurous. But never thought he could have moved to Seoul alone with nothing but a guitar and little sum of money.

 

I asked "Then did you do well after that?" He burst into laugh and said "Ya joking right? How the hell could that gone well. Imagine a boy with no money with some poor guitar skill. As I low on skill, ain't no band wanted me. As low on money, gotta do a part time job almost every day without rest to pay a rent and lesson fee. It was like living in a hell. Every day I suffered from my back pain because of construction site job." What he said after that was worse. He ate only instant ramen and Kimchi, because he had no money to afford some fine food. He couldn't turn on a heater or air conditioner because he wanted to save utility fee. And he once even went to a loan shark to get money for some gears.

 

I said with frowned face "Oh my god if I were you I would have just gave up and went down to my hometown already." My teacher replied "Well I also thought like that sometimes, but whenever I thought like that, some image came into my mind too. It was image that I myself doing a gig in front of millions of crowds and rocking all the night. That image was just so vivid and clear because I wanted to be like that so much. That image just kicked some ass to thoughts like 'I wanna give up, I ain't gonna make it'. So, I endured and practiced my guitar all day, drawing in my mind that me play like a pro. And after about ten years of all those hard work, I finally became what I want. Now I do a concert at gig site, guitar lesson and release album like a pro. I achieved my dream as a result!

 

When we ended our "pep talk" my lesson time was already over and another student was waiting in front of the room. I said bye to teacher and leaved the room. Even though I didn't learn anything about scale or chord that day, but I think that talk did worth it for me as a guitarist wannabe. I shall not stop dreaming on my goal.

Lee Chaehyun/Chapter 5 first draft/Tue 1PM

It was almost dinnertime when my mom and I sat down for this interview, because I had waited her to wake up from her 'Sunday nap'. Mom looked sleepy but seemed as if she was all recovered from the weekdays' fatigue. "So, what questions do you have for this interview?" She asked. "Are you going to pay me money for this?"

I was curious about her dream, and her current occupation as a pharmacist. She had told me before that it was her father's word to be a pharmacist. I asked her, "Mom, you are a pharmacist now, right? What did you want to be when you were little? Or have you always wanted to be a pharmacist since you were young?"

She frowned, as if she was recalling the memories of the past. After a while, she answered that she wasn't. "Actually, I wanted to be a writer. When I was a kid, I was very good at writing." When she was in elementary school, she had been awarded for every piece of writing she wrote. She also said proudly that her teachers also liked her works. "At that time, you had to turn in your diaries, so that teachers can see them and make sure you have written your diaries every day." She said her diaries were so funny and well-written that they had made her teachers laugh.

Then here was my second question: "Then how come you did not become a writer?" Mom answered in a quite indifferent way. "Because of your grandfather." She said that the place she had lived was very, very conservative, and her father was also not an exception. Her father had said that men can learn whatever things they wanted, but women should major in something that can earn money. "That's why he wanted me and your aunts to major either in pharmacy or education; to be a pharmacist or to be a teacher." I asked her whether his words were more like recommending or mandatory. She answered, "The latter, of course."

At that time, what men did and women did was very different. Men could learn whatever they wanted to learn, whereas many women did not even have the opportunity to receive higher education. That's why my grandmother could not continue her learning after elementary school. Maybe that's because the time when my grandmother was young, the inequality between men and women was even bigger, and many women were forced to work after graduating elementary schools. My grandmother does know how to write, but still has to make other people to write for her.

I felt a bit surprised. Of course I had known that gender inequality was bigger in the past, but I never knew that even my mom and my grandmother was involved in it. They could not have an equal chance. I was lucky, because my generations had much more freedom for selecting our own dreams and future occupations.

I asked my final question: "Do you ever regret being a pharmacist?" "No." Mom answered shortly. She said she would have been bad at writing, if she became a writer. The workplace had made her very tired when she was in her thirties, since she had to look after us and work at the same time. But she had never regretted of selecting her current job. She likes it, because she can give a hand to those who are in need, can keep herself busy all the time, and can keep on studying. She told me that her father's words benefited her after all, although they were mandatory in the first place. Mom also added that she still studies in her free time. She showed me her weekly planner, which had a lot of smiley faces on it. "These smiley faces mean the day that I studied for more than two hours." She told me proudly.

From this interview, I got to know that there were generation gaps between me and my mom, and even my grandmother and my mom. As a woman, my grandmother and my mom could not receive the same opportunity as their male counterparts. My grandmother could not receive any education after she had graduated elementary school. Mom had few choices to make about what to learn. However, I am glad that my mom likes her current choice as a pharmacist.

 

Dohoon Hong/Chapter 5 First Draft/Tuesday 1p.m.

 I was raised in Gimhae most of my life, but now I live in Seoul, for I was accepted to Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. I lived about a year in the dorm and another year by myself. Living alone with only financial support from my parents was a hard task, but I was able to mature in many ways. For my interview, I hoped to ask questions to one of my friends who live in a similar environment to figure out what kind of changes happened to her life while living in Seoul by herself.

 I met Seongeun, my interviewee, in a café near her university. For I was very curious, I quickly asked her what kind of challenges she faced while living in Seoul all by herself.  With a sigh as if she had a lot of things to say, she said, "Cooking, doing the laundry, paying the bills, keeping track of my spending, and so on." She had so many things to think about compared to her life as a high schooler. During her high school life, all she had to do was just study and not worry about anything else. However, when she became a university student and started to live by herself, she came to realize there are many things to worry about in the world other than studying.

 I went on to ask her about her way of spending money and how she manages her allowance. She is receiving money from her parents, but to lessen the burden of her parents, she is working in a part-time job. With anxiety shown on her face, she said, "The first thing I do when I receive my allowance is taking out the estimated amount of cost of the bill. I need to do this so I don't over spend my money and later have to worry about the bills." She was a very tidy person and she said that she was able to learn some skills with coping with money.

I further on asked her what the most challenging thing to do is. She said, "Eating is the major problem right now. If I cook food at home, it takes too much time, and I have to wash the dishes, too, which is more time consuming. But if I were to eat outside, it would cost too much money, and I would get stressed out." She added, "With all these things going through my mind, I can't focus on my school work!" In high school, Seongeun did not have to worry about food since her mother would prepare it for her. However, after a year of experience living by herself, she came to realize the hard work of mothers and that their love for their children is great.

 I enjoyed interviewing Seongeun, because I was able to totally sympathize with her. When we parted, Seongeun said, "I was very happy to talk about my hardships," she added, "I feel like I can mature further!"

Bo-won Kim/ Ch5 first draft/ Tues 1pm

Recently, I've read an article while doing some research about life in USA. This article, titled "Foreigners share what they find most surprising about America" was posted on Business Insider, a news website issuing about American business, celebrity and technology. In the article, there were some interviews from foreigners from different backgrounds. However different their experiences were, they all shared one common experience, hardship. Lots of them were faced with hard times while they were adjusting to the new lives and new lifestyles in USA. I felt pity for them but seeing their interviews, I could not hide my fascination. For I've always dreamed of living in New York since I was young. I wanted to have an indirect experience for just a moment so I've decided to focus my interview topic on this. And for that moment, one person popped up in my mind, Jieun Kim. She is one of my friends from the college and we've been friend since we were freshmen. She is a very diligent, hard-working student and is very fluent in English. Back in the days, I asked her how she could speak such perfect English and she answered with her face blushing. "Don't you say like that        I remembered that she had lived in USA before and scheduled to have an interview with her right away.    The first question I asked was how she got to live in USA since very young. I was curious how she had the opportunity. She blinked her eyes for some time as if she was bringing back her old memories that were put aside in her brain. She told me that she went to the United States when she was 3years old which was the year, 1997 and went to back to Korea at 2001. The reason for her staying in USA was that her father was transferred to Oregon. It was just 4years of staying in USA for her. But I remember her saying something about camp she went in USA few years ago. So I asked her about the camp she told me long ago. "Oh, you remember it. It's the fort jackson youth center in South Carolina. After 2001, I went to United States every summer vacation to my aunt and uncle's house. They live there" she added with a faint smile on her face.    I wanted to ask her the most important question for my interview, the one I want to focus on most. I asked her if she could tell me her hard times back in the US. She replied instantly, "Sure, why not? What's your question?" "I cannot leave out the word, racial discrimination when talking about foreigners living in other countries. So do you have any experiences of discrimination?" I asked carefully since it is somehow a sensitive issue. I expected a story similar to what I've seen in the article. However her answer was totally different from those. She told me that she can't think any particular experience of being discriminated. She said in the interview, "Maybe it's because I was too young to remember… but I think the other kids were also too young to have a stereotype or prejudice towards Asians." "Then how about some difficulties or hardships you faced in the USA? It must have been quite tough to adjust in foreign country." I asked her. She thought for a moment and nodded a few times and said "I think this question would be more relevant with my parents than me." She told me that because she was in US and said, smiling "We know that kids don't really know what they're confronting. But my mom had some difficulty learning English and adjusting to new life in Oregon. I heard there were a lot of frustrating situations that she couldn't solve cause of the language barrier." After a few seconds, she had a deep breath and said, "I can't imagine how hard it had been for her but it's a relief my parents didn't face nasty discrimination."   Time passed rapidly and it was already time for us to go to the next class. "Thanks for the interview and thanks for answering the questions with all your heart and thanks for your time." I wanted to end the interview with some meaningful question. "Can you think of one word that can describe your life in USA?" I asked her for the last time. She thought for a long time with a serious look on her face. "Wow, it's really hard to describe it in just a word." She thought for more and finally came up with her answer. "Let me describe it in two words. It was a life-changing opportunity for me. The experience of living in States has helped me a lot in Korea where English fluency is very important. And I still thank my parents for that."

Sangjee Lee /CH5 first draft /Tuesday 1.p.m

National anthem and Curfew

201302361 Sangjee Lee

My mother and I talk all the time but the interview for writing paper was unusual for both of us. She used to tell me some anecdote from her childhood such as how her father gave her three white rabbit for Christmas but she never told me about how she spent her 20's. What was the biggest event that took place, how she and her family were doing at those times. I did research about some historic events took place when she was in her 20's and 30's. She looked amused and interested looking at all the questions that I wrote down to interview.

The first question I asked was that why she didn't tell me about any of the big events took in Korea all these years. My mom laughed again and said that when time passes, only special memory left in your heart. It left a footprint but you can usually remember them not as a whole story but the image. "By the way, I know you always complained about history of modern Korea. So I figured I might make you boring with my story" she added. I told her that hearing from a person who really went through the whole event would be different from just reading the list of simple fact from the history book. "A lot of stuff happened in 1960 from 2000 according to my research. Wasn't it?" She quickly nodded while saying that the most dramatic changes might have happened during when she was still a young girl. She also added that seeing the society now, and looking back the year she can't believe how all the thing changed so much.

"Do you remember any specific event when you were young? At least some image of it that made a deep impression on you?" She drank coffee while thinking for few minutes. "I remember people always have to hear national anthem before watching movie at the theater." She said that when she was little, she followed her mom to watch movie at the theater. When she sat down while waiting for the movie to start, she noticed all the people stood up. "It was national anthem coming from the speaker. The image of people standing up before the movie might look strange to you but it was normal from that time." I asked her how she felt about it. She said that she was a young girl and simply thought it was weird and didn't pay much attention but later found out that it was for the patriotism. It was only decades after the Korean War. Government forced patriotism in people's mind. "My mom told me that the life got so much better compare to the time right after the war. But I guess people didn't have much freedom to think in the way they want to think. In school, she had to write a lot of essay about democracy as a writing contest.

She waited for me while I took some memo but suddenly started a new story saying she remembered something else. "I had some funny incident about curfew" she said while smiling. I didn't understand why she was smiling so I asked her wasn't curfew uncomfortable. She said she might have felt that way but now after twenty, or thirty year or so it is just a memory. "It was almost like I was in 007 series." The curfew was from 12:00a.m. to 4 a.m. but it started much earlier before she was born. She was at her friend's house but lost track of time while talking. When she realized it was too late it was almost pass 11p.m. She said she don't know why she didn't thought about just staying at friend's house but she left quickly. She ran and ran through the ocean of people. "The street was literally filled with people around 11 p.m. because of all the people trying to go home." She said people got caught by the police if they stay on the street after 12.a.m.

I learned in high school that late 1900 was when Korea's industrialization happened and Korea's GDP hiked, but hearing her story I felt it was a dark time for people to express their thought freely. I asked her how she felt about the whole situation such as curfew and listening to national anthem before watching movie. "I guess the scariest thing is that you get used to it." She said she heard lot of people talking about that time whether it is negative or positive. "But I want to know how people would see this after hundred years." She told me how the people take different point of view when studying history of Joseon dynasty. They make movies and write books about kings and queens while revaluating them. "I might not live long to see that time but It makes me wonder how people from future would thought about the time I lived." My mother said after finishing the cup of coffee.

 

Ha-eun Jeong/First Draft of Chapter 5/Tuesday 1 p.m.

             These days, more and more people learn foreign languages, not only English or Chinese, but also other languages that are used by relatively fewer people than the two. I am one of them as well; I have started learning French last year and decided to choose French as my second major. When I first started taking classes from French major last year, one of the most difficult parts I faced was conversation. Since French was not as common as English, Chinese, Japanese, or Spanish here, I did not really have friends whose native language was French.

After some struggles though, I was finally able to get some help from a language exchange application, and Bastien is one of those I met there. He is a French native who was born and raised in Paris. He has a great passion for travelling and is deeply interested in Asian culture. He is also interested in photography, so he has made several series of short documentaries when he travelled Asia. He has been learning Korean by himself along with his studies for master's degree in finance.

The first question I asked was, "How did you end up learning Korean, while there are many other languages that are much more useful?" Then he answered, with a little bit of French accent, "Well, first I tried learning Japanese, but I gave up because of Chinese characters. And I did enjoy travelling Southeast Asia but the language didn't really interest me. Then when I visited Korea, I fell in love with everything there―food, people, ambience…so I just chose to try Korean. It's obviously easier than having to memorize those Chinese characters." He frowned when he said "memorize those Chinese characters."

I asked him why he loves Asian cultures so much, and he said that he could not explain exactly why. "But, I guess, because you can experience things you can't in your own country? I see many Koreans who admire European cultures, but as a European I don't see anything impressive. But, well, when I first saw a golden temple during my travel to Southeast Asia, it was simply amazing. That chill I felt, it was something I could never forget, I'd say."

He added that since the first trip to Southeast Asia, he was "addicted" to travelling because he wanted to explore more on other cultures that are different, "exotic" he said, to his culture. He chuckled and said, "I'm getting wanderlust every time I talk about this kind of stuff." He shrugged.

When I asked him if he thinks there is a correlation between learning a language and travelling, he answered, "Bien sûr. Definitely." He continued, "Travelling around Asia was actually a turning point in my life in some ways I think. That's why I went to Singapore as an exchange student." He explained that he decided to go study in Singapore because he felt the need to improve his English while experiencing another culture there at the same time. His English was already very good, but he said that he wanted to experience living in an English-speaking country with non-western culture, and so that was why he chose Singapore.

"Me learning Korean is also because I travelled around and found Korea attractive. You already know that. When you travel new places and experience different cultures, it is likely that you will find one or some particular cultures you get really attracted to. And that's how you start learning a new language," he added. I asked him if he ever felt that French people tend to be like that more than any other countries, he chuckled again. "Maybe, or maybe not. Well, it could be, but I don't know." Then he shrugged again, smiling.

Bo-won Kim/ ch4. final draft/ Tuesday 1pm

Ironic Bus     What comes up first the moment you hear number 1224? I assume this number will mean Christmas Eve for many of you. However, number 1224 doesn't mean Christmas Eve to me but rather something that brings back my memory from the past. Thinking back to the past, I feel like I'm back to the kid I used to be, the mischievous little girl. I don't have to face harsh reality that I'm facing now and am filled with hopes and dreams.   "So we gotta take the bus to get off Cheongnyangni station…" A serious looking man said to a girl next to him. The girl was about the age of 10, two big eyes staring at the man's gestures. He seemed to be the girl's father since no one would've look at the girl eyes full of affections and worries. Looking vacantly at his gestures like his little daughter, I heard the girl mumble something in her mouth. The sound of wind blowing heavily disturbed me from concentrating on what the girl's saying. After the wind had calmed down, I could hear the number she was mumbling clearly. The girl was murmuring "number 1224…1224… 1224…" for several times and asked her dad, "dad, so it's the bus number 1224, right?". "That's right. But don't worry. I'll be here until you get on the bus." The girl put a big smile on her face after hearing what her dad said. His words seemed to have relieved her.   Hearing the bus number 1224, soon I became a kid waiting for the bus just like the girl next to me. I share my past with the bus since I was an elementary school student. For more than six years, I have taken the same bus at the same bus stop and possibly with the same bus driver. Whenever I see the greenish thing appear around the corner of Hagye station, my heart bounced with adrenaline soaring up. "I have to take that bus." That's the first thing popped up in my head. "If I don't take it, I wouldn't make it in time for the first class and eventually I will get punished." The rational thinking continued after few seconds. And finally there came a quick decision, which obviously had already been made. "I hate to get punished so I have to take that bus no matter what." But the problem was that I wasn't the only one having that in mind. Everyone's adrenaline was soaring up. When this happened, it meant that there is going to be a war in a second.   The war broke out. The weapons for the soldiers were usually their speeds and their skills. The fastest person gets on the bus and people lining up will get on the bus one another. Winners held their straps as their trophies and the defeated had to give up their hopes to get on the bus and aim for the next bus. Usually, the bus driver decides who the last winner is by closing the door when the bus is full but there were some who couldn't abandon their dreams. They climbed up for one more chance. Same thing happens all around the year. However, in the winter, situation got worse as soldiers are armed with heavy clothes.   When the bus driver brought an end to this war and closed the door, there came a peace like nothing had happened just before. People helped each other by sharing their straps, which were there handles just before. People helped each other by giving seats to the elderly. In the bus, seats were more than a trophy. People helped each other by pressing the buttons instead for those who couldn't reach the button and cry out for help.   I have experienced this irony throughout my school life with the bus number 1224. I've seen nasty things, I've seen heart-warming things and I basically saw everyday things almost every day in the bus 1224. I no longer have a chance to get on the bus 1224 nor do I have a time. But the past memory I share with bus 1224 will be deep inside my heart. The bus 1224, the most popular territory that every soldier from Hagye station bus stop had aimed for, will always experience the same thing over and over. It will declare war and end the war as always but inside it, there will be a peace as always.