Dana Eun/ What is your story?/ Thurs 1-3pm

Jazzy carols are streaming out of the speaker and smell of coffee beans is floating in the air. I look around to find my friend and someone waves her hand after noticing me. At the left corner, Alexandra is sitting with her laptop and a cup of coffee. It's only been three months since I met her in one of my classes but it doesn't feel awkward or uncomfortable at all.

"I'm from Moscow, Russia, as you know and my parents are actually both Koreans." She began to talk naturally. "I was born there and grew up there my entire life going to Russian schools but I always knew in my heart that I also belong to a country called Korea." Though it was not something I expected, it made our conversation much more interesting and grabbed my attention to the fullest. She continued on saying "my great grandparents moved to Russia in 1940s and the Russian government forced them to move to southern part of Russia thinking they were Japanese. They were supposed to starve to death, that's what the government actually wanted of them. But they managed to live with the help of seeds that they brought from Korea. They cultivated crops and that's how the life of Korean-Russians started."

After taking a sip of coffee, she told me about how she began to build her connection between Korea and herself. According to Alexandra, there is a Korean community in Moscow and people organize several education programs regarding Korean studies – language and culture mostly. In elementary school, she was fascinated by Korean dance and she started taking dance class in the community center during every vacation. With a light smile she seemed like she was recalling those memories. "I visited Korea a few times before coming to HUFS for dance camps and stuff. The more I learned, the more interested I became so I decided to attend university in Korea."

When I asked how it was to adjust in Korea at the beginning, she answered without hesitation that it definitely was challenging. "I couldn't speak Korean very well back then and I really didn't have someone to talk to and share my feelings and thoughts. I used to call my family six times a day." She let out that laughter of embarrassment. "And to be honest, I did regret coming here. It was so different from what I thought. I couldn't feel certain belonging at all. But after a year, I made friends here and got used to life in Korea. I realized the quality of life I can enjoy here." It's been four years since she came to Korea, and now she finds this place comfortable and dynamic. She also added that she doesn't regret her choice at all and although there were tough times, it all helped her to grow and be who she is right now.

"Of course, there are things that I find distressing in Korea. The biggest one is the characteristic of collectivism that Koreans have." She explained how susceptible Koreans are in trend and how much of group life is implicitly forced to individuals. At first this was one aspect she could not understand and deal with at the beginning. A celebrity wears something and instantly that becomes a trend and everybody has the same item. When she was freshman, she did not want to go for a drink but she had to because it was part of school activity and seniors said that this kind of get together is necessary. This is something that I always found disagreeable in Korean society and I was pleasantly surprised that she also saw this as negative side. However, I could see and feel the affection that she has for this country and she was willing to say proudly that she is Korean.

"I want to stay here and explore Korea outside the school. I don't know if I want to stay here for further future like getting married and spending rest of my life in Korea, but I am positive on staying here after my graduation. There are so many things that we can see, learn and do! We're young and I feel like I want to experience more than just student life here." Flash of excitement and passion were flickering in her eyes behind the round glasses. It was always interesting to see Korea in a foreigner's perspective as more and more people visit Korea. Though there are many things that Korea should improve, I was genuinely happy to see that a friend, a foreigner, a Korean-Russian was more than satisfied with her life in Korea.

 

Hye Hyon Kim/ Beaver’s Trail; Home to Beavers, Ducks and Myself/ Thurs 1pm

Hye Hyon Kim

Professor. Jonny Bahk-Halberg

Intermediate English Writing (2)

02 November 2015

Beaver's Trail; Home to Beavers, Ducks and Myself

Squirrels race past inches away from my front bicycle wheel as if they are playing truth or dare and refused to tell the truth. I swerve, trying to avoid them but on the other side, there are ducks. I stare at them in amazement, wondering if all the ducks and swans in Minnesota have summoned here to hold an annual migration meeting and I whisper, "Where in the world did you all come from?" As I ride past them, I see they stare back at me with their heads to one side, as if to ask me the same question.

             I spent my junior year at St. Cloud State University which was located right next to the Mississippi river. Whenever I crossed the bridge across the river on my way to school, the university campus almost looked like it was floating, or on an island just like you see The Great Black Lake around Hogwarts in the beginning of Harry Potter movies. Campus buildings were always crowded with people, everyone scuttling to their next classes but the place I liked most on the school grounds was the St. Cloud Dam, the river area along with the Beaver Island Trail. Water crashed against each other and fell down the slope as if they were on bumper cars and roller coasters. Even though I was miles away from the dam itself, the sound it made was incredible, like I was on the tallest slide in a waterpark and when the wind blew, sprinkles of water would land on my face as if to warn me to stay away. Students and other residents would bring their dogs and fishing rods and wait patiently for their first bite.

             Down the river, there was the Beaver Island Trail where I would cycle or walk whenever I wanted to find peace or just wanted a little space to myself. All sorts of wildlife and greens, from trees, shrubs and bushes surrounded the trail, making it impossible to see anywhere but ahead. I could faintly hear the water gliding down the river but it was hard to see through the greenery. There were no streetlamps so I always made sure I got back in time but the trail seemed so distant, in a different world from assignments and classes to the point that I had turned my head many times expecting to see unknown spirits like fairies or wizards to a sudden sound made behind me. Despite what I had thought, it was always a bird sitting on a tree or a horse biting into a crunchy apple.

I knew I had reached the end of the trail when I came to a steep hill. I would stop pedaling and just close my eyes for a brief second to cool down as the sweat on my forehead quickly evaporated from trickling down with the force of the wind. The trail had always been a place for me to go whenever I wanted to get some fresh air and refresh my head but there it was also a place where many of my favorite memories were made. It was where I learned to first climb a tree and also where I first attempted to skip stones and failed continuously. Whenever I cycled past the hills and roads, I reflected back on the conversations I had with my friends as we jogged along the trail conversing in our out of breath words. Memories of first date picnics and deep conversations about our dreams were all there and they all came back to me whenever I went by, like the winds in the story of The King with Donkey Ears. Whenever my friends sends me pictures of the swings or the trail, they makes me think back to all the times I whizzed past the trail on my bike or laughing hysterically with my friends about a joke leaving me to feel as if I never left.

 

 

 

 

Joo Hyun LEE/ Haven rising above Parisian sky/ Thurs. 1-3 pm

          Have you ever had a place meaningful and unique to you? For me, it has been the haven rising above the Parisian sky! This was a place where I had actually spent most of my life. When people think of Europe, it occurs in their mind, small cities where the shape of the years can be felt due to the preservation of the low-rise buildings and the whole culture in itself. However, what was remarkable about my place was that it was previously automobile plants. Even though high-rise building was normally forbidden or under thorough restraint by the city due to the Fire Services Act, not only was it recently built in the 1970s but also has been a safe residential skyscraper with exceptional view on Paris.

 

          While the exterior of the building was a plain simple design like Lego block in a white monotony compared to other skyscrapers, the interior was totally different! Uncommonly, there were 6 elevators which were each dedicated to their own purposes: 2 elevators going to the underground parking, 2 to the lower-story apartment and the others to the upper-story apartment. Indeed, it is still really rare in EU to find any elevator in a building, even in the most luxurious five star hotels; having actually 6 elevators, not the classical ones but modern, spacious as well as fast ones as we can easily find in Korea, was astonishing. Moreover, the unique feature of this apartment was that all the inhabitants have been addressing their problems to one top guardian named Eli, a tall and thin men with a mustache like Charlie Chaplin or Mario's best friend Luigi with always a genuine smile hanging on his face; he was aware of everything inside this building and took care of these things accurately; nobody would deny that he was actually a genie.

 

          Concerning my apartment, even though it was recently built, the previous owner decorated as other typical French apartment, gloomily and above the creaking wooden floor with "dirty" rugs. So my parents decided to remodel it completely; actually the construction work took 8 months! Nevertheless, it has been now unified into a white as snow, from the ceiling to the floor; that's why when my friends first visited my home, they used to say "Is it some kind of a psychiatric hospital?". Additionally, we also displayed built-in mirrors like the renowned mirror room in Versailles Palace with one supplemental peculiarity which was the sliding mirror doors that sometimes connected or separated the living room with my brother's bedroom. It was actually convenient to keep a watch on my brother who tend to be easily distracted. The most important and unique thing of our house has been the floor spread with authentic Italian white marble; that's why as in Korea or in other Asian culture, we could wander at home without wearing shoes. However, we had to pay a price in exchange for this convenience which was, in one hand, to endure severe winter as I found myself walking on glaciers from the polar areas and, on the other hand, take care of the floor a lot. Thanks to that, we were living all year round in a garden full of lemon trees.

 

          All these characteristics, in addition to living in the 26^th story and the existence of the large windows, have enabled us to not only have a great view of whole Paris like the Eiffel Tower, the Seine River and the original Statue of Liberty just in the close proximity and a bit farther the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris and the Montmartre, but also let in more sunlight, reflecting from every side of the house which made our home more spacious and luminous than it already was. Friends admired for the scenery, saying "We have never thought that Paris was such a beautiful city! It is totally different to see it from the field of vision." It was surely wonderful when the weather was good but, even more, when it was a cloudy, windy or rainy day because we could see the heavy grey clouds moving extremely fast and hear the rhythmical and musical sound of the rain falling over the window, which made me feel pensive, sometimes comforted or guiding me into a semiconscious condition.

 

          This place is important for me and my family because we have spent tremendous amount of time there altogether. My mother used to cook a variety of food but especially Korean food such as Bulgogi with her special savory sauce that remains unfortunately secret, yet, gathering our whole family in a single place, the living room for dinner; it was the happiest, the most delicious, the warmest moment of the day, after an exhausting day from work for my father, and from school for my brother and I. On weekends, my parents used to make Kimbab, also one of my mother's specialty, to go on a picnic nearby; she used typical ingredients but the harmony made a synergy effect. The reason why I love this place is that I have so many good memories like the first time I had a big birthday party by inviting all the same grade classmates which was at least about 60 children. I still remember the magician's trick she made to entertain my friends which was so amazing at a child sight. That is why, when I returned to Paris last summer, I felt overwhelmed as well as impatient to see and be again at my 'original' home. When I set my first step to the door, I felt at home once again, finding my other half left there; my identity was united and complete. All the past memories passed through my mind like one piece of a movie. Nothing has changed except for the blinds that faded into yellow due to the sun. It did not smell like once we lived there but it was the same cozy place.

 

MinGu, Lee / The Park of My Youth / Thursday 1-3pm

While serving in the army, I participated in a literature contest. My writing was a novel about a park in my youth. Located near the Flemington station, Sydney, this park was nothing like any other parks that I have ever visited before. With endless amount of trees and grass, this imaginative area only seemed to care about being green. Despite its huge size, our family usually ended up being the only guest in that area. 

This park was my playground while I was in elementary school. Since my school was located near it, my choice was to either go home or play in the park after school. The grass was completely green that I thought being the color of life meant to have value itself. Since it was located near a quiet residential area, me and my friends, or my family was always holding an individual concert. Sometimes there were dogs and cats wandering around, but they never seemed to participate in our family picnic. Along with the playground inside the park, any kid of my age at that time would have thought it to be the utopia.

Our elementary school held barbecue parties and picnics in that park. We played and ran while our teachers and parents would make hot-dogs and sandwiches for us to enjoy. The air this place had always gave me great refreshment. From my childhood memories, I can still imagine myself running around the park with a hot-dog in my hand chased by another friend.

One more thing remarkable about this park was that the road we took to get to the park was a beauty itself as well. Since the park was about 2 towns away, it took us about 30 to 40 minutes if we were to walk from our home. The trip was nothing I can ever experience in any urban areas. The street blocks were made to be natural red color while it was only my brother's stroller which was making a certain sound between the blocks. No experience about this park seemed special, but everything about it became a part of my life.

People say that anyone or any place that pops up in your mind during your military service is usually the most valuable one. While I dreamt about going home to meet my family, I also imagined our family, once again going to the park to enjoy the cool breeze and the quietness. In my novel, I pointed this park to be a welcoming place to start a new life. This was described just like it is in my childhood. The place resides in my memories so clearly that I can still imagine myself lying on the ground trying to grab as much grass as possible. I will go back to the park in a few years, but until then, it will always remain as the park of my youth. 

Mi Hyeon Seo / The reckless adventure / Thur, 1-3pm

At the age of 20, I dropped out from school. It was a reckless decision against my parents, but I hoped to belong somewhere else.

At the age of 10, I went abroad to study. I was young and was not really aware of what I was doing. The young lady with black hair and brown eyes was just happy by the fact that she was on an airplane. But after few days of having exciting days at my new place, the school started. I thought the school would be as much interesting as the days I had before.

Surprise! To my expectation, the kids at my school seemed a little confused to have an Asian girl as their classmates. There were only nine people in my class, who seemed to be a 'snob'. They asked me questions like 'Where is Korea?' 'Did you watch the World Cup?' 'Is Korea close to China?' These children had no idea about the nation called Korea, and could not feel any connection to me.

So whenever I got back home, I cried and cried. I did not want to go to school. But I could not always be depressed and sad. I had to get along with them. So my family invited the classmates at home and had a barbeque party. There, we could have conversation, introduce different cultures, and many happy laughs.

After that day, I made few best friends. I was invited to their birthday party, sleepover party, and even a disco party. My six semesters in school was an unforgettable moment. It taught me how to become friends with whom does not like me, it taught me how to speak in another language, and it taught me how to understand different cultures.

Because of this, I always wished to go back. So I took a bold step forward to quit school, and prepare for another one back in England. Although I was unable to make my reckless plan happen, I still have that desire to go back. Maybe, someday, I might go back and have a career there. Until then, I should put my best effort in where I belong.

When I was 8 years old 수정본.docx

 

Chun Young Ho/Only 1% in Korea can experience here/Thurs 56

Only 1% in Korea can experience here

 

There are many guys who occupied for the army. Each people have special experience during the period as a soldier in Korea. I cannot say that my corps is the toughest in my country but I swear my service term was very valuable and priceless. To me, GP was the most meaningful place in my life. I heard just 1 % of Korean people can experience here. Beside the perspective of experiences, this place boasts for its wonderful nature and landscape. Things I will describe in this essay is not a lie or bluff.

 

 

Firstly, this place is preserved since 1953. Due to armistice agreement, GP and nearby 2kilometer has been regulated as a limited access place. So there was few touch of artificial thing. We can see many uncommon species of animal and plant. Except some few operation paths, whole sector is filled with dense forest. I cannot describe the extent of density. It can be only delivered by directly seeing this place. It is different from our close mountains. The heights, thickness, size of leaves and abundant leaves are just exotic.

 

 

Not only plants but also animals in here are so weird. It was first and I swear the chance was also the last to see a black hawk in South Korea. Its size, when it fully spread its wings, was nearly 3 meters. It was just like an albatross. It was pure black. It often landed in front of the guard post when I was serving for my duty hour. The first time when I saw it was irreplaceable moment. But soon I adapted to it and it was not an affair after 5 or 6 weeks.

 

 

Also this awesomeness is not just limited in sky animal. I cannot forget about the wild boar. Its size is also terrific. I think it is the size of 4 adult man combined. I do not know how it entranced our post but it appears quite often. It usually appears in evening, to search for our food trash. It is very mean and I think it ignores human. They do not surprised when they face us. They just do what they were doing while we just ran away when we saw it.

 

 

 

With these awesome creatures and landscape, first few months in GP were very weird and hard. But as time passes by, I adapted to my new life and now I retrospect that period was very valuable. Even nowadays I sometimes dream the period when I was in there and also very clearly imagine the scene of GP. Also I cannot forget the emotion when I saw the landscape in very high place. My heart is fully filled and abundant with the vast nature. 

Kim Donghee/On the top of the mountain/Thursday 1-3

On the top of the mountain

The sound of birds chirping, breeze softly brushing my hair, leaves shining brightly with sunlight. I can see roads between the trees, far ahead of me. For each step I take I feel the soft ground underneath me, or hard rock against my shoes. I huff and pant while hiking, but when I finally reach the top of the mountain I am able to relax and breathe in the fresh air. That is where I can forget everything about my life, about my study, my future and all the relationships.

 

 I have been living in the same town for almost 20 years. This is the same for most of my friends who lives around, and there is a good reason for that--actually couple of reasons. First, this town has a great educational environment. Second, there is a huge transportation center in my neighborhood; East-Seoul Bus Terminal. Third, it also has a small but beautiful mountain. Its name is Ah-cha mountain. Weird name, you may think. It is actually really weird name as Ah-cha means 'Oops' in Korean. This mountain with funny name, is a very meaningful place for me. 

 

 To be frank, I was never the one who loves mountain or hiking and I am still not a big fan of it. I rarely enjoy exercising of any kind. However there is only one exception, mount Ah-cha. Ever since I relocated to this town, the mountain felt close, almost friendly to me. I began hiking Ah-cha mountain from very young, right after I moved to this neighborhood when I was 2 years old. So I hiked the very same mountain for umpteenth time. Most of the time I hike with my dad. Like many other middle-aged Korean man, my father loves hiking. It is because that is the only place where he can enjoy the nature in the middle of a city. 

 

 Mount Ah-cha is actually more of a low hill than a proper mountain. It is only 287 meters high. However as a child it was like the mount Everest to me; I always had to stop and rest for a few minutes in the small Buddhist temple which is on the half way of the course. My dad and I used to take easy route which most of the hikers take. However after I entered high school we started to make more adventurous attempts. It is such a thrill to take a step into the wild, straying from the road packed with people. I especially love the mountain with snow in the winter. Unlike spring, summer or autumn, there is something special, something still but overwhelming about the winter mountain. It smells differently, you can smell 'winter' better in high up the mountain. Cold fresh air makes you feel wide awake and calm. Plus, I love walking on snow--though I have to be extra careful.

 

 That does not necessarily mean I like hiking on other mountains. I love Ah-cha mountain only because it is not high enough for me to hike, and every route it has is so familiar for me. I feel welcomed when I enter the mountain. It is as if the mountain knows me and recognizes me, saying hi to me. There is one more thing; my first dog, Bori, was buried in the mountain. She died very young after living 6 months but she was the very first dog for our family and we went through rough time after her death. I still cannot watch her pictures or videos without snuffling. When I go to the mountain, it feels like I am being consoled by the mountain and Bori.

 

 However after becoming Junior in University, I have no time to hike the mountain. I am being tugged here and there to do something really important for my future, and sometimes it is suffocating even though I love my major. When it is hard to hold the pressure and just want to give up on everything, I think about Ah-cha mountain. I think about the route with huge pine tree, so big that it is impossible to hug it entirely, small streams flowing under ice, rustling sound of fallen leaves, and for a brief moment I can relax, and that gives me strength to go on. It had been so long since I hiked the mountain. I miss it. Maybe I should pay a visit this weekend.

HyoJeong Lim/ Tiny My World/ Thurs 1-3

 

Tap-tap. Only raindrops I can hear here. There is no one but me. I just sit down here and listen the raindrops. Pitter-patter. Rain gets stronger. Even better. I am starting to enjoy the sounds. All of a sudden, I think that I want to see the beach, opening my eyes. About half an hour later, I am looking the beach. I feel cold abruptly so I bring a small blanket from the back. It is still rainy outside, so I cannot turn off the air conditioning. This is my world, a complete, small world of my own. No decorated things but I've got everything I need. It is pretty quiet today but it is sometimes quiet chatty or noisy. Also I am alone here today but sometimes, there is someone with me. I find Café and ordered a hot latte. I take a seat near window with latte. There is my world outside. I can see him. It is a car. It has white-colored outside and looks robust. After a few sipping of coffee, I get back to my car. I said to him "It is time to go back." and turn on the music.

 

As far as I remembered, I had never gotten my own place since I started my job. I had always been busy. I had almost forgotten how my room looks like, literally. So, since then, I spent most of time at the car whenever I need "me" time or "my" place. There are neither people nor things bothering me. Most of all, driving fast at late night makes me feel better. I could feel sort sense of freedom. Taking off the heels, changed as driving shoes and volume up the music, these simple things already make me smile. Car was indeed my world even though how tiny it is. And also I have enjoyed listening raindrops, it is more than good to hear them in the car. They make people calm. My parents didn't understand why a girl likes car that much and, of course, they didn't like it either. Maybe someone told me as same as my parents, in that situation, I want to tell them back. "Maybe, you haven't got hard time of your own life yet."

 

Do Young Kim/Field of Catharsis/Thursday 1-3pm

             It was green below with all the yellow and white lines marking the distance in yards on both to my left and right. The sky was blue with the sun shining down on me as I absorbed all the sunlight like a solar panel. It almost felt like I was going through photosynthesis with all the sunlight my skin was absorbing. I felt as if I was burnt to crisp like a pie that was left in the oven for too long. And my eyes were fixed on the end zone with a colossal yellow field goal post straight ahead of me. The sweat was dripping down inside my helmet like a waterfall, and there were 11 bruisers in front of me as they were creeping closer and closer to take me down as soon as the signal was given. And then I heard "hut", and I charged into hellfire as those monsters that were waiting just on the other side swarmed over me like locusts.

They were coming for me with all they got. They were going to impound me like a junk car. In the midst of that chaos, I saw the light. It was tiny but I could squeeze in. And that tiny ray of light was all I could follow at the moment. I ducked my head and just charged like a bull straight ahead. When I looked up again, I was in the light and I have escaped from the pit of hell. I could see nothing but green grass down the field and the massive field goal post was there to greet me. I ran in joy and excitement towards it as I knew that was my promised land. With the escape, came the catharsis. It was pure joy and excitement as I left everyone in the dust and marched across that last white line with the whistle blowing signaling the end of my run. This was all that I ran for and this was all that mattered.

I opened my eyes and I looked at where I was standing. It was still green with all the yellow and white lines marking the distance in yards both left and right. I looked straight ahead and I still saw the same colossal yellow field goal post down the field. And I looked up to check the sky but it was dark with just some stars shining over me. Then I realized that time has passed and the sun was no longer shining above me. Then my eyes came back to Earth and I looked again to see what was in front of me. There was nothing. No bloodthirsty bruisers, no huts, no whistles, nothing. I took my hands to my face and I felt no sweat. But the bit of catharsis was still there in my system as I felt some joy and excitement. But everything else, were just my projections from memory. For a moment, I was completely away from this world and time and I forgot about everything else that was haunting me in life. The buzz and high began to wear off and I started to walk off of the field and I got in my car to head home. As I was starting my car, I saw myself grin in the rear-view mirror. 

Kyeong Ju Seo/ Clam World / Thurs 1-3

Clam World

    

     ​"Watch your footsteps!" dad's voice drifted through the soft breeze of Tennessee. The vast open sky spread out before us, more peaceful than ever. Feeling the warmth of the sun, my family and I were crossing a lake in our own favorite park, "Clam World". As I took small steps, I felt the slippery stepping-stones sturdy under my bare feet. These bridge of stones would lead us to the other side of the lake where everything was teeming with colors and life. "Be careful," said mom as she took my hand in hers. While I paced, my eyes were mesmerized by glistening emerald-green water tinged with turquoise. It always made the sky even bluer than it is. The lake had its own scent of sweet flowers and baked fish that I could almost taste. When we got closer to the edge of the lake, the tranquil waves slowly brushed past, tickling our feet. My lips curled into a huge smile. Soon, we reached the shore and threw ourselves on the green patch of grass. Our wet toes would squirm in the cozy grass, basking in the sun. "Such a glorious weather," my mom would often murmur to us.

     

     ​Bending over to the translucent waters, my little sister's eyes were solidly fixed on clams. Big ones, small ones, gray ones and black ones, there would be hundreds of them silently hunched at the very bottom of the lake. "Fifty one, fifty two…fifty three! I see fifty three clams!" She shouted excitedly. "No, fifty four. You missed one," I corrected her. Clams blew out small air bubbles to the surface of the clear water as they eavesdropped on our conversation. Grinning, dad commented, "No wonder you two named this park, Clam World." By the time we got tired of counting clams, we decided to catch some. Searching with eager eyes, my sister and I firmly grasped thin wooden sticks that lay in the grass. Then squinting through the still water, our little hunt began. Unaware of our hunting schemes, clams easily opened their mouths to yawn. Then there was a snap. "I got it!" yelled my sister. Slowly, she pulled the stick back up to the surface. There the clam was, biting for life at the other end of the twig. "Oh my goodness! It is huge!" my mother's eyes widened. Heavy with weight, the bulky clam refused to open its mouth further. As my dad took the clam off the stick, its slippery shells shut tightly. "You've caught a fighter clam", dad chuckled. When I laid my hands on the hard shell, the clam was dead still. "It wants to go back home", I whispered. Soon, Mr. Fighter Clam sank back into the lake hoping no one would ever disturb him again. Time would fly like that.

 

     By the time the sky dyed itself in fiery red, a flock of white geese would glide through the water, coming onto the land. Their webbed feet were stomping the ground demanding bread. "Here's some food for you, Mr. Goose!" I shouted as I threw bits of stale bread onto the grass. Gorging themselves with great speed, the geese would finish to the very last bits of bread almost digging their beaks into the grass. "Make sure they are full so they won't bother to eat clams instead!" my little sister hollered as she threw the last bread crumbs to the geese. Satisfied, they left in peace after finishing their dinner. When the sky finally dressed itself in a dark evening dress, my family packed our bags to leave. That's when tiny yellow-green lights appeared in the darkness. At first there were only a few of them. Soon, there were dozens of them almost bright enough to light up the whole park. "Fireflies!" my sister shouted with a blissful look on her face. "They are like twinkling stars," I whispered, awestruck by such small but lively lights. All this happened more than ten years ago in the U.S but the enchantment of Clam World is never forgotten in our family.

 

Lee Sharon/On The Bench Of My Childhood/Thur 13~15 PM

It's so tough and complicated to make people think over a place that they've never seen it before, although you describe it detail by detail. But it's all about trying. Let me introduce you my best home in my whole life. It's was located inFabra I Puig, a small district in Barcelona that has a lot of children's laughing and playing so hard when their parents are looking for them, really nice people who says hello every day between neighbors and wide places where birds fly freely and peacefully. But the important point of this small district is that there still exists the place where I learned to walk in this world, the home of my childhood.

 

Actually in Barcelona, you can appreciate the multitude of foreigners and immigrants. But when you went to my childhood district, you will see only Spanish or sometimes latin people too. Especially, grandparents sitting on benches in the street and talking each other about children's who plays and run, that kids when they cry and laugh constantly. This is the contrast about young and old people. You can feel peace in yourself when you sit on a bench like the old people and see your wide future waiting for you like these little children's playing around.

 

It was really funny living here since 12 years approximately. Although when I still remember when my 9thbirthday, I invited all of my friends to my party at home and all of them that they could stay there for a night, we began to play hide and seek. With long and narrow corridors not quite bright, wide rooms without much furniture highlighting them the old and antique brown and making that home a simple but flawless fireside. "Okay guys; are you ready for search where can we hide?" I said all those who wanted it for play. They followed me at my parent's room smiling from ear to ear, where next to the bed; we could found a piano and ten dolls at the top, with their completely white faces in line that they seemed real staring and looking mysteriously, completely elegant dresses profiled with undulations and garnets. But in that moment, when we were hidden in front of the piano, suddenly the dolls really began to move their mouth in the darkness. Obviously, all of my friends began to run to the hall and cry by the fear and at midnight, we simply went to the bed to forget everything. Until now, we don't know if they moved truly but when I met my childhood friend last summer, she reminded.

 

One more memory I remind that happened to me and this time, with my two brothers was that one ordinary night, we slept in a one room together because my parent's went out for business after see the final chapter of a famous American teen comedy sitcom called "Kenan & Kel". My older brother really makes a lot of noise… Yeah, he snores very loudly and he sometimes had insomnia when he was child, and my other brother was quite opposite. He was really calm and peaceful when he fell sleep. I was sleeping in my parent's bed and my brothers were sleeping on a berth next to my bed. It was a really calm night when suddenly, I heard the sound of the berth. It was my (not really) peaceful brother that he didn't stop moving at the 2ndfloor of the berth and his movements sounded increasingly stronger. By a moment he stopped, but he began to move from one side of the bed and bump! He fell out. I was really worried and I woke up instantly. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked so worried. But curiously, I saw my brother standing up despite the fall and he climbed the stairs to his bed.

 

I really have a lot of anecdotes about what occurred when my family and I stayed at this house. But when my parents found stability in their jobs, they wanted to move at the center of the city. Now, it's much comfortable and benefit for us living surrounded by important buildings with a lot of shopping centers, but the actual house can't be replaceable with my first and unique home of my childhood. Even I visit the house and I sit on a bench like an ancient without a stick breathing the same air when I was child and turn back all these good memories in that house.

Shim Min Jung/A Plum Tree in My Nostalgia/Thursday 01:00~03:00pm

I love the word, Nostalgia. It makes me picture a girl standing on the end of quay and seeing a departing boat with eyes filled with sadness. The small wooden boat slowly floats away across the lake. There are mist rising from the lake and the lake is surrounded by lush green forest. Nostalgia is a mixture of two feelings – sadness and beauty. We recall the happiest time in our past. But soon we feel melancholy as knowing we cannot go back to then. The reason why the memory is so precious to us is 'it could not reply again'. It will not happen again. Even if the same things happen to you, the atmosphere and feelings will be not in a class with the first event. Therefore, a plum tree where I have memory with my grandfather always comes to mind with sadness and warmth.

 

There was a big plum tree at the garden of my grandfather's house. Under the tree, he and I used to pick some plums. The plum tree was so big that my grandpa had to use a ladder to get the ripe plums on the top. I was too small to see the whole picture of the tree. Therefore if I looked up to see it, a watery sunlight began to show through the branches. The green leaves became shiny emeralds and twinkled along with the summer breeze. After wrenching the plums off the branches, grandfather said "Take this and try it!" slightly throwing one of them to me. It tasted of summer. It was sour but meanwhile sweet and cool. Hearing the sound of fluttering leaves, I ate the plums with him and my brother under the tree. The summer day's memory with my grandfather remains as the plum's taste and smell. Since my grandfather passed away, I never have gone there. Not only because my grandma sold the place to another person, but the garden was no longer the same place as I used to know. I loved the plum tree in that there was always my grandfather who waited every summer to pick plums with me. If I go to see the tree again, it would not be the same tree any more. So I want to treasure this memory, my ideal big plum tree, in my heart - my nostalgia - forever.

Do Young Kim/Hut and Run/Thursday 1-3pm

           It was green below with all the yellow and white lines marking the distance in yards on both to my left and right. The sky was blue with the sun shining down on me as I absorbed all the sunlight like a solar panel. It almost felt like I was going through photosynthesis with all the sunlight my skin was absorbing. I was burnt to crisp like a pie that was left in the oven for too long. And my eyes were fixed on the yellow colossal structure in the shape of an H straight ahead of me. The sweat was dripping down inside my helmet like a waterfall, and there were 11 bruisers in front of me as they were creeping closer and closer to take me down as soon as the signal was given. And then the man said hut, and I charged into hellfire as those monsters that were waiting just on the other side swarmed over me like locusts.

           Those demons were coming for me. They were going to impound me like a junk car. In the midst of that chaos, I saw the light. It was tiny but I could squeeze in. And that tiny ray of light was all I could follow at the moment. I ducked my head and just charged like a bull straight ahead. I looked up again, and I was in the light. I have escaped the swarming bruisers. I could see nothing but green grass down the field and the massive yellow structure was there to greet me. I ran in joy and excitement towards it as I knew that that was my promised land. With the escape, came the catharsis. It was pure joy and excitement as I left all those monsters behind me and marched across that last white line with the whistle blowing signaling the end of my run. This was all that I ran for and this was all that mattered.

           I opened my eyes and I looked at where I was standing. It was still green with all the yellow and white lines marking the distance in yards both left and right. I looked straight ahead and I still saw the same colossal H shaped structure that was painted yellow. And I looked up to check the sky but it was dark with just some stars shining over me. Then I realized that time has passed and the sun was no longer shining above me. Then my eyes came back to Earth and I looked again to see what was in front of me. There was nothing. No bloodthirsty bruisers, no huts, no whistles, nothing. I took my hands to my face and I felt no sweat. But the bit of catharsis was still there in my system as I felt some joy and excitement. But everything else, were just my projections from memory. For a moment, I was completely away from this world and time and I forgot about everything else that was haunting me. The buzz and high began to wear off and I started to walk off of the field and I got in my car to head home. As I was starting my car, I saw myself grin in the rear-view mirror. 

Kyeong Ju Seo/ Clam World/ Thurs 1-3

"Watch your footsteps!" dad's voice drifted through the soft breeze of Tennessee. The vast open sky spread out before us, more peaceful than ever. Feeling the warmth of the sun, my family and I were crossing a lake in our own favorite park, "Clam World". As I took small steps, I felt the slippery stepping-stones sturdy under my bare feet. These bridge of stones would lead us to the other side of the lake where everything was teeming with colors and life. "Be careful," said mom as she took my hand in hers. As I paced, my eyes were mesmerized by glistening emerald-green water tinged with turquoise. It always made the sky even bluer than it is. The lake had its own scent of sweet flowers and baked fish that I could almost taste. When we got closer to the edge of the lake, the tranquil waves slowly brushed past, tickling our feet. My lips curled into a huge smile. Soon, we reached the shore and threw ourselves on the green patch of grass. Our wet toes would squirm in the cozy grass, basking in the sun. "Such a glorious weather," my mom would often murmur to us.

 

Bending over to the translucent waters, my little sister's eyes were solidly fixed on clams. Big ones, small ones, gray ones and black ones, there would be hundreds of them silently hunched at the very bottom of the lake. "Fifty one, fifty two…fifty three! I see fifty three clams!" She shouted excitedly. "No, fifty four. You missed one," I corrected her. Clams blew out small air bubbles to the surface of the clear water as they eavesdropped on our conversation. Grinning, dad always commented, "No wonder you two named this park, Clam World." Time would fly like that. By the time the sky dyed itself in fiery red and purple with a beautiful sunset, a flock of white geese would glide through the water, coming onto the land. Their webbed feet were stomping the ground demanding for bread. "Here's some food for you, Mr. Goose!" I shouted as I threw bits of stale bread onto the grass. Gorging themselves with great speed, the geese would finish to the very last bits of bread almost digging their beaks into the grass. Satisfied, they left in peace after finishing their dinner. When the sky finally dressed itself in dark black evening dress, my family packed our bags to leave Clam World. That's when tiny yellow-green lights appeared in the darkness. At first there were only a few of them. Soon, there were dozens of them almost bright enough to light up the whole park. "Fireflies!" my sister shouted with a blissful look on her face. "They are like twinkling stars," I whispered, awestruck by so small but lively lights. All this happened more than ten years ago in the U.S but the enchantment of Clam World is never forgotten in our family.

 

Chun Young Ho/ GP/ Thurs56

A place that has meaning for you

 

There are many guys who occupied for the army. Each people have special experience during the period as a soldier in Korea. I cannot say that my corps is the toughest in my country but I swear my service term was very valuable and priceless. To me, GP was the most meaningful place in my life. I heard just 1 % of Korean people can experience here. Beside the perspective of experiences, this place boasts for its wonderful nature and landscape. Things I will describe in this essay is not a lie or bluff.

Firstly, this place is preserved since 1953. Due to armistice agreement, GP and nearby 2kilometer has been regulated as a limited access place. So there was few touch of artificial thing. We can see many uncommon species of animal and plant. Except some few operation paths, whole sector is filled with dense forest. I cannot describe the extent of density. It can be only delivered by directly seeing this place. It is different from our close mountains. The heights, thickness, size of leaves and abundant leaves are just exotic.

Not only plants but also animals in here are so weird. It was first and I swear the chance was also the last to see a black hawk in South Korea. Its size, when it fully spread its wings, was nearly 3 meters. It was just like an albatross. It was pure black. It often landed in front of the guard post when I was serving for my duty hour. The first time when I saw it was irreplaceable moment. But soon I adapted to it and it was not an affair after 5 or 6 weeks.

Also this awesomeness is not just limited in sky animal. I cannot forget about the wild boar. Its size is also terrific. I think it is the size of 4 adult man combined. I do not know how it entranced our post but it appears quite often. It usually appears in evening, to search for our food trash. It is very mean and I think it ignores human. They do not surprised when they face us. They just do what they were doing while we just ran away when we saw it.

 

With these awesome creatures and landscape, first few months in GP were very weird and hard. But as time passes by, I adapted to my new life and now I retrospect that period was very valuable. Even nowadays I sometimes dream the period when I was in there and also very clearly imagine the scene of GP. Also I cannot forget the emotion when I saw the landscape in very high place. My heart is fully filled and abundant with the vast nature.

CHOI SEA HEE(최세희)/My grandmother's house/Thu 1-3pm

"Se Hee, wake up and have a breakfast!! You are almost late for school" Most of you might think that this voice is from my mom. However, it is not. My grandmother is the one. Whenever I think of my childhood, my grandmother is everywhere. Because both my mom and dad had jobs far from Seoul, my sister and I were raised by my grandmother.   I spent my most of childhood in grandmother's house. It is in Seoul, however, very rustic. The house is near the elementary school so, I can hear children shouting, laughing and even screaming from home. This house had a green iron gate which makes creepy sounds when using it, which later turned out very familiar to me. We had front yard. There we put the low but large wooden bench, where my sister and I used to do the homework in summer and had barbeque parties with my grandmother. We had two big dogs, heendungee and gom, and a chicken named dak. In the morning, we always heard the dogs barking and the chicken crowing. Also, there was pretty big empty space where my sister and I could exercise. We used to skip ropes and do the hula hoops. In summer, when it was so hot to do something we wore bathing suits and made a little pool with a big red bucket. We had a lot fun there.   The only one word that can describe my grandmother's house is "stuffy". Just entering the house I have to pass all the fruits or vegetables she was trying to dry, for example, apple, chili and so on. I can smell all the dried foods at the same time, which isn't always good. Also, there were boxes, my sister and I don't even know what those are, but my grandmother always brought those things and stacked in front of the door. I used to bump into those carelessly. The kitchen was where my grandmother spent most of her time. But my sister and I spent most of our time at the living room. There was a small chubby TV, which doesn't even do its work well. On the left side, there was a desk, where my sister and I used to our homework. In front of TV, there was a small table, we used to have meals. Beside the TV, there was a piano, which my sister and my grandmother used to play it. They both really liked it, unlike me. The house was full of piano sound during the day.   I went there quite often after moving back to my parent's house. I know that it is very much different from what I remember in childhood. Due to the development in Seoul, everything had changed. The place that has meaningful for me is now in my heart, however, I still miss the days I spent my childhood.

Hye Hyon Kim/ Beaver Island Trail/ Thursday 1pm

Hye Hyon Kim

Prf. Jonny Bahk-Halberg

Intermediate English Writing (2)

02 November 2015

Beaver Island Ttrail

Squirrels race past inches away from my front bicycle wheel as if they are playing truth or dare and refused to tell the truth. I swerve, trying to avoid them but on the other side, there are ducks. I stare at them in amazement, wondering if all the ducks and swans in Minnesota have summoned here to hold an annual migration meeting and I whisper, "Where in the world did you all come from?" As I ride past them, I see they stare back at me with their heads to one side, as if to ask me the same question.

             I spent my junior year at St. Cloud State University which was located right next to the Mississippi river. Whenever I crossed the bridge across the river on my way to school, the university campus almost looked like it was floating, or on an island just like you see The Great Black Lake around Hogwarts in the beginning of Harry Potter movies. Campus buildings were always crowded with people, everyone scuttling to their next classes but the place I liked most on the school grounds was the St. Cloud Dam. Water crashed against each other and fell down the slope as if they were on bumper cars and roller coasters. Even though I was miles away from the dam itself, the sound it made was incredible, like I was on the tallest slide in a waterpark and when the wind blew, sprinkles of water would land on my face as if to warn me to stay away. Students and other residents would bring their dogs and fishing rods and wait patiently for their first bite.

             Down the river, there was the Beaver Island Trail where I would cycle or walk whenever I wanted to find peace or just wanted a little space to myself. All sorts of wildlife and greens, from trees, shrubs and bushes surrounded the trail, making it impossible to see anywhere but ahead. I could faintly hear the water gliding down the river but it was hard to see through the greenery. There were no streetlamps so I always made sure I got back in time but the trail seemed so distant, in a different world from assignments and classes to the point that I had turned my head many times expecting to see unknown spirits like fairies or wizards to a sudden sound made behind me. Despite what I had thought, it was always a bird sitting on a tree or a horse biting into a crunchy apple.

I knew I had reached the end of the trail when I came to a steep hill. I would stop pedaling and just close my eyes for a brief second to cool down as the sweat on my forehead quickly evaporated from trickling down with the force of the wind. The trail had always been a place for me to go whenever I wanted to get some fresh air and refresh my head but there it was also a place where many of my favorite memories were made. It was where I learned to first climb a tree or where I first attempted to skip stones and failed continuously. Whenever I cycled past the hills and roads, I reflected back on the conversations I had with my friends as we jogged along the trail conversing in our out of breath words. Memories of first date picnics and deep conversations about our dreams were all there and they all came back to me whenever I went by, like the winds in the story of The King with Donkey Ears. Whenever my friends sends me pictures of the swings or the trail when they visit the trail makes me think back to all the times I whizzed past the trail on my bike or laughing hysterically with my friends about a joke leaving me to feel as if I never left.

 

 

 

 

Joo Hyun LEE/ The Home of My Childhood/ Thurs 1-3 pm

           The most luminous and impressive home I've ever lived is nothing else but my home in Paris. I was eventually lucky enough to have the possibility to pass my whole childhood and most of adolescence in such a romantic place, the dream of everyone to come once in their lifetime. It actually occur to people when thinking of Europe as small charming cities where the shape of years can be felt due to the low-rise buildings and the whole culture's preservation. What is remarkable about the area my apartment building stands is that actually it was the automobile plant just near the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River. Even though high-rise building is normally forbidden or under thorough restraint by the city due to the Fire Services Act, not only was it recently built in the 1970s but also is a residential skyscraper in the heart of Paris.

 

           The exterior of the building was plain simple design in a white monotony compared to other skyscrapers but the interior was pleasant and comfortable to live in than anywhere else with especially 6 modern and spacious elevators which is really rare in EU to even have an elevator in a building, 2 elevators going to the underground parking, 2 to the lower-story apartment and 2 only dedicated to upper-story apartment. Moreover, the unique feature of this apartment is that all the inhabitants address the problem to one top guardian named Eli, a tall and thin men with a mustache like Charlie Chaplin with always a smile hanging on his face; he is aware of everything and taking care of these things rapidly and accurately; nobody would deny that he is actually a genie.

 

           Concerning my apartment, even though it was recent built, the previous owner decorated as other typical French apartment gloomily and above the wooden floor with a great amount of dirty rugs. So my parents decided to remodel it completely; actually the construction work took 8 months in total, being definitely a big project. It is now unified into a white as snow, from the ceiling to the floor; that's why when my friends first visited my home noticed it was like a psychiatric hospital. Additionally, we also displayed a great amount of mirrors like the famous mirror room in Versailles Palace with one additional peculiarity which is the sliding mirror doors sometimes connecting and separating the living room with that of my brother. The most important and unique thing of our house is the floor spread with authentic Italian white marble; that's why as in Korea or in other Asian culture, we could wander at home without wearing shoes. However, we had to pay a price in exchange for it which is, in one hand, to endure severe winter as I found myself walking on glaciers from the polar areas and, on the other hand, take care of the floor a lot. Thanks to that, we were living all year round in a garden full of lemon trees.

 

          All these characteristics, in addition to living in the 26^th story and the existence of the large windows, enable us to not only have a great view of whole Paris like the Eiffel Tower and the Seine River just in the close proximity and a bit farther the Cathedral of Notre Dame de Paris, the original Statue of Liberty and the Montmartre, but also let in more sunlight, reflecting from every side of the house which make our home more spacious and luminous than it already is. It was surely beautiful when the weather was good but, even more, when it was cloudy, windy or rainy day because we could see the heavy grey clouds moving extremely fast and hear the rhythmical and musical sound of the rain falling over the window, which made me feel pensive, sometimes comforted or guiding me into a semiconscious condition.

 

          This place is important for me and my family because we have spent tremendous amount of good time there altogether. My mother used to cook a variety of food but especially Korean food such as Bulgogi with her special savory sauce that remains secret gathering our family in a single place, the living room for dinner; it was the happiest, the most delicious, the warmest moment of the day, after a long, hard and stressful day from work for my father whereas for my brother and I from school. On weekends, my parents used to make Kimbab also one of my mother's speciality to go on a picnic nearby; she used typical ingredients but the harmony made a synergy effect. The reason why I like this place is that I have so many good memories like the first time I had a big birthday party by inviting a magician and all the same grade classmates which was at least about 60 children. I still remember the magic trick she made to entertain my friends which was so amazing at a child sight. That is why, when I returned to Paris last summer to my original apartment, I felt overwhelmed and at the same time impatient to see and be again at my 'original' home. When I set my first step to the door, I felt at 'home' once again, finding my other half left here; my identity was united and complete. All the past memories passed through my mind like one piece of a movie. Nothing has changed except for the blinds that faded into yellow due to the sun. It did not smell like once we lived there but it was the same cozy place. 

Kang Dong Yi / Dunchondong / Thurs 1-3

            The place that has the most significance for me is Dunchondong. It is a small town in the outskirts of Seoul. My mother and father, as young couples, did not have much money to afford an apartment in Seoul. However, they felt that children ought to be reared up in Seoul, so they had selected one of the cheapest apartments in Seoul. In Dunchondong, Gangdong-gu, there is are many apartments that had been built in the 80s by the government. The numerous gray apartments form a large town.

 

            Because it is an apartment district built in the 80s, there are many remarkable things about this town. First of all, the apartment district is so full of nature. The apartments are mostly 5 to 10 stories tall, and some do not even have elevators. The apartments have been space relatively far apart that there are grass patches and hills where there are no apartments.

 

            Another thing that I feel remarkable about the town is that everyone has lived there for a long time. I myself had moved to Dunchondong Jugong Apartment district when I had been 5, and I spent most of my life there. I remember my childhood so vividly, I remember the green hills being covered with snow in the winter, and how the children ran up the hills with cardboard boxes to slide down the hill. I remember how an old lady sold chicks in cardboard boxes, and how my friends – who are still my good neighbors – and I bought the chicks and they had died just the they after, inducing us to cry.

           

            I remember how I grew up in the apartment district. I still walk the road that I used to walk to get to elementary school and high school, and I still take the subway that I used to take with my mother. I now buy coffee and cans of beer from the GS superstore that I used to visit with my mother, throwing tantrums for chocolate bars and small drinks for children with little toys attached.

 

            The sad thing about this apartment district is that it's going to disappear soon. The old apartments built by the government in the 80s are starting to be demolished, and my apartment district is no exception to this trend. Negotiations are taking place, and though the negotiation between the residents and the construction corporation had been creaky, it is ending, and my neighbors are already moving away to their new homes. I see it every day, giant trucks parking in the parking lots and my neighbors saying good-bye. I also realize that the apartment is indeed old, with the walls cracking and stained.  

 

            I am moving myself – my parents have bought a new apartment in Jungrang-gu, for my brother is going to become a university student next year. However, I have rented a room not too far away from my current home because I have become attached to my hometown that I had spent the majority of my life. The apartment has gotten old, my younger brother has grown up, but I am not going anywhere away from the town.