College and Major!!

As you guys all know... i want to apply to University of Virginia. The reasons are simple. Its an extraordinary university that is close to my sisters house and is quite cheap! Anyways..  before i didnt know which major i was willing to apply for, but thinking about it more... i came to conclusion that business management is my way. Being class president for two years and thinking a lot about strategies for marketing, i came to see how much i enjoy it. So this fall ill be applying and im praying that ill get accepted!! 

For those who want to know more about this college...-------------------->> http://www.virginia.edu/

The Old Man and the Sea

Reading this book twice, i'm left with the same question: Did the old man fail? The first time i read the book, i thought the book and the old man's effort was tragic, no pathetic, because he didnt succeed in protecting the fish and bringing it back safely. But the more i think about it, i'm starting to see other things.

What was he really fishing for? The fish, obviously, but I also believe it was for recognition. He wanted to catch the huge fish to be respected once again by his fellow fishermen and to prove to the boy that he is not yet "dead". Just like the fish looses all of its meat and reveals its bones, the old man is overcome with fatigue and learns through his struggle that deep down in his core the boy's friendship matters most to him.

The themes of determination, love, and pride present in the book are great examples of man's attitude when faced with a challenge. I think i enjoyed the book more, and thats probably because i was prepared and even yearning to comprehend the deeper meanings of this book.

About Earnest Hemingway

In 4th grade, I read The Old Man and the Sea, in Korean. I found the book extremely boring and filled with too many details of the old man's struggle with the fish or of the fluorescent emerald sea he keeps mentioning. But im ready to reevaluate this book, though not qualified to, from a more mature standpoint and see how the the old man's struggle portrays our human character and attitude when encountering hardship.

I learned that Earnest Hemingway is writing The Old Man and the Sea from his childhood experience when he fished and hunted squirrels. I could understand how he was so knowledgeable of the currents and of the fish he wrote in the book. And it was neat to see that he partook in music and surprisingly sports. I dont know of your opinion, but when i think of Earnest Hemingway I always thought of a geek, who killed himself and just sits down and writes books, but i guess he had a life.

Also i began to appreciate his simple style of writing by understanding the "Iceberg Theory". It's said that he tried to convey the complex underlying meanings of books by being terse and profound simultaneously. From my memory, i clearly understand his use of prune language, but not so much about the depth of his book. I hope im wrong while re-reading The Old Man and the Sea. I might be too cynical.

Classmates' Posts

I forgot to do this. But i like all of the themes of my classmates and how i'm able to know what each one is doing, despite the hundred of miles that separate us. It would take too long to compliment each blog, but i do appreciate their "voice" that i can hear through their writing and sometimes, weirdly, I can hear their laughter or see what kind of facial expressions they would be wearing while writing their posts :) I guess a decade is more than enough to know my dear friends.

Half Way Into Frankenstein

As i mentioned in my previous post, Frankenstein deals with creation and the relationship between the Creator and the Created. Frankenstein, the creator of the monster, hates the monster that he created and wants to erase all memories of it. The monster is at first an innocent being who doesn't know his hideous physical appearance, but later comes to realize through the horrified reactions of human encounters. The monster compares himself to Satan, a being created by God but cursed to live a life of misery and seclusion. He asks why he isn't Adam and solicits Frankenstein, his creator, to create a female monster so he may live with a companion away from humankind. Frankenstein refuses and the monster becomes the creature that resembles his evil appearance. 

Enough with the summary, but the book is incredible. It's very engaging and neat to see the multi-faced-emotions between the creator and the created and see how it could resemble our own relationship with God. I understand it's quite different, but to imagine such circumstances is interesting nevertheless.   

Summer Blockbusters!! Waiting for Guardians. Yep

The second best movie I've seen this summer. Guess what's my 1st?
Anyways i saw this movie premiere and found it a little bit weird with the dinosaurs but nonetheless the movie is
Transformers.

Yep. This is my 1st. Watched it in 4D and it was epic. Almost cried when he meets his..maa ok ill stop. 

Gangnam Style!

I know that Gangnam is not the trend anymore, but for the month of July i was a Gangnam Style Student. I'll explain why. Gangnam is like the Timesquare or Hollywood of Korea and if you live there you are considered part of the elite class; it's also a place where young people come to enjoy their nights.
But for a month i attended a SAT Academy, located in Gangnam, and happened to study and hang out there all the time. So... Get it?

At night.

Probably what my classes would look, but i found this on the internet.

Meeting Korea Friends

Korea and its tall Buildings

My friends from Eastern Europe~ who also happened to be my SAT Hakwon(korean academy) friends!

Man.. i look white. BUT here are two of my closest friends! Left is from Ukraine and Right is from Kosovoooo

More about my Life in KOREA!

My June was spent studying for my World History Subject Test and teaching some people~ By the way.. i dont smoke..nor do i have a new phone :)

In Seoul, there is a district where all the foreigners are concentrated, and its a place where you can experience multicultural experiences! I waited in line for an hour..and at a gyros. Nevertheless it was worth it!

Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus

I started reading Frankenstein about a week ago. I chose this classic, cause i only had a superficial knowledge about Frankenstein and ... the book was short. The book was relatively easy to read, compared to other abstruse classics that i've read, but the beginning few chapters contained some really deep themes of men's creation and the relationship between the Creator and the Created. Frankenstein, commonly mistaken as the created, is actually the creator of the monster; the monster is simply referred to as the Created or Monster. I'm sure yall all heard of myths and tales of a similar monster, a creature sown from dead body parts and revitalized from the DEAD, but this book is much more complex and profound-i believe.

Soo.. Time to Brag?

Pork Fillet with some barbecue sauce... Mmmm...  About 8 dollars, which is not bad for a filling lunch!!

For you Americans, Koreans run on DD also!! I have been teaching English to guys who are 10 years older than men and instead of money, they buy me coffee, dinner, and take me to places where i have never been!! Everyday is a blessing~

Fried Chicken.. man... no wonder KFC went bankrupt in Korea. Korean chicken is wayyy too good. 

Book: World War Z by Max Brooks

It's not part of my AP English Assignment, but it's definitely a book that I will read over the summer. I watched the movie, with Brad Pitt (wink*), and it was very very good. The movie was intense with an interesting plot and surprisingly different from other zombie apocalyptic movies. So I'm going to try the award winning book, in korean.

Why Stop? Try Harder.

SAT. We all know how much impact these three letters can have on a high school student, and I'm not an exception. Its probably a test that impacts one's college future too greatly, but nevertheless, we are forced by the system to take the nerve-racking test that takes wayyy too long.
Dont worry, I'm not going to give a motivational speech. Rather going to share my short story.

I took the test once, and received a score that most people would be content with. But i couldn't stop there. I spent too much time preparing and i feel that i will be able to receive a better score with a bit more effort. This summer I'm given that one last chance to prepare for this dumb test, and guess what I'm deciding to do. You got it, study. Just a tiny bit. But I'm seeing that getting a better score is not all that matters. I'm afraid that my grade wont hugely improve despite my studying preparations.
So I'm going to invest my time in doing other things also: work at a coffee shop(to learn how to make coffee), teach some students English, and go to a fitness club to be in shape for next year's basketball, and of course eat some gooood Korean food. (I'll upload pictures)

Its true that some people are born with more talent. But that doesn't give any excuse to stop trying harder. And trying your best during the vacation, even though you are given a break from school, is going to transform you the following school year. So... Why Stop? When you have the chance to be better?