Obey Tradition or Be Your Self?

The book Gathering of Pearls is about the life of a girl named Sookan whose from a Korean poor family. She came to study in Finch Collage, an all-girl Catholic college in New York alone by using her scholarship. The life in collage was hard for her because she has to do extra job and study hard so that she could have pocket money and scholarship. The life in America taught her a lot including how to make her own choice and the meaning of a family.

       Sookan is a very tough girl who lives in a hard life. But she still work hard and be positive. At first she was lonely and afraid of being in a totally new environment. Then, after she found out the culture difference and adapted the new life, she started to accept her difference and tried to change her personality. This situation is pretty similar with mine because this is also the first time for me to stay in a foreign country alone for such a long time. Even though Sookan’s life obviously so much harder then me, I still have a little bit same feeling as her. For instance her sister always wanted to control her but that was not the life she want. She was confused about obey the tradition or be her self. My parents used wanted me to be an artiest and trained me as an artiest for many years since I was still a baby. After I grow up I realized the life I really want is to be a biologist instead of an artiest. I struggled for a long time, choosing to be a biologist means all the efforts I did for art was wasted, but be an artiest can not make me feel happy. I chose to follow my dream as Sookan does, so I can really understand her feeling of struggling and worrying.

       I kind of like this book but not really. There are some parts I like. Like the writer described the inside feeling of Sookan by writing about the scenery. The writer described the river, the small rocks, the color of sky, the wind…. But there are also some other parts that I’m not really interested in. Almost every 3 chapters are the same. They are all about her study, her job, the letters, her struggling, and her talk with friends. Even the sequences are the same. When I was writing notes of this book, I found it was kind of boring. At first the book was interesting because I haven’t know about the characters’ personalities yet, I could find out their personalities from their behavior. Then after I finished reading 1/3 of the book I realized there were nothing new for me to find out.

       This is a nice book but not for me. I will not recommend it to my friends except they are also international students who study alone abroad otherwise they will not really understand the meaning of the book.

In class writing-11/16/2015

At the end of Peter Pan, the end was neither happy nor sad. It just shows human's real life. Time would never stops, we all grow old, and there are always some people that we would miss. 

Wendy grow old, and Perter Pan became Captain Hook. Every child wanted to be happy, without the control of parents, and never grow old. But that would never happened. We can say they was a happy ending because the children went back to their parents. But we can also say that was a sad ending because Peter would never see Wendy again. Even though Mrs.Darling said they could meet once a year, but the time pass quickly, we will all forget our promistion. When Wendy grow old, she will gets married, have baby, and become a mother. Maybe the experience with Peter Pan will just become a story that was told by Wendy to her children. Even she used not want to grow up, still, that is impossible.

In never land, Peter Pan just grow old lonely, no one loves him. He would become as same as Captain Hook, lost one of his hand, have his voyage lonely until died. 

We all became the person that we used to hate. 

Peter Pan Review

All children grow up, except one, Peter Pan.

This is the first time for me to watch a Performance at Cheshire Academy. Before I watched this performance I only watched the movie. I was only 12 years old, just graduated from primary school. At that time, the movie means nothing to me, it made me feel just like Harry Potter. Now, I have grown up, experienced many things, I kind of understand the meaning of Peter Pan.

We all know it is just a fairy tale, but we are still depressed. Time will make every one grow up, every one is only going to be more and more lonely. People came and went away, no one will stay with you forever. We are all going to be heart broken. But as I said this is only a story. In this story, Peter Pan’s time always stops. In never land, there is Peter Pan who always stays with his favorite Wendy, there are fight between Captain Hook and him. This is a play would never ended, again and again, form first met to parting, from parting to first met. Wendy chose to grow up, but at the very moment they met, she would never grow up. Their story is always on the lips of us.

If there is really a Peter Pan come to your window and wants to take you to Never land, take you to live with fairies, live happily, will you go with him? Wendy choose to go back to real life, what about us? Every girl wants to live with her prince forever but not with a boy who never grow up. Since we choose not to stay with Peter Pan, we do not have qualification to live as happy as him.

Peter, how lucky was I going to be if I met you? But I am happy I did not meet you. I can’t promise that I can still make a right choice after I have been attracted by your courage and intelligence. No matter I chose to stay or not, I am going to be depressed. If I stayed, I feel sorry for my parents, they will miss me. If I left, you would be lonely again and I would miss such a unique you. So, Peter Pan, please stay in your fairy tale, never face the real world. There is an interesting part that is Peter Pan stand in front of helm, lose one of his hand, just like Captain Hook. They are same kinds of people, they both live in torture. He was sad because no one loves him. Peter was sad because he doesn’t have a mother. Since Wendy left Peter, no one will love him any more. Peter is going to be Captain Hook one day.

            Fairy tales reflect real life. Wendy said: “ You will never forget me, right?” to Peter Pan. Isn’t this what we want to say to those people that we have missed? I hope those people who I missed can also smell and say: “Me? Forget? Never.” So please remember me, never forget me, as I will always remember you. Maybe I am going to meet a guy who smiles like stars, maybe I can be with him, maybe not. But no matter how my story going to ended, I will not leave any regrets, just like Wendy.

Vocabulary #3

1. mannequin. n.

---A small, black velvet purse hung on the shoulder of the mannequin.

a styled of human form used in window displays.
2. second-hand adj.

---To save money, I had purchased second-hand textbooks from upperclassmen at a fraction of the original price, and I was careful not to use too many notebooks.

things are not new and have been owned by someone else. 
3. animatedly adj.

---with drinks in hand, talking animatedly.

full of life, action, or spirit; lively;
4. faltered v.

---Flustered, I faltered, then hurriedly responded.

to speak hesitatingly or brokenly.

5. impulsive adj.

---You are a bit impulsive and head' strong at times, but you did well.

swayed by emotional
6. constrained adj.

---I had always felt constrained there.

forced, compelled, or obliged.

7. Gregorian chant n.

---A Gregorian chant program is scheduled for June, and students will be coming from around the world.

the plain song used in the ritual of the Roman Catholic Church.

8. pearl n.

---all the pearls scattered across the floor.

a smooth, rounded bead formed within the shells of certain mollusks

9. elope v.

---I just want to elope and get our lives started now!

to run off secretly to be married
10. taciturn adj.

---He had always been taciturn, but at least when I was near him, I could glean so much from his expression.

inclined to silence; reserved in speech.

11. sobbed v.

---I sat, buried my face in my hands, and sobbed.

to weep with a convulsive catching of the breath. 

12. pouch n.

---In a silk pouch that Mother had made was her thin, white gold wedding band.

a bag, sack, or similar receptacle.
13. listlessly adj.

---As I stared forward listlessly, little Sarah snuggled up against me, and whispered into my ear.

having or showing little or no interest in anything; languid; spiritless.

14. hymn n.

---I was comforted by their high-pitched hymns reverberating in the domed chapel.

a song or ode in praise or honor of God.

15. fainted

---She told no one about her illness, and then she suddenly fainted one evening.

lacking brightness, vividness, clearness, loudness, strength

SooIan's feature life

         As a hard worker, Sookan is always a successful student during her college life. The life of her will be more and more easier. Her three older brothers get married, has their own job so the pressure of their family become lesser. The whole family is very liberal except her sister. Also as she has lived in America for such a long time, her mind has been affected by American cultures. She eagerly wants freedom. So she will not listen to her sister to be a nun, she has her own freedom to choose her job. 

After she graduated from collage, she was recommended by professor Benet to a publishing company and become a writer. Ellen got married with Kile as she dreamed and Marci's parents finally agreed her to follow her dream. Marci joined Ellen's weeding and Ellen was wearing hanbok that was given by Sookan. They got married as soon as Ellen graduate. Her whole family supports her. Then Marci move away to California but Sookan still stays in New York City. They still contact with each other by letters but after several years only Marci still contact with Sookan. They share their daily life events and their confusion. Sometimes they will travel together, and they will be like before: Marci reads books and Sookan enjoys the scenery. The contact makes their friendship strengthens.

         Life went well. After Sookan has graduated for 4years she finally earns enough money to bring her whole family to America. The youngest sister of Sookan comes to study in America and lives Sookan. She doesn't have to work hard and do extra job as Sookan did. Since Sookan publishes her new book named My Life in America and become famous she also meets her Mrs. Right in her new book recommendation. He is a fans of her who is working in pathetic same publish company with Sookan for many 3 years. On their wedding he told Sookan he was attracted by her at the first moment he has saw her. As a catholic, she choose to held their wedding in a church. Her whole family except her sister joined her wedding. Her sister still can’t accept Sookan marry with an American. She thinks Sookan forgets her and her country. They had a cute baby with her husband. Their life will be like fairy tales. But one day their daughter, Julia, was nearly died after a car mash on her wake back home. She was only 10 years old. The doctor said she would never walk on the ground anymore so the whole family got depressed and Sookan got depression. The life suddenly became so much worth then before, but because the family was harmony so Sookan’s brothers helps each other and gave money to Sookan. She recovered after 5 month and started to write her new book named Tomorrow Is Another Day.

        Sookan is an example of successful hard worker. Even though there would be some small reverse in hard workers’ life but everything is going to be fine.

The art opening

The Art Opening

This is the first time for me to join a art opening. 

There were many unfamiliar face, both adults and children.

This event is abut many photographers, called Ball&Socket, took pictures of an old factory before any cleaning and repairs. They want to make it into an art center. This means thing inside pictures were original and the purest. Everything changed after it became into pictures.

Photographers gave the factory a second live.

Photographers came to the art opening and introduced their idea about the factory their idea opinion of being a photographer.

The one impressed me the most what Gary Richard said:" All the photographers are creative and ambitious. Every time I see those pictures again I see something new." From my point of view, that is the reason why each photographer is unique. "Something happens between hands and vision." he said."There is a moment that attracts you, makes you wanna print it out."

The factory used to be a place that provide things for human, now the photographers give it the second live that makes it provide beauty and mysterious again. When I was watching those pictures, I thought if I was the person who takes pictures of an old factory, the pictures must be full of dust and darkness. But all the photographers have a common characteristic which is they have the eyes of finding beauty.

The old curtain became mysterious, everything made me feel like they have their own stories.

They showed us a totally new world by their hand and camera. That the specialty of art.