Where I am From

I am from the bright
from the moonlight of the night
I am from a place full of stars,
from the skies of the night.

I am from my house
from the brick built structure.
I am from a room
full of light and dark.

I am from a school,
from a class of happiness and family.
I am from a class,
where i get to be myself.

I am from a city
from mountains and wood,
I am from a hill,
from winds, bushes, and flowers.

I am from a place
where they speak gibberish,
I am from a house
where I belong to.

Tea Cup- Poetry

Tea Cup
Waiting, and waiting to be used
Here the time comes,
Now I go.
Hot liquid poured into my little tea cup,

I wait again to be drank out of
Touching my little handle,
Now take a sip,

Seeing their faces,
Peaceful and calm,
Another day, has gone pass,
Now I rest in the glass closet again.

New Article Connections to the Pearl

http://money.cnn.com/2009/11/13/real_estate/Nicolas_Cage/index.htm

This article's title is "Nicolas Cage: Movie star, foreclosure victim". Through the title, I thought that since he is a movie star, he would have a lot of money, and maybe a little bit greedy, too. When I read this article, he had a great amount of debts. Cage borrowed money for his two houses in California and Las Vegas. Now that he doesn't have money, he owes more than 6million dollars. I think that this relates to the theme of the Pearl, because if Cage didn't have greed to buy houses that costs so much, he shouldn't have bought it. Again, i think that one house would have been enough, but maybe he wasn't satisfied with what he had already. Like Kino, Cage might thought that it was for his family, but later, his greed brought him down.

“The Pearl” Reflection

What is the meaning of this parable?
How do we read our own life in this book?

I think the meaning of this parable is that, wealth brings greed to people. When I was reading this parable, starting with the part where Kino returned with the pearl, I read or felt the greed in the people. From the middle of the parable, Steinbeck starts to describe about the neighbors’ eyes on the pearl, and I just thought that he was trying to explain what wealth brings in people’s minds.

Also, by reading this parable, I am assured that wealth doesn’t always bring happiness to people. I say this because ever since Kino brought the pearl back to his home town, all he faced was trouble. Because of the pearl, Kino ended up killing a person (by accident), and by killing the person, his family had to leave the town, and leaving his home lead Coyotito to death. Just because of one thing, wealth, Kino’s family faced misery.

In this parable, I relate my own life with the neighbor. I’m a person, and other people’s wealth brings me greed. Whenever my friend ends up with a good ending, I don’t seem to congratulate her because of my greed. Just like the neighbors around Kino, I don’t get satisfied with other people’s success.

Although I relate to the neighbor, somehow I relate to Kino as well. When I get a jack pot like Kino’s finding of the pearl, I am relieved and happy at first, but as time passes, I get tight around me, and self defended.

Through this story, I think that Steinbeck is trying to tell the readers what wealth brings.

Guess the Tone

Chalene was alaways the one who wins the championship. Now she is getting tired of winning. She always thought, "Why did God give me a lot of talent? What can I do? I was born smart, pretty, great personality, etc, so I cannot resist that I am the best out of anyone in our grade." Maybe, people around doesn't want to admit it, but how can they not. They perfectly know that she is totally better than them.

For the fall dance festival, Chalene won the 'Solo Prize," so on her shelf, one more trophy is added . Chalene's mother is proud of her daughter, but this is just usual for her now. She hoped that she would have gotten at least second place, but 1st place was just waiting for Chalene to claim it. Her house is full of her shinny trophies, and every day, Chalene's mother tends to clean them.

At school, she have a lot of friends following me because she am so famous. She thinks she is famous, but actually her friends follow for homeworks. During the valentines day, Chalene gets a lot of chocolate, and other things that girls get in Valentines! With her over-whelming talent, she was happy at first, but now Chalene is sick of it. It's mundane~ Chalene wishes that her talent should decrease a bit!

Guess the Mood

I had to leave my home, and go to a knew town. You know how that feels like? Moving once is ok, but moving 4 times, it is not pleasant. I had to say "goodbyes" to my dear friend and , said "goodbye" to my room and my house. My emotion was making me cry out loud, just like a little baby who wanted some food. I hated to leave the town that I've been living in for 4 years, but I had no choice. Since my parents told me and my brother that we were moving, we had to pack., and go. How would I feel like? I'm not mad, I'm not happy, I'm not surprised. All these moving makes me cry. My friends were depressed with me, and at that time tears would just droop down my cheecks. With sorrow, I had to leave.

I don’t think I want this anymore
As she drops the ring to the floor
She says to herself you’ve left before
This time you will stay gone that’s for sure

And he shouted something as
She dragged her suitcase down the path
To the driveway
She had never gone that far

Normally this would be the time that she
Let him talk her out of leaving
But this time without crying
As she got into her car, she said

No, happily never after
That just ain’t for me because finally
I know I deserve better after all
I’ll never let another teardrop fall

As she drove away she started to smile
Realized she hadn’t for a while
No destination, she drove for miles
Wondering why she stayed in such denial

Laughing about the way he shouted something as
She dragged her suitcase down the path
To the driveway
She had never gone that far

Normally this would be the time that she
Let him talk her out of leaving
But this time without crying
As she got into her car, she said

No, happily never after
That just ain’t for me because finally
I know I deserve better after all
I’ll never let another teardrop fall

I’m done, I’m done, said, I’m so done
So done, I’m so done
I’m free, I’m free, said, I’m so free
I’m so free, I’m so free

She inhaled an air she’d never breathed before
The air of no drama no more because she said

(x2) No, happily never after
That just ain’t for me because finally
I know I deserve better after all
I’ll never let another teardrop fall

Another teardrop fall
I’ll never let, no, I’ll never let
No, I’ll never let another teardrop fall.
I think that the composer is not positive about happiness and/or wealth. The composer is trying to break the fantasy of happiness in this song. When the lyric comes to the Chorus it saids "happily NEVER after." Then I think that the composer is not very happy.

259,000,000 YOU WON!

If I won 259million dollars, I would be too excited that, I would faint. Holding the money in my hands, the very first this that I would do it to, go SHOPPING! My heart would pound like a drumroll and my mind would fly around like a butterfly. When, winning the big money, my thought would be to go shopping. Since I love clotes, all day long I would buy some clothes that I like. Wih the left overs, my money will rest in the bank untill I get more money to save.

Impression

She was my teacher! The most perfect teacher I have ever met. Her name was Ms. Kim-Mihye Kim. My teacher was like a pom-pom, who can cheer people UP! I met her during my 7th grade year. Ms. Mihye had the greatest smile ever! Whenever we were down, every morning she came in by yelling out "Happy Morning, Good Morning!" Every Friday morning, she yelled "PTL-Praise The Lord." I always loved her morning welcome for us.

When she first came to our school, I just thought she was a little creepy. Why? It was because she was always alone, and always smiled for no reason. In the mornings, when she comes in with a smile or yelling out good morning, our class was just silent. Ms. Kim was like a loud speaker in the morning.

Meeting Ms. Kim was like a magic in my life. She turned the negative mind of mine to a positive mind. With her flexible body, she always gave us happiness. The outgoing mind of hers really helped our class to open up. Her prayer times were helping me to let everything out. The year with her was like a jewlry found in a rock.

Ms. Kim's happiness reached to me and to everyone in the class.

Clue #5

1) Who is Effie waiting for?

In the story of "About Effie," Effie is waiting for 'him'. The story doesn't really tell us the exact one she is waiting for. When Effie discribed 'him', she said that 'he' will come when there are thunder, lightening, and music. The one that Effie is waiting for will come down on a big black cloud, and will take her away. Even though this story leaves 'him' anonymous, I thought that 'he' was just an imaginary character she has been imagining or God.

2) Sentences that might symbolize Jesus in the story.

- "On a cloud," she whispered. "A big black cloud. That's a rule."
- "Will he take you away?" "Of course he will. THat's why he's coming. That's why I'm waiting."
- Effie came to my mother and said she'd been called away.

Sine Jesus was our God who we had to wait patiently in order to follow him or understand His words, I think Timothy Findley included these Christ like images in the story. "About Effie" has a misterious character that Effie is waiting for, and when she explains him, the characteristic of Jesus suits this story.

3) Can non-Christian authors reveal truth about God's world?

Of course they can! Even though non- Christian authors don't believe in the Bible, they can still read them. Reading the Bible, authors can see the truth of God's world, and so they can write them in their piece of short story. They could always read more from the Bible, and reveal the truth about God's world step by step. In a way, God's world can really be useful for the writing that the authors want to write because there are a lot of details in God's world. Through their writing and the revealing about God's world, readers could know more about them.

Clue #4

1) What specific clues can setting reveal about the theme of a short story?

When the setting is gloomy, then the story might turn out to be depressing, too. I think that the reader's first view is the setting. There for, the image or the mood of the setting really matters and reveals the theme of the short story. With the right circumstances in the setting, it can tell the readers the characteristics and the thinking of the short story.

2) How does an author drop clues about characters and how their actions lead you to the theme of a story?

Clues about characters could be given ironically. Adding up the adjectives and the different actions, the theme of the story could be found. The authors can give the clues about the characters by telling more and more about them, and the feelings that they feel in the text. When the author is trying to discribe about the character in a specific way, then I think that through the discription, the theme will be lead.

3) What is the strongest setting you have ever encountered in your own life?

CLUE #3

1) How can you figure out a theme in a short story?
How can I figure out a theme in a short story? I can find it by reading the sentences that the authors tend to pop it out. Statements or sentences that feel like the author is pointing it out, I try to find the theme out of it. Theme in a short story is easier to find than long stories. Why? It is because longer stories have more sentences to think about. Also, by looking at the whole story, I find the inportant phrase. It is hard, but by the surrounding sentences that lets the important story shine out, I try to make a theme out of it. Few sentences help me find the themes. Although it is not easy to find them, in the short stories I really try hard to find the showing sentences.

2) What is the theme of "The Utterly Perfect Murder" and how does this theme relate t your own life?
I think the theme to "The Utterly Perfect Murder" is not to bring up the pass. I think so because in this story, the main subject was that Doug brings up his childhood bad memories. Bad memories about his "friend" Ralph, ruined his life, Doug thought. With his own thought, he tries to hurt a guy's life. I understand that bad memories or you can say memories that you want to erase hurts once in a while. But to me, I just think that bringing it up again, is a silly thing to do. Well, I cannot say that I didn't have one. Like Doug, I had a bad memory about my "friend" that I could not erase. It wasn't pretty. After the memory, I couldn't think of her as a friend, but as time passed by, I forced myself to erase it.

3) How is a moral of a story different from theme?
There aren't a lot of differences that I could think of in moral and theme. If I had one I would say the meaning. Moral is what you learn from the story. Theme is what the story is trying to tell you. I don't think that you really learn much from a theme. In a moral, this teaches me a lesson. A lesson from the story that I sould not do. Theme, I think is just the importance in the story. By importance, I mean the importance of the main subject.

Clue #6

1) Why do authors use figurative language?
I think the authors use figurative language to make the text more pop out! When I see figurative languages in the writing, my eyes have fun reading it. Even when I'm reading a boring and mundane book, a figurative language can change the mood of the story. An ironic change happens with the language inside. With the change of the style of the language, the story can brighten up! Mostly figurative languages are used in fairy tales, to make them more imaginary. I think that is why I like fairy tales or fiction stories. Although putting in figurative languages in the story is not that easy, I think authors try hard to make the story brighter. One figurative language can change the reader's mind. Figurative language is very helpful.

2) List 3 metaphors that you think are really beautiful or interesting.
He's as big as a house.
You're an angel.
She is a monster.

3) Find a metaphor for Jesus in the Bible and list the Bible verse.
John 1.14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 4:14: Whosoever drinketh of this water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life"
John 7:37: "If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink."

4)What does this metaphor reveal about God's world and your understanding of it?
These metaphors reveal that God's world is beautiful with Jesus Christ's mercy and God's love.

Two Kinds Connections

6 connections

1) Jing mei is an asian so am I.
2) She took piano lessons like me, but like her, I didn't like it either.
4) Like Jin mei I can speak Chinese.
5) When she reacted to her mother, not to play piano, it felt like seeing myself.
6) In the last part, when she replayed her piano on her 30th birthday, again, I felt like seeing myself reopening the piano lid, after quiting my lesson.

The story "Two Kinds" was well explaining the Asian culture. Asian culture of forcive parents was well told, and the feeling of the child's thought was very deep. Also this story is told like her own experience. I'm saying that while I was reading this story, I felt a realistic writing. In this writing, mostly I like the discription of the character's feeling.

Personal Ad

Usually personal ads try to make you look like an attractive and interesting person. Feel free to exaggerate here :]

I have beautiful brown hair like the Goddess of Apfrodities.
I am sporty as Ms.Lilo.
I have a great sense of style as Kim Hae-Soo.
My musical talent is high as the Sears Tower!
I am as pretty as Han Hyu-Ju.
I can figure skate like Kim Yuna
I am as cute as Twitty.
I am as sweet as honey.
I have hair thick as a tree.
I have long legs like Angelina Jolie.
I am madly in love with Bi.
My senese of humor is as great as Robin Williams.
My voice is loud like a lion.
( Written by You-Kyung Nam)

CLUE #1

1) In my opinion, reader response is what the reader thinks about the text that they are reading about. It can also be the step to understand the reading. Reader response is the reader’s opinion, thoughts, and their definition of understanding.
Through reader response, we, readers, can understand the text more clearly. By connecting with our own experience with the text, the reading can be way easier. While reading, trying to connect to the text, or the paragraph that we are reading is better than just reading without even thinking. For me, reader response helps a lot to understand and have fun with the reading. Even though the text that I am reading is boring, sometimes, by connecting with my own story, the reading gets better. Reader Response is a resonable thing to do.

2) Reader Response open our eyes to more truth as we read by leading us into our own mind. Also, reader response connects to our own mind. With the connection that we have, it opens out mind to a wider thought. Reader Response can be a great help for us. It opens our mind by connections, understanding, and our own relationship. WIth putting it into my own definition and my own thought, it can help me understand the text.

3) It is important to interact or connect with the literature because in order to understand, it is better to connect. I keep on saying this, but connection makes me understand. It is because by the connection, I can see myself in the story. Sometimes it can confuse me, but other times, it helps me. Imaginating myself in the story, helps me. In my opinion, putting me in the story is also connecting myself. Even though it's not easy, I try to connect myself.

Utterly Perfect Murder

1) This story, in my opinion, will be creepy. It my even give me goose bumps. But in a way, I think that it will some funny parts in it.

2) I wanted to revenge on my brother because he always teases me, takes my stuff (without permission), and most importantly, bosses me around!!! I could not act upon my desire because he was just too strong for me. My feelings after my careless action made me feel really mad, and stressed. In another word, I wanted to break something instead of my brother! That tells you how mad I was :]

Book Character that I Relate With!

In the Series of Unfortunate Events, I think that I relate to Sunny.

Sunny is the youngest child in her siblings, and I, too, am the youngest in my family. Not only the age connections, but her habit of biting materials or people, is also common with me. When I get bored or angry, I tend to bite my brother, pillow, and etc. Her brave actions might be relating to me. Why? It is because I took many risks in my life, and so did Sunny and her siblings.

*Describe your experience and whether or not you think it is important to make a personal connection to literature.

To understand the book perfectly, we, the readers, should make a personal connection with the book, or the characters. These personal connections could make reading better and lucid because the reader always can be in the book and imagine the situation, the feeling, and all other things.
So, when I am the reader, I tend to connect myself with the book, or at least I try.

Clue

Describe all the key components of this introduction to who Jesus is. What part of the “plot” of Christ’s life do these details relate to?
Who is Jesus relating to these verses? Jesus was with God from the beginning of the creation. According to these verses given, John was to testify and prove that Jesus was to come. John did the work of witnessing the light. In here the "light" is describing, Jesus Christ. The law that was given through Moses said that grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.


The verses describe Jesus as, light, grace, and truth.

My Life Plot!!

I was 2 years old, visiting my grandparents' house. My brother and I went out to play in the playground in front of our house. We played and played until I got tired and went on a bench, fell asleep.

I guess my brother's friend came to play with him, while I was asleep. Sam went to his friend's house, totally forgetting about me.
When I woke up from my nap, my brother was GONE! I cried and cried until someone came to me and sent me to the police station.

My grandmother came to the playground, saw that we were missing, and she panicked. But thankfully, the woman who took me to the police station was there. My grandmother asked that lady, told the lady how i looked what i wore, and the woman told my grandmother where she took me.

After picking my brother up from his friend's house, and went straight to the police station that I was in.

When she arrived, there I was eating a bread with one hand and on the other hand holding a milk.

We are OPEN MINDED!

Juhe Yoon A Block

Recently I read the Series of the Unfortunate Events.

The favorite genre of the books that I LOVE to read, is mystery. Something about mystery just attracts me to read it more more as it goes on. Also, almost all the mystery books' startings are fantastic. There are few detailed unsolving quotes or sentences that just make me want to continue.

My reading habits are not a good one. I lie down on my bed(most of the times) and turn sideways to read. Also, I always turn on the music, so I listen to music and at the same time read a book. I told you that it was a bad habit. My reading was on the desk properly sitted, but ever since I got to China, I started to lie down on my bed, and found it very comfortable.

I do NOT think that books should be made into movies because sometimes the stories get either worse or boring. In the movies they even drag it, isn't as detailed as the books, and when the acting is wierd, then it messes the whole thing up!

Our Reflections

We Care for Each Other♥

Shh~Be Quiet