Elementary Composition – Night

This site is a group effort by the students in Gord's Elementary Composition evening course at Catholic University!

The world-cup started

The world-cup started some days ago. I guess almost every Korean has been looking forward to it. I suppose our team couldn’t do as well as last world-cup, but I hope our team succeed in going to first round tournament. Some people want them to do too many things. I’m just happy to see very famous players who belongs to England or Spain leagues play together. The opening game was Germany versus Costa Rica. It was fantastic. I was shouting “wow!” throughout the game. Today night, Korea vs Togo match is held. I hope we all have great time and great result.


Part-time job

I have had several part-time job experiences since I was middle school student. All my jobs were related with delivering, such as pizza, chicken and Chinese food. I enjoyed my job, because I liked to motorcycle and I could make pretty much money at that time.  Now, I am a undergraduate and really need money, but I can’t find proper job. I don’t want to be deliverer again. I don’t like to motorcycle again, but one thing I miss is it’s pay. I tried to get part-time job as a waiter serving at hall, but it’s tiring, and pay is not enough. Nowadays I realize how tough making money is. I hope somebody recommend me a good part-time job.


Air conditioner please!

In these days, weather is so warm. I like warm weather, but the matter is it’s too hot. It’s really hard to study in library nowadays. I wonder why they don’t turn on the air conditioners in the library. Even outside of the library is cooler than inside. I can’t be sitting a long time in the library, because my bottoms become too hot. I have many assignments to be finished within this week, and I have no places to study other then my school library. All libraries nearby my house are on repair work, or have been closed from some days ago. I didn’t understand why they didn’t turn on the air conditioner, and criticized their stinginess at first, but now, I want to appear to them for a little mercy.


Good idea can make big money

 Do you know more than 90% of twenties in Korea have their mini homepages on cyworld? Now, mini homepage is a big trend in Korea, and they are making a lot of money by offering mini homepage’s tool and selling acorns which means kind of e-money in cyworld. It’s just a simple idea that brings them tremendous money. I was very surprised to see how much they earn a day, and regretted why I couldn’t think out that earlier. I thought we can make lots of money through very trivial and single idea which people haven’t thought about. I want to find something like them to be rich.


I saw a good movie

 Some days ago I saw an English movie named trailspotting. It’ a story about youth who take drugs. There were several good points that make this movie wonderful. First, the background music was good. It matches very well with the each situation in the movie. I realized again how important music is in a movie. Second, actors’ acting was very nice. Actually It’s the movie that made Ewan McGregor famouse star. Third, almost every scene was very impressive and cool. For these reasons, I really want to recommend this movie to you guys!


English grammar is too hard

 English grammar is making me tired more and more. Especially when I study articles, I feel it drives me crazy. As I study more, I’m becoming confused. Sometimes I wish there was advisor robot by me to ask questions, while studying that. Of course, it’s impossible so I have to study hard and memorize many example sentences to understand. If it’s possible, I want to remove all articles in English. I don’t understand how to use a, an and the at all. It seems that my grammar professor explained about it so briefly. Maybe I have to visit him to ask many questions about it, but I’m not sure I would understand his explanation


He’s doing well!

 Lee, woon-jae is a goal keeper of Korean national soccer team. I like him, because he is a very good player. In these days many people criticize him, saying that he got too much weight. Some netizens blame him for he became too slow due to his fatness, and some others say his last league’s performance was poor. I disagree with these people. They seem to forget all thing about last world cup. He was as perfect as Oliver Kahn who was MVP of 2002 world cup! He gained weight a little, but it’s not that big problem. He’s still fast and stable. His last league’s score is also not too bad, and everyone can hit a slump. I hope people stop criticizing him, and he play conspicuous part on this world cup to make them quite.


election day

Yesterday was election day, but I didn’t vote. I know very well how important voting is because I have learned the importance of right to vote. It was the first time for me to have a chance to vote, but there were no one I want to vote for. I dislike all politicians. What do they do? I really don’t know. Candidates should have a plastic surgery and try to look nice. The reason many young people vote is not they really support them. It’s because they want to confirm their right. So politician should care for themselves because it’s most important fact to catch young people’s votes.


Bad teachers

Yesterday I saw internet news that shows many bad sides of some foreigner English teachers. The news showed internet community of foreigner teachers. Many English teachers were sharing their opinions about Korea through that web-site and many of them didn’t seem good people. For example, there were many articles that insult Koreans especially women. I could know many teachers were thinking Korea as land of opportunity where anyone who speaks English can make a lot of money without difficulty. There were many immoral articles also that I couldn’t believe teachers wrote. It was news that made me very angry and sad.


I like that movie

Some days ago I saw a korean movie named ku-mi-sup (meaning spider forest). It was story about mysterious forest. A main actor went to this forest to interview someone for his TV documentary program. In the forest his memories were totally messed up. The movie showed many things but didn’t let me know what is true and untrue. Some movie scenes were too complicated to understand. Even the director of that movie said all things are up to us, so I can interpret it in my way. I like that kind of movies. This kind of movies make me think a lot.


To maintain good relationship with a girl friend.

 I’ll talk about two things men should keep in mind to maintain good relations with their girl friends. First, men should be careful when they are talking about other girls with their girl friends. For example, it’s stupid to talk about their ex-girl friends’ good points even if they feel so comfortable about talking to their girls about any topics. They would be upset weather they represent their feelings or not. Second, men should always stand on their girl friends’ side. When girls complain about something, men have to support their opinions even if it’s not right. What girls want to hear isn’t just judgement. It’s words of encouragement.


the nightmare I experienced

Some days ago I had a nightmare. I haven’t been hagridden before. It was very scary and surprising. I thought I was staying up that night. I certainly was reading a book on the bed. Soon I felt I am tired so I saw wall to turn off the switch. Strangely I realized I can see beyond the wall. It was normal wall, but I felt It’s like glass wall. Then I heard some strange sound like the sound of footsteps. It seemed something is approaching me. I couldn’t see what it is. I tried to run away, but I couldn’t move my body. I wanted to scream but only what I could say was small moaning sound. After struggling many hours I succeed in moving one of my fingers at last. As soon as I did, all things were disappeared. It was very strange, marvelous and scary experience. 


My pessimistic novel

When I worked in Africa, I was infected with Malaria, because it spreads easily there. I was in despair and drunk everyday. I started to hate everything around me. It seemed that God is totally unfair. I needed something to loose my anger. I bought a gun and shot something. It’s a lion because It was the first thing I found after buying the gun. I felt something like ecstasy. I wanted more to shot. Next day I shot a tiger because it attacks people. I thought all tigers should be killed for human beings. But soon shooting animals couldn’t satisfy me. While I was thinking like that, one woman passed by me with diamond on her finger. Suddenly it occurred to me that people wear diamond because they have nothing to spend money on. I grabbed my gun and slowly aimed at her.

 


I hate a rat

 I guess almost all people hate a rat. Of course I dislike it too. there are several reasons that make me dislike it. First, It simply looks dirty. It is true that a rat is thought as a symbol of uncleanness throughout the world. Even there is a movie named ‘The Rats’ describing people who fight against dirty and vicious rats. Second, its shape looks odious. For example, its dark gray color and long tail make me hate rats. Finally, rats are dangerous. For example, they carry diseases that make people sick. Even some rats bite people. Have you seen the picture that was reported on newspaper some months ago? In the picture a rat that almost as same size as a dog was attacking a person. Due to these reasons I dislike a rat. 


I want to travel

I’m planning to travel around Europe in this summer vacation with my friends. I’m really looking forward to it, because I have wanted to travel other countries. Europe is where I most have wanted to travel. Because I won’t use any traveling services or have guides, I have to plan very specifically. I want to experience these countries’ real life rather than just follow tourist route. Anyway I hope it will be good experience.


My myscular friend

 I’ll describe one of my friends. He was very thin and looked weak at first, but now he is really muscular. Because he wanted to be mom-jjang, (a person who has very well-built body) he started weight training some months ago and exercised very hard. Now his body looks good and healthy. He want to have more muscular body, so he still goes to a gym everyday. Sometimes he seems to be addicted to exercise because he goes to the gym, even though he is sick or very tired. I hope he can maintain his well-built body.


Interesting Conversation

 Today, I discussed about gays and homosexualities with my Conversation Class teacher in the hak-won.(I don’t know how to call this place in English.) Because other students were very quite and didn’t talk much, I could talk about a lot of the things I had wondered, and ask many questions. The Canadian teacher who came to Korea about two months ago advised me to avoid wearing feminine colors, because they might think I am a gay. I asked why there are so many gays and homos in western countries, and he said there would be many gays in Korea also. I have never seen that kind of people in Korea, so I said it’s untrue, but he seemed to not believe it. Anyway it was interesting conversation. After the class, on the way to go home, I realized I am wearing a light green shirt. I forgot to say to him that in Korea it’s ok for men to wear any colors. I hope he doesn’t think I’m a gay.


A real hiphopper.

I interviewed Jun-Haeng and listened about his brother, Ji-Haeng. He is a little unusual person. Jung-Haeng said he is crazy about hiphop. He is a real hip-hopper. For example, he never listen to other music except hiphop. He always listen to only hiphop music almost every day. He loves hip-hop so much that he always wears hiphop fashion. For example, he wears hiphop fashion on a wedding party or somewhere people are supposed to wear formal suit. I could see how much he loves hiphop through his favorite singers. For instance, all the singers he likes are black people, and he thinks black women are more beautiful than white women because there are more black hiphop musicians than white in the world. I have some friends similar to him too. Maybe there is some powerful attraction in hiphop. 


She is

 She was wearing white shirt and white coat. She was wearing glasses which has transparent frame and brown watch that has dog printing inside it. Her shoes were pink. Her cheek was a little plump but she looked thin. She had a white and fair skin. She had long and black hair. She had a double eyelid. Her eyebrows were fine but clear.


This place is

 There are a lot of people.(sometimes not) Usually they are hurrying. They move busily, quitely, intently and getting in one another’s way. Yesterday, one woman tumbled down on stairs there. She fell downstairs, rolling over and over and tumbling down others too. It was really pitiable scene but really funny to me. (I am sorry for her.) Her skirt was almost turned inside out, and others were cursing who were tumbled by her. People’s attitude were very cold. Nobody asked her if she is ok. It’s very crowded place that shows desolate city life. Sometimes there is a classic music from speakers but nobody pays attention to it. The music is compared with people’s narrow-minded look. On rush hour time, it’s terrible place. Somebody might be choked to death someday.


Decoding literature

I don’t know why literature teachers are forcing me to find hidden meanings when I study it. If I were author I wouldn’t mean to have my writhing have so many meanings. It’s really uninteresting work to find and memorize the secret meanings of literary work. If I write about a moon, that because I just want to wright about it, not because I mean to make people reminded of cruel, numinous and brutal images or some images of desolate earth after or before millions years. Some years ago, one Korean poet was required to solve the questions in high-school student’s textbook. It’s about poem’s secret meanings. (I don’t remember his name but he was quite famous poet.) But he answered correctly only 3~4 questions of 10. The questions are all about his own poem. Even poet doesn’t know about it’s hidden, complicated meanings. Who makes them? Why? Anyway that’s one of the reasons I don’t want to study literature. People shoule feel as they feel and sometimes they would feel nothing but some people force their feelings, meanings and thoughts.


Finishing mid-term exam

Mid-term exam was finished yesterday. It was so hard time to me. Subjects are getting difficult more and more and I feel I couldn’t catch up with them. I know I have to study hard, but I’m not sure I’m getting better. Even I don’t know whether I have achieved something since I came to university. At times, I feel I am static at past. I want to feel like I accomplished something but nowadays I haven’t felt that kind of feelings. Far from it, I’m destressed by so many works to do and disappoint myself who can’t deal with them all. Maybe I have to find something to make me cheer up.


How to ski

Ski is really exciting and enjoyable swinter sport.  Seemingly it looks easy to ski but it’s more difficult than it looks. When you start to ski there are some steps you have to follow.

 First, you should know how to wear ski boots and other equipments. It’s quite easy. You would learn it quickly. Second, you should know learn how to walk well with ski boots on snow. it’s easy too. you could do it well without any special help. Third, enjoy sking. I think it’s most difficult part. Keep in mind that when you want to brake, you should make your feet position looks like A. (Never make it V unless your pants has strong crotch.)  If you are biginner, you will tumble down continually. Do not give up. It’s also important. While you are not aware of it, you are becoming better. Once you feel you are in some degree, try to balance yourself on one leg and then the other leg and repeat. You will get acceleration. Then don’t make your feet position A anymore. Make it 11. When you want to brake, just turn! Lastly, feel and enjoy speed but watch out snow mounts boarders make. It makes even skillful skier stumble.  


How to make seaweed soup

Ingredients

 brown seaweed 100g, beef 300g, 1 cucumber, 3 tb soy sauce, 1 tb chopped garlic, a bit of salt and pepper

recipe

 seaweed soup is very popular and famous soup in Korea. We usually eat seaweed sout when our birthdays come. It’s kind of Korean tradition. Seaweed soup has plenty of nutritions like protein carbohydrate, vitamin and calcium. Moreover it helps promote circulation of brood, delay aging and prevent people from fatness. From now on lets make this health soup!

 First of all, soak a dried seaweed in cold water until it becomes soft. Second, chop cucumber after rubbing it with salt. Third, put soy sauce, chopped garlic and pepper to beef and mix them all. After seaweed become soft, wash them by fumbling in water and cut it in 6centimeters each. And than put beef and seaweed to heated pot and porch. Once it starts to make milky liquid, boil it with 6cups of water. After about 10 minutes (when it’s boiling up), season it with soy sauce and salt. The last thing you have to do is enjoying your dish!


Rice as hangover cure

In these days I have many drinking party with my friends, juniors or someones. Sometimes I drink too much and next morning my condition is awful with headache, stomachache and thick shoulders. I try to avoid being hangover but as you know, peer pressure is too strong to avoid in korea. They always offer and offer. Especially when seniors or person who is older than I offer a glass of So-Ju, I could never refuse.

 Anyway based on my experiences, the best way to avoid terrible morning from the aftereffect of drink is rice. One day after finishing drinking, I went home and then went to bed directly, as I usually do when I am hangover. But soon I felt very hungry because I hadn’t had a meal except breakfast at morning. Because I didn’t want to be sknniy anymore, I rose and had supper. Next morning strangely, I felt not bad! I didn’t oversleep and had no headache or terrible condition. I think It’s power of rice. If you don’t want to have supper from drinking, try to eat dinner. Rice will certainly protect you !


Let’s drink our traditional health drink

Sung-Neung is water boiled with rice scorched and stuck to the bottom of the pat. Do you know it’s nutritious as well as good taste? Nowasays it’s served by many Korean restaurant as dessert and even exported to many countries. It’s scientifically descovered that nutrition in the rice is accumulated in bottom of the pot when rice is cooked. So Sung-Neung gets to be nutritious. Sung-Neung has a effect on neutralizing hot and spicy korean food and removing mouth odors. Nutrive substances which Sung-Neung has also promote digestion, so it’s good for people who usually have an attack of indigestion. Moreover it comforts person’s nerve and promotes dissolution of fat, so it’s good for diet too. Like this Sung-Neung has many good points for our health. Let’s drink our traditional health drink!   


About my dream

When I was a elementary school student, I want to be a painter. But I realized soon that I don’t like to draw a lot, so I gave up my first dream. When I was high school student, my dream was history teacher. because I like it and interested in many historical events, But I realized soon studying history is not always interesting and my grade was not good enough to go to the college of education, so I gave up my second dream. I thought if I’m good at English, I will make a living anyway. That’s why I chose this university.

 But I have no specific dream yet. Many people change their dream over period of time. Some may achieve their prime dream, others may compromise their dream with present life and the others may still be confused about their future as I do. I wonder what I will be doing 10 years later. Probably I have to think about what I truly want to do, sooner or later.  


Billy Elliot

Couple of days ago, I watched a movie named Billy Elliot in Intermediate English Conversation Class. It was story of young boy who bacame famous ballet dancer after suffering many difficult situations. Its background was twenty century UK. At that time there was big strike of miners in UK. Billy’s father and old brother were miner, so they were on strike too. Billy’s father didn’t accept Billy to take ballet lessons at fitst, because he think it is feminine and girlish. But finally he changed his mind and made every effort to support his son.

 It was very sad and touching movie. I don’t know what is exactly movie’s secret mesage but I was impressed a lot. Mr. Jim, my professor, sad there were two communities in the movie. One is a family and the other is a labor union of miners. Our community is very important and necessary to live our life, but sometimes we couldn’t help leaving our community, he said. Billy’s father gave up striking and went back to work for his son’s tuition. He was in agony because it is kind of  betrayal to his cowerkers and even to himself. (I think when he cried, it’s most sorrowful scene.) Billy also left his family to go royal ballet school in London for his dream.

 Sometime I may have to stand against my community for more valuable thing. I hope I would do the right thing and make a good conclusion when I have that time. and I hope to have a good sense to find movie’s other good messages like Jim.


Run away from screens!

We spend a lot of time watching screens. How much time do you spend by watching TV or surfying internet? I don’t mean to say that you should quit doing these things right now. But recent poll shows that the youth in Korea generally spend about 3hours to watch TV. If the time of surfying internet is plused, I think it could be doubled.

  Of course I admit there are many good points of it. What a interesting! You couldn’t find more interesting things than watching TV, surfying internet or playing on-line game. And also we can enjoy many touching and funny movies through TV. You can remove stress of modern city life by doing these. Especially when you have dull time, they can be your best friends.

 Nevertheless these various good points, however, there are some things we should worry about. Don’t you think you spend too much time on it? What’s the main work you do in your home? You habitually turn on the TV and computer, and just devote yourself to do these aimlessly, meaninglessly.

 You would have worse eyesight than before you started devoting yourself to do these. I’m sure it’s getting worse and worse. With your poor eyesight, I guess your health is getting worse too, because of lack of exercise. You may lose pleanty of time to talk with your family or close friends.

 How about reducing the time a little you spend in fron of screens? you will have much of time to do other things. You can enjoy playing sport with your friends, and even join local soccer or baseball team. The more time you spend with your ‘real live friends’, the more you would be coopertative with others and be intimate with new people. Moreover, you can read many benefical books you wanted to read before but you couldn’t because you didn’t have enough time. 

 Don’t be slave of screens. Just make good use of it ,when you need. It depends on you weather they can be your good friends.


Alcohl is present of God

What do you think the the most blessed thing is in the world? It is alcohl. There are many good points of alcohl. The first is relaxation. When is the most relaxative time you have experienced? Just before sleeping? No, it is when you are drunken. If you are nervous or want to feel easy, just drink ancohl. You could be more comportable than any other times.

The second is decreasing stress. There are hundreds of things that make us stressful in modern life. How could we get rid of it without alcohl? Drinking alcohl is The best and easiest way. It would remove the stress without any pain. 

Lastly the best thing you can get by drinking is hilarious atmosphier! Alcohl plays an important role in making people fun. I can’t expect a party or feast without alcohl. If you want to enjoy more, drink more! Because it certainly will make you higher