These days, I have been planed go abroad for studying my major, English and Japanese. More specifically, my majors are English Language and Literature and Japanese Language and Culture. The fundamental stuff for those major is mastering the language. For studying the countries’ culture or literature, I think mastering the language is essential thing. This is the most important and hard thing to me. I never have been in English speaking countries or Japan, so when I take classes in university, I feel inferior feeling in my English and Japanese, because most of students have some experiences abroad. Thus they are good at those languages and familiar with those cultures. Most of all, they have confidence in their second language. I also have interest in foreign countries a lot, so I want to be like them.

       Because of those reasons, I became want to go abroad for me before it is too late. The time has slipped by and my junior in my university was almost done. Until finishing the four-year course, just one year left. How can I improve my second language considering other stuff like not only second language acquisition, but also financial problems and diverse experiences? I decided to apply for getting Working Holiday Visa. Working Holiday Visa is giving the chance to live in abroad permitting working, learning and travelling for young people who are from age of 18 to 30 for a year. The contracting parties of Working Holiday are Australia, Canada, Japan, Ireland, France, Denmark, Hong Kong and so on. There are many countries and I’m planning to go Japan and Canada among them. I want to improve not only English but also myself. Then, let’s talk about what I want to attain in there and what is important for me.

       Obviously, English and Japanese, mastering second languages is the first. It is because I like to study another language and my major requires it. Of course, in Korea, I can study second language but, there is no many opportunity to speak foreign language in Korea. Just in class or academy, I can practice easily. I tried to practice with my friends or family, but they don’t want to talk in other language because they are not interest in studying second language. Also, there are some subtle differences in native language. I want to catch it and fix my second language in right way for getting confidence.

       Moreover, I want to learn how to live alone and be accustomed to other culture. I never have lived alone. This is shame in western culture, but in Korea, many young people live in parents’ house until they graduate university or marry. However, I think I should foster independence myself. Also, I would become be able to manage the cost of living and could have strong ability to maintain my livelihood. Only I should deal with some crisis alone so, it can raise my adaptability and make react quickly to rapidly changing situations too.

       Furthermore, by traveling I will be able to meet many diverse friends. It is very cherish experience. In the process, my dream or goal might be changed. Also my values of my life can be changed. In young age, I can make a money, travel, and learn other language in foreign countries. I’m sure it will effect enormously on me.

       I’m very excited nowadays by thought of going abroad by Working Holiday Visa. The reason why I wrote this essay is to organize my thoughts before applying for the visa. I’m not sure whether I could get all the things I wanted or not. However, as it says “the way to gain what you want is to want first”, I will always want for becoming the person I wanted to be.

     I want to enter a domestic airline company after graduation, because I want to use my English and Japanese and I want to attain diverse experiences going abroad. Thus I want to contribute to the service area  related with English, so I found the perfect job for me.

     When I was young, I got a chance to go abroad, so I got on a plane for the first time in my life. The flight took very long time and I became tired and tired. At that time, a flight attendant came to me and asked “how about drawing a picture by crayon?” providing a sketchbook and crayons with very pretty smile. She seemed to be warm-hearted and thoughtful. As I felt to be treated warmly by her small kindness and pretty smile, I also want to serve the best service for customers.

     I think flight attendants are the faces of the airline company, because flight attendants are connected with worthy customers directly than anybody else. So I will do my best to serve for customers’ satisfaction and safety.

     I have experiences of diverse part time jobs. Through those experiences, I could learn how to deal with customers and how to serve for them. If there is anything I can do to make customers’ flight more comfortable, I will assist them with smile, always. It is because I don’t want to make them disappointed by bad service. I will make effort for improvement of image of this airline by making passengers happy.

     Also, I put customers’ safety on the most important value. I can react quickly to rapidly changing situations. So, in an emergency, I can treat some crisis calmly and relieve anxiety of passengers.

     If I am hired to a domestic airline company, I will work hard and make passengers enjoy the flight by my smile and good manner for serving.

       Have you ever heard about a American sitcom “Modern Family”? Modern Family is an American television comedy series. The series has won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series and the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series twice so far. On January 10, 2011, Modern Family was renewed for a third season. I guess this sitcom was named by the complex family relationship. This comedy series is stories about a family. There is a grand-father, Jay Pritchett, who is very rich and he remarried with a spanish woman who is very sexy, gorgeous, young and having a son with ex-husband. Jay has a daughter and a son. Son is Mitchell Pritchett and he is a gay, so he living together with his boyfriend breeding adopted baby born in Vietnam. Daughter’s name is Claire Dunphy. She married with Phil Dunphy so between them, there are three kids Haley, Alex, Luke Dunphy. A glance at them, they look more sane than their Jay’s family or Mitchell’s, but Dunphy’s also very unique family with the teenager kids. This family shows all the recent problem in US, so I think the name, Modern Family, is having satirical wit.

       I heard this sitcom has gained in popularity in US. At first, I felt some cultural differences during watching Modern Family. Korean society is not that frank, actually, very conservative to gays, remarriage, adoption or something like those sensitive issues. I felt uncomfortable with the family relationship of Modern Family. However, after watching the first episode of season one, I got into the drama, so these days, I watch it everyday. Then, what is the attractiveness of this sitcom to make people get into it and get popularity?

       There is no any special situation like doing something crazy in this comedy series. Also they don’t use sound effects like canned laughter. This sitcom’s mood is just very calm and quiet. However, it makes people laugh by their conversation or the interview scene. Modern Family started working on the idea of a family being observed in a mockumentary style show. Thus the fictional characters talk directly into the cameras during many situations. Also the characters talk to each other straightforward and I like it. For example, In the 23rd episode of season 2, the son give a mask of Phantom of Opera to the stepfather, Jay, whose face became ugly by getting a botox injection telling that “This stuff always makes bad-looking men look tight”. This scene made me laugh.

       However, I think the secret of popularity of this sitcom is humanity. Of course, other many sitcoms have something special making people laugh, but Modern Family remind people the human love too. In the 23rd of season 2, Alex Dunphy had to fix the script of her speech which could make people uncomfortable by accepting advice of older sister, Haly, and she gave the changed speech to audiences. And for not to be late for the speech of daughter, the father and mother rolled down from downhill. Through this scene, I could feel the humanity and at the same time, it made me burst to the laughter. If Haley and Alex were not family, Haley wouldn’t mind her sister’s business. Alex and Haley always have some conflicts each other, but at last, they made a moving result. Modern Family always make the last very moving and beautiful. I think this is the attraction of Modern Family.

       Is there any relationship closer than family? Although, even they were born in other family, they are gays or nerd, they are “family” so they accept and understand their differences. However complex and many conflicts they have, I could feel that family is always warm and lovely home place through “Modern Family”.

     I think everyone wants to be a successor in their life without exception because nobody wants to be a loser. However, the criteria of being a successor or loser depends on the people. For someone, success is just being happy and satisfied with own job or life or companion or something, but for someone, success can be some huge goal in their life like being a CEO or president or saving all poor abused animals or children or something. Success’s definition and meaning are all different because we are all different persons. This means we have different desires. We should understand other people can have different goal in their life and respect that. Thus most important trait for success is “mind”, because there are no criteria for success and everyone has different desires, also real success in one’s life is just being happy.

     First, there are no criteria. Who can judge whether someone’s achievement deserves to be called success or not? In society, there are superficial criteria on success, so people usually consider famous figures or rich people as successors. However, it is a just superficial success by definition. Those sorts of people can be successors too, but if they are not happy and satisfied with their personal life, are they really successor in their life?  Although many people think those people’s achievement is better one than others’, the criteria of success are different by people, so this cannot be judged by other people, just depends on their minds.

     Second, everyone has different desires in their life, so success can be defined differently, thus this cause the different criteria of success by people. Is other’s success also seems to success to me? Or mine can be always considered as success by others? No, it could be or not, because everyone’s desires are different, so the goals are all different.

     Lastly, I think the most important value of success is happiness. As mentioned before, everyone has different desires, so there are no criteria of success. Then, why all people desire differently? It is because people feel happy when they do what they wan and the thing they want to do is all diffrent. For example, Thomas Edison felt happy by failing for next great invention. He said Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration. In his mind, although he fail, he knew the real success depends on his mind. Whatever you do, fail or achieve, if you are happy in the process, it can be called “success”

         Compulsion is kind of impulse and impulse is some strong feeling or wish to do or have something. This is an instinct of human. There are many diverse compulsions and this depends on the situation, but the always same and obvious thing is that we should regulate our compulsion ourselves. If we can put it in right way, it can be called as a ‘desire’, but if it is put in wrong way, it can make unhoped result. Then how can we regulate our compulsion to be a good desire?

         First, it should be beneficial and have a good effect on ourselves in the long run, not in the short run. If we chase only to satisfy our instant compulsions, it cannot bring good result.

         Second, we should make the result be not only good for us but also for others. Just focusing oneself is not healthy. Sure, most of us always do something for ourselves, but if we consider other people more than us a little more, our society can be far more beautiful place.

         Third is understanding. We should understand that all people have different hopes so we should respect them. It is because all people are different so can have diverse urges. Not only my mind but others’ also important. This sort of conception can solve the conflict which is caused when people want different things.

         I would like to tell a short story for example. When I was young, I considered only my desires and didn’t care any others. Someday, my mother called my older brother and me and said “I have a fabric coin purse, I will give this you guys, who wants to have this?” I held my hand up high and shouted “me, me, I want it!” So my mother gave the purse to me. At that time my brother also wanted to have one, but he chose more high-leveled desire which gives up for young sister and makes her happy than instant compulsion. But I didn’t know at that time. And then my mother said again, “I have a carp key holder too, who wants have this? I think I should give it to your brother to be fair, Right?” The key holder was far more awesome than my fabric purse so I was sad. But I could not deny that was for my brother, because he didn’t just consider for himself but more for me, and in the long run it was better way because I became to know he was right.

         If we regulate our compulsion in positive ways, it can be a great energy for us. However ,if we use it in negative ways, there is not a holding us. The ways are very close and cannot be detached like the face and back of a coin, but the result is very different. It depends on us.

          Mandatory military service is “unavoidable duty” for Korean men, not a “choice”, so Korean men have to sacrifice for two years for nation with just about 80.000won as a monthly pay, without any other rewards. Adding extra points to discharged men was carried out since 1984 in only civil service exam. Still, in 1999, this policy was decided as unconstitutional by reason of violating women and physical handicapped people’s right to equality. However, I believe Korean government has to reward for Korean men’s sacrifice for the public covering those women and handicapped people. Also, the limit of application of adding extra points should be more expended. Some people who are against for this policy’s argument is that this system can be a discrimination for women and physically handicapped men, because they have no choice to go army and get the extra points. Thus they cannot get extra points so they will lose competition with men who fulfilled mandatory military service in society. However, I wonder if someone is questioned that, “Which is better for you? Getting extra points after fulfilling military service for 2 years or not going army and just studying and practicing for your career.” Everyone would answer “the latter” without exception. Nobody wants to go mandatory military service by force just for getting small extra points by government. Therefore, I disagree with their argument, because this cannot be discrimination for women and physically handicapped men, and also we should give a difference discharged men and not discharged men by military corruptions.

          Koreans has 4 national obligations that obligation of education, obligation of tax, obligation of labor and obligation of military. The Constitution of Korea imposes to all Koreans but only Men have obligation to serve in the military. Objectors about this system ignore this reverse discrimination of obligation of military and argue that the discharged soldiers are the main beneficiaries of the extra points. However, the law doesn’t exclude women. Then, how can this system be discrimination for women? Also, Korea is the only nation giving a privilege to women in conscript nations. In other conscript nations, men and women have about the same obligation to serve in the military. However, because Korean women are exempted in obligation to serve in the military, women get a job far earlier than men. While men fulfill duty for military service, women have the chance to study more or strike out in to the world. During the period when men stay in army, they sacrifice a lot. Restricting from place, privacy, behavior and even restricting of speech. If there are women attempt to enter a company, but failed to enter the company, she has to be blamed on her efforts, not the extra points.

          Secondly, we should make a difference between men who fulfilled their mandatory military service appropriately and men who don’t by military service corruption or healthy problem. The military service law states about the healthy man in the Korea, they should follow the duty on the military service. Men who can’t go to the military service by disability or health problem can’t be included in the extra point’s benefits. However, I think this is fair because they cannot go so other men should go instead of them and work for national security including those kinds of people. Then why is this discrimination for them? They worked for them, but also should give up rewards for them again? Besides, in civil service exam or employment of public enterprise, physically and mentally handicapped people are getting extra points. There is more 2years for women and there are extra points for men who don’t go army for healthy problem, then why is there nothing for men who sacrificed their 2 years for those public?

          Also, there are many military corruptions in Korea. Especially, the powerful and wealthy man’s kids don’t do the military service. Thus we should make some difference for men who fulfilled it appropriately. For example, not long ago Mc-Mong who is famous Korean hip-hop singer’s military service corruption was the biggest problem in the society. The current military service law states that a person with nine molars missing is deemed unfit for service. So He had on purpose about in a tooth extraction to be a civil service man, not go to the army. We can see lots of celebrity who did a civil service. In the truth, it happens not only in the celebrity but also in the upper class’s kids. Thus we should give some difference between those people and discharged man.

          I am not arguing only for giving difference for discharged men. Because there are so many damages mentally and physically in our obligatory military service, we should treat their right for rewarding the harsh 2years. All Korean young men should get intensive training for our national security and for us. We should proud of them. Then, Why is adding extra points for them unfair? Also, According to a research, over the 80% of citizens agree with giving extra points for discharged men. In this vein, I firmly believe that adding extra points for men who fulfilled their obligatory military service appropriately should be brought back in our society and be carried out. Also, I insist the extension of this system not only in civil service exam, but also in employment of public and private enterprise.

     In Korea, there is a system of compulsory volunteering. For graduating secondary school, students should volunteer in some limited places which are close to the school. The purpose of this compulsory volunteering is teaching a pleasure of giving and sharing to students. This is a good idea, but I think current system is ineffective way for teaching it. Some people say the program already settled in some schools, but I think the program has not been broken in Korea well in aspects of the system and cognition of students.

     Most of secondary school students do mandatory volunteering unwillingly, because in Korean system, they don’t have any authority to choose the time and the institutions that are given to them for volunteering. Volunteering has to be acted in unurged and spontaneous way. Still, most of Korean secondary schools limit the range of institutions to make them close to their schools for confirmation of students’ volunteering data, thus it makes students be more bored. When I was a high school student, I couldn’t go to the place where I want to volunteer, so I had to go same place several times. In addition, in that kinds of facilities, there are not many ones which really need to be helped from students. They just make students do miscellaneous works in place of them, so students can’t learn anything valuable and get any satisfactions.

     Also, in Korean schools, nobody teach the importance of volunteering and welfare. Just they put the students in forced volunteering system. Therefore most of students think volunteering is self-sacrifice and they don’t know it can be opportunity to experience various things and can be helpful for themselves.

     Some people might argue that many people won’t do the service unless it’s mandatory. I disagree with it. In my case, after becoming an undergraduate student, I could have enjoyed my volunteering for the first time by choosing myself without any pressure from the school. I think not forced, adding extra points to the volunteering students will be able to more effective way like university system.

     I’m not against volunteering of secondary school students. I suggest that Korean mandatory volunteering system and cognition of students have to be reformed to more good ways for students themselves for teaching real pleasure of volunteering.

          Lately, universal free lunch plan in Seoul is at issue in Korea. This is because there was a Seoul Free Lunch Referendum a few months ago. Policies according to the result of the referendum are putting effect at elementary schools in Seoul these days.

          The former mayor of Seoul Oh Se-hoon proposed to provide a limited free meal service to the 30% of the impoverished children in Seoul despite the Democratic Party proposed to make the free meal service to every kid in Seoul starting from younger elementary school children and gradually to middle school children. This has become the cause of Oh Se-hoon’s action to make the final decision of the policy through a referendum. The referendum was later rejected due to the low voting rate of the referendum of 25.7%. This voting rate is significantly lower than 33% of what Oh Se-hoon had expected. This later contributed his resignation as the mayor of Seoul. This is because he promised he will resign if the voting rate is lower than 33% to draw support from public to object to this policy. From November, 1, The Seoul Free Lunch has started in Seoul as soon as the new mayor of Seoul, Park Won-soon, took office as a successor to Oh Se-hoon. Universal free lunch plan is expending to elementary schools in Jeolla-do, Gangwon-do and this will go into effect at middle schools also from next year.

          Universal free lunch plan at elementary schools came into action with many difficulties, because there were a lot of oppositions to this proposed policy. The main argument of people who are against about universal free lunch plan is that the citizens’ tax burden will increase a lot because of it. Thus this is just for minority by crisis of majority. I do not deny this policy could show crisis of majority for minority, but all crisis is not bad. Also, in this case, paying taxes more for our children who are the hopes of our future is not only for giving them equal treatment, but also for getting better management from our nation. Actually, our tax for social welfare is very lower than other developed countries’. By more paying taxes, we can maintain our society well, beautifully and justly. In this vein, I argue that universal free lunch plan at elementary schools should be carried out as an extension of free education, to reduce the shame of impoverished children and to cause birthrate increase.

           First, free Lunch of schools is an extension of free education. Korean government is offering free education to all Korean children until middle school. It is because education is one of most important condition for human to live well and nicely. In this situation, if some students attending elementary or middle school cannot afford the food service expense, it can be a huge problem to them. Food is more fundamental thing for human being than education. Thus Korean government should provide the essential thing, food, to Korean children with free education.  

          However, some people might argue that there is already free lunch for only impoverished children at schools. Still, my second supporting reason is that previous free lunch to only impoverished children of school can bring shame to them. Even though schools keep it secret between the students and teachers, most of students become know who are getting free meal. Sometimes, this can be a shame and make them lose their confidence in young age, because poverty has been always presented low-graded. They are always in lack of opportunity to get something. For them, what can we do at the least?  

          At last, universal free lunch plan can cause birthrate increase. Korea ranked No. 1 in the world by the lowest birthrate. The average birthrate in Korea does not surpass 1.16 per woman. One of reasons for low birthrate is education expenses so many Koreans go to the United States to give birth to their children. This policy can relieve the burdens of education expenses for school parents somewhat.

          By these three reasons, universal free lunch plan at elementary schools can be better way for our society than previous lunch plan. This policy is already running now and we don’t know how condition will be able to change yet. However, I believe this policy should be put into effect for maintaining our society righteously and forwarding to a welfare society for our children.

          The article “Artificial skin could benefit people with medical alert jewellery” was posted on 21st of April in magazine “Ice Gems”. Researchers from the University of Granada in Spain revealed that the skin was developed using tissue engineering and the findings can be applied in future research and help to avoid laboratory testing on animals. Just like this, genetic engineering can make people beneficial on many sides of human’s life. Genetic engineering, based on biological science, engineering and medical science, makes damaged biological tissues recover and improves the function of organs. In 1980s, this kind of study started to win public recognition though, it is not ready to be activated.

          I believe that genetic engineering is promising. An organ transplant in these days has limits in many quarters, but this tissue engineering can be alternative to the organ transplant by reasons of solution for an organ shortage, safety to patients’ body and replacing animal testing.

          First, tissue engineering can resolve a problem of an organ shortage. Currently, there are more than 7,000 serious cases who are waiting donors. They have to wait for at least a year or two. However, tissue engineering extracts cells from the patient and can make the new organ by using extracted cells, so it is much more efficient.

          Second, tissue engineering is safer than existing organ transplant. There are few people who have suitable genes with patients. Tissue engineering can solve the problem, because it uses patient’s own gene. It doesn’t have any rejection to the patient’s body. So it is much easier and safer way than old ways.

          Finally, tissue engineering could replace animal testing. Pharmaceutical, medical, and cosmetic applications need to be tested, so countless animals are sacrificed each year in labs. However, If they develop tissue engineering, they can make some kinds of things which are genetically similar to the biological tissue of the animal. It bleeds and feels just like an animal does. Tissue engineering can solve an animal cruelty which is morally issued in society.

          Some might argue that tissue engineering can violate human dignity and ecological system. Unlimited cloning of organs and germ cause a trend to make light of human life. However, I disagree with it. It is because we should respect the sanctity of patients who lose hope before worrying about abuse of the technology first. I want to ask them who are against tissue engineering as the same reason, “which is more important?” The ethical issue is a serious problem that cannot be ignored, but we can not give up benefits of tissue engineering.

          Also, other objectors might say that genetic engineering is not needed, because existing organ transplant’s survival rate makes no difference with tissue engineering’s survival rate. Still, for organ transplant, donors must be young and their shape of cellular tissue must be fitted well to patients, which means organ transplant has complicated conditions.

          Therefore, I believe that tissue engineering is very important and precious to our future of medical science so we should support genetic engineering.

         High fashion brand of France, Louis Vuitton, signed a deal on Nov. 30 this year to open its world’s first airport duty free outlet at Incheon International Airport of Korea. Many foreign tourists planning to visit Korea and Koreans who would go abroad through Incheon International Airport were pleased by the news. However, this issue has become a hot potato in the media because of the excessive profits to LV than other brands in Incheon airport. “We believe that Louis Vuitton was very demanding in the conditions for opening its first airport outlet. No other international airport would agree such conditions, but Incheon airport did.” said an industry source who knows the French brand well on condition of anonymity. The privileges given to LV were advantaged location and lower tariff than other brands. LV could not only open their outlet in front and center, between Gate 27 and 28, but they also pay only a quarter or one third of their revenues as a rent, although other duty free shops pay around 40 percent in general. Because of this treatment, other existing shops had to move to another location and it caused great inconvenience to customers. Due to these unfair conditions, Incheon airport has been criticized by public by reasons of crushing the pride of nation and snobbism.

         Incheon International Airport retained its No.1 world ranking in customer satisfaction for last 6 years. Nevertheless, why did Incheon airport give those unfair privileges to LV giving up their pride? I think they could not help choosing that way for their benefit, because Louis Vuitton is expected to contribute to overfulfillment for 1.5 trillion won on Incheon airport’s annual revenues. Then, how can LV bring such enormous benefit to Incheon airport?

          This is because of the popularity of Louis Vuitton. It means LV is “common” and “familiar” brand to ordinary people than other luxury brands. LV also treats luxury items, but it has competitive price. There are many lines in luxury brands and among the rest, low-priced line of LV is cheaper than other brands’. However, most people consider LV is very high fashion and luxurious brand. Thus it can give good satisfaction for customers by not that much expensive price, but affordable a bit hard, so LV could be famous in many people. This is the reason why we can see so many Korean women are carrying LV bag on their shoulder in anywhere, even though, they are not all that rich.  

           Consequently, many foreign tourists visiting Korea love Louis Vuitton than other brands as the same reason I mentioned above. The most of them are Chinese and Japanese who are the largest portions of tourists in Korea. Still, Especially, Chinese tourists buy a bundle of luxury goods in duty free shops at Incheon airport compare to Japanese who just buy a pair of shoes. Thus, satisfying chinese tourists is very important part for Incheon airport’s benefit. In this vein, Incheon airport had to do anything to attract Louis Vuitton to be located as one of their duty free shops.

           The two reasons caused by materialism. By rapid economic growth, Korea which was developing country not too long ago joined the ranks of developed countries. At the same time, the gap between the rich and poor is ever widening in Korea. The rich people want to show their wealth to others, so become to buy some luxury items. Some people who cannot affordable to buy them, but want to be like rich follow their custom. Even though, they are frighten at buying 50$ bag in reality, they raked and scraped money to buy only one luxury bag. This social condition is often found in countries that are not high-developed, but developed rapidly not long ago like China and Korea. This is perfect picture of our age of materialism.

           In conclusion, the popularity of Louis Vuitton, the largest Chinese tourists who love so much that Louis Vuitton and the materialism which cause all the situations made Incheon International Airport gave the unfair advantages to LV than other brands giving up their pride. I do not object to their decision like others, because it would be best way for their benefit and by this incident, the lucxury brands might be able to compete more in price. Anyways, we became know that fact by this incident, “Money talks,” so Louis Vuitton can “talk whatever they want”.