Monthly TOEFL Essay #1: Wriggly Toes (first draft)

513 words

“Wait! What do you think you’re doing?”

Dongsoo is flabbergasted. He had invited his friend Mike over. Mike came with the right smile and the right wine. Dongsoo welcomed Mike in, and there is where things went wrong. Mike welcomed his shoes in. The two friends stare in exclamation at each other. The custom in Korea is to take off shoes when entering someone’s home, or other rooms that have thresholds. I believe that this tradition is worth being adopted by people from other countries for mainly two reasons.

To begin, taking off shoes is much more sanitary. When one keeps his shoes on even upon entering the house, all the dirt from the outside world is brought into the home that is supposed to be a safe bubble. To mention a personal example, I moved into a house previously resided by Canadians when I moved to Canada. They wore shoes in the house, naturally for them. The house was completely carpeted, and when my mother tried to clean the floor, she found the situation abysmal. There were layers and layers of dust embedded into the carpet: impossible to extract. So we ended up wearing slippers in the house whereas in Korea, the floor was at most times clean enough to lie down and rub my face into. When shoes used outside are not worn in the household, only feet or socks that were rather protected from filth all day touch the floor. It’s no wonder that the Korean style provides a much hygienic environment.

Furthermore, saving shoes for only when venturing out is better for our health. One of the reasons is that feet would be freed from extended periods of oppression. If one had to where shoes all day, it would surely be uncomfortable; the feeling generated from inactive circulation. Efficient blood circulation is essential in health. Feet especially are said to be the center of health of our body, each part associated with organs all around our small universe. As for me, I always feel much more stressed on days I have to wear my shoes all the time compared to when I don’t, even if the amount of exercise is similar. So I find it safe to say taking off shoes and relieving our feet of the squeezing tension would be good for our health. Another is related to respiratory diseases. Shoes, being hard, inevitably kick up dust more than soft feet. Especially with all the dirt dragged into the house, an increase of dust particles in the air will increase. This cannot be good for our lung and windpipe.

In sum, the custom of going shoeless in the house has definite advantages. The two out of which were explained above are one, that it creates a cleaner environment, and two, that it may reduce the damage done to our health in the home. Therefore, this is one fine and beneficial custom that could be taken up and tried by people of foreign countries. Remember Mike? Mike is considering applying the system to his own house. How about you?

Ganggangsullae

First,

a bit about ganggangsullae itself:

Ganggangsullae is a group dance that used to be performed by women on the night of the full moon in August (lunar calander), mainly in the Honam regions. Nowadays, it is widespread and rather a national thing, done on Chusuk or the full moon of January according to the lunar calendar.

Second,

perhaps a bit more insight into where it came from?

It's origins are vague. There is the story that 이순신 devised it up as sort of a war strategy during 임진왜란, while some explain it in relation to folk etymology and say that it has to do with the invasion of the Chinese or the Japanese. But these theories are not said to have much credibility. It is also said to be related to the ancient 국중대회 of Gokuryeoh, the allad dance of 농공시필기 (a 마한 festival), or a gut dance of love.

 

Now,

what do the lyrics mean?

Ganggangsullae has many names according to the area it's been passed down in: ganggangsuwullae, guangguangsullae and guangguangsuwullae. Some interpret it (focusing on 'ganggangsuwullae') as 'strong barbarians are coming across the water(强羌水越來)'. But this ignored even the basics of chinese grammar. 

Ganggangsullae was sung and loved by the people: ‘glee, anger, woe, joy, love, hate, desire (喜怒哀樂愛惡慾)’ is melted into it. 

To take a look at some of the specific lyrics,

1.

강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

산아 산아 추영산 놀기 좋다 유달산아

Mountain, mountain, Mount Chuyoung,

Nice to play at, Mount Yudal

(Mt. Chuyoung is sometimes pronounced Mt. Suyoung, so it could indicate the mountain Suyoung is at.

Suyoung used to be somewhere near Mokpo today: Mt. Yudal is a mountain in Mokpo so that makes sense)

강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

꽃이 피면 화산이요 잎이 피면 청산이라

If flowers bloom, it would be a flower mountain

If leaves did, it would be a green one

(seasons, meaning time in general, pass)

강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

청산 화산 넘어가면 우리 부모를 모시려만

If we could get over the flower mountain, the green mountain,

we would be with and by our parents

(getting over the mountain means lasting through time, 

so the whole stanza is saying 'when time passes, we will have to look after -well, not really look after: rather in a Confucius sort of sense-  our parents)

강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

우리 부모 명자씨는 어느 책에가 씌여 있나

Where are our parents' 명자씨(?) written

(명자씨 isn't quite clear but I think it just means 'name'

So this line could mean two things:

1. Where did we come from? In what 족보 -family tree book- are our parents' names written?

2. Our parents did not do anything to leave mark their names in history)

강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

2. 

강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

달 떠 온다 달 떠 온다 우리 마을에 달 떠 온다

The moon is rising, the moon is rising

In our village the moon is rising

강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

푸릇푸릇 봄 배추는 이슬 오기를 기다린다

Green is the spring cabbage, awaiting morning dew

강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

말 가는 데워낭 소리 우리 벗님 어디 가고

The horse goes 'neigh'

Where does our friend leave to

춘추 단절 못 오신다

Spring, summer, and 단절 cannot come

(or maybe actually)

He cannot come spring, summer, or 단절

(단절 is a term used by ginseng diggers to refer to the time of the year around 중복 -mid hottest day- when ginseng flowers and berries turn red)

강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

하늘에는 별이 총총 대밭에는 대가 총총

In the sky, stars shine bright

In the bamboo field, bamboo stands strong

강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

술래가 돈다 술래가 돈다 술래가 돈다

Around goes the tagger, around and around

무안강 술래가 돈다

The tagger of 무안river goes round

(무안 is a region in South Junra province, and I assume this to be that 무안)

강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

강강술래 강강술래 강강술래 강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

3. 강강술래

강강술래                                               강강술래

Ganggangsullae                                 Ganggangsullae

전라도 우수영은                                 강강술래

우수 of Junra is

우리장군 대첩지라                             강강술래

the battleground of our general

장군의 높은 공은                                강강술래

The high deed of his

천추만대 빛날세라                             강강술래

will shine for generations

술래술래 강강술래                             강강술래

sullae sullae ganggangsullae

술래소리 어딜갔나                             강강술래

where did the sullae sound go

때만찾어 잘도 온다                            강강술래

it comes very well on time

강강술래 강강술래                             강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

강강술래                                                강강술래 

Ganggangsullae

뛰어보세 뛰어나보세                         강강술래

Let's jump, jump, why not jump

윽신윽신 뛰어나보세                         강강술래

Jumpedy dumpedy jump jump

높은마당이 얕어나지고                     강강술래

The high yard will become shallow

얕은 마당이 깊어만지고                    강강술래

Shallow yards will deepen

윽신윽신 뛰어나보세                         강강술래

Jumpedy dumpedy jump jump

나주영산 진 골목에                            강강술래

Deep in the allies of 나주영산 (places)

은또가리 팔에 걸고                            강강술래

With a silver 똬리 hanging from her arm

(a 똬리 is a donut shaped tool used by

women to carry things on their heads)

지추 캐는 저 큰아가                           강강술래

that big girl digging up 지추(a herb)

니야 집이 너 어데냐                           강강술래

Where is your home

 

4.

 

강강술래                                          강강술래

Ganggangsullae Ganggangsullae

달떠 온다 달떠 온다                          강강술래
The moon is rising, it is rising

동해 동창 달떠 온다                          강강술래

Rising above the East Sea

저 달이 뉘달인가                              강강술래

Whose moon is that

강호방네 달이라고                            강강술래

It's the moon of 강호방

(강 is a sirname, and 호방 means a

certain status: an executive official

of a village)

강호방은 어디 가고                           강강술래

Where has 강호방 gone

저달뜬줄 모른단가                            강강술래

The moon knows not to rise

5.

 

강강술래                                                    강강술래

Ganggangsullae

뛰어보세 뛰어보세                                 강강술래

Let's jump, jump

욱신욱신 뛰어보세                                 강강술래

Jumpedy dumpedy jump jump

먼데사람 듣기좋고                                 강강술래

Good sounds for the far away

곁에사람 보기좋네                                 강강술래

A good sight for the near

sources: 

1. the 'ganggangsullae' entry in naver encyclopedia

2. somebody's research on the 1st song

3. different ganggangsullae lyrics
  

Class 1: My Goals

Yes
Apparently the freaky girl does have certain goals
I've never seen anything of the like
Cool



The things I hope to find in this course are:

1. Myself

    Mr. Menard has mentioned that writing is all about experience;
    my experience.
    So through writing about myself in the form of personal narratives and such,
    perhaps I will be able to gain a better recognition of myself.
    Or my other self
    o.O

2. The ability to write in the box while out of it

    Unfortunately,

    not all types of writing are utterly up to the writer.

    Soon enough we'll have to write according to demands.

    I should learn to fulfill those demands.

    But at the same time,

    I wish for what I write in that box to be honest and brilliant.

3. An increase of vocabulary and a more fluid usage of the lot

    I know not of memorizing vocabulary.

    It seems like the perfect way to skitter away from English,

    and why would I ever want to lose my wonderland?

    I believe vocabulary should be gained naturally from various sources.

    I hope to learn more of it through reading other peoples writing,

    and struggling to incorporate the newly learned into mine.

That's pretty much all I can think of so far.

Mr. Menard and fellow v3 students,

I hope we have a good time in class! :))

The Sun, The Sunflower, The Blue Rose

Once upon a time

lived a thought

Once upon a time

lived a sun

Once upon a time

lived one sunflower

Once upon a time

a sunflower met a thought

Once upon a time

a thought was named blue by a sunflower

Sunflower longs for Sun always.

Sun doesn't show herself in the depths of night.

It is night.

It is not night that bids Sun not to wake.

It is Sun who smiles terrifying sweetness tonight.
It is Sun who poisons skies dark blue to night.

Sun wills not to show.

Or Sun doubts.

Blue rose does not exist.

Blue rose did not exist.

Sunflower was alone in the night.

Sunflower looked down.

Small

Blue rose is small.

Hello Blue rose

Hello Sunflower

Where is the sun?

Where were you?

Sunflower has such beautiful eyes.

Sunflower has no eyes.

Blue rose feels.

Blue rose does not speak.

Petaled blue is the thought.
Long is the night.

Fade yourself, please.
So I shall wither in peace.

Self Introduction: What an Oddity. Who Am I?

I open the closet door.

I stare into the void.

Except it isn't quite the void.

From behind the glass, someone stares back at me.

Who are you?

Who am I?

Such simple questions, such hard answers.

Me?

Honestly, I can’t start with the regular categories because

I don’t quite have the answers.

I don't know much about myself.

Rather, I believe I should start with why this predicament came to be.

I woke up recently.

 Conception found a veil to shudder behind, certainty decided to go play with someone else, leaving me standing here alone in the dark. What I had been calling my dream started looking me right in the eye and insinuating that it was a messy combination of the things I hated the most.

 A while ago, I was all about asking myself a whole pile of big “why”s and “what”s.

Why do we live? What do we want so much? What would you want at the end of everything?

Why should I wonder about any of this?

 So it is that much of everybody goes through this sort of thing at our age, but knowing that didn’t do anything to dull the intense feeling of emptiness that suddenly became such a big part of my day.

 Then came the era of the KMLA application. I must say, it did finest job of boiling down what little bits and pieces was left of me and gobbling it up. I had to think about myself critically all of a sudden. There were so many decisions to make. I denied that all at first, saying I couldn’t state myself when I didn’t know about such a person.

Then I became deeply religious.

 Religion is the only word to describe the unbreakable faith I established about myself, though it wasn’t at all a child of pure or lofty thoughts. I decided I was this, only this, and that, only that. I learned to believe that nothing had happened and all the things I had liked, all my dreams, all the ideals I’d had were still very there and very solidly mine still.

What a liar.

 


No, it isn't about abortion

 After the interview day, I grew into my new mold. I accepted the confusion, the ignorance, and the misery. Now it’s a part of me: no shame. It’s so much easier when you just recognize yourself and where you are. It’s so much simpler to be honest when you start being honest to yourself.



 So please don’t be alarmed when I state I am extremely depressed with the smiliest face in the world. I believe there are people who are positive (not in the sense of optimism, more like the concept of yang), and people who sprout on the opposite side: people negative (sort of yin).

I’m a negative.

Don’t mind it much.

 

With all that alien and largely disturbing background sort of sorted out, I will now once again timidly attempt to approach your typical self-introduction questions.



Where do I belong?

 I am a student of KMLA, an 18^th waver, in class 행정 6반, in 수업 10v3, room 710 in the dormitory, with the number not 24601 but 131076.



Where did this creature come from?

 I was born in Jakarta, Indonesia. Don’t worry, because I was flown right to Korea in a week or so. I went to four different elementary schools, one in Abbotsford, Canada (somewhat near Vancouver), and I mostly lived in Mokdong, Seoul before coming here to KMLA.

The much refined version of my face
in KMLA uniform

What kind of personality do I possess?

 I am sad and dark in the inside, but outside I am described by my friends mainly as one out of 3 very different characters. I am said to be scary, cute, or quiet: which seems weird, but now again we’re talking about the girl who believes in yang fellows and yin people. Rather crazy and funny is what you would think of me if you talked in text with me, probably online. In real, you would identify me as slightly standoffish (if you don’t know this word, please immediately read ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ by Lemony Snicket) until you got to know me better, and then you would describe me as a mostly friendly existence.

What are the things that make my heart race?

 There are some things I still can define as things I like. Snow is a permanent member. More volatile favorites are lemonade, sweetness, the color cream, and intricate or gloomy drawings.

 I am also easily moved by blinding brilliance (as in light), hugeness (does anybody else feel overwhelmed by the simply massive mountain-bridge structure that you see and pass under when driving to KMLA?), and long eyelashes.

 I like to draw, or at least I used to fanatically obsessed about drawing. It’s something I naturally reach out to when I have nothing to do. Sometimes I really am fascinated by the pure joy that emanates out of the activity, and sometimes it’s just a habit absent of meaning.

 From time to time I like particular songs. Currently, my database has run dry, so I would be very much grateful for recommendations.

 My cellphone is also crucial in my existence. Definitely.


What do I dislike?
I don't like to stuff myself, don't like studying. I despise grammar and math problems. Cucumbers should hide themselves in shame off the face of our planet. Pretty people dressed sloppily and intelligent people fully aware of their intelligence are sorry sights to me.

Influenced by webtoons,
I think

What is my dream?

I have no dream.

 What was closest to a conclusion after the whole dump of agony was that life as a whole doesn’t have much meaning; what we achieve at the end is nothing, really. So instead, I find it would be worthwhile to instead not miss the fleeting moments of beauty that peek into the bare asphalt roads called our lives, and waves with a slight smile. But if I would have a profession, I would do something in the field of art. Originally, being a fashion designer was my dream since the age of three. But the process of writing the KMLA application wore out all the shine in that, and now a new subject has introduced itself; cartoons. They mean something.

 

What am I good at? What is my hobby?

 I like drawing, as I mentioned. The kind of things I draw is mainly illustrations, of which non are quite finished and most probably never will be. I don’t know why I shifted to illustrations, because all I used to draw were human beings displayed in a mannequin-like fashion: to show clothes, hair, and face. I draw rather strange and eerie things that most people at least put on a puzzled look at.

 I am rather fond of the English language. I have only been abroad for a year and a half, so it would very much be a stretch to say I am as comfortable with the language as a native speaker. But I sometimes feel English a better means of communicating and illustrating myself than Korean. There are just those words, phrases, and ideas only in English.
 I have also been playing the cello for about seven years. I am currently doing Popper's <Tarantella>(go four minutes into the video), a piece that is supposed to be a dance of tarantula poison or a dance with the devil.

I trust that nobody will have read through this too carefully; the sheer length makes even myself scrunch up my reading face.

I think that is a good thing.

Please get to know me personally in a slow fashion.

Have a pleasant day by forgetting all that was mentioned here.

Tee hee hee

Oh and here's a link to the best self introduction I have seen so far.

It's a 선배 from the 16th wave