Personal Narrative Speech Script

Personal Narrative Speech Script

130152 노형석 V4 18th Wave

Racism. Just saying this word, the concept of racism might be a bit vague for the majority of people. However, racism is a concept that is deeply rooted in our everyday society, and quite often, we are unconscious of it. And it is important that racism is not something that is far away from us. As a matter of fact I was also a victim of racism during my stay in New Zealand. I would like to use this speech to share my experience of racism and some of my thoughts about solving racism in our society.

It all started the very first day I first attended my new school; St. Paul's. Of course not everyone was so hostile to my appearance but certainly some seemed very uncomfortable with the fact that I would be using the same classes as they were. Regardless of what they thought of me, the school started some kind of an uproar and I received much attention for the first 2~3 months. I was like some kind of an alien to them because for most of them, I was the first Asian they've ever seen in their entire lives. Well, most of the students were kind enough to help me easily adapt to the school curriculum. It was just some huddled up groups that were causing problems which shed some darkness over my overall school life in NZ.

They made some wretched sounds which I guess would have been an imitation of a monkey. Some liked to tease on me saying that my skin looks like mud. Looking back, we were in elementary school, so nothing too serious came up, but still, at that time these insults were a bit of a shock to me. Panicked at that time I tried to single-handedly fight them off from insulting me, but being the minority at that time, it was nearly impossible for me to fight them off. And the more I resisted the harsher the discrimination became. In addition to that due to the fact that I was so focused on just fighting the insults I was unable to recognize the many helping hands that I could have reached out to from both peers and teachers.

Then one day I received an invitation from a student called Alex for a sleep over at his house. Looking back Alex was always the kindest friend to me and he tried his best to help me when I was getting teased by peers. During this sleepover I was able to stay with Alex for a whole day, we played Xbox, went out to play basketball and by the end of the day, I was able to overcome what was left between me and Alex, maybe some racism.

This sleepover worked for me as some kind of a turning point to my remaining school life in New Zealand. Having Alex as my so called 'Best Friend', I was able to wake up from my blindfolded attempts to fight off the insults and I was able to focus on the good friends that I already had. Able to escape from the endless nightmare of torment, I was able to recognize that there were many kind friends like Alex around me. As the time went by I began to hang out with more and more friends and even the peers who tormented in the past approached me and tried to start a conversation with me.

Difficulties is the unknown factor that could dawn on you without a second notice. And some might be just too harsh for you to overcome face to face, problems like racism. I believe that at times like this the right solution is not to tackle the problem on your own but to reach out to somebody near you and return to the problem with a different perspective and solution, with their help in hand. For example, I was able to overcome racism problems with the help of my friend Alex and when I opened my mind to every help that I could get from my peers and teachers, racism became a minor problem for me in the future. Reaching out is the most important thing when solving problems like racism.

Furthermore, as I mentioned before, racism is still a social problem that still exists in today's society such as discrimination of foreign laborers in Korea. To solve this problem, I believe it is crucial that we create ways to allow these laborers to reach out to somebody which they could rely on. Improving policies regarding support for these laborers and recruiting people whom they could rely on and get help will significantly help in solving racism in Korea.

The Human Rights states that every human being is equal. And it would be our task in the future to eliminate the overlooked racism that is existent in today's society. "Equality is the true Justice."

Thank you for listening.

Time flies

Time flies.....

It seems like yesterday when I first stepped into my dormitory and meeting my roommates...

But, when recovering my consciousness here I am facing the last week of March 2013

You can't rewind time so you just have to let go of the past and try to do the best of the time you have in front of you

"Never is too late."

Relation between "The Tell-Tale Heart" and the Gothic fiction.

  Gothic Novel, as explained during the class is basically a mixture of several categories such as horror, thriller, and Romanism. However, through further researches I did after class I was able to find out that there was a whole lot of more story behind this Gothic style. As it turned out this "The Tell-Tale Heart" doesn't actually fit in cozily into the definition of Gothic but covers the key compositions needed to build a Gothic story. So first I would elaborate on the elements of Gothic covered by the text, and then move on to the other components that makes up the rest of Gothic Fiction.

There are mainly three elements blended in this story.

The atmosphere of mystery and suspense(Horror)

  It is no bluffing to say that this is the most important point in the Gothic Literature. For the whole point of the Gothic is focused on to create a gloomy mood. There are several  parts found in this text that shows this kind of atmosphere. To begin with there is "I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture - a pale blue eye, turning my blood cold whenever it fell upon me." From this the readers are able to sniff the suspected tension that is building between the man and the old man. Moving on the part "I undid the lantern cautiously - oh, so cautiously - cautiously - I undid it just so much that a single thin ray fell upon the vulture eyes" can also show the readers how strained situation was taking place. Lastly from the scene where the man cuts the old man's body with absolutely no remorse at all creates the kind of horror that just makes your hair stand on end.

Overflow of emotion(Romanism)

  Another factor that couldn't be missed is the overflow of emotion exploding in a short period of time. For example at the time when the man finally sees the blue eyes opened at the 8th day of his visit. His fury basically explodes and his urge to kill and to savor the moment strongly imitates through the text. In addition to that, the other situation when the man snaps at the end of the story(" Villains! I shrieked, dissemble no more! I admit the deed! - tear up the planks! - here here it is the beating of his hideous heart!") also projects huge over flow of emotion such as remorse and confusion.

Metaphors that resemble such things as gloom and horror

  Lastly there are not much to say about this topic. But is insisted to pick out some things that might have different meanings, there would be Blue Eyes, Lantern, Old man, Police officers, etc..... Mere as this may seem like this provides the way for this story to be understood in various ways.

So to leave the previous part behind I would next move on to the elements not handled by the text. But before we elaborate there is a need to know more about the backgrounds of the Gothic Literature.

To make the long story short we only need to know the fact that the Gothicism's origin is attributed to English author Horace Walpole, with his 1764 novel The Castle of Oranto. So after having our mind based on these facts we would know look at other elements that composes the Gothic Style.

Setting in Caste

  As mentioned before for the very start of the Gothic novel was The Castle of Oranto its main settings was usually held in Castles.

Ancient Sayings

  Although it wasn't presented in the story, Ancient sayings are usually included to emit more horror or uncertainty to the atmosphere. For example, 'it is said that the ghost of a old man still wonders these halls."

Women in distress

  As a way to highlight the sympathy to the readers, the writer includes the scenery where the women are put into a situation which often leaves them fainting, sobbing, screaming, etc... And through this, the writer can lead more attention to the literature itself.

To wrap it up, these 6 factors are the composition of the Gothic fiction and the first three mentioned are the one covered by the story. 

Personal Narrative

Sooner or later we carry the weight of life on our backs

“Good Afternoon, It’s me again!”

  This is the comment which I exclaimed each and every time I visited the day-care center for the past 3 years; helping elders who are suffering from dementia. And this three years of experiences have surely contributed a lot to who and what I am today.

(3 years ago)

<Summer vacation 2010>

  Due to my mother’s strong recommendation I started my first volunteer activity in the  day-care center. At first everything felt just awkward, trying to start a conversation with people which I barely know. In addition with that difficulty there was the fact that these elders were suffering dementia. So even though I came to the center everyday they had hard times remembering who I was.

  In such circumstances like this, I was starting to get weary of this volunteering. But, then I happened to stumble across a poster. “Sooner or later we carry the weight of life on our backs.” After I read this poster, it struck me that the reason why I was having such a hard time blending in was the fact that I was treating the elders only as a patient suffering dementia, whom needed protection, not as an ordinarily person. And this change of perspective certainly helped a lot to crumble down the unseen wall existing between me and the elders.

  In my second year into this volunteer program there was an elder whose dementia state was far worse than the others. And I was selected to keep an eye out for her in case she tries to leave the center which she often tries. So in my attempt to know and communicate with her better, I started a conversation. As it turned out there was a very intriguing experience from her past.  

  She was a young teacher during the time when Japan colonized us. As the situation was like that she was forced to catch and punish Korean students who used Koreans. Looking back she always felt sorry for the students whom she caught. For she believes that by catching them she went against the very meaning of being a Teacher. After I heard all of this I could feel the twinge of sorrow seeping into my heart.

  As the time slipped past I returned once again on 2012 Summer Vacation. However to my despair the elder which I was previously took care of was gone; taken to the hospital for more serious medical care. And few others were also missing for they passed out during my absence. At first this news was really hard to get over it, but it also gave me the motivation to pledge that I would try my best to help the elders in the given situation.

  Like this, what started as a forced volunteering exercise turned out to be the most valuable experience in my middle school life. As the time slipped by, now I am confronting my first year in KMLA. In such harsh times we are easy to become selfish. However, harsh may the situation might be I will always try my best to remember the fact that in whatever shape we show we are all same human being. “Equality is the true Justice.”

Monthly TOEFL Essay #1: "Nature is all we have"

  Describe a custom from your country that you would like people from other countries to adopt. Explain your choice, using specific reasons and examples.

  "This basically shows all there is need to know about Korea." This comment is what Pearl Buck; famous writer of the "The Good Earth" exclaimed after she saw our ancestors wisdom of leaving few persimmon on the branch for the other birds such as Magpie to eat. From the very beginning the thought of protecting the nature have been blended into our ancestors mind, which still exists in our roots. Keeping in mind about protecting the nature can benefit the human race in two folds; interacting and making harmony with the mother nature, and the fact that protecting the nature could actually lead us to a greater benefit.

  First, there is a point that this custom; protecting nature could help develop more profound relationship between human being and the rest of the mother nature. In today's modern society, the human beings have started to put themselves at the top of the food chain. Forgetting the fact that they are just mere particles, not the owners of the nature itself. And this misleading mere as it might seem, have caused tremendous amount of destruction across the globe in just a few centuries. For example there is the destruction of the Amazon Rain Forest. The Amazon Rain Forest is a vital area needed for the continuous health of the planet Earth. However, due to the greed of the Brazil Government this rain forest have been estimated to have been lost more than 70,000km^ in a couple of decades. Causing serious lack of fresh oxygen in the atmosphere. Therefore, it becomes crystal clear that the very custom of Korea; caring for the nature could trigger a change that is needed in today's situation.

  Moving on, the next advantage that this Korean custom can provide is the fact that it could increase the benefits humans can gain from a limited amount of resources. If we use up all the resources without leaving any behind, that itself would be the maxim amounts of benefits you could get. On the other hand if you leave some of the resources behind, the used up resources could be reproduced based on the leftover resources, leading to continuous benefit. For this example, I would like to simulate the situation of a fishing boat. When fishers haul up their catching they go through the creatures, selecting only the ones fully grown and releasing the younger ones. And this action of selection is the reason why fishing is still possible even though it has been more than several thousand years since the very start of fishing. So by this we can see that Korea's custom of saving few resources behind would lead to a greater benefit.

  So to put this into a nutshell, for these two folds; realizing that humans are mere part of the nature, and the fact that it could conjure as much benefit humans can possibly get from a limited resources. I strongly recommend and believe that it is necessary for the global world to adopt Korean custom. "Nature is all we have."

Can a fiscal and monetary splurge reboot Japan’s recessionary economy?

Japan’s economy

Keynes, trains and automobiles

Can a fiscal and monetary splurge reboot Japan’s recessionary economy?

Jan 12th 2013 | TOKYO | from the print edition (The Economist)

The disaster played into the hands of Shinzo Abe, who two days later launched his successful campaign to become prime minister partly on a promise of renovating Japan’s rusting infrastructure. As promised, on January 10th Mr Abe approved a massive public-spending bonanza, expected to exceed ¥13 trillion ($150 billion)—more than was spent in emergency measures after the 2011 earthquake, and about 2.6% of GDP.

Much of the cash will go towards making tunnels, railway lines and other infrastructure safer. Those are the sort of public-works projects that Mr Abe’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) was famous for during much of post-war Japan’s history. His supporters believe it will help jolt the economy out of recession. Critics argue that it is a rehash of the concrete-slathering policies that helped saddle Japan with the biggest public debt in the world.

It is being accompanied by pressure on the Bank of Japan (BoJ) to print more money to weaken the yen and help exporters, such as Japan’s carmakers and electronics firms. The architect of that policy is Koichi Hamada, a Yale University professor and cabinet adviser who is a former mentor (and recently tormentor) of Masaaki Shirakawa, the governor of the BoJ. The government’s supporters have christened the fiscal and monetary strategy “Abenomics”. But it appears to be ripped largely from John Maynard Keynes.

In principle, there is nothing wrong with the plan, provided that the government’s spending generates higher returns than the borrowing costs. Robert Feldman of Morgan Stanley says that if the money is spent well, on projects like energy-saving technologies, the rewards could be huge, bolstering efficiency and tax revenues.

But if the cash is wasted on projects with no economic merit, it will add to a gross public debt without materially boosting output, raising a debt-to-GDP ratio that already exceeds 200%. Although deficit-financed stimulus is justifiable in the short run, Mr Abe has spoken of the need for ¥200 trillion of public works over the next ten years, with less talk of how to pay for it. Those sums easily exceed the additional ¥12.5 trillion a year that Japan hopes to collect by eventually doubling the consumption, or sales, tax. Mr Feldman notes that in Mr Abe’s campaign documents there was no mention of debt.

For now, the financial markets are happy. In just over a month, the stockmarket has climbed by 10%. It has been pushed higher by a weakening currency, with the yen falling from around 82 per dollar to 88 in the same period. Some of the credit for this may go to the pressure on the central bank, which is expected shortly to double its inflation target to 2% in an effort to forestall Mr Abe’s threat to change the BoJ law guaranteeing its independence. Just as much of a factor, though, is Japan’s current account, which is sailing closer and closer to the red (see chart). Analysts say it is likely to deteriorate further because of a burgeoning need for energy imports.

The risk is if government-bond yields rise without an increase in inflationary expectations. The latest stimulus package will reportedly be part-financed by ¥5.2 trillion of construction bonds; the new finance minister, Taro Aso, shows no allegiance to the last government’s efforts to cap bond emissions this fiscal year at ¥44 trillion. Some fret that if the market’s appetite for these bonds weakens, the Abe administration will ask the BoJ to buy them, something it is loth to do under duress.

A bigger concern, however, is that a fiscal and monetary splurge may give the government an excuse to postpone more sensitive measures such as deregulating the economy and opening the country to international competition through free-trade deals. Business leaders hammer away at the urgent need for structural reform. Mr Abe may offer some corporate-tax relief, but frustratingly, he seems keen to wait until after upper-house elections in July before making more progress.

Goals to achieve

To do something a motivation is needed, therefore for this task; managing the blog also needs a motivation. And I believe that setting the goals to achieve through this blog is the appropriate motivation needed. 

  So to make the long story short there are basically three things which I would like to gain from this activity. 

  First, I would like to change and improve the style of my writing. It is a fact which I admit to my shame that the style of my writing is very limited, due to the many tests I prepared for. Therefore I would like to take the most advantage of this class to change my writing style to be more fluid and have more literature factors blended in. 

  Moving on, the next part is about pinning the key points. If we stumble across a very well written article the whole point of the article become clearer the more lines we read. On the contrast the article which I write lacks the ability to directly pin the key points, making the article less organized. And this factor is the thing which I hope to achieve by continuously posting articles and essays on this blog.

  Lastly, I would like to shorten the time needed to write an essay. I guess this would naturally follow the more article or essays I write in or out of this blog. 

  To put it into a nutshell; Style, Organization, and Time these three factors are the main goal which I hope to achieve by the end of 2013.