!llusion: 4월 2013

2013년 4월 23일 화요일

2013년 4월 15일 월요일

Week 6 Homework

3. On the blog (optional extra credit): Write about someone you admire. Tell why you admire them (at least 200 words).

Michael Jordan. Perhaps it’s useless to describe him. No matter how much you know about basketball or love it, you may know who he is. Famous logo of him spreading his arms and legs is quite easy to be seen when you walk along the street. For people who love to play basketball, he is more than a star; he is called even ‘God of basketball’.

Honestly, however, I am not a fan of Jordan. Rather I was a fan of Allen Iverson, who is famous for his ankle-breaking cross-overs and machine-like shooting, despite of his physical disadvantage. Many Koreans like Iverson because he gave the hope that they can overcome their short height with his well-known saying: “Basketball is played not with your height, but with your heart”. I was one of the Koreans and I also loved his speedy, skillful dribbling.

Nevertheless, I cannot ‘admire’ him. He is admirable as a great basketball player, but not as a human. In contrast, Jordan was both the best player and a great human. This is why I chose him in this writing. Behind his glorious appearance are his tremendous practice and his personality. Iverson had been continuously told about his bad habits and troubles with his team, and now he has disappeared from NBA. Jordan, on the other hand, had done his best before he retired (though he retired more than once) and his story is treated legendary until now.

From his life, I learned how important life is despite of all my skills and abilities. In the meantime, I learned how much blood-and-tears endeavor is needed when I want to be the best, too.

2013년 4월 11일 목요일

Week 5 Homework

2. On the blog: write an English review of a Korean TV program, film, or book (200-300 words)

Review: Dachimawa Lee

Ridiculous, hilarious and odd are the words that may come to you watching this movie. This is a kind of ‘genre movie’ where 1970s’ Korean action movie style is combined with ridiculous parody of famous films, such as 007 series or Enter the Dragon, and insane story about spies in 1940s.

This film plainly shows the most basic plot: the good win and the bad are punished. To find national secret documents on which the information of the Korean spies are written, our brave, handsome(?) hero, Dachimawa Lee leaves a journey. You don’t have to think about its story or meaning carefully, because it was not made to provoke your thought. All you have to do is just enjoying their intentionally exaggerated acting and utterly hilarious fiction. Watching this, there are two points that would help you to enjoy. First is the parody scene. For example, there are a variety of brand-new-weapons as of 007, but they are used unexpectedly or wrongly. Secondly, you may think that there is more than one language in the film, but only one in fact. They sound like Chinese or Japanese, but if you listen to them carefully, you’ll realize that they are Korean though it’s a little bit strange.

If I have to say about the reservations, it would be its popularity. It was absolutely ridiculous to me. However, some people may not be able to understand the code of the movie. I guess that the reaction of those who watch this will be totally extreme.

All the same, I recommend you to try this film. One thing I can surely say is that it’s fresh. You might have not seen this kind of movie before.

2013년 4월 2일 화요일

Week 4 Homework (on the educlass)

3. Reading: Read two different reviews of the same movie. Upload your report here on Educlass.

Review 1
Web address:
http://www.totalfilm.com/reviews/cinema/good-will-hunting
Writer’s opinion of the movie:
Improbably, Good Will Hunting works. It succeeds in being both touching and funny, and if you enter the cinema with even the tiniest amount of good will, you're guaranteed to exit this movie with a whole lot more.
Write at least 3 useful phrases that you found on the site:
-Facing a jail sentence for his latest run-in with the law
-makes for a preposterous pitch.
-liberally stuffed with dazzle and wit.
-Indie maverick Gus Van Sant chooses to shoot Good Will Hunting pretty straight.
Review 2
Web address:
http://blog.beliefnet.com/moviemom/2002/12/good-will-hunting.html
Writer’s opinion of the movie:
Mature teens will appreciate this story, written by its appealing two stars, of a brilliant young man with a troubled past.
Write at least 3 useful phrases that you found on the site:
-with a troubled past
-who grew up as an abused foster child in tough South Boston
-only to find that he is in jail for hitting a policeman.
-a string of therapists

Mission Trip in Philippines ♬

On early 2011, the very year I became 20, I travelled to Philippines as a Mission Trip for 3 days with a few members of church of the time. It was the first and only time I have been to foreign country, until now. I spent 5 hours in the airplane where I felt a bit cold, and then, at the moment I opened the door of the airport, I could felt the muggy air covering my whole body.

After we sustained ourselves in McDonald’s, we went to San Jose village (I don’t remember exact name) together.

ㅡBright sunshine, cute houses, fresh green grass… beautiful.

There we met our missionary friends, though I had never met them before. Our destination was one of the slums in Philippines(I don’t remember the name of that slum, either…). Next day, we prepared to start our mission. One of the things we did was making the small packages of cookies, sweets, and chocolates, which were for the children of the slum.

ㅡWe made the small packages. The man standing at the center is a pastor of the church.

ㅡSomehow similar to ‘POLO’. It’s called ‘WhisOring’. Yes. You can whistle through them. J

Everything was done, so we went to the slum. On arriving there, I was shocked. All I could see was muddy and stinky narrow streets between the dirty old houses which have no lights inside. Some children were lying on the shabby billiard table as if they were on the bed. But they were smiling. They didn’t look sad at all. Pastor of the church explained me their smile. He said,

“They are all Catholic. They believe in God but they are lazy. Though they are poor, they don’t try hard to earn much money. They are looking satisfied because they are always smiling, but sometimes it is not that good for them.”

I was confused. I couldn’t understand them completely, but simply I liked their smile. Anyway, we began to do our job. We prayed for them, disinfected the streets, and handed out the small packages to children. Children came in flocks shouting “one more!”, though we couldn’t give them anymore.

ㅡI liked their smile.

ㅡSome children were lying on the shabby billiard table as if they are on the bed.

The rest of the days were free. Until we got on the airplane, we enjoyed our time eating fruits, looking around the stores, and playing soccer. All of them were the happy moments of my life.