잘 해

My hair straightener broke. It is a tragedy for a number of reasons: 1) now that the weather is humid, I actually need it, or else I look like an elderly woman who just went in for a perm, in the worst possible way, and 2) I only bought that thing a few months ago, and I expressly bought the second-cheapest straightener instead of the cheapest straightener in order to prevent something like this from happening. But on Wednesday I woke up and it simply didn't turn on any more.

I got pretty bummed out thinking about shelling out $20 for a new one (when the one I have is basically still new), but then my roommate said that she spent $120 on the one she has now, so I don't feel so bad any more. Then again, her hair is like a luscious waterfall of thick swishy beauty, so there's really no comparison.

I am not sure about my world literature class. I like it but the teacher isn't very committed to teaching. A lot of the students don't do the reading because they don't have to (no quizzes or anything), and the class is run on a "who wants to talk?" basis. Today he let us out 50 minutes early because only a few people had finished the book we were supposed to have read. It doesn't make any sense. If you want your students to read the books, you have to make it really cost them if they don't. Instead of rewarding slackers. It's a fun class and everything, but I can't help but think he doesn't actually care. It's frustrating.

Speaking of school though, this sounds bad but I saw a clip the other day of Taemin and Onew talking about how they were both the #2 best students at their respective high schools despite being trainees all that time and working themselves to death for SM (who notoriously treat all their trainees like crap). Having just received a completely surprising C average progress report in my history class, the one class that I was sure I was acing, it made me think about my attitude towards school and how right now it's basically the most important thing I could be doing. I don't even have anything else going on and yet I still treat school like it's not the biggest deal in my life, like a chore that I only have to try just enough to get an A and no more. Well that's worked for me in the past but I don't think it's working any more. The truth is that in the hierarchy of Things That Are Important to Me, school honestly ranks below things like having fun and studying Korean. Which is kind of wrong. It also makes me feel ungrateful since basically it's the hugest privilege to be in college and actually have the opportunity to study my eyes out. Right now, I'm actually forced to study my eyes out in order to make up and end up with alright grades at the end of the semester just because I've spent so much time until now messing around doing other things, but next semester I really need to start out with the mentality that I have to go strong from beginning to end so I can actually have something to show for having such an awesome opportunity and not end up at graduation with a "due tomorrow? do tomorrow" work ethic. I feel like that could really have bad repercussions in my life. So here's to actually doing work to the best of my abilities before it's absolutely urgent.

That's one thing that I find cool about Korean common phrases; so many of them are encouragements to the betterment of humanity. Like how in America some people say "take care" as a sort of farewell, but in Korea they use "수고하세요", which means "work hard". If I could only point out one good thing about Korean culture, it would be their commitment to raising a nation that's sustainable because in their eyes you're never too high-class to work hard and do well.

So how is your translation going? It's good that you picked out the 국 clue. The thing about 국 is that it doesn't necessarily mean a specific country. It's more like nationality. In the case of this sentence, 외국인 isn't referring to an actual place, it's more like a group. A group of places. Or people. Yeah. I mean, you can just go look it up. It's not like you're forbidden to use the dictionary.

Here is the video that I was talking about earlier that someone showed in my Literature for Adolescents class. I didn't know it was TVXQ until afterwards when someone mentioned the name, and I was like "WHAT?!" I think it's the only song they ever did that was remotely like that, with the hair and the outfits and everything. I liked it in a weird way. I mean, it hurt a little, but I liked it. I think it was made in 2004, so they're all really little and gosh it's just so weird. But I like TRAX so it was cool to see the collab. I guess. I don't know. I have super mixed feelings. WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THEIR HAIR? That is the burning question for me right now.

-Amy

Read, Writing, and other things I'm putting off

Dear Amsers

Actually, for once, I didn't put of the writing that we had to do for Lit. class. We read half of Beowulf and we had an assignment to take a part of the reading and make it into something else. Like a rap or a limerick, or a rhyme, or something.

So last week we were supposed to memorize a part that we liked, so I did, here it is.

We have gone though with a glorious endevour

And been much favored in this fight we dared

against the unknown. Nevertheless

Had you been there and seen the monster himself

where he lay beaten, I would have been better pleased.

My plan was to pounce, pin him down,

in a tight grip and grapple him to death

have him panting for his life, powerless and clasped

in my bare hands, his body in thrall.

Yet I could not keep hold of him

The Lord allowed it, my lock on him

was not strong enough, he struggled fiercely,

and broke and ran. Yet he bought his freedom

at a high price, he left his arm

and hand and shoulder, to show he had been there

a cold comfort for having him among us.

And now his time on this earth is not long,

he has done his worst and the wound will end him

he is hasped and hooped and hirpling with pain.

limped and looped in it, like a man outlawed

for wickedness, he will await

the mighty judgement of God in majesty.

Yes. Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, well I took that for this weeks assignment and I made it into a series of haiku's. Yeah, and it only took me ten minutes! I feel like a proud mother.

"We dared to fight him

Terrible unknown monster

though small chance we had

I had a good plan,

I wish you saw, yourself

The monster, beaten.

I wanted to pounce,

I wanted to pin him down,

to grip and grapple

Alas he escaped,

It was the Lords divine will

He escaped and ran

For he left behind

his arm, his hand and shoulder

a mighty trophy

The wound will end him,

he won't be long in this earth

he is in much pain

like a man outlawed

he will await God's judgement

at the end of time.

The end.

Tadaa!

So Amy, speaking of things I've been putting off, I have to make this costume for next Fridays thriller thing. I have to make it TERRIBLE and I'm having a hard time thinking of ways to do that. I was thinking of getting a tire and covering it in paint and rolling it over the front of the dress to make it look like I was run over. I'm going to use that black dress that is really old and torn up. The one that is like from the forties? Yeah. I'm going to rip it a bit more and maybe get some fake cobwebs and get some red and brown paint on it.

I dunno, can you give me some ideas?

You won't be able to help me when you get home, because I'm leaving at four to go to a four to seven practice on Friday and I have to bring the dress and show them.