[Monthly TOEFL Essay #1] RED DEVILS

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

             

            During 2002 World Cup, all Koreans wore red shirts and became the one. 2002 World Cup means a lot to Korean. They still remember the touching moments they had shout with one voice. Unlike other countries, Korean tradition of cheering is popular for gathering on the streets. The ‘Red Devil’, which is the group of people for the Korean national soccer team, is one of the examples of it. This cheering culture like Red Devils positively influenced Korean society that I’d like foreigners to adopt it. The role of its social reunification, improvement of national image, and positive effects on economy are exactly what those are.

             First of all, cheering does sociocultural role in leading people to spontaneous cooperation and unification. Most nations are separated by the regions, races, ages, or religions. For last 50 years, Korea was also separated by these factors. However, the swift of Red Devil gave Koreans ‘public identity’. I think that the reason why Koreans join together and are enthusiastic about World Cup is that they have a strong community spirit. It works positively in the society, which reduces conflicts between individuals. Gathering people’s energy inspires the harmony and confidence from the individualized and competitive society. This reunifies the society and gives a new breath.

             Secondly, national unification by cheering raises the image of the nation. The image of Korea has naturally been changed by the enthusiasm of World Cup. Through the cheering on the street, ‘the land of morning calm’ has been altered into ‘the land of dynamic and passion.’ Compare to the European cheering in the stadium or their houses, cheering on the streets was not a usual scene. Also, citizens’ order and volunteering after games contributed to enhance Korea’s reputation in the world.

             Thirdly, cheering culture gives positive influence to the nation’s economy. For example, 2002 World Cup greatly heightened added value. It stimulated consumer and business sentiment and created employment. In addition, lots of products were derived from an image of Red Devils, creating a new market. Moreover, as Korea became known as one of the most passionate countries, international trade relation has improved much and a good image has been shown to multinational companies.

             In a brief, Korea cheering culture is the most recommendable custom that other countries should adopt, because it unifies people in the country, improves national image, and brings economic development. The mind, ‘we are the one’, can be the intermediation to develop country and to make better society.

[Narrative Essay] "Gift"s for Cambodian Children

   When I was 12, my family went to Cambodia. It was the winter in 2007. Though the weather in Korea was cold, temperature in Cambodia was higher than that in Korea in the middle of the summer. I could even see the heat is waving in the air. I also remember that one little Cambodian boy made me think during the journey.

   On the first day in Cambodia, I was sightseeing a temple in Ankor called Bapuon made of large heavy rocks. I thought that it was wonderful and unbelievable that the ancient people moved those rocks without any electrical device. But soon, the hot weather made me tired. I could not bear the hot temperature and I badly wanted for an air conditioner in the tour bus. My parents were still enjoying the scene of the temple and I was heading to a bus alone to seek cool air.

   

   Suddenly, a little boy approached me and asked me to give him my hand. I didn’t know what he was going to do, so I just showed my hand to him. He put a flower ring on my finger in a sudden. For just a second, I felt happy because the flower and the boy were so cute. However, the next words he said were this; “one dollar!” I was so surprised. At the moment, I took out a dollar from my bag, and other children who were hanging around the temple ran toward me to earn money, holding flower rings. I couldn’t give money to all of them, so I quickly ran into the bus.

    I was little bit mortified and felt really 

confused. I totally didn’t know that the children would use their pure eyes as the way to earn money. I thought that maybe tourists, including me, have made those children into beggars. If it were not for the tourists, the Cambodian government would develop other resources, and the children shouldn't beg for money but instead, prepare for their dreams. I felt sorry for them. I have also realized that the gap between strong and developing countries was getting bigger. At the same time, I felt appreciation for all the things that I had.

   The next day, I prepared some "gifts" for the children. It could not be realistic assistance for them, but there wasn't any other solution that I could think of. I took my pencils, pens, notebooks that I had, and I even took toothbrushes and toothpastes that the hotel provided. Wherever I visited, I gave those gifts to the children. Though I still felt sorry for them, I was happy to see them smiling.

[Reading Journal] Neverwhere 1~3

121115 Hyun jin Jun

“ NEVERWHERE ”  Chap. 1~3

‘Neverwhere’ is a fantasy novel of a story about situations Richard Mayhew suffers in London. When the story first started, Richard was a business man who just started his work in London. He was living a very normal life with his fiancée. However, the appearance of a girl named Door totally changed his life.

At the beginning of the story, Richard encountered an old woman before he left to London for his new job. Whitin the conversation between Richard and the woman, there was something that made the reader possible to guess how the story would progress. It was the woman’s forecast about Richard’s future, which explains that he would go on a long journey that starts with doors. Actually, a girl called ‘Door’ appeared in front of him when he got to London and let him begin a long journey. I thought that the author intended to foreshadow the plot.

In chapter 1, two different kinds of stories are introduced at the same time. One of them is the story of Richard Mayhew and the other one is that of a girl who was running away from cruel guys. Several moments later, the two stories are combined as Richard and the girl encounter each other. I could notify the ‘accidentality’ which is one of the main features of novels. Richard accidentally met a girl who was lying on the street bleeding. Though he was in the urgent situation, he did not just pass by her. He could even ask for others’ help or just call the police, but he decided to take her to his apartment. It was doubtful that he sacrificed himself for the girl who didn’t have any relationship with him. Especially, it was skeptical that he allowed the stranger, who was bleeding and being chased by somebody, to stay in his house for several days. These kinds of situations might stand out the accidentality of the novel.

Some magical, fantastic, unbelievable, and unrealistic events happened in chapter 2. For example, Door disappeared in the bathroom when Mr. Vandemar and Mr. Croup tried to find her, animals sent messages, and Richard came back to his room from the top of the building at the moment he opened a door. I was so excited while reading chapter 2 because of these kinds things that could only exist in fiction.

As the story goes on, the author aroused my curiosity by not explaining the sufferings that Richard suddenly had. Richard became the invisible man who was considered not to exist in London. Nobody could see him or listen to him. However, I expected that Mr. Vandemar and Mr. Croup were related to it as they could hear Richard’s voice on the phone. At the end of the chapter, the man who could also see Richard took him underground. Yet the author did not show who the man is, and again, this made me wonder what will happen next.