Being a Strong and Confident Woman

For me being strong and confident are very important. I know that for some people, it is very challenging. It was very challenging for me too. I used to care a lot about what people think and I tried to make myself the person that other people wanted me too, Not the person that I really was. But being confident and strong changed a lot of things.

Today, I was reading this article about a woman named Gabrielle Giffords.  She is a strong, confident, and beautiful woman. She was a congresswoman from Arizona until today. She had to resign so she can concentrate on recovering. She was working at a shopping center, meeting the people from her district when she was shot in the head. Other people were killed. She is the kind of woman who always works so hard to serve others and her community. She is a good listener and the people in her community admire her. I hope she can recover and go back to work for Arizona. I admire her too. She has not given up. She has to work so hard just to learn to walk and talk again. Her colleagues in The House of Representatives were sad to see her go, even the ones who are not in her political party.

To learn more about Gabrielle Giffords, click on the link below...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqN1Qc3u7f4

My Future

            I have thought about my future a lot lately. I still don’t exactly know what I want to be when I’m older, but I want to be a person where everyone can look up to. When I was young, I wanted to be a designer, painter, doctor, lawyer, inventor, scientist, and more, and I thought I could be all of that. I still think if I try hard, than I could. But, now, I know how hard it is to be all those things. So, even though I do want to try to be all those, I feel like I have to set a goal first, to be really successful.

            My goal for the future is to be the person where everyone can look up to. To be someone’s role model is a very important thing to do, or at least that is what I think. Some people might say, “you can never be…” but I say don't listen to those people. I say set your goals and make a step-by-step plan to achieve your goal. It may seem to difficult to achieve as a whole, but in parts you will see that you can accomplish the parts. That way a difficult task can seem easier. That is what I will do in planning my future. 

For now, I think that the future I should plan for should include getting into high school (those steps I planned and completed- now I just wait), graduating from upper school (I think I'm on my way), and begin thinking about what college I want to go to. After I accomplish those goals I can plan for a career, the one where people can look up to me as a role model!

Middle School Transitioning to High School

I remember coming to Newtown Friends School for the first time. I was very nervous and excited at the same time but now I am in eighth grade and I have a totally new feeling.  I am nervous about high school but I am really thrilled to go to a new school and meeting new people. I am not sure where I will be going and that is a big part of the reason why I am a litter nervous. I have worked hard during the past few years so that I would become the kind of student that a high school would want. I am looking forward to the challenge, no matter where it is, but I really want to know.

            Sometimes I am a little shy meeting new people. I have been working hard to get better about that. I know it is important to make eye contact and to ask questions. Sometimes I say nothing even when I have so many things to say. I will have to continue to work on that before I get to this new school. Everyone here knows me so well so they know when to push me to do better. When I find out where I am going I will shout it from the rooftops and than I will worry about something else… like what should I wear the first day of school! J

Lacrosse

            I started playing lacrosse when I was in sixth grade and I had never heard of it before. At first, I didn’t know what the object of the game was, the rules, and what the positions were. My mom took me shopping (and you already know I like to shop) to buy the lacrosse stick, mouth guard, and goggles. Of course, I had to customize my stick. Can you guess what color my stick is?--- PINK! My brother and I just practiced handling the stick in the living room every night. Soon, the stick felt good in my hand. So it was time to try the sport. I really liked it right away and I was so glad that I tried out for the team. I am not usually kind of a girl who works really hard at a sport. I usually just like to have fun and get a little exercise. But lacrosse was different. I really liked it and I think I am pretty good at it. I played it again in seventh grade and got my first goal – not just in lacrosse but any of the sports that I played in the past. I usually play center or defense of wing. Both of the positions are midfielder position but the center gets to the faceoff. I love it when I have to do the faceoff, even if I am a little bit nervous since everyone always watches the faceoff.

            Since that first goal, I have scored again. I guessed that first one gave me a little bit of confidents. I didn’t know how to react when I scored my first goal, but I do know that it made me feel good and I enjoyed the recognition that I got from the coach and my teammates. I couldn’t believe that in assembly my name was called because I scored a goal. That made my day.

            Well… I am in eight grade now, and it’s my last year to play lacrosse at Newtown friends. I am planning on doing well by making sure that I start practicing before the season start and putting in as much effort as I can to be the best player that I can be. 

My artsy side

When I was younger, about seven years old, I took an art class in Korea with my brother and his friends. It was a fun class but it was a little bit scary. I had to go down this big staircase to the basement level and walk around to the back where there was small door. Upon opening the door, my classroom was brightly lit but I kept thinking why it was in the basement. Our teacher was a woman and the class was kind of fun. It had levels of different techniques you can learn, starting with free drawing. Later, teacher made suggestions of what we should draw. Sometimes, we even had quizzes on color identification. That might sound easy but each quiz had about 40 different paint colors to identify.  I was pretty good at that. Since our class was small, we often got to go outside to draw and sketch.  Maybe that was the start of my interest in drawing and painting.

Even though I didn’t take another art class until this past summer, my interest grew. So, this past summer, I had a chance to take another art class. It was a lot different from the class I took when I was seven. First, the teacher was a man; second my classroom was on the second floor, not a scary basement. Everyone in this class was so good. It was a humbling experience. There was one girl, my age in the class. And she was a fabulous artist. She did a painting of a puppy that was so good that it looked so real. And she was not happy with it. As a matter effect, the teacher told her she could do better. I had to push my mouth closed. I felt a little uncomfortable because she was so good.  But I worked hard in the class, I learned a lot and I was happy with some of the drawings I made. I decided to continue my work in painting and drawing and make it my summer project. I read some books about the artists, their lives and their techniques.

I would like to take another art class this summer or I can persuade my interest at the high school level. 

Sopa Act

            In a way, I understand why the bill was introduced. People want their work to be protected and if it were not than they would never be paid for the work they did. However, I still am against the Sopa Act.

            Although most people in my age or in my age group would be devastated if the government shut down all the websites (Google, Tumbler, Youtube, Wikipedia, Bing, Facebook, My space and more…) but I would be particularly devastated because as a student from another country, these websites help me develop many concepts needed to progress. When I first came to this country, I used the traditional encyclopedia and dictionaries to help me. But it was very time consuming, especially if I wanted to compare. Now I can do it instantly on my computer in help of various websites. Some of the websites have made it possible for me to connect with old friends back home in Korea. I never would have found me if it wasn’t for Facebook. Imagine you’re self-living somewhere else and needing some kind of social networking keep in touch with friends and family back home.  It has become my lifeline to Korea. And when I am there, I can keep in touch with my friends and teachers here in America. I can check the weather at home in Korea, and tease my father about weather being close to C degrees Fahrenheit. I can even see if it’s raining right on my street.

            Even though I do understand how the people feel about piracy and etc, I think this bill would send us back to the 1970s way of learning and going research. Talk to your parents about how that was.  

            I was very impressed that the protesting that was done around the world actually had an effect. Some legislators actually withdrew their support of the bill. Some people were even sponsors the bill and withdrew their support. 

Shopping

            Shopping, mall, online, in the city… you name it, I have done it. I come by this hobby quite naturally because my mother loves to shop but my dad is really good at shopping. Most dads hate shopping and would even stay home and do the dishes rather than going shopping with their wife and their children or at least that’s what I’ve heard. In my family, my dad is the one who says “ lets go shopping.” He loves to buy us things and he has a really good taste, which is an unusual trait for dads. He has a good eye for what goes together and what accessory match well. I enjoy going shopping with my dad.

            Like most girls, I love shoe shopping, accessory shopping, make up shopping and clothing shopping and especially dress. I happen to be shopping for a white dress for a special occasion. Stay tuned. I like to go to the book store and when I do go to the book store, I like to shop by the attractiveness of the covers of the books. The color is the first thing that attracts me to a book. If it has dark color or even black on the cover, I am not attracted to it because I think the story maybe dark and not something I would want to read. I know that people say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I cant help myself. I usually have good luck using this way to pick books.

            When it comes to gadget shopping, like computers, calculators, phones, ipads and ipods, I have certain things that I am looking for but I don’t mind if someone else picks it out, and buys it for me. What I do mind is if someone else wants to pick the covers or colors. That is my decision. Keep out.

            Finally, dress and clothing shopping is my favorite. First I go online to see what’s out there. I will pick a style and usually a color I like and I go from there. I like designer clothes but it doesn’t always have to be something expensive. I like things that are on sale too. I love shopping because it makes me feel very happy when I purchased something that I really love. 

Brother

Oppa! That means brother in Korean. At least, that’s the word that girl uses about an older boy siblings.  My brother and I are less than one year apart in age. I was born early and that’s why we are so close in age. Not only our ages are close, but we are close as brother and sister too. Sometimes my brother and I fight, and my mom has to be a referee. Sometimes he teases me but I give it right back to him.  But most time, we look out for each other. If somebody says something about my brother, I will stick up for him and he will do the same for me. I enjoy his success and I hurt when he is hurting.

            I love being the youngest child in my family. Since my brother has already completed 8^th grade and all the things that you have to do to get ready to go to high school, it made me easier for me. I knew what to expect. His experiences really helped me in the application progress. I felt kind of bad for him because he didn’t have anyone for an example. Since pre-k, he was always my older brother who was there a year ahead of me and he broke the ice for me. People always seemed to be a little friendlier because they already knew my brother and my family. I never had to cry upon coming to a new school or a situation because my brother has always been there a year before. If I do go to George school, where my brother goes, I would follow him again and meeting all of his friends and his teachers. It may not continue for the rest of our lives but while it’s still happening I will take advantage of it. After all, I am DongJae’s sister.

            I cant imagine what it would be like if we went to different collages. It is a little different for me this year because DongJae is already in high school. However, I know all of his teachers from last year and I have already met some of his new friends and teachers at George School. We still ride together to school, and have dinner together every night. 

My Two Lives...

I have two lives. I live here in America during the school year, with my brother and my mom. And when school is not in session, I live my other life in Korea.             I have had these lives for about four years now.

People are always asking me what it is like when I’m in Korea. Some people think that while I’m in Korea, I’m just hanging out at the mall, shopping and having a good time. And yea… I do go to the mall and have a good time. But in Korea, summer is time to get extra school classes, so that I don’t forget how to read, write and speak English. This past summer, I took a wonderful art class and I even surprised my self with some of the drawings I did. I also took a math class. In the art class, I got to be in a class with kids of all different ages. It was in a really cool studio and sometimes; we would have a model to draw. I started doing sketching in that class learning new techniques. I also met some fabulous students that could draw so well that it looked like photography. You see, in Korea, it is very important to choose some summer classes to go to.

I have been going to the school here since fourth grade and I thought I would never see my Korean elementary school friends again. But apparently, they were all on facebook too. And some of them found me. Now, my elementary school is planning to have a reunion and I am looking forward to seeing my old friends. Well that was that life, now to the present…

When I first came to Newtown Pennsylvania, it was a shocked to me because I had always lived in a city. It seemed like a cute little town like you see in the movies. It doesn’t feel that way now, it feels like home, and it feels just right. I use to think that there was nothing to do because I never saw any people walking around outside. I use to say to myself, “Where are the people?”  Now I know that everyone is busy with his or her lives in school and in work. You can find people shopping in the mall and in the little shopping district of each time. It’s a little different than the city.

I went to a small private school in Korea, with small classes except, small classes there have 35 students in them. It was so different to see such a small class at Newtown friends and the whole fourth grade didn’t even have 35 kids. The classes in Korea were more formal with students sitting in straight rows and less group work. I have found that since I have been here group work is an awesome way to learn.  At first, it was very scary to do group work because I didn’t know English, but now I appreciate how helpful working in groups can be.

I cant pick which of my two lives I like better because they are both very important to me and they have made me, me. 

Pink

Pink is my favorite color and you probably have a favorite color too!  There are studies that say that colors can affect a person’s mood. In other words, colors can make you happy, sad, nervous, or anxious. They say that hospital rooms should be blue or green because the patients will feel serene. Never use yellow, because it can make you upset. And in my opinion, pink will be the best color for any room, anywhere, any time! Pink makes me cheerful, and I feel like smiling in a pink room. If you took a tour of my house, I would not have to tell you, which room is mine. I have always had pink bedspreads, and my curtains are pink. If you look in my closet, you will see a variety of pink bedspreads and clothing.

My friend Mia agrees with me. This week I interviewed Mia about her obsession with pink. She said pink has always been her favorite color, since she was a little girl. Come to think of it, lot of little kids loves the color pink. I think it is because when they imagine a princess or a fairy, they think of her dress as a beautiful pink ball gown. Anyway, Mia told me that her closet is full of pink choices of clothing. She even has pink UGGs. Who does that?... besides me, Mia, and Michael, since his favorite color is pink too.

Mia and I want you to know that there are many shades of pink. But, the best pink is that beautiful, pure, baby pink. - Not that purplish pink.

I do wear other colors, but my attitude is always PINK! <3

The British Accent

Everybody has a favorite accent, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Australian, but a British is my favorite accent of all. I love to listen to British people speak. No matter what a British person looks like, once he or she begins to speak, I just think they are the cutest person in the world. I can’t help but smile. They could be telling me that my cat just died, but I will have a big grin on my face. I listen carefully because I want to learn how to imitate it. I have heard American actors who can imitate it so well, that I cant tell that they are American. How do they do that? Sometimes, I Google British performers on my computer, just so I can listen to them speak.

            If you think about it, I would have had a British accent. I visited England and applied to a school there. I was accepted into that school, but since we had cousins living here in America, we decided to come to school here in Newtown. So, I have an American accent instead. I like my American accent, but I am still fascinated when I hear people speak in a British accent.

            When I visited England, I did not realize that the accents were different depending on what part of England I was visiting. As a matter of fact, I didn’t even realize that people there spoke with an accent. When I was in Korea, and was learning some English, I couldn’t tell if I was learning with an American accent or a British accent. I am well aware now, of how different they sound. I just did not pay close enough attention to hear the difference before.

            My Love of a British accent has caused to me be obsessed with One Direction, a British music group.  Have you heard them? I just love their accents and music. I love all of them. One of the singers, Zayn, is so cute! And today is his birthday! I can’t figure out why I think he’s so cute. Is it because he really is so cute? Or is it because he has a wonderful accent?

Animals...Blue

Do you ever feel blue?  Endangered animals make me fell blue… Not the color blue, but the feeling. The feelings of sadness about something that people are causing and I feel helpless. There are several causes of the endangerment of animals. Two of the main causes are destruction of habitat and over exploitation. Over exploitation occurs when too many of one type of animal is killed for food, sport, and body parts like skins, tusks, horns, and bones. It even occurs for traditional ceremonies and medicines.

When I was younger, I traveled to a foreign country where I met my leopard. Yes, a real leopard. A very sweet leopard who let me hug him. Of course, his trainers were right there to be sure he didn’t eat me.  But I could tell that he really liked me. We had a connection. And as a young child I thought of him as a puppy.  Today I wonder if he is still alive. Even today, I still feel that connection and maybe that’s why I feel so sad about the endangered animals.

When I think about some of the reason why some animals are in endangered, I get mad. These things can be prevented.

Habitat destruction that usually occurs at a rapid rate does not leave enough time for a species to adapt or react to the situation. People are the main cause of habitat destruction, especially during the past century. Almost all regions of the earth have been affected by humans, and not in a good way. That makes me sad and upset with my own race- the human race. We don’t have enough respect for the earth and the animals that live on the earth. I hope one day, that I can make a difference.

For example, it may not seem like small changes in a lush tropical forest would make much difference, but that is not true. The soils in which the trees grow are full of nutrients. If the forest is cut, it could take centuries for something to grow back and replenish the nutrients that the forest animals need to live. Some of the animals will disappear forever.

Over exploitation can cause animals to become endangered or even extinct because they cannot reproduce as fast as they are being used. For example, whales were overfished and many species of whales became endangered. Many countries, including United States started a moratorium to save the whales. Some whales species are making a comeback. However, some countries still allow whaling. Japan, Norway, and Iceland still engage in whaling. The whale blubber is used for fuel for lamps, wax for candles, soap, makeup, and many other products. I think most of these products can be made from something other than whales. I hope all countries will join the moratorium and help save these beautiful animals.

I hope that by the end of my blog writing I have convinced you to join me in helping make people aware of endangered animals and the things that people do to cause it.

Friendship

To me friendship is one of the most important things in my life. I think about friendship like a big circle with concentric circles inside. The outside rings of friends are those people I like to sit with in class, talk to on face book, eat lunch with and play sports with. These people are great people to be with but I do not share my inner most thoughts with them because I cannot be sure they wont judge me or tell someone else.

The next circle of friend ship include those people I would feel comfortable calling to discuss assignments, sit with on a long bus trip, have video chat, go to the movies, gossip with, and of course meet at the mall to shop and hangout. I might share a disappointing grade with this circle of friends too! I would go to their house and invite them to my house, too. I would share my favorite sweater with this group of and bring a special treat to share at school.

My inner most circle is a very special circle of friends. These friends know me well and I know them. They can tell if I’m having a bad day without even asking me. I might be smiling and laughing but they know I feel different inside. I would share with this group a secret crush, and they would share with me. We text, talk, face book share notes, and cheer each other up. This friend group is my cheerleader, always believing in me, and I in them. They would never let me down, never disappoint me, and most of all never betray me. We share inside jokes, have sleepovers, and we never sleep- just talk all bight.

I have kind thoughts about my entire circle of friends and sometimes-new friends move into the circles. 

What Makes Me Me

When I sat down to think about what makes me, me, I realized that the things that I care about most are what make me! Things I care about cause me to make choices and decisions from the minute I wake up until the minute I close my eyes at night. Some things make me excited, some things makes me worry. Something's make me happy, some things make me sad. Something’s make me want to get involved but some things just gross me out. Sometimes I like to listen, and sometimes I like to talk. When I think about something special to me, I get that warm and fuzzy feeling but I usually don't share my feelings

For the next fourteen days I will chose a topic, something I care deeply about or just something I love. I will think about what is important to me and how I might be able to engage in activities, fun, or work to make a difference- even just a small difference. Sometimes I might want to just find out more about a topic by reading a new book or watching movies that help me relate to the situation or a character. I like to wonder what it would have been like if I was there. Or, if I was that person could I have changed things? Could I have helped? Maybe it will just make me more sensitive to the situations today all around me.  Maybe you will get to know me, or what makes Me, me!