http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/rss Englishlover's latest journal entries Lang-8 Inc. Mon May 28 23:52:06 UTC 2012 Mon May 28 23:52:06 UTC 2012 Lang-8 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Lang-8
I wrote a letter draft to send it to my sponsor teacher last semester. I will send a surprise package to her enclosing this letter. Isn't it cool? I hope she and her students like my small presents.

Dear Mrs. Brown-Flack,

It’s been a long time since I e-mailed you. How are you these days? I’m pretty good and sometimes a little busy working on my thesis proposal. A few days ago, I visited your school homepage. I saw a lot of pictures of the students. It reminded me of last semester. They looked still so cute. I really miss you and your students. Thank you for uploading more pictures on Korean culture section. I enjoyed a lot with them.
This semester I do my practicum in the Kennedy Elementary School. I wanted to be placed in your school and class again, but I couldn’t. My new sponsor teacher, Nancy Rudiger, is an excellent teacher like you. She is in charge of a gifted and talented classroom. I think this special classroom is also helpful to me.
Time goes quickly. My commencement will be on May 16th. After graduation, I have a plan to go on a trip to the western part of America, and then I’m taking a three week’s summer course. I’m going back to Korea at the middle of July.
I’d like to give you and your adorable students a little something about Korea. It would be great if you pass out one ballpoint pen to each student and you can keep the rest. Say hello to your family and the students. I hope to see you once before leaving here. Have wonderful warm spring days!

With respect,
Kate

Posted at Wed Mar 18 18:14:05 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/107563 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/107563 Englishlover Wed Mar 18 18:14:05 UTC 2009 I had a couple of American holidays such as Halloween, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, etc. However, I'm not familiar with St. Patrick's Day. According to my church friend, St. Patrick is one of patron saints of Ireland. Today I saw a lot of students wearing green clothes on campus. That scene was a view to me.
Last Sunday, Margaret who originally from Ireland invited my friends and I to her place and she treated traditional Irish food. I had corned beef with steamed potato, cabbage, and carrots. Her husband told us about Irish beer, Guinness. He explained that a great deal of Irish people immigrated to America because of Irish potato famine and they celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. We had a ball listening to the Irish music.

I’ll add one more thing! Do you know π(Pi) Day is on March 14th? It was originated from the first three digits of the mathematical consonant π. I think it is a very interesting day. :D

Posted at Wed Mar 18 05:07:01 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/107143 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/107143 Englishlover Wed Mar 18 05:07:01 UTC 2009 If I have my own house after marriage, I’ll make a special room filled with a wide variety of interesting books. My place will be a small library in the neighborhood, and little kids will feel free to come to my house and read what they’d like to. Sometimes I’ll play the piano for them and play with them. Isn’t it a great plan? To do so, I have to win the lottery in advance! Please don’t laugh at me. It’s just a kidding!
If someone asks me, “Which do you prefer fiction books or non-fiction books?” I would say I like fiction better than non-fiction. My imagination is getting bigger and bigger while reading fiction books. I also feel fun when something impossible is something possible.
These days, I’m reading the books, ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’, written by Lemony Snicket. The total books are thirteen. Do you know why they are 13? I’ll give you a question. What’s the date today? Yeah, it’s Feb. 13th. Can you cross your mind anything bad superstition pertaining to the date? What I mean is that today is Friday 13th. This series books has few happy endings like ‘happily ever after’. They are full of continuous unpleasant things which occur to three children of the Baudelaire; Violet, Klaus, and Sunny with the beginning of their parents’ sudden death. I’m almost done reading the second book. The movie was released in 2004 based on this story. After reading whole story, I am going to compare the books with the movie.
A few months ago, I had unfortunate events during one day. In the very early morning, my room was locked when I returned after taking a shower. I had to go and ask the unkind RA to unlock it. Around lunch time, I dropped by my room to get some food ASAP, but my fridge was almost empty; it only had a little amount of orange juice. I spilt my jeans in a hurry. In the evening, a red car splashed my clothes with water on my way to the grocery store. It was a terrible day, wasn’t it?
I hope you’ll have a great weekend without any bad events!

Posted at Fri Feb 13 21:19:26 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/87314 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/87314 Englishlover Fri Feb 13 21:19:26 UTC 2009
Posted at Tue Feb 10 15:34:35 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/85339 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/85339 Englishlover Tue Feb 10 15:34:35 UTC 2009 On the first day, we did not work on any chapter of the textbook. She did not bring it, because she thought it is more important to get to know each other. First and foremost, we introduced ourselves. I told her about my country, age, family, job, hobbies, major, etc. She asked many questions about what I had just said. She is 19 years old. It means she did not reach the legal drinking age yet. Even though we have a big age gap, I think we can be good friends.
The weakest part of my English proficiency is speaking English. I have no thick accent according to her, but lack of language complexity. I have a difficulty making long sentences and cannot keep talking about one specific topic. Thus, we will work on each chapter and then share respective ideas from next meeting. I asked her to correct my mistakes and errors. She also asked me to feel free to ask whatever I want to know.
I learned a new word, lactose intolerance, which is my digest problem. She recommended me to use AOL instant messenger. I can make a screen name on that messenger. Also, she introduced her omega sorority organization.
She let me know her cell phone number and I did the same. We set a future schedule and said good-bye to each other. Today was very fun to me.

Posted at Tue Feb 10 04:17:08 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/84950 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/84950 Englishlover Tue Feb 10 04:17:08 UTC 2009
Dear Barbara,

Looooong time no see! How've you been? For me, I couldn't be better. I was so sorry that I couldn't make it last Friday. I was under the weather then, but I'm feeling good now.
I called you yesterday and today, but both calls automatically went to the voice message. I was a little worried about you. I believe there were no problems with you.
Barbara, I really miss you, so I want to tell you my story by e-mail. I heard from my program adviser, Dr. Ha that I am supposed to do practicum in your school district. It means that I can sometimes see you in the school. If so, that would be great!
I have one more interesting thing. I took Susan Stacy’s literacy class this semester. I like her teaching style and passion. She seems to be a born educator. She is a teacher in Potsdam Central School. She recommended a few decades of children’s books for the assignment. Her list includes The tale of Despereaux, A series of unfortunate events, and Harry Potter series. Isn’t it familiar to you? Are you a friend of hers? Hahaha! I was surprised your recommendation is almost the same thing like hers. Thank you for introducing and lending me such wonderful books. I’m keeping them in a good condition.
I extended my I-20 date to stay here a little bit longer. Most grad students are going to be graduated on May 16th. I just registered 13 credits this semester and I have one course left for summer. I’m going to go back to my country at the end of July.
Have a wonderful weekend and see you around.

Best wishes,
Kate

Posted at Sat Feb 07 04:05:13 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/83163 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/83163 Englishlover Sat Feb 07 04:05:13 UTC 2009 While having lunch, one of my friends said, "Dr. Stacy will not be here because of snow. She'll have a difficulty returning to her home after class." "No. I don't think so. She is so passionate in teaching literacy that that thing will not happen. In your dreams!" I replied to her.
It was getting to snow heavily as time went by.
When I was in my room, I checked my e-mail. Dr. Stacy and NY- alert administrator sent me e-mails. They said, "All classes after 4 pm has cancelled due to inclement weather." As soon as I read this message, I shouted for joy. Hurrah! Heavy snowstorm made me happy today. I love cancelled classes. I welcome you anytime! Please come on, but not that many because I came here to study.
I had vegetable porridge that my friend made for dinner. It was pretty delicious and nutrient like the food which is made by my mother. The main ingridients are beef, mushroom, and various kinds of vegetables. I enjoyed special dinner. After finishing writing messages here, I'm going to read the book which title is "The tale of Despereaux" Good night, everyone. ^---------^

Posted at Thu Jan 29 03:34:26 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/78014 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/78014 Englishlover Thu Jan 29 03:34:26 UTC 2009 Although it was the second time, her family greatly welcomed us like family members. Lisa has eight children; Colby, Timothy, Molly, Avery, Riley, Emily, Bradley, and Libby. Hugh! I made it, but I'm not sure whether my spelling is right or not. My friend and I had difficulty memorizing their names. We repeated their names in order again and again.
She didn't adopt but gave birth to every kid. She homeschools them. At first, I couldn't believe it because she looked gorgeous like a Hollywood actress. Nowadays, Korean women don't want to give birth to a child because there are few places to take care of their babies while working in Korea. I heard the birth rate of Korea is descending rapidly from the news. This can be a big problem in the future. I think the government should take actions to encourage women to have and raise babies.
Among eight kids, Colby is the eldest boy. He likes to read a wide variety of books and he is interested in geography. I marked the position of South Korea on his world map. The second boy is Timothy, who is close to my ideal type. He is very polite and modest. Besides, he is handsome and brilliant even though he is just 7 years old. Girls are lovely and adorable. I was impressed that they all behave well.
All of them liked Bulgogi that I made. Kids wanted to have it more. They were also good at using chopsticks.
They are happy family. The house is full of respect to others and smiles. This is what I've dreamt of. I'll try to find a nice guy ASAP. :D

Posted at Tue Jan 27 04:10:28 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/77057 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/77057 Englishlover Tue Jan 27 04:10:28 UTC 2009 As soon as I got up this morning, I made a phone call to my home using Skype credits. My parents seemed to be very glad to hear the latest news from me. Sometimes I'm a neglectful daughter when I have to do a lot of things to do. Whenever my parents want me to call them regularly, I usually tell them, "Mom and dad, you know there is a saying, 'No news is good news'. Don't worry about me even though you can't get a call from me." Anyway, Korean lunar new year day called 'Seol'(italic) is around the corner. I wish I was with my family to celebrate it.
After having breakfast, I played the table tennis in the lounge in the dormitory. Ping-pong is an easy and fun game to me. I hope this game will take my unnecessary fat away.
In the evening, I have a special plan. My friend named Yujin and I were invited to cook Korean food in Lisa's place. Lisa is Yujin's adapted mother. The church where Yujin goes to appointed her as Yujin's mother. Last semester, she served us a lot of delicious homemade food. This time, it's our turn. We're going to make Bulgogi, which is Korean-style Barbecued Beef. It'll be an exciting experience! I really want her big family to enjoy Korean food. Wish me luck, everyone!

Posted at Fri Jan 23 16:45:35 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/75426 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/75426 Englishlover Fri Jan 23 16:45:35 UTC 2009 Last night, I decorated our room with colorful balloons printed in cute hearts and posted a welcome message on the lamp for her. I thought she would be very pleased when she enters the room and sees these small decoreations. There it is! She told me that she was on cloud nine when she enter the room. My plan to make her happy ended successfully.
When I saw her at first, she looked gogeous like a super model. She likes to work out regularly in the gym unlike me. She is willing to proofread my essays and makes me comfortable when I talk with her.
She lives in Ottawa, Canada. During the last winter break, I went to her hometown with my Korean friends. Unfortunitely, I couldn't see her there because of various reasons.
I don't remember her birthday exactly. Even though she told me about her birthday before starting our winter break, I totally forgot it. The only thing that I make sure is that she was born in January. I gave her a necklace and earrings that I bought in the Macy's. She really loved a heart-shaped sterling necklace. I should have sung a birthday song for her. I felt happy to see her again. Anne, let's start our new semester full of hopes and smiles.

Posted at Tue Jan 20 22:50:21 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/73858 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/73858 Englishlover Tue Jan 20 22:50:21 UTC 2009 The second thing was that I asked my friend, "Have you ever seen ' the Freedom of Liberty' instead of 'the Statue of Liberty'. I got them mixed up! Freedom and liberty have similar meanings. My friend are still teasing me with that mistake.
In a hotel, I had to check out at the front. What did I say to the receptionist? I said to her, "I'd like to log out." I felt ashamed.
The most terrible episode was that I confused the words of nibble and nipple. I really hated myself at that time.
I often say to myself, "Don't be afraid of making mistakes learning new things!" Hopefully, I wish I won't repeat these kinds of mistakes anymore.

Posted at Tue Jan 20 00:35:56 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/73255 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/73255 Englishlover Tue Jan 20 00:35:56 UTC 2009 I'm writing my journal before going to Catholic church. I was not a church goer actually. I have been there with my friend's family for a short time when I was young. I wanted to get to know more about Christ. There were no special reasons. I like to go there on Sundays. However, I can't still memorize "Our father" which is one of the main prayers until now. I must have a bad memory.
When I go to church, I feel peaceful and better than before. Luckliy, I met a woman whose name is Margaret Choong. She is like an angel when she brightly smiles at me. She got married a man from Malaysia. When she worked as a nurse in the military, her husband was an army surgeon. I think that he crushed on her at first sight because she is absolutely nice person.
I can't wait to see her and my friends there as soon as possible. I also want to sing gospel songs and listen to Father's sermons.
My winter break is almost done. Spring semester is going to begin from tomorrow. Wish me luck!


Lang-8 friends, have a wonderful weekend!

Posted at Sun Jan 18 15:19:35 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/72495 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/72495 Englishlover Sun Jan 18 15:19:35 UTC 2009 A couple of hours ago, I revised three people's journal who want to learn Korean. Their journal were pretty interesting. I did my best correcting a little bit awkward expressions that they wrote down. It was a good experience for me. I like teaching anything to somebody because I can share my knowledge and experiences. I'm also able to learn from them.
After having lunch, I taught two friends how to play the piano. They loved my piano piece called Butterfly Waltz composed by Brian Crain. That piece is very beautiful and easy to learn. That's why I chose that song for teaching. I was very pleasant to see their happy face.
I want to be a person who can assist someone's development even though my ability is not exellent. I'm trying to do that from now on.

Posted at Sun Jan 18 03:51:02 UTC 2009
]]> http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/72195 http://www.lang-8.com/27396/journals/72195 Englishlover Sun Jan 18 03:51:02 UTC 2009