“Never, never, never give up.” – Winston Churchill

I love riddles! Ever since I was little I loved solving puzzles and riddles, as wellas enjoy having quiz games. This was one I found recently online when I was bored ( I know I should have been studying).

A woman shoots her husband.
Then she holds him under water for over 5 minutes.
Finally, she hangs him.
But 5 minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together.
How can this be?

Answer to Riddle: http://www.funfunnyriddles.com/funny_logic_riddles/a2.html

Throughout history there have been presidents who have been assassinated, or killed by horrible diseases. However, not until May 23, 2009, did a president commit suicide. I believe it is the first time a president has ever committed suicide. The previous president of South Korea, Roh Mu-Hyun, chose to jump off a cliff after being smothered by criticism. He apparently had been bribed and had experienced corruption, which led him to fall into a state of depression. It is pitiful that a president chose to take his life, yet, I still do not understand why he chose to die. As the previous president, should he not be a model example for everyone to look up to and depend on? Of course, he was corrupted and criticized by the media, but he could have shown more confidence. When I first heard about the death of Roh, I thought I was dreaming (mainly because I was half awake in bed). When I was fully awake Lauren (Kang) told me that Roh is dead. I was not able to believe my ears at first, however, watching the news and listening about the death of Roh everyday for 24 hours on the news and radio, convinced me that he is indeed dead. It is such as shame that someone chose to give up their life…

I am so glad that I am finally done with my AP World History test. After all those nights of studying, as well as the extra pracice tests that I had done, I cannot help but feel relieved. Before the test I always felt nervous, worrying that the test might be too difficult. Especially since this was my first time taking an AP test, I was not used to the feeling of extreme anxiety. Surprisingly on the day of the test I did not feel as nervous. I did not have the usual feeling people get when they are extremely nervous, the feeling of coldness. I even had an extra 15 minutes to check over my answers in the multiple choice section, as well as an extra 5 minutes to look over my 3 essays. Before the test, the thing I worried about the most was time management. Luckily, I did not run out of time! What I anticipate now is the SAT II test on June 6, and the busy schedule I have this summer. Life always seems to be full of anticipations and problems. Once you are done with one task, another follows it.

Drinking In-sam water or Han-yak is not pleasant. First of all just by smelling the liquid makes you dizzy. I’ve been drinking “traditional Korean herbal medicines” ever since 8th grade, and somehow I have become used to the unpleasantness. For In-sam water, I came up with a new “method” that would make the medicine rather tasteful than bitter. Adding honey. I have no idea whether if In-sam water mixed with honey is less effective, but it at least tastes better. Yesterday I received a new herbal medicine. I am not used to its smell yet, but it tastes the same as other Han-yak. After two years of drinking Han-yak, I think I have adapted to the flavor of Korean herbal medicine. People comment on how horrible it tastes and smells, but in my opinion, it does not taste as bad as it smells or looks.

It is frustrating when we realize that we only get 3 hours of sleep every night, but then again it is the whole point of high school life. When reading the Psychology textbook I noticed that a person typically should sleep 9 to 10 hours in order to function properly in the morning. How is it that we are able to walk around school without collapsing? Maintaining a regular sleeping schedule is also important. The circadian rhythm, which consists of stage 1, 2, 3, 4, and REM sleep, is a cycle that every person must go through while sleeping. Failure to reach stage 3 and 4 sleep means failure to re-energize our body. Sleep deprivation can cause lack of concentration, forgetfulness, as well as more accidents. Most people believe that sleeping more during the weekends would compensate for the sleep we didn’t get during the weekdays. However, this can cause problems. Sleeping for 12 hours on Saturday and sleeping for 5 hours on Monday can cause feelings similar to jet lag, which is why Mondays seem so dreadful. What would it be like to sleep 10 hours everyday? Would we be smarter, happier people? How much sleep a person got the night before generally decides their mood.

People are normally judged based upon their first impression. At school, work, and sometimes restaurants, people judge others depending on what they are wearing, how they act or talk, and most often, what they look like. I was aware of these factors before my interview for an internship last Saturday. I was absolutely nervous. It was my first time having an interview for an internship. First impressions are most important when it comes to competing against others to get a job. Luckily, I was not competing for the internship as I am the youngest, however, the interview and my first impression decided whether if I will be qualified enough to work as an intern during the summer. Before the actual interview, I remember making up possible questions the interviewee might ask and improvising answers for them. I carefully chose what to wear for the interview, something formal, yet something not too serious. I stepped into the place I possibly would be working at during the summer, and noticed how modern it is. I waited at a nearby cafe for the interview. When the interviewee, stepped into the cafe, my body stiffened. I rose from my seat to bow and greet, and smiled. I expected her to shoot extremely intimidating questions, but I figured out that the interview was not as serious as I had predicted. It was rather more of a casual conversation discussing about my schedule and plans for the summer other than the internship. Of course, she asked what my motivation is for interning and what I want to learn from the experience. This made me realize that preparing for an interview was definitely a bright idea. Rather than being relaxed, it is best to be nervous before any nerve-racking event.

From personal experiences, it is almost impossible to stay awake when doing homework at 3 in the morning. These are some possible ways to keep yourself awake:

1) Take a nap right after coming back from school (for about 2 hours)

2) Drink coffee

3) Stretch or exercise

4) Eat sweets, chocolate, or cake while doing homework (it makes you hyper)

5) Pinch yourself

6) Remind yourself that procrastinating would lead to more nights of agony and pain

7) Splash your face with extremely cold water once in a while

8 ) Drink ice cold water

9) Stay up with a friend

10) Have short breaks, listen to music, watch videos (you’re going to stay up anyway, so might as well spend some time resting)

11) Have a bright light right next to you or directly in front of your face

12) Eat fruits

13) Set an alarm to go off every hour

14) Hum or sing to yourself

15) Eat ice cubes

Last year when I attended a summer program in America, I was able to befriend people from various countries including China, Puerto Rico, and Turkey. It was my second time attending a summer program, but it was fascinating to see people from such diverse backgrounds. South Korea’s population does not consist of people from diverse backgrounds, so it is difficult to see people with different cultures. I wish Korea had opened up sooner to the world. As most people know, Korea was known as the “hermit kingdom.” Anyways it was amazing how students at the summer program knew some of the people I know, which proves how small the world really is. After the incredible three week experience at the summer program, it was time to go. We added each other on facebook and exchanged e-mails. It was a shame that the only way for us to contact each other for free was through facebook. Besides that, I hardly even have time to do facebook, which makes it difficult for me to communicate with my friends who live three to 14 hours away. Fortunately, one of my friends from Hong Kong, who attended the summer program, was able to visit Korea for her spring break. I met her for lunch along with my other friend last Sunday. We ate Budae-jigae, a Korean cuisine that was first created during the Korean war. Consisting of ramyun, sausages, spam, macaroni, thick noodles, kimchi, spring onions, rice cakes, and dumplings, our stomachs were about to burst after finishing a whole bowl of it.

How on earth is it possible for someone to do their homework, listen to music, and chat online ALL AT THE SAME TIME? This is a common question older generations ask nowadays. It seems as though younger generations are adapting to multi-tasking. Whenever I step into my brother’s room, I always see him doing various things all at once. Younger people appear to cope with handling different tasks simultaneously, due to their culture. South Korea, for example, is known for their somewhat imaptient and fast culture, therefore everything including cars, cashiers, and students all move along MEGA fast. If we observe a normal road in Korea, it is almost impossible to see a car yield to a pedestrian. The best way to stop a car is to cross even when you know the car is coming (NEVER DO THIS). The drivers are too caught up with their jobs (wishing to finish work faster) that they do not even dare to stop their car. Another example of Korea’s fast culture are the Starbucks in Korea. Unbelievable! The Starbucks in my neighborhood can finish whipping up a mocha frappucino in a minute. Normally it takes 3 minutes to make good coffee (not the instant ones of course). Just as I finish shoving my change into my wallet, they would be done with making my frappucino. AMAZING! This reminded me of the idea of bisy backsons in the “Tao of Pooh” (required reading for Asian Studies). Anyways, back to the question. Korean students have adapted to the fast culture, therefore are able to do multiple things at once, to either complete their tasks faster, or  do what they like while they are doing something productive. Students do not have enough time to divide their schedules into two separate categories: play time and work time. For this reason, they tend to do everything at once to complete their work and satisfy their needs at the same time.

During the summer of 2008 I was able to explore New York City. These are some museums (mainly art) I would like to recommend

The Metropolitan Museum (The Met)

The Pierpont Morgan Library

The Frick Museum

The Guggenheim Museum

*Sorry this picture won’t flip

The Cloisters

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)

Tenement Museum

International Center of Photography