THE LETTER FROM DAD

    "Hey, Hanna. What are you doing here?" asked Joon.
    "What? Nothing..." Hanna murmured.
    "You are waiting for Mr. Kim, aren't you?" Joon giggled.
    "...." Hanna looked down at her shoes silently.

    Joon was right. Hanna was eager for Mr. Kim, the mailman, but all that she could see was the zigzag path through the village from the mountain ridge. Flame-red and yellow flowers were full bloom all over the shallow mountain. It was spring.

    Hanna's village was called "Crane Village." A lot of cranes lived there with their babies. Running after cranes was a favorite game for children. To get away , the poor cranes flew in a big circle and sat down on the pine trees. That game seemed very fun but Hanna didn't feel like playing.

 

 

    Finally Mr. Kim appeared on Pine Hill. Hanna recognized him right away with his round hat and big bag. He was riding his bicycle down to Crane Village through the zigzag path. She hoped he had Dad's letter. Mr. Kim always brought it in his big mailbag.

    "Mr. Kim! Mr. Kim!" She rushed to him, her hair flapping.

    Mr. Kim looked embarrassed just as he saw her.

    "Hi, Hanna. No letter for you even today. Sorry," said Mr. Kim.

    "Oh, yes...." Hanna answered in whispers.

    "It's too long time since you got his last letter, huh?" He said.

    "Yes, three months. Surely something happened to him," Hanna said. She felt her eyes fill with tears.

    "Don't worry, Hanna. He must be busy. Wait more. Surely you will get his letter pretty soon," said Mr. Kim.

 

 

 

 

    Hanna hung her head in sadness and turned away.

    "What's wrong, Hanna? Something happened to your dad?" Yejee, her friend, asked.

    "He might be injured," Joon agreed quickly.

    "No," Hanna shouted. "His letter must be coming soon. Mr. Kim said."

    But what could she do if Joon was right? No. Her father was fine. Hanna was sure. Still she was worried.

    After that day, Hanna was always alone. She didn't wait for Mr. Kim any more. She recalled the days with Dad once whenever she had time. The memories of Dad's big hands and big smile always made her happy. Hanna still remembered the promise Dad had made as he gave her a big hug.

    "Hanna, I will come back in two years with a lot of money. I can let you go to university with that money. I know you are a wonderful girl. Please take care of your two young brothers and Mom. I'm very proud of you."

    Thast day Dad left for Los Angeles in America. A year had passed since then.

    Dad never forgot to send a letter every two weeks.When she held his letter, sometimes she tried to smell Dad. Whenever Mr. Kim took out Dad's letter from his big mailbag, Hanna's heart pounded with delight. Many interesting stories were in his letters. The wonderful views of sunset in Santa Monica Beach, very tall palm trees, lots of races, friendly Korea Town, and so on. She felt as if America were her second hometown even though she had never been there. Hanna named Mr. Kim's mailbag "Dream Bag."

 

 

 



    One day, Hanna heard Mr. Kim's voice and went to the gate.
    "See? I have your dad's letter." Mr. Kim handed her a letter with a smile.
    Hanna took it carefully.
    "Bye! Enjoy the letter." Mr. Kim went away in a hurry.
    Hanna looked into the envelope. The letters on it looked different than usual.

    "What are you doing, Hanna?" Mom called out to her.
    "I'm coming, Mom!" Hanna answered and hid the letter quickly in her pocket.
    When she got into the room, all family were there.
    "I'm happy to be all of you. I feel better. I'm sure I willrecover soon." Dad looked around the family with a bright smile on his pale face. Dad's same smile as before made Hanna's heart warm.
    "Sure, honey. Take your ease and rest up, please." We were worried a lot because we didn't get your letter for a long time. We didn't know you were very sick." Mom said gently.
    "Sorry, I didn't want to hurt your feeling. Anyway I am here with you and I am fine," said Dad.

    While Hanna was hearing them, she was thinking about the letter that Mr. Kim gave her. It was not hard to imagine that Mr. Kim tried hard to write that letter instead of her dad to make her happy.


Assignment 8:  Writing a Creative Story

HOW TO MAKE "DAHLGONAH" - The Korean Snack as Unique as Its Name

  

 

Making Dahlgonah

When I was young, Korea was a just developing country after the Korean War, so we didn't have any snacks or cookies . Instead, we created an unique snack that we could make with only two ingredients. We called it Dahlgonah. That meant, "how sweet!" in English. It was so good. I still remember what a thrill it was making Dahlgonah and hiding it from our parents.

There were two reasons for us to make it without our parents knowing. The first reason for that was the risk of fire use. The second one was the waste of sugar that was expensive and precious at that time. Unfortunately we used to be discovered and scolded by our parents because we burnt the metal scoop black.

Do you want to learn how to make it? If you are willing to follow directions carefully, you could be a wonderful cook!

Completed Snack, Dahlgonah

 

 

Servings:
     
       Four
 

Things You'll Need:

• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• Half teaspoon baking soda

Preparation:

      Metal scoop, wooden chopsticks, a cookie sheet, heat-resistant spatula and assorted
      shapes of cookie cutters
      

Steps:

1. Sprinkle the sugar 1/3 tablespoon on the cookie sheet first to keep the melted sugar and baking sodamixture from sticking.
2. Put the sugar 2/3 tablespoon in the metal scoop over low heat. Stir constantly with a chopstick until the sugar comes to a full rolling boil. Wooden chopsticks are better because they don't get hot.
3. Remove the scoop from heat.
4. Put baking soda in it. If you put in too much, it tastes bitter. If you put in too little, it won't rising. Just dipping a chopstick in sugar two times is enough.
5. Turn off the gas, and stir the sugar mixture with a chopstick. When it rises, put it on the cookie sheet and press it with the spatula.
6. Cut it with a cookie cutter into your favorite shape, and enjoy. If you move the cookie cutter a little bit from side to side, you can separate much easier. 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Tips and Warnings:

• When children use the oven, at least one adult needs to watch them.
• A rolling boil is a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred.
• When the sugar melts down two-thirds , you can put in chocolate or candy crumbs. It tastes fantastic!
• Cool completely after pressing melted liquid on the cooking sheet with a spatula. Then cut it into shapes you like with a cookie cutter.
• If you are lazy, you can eat from the scoop right away without cutting. After you finish eating, put the water on the scoop and boil it a little. It tasts good also!

Assignment 7 : Article

POLITE REFUSAL LETTER FROM PUBLISHER

I had an experience of sending off my story to some different publishing houses. When I got the refusal letter from them, I wasn't frustrated by their response because their letters were polite and considerate.

Since then, I never did such a thing again even if my instructor urged me to try more. I was simply satisfided with such an experience.

BETTER THAN A BIKE

 

    When Anabelle came home from the school, she saw a new blue bicycle.
    "Mom, is that mine?" She was so excited that she almost couldn't breathe.
    "No, it's Brandon's. His birthday is coming," Mom said.
    "Where is mine?" Anabelle looked around.
    "Your birthday isn't for a long time," Mom said. "Besides, you can't ride such a big bicycle."
    "But I like that bike," Anabelle shouted.
    "Anabelle, I said no," Mom said.
    Anabelle ran outside and went to the back yard. Patrasche wagged his tail gladly when he looked her. Ignoring him, Anabelle went to a garage - the older and rarely-used one of two garages her family had. It was Anabelle's favorite spot. She slammed the door and locked it. She plopped down on the floor and her eyes teared up. Her parents always did that. Always Brandon came before her. She didn't understand why. She would never be good enough for parents, Anabelle thought.
    Inside it was a little dark.  The afternoon sunbeam filtered through the small window. Her favorite doll, Amy, looked up from the small blanket. Anabelle usually loved to play in that place by herself. But right then Anabelle hated everything. She kicked Amy and curled up Amy's blanket.
    In a while, Anabelle felt cold and hungry. She got up. It became darker. Even the sunbeam through the window disappeared. She was scared. Anabelle decided to go back to Mom and Dad. She crawled to the door and opened it. Then she ran to the front door and swung it open.
    "Mom! Dad!" Anabelle shouted. "Brandon! Where are you?" Nobody answered. The house looked larger than ever. She began to cry.
    Then suddenly she heard Patrasche barking, and the front door opened.
    "Who's that?" Brandon shouted. "Mom, come quickly! Here is Anabelle!"
    "Anabelle, where have you been?" Brandon looked surprised.
    "What? Anabelle? Where?" Mom rushed in. When she saw Anabelle, Mom hugged her tightly and rubbed her cheek against Anabelle's.
    "Are you okay, sweetie? We all were looking for you. Dad went to the police station to file a missing child report."
    "Mom, I am hungry," She whispered.
    "Okay! Go eat dinner. I love you, Anabelle." Mom hugged her again.
    Anabelle saw Brandon's bicycle over Mom's shoulder. But she liked Mom's hug more than that new bicycle.

Assignment 6: A 500- to 1,200-word story using the child charactor I developed in Assignment 5 as my protagonist.

ANABELLE

 

 

 

ANABELLE I (Aged 5)

 Assignment A
 

    She was standing in the second row from the front. Every child wore a white high-necked shirt. All the boys wore black pants, and she wore black-pleated skirt exactly like every other girl. Their skirts hung down to their calves and long red scarves were put round their waists and were tied loosely on their sides. The long both ends of scarf fluttered as they were moving.

    The white navy hat on her head slightly cevered her wide firhead. Her long curly brown hair under the hat slipped down softly on her shoulders. She was an Asian to any eye, but she had fair and clear skin. She blinked her big eyes that had a double eyelid. Then she shook her body and leaned her head to one side very slightly. 

    At last the music started. the children on the stage began to sing and dance. She opened her mouth with big and full-looking lips compared with her small face, and sang, too. The rhythm was fast and lilting. The children didn't catch that rhythm, so they were moving around in confusion.

    Suddenly she looked toward her left and stared fixedly at another girl. Later on she stared at the girl on the other side. And then she looked at the front and continued singing and dancing. She showed the same behavior several times during the performance.

    "Please give your big hands to those young people. Those young people belong to the Peewee Pirate Club, and they did a wonderful job. What a blessing!" The pastor said.   

    People applauded. As the conductor gave a sign to the children, they faced their right and from the last row, they began to leave the stage through the back door of auditorium.
    While she was waiting her turn, she had her right hand holding the navy hat already. At that moment the girl just in front of her waved her hand to a woman among the people. She let that girl stop right away. People burst out laughing.
    As she walked down from the stage with soft steps, her long hair was waving on her back. The butterfly-shaped her hair pins were shining on the back of her good-looking ears. She was getting away and soon disappeared through the door.
  

 

 

 

ANABELLE II (Aged 5)

Assignment B

 

    I was standing in the second row from the front. My shirt made me uncomfortable. Its high neck choked my throat. Besides, my skirt was too long. I hated that because it looked like my grandma's. The navy hat drove me crazy, too. How ugly that hat was! It covered my new hair pins that were butterfly-shaped and glittered like stars. Those were my mom's gifts. I really wanted to show those off to people.

    My group was named "Peewee Pirate Club," so we must wear the navy uniforms. Why did the people make so many rules and want us to keep those? I didn't like any rule.

    I was bored. "Why do we wait so long? What are we waiting for? My legs are hurt." I looked at Mrs. Bomacod sitting on the front chair. She seemed worried about whether we would do well or not. She blinked one eye to me and gave a sign. I thought she wanted me to stand at attention before singnig. I tried.

    Finally we began to sing along with the piano. I really wanted to sing wonderfully because we practiced so much with Mrs. Bomacod. I sang while watching Mrs. Bomacod's conduct.

    Suddenly I heard Jenny next to me made a strange tone. Lydia on the door side, too. "What's going on?" I turned around to them by turns and tried to correct them with angry expression many times, but they ignored me. People laughed. What a shame! I was angry with them.

    When we finished singing, people clapped like thunder. I knew they didn't like our song, but our cute costumes and dance. I felt hot. I couldn't stand my ugly uniform any more, especially the hat, which covered my pretty pins. I took it off fast. I felt cool on both my head and heart.

    We faced to the right and were waiting for Mrs. Bomacod's sign to leave from the stage. At that time Jenny in front of me saw her mom and waved her hand. Her mom waved back. Her behavior reminded me of her mistake during the performance. She didn't seem realize that. What a silly girl! I patted her on the back and let her pay attention to leave from the stage.

    Finally I could be getting outside. I breathed fresh air deeply.



   

Assignment 5: This story has two parts.

A) After observing  a child or teenager engaged in activity of some kind and write a 350-word objective description of him or her.
 

B) Create a 350-word inner portrait of that child, using his or her language to express thought and feelings.

The Immortal Admiral, Sun-sin Yi - Inventor of the Turtle Ship

   

    Is there any statue of famous historical figures in your town? Have you ever seen a huge turtle-shaped ship? If not, come to visit South Korea. You can find the huge statue of Admiral Sun-sin Yi near the Seoul City Hall and seems to protect Korea like a guardian angel.
    Are you eager to know about Admiral Yi? Are you wondering why he made the turtle ship which was one of the first ironclad warships in history? Let's take a trip to the history, which was about 500 years ago, and meet him. Surely you will become one of many admirators of him toward the end of this trip.

The statue of Admiral Sun-sin Yi in Seoul, South Korea

 



    Sun-sin Yi is one of the greatest military leaders in world history. He has often been compared to Lord Nelson of England, but some of Yi's tactical skills surpassed Lord Nelson's . The great Korean commander never lost a single battle when Japan attacked Korea during the late 16th century. His "Battle of Hansan-do" ranks as one of the top four naval battles ever fought in world history. Japanese soldiers were said to have run away just by hearing the name Sun-sin Yi.
    Sun-sin Yi was born on April 28, 1545, in Korea. He spent a poor childhood because his father had been falsely accused of a crime, imprisoned, and tortured by the govrnment. From an early age, Yi liked to play soldiers and he was always a general of all his friends. He carried a bow and arrow wherever he went.
    Also he studied Confucius, the Chinese philosophy, hard and was excellent at that. He spoke bluntly even to the elders when he thought they were wrong, so the elders felt constraint in his presence. He was an obedient son to his parents. He was modest , but a strong-willed person.

Admiral Sun-sin Yi

    When the king cleared his father's name, Sun-sin Yi was allowed to apply the military civil service examination, at which he passed. His brilliance and honesty brought on jealousy and false accusations. He was arrested and imprisoned sometimes.
    Despite many trials and troubles, he was assigned to command the naval forces in Jeolla Province in 1591. There he was able to build up the regional navy, which was later used to confront a Japanese invasion force. He subsequently began to strengthen the nation's navy with a series of reforms, including the construction of the Turtle Ship.
    The Turtle Ship, Kobukson in Korean, was equipped with a dragon's head and a turtle's body. Its roof was covered with sharp iron spike which prevented enemy soldiers from boarding. The port holes were designed for the crew to look outside, the enemy could not see inside.
    In 1597, Yi led twelve Turtle Ship against numbers of Japanese ships in the Myongyang Straits. The Koreans gained a great victory.

 

 

 

The Turtle Ship, Kobukson

 

    At "the Battle of Noryang Strait" on November 19, 1598, Admiral Yi was encouraging the crews in the fore part of the ship. At that moment, he was shot to death by a stray bullet. When he was brathing his last, he whispered to his oldest son, "Do not weep. Do not announce my death. Beat the drum. Blow the trumpet. Wave the flag for advance. We are still fighting. Finish the enemy to the last one."

    He feared that the Japanese would attack them again if they found out of his death. He didn't want the Korean soldiers to lose their spirit even at his last moment. He was 54 years old when he died.

    Despite his death, about 450 Japanese battleship were destroyed, and only the remaining fifty could get back to Japan safely. The Seven Year-War between Korea and Japan came to an end.

    Sun-sin Yi kept a careful record of daily event in a diary even with his heavy schedule during the Seven Year-War. In these writings, we can find many useful lessons for today. Also we can feel how he suffered from the human loss involved in the war. These works have been published in English as "Nanjung Ilgi: War Diary of Admiral Sun-sin Yi."

 

  Nanjung Ilgi: War Diary of Admiral Yi Sun-sin

 

 

    Besides being remembered as a tactical genius, Admiral Yi is also remembered as a  man of personal integrity. He believed in three essentials for the warrior: humanity, discernment, and courage. He embodied all of them, and lived with integrity throughout his life.

    He said, "My life is simple, my food is plain, and my quarters are uncluttered. In all things, I have sought clarity. I face the troubles and problems of life and death willingly. Virtue, integrity and courage are my priorities. I can be approached, but never pushed; befriended but never coerced; killed but never shamed."

    He was respected and trusted by the men under his command. He was a warm-hearted person. He never lost his firm faith and bravery from any trials. He just believed firmly in his plan, made efforts for the development of his country, and pushed ahead. He tried to do his best whenever his country, which had abandoned him without reason, called him.

    Admiral Sun-sin Yi's legacy and teachings are priceless for us. His patriotism and integrity can be a role model for all, Korean or American.

 

 

ABOUT TURTLE SHIP, KOBUKSON

 

 

 

   The ship had 16 oars and two sails. The dragon-shaped head sent out smoke of burning sulfur powder in order to hide itself and confuse enemy fleet. The rear was shaped as a tail where the gunport was placed beneath.

    There were six gunports on bpth sides of the back plate, and ten cannon ports on both sides of the back plate, and ten cannon ports on both sides of shield. The ship was also equipped with fourteen cannons.

    The Turtle Ship was 65ft long, 11.8ft wide, 11.5ft high and weighed 150 tons, accommodating 130 to 150 soldiers. The Turtle Ships are exhibited in the War Museum of Washington in United States, the Maritime Museum in England, China, Germany, France, and other places.   

( Assignment 4: A nonfiction article on any topic I choose)

FOUR SEASONS IN MY HOMETOWN

   My heart is still in my little hometown where I spent my youth. Small charming mountains, valleys and the fields used to be filled with abundant shiny sunlight. The sky with his round face used to play magic everyday. He changed his color into blue, lemon and mysterious violet as time went on. Above all, four unique seasons, spring, summer, fall and winter, let me realize nature's wonder.
   
    Winter was always kicked out by azaleas covered the ridge of the mountains in pink. Beside the roads and beneath the trees, yellow blossom hung on short golden-bell trees. When the white petals began to flutter and dance and fall from the big apricot trees, the spores of dandelions flew in the sky like sleet in a gentle breeze.

 

 

Spring

 

    Summer rushed upon my room through the opened window like a flowing tide with the sweet smell of acacia. When I opened my mouth 'Ah,' and bit the acacia flowers, I felt my mouth was filled with somewhat bittersweet juice and smell. That made me dizzy. The young sprouts of pine tree, azaleas and acacia flowers used to be wonderful food when I felt thirsty or hungry after playing.
    To cahse after leaping frogs or wild rabbits gave me another fun. Sometimes I came across a colored snake that made a ring-shaped pad while I was looking for sweet mountain berries.  When the eye of heaven shone too hot, I plunged into the stream, making a splash. Because of the plop, the skylarks and wagtails that were taking a rest on the branch of an aged oak flew away, flapping their wings. Squirrels hid their small and soft bodies behind the leaves. At night, a number of fireflies twinkled above the stream like so many tiny jewels scattered about.

   

 

 

Summer

 

 

    In fall, clouds kissed the mountain, and then floated on the deep blue sky like the small boats. The stream tricked along. Birds babbled along with the melodious stream. The cicadas were crying as if they were sad for summer's going, and the crickets were singing as if they were glad for falls coming. Well-ripened golden rice plants in the fields were swayiing in the breeze. The fruits on the branches were ripening by the sun.

    After a while, only fallen leaves were whispering and the wind was whistling in the forest. Birds gaggled noisily and anxiously. They seemed worried about losing their houses as they noticed the fainted leaves. A lot of swallows on the wire twittered as if discussing how to get to the "Warm Southern Land."

 

 Fall

    The snow used to be a messenger of the winter. When I stepped upon the snow, whiter and softer than silver fleece, the crunching sound made a song. The branches of every tree were weighed with white blossoms. The icicles that had formed on the edge of the eave seemed ice bars. Soon the naughty sun made them drop tears.

    The biting wind from the north, turned into a slap to our faces. People turned up their collars against the harsh wind and hurried on their way home. "Oh, Wind! If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?" Someone said. He was right. The Sun was ready to bring "Miss Spring" with her shy face once again.

 

 

Winter 

( Assignment 3: The Description of a specific place remembered from my childhood ) 

THANKS, YOU HAVE MADE A LARGE CROP FOR US

ABOUT KOREAN HARVEST MOON FESTIVAL, "CHU-SOK"

 

 

    Korean people have two big special holidays every year. One is New Year's Day, "Seol Ral," and the other is "Chu-sok," which is like Thanksgiving Day."Chu-sok" is the day Korean people give thanks to their ancestors in heaven for helping to get a large harvest in fall.

    All families get together in their hometown to participate in traditional ceremonies. They make special food, wear traditional clothes, and enjoy games or dance with their neighbors on that day. It is celebrated at the time of the brightest full moon, "Borum-dahl."  "Chu-sok" is filled with feelings of richness and abundance. Let's explore what Korean people do for the three days of the "Chu-sok" Holiday.

    "Chu-sok" falls on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar, usually in September or October by the solar calendar. More than thirty million people, nearly half of the total population in Korea, travel to their hometown for family get-togethers, so that the occasion is called "National Exodus of People." On the way to their hometown, all have gifts for their loved ones, some of whom they have not seen for months or maybe even years. The mild temperatures after the simmering summer heat make everyone happy, so their restless hearts are already floating to their sweet old home.

 

 

 

  

    Long ago, even now in some parts of the countryside, most Korean families did not have bath tubs inside their houses. Mothers used to take children to the public bath on the day before Chu-sok to scrub dirt from them, so they could attend th e next morning's sacrificial rite with a clean body. The women have a lot of work to do. They cook mountains of food for their families , serve relatives and visitors and clean up after them. Meanwhile, children wait eagerly to wear colorful and beautiful "Han-bok," the traditional clothes their parents bought for them.

    "Chu-sok" cannot be celebrated properly without the rice cake "Songphyon." After mixing the rice flour with boiled water and working dough, it is formed into half-moon shapes with the sesame seeds and honey, beans or chestnuts inside. Then they lay pine needles in the steamer and put the rice dumplings on them. After steaming for a while, they spreaf sesame oil on "Songphyon" with a brush before eating.   
    Men, even children become quite cooperative around Songphyon-making time. The house is full of smiles and pleasure. Red and yellow-tinged leaved in the yard are shaking like flags and whispering with autumn breeze. It is heart-warming for all the family to work together and have fun.

          

  "Songphyon" Making Process 

          

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    "Charae"is a ceremony to respect their ancestors. It is the first thing families do on "Chu-sok." In the morning of "Chu-sok," wearing "Hanbok," Koreans bow th their ancestors, with food presented on a table as an offering. Refined rice wine, taro soup, beef, fish and three different-colored vegetables are on the table. The season's first crop of fruits, such as persimons, apples, pears, nuts and dates, are offered, too.

    During that rite, it is important to express their respect because Koreans think that their ancestors visit at that time in their house, and look at everything, their actions and their faces, even their minds.

 

 

 

 

    After "Charae," everyone eats food and enjoys himself. They talk about their daily lives with each other. Then, they visit the grave sites of their ancestors to observe a similar ritual. A few days earlier, the men in the family actually went to remove weeds and cut the grass from the ancestors' graves.

 

 

 

 

    At night, Koreans enjoy dancing under the full moon, "Borum-dahl," with their families and neighbors as singing "Kang Kang Sue Wal Lae." They dance sometimes fast, sometimes slow holding hands and circling. There is also wrestling, swinging, jumping seesaw and other folk games that are played.

 

 

Kang Kang Sue Wal Lae

Korean Wrestling "Ssireum"

 

 

Swinging

  

Jumping Seesaw "Neolttwigi"

    Korean people still observe the traditional holiday, "Chu-sok," although in a simple way. Like American Thanksgiving, "Chu-sok" is the time to celebrate the family and give thanks for their blessings.

 

( Assignment 2: Article )