Book

1. Jane Eyre
The love story Between a teacher and her owner.
2. Pride and prejudice
A love story between a normal family with 5 daughters and a rich man.
3. Hunger games
A story of killing between tributes, and districts to capital
4. Wuthering heights
A story of love and revenge
5. The great blue yonder
The story of a died boy's soul's travel to his familiar places.

spelling bee

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a long one-act musical comedy conceived by Rebecca Feldman with music and lyrics by William Finn, a book by Rachel Sheinkin and additional material by Jay Reiss. The show centers on a fictional spelling bee set in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School. Six quirky adolescents compete in the Bee, run by three equally quirky grown-ups.

The 2005 Broadway production, directed by James Lapine and produced by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Barrington Stage Company and Second Stage Theater, earned good reviews and box-office success and was nominated for six Tony Awards, winning two, including Best Book. The show has spawned various other productions in the U.S., including a national tour with performances in Canada, and Australian productions.

An unusual aspect of the show is that four real audience members are invited on stage to compete in the spelling bee alongside the six young characters. During the 2005 Tony Awards, former Presidential candidate Al Sharpton competed. Another amusing aspect of the show is that the official pronouncer, usually an improv comedian, provides ridiculous usage-in-a-sentence examples when asked to use words in a sentence. For instance, for the word "palaestra", he says, "Euripides said, 'What happens at the palaestra stays at the palaestra.'"[1] At some shows, adult-only audiences (over age 16) are invited for "Parent-Teacher Conferences," also known as "adult night at the Bee." These performances are peppered with sexual references and profanity inspired by R-rated ad-libs made during rehearsals.

The Broadway cast album was released on May 31, 2005 and is available from Ghostlight Records, an imprint of Sh-K-Boom Records. The original Broadway cast recording was nominated for a Grammy Award.

Haiku

Love
Love would never come
Unless people go find it
It won't be so long


I don't like haiku
Valerie is next to me
but I feel so bored

Dali's clock
A wonderful clock
Which seems to be Dali's pride
Why he draws so odd?

Gathering of a precious life

Gathering of Pearls, written by Sook Nyul Choi, tells a story about a North Korean girl goes aboard to take college in America. The girl calls Sookan, and she changes a lot during her college life and solves many problems. It’s a book reminds me my own experiences in America for high school. However, the cover of the books, which has a picture of a serious girl picks up pearls on the floor, makes me interested. I have wondered the when a read the first few chapters of the book, but I soon understand it when I see the chapters Sister Reed gives her the pearl necklace and the chapter she accidentally breaks the necklace. The pearls that Sookan gathers on the cover image represent her gathering of friends, experiences and personal growth; the precious pearls show the precious changes that she has gained by studying aboard.

First of all, about her friends, she has two good friends, Marci and Ellen. They have different personalities but both help her a lot. Ellen’s her roommate and she’s much more outgoing than Marci. She’s the first person in America brings Sookan lots of warmth. She makes Sookan feels her friendly and her kindness. She's kind of talktive and she likes to have conversation with Sookan. When she first meets Sookan, she says, "I've been waiting for her so long. Sookan, sit with me. I'm so glad you are finally here." (P. 8) It shows Ellen's passion. Marci is a shy girl, but she cares about Sookan; when she notice Sookan hasn’t have any lunch, she would bring food to her. Both of them are great friends for Sookan, but it doesn’t means Sookan doesn’t have other friends. She gathers other friends by being the only international students in the whole college. She’s so special and all her teachers and classmates like her and recommend her ability. The friendships she has gathered are truly precious of her life; the friendship is a lifetime wealth. Those friend would help her determines many decisions and help her to determine her life.

For the experiences she gathers, Sookan is so hard working to work and to learn. She seems like a sponge, tries extremely hard to make her full fills. Even Sister Reed wants her to get some rest because of the busy work she has. Nonetheless the works are difficult, and she spends too many times on European history, she still got excellent grade and makes the teachers proud of her. On the other hand, Ellen continues asking Sookan to go to mixer, dance balls and other community activities with her. Even though she doesn’t usually have time to go with Ellen, she finally decides to go to dance with Tome, who is Kyle’s roommate. She changes a lot in those experiences. She has been a hardworking student since she started her college life, and she finally learns to enjoy her life. It doesn’t mean she’s not diligent anymore; it just makes me feel happy for her. Also, her experience could help her in her later life and she can learn a way better to live.

After that, her personal growth is also a significant point that she gathers. She becomes more brave, more outgoing and she studies how to decide her life. There have been many changes in her personality. For example, in the beginning of the book, she doesn’t want to wear the “crispy” (P 7) hanbok, but “I sighed, but got myself ready in a hurry”(p7). She cannot say no to the elders and even her friends. She listens to her sister and she must obey her sister in her perspective. When Marci asks if Sookan really wants to share the journal with her sister, Sookan says, “Well, she asked me to, and she is my older sister. She says she doesn’t want us grow apart.” (P 25) An idea of obeying her sister is taking roots in her mind. However, during the year, she learns that her sister isn’t always right and she kinds of blame her sister because of her misunderstanding. When her mother has died, she knows that everyone has their thinking in their lives, and she should be respectful to the different ideals in other’s mind. She grows from blindly obeying others to thinking of herself and lastly become a girl who understands others and accepts her own ideas. Thus, the growth she gathers makes her to a great person, who’s respectful, independent and strong-minded.

To conclude, she changes a lot in only one-year college life, and she might be better and better in her later life. Even though Sookan faces many difficulties in her year, as her mother says in the last chapter of the book, “Tough times are the times when one gather one’s pearls.” She’s getting better and better in the tough time and she would finally gain her gorgeous pearls as the cover of the book shows. I wish her life would be the pearls that she gathers in the cover of the book, and being fulfilling, precious and beautiful.

Citation

Choi, Sook Nyul., and Sook Nyul. Choi. Gathering of Pearls. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Print.

Sample Haiku poem

An old silent pond...

A frog jumps into the pond,

splash! Silence again.

Autumn moonlight—

a worm digs silently

into the chestnut.

Lightning flash—

what I thought were faces

are plumes of pampas grass.

The meaning of the cover

Gathering of Pearls, written by Sook Nyul Choi, tells a story about a North Korean girl goes aboard to take college in America. The girl calls Sookan, and she changes a lot during her college life and solves many problems. It’s a book reminds me my own experiences in America for high school. However, the cover of the books, which has a picture of a serious girl picks up pearls on the floor, makes me interested. I have wondered the when a read the first few chapters of the book, but I soon understand it when I see the chapters Sister Reed gives her the pearl necklace and the chapter she accidentally breaks the necklace. The pearls that Sookan gathers on the cover image represent her gathering of friends, experiences and personal growth; the precious pearls show the precious changes that she has gained by studying aboard.

First of all, about her friends, she has two good friends, Marci and Ellen. They have different personalities but both help her a lot. Ellen’s her roommate and she’s much more outgoing than Marci. She’s the first person in America brings Sookan lots of warmth. She makes Sookan feels her friendly and her kindness. Marci is a shy girl, but she cares about Sookan; when she notice Sookan hasn’t have any lunch, she would bring food to her. Both of them are great friends for Sookan, but it doesn’t means Sookan doesn’t have other friends. She gathers other friends by being the only international students in the whole college. She’s so special and all her teachers and classmates like her and recommend her ability. The friendships she has gathered are truly precious of her life; the friendship is a lifetime wealth. Those friend would help her determines many decisions and help her to insist on her faith.

For the experiences she gathers, Sookan is so hard working to work and to learn. She seems like a sponge, tries extremely hard to make her full fills. Even Sister Reed wants her to get some rest because of the busy work she has. Nonetheless the works are difficult, and she spends too many times on European history, she still got excellent grade and makes the teachers proud of her. On the other hand, Ellen continues asking Sookan to go to mixer, dance balls and other community activities with her. Even though she doesn’t usually have time to go with Ellen, she finally decides to go to dance with Tome, who is Kyle’s roommate. She changes a lot in those experiences. She has been a hardworking student since she started her college life, and she finally learns to enjoy her life. It doesn’t mean she’s not diligent anymore; it just makes me feel happy for her. Also, her experience could help her in her later life and she can learn a way better to live.

After that, her personal growth is also a significant point that she gathers. She becomes more brave, more outgoing and she studies how to decide her life. There have been many changes in her personality. For example, in the beginning of the book, she doesn’t want to wear the “crispy” (P 7) hanbok, but “I sighed, but got myself ready in a hurry”(p7). She cannot say no to the elders and even her friends. She listens to her sister and she must obey her sister in her perspective. When Marci asks if Sookan really wants to share the journal with her sister, Sookan says, “Well, she asked me to, and she is my older sister. She says she doesn’t want us grow apart.” (P 25) An idea of obeying her sister is taking roots in her mind. However, during the year, she learns that her sister isn’t always right and she kinds of blame her sister because of her misunderstanding. When her mother has died, she knows that everyone has their thinking in their lives, and she should be respectful to the different ideals in other’s mind. She grows from blindly obeying others to thinking of herself and lastly become a girl who understands others and accepts her own ideas. Thus, the growth she gathers makes her to a great person, who’s respectful, independent and strong-minded.

To conclude, she changes a lot in only one-year college life, and she might be better and better in her later life. Even though Sookan faces many difficulties in her year, as her mother says in the last chapter of the book, “Tough times are the times when one gather one’s pearls.” She’s getting better and better in the tough time and she would finally gain her gorgeous pearls as the cover of the book shows. I wish her life would be the pearls that she gathers in the cover of the book, and being fulfilling, precious and beautiful.

Citation

Choi, Sook Nyul., and Sook Nyul. Choi. Gathering of Pearls. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1994. Print.

The meaning of the cover - first draft

Gathering of Pearls, written by Sook Nyul Choi, tells a story about a North Korean girl goes aboard to take college in America. The girl calls Sookan, and she changes a lot during her college life and solves many problems. It’s a book reminds me my own experiences in America for high school. However, the cover of the books, which has a picture of a serious girl picks up pearls on the floor, makes me interested. I have wondered the when a read the first few chapters of the book, but I soon understand it when I see the chapters Sister Reed gives her the pearl necklace and the chapter she accidentally breaks the necklace. The pearls that Sookan gathers on the cover image represent her gathering of friends, experiences and personal growth; the precious pearls show the precious changes that she has gained by studying aboard.

First of all, about her friends, she has two good friends, Marci and Ellen. They have different personalities but both help her a lot. Ellen’s her roommate and she’s much more outgoing than Marci. She’s the first person in America brings Sookan lots of warmth. She makes Sookan feels her friendly and her kindness. Marci is a shy girl, but she cares about Sookan; when she notice Sookan hasn’t have any lunch, she would bring food to her. Both of them are great friends for Sookan, but it doesn’t means Sookan doesn’t have other friends. She gathers other friends by being the only international students in the whole college. She’s so special and all her teachers and classmates like her and recommend her ability. The friendships she has gathered are truly precious of her life; the friendship is a lifetime wealth. Those friend would help her determines many decisions and help her to insist on her faith.

For the experiences she gathers, Sookan is so hard working to work and to learn. She seems like a sponge, tries extremely hard to make her full fills. Even Sister Reed wants her to get some rest because of the busy work she has. Nonetheless the works are difficult, and she spends too many times on European history, she still got excellent grade and makes the teachers proud of her. On the other hand, Ellen continues asking Sookan to go to mixer, dance balls and other community activities with her. Even though she doesn’t usually have time to go with Ellen, she finally decides to go to dance with Tome, who is Kyle’s roommate. She changes a lot in those experiences. She has been a hardworking student since she started her college life, and she finally learns to enjoy her life. It doesn’t mean she’s not diligent anymore; it just makes me feel happy for her. Also, her experience could help her in her later life and she can learn a way better to live.

To conclude, she changes a lot in only one-year college life, and she might be better and better in her later life. I wish her life would be the pearls that she gathers in the cover of the book, and being fulfilling, precious and beautiful.

Brainstorming

When I read the first few chapters in the book, I was confused. The name of the book is not connecting to the plots at all. When I read the chapter that Sister Reed gave Sookan the pearl necklace and the scene she broke, I kind of got some ideas in my mind. Then, when I finished the book, I understand the name of the book in my own ways.

Sookan’s life was continuing gathering. She went to America by her own and she gathered the experience in America, she gathered the knowledge she learned in college, she gathered friends, and she gathered some good personalities. According to the cover of the book, a young girl bended down and tried to gather pearls that was fallen on the ground. In this perspective, the pearls could represent the experience she gathered in a year, or the other important things she gathered during the studying of one year. Pearls are precious. So it might show people that what Sookan gathered was important and valuable. So, it means what she met in her lonely trip to America is life worthy.

Also, it showed her patience to gather small things all together. So, it showed the beauty of her mind. She did love beautiful things, and she cherished those things. Also, people could see her determination when she decided to do something. Even thought it’s hard to gather all the pearls, she would still gather them. It implied her decision that she wanted to stay in America to have her own life instead of listening her sister to be a nun.

Changes in five years

On a normal morning five years after Sookan’s freshman year, Sookan got a phone call from Marci. “Sookan, I will asked you for the last time, will you come to Greece with me?” It reminded Sookan Marci’s smile. “No, sorry. I won’t go to Greece and work with you. But maybe I would travel to your place.” Sookan became a little bit nifty in five years. “It’s great to be a teacher, I won’t leave the job that I wants to do for many years away. This might be the most beautiful job for me.” Also said by Sookan.

After finishing the phone call, she started to write a letter to her mother, who went to the heaven five years ago. After her mother’s death, she has gotten used to write letters to the heaven soon. She missed her mother, which was the person helped Sookan to determine her faith and brought her lots of care. Sookan would like to tell her everything happened in her life.

Sookan didn’t go back to Korea and start a life of being a nun. She lastly decided to have her own life. However, by the using of mobile phones and other electronic devices, she can easily contact her brothers and sister. Actually, she dated Tom, Kyle’s roommate, for a short period of time but broke up because of the cultural conflict. However, she engaged with a Korean American a month ago and they would have a beautiful wedding few weeks after.

Theresa, her stubborn sister, changed a lot these years and stopped forcing Sookan to be a nun. They started to have a better relationship, and became like real siblings more. She would come to Sookan’s weeding. After noticing her schedule of traveling America, she said, “Take care my dear sister, I might teach your children to go to work with me few years later.” However Sookan knew that she was kidding and she was surprised by Theresa’s change.

For Ellen, Sookan’s outgoing roommate, she lastly engaged with Kyle as she wished. It’s happy to say that she did chose a colorful and happy life for herself. As a result, when her parents looked at her smile, which came from her heart, they started to know that their daughter grew up and know what’s best for her. Ellen always said that, “The best thing in the world is that you can marry the boy that you loved for the first time.” And she did marry with the first guy she loved. Ellen lived neared Sookan so she could always hanged out with Sookan. Their friendship was still continuing and they always took care of each other.

Sookan’s life was continuing. Even though there might be other problems happened in her life, this independent and tough girl would solve all of them. People who knew her could make sure that Sookan was a star, which is not always sparkling, but can make everybody proud of her. She would have a beautiful life, and she would reach her dreams.