Book club reflection

 Joy luck club

This book was the one of our best book that we have ever read. It was very interesting that each character was telling its own stories. We loved to read about each mother’s story and arguments with their daughters. We especially loved the story of Jing Mei; she was always struggling with her mother who wanted her to be a prodigy. Her mother was sure that Jing Mei could become a prodigy if she worked hard, but Jing Mei doesn’t follow her mother’s word. After many years later when Jing Mei’s mother died, she realized how much her mother loved her, even though they always had arguments with each other. This story taught us how we should act with our parents and make them happy before they die.

The kite runner review

The Kite Runner

 The book is about relationships between parents and children, friendship and loyalty in Afghanistan. Characters had experienced Afghanistan’s revolution and war. At that time, there were conflicts between cultures and treatment from different social classes. The main characters are Amir and Hassan. They were friends but had different positions in society. This book makes readers think about real relationship and what is right or wrong. Moreover, it has humanity values this story is quite interesting, you can keep reading.

Red Azalea

Red Azalea

            This Red Azalea is the memoir of Anchee Min. Almost all the events of the story happened in the barracks of the countryside. It talked about the lives of those comrades during the Chinese Cultural Revolution. Life in the barracks was very hard, and the relationships between the people were very complicated. In this period, most people did not have rights to choose their own lives. People should follow the policies which were assigned by the government. Anchee Min was brave enough to reveal things about her personal life since these were forbidden in China.  

Book Club:Ruby, Cece, Sammy, Gordon, Sam, Wilson

 

The Kite Runner

                                                   The Kite Runner

                                   Group: Madhi,Chalat,Hugh,Flora,Lin

This book was very interesting for all of us. The story is outstanding and dramatic. Therefore, it was very easy to understand and catch our attention. While we were reading it, the stories moved back and forth from the past to the present. Thus, at the beginning it was difficult and confusing. However, after few chapters, the stories were flowing smoothly and it motivated us to read more. We had the opportunity to know about another culture and friends relationships. While we were reading the book, we thought that Amir was selfish and dishonest with his friend Hassan. Also, the story’s transition came suddenly. Amir had a completely new life in the U.S. However, the phone call from Rahim made everything changed. Amir knew the secret of Baba, and Amir went back Afghanistan to have a self-redemption. In our opinion we did like it even though it was a rough book.

The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club by An, Wing, Anna

Our group, Wing, An, and Anna love this book. The reason why Wing likes this book is the book related her native country, China. In Anna’s opinion, The Joy Luck Club has a little complicated story, and many characters made her a little confused at the beginning. However, she became accustomed to the plot, and she started being interested in this story. Four mothers’ lives and their daughters’ lives looked different, but sometimes they looked similar, even to our lives as a daughter of a family. Overall, this book made Anna think about several things, such as mother’s thoughts, immigration life, and relationships in life. In addition, An thinks that Amy Tan described the mothers’ and daughters’ emotions and relationships well.

The Korea War

Sol Choi

11/05/13

Final draft

The Korean War

If I say, “I am from Korea” people usually ask me “South or north?” because Korea is one of the few divided countries in the world. People may know that Korea is a divided country, but people don’t know why Korea had to divide during the Korea war. In 1950, Korea had a war between the north and south. At the end of the war, the country was divided with North Korea. Therefore, at end of the war, many families were separated and some have not found their family until now. Even though the war ended many years ago, but Korea war is still influence to my family and Koreans.

One effect of the war is that a lot of Korean have not found family by the war. During the war, a lot of refugees lost their families, and they are still trying to find family until these days but find to family is difficult. In 1950, my grandmother was a 17 years old, and her older sister was a 19 years old. My grandmother and her sister were refugees in the war. When they flee to South from North they had to separate each other by the war. Also my grandmother is still waiting for her sister and trying to find her sister. Every few years, the Korea government makes that search campaigns for separated families and a lot of people participate the campaigns. Thus, try to find my grandmother’s sister is difficult. However, if people who lost family in the war and find family at the campaigns, people cannot call to the family because North Korea is not same country anymore.

Another effect of the war is that men who lives in Korea require go to army for a year and half. There is a mandatory draft in Korea. Actually, the war is not really overt finished, it was stopped, and men have to be ready for the war every day. Every Korean male who become a twenty years old is required go to army, even a famous people and student. In my family, my brother is going to go army in next year because he is going to become a twenty years old in next year. Also my mom is worry about it because when my brother go to army my mom cannot see him for a long time. Fortunately, there has not been countries war, but Koreans always have to be ready for the war while they living in Korea.

In addition, another effect of the war is Koreans always put up the flag on the window on June 25^th. Actually, Korea has a lot of holiday even small holiday like valentine day. However, on June 25^th is biggest holiday and sad day, because many people passed away during the war. Koreans always put up the flag on window because Koreans want to remember and pray for a lot of people who was sacrificed by the war. In fact, my grandfather participated the war, and he died during the battle. Every year on June 25^th my father and mother always put up the flag and prays for their father.

In conclusion, the war is still pretant in Korean daily life. However, Korean pray that the country can recover quickly and forget the pain suffered in the war. I wish that the government would make a lot of search separate family campaign. This year, the search separate family is going to start, and I hope that my grandmother will find her sister this time.

An Opportunity to Study

      “Do you like your current school?” This is a popular question that my friends and relatives who live in China would like to ask me. Obviously, I like my school, Harold Washington College, even though I will transfer to another university. Therefore, I would like to remember all those days that I have spent here. Harold Washington College was my first college in the U.S. which I could remember the first time that I got into this college, I felt it was liked a business building because it was very differences with the school that I studied in China. Therefore, the teaching method and atmosphere will benefit my education compared to my past experiences.

       The teaching method in the U.S. helps students become more creative. The classes in China that is the teachers stand in front of students, and send out their knowledge to students, they do not know or care about how much knowledge that students can be absorb. In addition, students cannot discuss questions during the class because it seems rude to the teachers. I am taking the ESL 100 class that is a huge different class with the classes that I took in China. In my current ESL 100 class, the sentence that I heard the most is “do you have any questions, do you agree/disagree me?” During my ESL 100 class, students can share their opinions loudly and discuss with teacher and classmates. Moreover, we had a book club that I have not heard before. We discussed the book that we chose and shared our opinions with others. Due to the teaching method, it has made me more creative.

       In addition, I love the equipment in my current school. In China, students are using hand writing for too many years. Teachers do not ask students to use laptops or computers to finish their homework, even for college students. Also, if a student has emergency that not be able to go to attend classes, she/he do not know what her/his homework it is, and she/he may lose her/his points. Apart from that, if a student wants to know how many points that she/he get during the semester, she/he has to ask her/his teachers, and teachers will show her/him results on paper. On the contrary, students can use my math lab, my writing lab and blackboard that are the useful equipment to do their homework and improve their skills in my current school. My math lab can show students how to finish the questions step by step. Also, students can post their essay in my writing lab, and they can receive the feedback after several days. In the same time, they can finish their homework in my writing lab which will point out their mistake and focus on their weakness to improve their skills. In addition, students can check their homework, how many points that they get during the semester and turn it in their homework on blackboard. This convenient equipment makes me love my current college in the U.S.

       Apart from that, the security system also plays the important role in my current school.  If someone wants to get into Harold Washington College, she/he has to show her/his student ID. Otherwise, she/he has to see the security guys, and they decide she/he can get in or not. Once, I forgot to bring my student ID to go to school, so the security guy asked me to show something to proof I am a student in Harold Washington College. Thus, I showed him my schedule, and he opened the door for me. Moreover, they have cameras in each floor, even in classrooms to make sure this is a safe place. However, most of the Chinese schools do not have such as security system. Everybody can get into the colleges that they do not need to show their student ID, and schools do not care about that. Therefore, I felt happy when I found out about the system of security in my current college.

       I really love my current school because of the teaching method, equipment and security system. Studying in such a place is like an ocean of knowledge to swim freely with my buddies, like the god brings us to move on. Therefore, I prefer to learn at Harold Washington College.  Moreover, I think a lot of students can get benefit from Harold Washington College not just me.