Friday, February 27, 2015

Book list

1. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini — Afghanistan and California

Why you should read it: You’ll have a really good cry and also learn about the ethnic and religious conflict in Afghanistan.The Kite Runner’s depiction of Afghanistan and Afghan immigrants was a resounding hit at the time of its release and holds up extraordinarily well to this day.

2. Minaret by Leila Aboulela — Sudan and Britain

What it’s all about: A young, secular Sudanese woman moves from the party life of Khartoum to a quiet life of service in London.

Why you should read it: Minaret is a subtle portrayal of the complex internal world of an orthodox Muslim woman as well as a criticism of classism in Muslim communities at home and abroad.

3.The Good Muslim by Tahmima Anam — Bangladesh

What it’s all about: A doctor comes home to find that the 1971 Bangladeshi war of independence from Pakistan has utterly changed her relationship with her brother, now a local religious leader.

Why you should read it: It will open your eyes to the trauma of independence on Bangladesh and the complicated role of faith in the young nation.

4. No God But God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam

Though it is the fastest-growing religion in the world, Islam remains shrouded in ignorance and fear for much of the West. In No god but God, Reza Aslan, an internationally acclaimed scholar of religions, explains this faith in all its beauty and complexity.  

Religion, it must be understood, is not faith. Religion is the story of faith." That is the reader's key to this fascinating account of the origins and development of Islam. Faith is a way of moving and being in the world; religion is a body of traditions and practices and institutions that preserve the story of how to move and be in the world that way. 

5.Enjoy your life 

The aim of the book is to train the reader to enjoy living his life by practicing various self-development and inter-personal skills. What is so compelling and inspiring about this book is that, in order to highlight the benefit of using social skills, the author draws from the lives of the Prophet (S) and his Companions.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Summary of the 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee

The 25th Annual Putnam Country Spelling Bee is a kind of long single acted muscial comedy. The people who conceived is by Rebecca Feldman and the music lyrics are by William Finn. This show centers on a fictional spelling bee, which sets in a geographically ambiguous Putnam Valley Middle School, Connecticut. 
In 2005, it has been produced by Broadway, and directed by James Lapine, produced  by David Stone, James L. Nederlander, Barbara Whitman, Patrick Catullo, Barrington Stage Company and Second Stage Theater, got a really good rfeviews, box-office success and was nominated for sixth Tony Awards. There is one thing interesting, which is four real audience members are invited on stage to compete in the spelling bee with the six young characters.  
This show has been shown all around the world, and used lots of kinds of different languages.
The start of this musical show begins with Rona Lisa Peretti entering the gymnasum to set up. When she passes by the microphone, she has a flashback which is about she won the third annual spelling bee by correctly spelling syzygy.  The spellers are introduced when they enter, and sing out about their aniticipation of the bee.  Then is the spelling bee, each non-audience speller is called forward, then audience learns about his or her background through flashacks. Then auidences can interact with the acters. It's a kind of lovely show which the whole gym will be lighted. 

Monday, February 23, 2015

Haiku poems

Others: Basho Matsuo in 1600s

An old silent pond...

A frog jumps into the pond,

splash! Silence again.


Recent one 

As the wind does blow

Across the trees, I see the

Buds blooming in May


Mine:
University,
my dream already started,
this just like sunshine

I believe in that, 
if you try keep working hard,
you will get success.

Friday, January 23, 2015

Two discussion question

1. What is the arguments between Sookan's sister and Sookan?
2. What do you think that how sookan will change into with native Korean culture and the new American culture mixed?

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

The letter to Sookan's sister

My dear sister,
I havn't seen you for a long time! How are you these days? I already miss you. For me, living and studying to a totally different country which is also pretty far away from our homeland, it's not that easy. As you know, I just came here and I needed to prepare for the courses that I will study with, the dorm, communication with other students and teachers... Recently I am just too busy and tired of the new days here, so I am really sorry that I didn't write journal to you. I just let you know that everything here is okay, I like it and I have no problems to get better in this new environment. 
Don't worry about me! I wish everything in your life will be as exciting as mine too!
Love you,
Sookan 

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

5 facts about Sook Nyul Chop

Sook Nyul Choi is a Korean American children's storybook author. 
She was born in Pyongyang, North Korea, and during the korean war, she fled to South Korea.
She emigated to pursue higher education, earning her B.A. from Manhattanville College in 1962 and becoming a school teacher in New York. 
She is the widow of Nung Ho Choi, with whom she had two daughters. 
Gathering of Pearls got award: 1995 books for the Teen Age Award 

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Blog 10

During this winter break, I didn't have that much stuff to do. So I have watched some movies. The only one which gives me the strongest feeling is Mongol. It is about the story about Genghis Khan, from he was young until he united all the Mongolian tribes and built the Mongol Empire. It was took in these countries, Russia, Kazakhstan and Mongolia. It is a kind of epic movie, it has actors from Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China and Japan. The language basically is Mongolian, all the actors from other countries also learned and spoke Mongolian. I am interested in this movie because I have mongolian blood from my mum, and I would like to know more about how the people now think about the great conqueror Genghis Khan, and how people made about him in this movie. 
The movie was from when Temujin, which is the boy who becomes Genghis Khan in the future, when he was 9 years old. His father, Yesugei is the leader of the tribe. He brought his son to a friendly tribe to choose his wife in the future, as the old tradition in Mongolia. The girl, Borte, as the time when Temujin chose her, she also chose Temujin as her only man, only husband. He didn't know his great choice of his wife was just the biggest help for him to have chance to conquer the world. 
As the way they go back to their tribe, they went to an enemy tribe, joined their party--- In Mongol, any one can join the tribe party, friends, strangers or even enemy. Unfortunely, Temujin's father Yesugei drunk the wine with poison. He left the young son to face all the problems: The khan died, then lots of people wanted to leave the tribe. There's an old saying"If there's not a king in a group of wolves, we can't say it's a group." in Mongol. Young Temujin ran away with his mother, brothers, a little people who still loyal to the old Khan, and with a heart full of  wishes to revenge. 
Days has its own way to pass, and Temujin grows up quickly. When he is 15 years old, he is very strong and energetic. People in the grassland all know there's a strong, young wolf king leads his tribe. Their enemy also know that. "It's so much easy to kill a young tiger especially it hasn't grown up", the Khan of their enemies said.And he seems know how to do: He made a few cavalryman lurk in the place near their tribe, and they surrounded the forest that Temujin was hunting in. Three days past, Temujin felt hungry and thirsty. He couldn't  bear it, during this hard time he remembered  his father. At the last day of three days, he decided to go our. 
"I rather to get killed by their blades to compare with get starved," He thought," Tengri helt me too much, now my life all depends on myself now."
Unfortunately he got caught as he went out of the forest, but the Tayichiuds didn't kill him. They wanted to insult him, made him wear shackles and took him around their tribe, as their celebration of revenge. They let every family in the tribe watch him each day. Temujin waited, until the day as a chance, just like the cheetah waited for his preys.
In that day, there was only a teenager watched him. Others went to a party but left him to watch him. The teenager felt upset and drunk. Temujin used his shackles to stun him, and he ran away. He ran into a river because water can decrease the smell of him then the dogs can find him lately. The river he hided is Onon River, which now we called the mother river of Mongolians.
Tengri is the god, the sky of Mongol. 
During Temujin's life, lots of hard problems were waiting for him to figure out. The only thing he had, was himself, and his wife, the girl who promised him to use her whole life to stand with him and help him with everything. The movie stoped when he conquered the whole Mongol, and bacame the real Genghis Khan, which means the Khan, the king who is great like ocean. He tidied his armour, his blade , his belt and his heart--- to conquer the world.