Defining my Identity #5

Write a minimum 50 words mission statement that describes the way I want to live my life.

       
      I value the characteristics of individuality and originality. I will pursue my own thoughts and not being biased from others’ thoughts and ideas. Having my own vision and finding my own voice is necessary. Accordingly, I will try to make a difference by showing my own creativity.     

Defining my Identity #10

-The one thing that I will probably never do but would like to do if I was a completely fearless, wild, independently wealthy person.

http://www.boraboraisland.com/diveasy/

-Scuba Diving-

-Bora Bora Island-

                      If I was fearless, wild, and independently wealthy, I would like to scuba dive in Bora Bora. Since I cannot swim, I am always afraid of going into the water. Because of a traumatic experience in grade 2, I am hostile towards water going into my ears and mouth. The thought and feeling of water pulling down on me is excruciating dreadful so I have never tried scuba diving. However, scuba diving would be a good experience if I were to be fearless and wealthy. Being able to swim with distinctive fish and coral reefs seem to me like a fantasy-like dream; I could visualize the scenery in my head. In Bora Bora Island, scuba diving is available. From the pictures I have seen of Bora Bora Island, I saw turquoise, shiny, and crystal-clear ocean water which allows me to see right through it. Also, there are houses that are designed are retro in look, but the floor is transparent. Since Bora Bora Island is small, I can enjoy a plentiful amount of time just scuba diving and doing many other water activities such as jet-skiing or parasailing. In order to arrive in this island, people have to take a boat from Tahiti. This would give me a sense of completely being in an island. Therefore, scuba diving appears to be the most passionate activity I would do if I was wild and audacious.

Defining my Indentity #3

5 inspirational/educational movies

<Pay it Forward (2000)>

             The movie, “Pay it Forward” is about a boy named Trevor who has an alcoholic mother and an abusive father. For his social studies assignment, he decides that if he can do three good deeds for someone and they in turn can "pay it forward" and so forth, positive changes can occur. The reason I chose this particular movie is that people in today’s society continue becoming very selfish and egoistic. They only care about themselves. However, in the movie the young kid starts helping others in order to change the whole world. I want the world to watch this movie and become inspired by Trevor who, despite being young, can bring about a large difference.     

<Million Dollar Baby (2004)>

             “Million Dollar Baby” is about a poor thirty-one year old waitress from a very low social class who decides to become a boxer to change her life. When people think of thirty-one year old women, they would not think it is impossible for her to become a famous boxer which is even hard for men. Through this movie, I was motivated that having trust in myself and a firm decision can allow me to accomplish what I have always wanted to become.

<The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)>

             The movie, “The Pursuit of Happyness” is based on atrue story about a man called Christopher Gardner. The main character, Chris Gardner, loses his job and house; his wife leaves him and their son. Therefore, he has to take care of his son and struggles to gain back his life again. Compared to his situation and today’s society, it is similar because losing jobs is common and many people give up on their lives. However, like what Chris in the movie does, people should not give up and keep striving to succeed.

<Schindler’s List (1993)>

              The movie, “Schindler’s List”, is based on the true story of Oskar Schindler who managed to save about 1100 Jews from being gassed at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Because I did not learn about the Nazis or about Hitler, this movie was historically educational. Many students and adults likewise shun history. It is hard to read a whole series of history books. However, this movie tells the details and helps me to visualize the events that really existed during World War Two.

<The Bucket List (2007)>

             The movie, “The Bucket List”, is about two old men creating a list of things they want to do before they die. As they continue down the list, they realize what they have and show the true meaning of their friendships and relationships. In today’s busy society, people are over-stressed and constantly over-work. Through this movie, I wish the world could learn that the importance of family and relationships with others is much deeper than the pursuit of wealth.   

Defining my Identity #11

I have been given $30,000 to give to 3 charities. Write a 400 word essay describing the charities that will receive the money and why I picked them. Include links to these charities.

http://www.childhealthbc.ca/

http://www.savethechildren.net/alliance/index.html

http://thewaterproject.org/?gclid=CPe8qb2Bla0CFQVwhwod2jNtnA

            

                When people do not want to donate to charities, the first excuse they make is their inadequate funding and their financial lack. What if they were randomly given 30,000 dollars? Are they able to give them away in donations? If I receive $30,000 to give to three charities, I would donate to Children health BC, Save the Children, and the Water Project.

             The support of children is significant. The Children Health BC is in partnership with the BC Children’s Hospital Division of Adolescent Medicine and with the support of the British Columbia Medical Association. The hospital payment for people in Canada is pretty high. Especially, families who have sick children require a lot of help from others because there are medicine fees, surgical fees, and hospitalization fees. If families have more than one child, it is common to have financial difficulty. When I saw this charity ad on TV, they are organized and well structured; because they are supported by the British Columbia Medical Association, it make me to believe that they do not care only about their own profit from people’s donations. Furthermore, because one of my elementary friends died of leukemia, I saw him suffer from the pain with my own eyes. When I went to visit my friend, there were many children at my age or less who suffered from various diseases and were surrounded by equipment. Since then, I have always wanted to donate money to them. Children Health BC is a local charity that I can visit at the hospital to check whether they use my donation money for helping children. Therefore, I would choose this foundation to donate with my 30,000 dollars.

             Not only do I want to support children in Canada, but I would also like to donate to people internationally. There are many poor countries which need aid from others. It is significant that people recognize the serious problem globally. By hearing and seeing children dye from simple illnesses, I am always thankful for what I have and it motivates me to share with those innocent children. There are children who get injured and lose their precious loved ones in death from war, earthquakes or even from political unrest. The charity I choose is Save the children which is founded in 1919. This campaign supports long-term change to provide short-term support to improve children’s lives; this organization has a long history aiding children all over the world. In order to ensure children’s rights locally and globally, this organization is responsible for providing standard education for children who cannot go to school because of their country’s conflicts. This program in Save the Children would lead them to grow successfully while attaining their own dreams. Also, there are international sites that I can contact. In my case, I am able to help children in Korea even though I live in a different country. When I searched for a suitable charity in the internet, the Save the Children organization site is well organized and tells directly about what they are volunteering and reinforcing. In addition, there are pictures and articles that I can read to learn what they are doing so. In the site, I found out that this charity helped Korean children in1950 when there were tons of children who lost their families and homes because of the Korean War. Therefore, I would also like to donate part of my money to Save the Children organization.

             For people to be protected from disease and bacteria, having clean water is a necessity. However, more than one in eight people around the world spend their whole life using dirty and contaminated water for food, drinks, and washing. The Water Project believes that providing safe drinking water for people will bring about changes to countries and I agree with that. Clean water would cure many people’s deaths. Even though I have never experienced living without clean water, I would imagine how hard it would be because my last apartment cut off the water for six hours. That day for me was horrible; I could not take a shower, brush my teeth, or wash the dishes. Providing clean water to many countries in Africa is important. Also, the environment that they live in has to do with the matter of life and death. Since the weather in Africa is very dry and sultry, donating water improves the living conditions and enriches the lives of its inhabitants; it allows for a safer and more protected environment, especially over diseases. Therefore, for my last part of my 30,000 dollars, I would definitely use it for The Water Project.

             Even though I do not receive 30,000 dollars from someone in reality, I would like to share what I have and spend my time with others who need my help. However, if I was given an amount for 30, 000 dollars, I would use it to donate to Children health BC, Save the Children, and the Water Project.

Defining my Identity #12

-Find and type out the lyrics to my favorite inspirational song. Explain why I chose it. Write a response poem to this song and post them together.

<Don't Let Me Get Me by Pink>

<Reason>   

The reason I chose this particular song, “Don’t let me get me” by Pink, is that the lyrics of this song is inspiring and I can closely relate to this song. This song talks about personal doubts and overcoming the struggles by yourself. Everyone has his or her own goals, but achieving those goals is arduous and gives them a lot of stress. Due to many struggles and stress, they let themselves down and do not believe in themselves; all they do is blame themselves and suffer from paranoia. Moreover, other people and the world around them keep putting pressure and reshaping who they really are. In order to fit in a group and feel comfortable, I also tried to be like my friends. Especially the common phrase, “Doctor, doctor, won't you please prescribe me something?” portrays people depending on drugs or something that would help them to avoid conflict. Many people, including myself, try to cover their weaknesses and shift the responsibility of their own mistakes to others. This informs me to consider myself personally. Therefore, it enlightens me; instead of having personal doubts which, block my passion, for myself, the important element in life is having the confidence to achieve what I want and what I can achieve.    

<Response Poem>

The Mountain

At the base of the mighty mountain

All people say that it is not possible

For me to climb that mountain.

And, I do not believe in myself too.

The first steps will be like

Steps of a fearful toddler.

As I start climbing,

I think I cannot go back and confront others,

But there will always be some

Moments where I want to give up the fight and retreat.

I will endure with constancy,

Having my goal firmly in mind.

I will continue upward, imagining

Being placed high above the world.

When the peak is in view,

I rejoice at my achievement.

I breathe in the fresh, crisp air,

As I smile and enjoy the view.

Defining my Identity #4

My life is over; I am allowed to take in a box one single moment in my life and I can replay whenever I wish.

              

                     Although I have only lived for 17 years, if I had an opportunity to go back to one moment, I would choose to replay my moment when I was in grade six. Being a grade six student, my life was full of excitement and curiosity. I walked to school every day. During my walks alone, it was the perfect time to think poetically and imagine whatever I thought of without any disruptions or worries. I had a lot of spare time where I felt relaxed and enjoyed daily life with friends or family. Also, at school, I was not stressed about getting good marks but I was involved in many activities such as the school chorus, the drama club, and filming club. Through those extracurricular activities, I learned how to develop my own ideas and interact with others who had different ideas. My teacher, Miss. Jung, related a lot of experiences from her own life which was outside of the conventional textbook. I could relate to her personally so I shared my thoughts and struggles with her. Because grade six in Korea is the last grade of elementary school, there were many events I was involved in. Visiting Jeju Island and KyungJu, which has many relics from history, my bonds with friends and teachers became strong enough to never forget them and store them in my memory.

Defining my Identity #8

3 favorite talks from the websites Ted.com

   - Brene Brown’s ted talk, “The Power of Vulnerability” is about being vulnerable and how important it is to be vulnerable for people. People, in general, tend to feel ashamed when they are described as vulnerable people. However, if they numb their feeling of vulnerability, that means they also numb everything other emotion such as joy, gratitude, and happiness. This is because vulnerability is related to their willingness. I felt very negative about vulnerability but after I listened to her talk, it changed my attitude toward accepting vulnerability and I learned how to be happy with feeling vulnerable.

         http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html

    - Ken Robinson’s Ted talk, “Schools kill Creativity” is about how our generation is now focusing more on teaching students to become good workers rather than creative thinkers. Robinson mentions that nowadays academic subjects are the main subjects in schools and students focus on getting good marks on their report card. The truth is that students should cultivate creative thinking and curiosity. Those are what we need. I can easily relate to his understanding. As a student in high school, instead of thinking deeply to really understand the concepts, I am more focused on how to achieve better marks. However, when I am in my visual art’s class, which is the only subject in which I can expand my ideas and creativity, I feel more comfortable and excited. Therefore, his talk inspires me a lot and helps me to further examine myself.

   http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

    - Raghava KK’s Ted talk, “Shake up your story” is about the importance of teaching perspectives to children in order to increase their creativity. He creates children's books that can be found on the IPad which are able to be shaken. After shaken, the perspectives of the illustration change. For example, if the main character of the story has a specific nationality, when shaken, the nationality changes. This idea really caught my eyes. I have never thought about changing perspectives for children books. This can affect children’s empathy by learning other people’s perspectives; they can actually put themselves in the shoes of someone else who is different than they are. The world surrounding us is very biased so giving them multi-perspectives can influence them to consider other individuals’ thoughts and learn to respect them.     

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/raghava_kk_shake_up_your_story.html