/plɑːnt/: The Eye Witness

Sunlight. It's all I seek for. A sign of hope; a sign of care. As I sit by the puny window that has been smudged up from little Travis handprints, I would always look forward to two in the afternoon where sunlight comes by and then leaves. That's all my life ever consists of. Everyday. If only I could be able to have what those humans seem to call "feet" and find a better home where there's big windows but alas, I am all but a photosynthesis-ing living organism.

No human under this household has ever shown even a grain-size of affection towards me. I felt very oppressed when they would gawk at my dullness in disgust and mutter under their breath, "that raggedy-looking old thing." (121). I still got Mama though. She hasn't lost faith in me. Every dreary night, she'd sit right down next to me and reminisce of the past and plan for the future. I love the part when she tells me how I'm gonna have my own patch of dirt where I can freely grow instead of being crammed in this pot. Then she'll go humming that old tune that her male friend would always sing as he would painfully and slowly sit down and massage his aching bones. I don't know where he went but I hope he'll come back one day because Mama doesn't seem as happy as she used to when he was here.  

You see, that's the thing about hope. Even though I hear the same stories every single day: the idea that we will reach the goals of satisfaction; no matter how tedious and frustrating it may be, I still have this anticipation. I have heard countless sounds of mourning and disappointment, yet humans will go on with their lives and continue to fight back. What gives them the strength and energy to positively support themselves and strive to meet objectives? Then again, how would I know? I'm just a photosynthesis-ing living organism.

This is my good angle.

/kɑːnfɪdəns/: They, Too

After reading "I, Too", there is a sense of disgust upon society; a realization of how thoughtless people can be of human rights and equality. How terrible is it that this is the story we'll be telling our grandchildren. "Gather around children. Once upon a time, it was just so logical to say people are weird because they are darker than us! hohohooho". What bothered me so much was that although this unnamed man in this poem hopes for a future with no existence of racism, it still lives today. Yet he has such gleaming confidence, almost as if he is dominant over his situation. Fitzgerald points out that racism can only be overcome with confidence in order to establish dominance and control.

The typical piece of literature that is based off of the segregation of African Americans consist of

pathogens that make you want to crawl in a hole and punish ourselves for being so judgmental. 

However, this poem stood out like Moses riding on a pink elephant in the streets of New York. The unnamed "darker brother" that is featured in this poem does not take pity upon himself, nor does he make an frustrated remark onto the corrupted society. Instead, he demonstrates confidence in his ethnicity. He is actually putting pity upon everyone else for not realizing "how beautiful" he is, and chuckles on the idea of racism. This creates a sense of dominance on his side, contrasting on the limited amount of power Blacks had during that time period. With the use of rhetorics like: colloquial diction, foreshadowing and synecdoches; Fitzgerald shows that a change in attitude can flip the idea of racism and whoever owns confidence in the situation is the one who has more power redeemed within them. On this note, take a moment and visualize Moses riding in on a pink elephant.

photoshopped by yours truly. 

/pəˈsweɪʒn/: Yeah, We're Overdoing it.

Is it true that we spend too much of our lives convincing others that we are someone we are not?

"'What's your opinion of me, anyhow?'...'I don't want you to get a wrong idea of me from all these stories you hear.'" (Fitzgerald 65)

Why is even the great Mr. Gatsby so insecure with what the public eye has to say about him? It is so ironic that a man with an absurd amount of power becomes so vulnerable to what everyone else's opinion is. There are pages after pages of an endless number of rumors that Gatsby has probably constructed himself over his "secret" background. This habit has become very frequent during current times as well because there is satisfaction of being favored and this is greatly demonstrated through social media. 

Recently, Buzzfeed has posted an article upon  people's true intentions when they post a picture on Instagram. http://www.buzzfeed.com/laraparker/if-we-were-honest-on-instagram 

Although this was all created for a comical purpose, it brought out an interesting point because these pictures were based off of genuine objectives of people, This is just another trick into letting other people we are connected to know that, by simply putting it, HEY I HAVE A LIFE. There is some satisfaction in knowing that other people think highly of us because the idea of a positive title placed upon us means that there is more approval. Such approval from society defines power. An example of this is democratic elections. The more amount of citizens that approve of a candidate, the more power the applicant has to the job. In conclusion, in order to gain power, this current generation has gotten into the habit of faking our image in order to convince society that we are someone better than what we truly are. 

/ɡriːd/: It's so messed up.

"My father gave me advice...'Whenever you feel like criticizing any one...just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had.'" (Fitzgerald 1). 

What an interesting method in unfolding the great American novel, The Great Gatsby. In a book enriched with greed and wealth, it begins with the idea of acting grateful upon available resources in our surroundings. This is quite ironic to the idea of the American dream.  But because of the overdose on continuously pursuing more wealth, the idea of reaching this dream has morphed passion into greed. It must be realized that wealth is not equivalent to happiness for it is temporary. 

The ye old land of America has earned a title of the country that will grant the wish of going from rags to riches. Even the great Drake states himself, started from the bottom now we're here. Why has the human race become so infatuated with climbing the social ladder and increasing the number in their bank account? To answer it simply, we want stuff! The category of "stuff" can be something or someone but whatever it may be, there is nothing more satisfying with quenching our thirst of getting what we want. Why? Well it's because it pleases us in a positive way. I mean, I remember in 5th grade, I was about to burst of glee when my mom bought me the limited edition cotton candy my little pony doll. 

Let us just take a moment and admire how majestic and gorgeous she is. 

Alas, we must come to a conclusion that no matter how majestic and gorgeous an item is, it is temporary. Happiness is only provided alongside with things that will last forever, things that cannot be held in our gluttonous palms. But in our past generations, especially characters in Great Gatsby, and even our present generations have accepted the wrong theory that wealth equals happiness.

/ˌpʌŋk.tjuˈeɪ.ʃən/: Organization

What is Punctuation? It is the key tool to understand. That's it. Although it just seems like a tedious, unnecessary chore, it directly portrays the thoughts behind the minds of the writers. It allows the words to flow through the eyes and into the brain of the reader. It is art, creating smooth turns and pauses. There is a reason this skill has been installed into elementary-school students, and gradually built off of that base. It is a necessity upon which it leads to success. How? The answer is the organization and the ability to fully portray the process of your opinions. Going against punctuation is going against efficiency. 

I agree that the generation is stepping forward and there are sacrifices to be made in order to be able to advance. But it is only possible to move onward if we hold on to our past. The lessons learned from the past are what carves the future. So altering the base of our literature history does not benefit the changing currents of time.

If you are not fully hindered upon the idea of altering punctuation, then does the following perhaps seem appealing?

WellthenImightaswellstarttypinglikethisbecausewhoneedsevenspacesanymoreImeancomeontimesarechangingandiamlikingtheideaofnoteventryingtopressthespacebuttonlikewhatisthisican'tevenwaitwhatwasieventalkingaboutagainidon'tevenknowhowwasyourdayminewasswelligotagoodeighthoursleepandiwokeupataroundtwelvewhichisveryordinaryconsideringthefactthatonweekendsitisalmostimpossibleformetoevengetoutofbedifinditfunnythatthebedissomuchmorecomfierontheweekendsasifitisforcingmenottogetoutofbedwhichisbasicallywhatidoallthetimeohmygoodnesshowamisupposedtoevenwakeupforschooltomorrowyoucantreallytellbutimgroaningwaitwhatwasitalkingaboutidontevenknowanymoreikindawantsomecookiesrightnowholdonillberightbackokimbackwithmycookieswhyarecookiessogoodlikeifcookieswerehealthyidbeinsuchgoodshapebutwhenithinkaboutthatitskindaironicbecausewhenpeoplesaythattheywanttobeinshapetheyactuallyareashapeitsjustthattheyrenotahealthybodyshapeyeahicantellthatineedmoresleepinmyschedule.

/iːkwəl/ : A Beautiful Conclusion

"Love is never better than the lover. Wicked people love wickedly, violent people love violently, weak people love weakly, stupid people love stupidly, but the love of a free man is never safe. There is no gift for the beloved. The lover alone possesses his gift of love. The lover is shorn, neutralized, frozen in the glare of the lover's inward eye." [Morrison 206]. 

What I find so beautiful about this passage is the use of the word "love" and how love is not based on the connection between two human beings, but upon the characteristics that are retained in the relationship. It brings up an interesting point with the theory of love is formed out of features. These couple of sentences are also able to summarize the theme of The Bluest Eye, because the novel consists of examples of the different ways love can be shown through a relationship. The use of anaphora exemplifies the never-ending variations of love. Then there is a turning point. The quote re-mentions a "free man [who] is never safe" and which was revealed earlier in the book, was Cholly. Morrison claims that love's superstition of having no boundaries is false and ironically it is freedom that causes the feeling of love to vanish.  Giving the curse of freedom to one being will cause confusion and result in a false definition of what seems to be love at first but ends up as being lust. This is also a very lovely way to end this book. During the entire novel, Morrison writes of how there is an uneven distribution of power in a relationship but in conclusion, she states that true love consists of having a "neutralized" power for both ends of the spectrum. 

/koʊld/: Vulnerability

I. hate. cold. 
Maybe it's because I was brought up by the glorious sunshine of L.A., but I absolutely cannot stand the sensation of unforgiving vulnerability when a shiver runs through my bones. (As seen below.)

Yes those are socks on my hands. In my defense, this technique actually retains a lot of heat.

My first experience with an actual winter was pretty rough. I went out to retrieve the mail, and 11 year old Jeana's brain thought it was a stupendous idea to shuffle across the icy driveway in slippers. And with the passion to beat my 11-second record of running to the mailbox, I slipped and fell on my face....which led to an undignifying bloody nose in front of my mailman. I disagree with Elsa and proclaim that the cold really bothers me anyways.

The idea of cold is the absence of love in The Bluest Eye. Every action is acted out without care in Pecola's household, which led to her destructive childhood. Like a Michigan winter, the feeling of "cold" overcomes the entire body. You can almost feel it seep into your joints. The sense is overbearing and it is unsustainable without protection. Without love, we are unable to conquer this world by ourselves.

/bjuːtɪ/ : Not the Plastic Approach

May I interest you in a surgical procedure  in which I scrape away at your bones and inject chemicals into your body? Or you might also know it as plastic surgery, where you can be able to have a slight understanding of how Barbie feels like.

Being a part of a Korean family, it is no surprise when you see someone on TV or a close friend have their nose or eyes "done". It is because the idea of beauty plays such a big role in the South Korean society. I have had certain friends and family members suggest to me\ that when I visit Korea, they know a surgical hospital where they do natural-looking nose jobs at a good price. What struck me the most was that they said it as if they were talking about the weather! Almost every celebrity, both men and women,  has done at least one feature on their face and it has become such a trend that there are middle schooler's parents that take their child out to get a nose job as a graduation gift at the age of 13.....Of course then there's me that received a cupcake for a graduation gift.

The idea of beauty has lost it's meaning over time but it has come as no surprise to me that people are going as far as morphing our natural face in order to reach society's definition of "having the goods". Is it not agreeable that as the more time goes by, the more better looking people come around? It sounds silly but  as we see all sorts of variations of gorgeous groups of men and women, it is in the human nature to be considered the most pleasurable. But it is all ironic because beauty means to be alluring with individuality. The idea of attractiveness is to have characteristics that stand out from others, to be different. The only way to achieve true charms is not through a needle but with self-discipline. In the end, it does not matter about having the perfect nose or having a definite jawline, but more of the inner beauty.

These were the candidates for the 2014 Korean Beauty pageant. Notice each of their totally different facial structures. There are called Korean Barbies for obvious reasons.

/ekspekˈteɪʃn/ : A Stereotypical History

The Declaration of Independence was a big step in American history where we literally declared freedom from the ownership of Great Britain. It was stated that this country would stand alone with the freedom to be ourselves, a nation without stereotypical characteristics. Does this sound like America? I slightly chuckled when I typed this because it is so prominent in this country that everything is based off of an expectation. It is ironic that the land of liberty goes against creating equality among its citizens.
I will proudly say that I am an American citizen. I was born and raised in the sunny state of California until I was ten and then I was transported by car to some state that I think is called Mishagan?
 Yet, in the country that stands for equality and justice, this doesn't seem to be the case.
I recently have gotten in touch with an old friend of mine .  As we were chatting about the good ol' days , he told me that being one of the only Asian-Americans at his school, he had to live up to high expectations and I could really relate to that statement. In each race, there seems to be somewhat of an assumption set although it has never been clearly stated how high our short and long term goals must be. Yet a title is put upon us just by the color of our skin. Is this equality? Is this justice? Is this what our founding fathers desired in the future of their country?

/ækʃn/ : Think before You Act

Sadly, we have arrived to the finale in the Scarlet Letter this past week.  Sigh, what a shame.

 Aside from all sarcastic remarks, I did absorb a couple of lessons from the novel. What I realized is even in the last chapter, it mentions that Dimmesdale and Hester were buried under a tombstone with a scarlet letter. Literally until they died, the sin that they had done was imprinted upon their lives. All actions will characterize who we are in society.

At the moment when I read this, I thought, wow these Puritans really can’t just move on with their lives can they? But after truly thinking about it, society is represented by these Puritans. I may also be guilty of being like them. I remember there was once a teacher that continuously called me Jee-ah-na the entire school year and I held such bitterness in my heart.  I don’t remember her for anything else except as a teacher with pronunciation issues…..FOR ONE YEAR. I just. I can’t .I knew exactly how Hermione felt like when she was correcting Ron for the Levios-A spell.

But back to the point, we all are in fault of only remembering people by actions they have done to affect us.  It may not always be in a negative sense. But I have come to recognize that I must be alert of my actions for that is what people will remember me the most by. 

/ɡɪlt/: Punishment Brought Upon Ourselves

I always questioned why the court must use the word "guilty" when they accuse the defendant  of crime. One is only guilty if they themselves believe they are. No other human being is allowed to call another guilty. Guilt is only an emotion that you can set upon yourself. 

As we go on in our quest to survive through ( erh, I mean enthusiastically study) the Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale suffers misery from the guilt of not revealing his sin to the townspeople. He whips his back and starves in order to punish himself. What I have noticed is, if he were not such a holy and innocent figure, he would not have felt as much guilt. For example, instead of putting a minister in Dimmesdale's place, let's say he was a criminal instead. Would he have felt the same amount of burdening guilt?

Let us take time and reflect  when guilt weighed down our shoulders. How was your reaction? I do recall that during my 3rd grade book fair, I attempted to steal a 50 cent pen and I felt so guilty I wailed in front of the cashier, who became so bewildered, and I begged for forgiveness. Guilt is what truly brings out our inner character. In our times where we feel most vulnerable,  "In their moments, people show you who they really are." (Joker from Dark Knight). Yes that movie ties in completely with this blog post. I remember this line so well because I connected to it so well During such emotional occasions, like guilt, we can't help but express our true personalities. In a way, guilt is what reflects who we are as people. 

/lɐv/ : Sacrifice

Nothing on Earth is comparable to the love we receive from our Mothers. The amount of care, sincerity and trust that is in the layers of a Mother's love is what makes it so different from other relationships. What I find so surprising is the endless list of sacrifices that they have to give up in order for their children to prosper.

One night, I ended up going through ye ol’ Jeong family scrapbook and I realized that most of the pictures consisted of either my sister or myself. I thought, Why are there no pictures of my parents’ life before me? I later discovered that my mother brought no pictures of her and just decided to keep ours. My mother had given up her past in order to move on to her present treasures, us.

All moms have a different story on what they have sacrificed, including Hester from Scarlet Letter. She had to give up her social connections, dignity and respect from society in order to raise her Pearl. Yet, in her tone throughout the novel, she has never stated regrets. She has so much commitment into loving her daughter that born from sin.

I believe that mothers are the strongest beings on the planet. They can withstand through so much heartbreak, so many sacrifices and loss; yet they still have to strength to smile and say everything will be okay. We take our mother's presence too lightly; but it is only in our ability to fill in their empty spaces with gratitude. 

/dɪˌskrɪmɪˈneɪʃ(ə)n/ : A Fourth Grade Lunch Disaster

Displayed above is how an average Korean lunch box looks like. Whenever I see any Asian cuisine set up like this, an entire nightmare unravels before my eyes. Here's what happened.
Back in the fourth grade, most of my friends were of the Caucasian race so my rice stood out even more against the surrounding pizzas and the spaghetti-o's that were trending at the time. I always felt their gazes whenever I opened up my lunch box.But being the overly-confident child I was, I shook it off. However, there came a day when a girl by the name of Jessie kindly and softly whispered to me, "YOUR KIMCHI IS STINKING UP THE CAFETERIA!"
As you can imagine, the atmosphere at my table became quite lively in a matter of seconds. They explained that if I wanted to fit in then i should start bringing in more "Americanized food" or else I was no longer welcome at their table. I stared shocked, unable to grasp what was going on. This was the first time that I was exposed to discrimination. But I must mention to you again, I had too much confidence for an eight year old, so I stood up, and told them that " I'm going to go sit with more cooler people."
 And then it happened.
As I walked away, smiling at my good choice of diction, I tripped on my shoelaces and fell flat on my face while spilling my lunch everywhere on the floor. It was as if a spotlight was put upon me and I could sense the entire room going silent as they stared at my toppled-over tofu and squandered seafood. I felt heat rush to my face as I slowly got up and saw my lunch being sweeped away by the custodian. What humiliated me the most was that I saw my ex-lunch buddies holding back their laughter. This infuriated me so much. I did what my gut told me to do, (which might not have been a smart move because I wasn't in the best mental condition after being publicly-humiliated). I strutted up to Jessie, not breaking my intense glare into her eyes.I stopped in front of her; I leaned forward and kindly and sweetly whispered to her, "It could've been worse cleaning up spaghetti-o's off the floor." And I walked away, trying not to show how embarrassed I was after making face-to-ground contact in front of the population of my school.

A similar depiction to the situation in the cafeteria.

What started this whole commotion was how my friends discriminated me and looked down upon my Asian ways. Discrimination has become an iconic controversial topic in society. From elementary schools to work offices, it occurs everywhere. But I believe that discrimination will only happen if you allow it. Although my example may not have been the most reassuring tale, it proves that one must look at inequality in the eye and fight back. A fire can only be put out if there is the audacity to get close enough to pour water upon it. Absorbing all negative comments and staying silent will bring no benefits. It must be evident that we all are past the stereotypes that society has set upon us, and reveal what our true qualities may be. In conclusion, if discrimination is a reoccurring situation, then the only solution is to act against it. It may not happen in the first try, but staying strong is half the battle. Fight for the heritage that you have been born with and look past the stares you may receive, for it is a battle worth struggling for.

/fɑɪər/ : Destruction that seeks for Control

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPecSfHLaDw

I don't know about anyone else but if I were to preform this fire trick, I would scream and faint in fear. 

How has the human race become so tolerable with a destructive being, in this case fire, that we are able to literally hold it in the palm of our hand? It just absolutely blows my mind that something that can destroy an entire forest can also be a tranquil, small flame. I'm sure our Neanderthal relatives would be so proud. 

But it is quite ironic how something so violent has a possibility to be controlled. Jeannette Walls had a long term relationship with fire and it is shown quite frequently throughout her memoir. She mentioned that when she was a child she "...was on fire..." (Walls 5) by the young age of five. Literally. This happens when she was cooking hot dogs in order to feed herself but after she "...felt a blaze of heat on...[her] right side." (Walls 5) , and she was immediately hospitalized. This marked the beginning of her life becoming destructive and without regulations. Like a fire, her life started to burn and the ashes of her youth float away, unable to be assembled back to what it used to be. Walls had opportunities to change her poorly-structured life everyday, but they would all end up floating away, lost in a sea of what would become her memories. In order to gain stability, Walls tried to tame her heated life, (excuse the pun) but there are times when her efforts would burn back. Her life obstacles, such as poverty and abuse, would not succumb so easily just as a fire would. 

In an effort to take control, Jeannette had to use her secret weapon, her amazing ability to write, as her firefighter. Using her skill, she was able to overcome her life difficulties of suffering under lower-class lifestyle. 

Before reading Glass Castle, I believed that my life can be called anything but extraordinary, and I was always so amazed and slightly envious towards those who had a major accomplishment in their life. But I have realized that, like Jeannette Walls, everyone has overcome a "disastrous fire" in their life almost everyday. Any struggle we have, we end up overcoming at one point by sustaining control. Whether it was trying to reach for the top cupboard to get those chocolate chip cookies (part of my problems from being vertically-challenged), to overcoming your fears of society. We all have a fire that we will need to gain control of but we must use our own strength to take control of it. Like the saying goes, you must fight fire with fire.