December Rain

By: Natalina (Sogang University)

Everybody has a story to tell. This is part of my story and it has made me who I am. December 2008 was my very first time to celebrate my birthday without my family. That time, I woke up, grabbed my phone on my desk next to my bed. I turned the phone on and saw the calendar fixed on the phone screen. December 2nd was the date that calendar showed. I looked at my window and obviously could still see the blue sky. The sun rays streamed in through the glass window. I got up, and opened the window, and the winds came in blew me away. It was one of the prettiest mornings I have ever experienced. I felt cold but fresh in that morning while throwing my gaze outwards there. 

I looked at my calendar again. I still didn't believe my eyes about what I saw on the phone screen, so I turned back to ask my roommate who was ready to go out. I wrote down this question “Today 02-12?” on a white blank paper and showed to her because I couldn't speak either English or Korean at that time. Yes, I knew one thing that I knew nothing. I understood what they said in English, but it was hard for me to speak out. The only words I could speak out were: hi, yes, no, thank you, and sorry. I felt like a mute person who could only used body languages for communicating with others. When she saw my written message, she then supported my eyes that what they saw was right. 

South Korea, it isn't like in my hometown. The people here are well know by tradition as being busy and quick-moving. Every morning, whenever I went down to cafeteria of the dormitory where I used to live, which is located on the basement, I found it hard for me to see a smiling face. Likewise, at that time, people who I met there in the basement looked tired, busy and hurry, even though it was Saturday. I don’t like that, it seemed like they were facing a very big problem in their lives. I wanted to see people smile or I wanted to show them my smile, not to those people who I met there, because I would be look at as weird or creepy if I smiled to people who I don’t know. However, I really wanted to do it, at least only that day, which was my birthday, or it might be OK if I did to the chef who cooked for us. As I said, I wanted to see people smile, but no one did. I wish I was at home with my family, where I could find it really easy see smiling faces in the morning. After breakfast, it was not only the Korean people looked busy. I noticed the elevator was busy as well. So, I went back to my room by taking the stairs. I went through the 162 steps, where I counted it every time I stepped on, until I got to the 8th floor, where my room was. That was the most exercise I have done in the morning, not to mention on my birthday. 

I took a look at my window again. The sun was getting right at its peak. I did not know how long it would be dominating on the sky up there. I sat near the window, turned my laptop on and tried to relax myself. I started to breathe deeply while imagining what I should do. When my laptop was ready to be used, I typed out yahoo.com on the Internet Explorer web browser's address bar. I was expecting that someone would send me a birthday message, but I got nothing in my email inboxes, so I decided to watch a movie--a funny movie. Not bad though I think, watching movie and laughing by myself. After around 2 hours, the sun was slowly fading as cloud blocked it. And the sky became overcast. Immediately, cumulonimbus cloud covered the sun’s residence.  

It also invited the rain to drop a pitter patter at first, and then followed by the second pitter patter, third, and so on. Rain!!! It was so soothing, but I stood up and closed my window. I stayed still, stood in front of my window, and stared at every raindrop that felt down heavily that made the ground wet and muddy. 

I went back to where my laptop was, eating a Choco pie while watching Just for Laughs program on YouTube. And again I checked my email. Finally, I got a message, but did’t know who the sender was. I clicked it out and began to read. After I reached at the end of the message, I found out who the sender was. 

The message was from my little sister. She used her new email account to write me a birthday message. I had no idea why she did that. By the way, I read the message over and over again, and my tears began to fall, a bit by bit, down to my chicks. I did’t know whether the tears symbolized my happiness or sadness. They fell more and more, without me noticing, and they fell down continuously as the rain fell heavily outside there. Now, if I rethink that moment again, I still don’t understand why I felt that way. Because I could’t hold the feeling, plus the kindly weather, sleep started to attack me slowly. So, I lay down on my bed and pulled the blanket over my head and then fell asleep. 

After a couple of hours of sleeping, I then woke up, and looked myself in the mirror. Well, what Demi Lovato, an American actor and singer, said "The mirror can lie. It doesn't show what inside", is true. The mirror told me that I was OK, but I still felt lonely. The feeling didn't disappear with my dream. I saw straight ahead to the window again, the rain had subsided perfectly. However, I still felt the remainder of the rain. It was moist. It was cold. Only one less thing: the rainbow. I waited to see the rainbow and hoped it could appear to help me coloring my day with its color. However, it was winter; there was no rainbow. Because I was afraid if my roommate came and found me crying, I so washed my face. 

Outside there, twilight moved increasingly dominating the perfect sepia afternoon. It also covered the sky slowly and became dark, and the darkness became more concentrated. I was silent and staring at the glass of my window which became foggy because of the rain and the cold weather, which reflected the lights colors outside the black background at night. I rubbed a finger into the frosted glass window, and drew several curves that I never knew the meaning of. Suddenly my phone alerted me. I got a message from my roommate. I texted her back, and told her to get us a medium size cheese pizza for dinner. 

I spent my Saturday night watching TV with my roommate. We ate pizza while watching TV in living room. We both didn't talk to each other. I then went back to my room after eating, and slept. I believed that sleep is nice thing that I should do because I could forget about everything for a while. 

Since that, I tried to accept my birthday as a normal day. I tried, and tried to forget the meaning of my birthday that was saving on my dictionary, that there should be a cake with the candles, and a birthday present. I deleted them. It gave me the lesson that every day is a birthday. When I open my eyes in the morning means that I was born again, and I should thank God for given me one more chance to breathe. This is what my mom has taught me. There are lots of people who don’t even know when their birthday is, so appreciated and be thankful that you do. 

I am eternally grateful when it rains. Thank the rain for giving me an opportunity to daydream, specially the rain in that time, because it has changed me. I don’t know what others like doing in their spare time when it rains. For me, daydreaming is the whole things I always do in rainy day. It makes me rethink about the good and bad memories that have been preserved on my life pages.

Response to Darwin's Theory

By: Natalina (Sogang University)

Since time immemorial, man has always questioned the origins of life, perhaps with this simple question “Where did we come from?” This sounds simple yet intriguing, but actually it has very deep mystery behind it which all expert scientists have tried to bring up and break, but it has remained unsolved until now. For the time being, there are two views that can be put forward about how living things first appeared on earth. The first view states that all living things were created by God, and the second view states that life is formed by random coincidences and beyond intent. Some people who have heard the Darwin’s Natural Selection and Evolution may think that this concept only concerns the field of biology and doesn't affect everyday life in the slightest. I think this assumption is a big mistake because this theory is more than a biological concept. 

I was introduced to this theory when I was in middle school by one of my professors who thought Biology. The first thing I learned in school about Darwin’s theory was Theory of Natural Selection. My professor explained that in a book entitled The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, the author as well as scientist Charles Darwin claimed natural selection to be the process by which the origin of species occurred. He gave us an example that there existed short-necked giraffes and long-necked giraffes, where the long-necked giraffes are those who could survive until now, while the short-necked giraffes are those were already extinct because it wasn't easy for them to get food by reached the leaves on the trees. Due to their survived, the long-necked giraffes were able to reproduce, and they passed the adaptive nature of the long neck to the next generation. That’s why all the long-necked giraffes are existed now. Besides the example above, there are so many examples that Darwin gave in the form of facts that he collected to support his theory. In my opinion, the example that I mentioned above does make sense, even thought it cannot be witnessed with my eyes since I wasn't born that time. 

In the case of environmental change, I am sure it is true that nature has always been changing. It can be caused by natural disaster, drought, differences in temperature and climate, etc. Organisms that live in nature should be able to adapt to the environmental changes in order to stay alive. The survival of a species of organisms is also influenced by the availability of food. We all know that organisms need food, and food sources come from the environment that has potential to provide foods. Otherwise, organisms proliferate continuously, so that their populations continue to increase, and this will lead to a competition among members of the populations which live in the same area. It seems like natural selection really embraced the notion, “Who is stronger will be the winner”, and the consequences for the losers have to leave the habitat and find a new place or otherwise they will die. Meanwhile, the stronger will win and stay in the area. 

I happened to think about this while I focused on this discussion of Natural Selection, that apparently natural selection does not only occur for animals in the forest. The theory is everywhere, and can happen in our lives. Joining a community for example whether it is in the neighborhood, an organization, or in the working world. If we cannot adapt and get along with people, of course we will be gradually eliminated from the community. This is where it takes a great emotional intelligence of a person, and not wrong if one said that someone who has a high IQ (Intelligence Quotient) may not work if it is not supported by a good EQ (Emotional Quotient), I mean it is not only competition but cooperation. 

To consider another of Darwin’s theories that I learned about at school, the Theory of Evolution, this theory can be viewed from two different aspects, namely as a historical process and how the process occurs. Regarding the issue of the Theory of Evolution which has been and still will be debated about, in my opinion, it should be viewed from different glasses. From one side of the glasses, it viewed as the evolution is the result work of human thought and observation based on the intelligence, and the other side of the glasses, it depends on everybody’s belief.

According to Darwin's theory of evolution, the ancestors of human are apes. We know what is being said by Darwin's theory is limited, which means his statement could be wrong. In my case, personally I disagree with the statement said man is descended from apes. I am not sure whether it is true or not Darwin wrote this in his book because I did’t directly read his book since I don’t have any interest in reading this kind of crispy essays full with confusing things. However, what I have learned from school, all of my professors who thought Biology, History of Science, and other subject they always mentioned about this statement. They even showed the same drawing which shows several steps of how an ape turned into a man.

  

Darwin's Theory of Human Evolution 

Now, I remember when my middle school professor showed the drawing to us, we all were like “What, are you serious sir Darwin?”, and we started to mock each other by saying “Probably you are the one who descended from apes, because you just look a little bit the same as an ape”, until some of my friends cried because of being ridiculed. I guess all of teen students maybe did the same thing as we did when they learnt about it. 

We actually just learnt about the first creation of human being on earth through Religion class 20 minutes ago right before the Biology class, where they said Adam and Eve, a couple who created by God are the first human beings. Since that, we started confusing that did Darwin theory revelation was against the religion’s belief or the religion belief did? Anyway, I get seriously sick when I imagine about the ancestor or human being in a form of an animal. Who’s going to be happy if somebody tells you that you are descended from an animal? I think no one, or maybe there is. ‘Man is descended form an ape’ does’t really make sense because a human and an ape are totally different species, so humans are not descendants of apes. Logically, if humans are descended from ape, why there are still apes? Why did’t they all turn into men? Another reason underlying the difficulty of recognizing the theory of Darwinian evolution is why only apes were evolving into human, and other animals were not? 

Darwin’s theory has always been a big controversial issue. I think, things will be fine and there will be no complicated things, and even disputation between religion and science if Darwin only mentioned and gave examples of evolution about animals and nature, instead of the presence of human being on this earth, or if he has strong evidence for what he wrote in his book. However, I believe the hundred percent might be true that the first man must be a man which is Adam, and human beings are perfect from other creatures, hence a man must be come from human, not an animal.

Computer and I

By: Natalina (Sogang University)

Nowadays every student has their own computer at home or mobile laptop which can be carried with them everywhere they go, and these devices are always connected to internet connection. Of course nowadays, people can access the internet not only by using laptop or computer but also by using tablets, such as iPad or Samsung galaxy, etc, and Smartphones, the recent mobile web surfing. I have a Toshiba laptop, and I think that it is very useful for me, it can help me doing my homework/assignments, using Skype to talk to my parents, and doing something fun like editing photos and videos. 

The good things using computer and internet are we can find a lot of information such as up-to-date news, entertainment, etc. In modern technology where competition is everywhere, information is playing important role. In this very competitive world information is above all. For instance, people can find job information through online; can get the most recent information through social sites, and more. The search engines like Google, yahoo, or for most Korean people search engines like Naver and Daum are the place where you can find variety of information just by typing the title of the subject that you are searching for. You can almost find any type of data and almost any kind of subject that you are looking for. With the social sites that human being ever created can connect us throughout the world. We can make millions of friends just by clicking on it. 

With so many great ways for you to keep in touch with them, like email and instant messaging services like Yahoo messenger, Skype, MSN, etc. However, sometimes internet can be facing grave danger. For instance people can steal your personal information such as name, address, credit card number, etc. Also, there are thousands of pornographic sites on the Internet that can be easily found and can be a detrimental factor to letting children use the Internet. I think perhaps this is the biggest threat related to children’s healthy mental life. These are very serious issue concerning the Internet. As you can see, each of us has our own purposes on using the internet. Some are using the internet for educational purposes, to keep in touch with friends or to advertise their company’s brand or for online shopping. However, on the other side some people who are using for other purposes like hacking a company’s site, or some related illegal action.

We All Are One

By: Natalina (Sogang University)

Human being is a social creature that always helps and needs others during our life time on this earth. There is no one who can live alone on an island. Because of our social relationship we always encounter so many challenges and problems that even sometimes we don’t understand. One of the fundamental issues that always trigger the problem between us is what so called ‘Egoism’, excessive or exaggerated sense of self-importance. There are some who always look down on other people. They think that they are the best, above all. Because of these things we always face problem and conflict between us. But for them, they have forgotten that we all are the same, we all are equal. To that, let me measure it out, we are equal by one heart, one liver, one tongue, one nose, etc, that God had given us. Skin color is not the measure of our differences as doing by some countries right now. Besides, religion also never considered as the measurement of the differences between human being. Skin color is just the part of our body to cover our skin, and religion is only the way that somebody worships to. We have different skin color and different God to worship but that is to tell us that how unique we are on this planet.

Now, in some countries when they hold campaign to get political power, they always put forward this matter as the main issue, by saying that do not support this or that man/woman because they worship different God from us, or they have different skin color from us. Sometimes politics try to distinguish us. Until we discriminate each other through religion and skin color. But that is just for their benefit to get power. It never gives benefit to someone else when we discriminate others. Why should we discriminate our friends just because of the skin color or the religion to help someone who want to go up and get the power?  Nowadays, in countries like USA, these things are slowly diminishing. Some people begin overly nice to black people. They begin feeling that it is time to respect each other with dignity. Well, I have never been to the USA or other places except South Korea and Indonesia. However, since I started my life in South Korea, what I encounter in my daily life is that there are no people who discriminate black people.

When I first came to South Korea, the very first friend that I made was with two foreigners, they are from Tanzania and Morocco (a Muslim girl). Even we have different skin color and religion, but we always treat each other respectfully. Because when I was in the middle school, my teachers and parents always told me that: ‘We should respect others equally as we respect ourselves because we are the same, God’s Children’. 

I think all of us know about Sept 11 attack that made the USA and the world shocked, at that time some blamed on Muslim people because the terrorist is from Islamic people. However, I personally disagree what they did to Muslim people after the attack. Terrorist is only a small group of people in Muslim community, and not including the whole Muslim people. So, we cannot blame on all Muslim people on this world. I know that American people felt angry and hated Muslim because of the lost of their people on that attack. Anyway, in my opinion if this attack happened because of politics game between American and Afghanistan, and then who should be the fault? It should be Politics not religion. Why religion should be at blame on? And why Quran should be burned? Muslim is not the enemy. The enemy is those people who did the attack, terrorist. So, let us together to eradicate discrimination and make the world to live in peace.  We all are one, God’s children. Love others as we love ourselves.

Response to Sophocles "Antigone"

By: Natalina (Sogang University)

What is the first thing that comes to mind when the word family is said? Is it memories of laughter and bright eyes and smiles? Or is it moments of silence under deep blue skies and glistening stars, where no words are exchanged yet no words are needed? Families deal with exchanges of the heart as well as health, happiness and safety. Families have no rules to abide by; therefore family responsibility is more important than abiding by the law. Every day, every person on earth has to make decisions. Whether they are good or bad depends on the consequences.

In the tragic story of Antigone, she picks family over the law because she knows deep down inside that it is morally right. She is a very smart young woman, unselfish, respectful, and virtuous. Therefore, she makes the finest decision in her life. She realized that her faith says death is the truly the beginning and by burying Polyneices she is giving herself and her brother everlasting life. Antigone's moral values were so important to her that she was willing to die in order to uphold them. She stands up for what she thinks is correct even when everyone else thinks she is immoral. Another admirable decision of Antigone is that although her sister did not agree to help, she pursued on. Her sister refuses because she is afraid of what will happen to her. So, Antigone acts alone. Even when Antigone is persecuted, she stands up for what she thinks is the right thing to do. Antigone’s goal of bringing her family together also helped other people learn valuable lessons. She has the responsibility of being loyal to her brother, Polyneices. Her intuition and strong will discourages her from listening to the power of the state and to disobey some of her family to respect another part of her family. She is an outstanding example of someone who did what she thought was right, while she was among fools, many hardships, and people who were discouragingly uncourageous. Her devotion leads to the destruction of Creon and herself, but her role as a part of her family does not stand in her determination to do what she believes to be right. It is for this reason that she is willing to destroy herself and Creon to fulfill her duty to both her immediate family and the Gods above.

According to the Bible, after Jesus was arrested by religious leaders, the apostles, his closest followers, fled his side. The apostle Peter was later recognized as one of Jesus' companions by the people who helped arrest him. Peter, however, denied even knowing Jesus three times. Peter believed that, should he remain faithful, he would be granted eternal life by God, and he knew that denying Jesus was a grave sin. However, his fear of his accusers caused him to err, and to stray from what he believed to be right. Today, many of us have been told to "Do what you believe is right, no matter what the cost". However, human weakness often causes one to falter, as Peter did, in an attempt to protect oneself. While many people advise others with the aforementioned motto, few will use it to the extent that is insisted upon in Antigone, the extent to which the apostle Peter should have applied it. 

Ancient Greece’s life was full of egoism, and dictatorship. Sometimes life is worthless as in the story of Antigone. Her brother died as slaughter, the corpse was eaten by dogs and prey birds. They forgot that life is worth for each of us. But through this era that people of Greece could change and came up democracy as the largest ideology that we, human being practicing right now. Ancient Greece’s life was full of egoism of their leadership because the leader did not intend to hear from others, even his family member, he just believed to his mind and seers who considered as the second God for him. He always disregarded his people’s voice, and no one was brave at the time to stand and against him. If he acted wrongly all people silent. Creon thought that if you were born as ordinary person then does your task as ordinary person and not to criticize the king. If there was anyone who with bravely stand up and against him he has greater power and he will diminished people who against him. That’s why he put himself as if he was everything, as if he owned this world alone and disregarded others. Ancient Greece’s life was full of dictatorship because all ordinary people must obey the rule or law that ordered by their king. Even the rule or law seems unacceptable or irrational but you have no choice you have to obey it otherwise you will be out of life. Sometimes king made some decisions that was not wisdom or immoral decision. However, as ordinary people, they did not have right to stand against king, because only he has the power. 

Finally, the story obviously attempts to show that Antigone made the best decision, as she gets the support of the gods (the all-mighty, truly relevant force), and her opposition, Creon, suffers. The view of the play is that it is unquestionably important to follow the laws of the gods, to do what is right. Whether we agree with this play's message, or follow it, its theme lies in Antigone's triumph against mundane opposition. It definitely showed support for her conviction, and we should be able to accept or reject this view. Whether one gives one's life for a cause depends on how deeply our moral standards are embedded in one's heart, and on our acknowledgment of the importance of a sacrifice.

Response to Japanese Movie "Ikiru"

Live a Meaningful Life

By: Natalina (Sogang University)

After watching Japanese movie named Ikiru my mind was opened to know more about how to live a meaningful life. Even though it was a little boring at the first scene, with the black and white screen, with more emotional and pathetic feeling, but it has strong message. The movie tells a story that life is limited and only temporary, and how this short of life not to be wasted. There are several points that moved me to appreciate more my life in this universe. 

First, the movie teaches me that it is not too late to do something even if you have only few months to live. As shown on the first part of the movie where the main character Watanabe's life before and after, he was told that he has stomach cancer, and has only three months to live. He realized that he has never really lived. Then he started to find something more fun by spending his pleasure life. 

Second, when Watanabe said “I don’t have time to be angry”. It suddenly brings me that there is only time to love and admire. In light of this purpose, anger is pettiness. Since I know, of course we all do, that life is beautiful but it is only temporary. Therefore, at least do good things more rather than the bad thing. As human being, we have all the emotions, such as angry, happy, thankful, sad, etc. However, it is better to be happy all the time, to be thankful for what we got in our lives, or later we will regret. 

While I was thinking about what I have got from the movie, I happened to remember the day when I was in middle school, where one of my professors who taught Religion subject told us to not afraid of death, because death is going to come to everybody, so the best thing is just live your life in a way you like and you could. When I think about the death, I am, sometimes, scared. I’m not scared of death itself, but I’m scared if there’s something that I could’t do before the death is coming and take me. What I wish is that, I want to achieve what I want in my life, which is I called the main or important one, which could make people who I love and everybody around me feel happy and satisfy. I want them to stay calm, without tears, without the most sadness which people ever felt, feeling grief when my day come where I have to sleep forever.

Ikiru is a Japanese movie directed by Akira Kurosawa.

It was released by Toho in Japan on October 9, 1952

This movie really makes me thinks over and over again about what my life is going to be? What is going to happen to me? When and how the death is coming and taking me with him? I was always thinking and believing that I’m going to die of natural causes like old age, and maybe most people do the same as I do. However, when this movie was seeing by me, I was told that, the reality is that death comes to us young or old, healthy or sick, and suddenly my mind said “Natha. Life is a mystery. You can think, and guess your future, but you will never know the real of your future”, and I stopped. 

Overall, even though the movie is in a black and white screen, but the movie is effective and has a strong message. Cancer has taught people that life cannot be taken for granted. I believe that no one should take life for granted nor the people around you. Nobody knows when death will come knocking on your door and life is too precious, so live life to the fullest. You simply have to be a human and posses a desire to live a meaningful life. The film informs us that Watanabe thrashing his way through empty efforts to live, to find some meaning to his life. At the end of the movie’s first half, he finally sees something that opens his eyes to how he must spend his remaining days. Sometimes I think that Ikiru makes me wonder why I trudge along in my everyday life, and what would I do or say if I was told that I only have months to live and why would I wait for news like that to start living my life?

Response to Judith Ortiz Cofer "Casa"

The Importance of Communication

In a Family

My Granny lives with my parents in the city now, but she used to live in the village, where it takes 6 hours by bus from the city to get there. We used to go visiting her once a year when she was living there. It became a tradition in our family that whenever it came to a long vacation, we either chose to spend it by staying at home or going to Granny house in the village. With absolute hundred percent, we all always chose to go visiting Granny instead of staying home, because obviously in the eyes of teenagers, it is such an irritating thing when they stay home and help parents doing the housework for the whole vacation. However, that wasn't a strong reason for me why I chose to go visiting Granny in the village. There were several other reasons I chose to stay in the village whenever I was in vacation rather than stay in the city. For example, I could hear many stories such as fairy tales or true stories from Granny. 

I remember the day when we all went together visiting Granny. That time, we were intended to persuade her to live with us in the city, since my mom’s brother left Granny alone in her small house to another city with his wife, so did mom’s younger sister. Granny was quite healthy and energetic despite her old age, but we were still worried about her because she always tried to make herself busy by doing things although there was nothing left to do. We thought that it’s our turn to work for her and look after her. 

I felt so happy whenever I went to Granny’s house, because I could stay by Granny side without being bored while Granny did her work in the day, and at night I could go to bed earlier and sleep well, like a baby. However, one night, the last day before we went back to the city, I started to feel like I couldn't sleep well. The voices and the laughs came slowly and closer, until my ears caught them, and then I noticed some familiar voices. These brought me to the decision that I should wake up. I opened my eyes, and walked through the cold to the direction where the noises came from, and I found my mom with her cousins and Granny were sitting around a fire and busy talking about their stories. 

Different from Judith Cofer’s Casa, where her Mamá, mom and aunts were together talking all about men; Granny and her daughters were talking about their fellow women, who are my uncles’ wives and tried to compare them. I was sitting in the middle, eating grilled corn while listening to every single word they spoke. One of my mom’s cousins talked about her brother, praised him, and talked that my uncle’s wife, an Indonesian woman, who she called a lazy wife. My mom did the same thing, praised his brother rather than her sister in law. I just didn't understand why they liked to compared their brothers’ wives who are just the same as they were, who stayed at home doing the housework and taking care of their children every day. Granny listened to what they were talking about and joined me in eating grilled corn, but she actually didn't understand any words. Granny speaks a dialect, while my mom and aunts weren't using the dialect. Pitying my Granny, I decided to help her understand by translating the words that came out from those talkative women. 

Whilst I delivered my mom and aunts words in dialect to Granny, I unexpectedly sensed something strange, I felt like I was frightened by their conversation, and started to think a lot of things. “How my life is going to be in the future? How my future husband’s family is going to accept me??? What if I get married to a foreigner and live in other country. Will his family judge me like what I’m seeing and hearing now?” Those questions suddenly came into my mind. I couldn't hear those voices and laughs for a while. They disappeared, and I stopped my translation. I felt like I was in a world of confusion, although my real body was sitting between those women. My brain grew up, worked so hard to find the answers, and then something whispered in my ears and said “What if you knew that your future will be bad? Just stop thinking about something that is still really far away. You are just little!” and Granny woke me up from my dream by hitting a mosquito that was biting my chicks. I took a deep breath in and out, while thinking in a conscious world “Ok, Natha, you are only 12. It is not fun anymore if you knew how your life is going to be in the future. It is still the best to live the present, to do what you feel is right; and fill the pages of life with beautiful memories. Let everything in the future to stay as a mystery”, and I stopped. 

After the whole conversation, my mom and aunts grabbed their coffee and drank. Granny did drink a drop of coffee too, but she got a little bit upset, and said “You live in the city, but why your mind is so conservative? You should find out differences in culture.” Granny sounded assertive, but she wasn't that angry. “Whether they did the housework or not, whether they are lazy or diligent, it’s none of your business. It is their husband business”. I was scared when I heard Granny’s voice, but my head was nodded as the same time signaled that I agreed with her. “Good granny. Go!!!” without opened my mouth. Likewise, my mom and aunts were silence, thinking that Granny was getting mad. 

From that time, my mind was opened by the strong words from Granny. I found the idea that judging people is fine because everybody has the right, but you will look smart enough if you don’t judging people when you don’t know their reasons. People might see others from different perspectives, and they judge people based on their opinion. However, to keep your good image in the eyes of others, then don’t ever try to judge people without knowing anything first, because you will be so embarrassed later when you found out that you were wrong. As what the native American say, "Don't judge a man until you have walked a mile in his Moccasins".

Back to the Cofer's Casa, I clearly see that the way how her Mamá led them is different from Granny’s, but they both purposed to educate their children on what it was like to be a woman. The best thing I like about is although Granny couldn't understand the language that her children were using to talk but, she joined her children, sitting with them and listen carefully to what they were talking. It shows that a strong relationship in a family is important, and this is a way how to keep the relationship in the family strong through an effective communication.

Response to Francis Bacon's "Of Studies"

Too Much Study is Not Always a Bad Thing 

By: Natalina (Sogang University)

One of Francis Beacon’s essays called Of Studies contains many aphorisms. Among his aphorisms on Of Studies he said “To spend too much time in studies is sloth, to use them too much for ornament is affectation, to make judgment wholly by their rules is the humor of a scholar”. Why did Bacon say this? And what did he really want to explain through this? Everybody might have different responses to and opinions of Bacon’s aphorisms.

Firstly, Bacon said that if people spend too much time in studying, it makes people sloth, and this can be interpreted that when people spend too much time for studying only, they can be lazy to do other things. For example, a bookworm prefers to read the book for the whole day rather than do the other important things in his life. Bacon didn't mean that study is bad thing, but he tried to say that it can be bad if we only do it too much. However, I don’t agree with Bacon’s statement. The reason is that in today’s world people are very competitive both in social and school life including university’s life. If one is thinking that study more is making them lazy then there will be no more creativity, no more innovation, etc in this new world. 

Secondly, Bacon said that if people use studies too much for ornament is affectation. It can be interpreted to those people who study in order to be praised by others. These people are those who try to at least perfect themselves by boasting their accomplishments in conversation with others. However, in reality lots of people who have this sort of character received bad comments. Of course people can share their knowledge, but the important thing is share in humble way and don’t need to be proud of what they know.

Thirdly, Bacon said that when people make judgment wholly by their rules is the humor of a scholar. It can be interpreted that sometimes people judge things according to what they have read. They judge life according to what it should be. Originally, life doesn't always depend on laws, theories, and rules. We can consider these things, but life also depends on our own experiences. We should do what we love and live our life happy. However, we need to remember that to follow rules that we know can help our life happier.

In conclusion, spending too much time in studies is not a bad thing if we really focus on our studies and take advantage of it, and then put them into action. Because a complete education is one that is supported by real life experiences and by practice. However, if we study just to get recognition is worst because we just waste our time for getting something that only help us to get bad comment from others.

Response to Bret Easton Ellis "Less Than Zero"

Unhealthy Family of American Are Hungry for Traditional Family Value

By: Natalina (Sogang University)

Counterculture besides brought good changes into American lifestyle, it also brought bad change which it erased traditional family morality and turned adults into adolescents. Adults became simply irresponsible and they do exact the same things as what young people do, such numbing themselves with drugs, sex, awful party, and materialism. Thus, is this the result of the countercultural revolt that people wanted since 1960s? One of the famous American authors, Bret Easton Ellis, in his book Less than Zero which was taking place in the early 1980s at the height of Reagan administration, describes this sort of lifestyle of the rich and famous people. Ellis especially criticizes this counterculture by connecting his book with the Neoliberalism that oriented towards free market and money. Ellis describes that people in the 1980s were more interesting in money, social status, and free market rather than social welfare. This Neoliberalism is connected to these two concepts: materialism and hypersexualization.

The first concept, Neoliberalism in terms of materialism is all about superficial family’s relationship and superficial friend’s relationship. In Elli’s book, the both families of characters Clay and Blair are examples of families that have superficial relationships. Take Clay’s family. When Clay arrived home from New Hampshire for Christmas break, there was no one at home (Ellis, Less than Zero 10). Likewise, Clay himself cannot distinguish between his own two sisters, because he only mentions his two sisters as “one of my sisters” (Ellis, Less than Zero 23). Also, when he met his dad, he pretended to listen and answer sincerely to all of the questions from his dad about college’s life, “……I’m pretty nice and I smile and nod a lot and pretend to listen to all his questions about college and I answer them pretty sincerely” (Ellis, Less than Zero 41). This obviously shows how unhealthy family works because everyone in the family doesn’t care each other, and there is no real communication between them. In general, actually parents should lead and teach their kids instead of only provide money for them. On the other hand, the same thing happens in Blair’s family. Her family does the same thing as Clay’s family does, where they only cares and interests in having fun rather than caring about the problem that they face. See in the part when Blair went to Kim’s party, she found that her mom was there as well. This illustrates the attitude where each member of the family minds their own business, also shows how adults engage themselves in the same activities as young people do. 

The superficial relationship can be shown also in friend’s relationship. Blair is Clay’s high school girlfriend but they don’t talk about their relationship even though they hang out a lot and sleep together sometimes. They don’t talk about either what they think about each other. The only thing that they usually talk about is drugs and parties. 

If we look back in the 1950s, before the counterculture revolt, the American lifestyle was totally different, where everyone was happy, and economic troubles was few. The lifestyle in that time was characterized more by the strong element of the conservative; where everything controlled by the rules. Young people that time respected the adults, and yet they were marginalized by adults. However, since the adult kept doing that to young people, in the eyes of young people adults represented conformity, and young people felt pressure and lacking freedom of expressing themselves. Therefore, young people stood against the adult attitudes towards them. As shown in the earlier movie, Rebel without a Cause directed by Nicholas Ray (1955), the character Jim goes against everything that relates with the conformity. For example, he gets in a fight with his parents after Buzz’s death, because he asks them for guidance but their parents don’t let him to go to the police office. This shows their parent controlled everything that he wants to do. However, in contrast, Less than Zero represents Clay and his friends (teenagers) who got no attention from their parents except money. 

The second concept, Neoliberalism in terms of hypersexualization is all about the sensationalism on drugs and illicit sexual relationship. All the characters that presented by Ellis in the book basically use drugs and cocaine, because their lives are so perfect, that is why they need something more to run away from it. The characters keep repeating the same thing over and over again, since they feel aroused by the drugs and cocaine. In the book also, everyone sleeps with each other, even with the same sex. This kind of sexual relationship doesn't have romantic feelings, and it’s kind of only pure physical relationship. Thus, the goal of their sexual relationship is only for physical pleasure or in other words kind of having fun. This attitude can be discussed as a little corruption of morality that connected with the sexual relationship. When Julian meets Clay for borrowing money for an abortion, Clay questions him back for the true intention the money, he swears that he needs money for an abortion, but he just doesn’t want to sell his Porsche for it (Ellis, Less than Zero 91). For him the sexual relationship is not for giving a new birth or taking responsibility of the later consequences, but it is all about having fun. In his saying, we can see life is not that important as much as Porsche. Because of there is no solution, he turned himself into a prostitute for getting money, so that he can pay for his drugs debt and for the abortion as well. Through Julian attitude’s which he turned himself into a commodity, then we can say that Ellis here describes a world where even the most incredible attempts at individuality are destined because personality itself has become commodity. 

Then, what people really want? Do they want to return back to the early life in the 1950s, where they can live based on traditional moral values and family values? If you type “American family values” on Google, the result is going to give you thousands about it. It means many Americans are awareness about that traditional morality values. Generally, Ellis focuses a lot on self-abuse, unhealthy relationships, and selfishness in his book. Ellis uses the three characters Clay, Blair, and Julian to portray the life of the rich and wealthy in a repeated conservative approach. He rebel against older generation’s behavior that changed by the counterculture through his writing in Less than Zero. Although his rebellions against older generation does’t really show that clearly, he promotes to the world how worst life is, if you only care about money and forget about the traditional morality and family values. Even though you can get stuffs easily with the money you have, you will feel that they your life is meaningless and empty. 

"Less than Zero" author: Bret Easton Ellis

  

Overall, Ellis’s Less than Zero is a classic example of how people who have too many things in the way of materialistic items ends up having nothing of substance that they can turn to. Because of those reasons that mentioned above with the examples, Ellis’s book can be accepted as a criticism of the emptiness of American modern culture.