at four in the morning

at four in the morning,

After calling a day,

while going back home,

I looked up and saw

thousands of thousands of stars

twinkling brightly at where

they should be.

All day long, wrestling with

thick, heavy, dark clouds

made up of unanswered prayer

and full of rain, desperately 

depressed and defeated,

“Am I abandoned?”

asked I, and soon realized

shining stars keep shouting out

about the truth of life and love,

“You are a special, beloved

daughter, and at the rigth time,

all your wishes will come true.

Do not be afraid.

I am your shield, your very great reward.”


Although I wrote this poem for my poetry workshop, it is my personal story. While looking at stars, they always reminds me of the Bible verse, "Do not be afraid. I am your shield, your very great reward (Genesis 15:1)," and gave me unmeasurable peace in my heart. Sometimes without proper reason, depression stroke me and dragged me down to the bottom. I cannot avoid emptiness and loneliness. Last two to three weeks, because of being afraid to be get hurt, I tried to ignore and reject the truth and how I felt, which made me so down and lonely; however, after studying late, I accidentally looked up and saw the twinkling starts. It amazed me and its beauty overwhelmed me with peace and calm. While work-shopping, there were several good suggestions for better version, but I just put the original one. No matter I used the cliche image, such as shining stars and truth of life and love, it was exactly the way I felt and the way I was learned from the moment.

Autumn in West Lafayette

It was beautiful and nice chilly autumn weather in West Lafayette. Always seeing sky in autumn, well, though not only fall, makes me the happiest thing. I am easily overwhelmed by its beauty. Who wouldn't? Love and blessed to be here, Purdue University, for good.

Heinrich Schliemann Language Learning

Heinrich Schliemann Language Learning

Since the world getting closer and smaller with the dramatic technological growth, learning the second language become one of the requirements to communicate with others. It only takes 14 hours to go to Asia from America, and there is no guarantee that neighbors moving into the next door will speak in English fluently. Since living in a college dorm in the United States, I have a roommate from China, and I myself also come from South Korea, outside of the United States. Not only communicating with the worldwide people, but also speaking in foreign languages may help to understand various cultures and thoughts all over the world with its own unique characteristics that cannot be translated. With globalization, speaking more than two languages become the ordinary expectation; however, language learning is not an easy process.

Even though in the outside of the United States spends much time and money to learn English and tries to invest a new striking and easy method to get a language more quickly and more accurately, it still remains as the national problem. Despite extreme cases due to these two countries highly concentrating on education and being sensitive about globalization, in Japan, there is a political debate on making English as the national language along its own language, and in South Korea, preschools speaking in only English get more popular and more competitive to get into every year. In my case, I have learned English since being fourth grade, started to learn Japanese as the second language after being in a middle school, and also learned Spanish in a high school in the United States; however, compared to time I spent on studying foreign languages, the result was not fully satisfaction.

In the world history, there was a man who could speak eighteen different languages fluently, acquired by his own language learning method. His name is Heinrich Schliemann, the well-known archaeologist and excavator of Troy. When he became twenty-two years old, he was able to speak, of course, in German, his mother tongue, and in English, French, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, and Portuguese, and at the age of forty, he also made himself fluently speak in ten more languages including Greek (Jahn). With his fame of discovering Troy, his extraordinary language skill also got spotlighted and his own language learning method became an interesting subject to research among linguists.

It is based on reading, writing, and memorization of the target language. There were three roles before starting;

“a) the value of language acquisition - “every new language one acquires is a new life …” b) the desirability of learning a number of language, but only at a time - “man’s head which is continually constrained by the study of too many languages at once falls into an incurable chronical confusion …”

c) the right method of study - “to read much aloud, never to make translations, to write always dissertations on subjects that interest us, to correct them under the eye of the teacher, to commit them to memory and to repeat them word by word in the lesson of the following day”. (Carvalho).

The way of learning his first foreign language, English, well showed how he acquired many languages by only his self-instruction. First, he spent at least an hour a day with a native speaker. He read with his voice and wrote about his interests. His writings were corrected by a native speaker and he memorized a correct version of his writings. He tried not to waste his time and in every minute, he tried to memorize the target language, even while waiting for falling asleep. He went to two English church services, one for exposing himself to the target language and the other for repeating what he had heard. After getting English and training memorization by his language learning method, the period of getting new languages became shorter and shorter, and later he only needed six weeks. For six months, Heinrich Schliemann exposed himself to English about 1350 hours, as same as seven years of traditional language learning method (Jahn).

Speaking in eighteen different languages made Heinrich Schliemaan as a linguist genius; however, Jurgen Jahn stated that he is “a self-motivated and self-directed second language learner (Jahn).” He knew what he wants and its economical benefic of language learning, which was enough to make him motivated, and he knew how to study efficiently. In 1863, to his brother Ernst, he wrote a letter saying, “Man endowed with energy can easily learn a language merely from books and without any assistance from a teacher. Talent means energy and perseverance and nothing more.” Acquiring new languages might not be as hard as expected and it only requires for more energy and passion to get into the target language. In the article, How Much Comprehensible Input did Heinrich Schliemann Get? By Stephen d. Krashen, brought Honer’s statement on Heinrich Schliemann’s language learning method and said, “Heinrich Schliemann was this kind of learner, a person who was able to transfer linguistic knowledge “from the conscious to the unconscious stores.”

Works Cited

Carvalho, Elizabeth. "Heinrich Schliemann, the linguist." Aegeus Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Nov.

2013.

Jahn, Jurgen. "A Self-Motivated and Self-Directed Second Language Learner: Heinrich

Schliemann." The Modern Language Journal 63.5/6 (1979): 273-76. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.

Krashen, Stephen D. "How Much Comprehensible Input did Heinrich Schliemann Get?" System

19.3 (1991): 189-90. Web. 4 Nov. 2013.

Headwaters, Ellen Bryant Voigt

Headwaters

Ellen Bryant Voigt

hardcover, 55 pages

published October 21st, 2013 by W. W. Norton & Company

ISBN 0393083209

ISBN-13 9780393083200

If she did not visit Purdue University for the poetry reading, I might not read her new released collection, Headwaters, yet. Actually due to lack of knowledge on contemporary poetry, I did know nothing about her, but only her name and finalist of Pulitzer prize. Even though bought this book to get her autograph at her poetry reading, I could not attend the meeting, unluckily. Even though having tried to write a book review on her poetry collection, I decided to write it later. It has been little long since I had done reading, and I made my decision to re-read them, again, and try to memorize her poems.

*But there were three-four remarkable elements while reading her poetry; lack of punctuation and capitalization, inner rhyme and repetition.




Headwaters


I made a large mistake I left my house I went into the world it was not
the most perilous hostile part but I couldn't tell among the people there

who needed what no tracks in the snow no boot pointed toward me or away
no snow as in my dooryard only the many currents of self-doubt I clung

to my own life raft I had room on it for only me you're not surprised
it grew smaller and smaller or maybe I grew larger and heavier

but don't you think I'm doing better in this regard I try to do better


Spring


years of unearthing the rocks out of the field and soon enough
you've built a stone wall the longer the marriage

the less the need for trying to agree but we've agreed
what will happen at the end of it nothing

except the old immutable forms
like a shovel shared at the grave for texts

Ecclesiastes so the bereaved
can choose whether to believe

that death is a kind of hibernation this spring the groundhog
foraging in our yard was smaller thinner a strange

perpendicular crimp in its tail which proved
to the rational mind it was a different creature but look beloved

how by late summer it's fattened out how its coat now gleams how
when frightened it also hurries into the barn


Sleep


another heavy frost what doesn't die or fly away
the groundhog for instance the bear is deep in sleep I'm thinking
a lot about sleep translation I'm not sleeping much
who used to be a champion of sleep
ex-champions are pathetic my inner parent says the world
is full of evil death cruelty degradation not sleeping
scores only 2 out of 10
                                     but a moral sense
is exhausting I am exhausted a coma looks good to me
if only I could be sure there'd still be dreams it's what I miss the most
even in terrible dreams at least you feel what you feel not what
you're supposed to feel your house burns down so what
if you survived you rake the ashes sobbing
                                                                   exhausted
from trying to not smoke I once asked for a simple errand
from my beloved who wanted me not to smoke he forgot unforgivable
I fled the house like an animal wounded enraged I was thinking
more clearly than I had ever thought my thought was why

prolong this life I flung myself into the car I drove like a fiend
to the nearest store I asked unthinking for unfiltered Luckies oh
brand of my girlhood I paid the price I took my prize to the car I slit
the cellophane I tapped out one perfect white cylinder I brought to my face

the smell of the barns the fires cooking it golden brown smell of my father
my uncles my grandfather's tin of loose tobacco his packet of delicate paper
the deliberate way he rolled and licked and tapped and lit and drew in
and relished it the smell of the wild girls behind the gym the boys
in pickup trucks I sat in my car as the other cars crept by
I looked like a pervert it was perverse
a Lucky under my nose
                                   I drove myself home
I threw away the pack which was unwise the gods
don't notice whining they notice the brief bright flares of human will
they lean from their couches yes more fear and dread for that one
yes let's turn the suffering up a notch let's watch her
strike the match i strike it now when I wake
in the dark I light that little fire

30 October 2013

1)

Heinrich Schliemann Inspiration

While tweeting yesterday, I had a chance to use the name, Heinrich Schliemann, as a metaphor for who proved what he believed is true; however, the more strongly influential fact was that he was able to speak fluently in 15 other languages, acquired by his own learning methods. He actually memorized foreign language books. I changed my research paper for the Advanced Composition class from Victor Hugo to Heinrich Schliemann language learning.
His self-motivation and self-directed goal absolutely inspired me, and made me read about his life and thoughts. I wanted to live like him, adventure and studious. He just became my life role-model, which changed my reading plan for this week.
I was planning to read 1) Rewriting: How to Do Things with Texts, 2) Style: Lessons in Clarity and Grace, 3) Autobiography of W. E. B. Du Bois, and a fiction I have, but now replacing whichever fiction I was thinking to read to "Schliemann of Troy: Treasure and Deceit" by David A Traill. Although not sure it is actually his biography, pretty sure it is about his life and adventure.
In addition, I started his method of language learning on Japanese by memorizing "Between Calm and Passion" by Ekuni Gaori. It has been more than seven years I did not speak and study Japanese, but still little remember very basic grammar role and hope that Japanese for dummies could help to improve my language skill. I believe it might take about six months, but an hour everyday with joy.

2)

Poetry collections

Next week, 6 November 2013, Poet Rodney Jones will visit Purdue University for the poetry reading, and to prepare Q&A section, I bought his poetry collection; however, right next to his book, there was another poetry collection by Mary Oliver, winner of the Pulitzer Prize. For English language learning followed by the method of Heinrich Schliemann, I decided to memorize poems, and the first poetry collection I try to memorize is Rodney Jones's Imaginary Logic. His collection gave me good feeling since the first page says, "Who knoweth the spirit of man that goeth upward and the spirit of the beast that goeth downward to the earth? Ecclesiastes 3:21." Despite lack of knowledge on him, Bible verse delivered good image on his poetry and hope I enjoy the reading. 

29 October 2013

Even though done reading Ellen Bryant Voigt's Headwaters, I kept forgetting to write a review. I might fail to manage my time or to control emotional fluctuation.

Today, accidentally discovered that Heinrich Schliemann, who found Troy, was able to speak in 15 languages by his own language learning method, which is to memorize all things he read. It really motivated me and I decide to memorize what I read now on.

It might be driving me crazy, but so much fun. Here I start the language madness.

Also, sometimes, people go irrational and try to believe themselves logical. Annoying!

Billy Graham's The Reason For My Hope, 1st day [2 Corinthians 5:17]

2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

"True Christianity is not religion. True Christianity is faith in Christ alone."

"Becoming a Christian means that Jesus Christ comes into your life and takes over. It is a totally new outlook that is not satisfied with anything less than penetration into the furthest corners of the soul and the understanding."

""Becoming a Christian means no longer living for yourself but for God in obedience to Him. You must leave the old life behind and step into a new way of living, where Christ makes possible what you think impossible."

Last night, while reading Matthew, all of sudden, I felt like God asking me, "do you believe that I am able to do this?" It was hard for me to say yes at that moment, because I felt so defeated and rejected every moment I lived in this world. I have the strong desire to change the world and work for His Kingdom, but every time I pray for something, the answers were mostly "not yet" or "no." Although I knew my prayer requests was not for His righteousness and Kingdom,  but for my desires, rejection always hurts. With my wrong desire, I wanted to get everything in this world and asked everything I wanted, no matter I needed or not and no matter it's right or wrong. I really need to confess my faith in front of God and ask for the strong faith in God.
I do believe that God allowed me to live brand new life that I've never dreamed of and made me the way He wanted to use me. I do believe that Jesus Christ is the only way, light, and truth that I need to hold for the life. I do believe that He hang on the cross for my deadly sin. I do believe that He is the only God and Lord. I do believe that He really takes care of me. Just I need to believe more firmly and follow His guide. Since becoming new creation in Jesus Christ, try not to focus on the past and only by prayer and request, with gratitude, prepare the path in the future.