Saturday, March 9, 2013

Walking

I don't have a car, so sometimes I go shopping by walking.  About one month ago, my two friends and I went downtown by foot, because we wanted to see recycled clothes.  We thought, it's not so far, so we can go there.  We started at 10:30.  At first we were enjoying walking.  About 20 minutes later, somebody said, "Can't we arrive there yet?"  and somebody answered, "mmm…"  At that time, we were lost.  We were just walking.  We didn't want to talk.  When we arrived at that recycled clothes shop, we were very tired, so we couldn't find our favorite clothes.
   Then we left the recycled clothes shop, but we just walked.  One of my friends said, "Are you tired?"  We answered, "Yeah.  Are you tired?"  "Yeah."  "I'm tired too."  Then we could see Bank IV. "Oh, our dormitory is near here."  We were glad to see that.  We felt a little better, so we could talk.  One of the friends said, "What do you want to eat for lunch?"  They answered, "Steak."  "Sushi."  We were all so hungry.  When I came back to the dormitory, I fell down in the bed.  I couldn't even eat.  It was 2:30.
Now, I think that my dormitory is very far from Bank IV, and downtown, but I still don't have a car, so I sometimes go to Ramey's by walking.
    -Akiko Sugihara


Writing Level 3, Summer 1992
Stories

My American Life

I came to America on May 20.  When I was in Japan, I thought America was very dangerous.  However I don't think so now, because it isn't dangerous in Pittsburg and it is quiet.  If possible, I would prefer that it was convenient in Pittsburgh.
   I have lived in the dormitory for two months.  When I came to the dormitory, I was confused, because I was surprised that there were many international students.  I was thinking there were many American students in the dormitory.  Now I have many international friends.  They're very friendly, I think . I ate Bangladeshi food once, and I thought it was very spicy, but it was very delicious for me.  My friends and I cooked Japanese food and they ate it.  I thought that one of the Bangladeshis liked it.  when I watched that, I was happy.
   Now I have spent good time for two months, I think.  I want to make many good friends and I must study English because I came to study English in America.  When I make good friends, I have to speak English conversation.  I think it has a good effect on me to speak English.
   I want to keep on making good friends.  Then, I want to go up by myself.

  -Fusayo Kanamoto

Writing Level 3, Summer 1992
Stories 

A Trip


Writing Level 3, Summer 1992
Stories

One day three months ago, I went to L.A., California with my friends.  I went there by plane from Japan.  The trip there took ten hours.  We were sleeping, watching a movie, and listening to music on the plane.  we were very excited because that was the first time we had ever gone to the U.S.A.
   We arrived in L.A. at night.  Then we went to the hotel by taxi.  That hotel is near Disney Land.  We were so tired and had jet lag.  we slept in the bed very quickly.  The next day, we went to Disney Land.  we were very happy and excited like children.  We went back to the hotel at night.  Then we ate dinner.  It was very good.  The next day we went shopping and sightseeing in L.A.  We went to the Hard Rock Cafe, Chinese theatre, everywhere.
   We went to Universla Studio before we left.  We really enjoyed ourselves there.  We didn't want to leave L.A.  We want to go to L.A. again!

   -Yuki Saito


A Day in Amsterdam

Writing Level 3, Summer 1992
Stories

Two months ago I came to the U.S. by plane.  I took the plane from Jordan.  The plane was late in Jordan because there was a problem in the engines.  When we arrived in Amsterdam, we had to transfer to another plane, but we found that the plane had already taken off, because we were late in Jordan.
   In the Amsterdam airport, they told us that we had two choices.  The first choice was to take the next plane to New York City, which was at 11:00P.M.  But we refused, because we had arrived in Amsterdam at 1:00PM, so we would have to stay ten hours in the airport, and we were very tired.  We accepted the second choice, which was to spend a day in Amsterdam.  When we went to the immigration in the airport, we were six persons.  All of us were Arabs.  They refused to give us a visa to spend a day in Amsterdam.  We were very sad and disappointed.  We didn't know what to do.  Then a nice person came and spoke to us.  We told him the problem.  then he went to the immigration and spoke to them.  they decided to give us the visa at last.  Then we went to the hotel near the airport.
   Amsterdam is a very beautiful city.  The Dutch people are very nice and kind.  I enjoyed myself very much in Amsterdam.  Next day we went to the airport and we took the plane to the U.S.A.  It was an nice trip.

   -Jamal Haj Naser

Malin Kundang

A long time ago in the small island that people call "Bali" lived a very, very poor woman.  She lived only with her son, the only child that she had.  Her husband already died a long time before she had a child.  This woman gave her son the name "Ida Bagus Oka", but she always called her son "Oka".  Oka was a kind and brave guy.  He was very appreciative of his mother and always followed what she said.  This family was so poor, the woman's job was only a farm slave, and also her son.  Their salary was just enough to buy food for one day.  They never had new clothes and they always did not know what they would eat for the next day.  The only thing and the only one that had value that this family had was only the ring which the woman was wearing on her ring finger; it was her wedding ring.  The woman did not know what she had to do to make a better life until her son, Oka, said to her, "Meme(*1), if we can not change our life, we will never have a better life, nobody will help and give us a better life, nobody cares about us; we have to do something different by ourselves, to get a better and a good life", and her mother said, "I know my son, but we are poor, we do not have anything, we are just slaves, what can we do, my son?"

Then Oka answered, "Meme, may be we are poor and nothing, but that does not mean we can not do anything, at least we still have one way out, we can go to another island, Meme, we can do much more in other island, we go to Java Island (*2) to find a better and a good life.  I believe that Java will give us luck." Oka's mother said to him, "Oka, I am too old to go sailing far away, but you are still young and brave enough to go.  You go to the dream island (*3) to change our life".  "But Meme", said Oka. "Don't argue with me, my son.  I am your mother, I know what is good to you". After saying that she took of her wedding ring, and said, "This is the only thing that we have, the only thing that your father could give to me, and also the only thing that I can give to you.  Sell it my son, use it to buy a sailboat and supplies and don't waste it".  Oka took that ring, thought for a while then said, "I'll go Meme, and I'll give you a new life".  The day after tomorrow Ida Bagus Oka was ready for a far and dangerous journey.   Only his mother took him to the port, nobody else, nobody cared about his journey.  Before he left her mother said to him, "Oka, you are the only one that I have, I don't have anything else, you are everything to me, so remember my son, I'll always waiting for you and I'll pray for you, goodluck my son.  And I love you".  And Oka said, "Don't worry Meme, I will always belong to you, I'll be back to pick you up".  After saying that, Oka pulled the anchor, opened the screen and began to find a new life.  His mother could only cry to see her son left alone for a long journey, without nobody knowing what would happen to him and when he would come back.  In the ocean Oka had a hard and dangerous sailing.  He had to fight with strong taifun (typhoon), a wild wave, a hard rain and bad weather for a month.  He became dry in the hard rain and bad weather for a month.  He became dry at noon and became freezing in the night, but he made it.  Ida Bagus Oka's sailboat came into the "Perak Port" (*4).  He stepped on Java Island with shout, "Java!, I came here to help my mother's life".

After Oka left from Bali, his mother started with a lonely life.  She did everything by herself, nobody helped and took care of her.  She did not have anybody to talk with.  She was really, really alone in the hard, bad and boring life.  Every morning before she went to work and at night after she came from work she was standing in front of her house and waiting for her son, Ida Bagus Oka.  She had never heard anything about her son, but she still prayed for her son's success.  She was still waiting with a good big hope.  But her mind always had a question with a confusion and not sure answer.  "What is happening with my son?"  She had this question for many many years until the time she could not stand anymore with her confusion, and she decided to find her son.  So, she left her house and went to Java Island.  She also have a nightmare sailing to reach Java Island.  After she came to Java, she began her journey to the middle of Java (*5) to find her son.  She walked many-many miles and days while trying to do everything she could to get some meal.  She stopped in the river to take a bath and drink, and she slept under the tree.  She always asked everybody she met if she could sleep under the tree.  She always asked everybody she met about her son; no one knew or could give her direction to find Ida Bagus Oka; she never gave up.  She was still looking for her son and asking everybody she met.  She never stopped trying.

 At the same time not far from the last place Oka's mother took a rest, lived a very, very rich trader.  He was trading jewelry and goods.  People called him Malin Kundang.  He married with one of the Java King's daughters.  He was living in the castle with a lot of housekeepers. He had a happy and nice life with his pretty wife.  Everybody in his area was afraid of him and followed what he said, but almost everybody did not like him.  He was a stuck up trader.  He was one of the richest people in Java, after the King of Java.  Until one day Malin Kundang went to the market with his charming wife to go shopping, an old and poor lady came to him; she was wearing ripped clothes without shoes.  The old lady said to him, "Are you Oka?".  She was right; after becoming rich Ida Bagus Oka changed his name to Malin Kundang.  Then the old lady said again, "You are my Oka!"  The old and poor lady was Oka's mother, and Oka could recognize that the lady who was talking and standing in front of him was his mother.  Then he said to the lady, "Who are you?"  I have never known you.  I am not your Oka".  The old lady was choked like somebody gave her an electric shock,  to hear that answer.  She had never thought that her son could speak like that to her, but she was still cool.  She touched her son while saying, "Look at me carefully, then you can be aware that I am your mother and you are my son".  Although actually Oka was really aware that the old lady was his mother, he did not want to confess that, because he afraid to be ashamed in front of his wife and his people.  He was ashamed that the rich man like him had a poor mother, and a hobo woman.  So he said, "Don't touch me old lady, How come a rich guy like me could have a poor mother like you?  Go away old lady".  Then he grabbed and threw away her mother's hand.  His mother was so disappointed of him but she could not do anything.  She just could leave while feeling sad, but before she left, she said to Malin Kundang, "I lost everything to give a better life and I did everything to find you a life, but after you succeeded you didn't want me to be your mother anymore, you threw me away like I am a disease.  I can't say anymore about this, but for just so you know, I am happy to see your life now.  Good bye my son, I hope one day you will be aware of what just you said to me!"  Then she left to the south.  Oka did not say anything, he was just seeing her mother left from him.  He still said that that old lady was not his mother when his wife asked him, but inside his heart he felt something strange, because inside his heart he was really sure that that old lady was his mother,  his mother whom he left many-many years ago.

After leaving from Oka, Oka's mother walked many-many miles without herself knowing where she was going or where she had to go.  She felt such a sting inside her heart.  That time she was aware that she did not have anything anymore, she was really alone in the real meaning.  She stopped her walk after she came to the ocean.  She was sitting on the beach quietly.  She did not know what good  her life was anymore.  She just felt the sea and heard the wave. Finally she stood up, looking to the clear and bright sky, then shouted, "Oh God, I know you are fair and I know the power of the mother, I want my son, Ida Bagus Oka, get the price for what he said to me, I curse my son, oh God!"  After she said that she walked to the sea; she walked until nobody could see her anymore.  After the sea ate her everything changed so drastically.  The sea became unfriendly, the wave became so wild, but the change was not only in the sea.  The change also happened in the town where Oka lived.  The sky became dim, the cloud became thin and dark, the lighting was flashing so brightly, the thunder was so loud and a big rain was going down with a strong taifun.  Every person in the town became so scared and confused, why did everything change so fast?  No nice day anymore.  Ida Bagus Oka woke up from his feeling because of the changing, and he felt very strange and scared, he felt so bad inside his heart, but he did not know what was going on to him.  He stood up and went to the window.  He could the hear the bad weather outside and he could see one bright flash, a very bright flash.  Finally he felt a strong and cold wind with a bright flash through to his heart.  Oka could just scream and shout, "Meme forgive me, Meme!", but it was too late already; his mother had already cursed him.  While still shouting in his crying, Oka could feel he was becoming hard and heavy, slow but sure.  Then Ida Bagus Oka became a statue stone.  After that everything became normal again, no bad weather anymore.  The day became so nice and friendly.  The next day everybody in that town knew that Malin Kundang became stone.  They put the Malin Kundang statue in front of his castle.  Also everybody knew that Malin Kundang became stone by his mother's curse, because he did not want to confess his mother anymore.

Hangkoesprono W. Widodo

*1.   "Meme" is a traditional language from Bali Island, that is usually used by children to call their mother.

*2. Java is an island near Bali that is separated by a wild ocean.

*3. It takes one month to reach Java from Bali by sailboat.

*4.  Perak Port is an old sailing port in east Java.

Watch

The watch helps people to get correct time further it has many patterns can holding more than one job of ornament.

   The watch has four main parts = watchcase, watchband, minute hand, four hand and gear.  The watchcase protect gear, it takes shape watch's appearance.  The watch band makes a watch is worn on a person's wrist.  The gear links with minute hand and hour hand.  The gear operate the minute hand and hour hand following the gear operate when minute hand operate a circle the hour hand operate a space is an hour.
   The watch almost circle in shape, light in weight, golden and silver in color.  It looks like bracelet, so can be a ornament.


Mike #3

CHILD (Wal-Mart)

   My name is Wendy.  My parents always call me Honey Baby.

   I'm a four-year-old girl and I always take a doll with me.
   I like Baby doll toy canoly and cookie but when we go shopping, any mother always grasps my hands to keep me not running around.  Now, I must go back to find my toy and candy.

   I don't like her because she doesn't buy anything I want and she doesn't let me free to have a book all over the shop.
 

   One day, my mother takes me to go to Wal-Mart.  I shake off her hands to find something excited.  When I run back, I can't find her.  Even with the help of the manager, my mother still doesn't show up. I'm scared and I cry.


   Finally, I find her standing at the front door.  I run to her and I swear that I'll be a good girl.

   She kisses me and we go home.

   -Hanny

My Friend

I have many friends in Japan.  I was sad when I came here, because I was sorry to part with my friends.  I was especially sad to part with a close friend.

   She is a friend from high school.  Her name is Yuri.  She is very beautiful and smart, on top of that.  She is kind.  She always helps me when I have trouble.  Also, she often encourages me: "You can do it."
   I like her very much.
   I hope we'll be close friends forever.

My Friends

I have many friends.  My friends are very valuable and important to me, because I think that a friend is a treasure.
   When I told my friends that I would go to America, my friends held a party for me.  My friends gave me a lot of presents, so I bought a lot of presents from my friends.  For example, my senior high school friends gave me a T-shirt which they had written messages on, and my high school friends gave a pattern for writing and a homemade teddy bear, etc.  I'm happy to have good friends.  When I was staying in Japan, these friends always helped me, and these friends gave me advice.
   I have made many friends so far.  I hope to make more good friends.  I'm looking forward to seeing my friends,  when I go back to Japan.

   -Fusayo Kanamoto

My Friend

I have been to Thailand for work camp.  The purpose is to exchange culture between Japanese and thais.  I had a homestay in a farmer's home.
   The farmer's second daughter cared for me.  Her name is Tukta.  She is eighteen years old now.  She is a kind girl.  She told me about her family, village, and dreams of the future.  She sometimes sends me letters.
   We can't speak English well, but correspondence is fun.
   I don't know, maybe we can meet again, but someday I will probably see her.
    -Akiko Sugihara

One Night

   One day two weeks ago, there was a mystery story in Pittsburg.  I'll talk about it.

   It was a stormy night.  Pittsburg was lit up by lightning.  The hard wind was blowing in this city.  A drunk was walking on Broadway St.  He walked south to north, on the street.  After we went through downtown, he saw a pizza shop.  He said, "Is there a pizza shop here?" to himself.  At that time, he was very hungry, so he went into the shop.  He ordered a middle sized pizza and a large coke.  The cost was only $3.  He thought that it was too cheap, so he looked at the menu.  On it was written, "Pizza $2.50, coke $0.50.  Then he said, "This shop is the greatest pizza shop in the world!"  He ate the pizza there.  It was the most delicious that he'd ever eaten.  The next day, he talked about that pizza shop it his friends.  Then he and his friends went to that pizza shop.  They arrived there, but there was no pizza shop.  He could only find a big pile of dog's dung.  Then he said, "Oh, no…!"

   He was too drunk last night, so he didn't remember what the truth was.

   -Noriyuki Otsuka

Walking

   I don't have a car, so sometimes I go shopping by walking.  About one month ago, my two friends and I went downtown by foot, because we wanted to see recycled clothes.  we thought, it's not so far, so we can go there.  We started 10:30.  At first we were enjoying walking.  About 20 minutes later, somebody said, "Can't we arrive there yet?"  and somebody answered, "mmm…."  At that time, we were lost.  we were just walking.  We didn't want to talk.  When we arrived at that recycled clothes shop, we were very tired, so we couldn't find our favorite clothes.
   Then we left the recycled clothes shop, but we just walked.  One of my friends said, "Are you tired?"  We answered, "Yeah.  Are you tired?"  "Yeah."  "I'm tired too."  Then we could see Bank IV.  "Oh, our dormitory is near here."  We were glad to see that.  We felt a little better, so we could talk.  One of the friends said, "What do you want to eat for lunch?"  They answered, "Steak."  "Sushi."  we were all so hungry.  When I came back to the dormitory, I fell down in the bed.  I couldn't even eat.  It was 2:30.
   Now, I think that my dormitory is very far from Bank IV, and downtown, but I still don't have a car, so I sometimes go to Ramey's by walking.
   -Akiko Sugihara

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Story (Woman in the Kitchen)

Korean Fairy Tale

A long long time ago, a stupid guy lived in Korea, but he was very kind.  Every day he worked to cultivate his  field.  After finishing work, someone made dinner.  Therefore, he was surprised because he lived alone.  One day, he went to work but came back in a few minutes.  He was just curious about what was happening.  He hid and watched the kitchen.  A beautiful woman prepared dinner in the kitchen.  After watching this happening, he went back to the field.  Every day, he watched that.  After several days, he came into the kitchen and met the woman.  She and he were surprised.  And then he asked the woman, why every day are you making dinner for me?  She just smiled.  She said that you are a good person, so I want to give help.  Finally, he and she got married.  They lived happily forever after.

Story

Simon
EAP2
WW

An old couple is very poor.  they often no food to eat, because they don't have too much money.  Nevertheless, they are very happy, because they always help people who need help.  One day, when they walk on the street, they see a beggar and he walk to them and try to get money from them.  This old couple says that we don't have too much money to raise ourselves but we still can give some money.  And than, they give the beggar money.  Meanwhile, this beggar says that actually, I am a rich man; i just want to look for good person in this world.  I think that I have already find that.  Than, this rich guy give this old couple a lot of money.  Therefore, this old couple becomes the rich people.  Nevertheless, even though they are rich, they still try to help people who need help.  They still very happy in this world.

SHIM-CHUNG

In 15th century, in Korea, there was an old blind person in a small town.  He lost his wife.  So he had lived with his daughter.  And she was a filial daughter.  She was very famous by her loving father in the small town.  She is Shim-Chung.  She heard that if she gave to buddhist church very much rice, her father would see everything.  But she had nothing to donate.  At that time, some fishermen were very dangerous.  Because a strong ghost attacked them.  The ghost asked them to kill a young girl in the sea.  So the boss suggested that if Shim-Chung would die for them, they would donate rice.  Shin-Chung was very pleased, and she decided to do that.  After few days, finally she died.  And her father could see everything.  But few years later, Shim-chung came back alive.  The god was moved.  So she came back alive, and she and her father had lived happily.

Ian w kang
Korean Fairy Tale

The rabbit and his liver

WON MIN
EAP2
May 8, 2000

Once upon a time, there lived a king in a kingdom of a deep sea.  One day, the king came down with a severe disease.  All medicine in his kingdom were no good for his illness.  Then, one doctor recommended a liver of rabbit as the last method.  A turtle was chosen as a dispatcher to get the rabbit's liver.  At last, he started his long journey.
   He found a rabbit playing in a grass.  He decided to take the rabbit to the sea and started to tempt the rabbit.  He said to the rabbit that there are a lot of precious things in the kingdom of undersea.  After entering to the sea, but the turtle feel pity at the rabbit.  Because he thought the rabbit couldn't help escaping from the water, he told the truth to the rabbit which were sitting over his back.
   The rabbit responded that at the time that you had found her, she had been drying her liver out of her body.  The turtle didn't believe her saying at first, but he thought that might be possible.

   They went to back to the land to fetch the rabbit's liver.  As soon as they arrived the land, the rabbit jumped out of the turtle's back and disappeared.

   -WON MIN

A Tree Frog

LEE HongJu
EAP 2 WW
May 8. 2000.

Do you know why frogs cry when it rains?
   A long time ago, there were a tree frog and his mom.  His mom loved her son very much, but the son acted conversely about saying of his mother.  For example, if his mother says to go to the East, the son goes to the West.  If his mother says to study in his room, he went outside.  Moreover, if his mother says to play outside, he studied in his room.  So his mother became to worry about her son so much.
   One day,the mother told her son to play near the bank of a stream.  However, as normal times, he went to a mountain.  When he was playing in the mountain, suddenly a snake came out.  So he had to run away from the snake.  He shouted for help.  Then, suddenly his mom appeared to save her son.  She hit the snake with a stick.  Eventually, the snake ran away.  But what a pity it is!  His mom was bited by snake.  So she became to die.

   As she dying, she asked her son to bury her near the stream.  Because she thought that if she tells to bury near the stream, he would bury her in the mountain.  She died soon, and the son cried so much.
   After crying, he went to obey her will.  But he thought that, "It was her last will, so I should obey her will."  So he buried his mom near the stream.  As soon as he buried, suddenly it rained.  Because of rain, the quantity of the stream's water went on increasing.  So the son became to worry about the grave of his mom.  It made him cry when it rains.

It is impossible to reap without sowing

There have a story about that it is impossible to reap without sowing.
   There is a farmer who is very poor because he is very lazy and like sleeping.  His wife see he is still sleeping in the bed while it is almost at noon.  she push the farmer to farm in the field then the farmer go to the farm unwillingly.  The farm is drought and less harvest because of the farmer's lazy habit.  He lay down the tree and sleeping again.  A rabbit running fast to avoid dogs chasing.  Suddenly the rabbit bump into the tree which farmer lying and the rabbit died.  The farmer wake up and find there is a rabbit lay down with him, he think, it's god's goodness to help him not need to work hard but can earn the food.  After that, he start laying down beside the tree and waiting for other rabbits bumps onto the tree.  Actually, this kind of things is happen occasionally.  The farmer not getting another rabbit any more and becoming more and more poor.  The farm crops are all died because of farmer's careless.


   -Jessie

White Snake Legend

This story describes that long-long time ago, a male human married a female snake spirit.  At few years later, they have a child.  But, the child doesn't know his mother is snake spirit.  therefore, sometimes, especially in lunch or dinner time, he always asks his father, "Why does mother always climb up the pillar and wind around on it?"  However, this situation always happening.  His father just tells him, "That doesn't matter!  Just your mother choke herself."  Actually, this story is a joke from the original "White snake legend."

Fuyi

Cost of to be unpatient

RAYMOND GOUTHON
EAP2


One man living in a miserable village finds out one day that his hen instead of eggs lays gold.  Nice surprise, he builds a beautiful house for the animal and prevent it from going outdoors.  As a result, the hen stops laying the gold.  Then, he gives freedom to the animal.  After a while, the hen rebegins to lay gold.  He just start to suspect anyone of stealing his gold without opening his mouth and inform people about the good news concerning his hen.  To halt this worrying and take alone advantage of this gold, this man decides to kill the animal in order to take from its stomach the whole gold hidden over there.  He goes throughout his decision but afterward, he has been disappointed:  He found nothing inside the hen!
   He begins to cry and many people come to his house to know what happened.  Because of his stupidity, he couldn't tell people what is the matter.  Finally, his kids apread out the news and everybody begins laughing at him in the village.
   This is until where, to ber sparing with something can lead someone.  The man has lost all the gold because he wants to get the whole right now.  It's the price of not be patient:  Patience is the way of happiness in human life.  Isn't it?

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

Naughty monkey play in the sky

 Once upon, a wise and naughty monkey with golden fur.  He often play with his little monkey brothers on a cave where is a beautiful garden with a big pool.  He love sleeping and resting on the rug on a cave.
   After eating the superpeach with power, he has lots of confidence.  He can play in the sky as far as he likes, become small as the tiny power and become sightless shade that everyone can't see him.  He want every celestial being to beat the martial arts.  Many celestial being lose the game and got hurt.  He is so proud of himself that he thinks he is "The King of the World".
   But he forget one thing.  A celestial being, Guanyin, is very important and has a unbeatable magic power.  she tells the monkey if he can fly across her hand.  The monkey is too noble.  He deeply breath.  Then he fly as far as he could.   Finally, he see the big Five mountains.  He take a rest and sigh his name on the higest top of the mountains.  He feels free and say "I fly to the farest side.  How about that?"
Guanyin smiles: "I want you to look carefully.  Is this my hand?"  After the monkey looking around, he just realizes that five mountains is Guanyin's hand.  He was sent to the prison in the highest mountain as the result of his naughty behavior.

  -Huiling Yu

A Monkey with a Braid

5 hundred years ago, there is a monkey, naughty, who was locked under monutain wears a braid.  One day, a monk goes by the monkey, and then the monkey asks the monk, can you set me free?  The monk said "sure" but you have to wear this braid, I can make it easy to control wherever you go.  After the monkey was free, he have to wear a braid control by the monk.


   -Cheng Chung Chu

EAP2
W.W

A Poem by Lee-Bye

There are many great poets in our country.  they wrote many very famous poems.  EVery poet had a special style of poetry.  One poet wrote many poems about feeling very well.  He was born in the Don Dynasty.  His name was Lee-Bye.  He liked to drink.  One day, he drank on a boat.  He saw the moon on the water and he wanted to catch the moon.  so he jumped into the water and died. 
   One of his poems is the most famous.  Most people know this poem in my country.  Its thesis is "missing at night."  He wrote, "The moonlight is in front of the bed, I suspect that it's snow on the ground.  I look at the moon and after a while, I miss my hometown."
   Lee-Bye's character doesn't like strictness in his life.  He liked freedom, so he often traveled somewhere.  You can feel his feeling or look at a natural beautiful scene when you read his poems.

   -Stella Lai, 

SUMMER 1997
AE1-A Core
Summaries of Native Literature

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"Maihime" (The Dancing Girl), by Ougai Mori, is a novel about Toyotaro Ota, a government worker who discovers his true self and future while he was studying in Germany.  While there, he falls in love with a dancer named Eris, at the cost of losing his post.  Although he manages to return to Japan with the help of his friend, he has to part with both his freedom and his now-crazed lover.

    -Nana Kikuchi



SUMMER 1997
AE1-A Core
Summaries of Native Literature

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In "Journey to the West," by Lo Guan Chun in the Ming Dynasty, Lo used personification to tell about a monkey's life and its repercussions for his period's peoples' lives.  This is a famous traditional story in Asia.  The author describes a monkey who has learned of an evil spirit and is going to the west of china with his master and friends to get Buddhist bibles.  Lo tells how the characters have many troubles on the way but they overcome all troubles.  Lo describes how they reach the west and get the bibles; the monkey also becomes human, to his benefit.

   -Jerry Chang,


SUMMER 1997
AE1-A Core
Summaries of Native Literature

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In Japan, there is a fairy tale, "Kaguya-hime."  The author says that Kaguya-hime is a princess of the moon.  One day, an old man was cutting bamboo.  He found a shining stalk of bamboo.  He cut the bamboo.  Then, in the bamboo was a little girl.  He took her home.  She grew.  She helped the old man and his wife.  And then they were rich.  She was very beautiful.  so, many guys wanted to get married with her.  They came to her house every day.  so, she set conditions for them.  They were to get a dragon's scale and find a medicinal herb that couldn't be found easily.  They couldn't bring them.  After that she went back to the moon.
   In my opinion, this story has a dream.  This story isn't true, but it can give us a dream.  This story is also called "Taketori-Monogatari."  It was written a long long time ago.  Then people were wearing
"kimono."  So, I think the author was smart.

   Do you know the story?
It's famous in Japan.  It's a movie too.

   -Kumi Ishihara


The Wise Bird

   One day a bird was walking in the forest looking for food and drink.  After eating, it was very thirsty.  The bird was trying to find water.  As the bird was searching, he saw a jug of water.  there was not a lot of water in the jug, so his beak could not reach it.  The bird was very intelligent so it put stones in the water to bring water to the top of the jug.  He was then able to drink and went home happily.  The story of the wise bird shows that in life some people give up easily but others struggle and work hard and at the end are successful.

   -Amal Ahmed,


SUMMER 1997
AE1-A Core
Summaries of Native Literature

The Writing of King Abdul Aziz

   Around 60 years ago there was a little boy from the royal family.  He was studying in Kuwait because of the wars which were in the old Saudi Arabia.  When Abdul Aziz became a mature man, he was thinking of retrieving his sovereignty from the enemy.  He accomplished that, and his writings tell that story.

   -Essam Mubarak

SUMMER 1997
AE1-A Core
Summaries of Native Literature

Summary of Sim-Chung

In Sim-Chung, there was a young daughter who had a blind widower.  Her mother died when she was a little kid.  so she had to look after her blind father.  They had a very difficult condition.  But they lived very happily.  At that time, one day they had a special ceremony for superstition in the village.  During the ceremony, they put a woman into the sea.  When they chose the woman, she had to be a virgin, be beautiful, and live in that village.  They suggested that sim-Chung do it.  If she would do it, they would pay lots of money for it.  And her father could heal his eyes, if they had that much money, so Sim-Chung do it.  If she would do it, they would pay lots of money, so Sim Ching decided to do it.  After that, Sim-Chung was reborn in the same aged as before.  She was very beautiful and kind.  she got married with the king of the country.  But she wasn't happy because she was still worried about her father, so she asked the king to have a party for the blind.  The last day of the party, she found her father.  he was still blind.  But the moment they met, he opened his eyes.
   I read this book when I was 8.  I liked this story and I still like it, because of her kind mind.  And it has a happy ending.
   -Shanon Yoon, Korea


Tuesday, March 5, 2013

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SUMMER 1997

"Tale of Heike," by anonymous, tells about the fall of Heike, the first clan of warriors that enjoyed strong power in Japan.  The main theme of this tale is transience.  Transience is one of the most important views of the world in Buddhism; it refers to the notion of the transmigration of souls, which hold that all souls certainly die and everything is certain to change.  Therefore, this tale begins with a view of the world as transient.

   However, I think this view of the world still holds true every time; for example, the overthrow of the Roman Empire and the Ching Dynasty, etc., which were strong nations.

   -Chika Hirama,

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   In "Choose," by Mook-yeal Lee, the author tells about one woman's whole life.  She was born in the Sun-Jo Dynasty in Korea and she died in the Suk-Jong Dynasty (19th Century).  She was of noble blood.  her last name is Jang.  She married at nineteen and was a member of an extended family system.  It is a traditional thing.  In that period of time, the culture was extremely conservative.  This novel gives the lesson of correct life-style to women; even though men were treated very importantly at that time, women weren't at all.  This novel encourages women as peers in the relationships between husband and wife.  She was not mild-tempered, but was very womanly.  She was gentle and soft but she had strong beliefs.  This novel is one of the great feminist novels.

   -Jenny Kim, Korea

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SUMMER 1997

In "Kong Ji and Pot Ji," a traditional story, the author gives a lesson which is that the good are rewarded and the wicked are punished.  Kong Ji lived with her father, because her mother died, when Kong Ji was a baby.  After time passed, Kong Ji's father married a new woman who had her daughter, Pot Ji.  They had a bad reputation and bothered Kong Ji, so Kong Ji's life was full of hardship.  One day, there was a party which was held by lord of the village, but Kong Ji couldn't go there, because Pot Ji gave her too many chores.  All of a sudden, a toad showed up and did the chores instead of Kong Ji, so she could go to the party.  After the party, she lost her shoes, so a lord who fell in love with her looked for her with her shoes.  At last they met, in spite of Pot Ji's disturbance, and then Kong Ji lived with the lord happily, but Pot Ji and her mother were ousted from the village.

   -Su Jin Choi, Korea

Rabbit and Turtle

   A long time ago, there was a rabbit and a turtle.  One day the rabbit said, "Let's race from here to the top of the mountain."  The turtle said, "No, because I know you'll win."  However, the race was started.  The rabbit ran very fast, but the turtle walked very slowly, so on the way to the race the rabbit took a rest and slept.  The turtle walked hard without rest even though his pace was very slow.  And at last, the turtle passed the rabbit but the rabbit didn't notice.  In the end the turtle arrived on the top of the mountain, and the rabbit noticed that the turtle wasn't in back of him, so the rabbit ran very fast but didn't catch up with the turtle.  The rabbit cried a lot but the turtle smiled!!
   -Yuki, Japan

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OCT.-DEC.1996


One day, a crow flew in the sky, in a place with a hot climate.  The crow had symptoms of hunger and thirst for water, but couldn't find a source of water,  The crow flew for a long time looking for a source of water, but couldn't find one.  Finally the crow found a jug with a little bit of water in it.  The crow tried to drink the water, but the top of the jug was too small so the crow's head wouldn't fit down into the jug.  The crow thought a long time, and finally thought to put rocks into the jug in order to make the water go to the top.  The crow kept putting rocks into the jug for a long time, until finally the water went up to the top of the bottle and it could drink the water.  The tale teaches us that putting effort into something will bring accomplishment.

   -Nut Tiranasar

OCT.-DEC.1996 FAIRY TALE

   A long time ago, on the south China coast, there was a big clam on a beach and a wide-winged flamingo in the sky.  The shell always opened his shell, waiting for the bird to drop on the beach to be his food, and the flamingo always cruised and looked over the beach for food also.  One day, when the clam opened his shell again, the hungry cruising flamingo saw the shell opening; he thought that it was an excellent chance for his delicious food.  The big crab had meat, so the flamingo hurried to fly down to the clam.  When the flamingo came toward the clam, the clam was thinking, "What a big bird it is!  It must be enough for hungry me."  At the moment of their contacting each other, the shell of the clam closed quickly, and the beak of the flamingo got hold of the meat of the crab.  At that moment they fought each other and tried to swallow each other tightly.  Nio one gave way to its rival.  After several hours, they were still bound together.  At this time, an old fisherman who had not caught any fish today passed by the clam and the flamingo and discovered them.  The old fisherman was excited by the scene.  He said, "Oh!  My family will have a good harvest today, a big clam and a big bird,"  and he caught them and brought them home.

   The story tells us, when people fight or hurt each other, the advantages always belong to the third person.

   -Ming-Szu Yu,  Taiwan

A Magic Pot

OCT.-DEC.1996

A long long time ago, a greedy man lived in a small village.  He had a little brother.  The little brother was kind and thoughtful.  However he was very poor.  One day, he worked in his small farm.  Although the weather was very hot, he worked hard.  At that time, he came across a large pot.  It was very old but one could still use it.  The little brother brought the large pot from his farm.  He put some food and fruit in the pot.  The next day, he was amazed when he saw the pot.  There was a lot of food and fruit in the pot.  He put a coin in the large pot again.  As a result of that, he got a lot of coins.  The large pot was a magic pot.  The greedy brother heard the news.  He stole the magic pot from his brother in the middle of the night.  He was happy.  He got a lot of money and food also.  One day, the greedy brother's father was anxious about the large pot.  His father climbed on the pot to see the inside of the pot.  At that time, his son came into the room.  The greedy brother's father was surprised and fell into the pot.  He took out his father from the inside of the pot.  A few minutes later, he heard some sound from the inside of the pot.  "My son!  Please help me!"  He looked inside hte pot.  There stayed his father in the pot.  He took out the other one of his father again.  And again, again… He didn't know what he should do.  His little brother came to his house after he heard that news.  The greedy brother regretted what he had done out of reed.  They discussed the accident.  Finally, they decided that they would destroy the pot.  They did.  A few seconds later, everything disappeared.

   -Michael Jeong, Korea

Bogey's Magic Bat

  OCT.-DEC.1996
 In this story appears three people, two brothers and one bogey.  Each brother had a lump on his neck.
   The older brother was very rich, but he never helped his poor younger brother.  The younger brother's job was getting firewood.  He was very honest and kind.  One day, after working, he was very tired, so he found some melon house (these were small houses in melon patches, used by workers to rest).  He had some rest and he was singing in there.  At that time some bogey heard his singing, and it was very nice, so the bogey approached him and the bogey said, "How can you sing like that?"  He was very afraid and was trembling, and he said, "This lump makes me sing well."  So the bogey heated the lump with his magic bat, and gave him a lot of gold with his magic bat.  After that happened he became rich, so he got a big house and a beautiful wife.  One day his older brother visited his home, and the older brother said, "How could you become more rich than me?"  So the younger brother discussed what happened.  The older brother went to the same melon house and he sang the same song, but it was tood bad, and then the bogey came to him, so the older brother said, "This lump makes me sing like that," before the bogey even asked him.  But the bogey knew that the younger brother had lied to him, so he was very angry about that.  So the bogey gave one more lump to the older brother, so he now had two lumps on his neck.
   This story tells us never to desire more than we own.

   -Jun Yang, Korea