Eleven Minutes

In fact, what I want to do is- make a fortune! No, that’s certainly not true. Maybe because I’ve never had much shortage of money before- I’ve had just the ordinary- I don’t value money that much. I guess importance of money comes later on, when I should earn money I use. So then, what’s really important? It’s my pride.

You see, as I am going through the book of Paulo Coelho’s <Eleven Minutes>, I was quite fascinated by how the main character thinks. Well, she is basically a prostitute, and the part where I’m reading is when Maria just became a prostitute, and as the law of prostitution- according to ‘Guylia(?)’- beginners get valued the most, unlike any other industries. What really surprised me is the way she thinks: ‘I have got nothing to lose, and it’s merely spreading legs to unknown man for just eleven minutes. I haven’t got pride, dignity, anything.'

It’s not that Maria is immoral; it's that she has the courage to make such a despised decision. She almost feels proud of herself for not running away from the reality. When she decides, she thinks through every single decision she makes and considers thoroughly. From the word prostitute, and the fact that she chose that road, it’s easy to think she is a stupid woman, but no. She’s pretty smart and knows all the costs it takes, and she is simply choosing from the options. She says really wise things in her diary, too. I guess these great quotations are what make Paulo Coelho’s books really fascinating.

“I can choose either to be a victim of the world or an adventurer in search of treasure.  It’s all a question of how I view my life.”in Maria’s diary, when she chooses to follow the Swiss man who tells her that he is going to make a Brazilian star in Switzerland.

“But if I don't think about love, I will be nothing.” In Maria’s diary, when six months passed since she got in a club, when she has sixty thousand franc in her bank account and great prostitution tactics that brought her that fortune.

I really wonder what the ending would be like; Paulo Coelho started the story with the sentence ‘Once upon a time, there was a prostitute called Maria.’ And then goes back to her childhood. But the ending will not be the same sentence, will it? She will not end up just as a prostitute. Well, maybe she will, but not like this, as an ordinary prostitute who never loved somebody truly. Yes, I think that’s exactly how this story would end: finding her true love, no matter the situation it gets her. 

Three Things About Me

I will tell you a bit about myself. And remember, when you do the assignment, you have to put details like this too!

1.     I wasn’t a student of KMLA in my first semester. In other words, I got in KMLA in autumn as a transfer student. So there were people worrying about me- what if I don’t get used to KMLA fast enough and want to go out again? About I carried on just fine, and voila! I’m even here in GLPS!

2.     There was one sad thing about going into KMLA: I had to break up with my boyfriend! As you all know, KMLA is a boarding school, so I wasn’t able to meet my boy, not even the weekends. It takes a lot of money for me to go to my home, Anyang. I thought I could carry on with that at first, but it sure wasn’t an easy thing. I was in grief.

3.     Lastly, for something interesting, I am pretty good at sports! I learned most of the sports you can think about- soccer, basketball, volleyball, skating, ski, ballet…. I don’t look very sporty, huh? But I really like athletics, so in the weekends, maybe, ask me for a basketball game!

So these are three things about me! I’ve put many descriptions, so they look pretty much trustworthy, don’t they? But there is one lie among them. Guess what it is:)

Prayer

A Prayer by Tagore

This is my prayer to thee, my lord -
strike, strike at the root of penury in my heart.

Give me the strength lightly to bear my joys and sorrows.

Give me the strength to make my love fruitful in service.

Give me the strength never to disown the poor or bend my knees before insolent might.

Give me the strength to raise my mind high above daily trifles.

And give me the strength to surrender my strength to thy will with love.

So this is my favorite poem- though I don't know that much. Maybe some of you have heard this, since this was published in a Korean bestseller. And it's very straightforward, too. You'll not have a hard time reading and interpreting it. 

A Letter to My GLPS Students

Nice to meet you! My name is Sung, Jiyun. For 2 weeks, I will be helping Mr. Garrioch, your writing teacher, to encourage and improve your English writing.

As for you guys, you’ll be here for a month. Without your parents and old friends to help you, you might find difficulties. But I’m sure you can overcome all those and achieve your goals. So don’t worry even if you have certain problems. We, the PAs and TAs, will always look out for you.

Just one thing. I know you are busy and all, but try to write and read as much as you can. That is the shortcut to improve your writing skills. Write things that come to your mind right away. You don’t have to stop and think if your thoughts are reasonable. Don’t be afraid to scribble things down! Then, one day, you’ll find yourself much better.

Let’s have fun! J