One day, my fourteen-year-old daughter, who grew up mostly in the US tells me my name Heidi is one of the whitest name there is. I laughed.In fact, I had a visceral encounter with this “whiteness” at an international conference. Casually striking a conversation with a German scholar, I told my name

Hello, I am an undergraduate of Ewha Womans University studying English. Since the major will greatly influence my future, I chose what I like the most as my major. Consequently, I am always very delighted to hear lectures, participating in diverse programs exist in my disciplines. In other words, I

One early morning, I saw a person putting on makeup standing in a very crowded subway. I often saw people putting on makeup while seated on public transportation, but it was the first time to see someone doing so on feet. My first response in thought was admiration of the skill. My second thought ra

Have you ever wondered about what the purpose of life is? This is a question that has been on my mind for as long as I can remember. From the day we start elementary school or, perhaps even earlier, we are told to work for the highest grades and attend the best universities. After that is done, we s

“You don’t smoke?”Yeah, I get that a lot. (Disclaimer: I do not have anything against smokers, as long as he, she or they doesn’t blow the fume in my face.) And the reason I get that comment is because I have a LOT of tattoos. And this isn’t just my assumption, because I have asked people why they t

I sometimes wonder if people still believe in free speech. It is often attacked these days as an unnecessary concession to political adversaries when one has power over them. Or such freedom is cynically defended when one is out of power. On the positive importance of free speech, I can do no better

I write a diary every day. Even if I draw a single smiling face, it is my habit to record every day. Entering Ewha Womans University and coming to Seoul, I brought some of the diaries I wrote during the three years in high school. It was to actually do things that I wrote while I was preparing colle

Is there a guitar club looking for help? I play acoustic, electric, and bass. Does anyone want to start a cribbage league? I’ll bring my board. Is there a campus baseball team that needs a batting coach? After a couple of trips to the cage, I’ll be ready to roll. These may sound like the words of a

Time is like a clock that keeps running, but one that will stop at one point. This stopping point, however, is different for everyone. So why should people be running a race against each other? Life becomes a pointless race when one starts comparing it to those of other people.Unfortunately, there a

In a reading I have enjoyed teaching to my students, the writer states that each person has to know themselves and how their mind works to tap into our creativity systematically. I often like to share the method that works for me which is to contrast two things together. When I was writing my Ph.D t

Ranking lowest out of the 29 OECD countries in the “Glass Ceiling Index” announced by the Economist earlier this year, Korea is once again a laughing stock when it comes to gender equality. Korea received 20 points out of a 100, falling short of the OECD countries average of 60 points. The index was

I have to say that out of all the film watchers in the world I am most impressed with the horror junkies. Those unique individuals who can watch any skin crawling flick and never lose a wink of sleep. Lately, I’ve been trying to be more like them, and I think you should join me on my quest. Here are

For poetry makes nothing happen: it survivesIn the valley of its saying where executivesWould never want to tamper; it flows southFrom ranches of isolation and the busy griefs,Raw towns that we believe and die in; it survives,A way of happening, a mouth.W. H. Auden’s poem In Memory of W. B. Yeats de

Is there a certain period of time in your life that you miss? Do you long for your childhood or your teenage years? If you are an adult, do you miss your twenties? Since the past is the only element of life we have no control over, it causes a sentimental feeling of nostalgia that grows over our dai

EWHA Womens University has been well known for its exterior looks and its beautiful view, and I was glad to be able to enjoy this campus during my university life. However, this merit that has given my eyes a blissful time, was also in some manner a demerit when considering the factor that it also a

I first started yoga by the guidance of my mother, who has been practicing yoga for nearly a decade since her back problem started to worsen after an accident 12 years ago. I was going through a difficult time trying to cope with both my grade and my deteriorating health as a year 12 student getting

One of the rewards of being a teacher is watching students have a “eureka moment” as they process and understand information, and reading their writing is especially satisfying. When students write about what they know, their understanding, character, humor, and even their wisdom shines through. For

When I had first arrived in Korea, it was certainly a surprise. The fast-paced culture and ever-changing trends. For someone who is considered ethnically Korean, yet has the mindset of an Islander, adjusting to this new culture was one of many challenges.For someone who had left Korea at a young age

When I walk into classrooms these days, it is common to find students reading from electronic devices either tablets or smartphones. Yes, we have got to go paperless, we all want to save the planet. Then, I started to wonder, why aren’t we trying to save our ability to think critically? Don’t get me

“Look at this painting! Does a camel cry?” someone said with confusion while I was standing at an art exhibition. These words brought me back to reality when I was lost in my mind. I immed