The City of Mystery

THE CITY OF MYSTERY

On a cold, dark, cloudy morning, I drive on highway 695 headed towards this unknown land to meet with people I have never met.  I arrive at my destination as my GPS tells me and I proceed to search for a place to park my bright yellow Nissan Sentra.  Searching for a parking spot only added to the overwhelming feeling that comes with going to a new place.  The size of this city like place was awe-inspiring.  There was not one direction I could look without a large building blocking my view of the sky.  Finally, I find a parking garage with possibly the smallest parking spots I have ever come across.  I find a spot next to a bright red Mustang, gather my belongings and step out of my car.  Stepping out and getting the first breath out of the air in this new land was astonishingly difficult.  Was it the nerves, the temperature, or did someone just punch me in the stomach without me seeing them? Attempting to walk towards the exit of the garage, again I was welcomed with the sights of large buildings, but this time with numerous people walking in and out of them.  I take the map out of my pocket with my first stop circled in highlighter.  Taking my first steps out into this new world, I cannot help but to walk with my head up to look around.  Before I know it, I was at my first destination, room 101.  As I walk into the room, I come across the feeling that someone has just knocked the wind out of me.  I look around the room, face burning red, trying not to embarrass myself, I find myself a seat in the far back corner of the room.  After I take my seat, a woman walks in with her bag and a box of chalk, and takes her place in the front of the room.  After great thought, I come to realize I am in a classroom, and that woman is the professor.  I am no longer in a dream like state; I am officially a college student in my first class ever.

WC: 366

Don't Forget to Address Your Professors in Emails

My worst educational experience came while attending the college I am attending right now.  I had to get my wisdom teeth pulled during the middle of a semester and unfortunately had to miss a week of class.  I fortunately missed just one exam and so I attempted to contact the professor to find out when I would be able to make the exam up.  Instead of getting a date to make the exam up, the professor decided to lecture me on formalities for an email to a professor.  I was scolded for not addressing my professor in the email.  It took three emails back and forth in order to get a time and date. 

Word Count : 114

Dinner With My Math Teacher

I honestly haven’t had such a thing called a “best” educational experience noting my schooling has been monotonous up until I was able to play baseball in high school.  On that note, at one point during my elementary school years, my parents invited my 3^rd grade math teacher over for dinner one night.  At the time, I was unsure what my parents were doing or even thinking of doing such a thing but after that night of dinner with my math teacher, she was on my tail everyday in school making sure I was learning the curriculum well.  After finishing 3^rd grade, I realized that having a better relationship with my teachers help more than you can imagine.  

Word Count : 119

"Philly Phrenzy"

                Why is a kid born and raised in Baltimore a Philadelphia sports fanatic when there is the Baltimore Ravens, Baltimore Orioles, Washington Capitals, Washington Wizards, Washington Redskins, all teams that are considered to be local to those living in Maryland?  Could I possibly be a front runner always rooting for a winning team?  Perhaps I just enjoy the heartbreaks that come along with being a Philadelphia sports fan because of all the “so close” moments when it comes to winning a Super Bowl, World Series, Stanley Cup, or an NBA Championship.  To answer the question, I simply say “I blame my dad”.  Growing up under the daily influence of my father, picking up on every little action he made being the impressionable kid I was when I was young.  When I became interested in sports around the age of 8, I naturally picked up on rooting for the same favorite teams my dad rooted for.  Eventually, that interest became an obsession and I became like all the other crazy Philadelphia fans. 

                Sometimes I wish I wasn’t a Philadelphia fan and let me tell you why.  Being a Philadelphia fan is like having a heartbreaker for a girlfriend.  For example, in 2009, the Philadelphia Phillies went all the way to the World Series but only lose to the New York Yankees.  To be fair, the Phillies won the World Series the year before in 2008 but it only takes one look before 2008 to realize why Philadelphia was such a championship craved city.  The last championship that came to Philadelphia in any of the four major sports before 2008 came in the year 1983 thanks to the Seventy Sixers led by the infamous Julius “Dr. J” Erving.  That statistic alone is only the dipstick to the tank full of troubles Philadelphia teams had bringing a championship to the city of brotherly love. 

                You may ask, why put yourself through all the broken spirits, why not just change your favorite team?  First, let me express how much I hate front runners.  Front runners have no place in sports, nor should they ever even consider themselves as fans.  Let me give the dictionary definition for the word fan which is short for fanatic; a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal, as in religion or politics.  Sports to Philly fans are not just a hobby, and it is more than a religion, it is life.  It is our bread and water.  I will forever bleed Eagles Green, Flyers Orange, Sixers Blue, and naturally Phillies Red.

Word Count : 426

"Generation Resilience"

“Generation Resilience”

What is the world without issues to be solved? Why did I label this generation with the word resilience? Looking at the definition of resilience, the ability to recover readily from illness, depression or adversity, it can be argued the fact that the 1920’s and 1940’s were rough decades because of the great depression and World War II.  The reason why our generation can arguably be more “resilient” than back in the days is mainly because of the progression in technology makes issues more severe.  Fighting in a war today means having to account for more advanced and deadlier weapons, as well as weapons of mass destruction. 

Word Count : 111

Orchard Hills Matters (Revised)

Note: Not Orchard Hills but similar dimensions

             How does the game of baseball refer to cultural significance?  As a young boy, I experimented by trying many different sports.  I played soccer, basketball, football, and baseball.  Baseball became my instant passion when I first learned how to hit, catch, field and pitch.  I grew up playing on a nice field called Orchard Hills.  The field had dimensions similar to major league fields with a home run fence and all.  It was a dream field to play on for a young baseball player.  Sports bring together those from different cultures and backgrounds.  Sports teach kids at an early age on sportsmanship, manners, and respect.  It keeps kids out of worldly sins that have become more available to them in this day and age.  Keep sports in society today.  It goes unnoticed but sports are the best way to teach young ones things about culture in this day and age.

            The definition of culture from a dictionary is the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.  Back in the 1940’s baseball was predominantly a white man’s sport.  In 1947, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier and became the first African American professional baseball player.  A game of baseball brought a new respect to people of different culture and a different race.  If grown men can learn to have cultural assimilation from a sport, why prevent kids to learn in a similar manner?  Sports fields should be preserved and well maintained.  You never know what it may do for society the next day.

Word count : 272

Orchard Hills Matters

The definition of culture from a dictionary is the quality in a person or society that arises from a concern for what is regarded as excellent in arts, letters, manners, scholarly pursuits, etc.  People tend to always connect the word culture with heritage.  In my opinion, that is a common misconception.  Culture can be expressed in the simplest of ways for example sports.  Baseball is considered to be “America’s Pastime”.  When watching a Major League baseball game today, you do not see only whites playing the game.  Baseball was considered a white man only game but today, African Americans, Latinos, and Asians all play the game.  The game brings people of different heritages together to become one big culture. 

            How does the game of baseball refer to cultural significance?  As a young boy, experimenting with different sports is common.  I played soccer, basketball, football, and baseball.  Baseball became my instant passion when I first learned how to hit the baseball, catch, field and pitch.  I grew up playing on a nice field called Orchard Hills.  The field had dimensions similar to the major league fields with home run fence and all.  It was a dream field to play on for a young baseball player.  As mentioned earlier, sports bring together those from different cultures and backgrounds.  Sports teach kids at an early age on sportsmanship, manners, and respect.  It keeps kids out of worldly sins that have become more available to them in this day and age.  Keep sports in society today.  It goes unnoticed but sports are the best way to teach young ones things about culture in this day and age.

Word Count : 276

Show You Colors (REVISED)

Show Your Colors (EDITED)

Most people don’t realize as much anymore the significance of what they wear or show because it has become a daily fashion that it no longer displays any meaning to them.  It takes another set of eyes to see the style, in this case flags, and make the interpretation on what the style and symbols stands for.  Flags can not only represent a country but a particular lifestyle.  Looking at a flag alone just looks like an arrangement of colors and symbols, but when you gaze and ponder the meaning behind a flag, a new fascination arises.

How many times have you seen someone’s car and see either a car flag or a flag dangling off their rear view mirror and wonder what that person is going for displaying those colors and symbols?  Just walking by someone’s car, it is easy to overlook those displays which tell something about that person.  As a commuter attending what is considered to be a commuter school, you come across many cars.  What can be noticed about this generation is that many of them have a pride for their heritage and culture and teenagers like to display their heritage by wearing their country’s colors on their clothes, pinning a flag onto their backpacks, having their country’s flag hanging off their mirrors in their car, and even displaying a flag inside or outside of their houses. 

Flags are not only made to represent countries but as well as lifestyles.  This generation is more open to homosexuality, therefore colors and a flag was made in order to display their pride.  The common representation of homosexuality is a rainbow of some sort.  A display of a rainbow flag will be commonly interpreted as a “gay pride”. 

Flags of course create controversies depending on what is being displayed.  Just looking off other teenager’s MySpace or Facebook profiles on the internet, some photographs of them contain some displays of flags behind them.  The most common controversial flag I’ve come to notice is the confederate flag.  Any display of that particular flag, instantly gives the label of being a white supremacist and a racist. 

Flags, they are such subtle displays of a style but create a large image when thought upon and interpreted.  Display your colors but be aware of what your portray because you never know who is watching and judging.

Show Your Colors

Show Your Colors

Most people don’t realize as much anymore the significance of what they wear or show because it has become a daily fashion that it no longer displays any meaning to them.  It takes another set of eyes to see the style, in this case flags, and make the interpretation on what the style and symbols stands for. 

How many times have you seen someone’s car and see either a car flag or a flag dangling off their rear view mirror and wonder what that person is going for displaying those colors and symbols?  Just walking by someone’s car, it is easy to overlook those displays which tell something about that person who displays a small flag off their mirror.  As a commuter attending what is considered to be a commuter school, you come across many cars.  What can be noticed about this generation is that many of them have a pride for their heritage and culture and teenagers like to display their heritage by wearing their country’s colors on their clothes, pinning a flag onto their backpacks, having their country flag hanging off their mirrors in their car, and even displaying a flag inside or outside of their houses. 

Flags are not only made to represent countries but as well as lifestyles.  This generation is more open to homosexuality, therefore colors and a flag was made in order to display their pride.  The common representation of homosexuality is a rainbow of some sort.  A display of a rainbow flag will be commonly interpreted as a “gay pride”. 

Flags of course create controversies depending on what is being displayed.  Just looking off other teenager’s MySpace or Facebook profiles on the internet, some photographs of them contain some displays of flags behind them.  The most common controversial flag I’ve come to notice is the confederate flag.  Any display of that particular flag, instantly gives the label of being a white supremacist and a racist. 

Flags, they are such subtle displays of a style but create a large image when thought upon and interpreted.  Display your colors but be aware of what your portray because you never know who is watching and judging.

Word Count: 363

Where Am I From Again?

“Where Am I From Again?”

As a baby born into a Korean family, there was to be a discrepancy on the selection of language to be taught at home.  From my early infant years, I was taught to speak only Korean.  Entering school with insufficient knowledge on speaking the native language was a difficult beginning.  As I progressed in my years in school, I began to excel and was able to win spelling bees in elementary school and had poems I wrote in high school get published in the school literacy books.  When college came upon me, a tough decision was to be made on whether or not to have English or History be my major. 

The biggest issue I came to face when integrating myself into the American culture was that I became too assimilated and I slowly began to lose my original culture.  I became deficient in my ability to speak my own native language.  To bring myself back own culture, I spent many days visiting my grandparents who speak only Korean and started to improve on my Korean.  Capitalizing on my privilege to attend a university, I took time to put learning Korean in my class schedule.  I learned as you get older, you tend to forget where you are from and try to camouflage yourself to your surroundings.  Learning about all the different literacy in American history is a great benefit but slowly losing my own heritage makes it a difficult tradeoff.

My First Blog Ever

My name is Andrew Woo.  I am currently 19 years old but going on to the big 2-0 on September 20th.  I am Korean, born from a Korean mother and father.  I have played the Cello since I was seven years old.  I played in my middle school and high school orchestra as well as had the privilege to play in the All-County Orchestra.  One of the biggest highlights in my years of playing the Cello was when my school orchestra was invited to play at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall in downtown Baltimore.  I also have been playing baseball since I was nine years old.  I played on on my high school Varsity team and I am currently playing in a Semi-Pro Wooden bat league.

My current aspiration is to become a lawyer like my father and eventually take over his office.  I am currently in my third year at University of Maryland in Baltimore County.

I plan to live a comfortable and happy life.  My major goals in life is to make my parents proud, and to find that special someone who I can spend the rest of my life with.

"One of the greatest joys in life is accomplishing what others considered impossible"

Included is a link to some memorable moments in my years of watching Eagles football. GO EAGLES!!