Shel Silverstein - Early Bird

 

How everyone's point of view differs. :)

Rights to Education... Are They Being Respected?

Education... Have we taken it for granted? It seems so, as in most countries it is natural for children to attend preschool and go on to elementary school, middle school, high school, and then college. We normally do not consider it a privilege to receive continuing education. However, recent news concerning the violation of education rights for girls in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Africa tell us it is not the case in some parts of the world.

Despite the Millenium Development Goal promise to secure universal education for girls by the end of 2015, progress has been postponed due to lack of funding. What's more, people fighting for universal girls' education have been discouraged, often violently. Supporters have been threatened, assaulted, bombed, and murdered during this struggle - principals were murdered, and schools that had announced their will to enroll girls were blown up with grenades.

As an effort to resolve this critical issue, the United Nations and the World Bank have stepped up, discussing with these countries what they need to promote girls' education.

(Original Article: "Girls Who Risk Their Lives For Education,"

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/09/opinion/global/girls-who-risk-their-lives-for-education.html?_r=0)

Related Legal Information: Right to Education

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 26

1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.

(Reference: United Nations, http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/)

International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights, Article 13

1. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to education. They agree that education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and the sense of its dignity, and shall strengthen the respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. They further agree that education shall enable all persons to participate effectively in a free society, promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations and all racial, ethnic or religious groups, and further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

2. The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize that, with a view to achieving the full realization of this right: 
(a) Primary education shall be compulsory and available free to all; 
(b) Secondary education in its different forms, including technical and vocational secondary education, shall be made generally available and accessible to all by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education; 
(c) Higher education shall be made equally accessible to all, on the basis of capacity, by every appropriate means, and in particular by the progressive introduction of free education; 
(d) Fundamental education shall be encouraged or intensified as far as possible for those persons who have not received or completed the whole period of their primary education; 
(e) The development of a system of schools at all levels shall be actively pursued, an adequate fellowship system shall be established, and the material conditions of teaching staff shall be continuously improved.

(Reference: United Nations Human Rights, http://www.ohchr.org/EN/ProfessionalInterest/Pages/CESCR.aspx)

*Compulsory Education: pre-school, nursery education
*Secondary Education: middle school, high school, preparatory school, vocational school
*Higher Education: college, university, institute of technology, academy

(Reference: Wikipedia)

However, with ongoing discrimination in the field of education, international organizations have made continuous efforts to advocate universal education for all. Some of the more prominent movements are:

Convention Against Discrimination in Education
A multilateral treaty adopted by UNESCO in 1960, this convention had its goal in resisting all types of discrimination such as segregation, lack of funding, and unfair policies in administration.

Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
An international treaty adopted in 1979 by the United Nations General Assembly, this convention is also known as an international bill of rights for women, focusing on gender equality.

Katarina Tomasevski, former UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education, developed the 4 As framework in her term. This is not necessarily the standard followed in all nations, but it is a general idea given on the fulfillment of education.

1) Availability – that education is free and government-funded and that there is adequate infrastructure and trained teachers able to support education delivery.

2) Accessibility – that the system is non- discriminatory and accessible to all, and that positive steps are taken to include the most marginalized.

3) Acceptability – that the content of education is relevant, non-discriminatory and culturally appropriate, and of quality; that the school itself is safe and teachers are professional.

4) Adaptability – that education can evolve with the changing needs of society and contribute to challenging inequalities, such as gender discrimination, and that it can be adapted locally to suit specific contexts.

(Reference: "Right to Education Project," http://www.right-to-education.org/)

Reading Journal - "Norwegian Wood" #2

All I knew about the well was its frightening depth. It was deep beyond measuring, and crammed full of darkness, as if all the world’s darkness had been boiled down to their ultimate density.

“It’s really, really deep,” said Naoko, choosing her words with care. “But no one knows where it is,” she continued. “The one thing I know for sure is that it’s around here somewhere.”

This “field well” seems to be what continuously haunts Toru and Naoko. They just cannot let go of the thought that they might fall into it someday without knowing it, although they’re not even sure if this “field well” even exists. The mere idea of unconsciously stepping in to the well and facing the tragic “end” holds the two back from moving forward.

Naoko loves Toru, and she knows he does too; nonetheless, fear keeps her from initiating a new relationship with him. Upon the death of Kizuki, who was her boyfriend and best friend for a long time, she suddenly disappears into thin air, without giving Toru a single clue about her whereabouts. When they meet again two years later, Naoko and Toru start spending time together like the good old days, but once they become intimate on her birthday, she again leaves without warning. For several months, she doesn’t reply to any of Toru’s letters, only to later inform him of her being in a mental hospital. She seems to be all bright and recovering, which relieves Toru and encourages him to wait until she is ready, but she just cannot manage to escape from her “dark days”, as in the end she suffocates herself to death.

Also, in Toru’s case, fear keeps him from admitting his love for Midori. Looking around to find Midori at his class History of Drama, worrying when she does not show up, waiting for her phone calls… He obviously cares about her, but he doesn’t take a further step because he can’t figure out his situation. Toru has trouble defining his relationship with Naoko, which leads on to a similar confusion between him and Midori. The fundamental cause for this issue appears to be his worrying about stepping into the “field well.” The image that Naoko gave him a while ago follows him around, reminding him that the deeper a relationship becomes, the nearer he gets to the well. Even when he realizes through his conversation with Reiko that his true partner is Midori and calls her to at last clarify his mind, however, the thought of the “field well” once again tortures him, messing with his head and apparently getting him lost: “Again and Again, I called out for Midori from the dead center of this place that was no place.”

“Things like that must actually happen.”

“They do, every once in a while. Maybe once in two or three years. Somebody disappears all of a sudden, and they just can’t find him. So then the people around here say, ‘Oh, he fell in the field well.’”

It sure did “actually happen,” but more often than expected. It happened to Naoko after Kizuki’s death and to Toru following Naoko’s death. Both of them got lost with a close one’s death. Midori “disappeared” for a while as well, with her dad’s passing away, but she was able to come back to reality after she took her time. She gradually came back to her usual self, and could fold that dark period away, labeling it a trip “South to Nara and North to Aomori.” It’s a different story for Naoko and Toru though. They two are in this vicious cycle where they lose a dear one, disappear, make efforts to go on and meet new people, and just as they’re about to go a step further, they are reminded of the “field well” that might be somewhere close by, representing another “end.” So Naoko firmly locked herself up, never recovering and eventually committing suicide. As for Toru, he did come back to his usual self, but only physically; he had no idea where he was.

“Field well.” It’s what let pass so many great relationships, opportunities, and possibly true love for Naoko and Toru.

Reading Journal - "Norwegian Wood" #1

Forests, with sunlight sliding through the leaves of the tall and sturdy trees, always seem to arouse a mystical atmosphere. In “Sleeping Beauty”, Aurora awaits her true love’s kiss in the forest, having been cursed into a deep sleep. As for Katherine Paterson’s “Bridge to Terabithia”, Jesse and Leslie build their own sanctuary - or should I say kingdom - in the forest, where they feel safe from those who do not understand them. It appears as if forests encourage for magical happenings to take place.

Some literary critics, however, go further on to say that forests symbolize the journey one takes to discover a woman’s secrets and her story. This may be the case for Murakami’s “Norwegian Wood”, as Toru and Naoko often walk in the woods.

The story of the two starts off with Toru recalling the unforgettable day he spent with Naoko in the meadow eighteen years ago. He talks about how he was too busy thinking about his love beside him to appreciate the scenery, but is then surprised to realize that it is the first thing that comes to his mind. I believe this is so because purity and honesty - conveyed through the meadow and the forest - is what is central in their relationship; neither Toru nor Naoko plan out his or her next move, but rather behave as they wish, based on their unscarred, unfiltered feelings and thoughts.

That they endlessly walk without a destination is another fact that points to the basis of their relationship. Walking instead of riding the subway or driving a car means that one is willing to take his time and look around. It is like what comes to our mind when we think of a person who likes walking: one who enjoys the transition from one place to another and gives everything along the path a glance. After all, it is widely said that when you walk, things you might not have seen otherwise catch your eye. Also, when searching for something, we often look past the objects in our vicinity and forget about the most trivial factors that may later turn out to be the most helpful. Similarly, Toru and Naoko may as well be trying to define their relationship by walking on and on, without a single idea of where they are going. It felt to me as if the forest was a place of their own amidst the big, busy city of Tokyo, where they had no obligation whatsoever to what others thought. They simply chose to take their time, notice each other’s smallest habits, appreciate them, and wait for the right time when they can genuinely open up to one another.

“If it is meant to be a connection, it will eventually work out without too much effort.” This saying came to my mind after reading the first three chapters of “Norwegian Wood”. After his dear friend Kizuki died and Toru moved into his dormitory, he says that “There was only one thing for me to do when I started my new life in the dorm: stop taking everything so seriously; establish a proper distance between myself and everything else.” I think it is because he ignored the social pressure to connect with others that he could develop a tie with Naoko. He started off from walking behind her and gazing at her brunette, until she stood naturally by his side, entwined her arm with his in the fall, and later put her hand inside his coat pocket. He waited, and she came, though it took some time. It is because he kept his composure and was cautious that the two were able to naturally connect without falling into the deep, dark, unnoticeable “field well.”

Bookshelf, The 100% Perfect Town

Knock, knock.

“Hi. I’m Aging Well, and I just moved into the place next door. May I come in?”

“Yeah... I’m Stumbling Into Happiness.”

Stepping inside, Aging Well asked, “Do you go out a lot?

Eyes widening, Stumbling Into Happiness blurted, “No. I stumbled into this town where I’m a misfit, but I’m thinking of stepping out. The people who live here are too problematic.”

“Have you ever talked to them? Why don’t I throw a party at my house tomorrow night, and we might be able to find out why, if there is a reason, they’re the way they appear to be.”

Stumbling Into Happiness reluctantly consented, but nonetheless seemed skeptical.

To a relief, everyone showed up, but no one seemed to know each other, not even acquainted. Aging Well broke the silence by introducing himself first.

“Hi, I’m Aging Well, and I moved in yesterday to help out the landlord with her Positive Psychology lecture. What about you?”

“I’m Pride and Prejudice. I see you’re single. People say ‘a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife’. Are you? My little one isn’t taken yet.”

“Nonsense. You’re obviously stuck in 1813. Simplicity, simplicity! Stay simple, my friend, and you will encounter the true values of the world. By the way, I’m Walden.”

“You do know you’re speaking from the 1830s perspective, right? But I have to admit, simplicity is needed just as much in the 1960s, too. The Orient, the exotic… They can fool you. I’m M. Butterfly.”

“But you must not let go of your dream because of money matters. Embracing yourself from the fear of dying poor is not worth losing your career and causing your wife to suffer from morphine addiction.”

“Frankly, though Long Day’s Journey Into Night has a point, but don’t forget that the era of the American Dream is gone. I’m Gatsby, in case you haven’t already heard of me.”

“What’s your story?” Aging Well nudged the exceptionally quiet man next to him.

“Heart Of Darkness.”

“Umm… Do you have anything you want to share with us?”

“The world is a dark place. Imperialism ruined the world.”

Closing the door after seeing that everyone had left, Aging Well thought to himself, ‘Bookshelf literally equals diversity. There are experts of various eras and areas, from happiness to marriage, transcendentalism, addiction issues, dreams, and utter darkness…’ Whoa.

*Creative Writing based on Murakami's "On Seeing the 100% Perfect Girl On Beautiful April Morning"

Reading Journal _ "The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World"

“Every single line… has a starting point in reality,” said Gabriel García Marquez. For him, the reality is his dough whereas his imagination is his toppings. That is, the fundamental plot is realistic, and its elements are what add an air of magic to it, somehow better revealing the truth hidden underneath.

A man drifts upon the shore of a village. The shape of his corpse is the only clue that points to him having been a human. Children, women, then men, upon discovering this unknown, drowned man, are surprised and left “breathless.” With only this, though, the plot is not that fantasy-like; it gets magical as he is characterized by the women cleaning his body to be Esteban, maybe even Lautaro, both who are mythical figures that were the pioneers and  the bravest in their fields. The man is also so huge that they cannot make him clothes of an adequate fit, not even with a sail. “Is this possible?” is what comes to one’s mind, if one gives much thought to every aspect of the story; some details do indeed seem irrational. However, when one reads it with a stream of consciousness, the story is not at all impossible.

Marquez said that “the sense of wonder and infinite strangeness which emerges from much Latin American writing is a true reflection of the complex realities of Latin American experience.” In fact, the oral story telling tradition, myths, and legends weaved into the realistic text come together to “create a cycle,” placing events and details in a manner that they “oscillate between the everyday and the impossible.” Magic realism, by extending and maybe even covering up the distinction between fantasy and reality, magnifies the intended message. As for Marquez, the merging of myth or mystery and reality recreates reality, functioning as a means of expressing “socio-political problems in which Latin Americans are submerged.” Focusing on the coexisting but completely opposite classes of the elite and the underprivileged, Marquez emphasizes that people, especially Latin Americans, are trapped in the misconception that there is a hierarchy, when there actually is no such thing. (Marquez quotes from: Maria Eugenia B. Rave, “Magical Realism and Latin America”) 

When the drowned man first appears, the women are busy admiring him, imagining how bold and marvelous he would have been when he was alive “secretly comparing him to their own men.” However, as the women dress and comb him, there is a sudden silence that is followed by pity that they are “unable to hold back.” They think of “how unhappy he must have been with that huge body since it bothered him even after death.” This can be seen as the villagers' epiphany, as they realize that size and physical qualities are not the standards deciding whether or not the normal are inferior, and that people are not of contrasting levels, but are just different. As the villagers exclaim that “he’s ours,” they become aware that everyone is worthy of what they experience, once they work for it.

The drowned man is a foil character, while the villagers are the protagonists. The man is dead; his existence itself and the impact it calls upon among the women and the men show that despite being silent, he is a mentor that leads the villagers to acknowledging their “narrowness” and motivating them to aim for higher goals, because they, together, need to become a town “worthy” of being called “Esteban’s village.”

If the seaside village with “only twenty-odd wooden houses that had stone courtyards with no flowers” was a white, blank canvas, the drowned man that approached the sea one day as a “dark and slinky bulge” was a swiftly-thrown paint ball. The sudden arrival of the drowned man brought liveliness to the village, giving some color to the originally dull area, and also guiding them to experience an epiphany. The drowned man, having both a magical entrance and exit, allows Marquez to convey his social critique. He criticizes outdated rules of the society and shed light on the infinite possibilities for change. The handsomest drowned man shows villagers that their ambitions are what allow them to live up to their potentials.

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Some Random Thoughts...

Why was it Wednesday when the drowned man drifted to the shore of the village? Is there some special meaning to Wednesday? Wednesday holds a connotation as a “hump day.” (Wikipedia) Being the middle of the week, once you get over it, the weekend awaits, so it is somewhat relieving. Maybe Marquez chose Wednesday specifically to show that the villagers overcome this "hump" of thoughts and meet their epiphany.

Also, among the numerous characteristics of the still vague (to me) genre “Magic Realism,” there is one called “hybridity.” (Wikipedia) This points to the belief that a story simultaneously occurring in inharmonious areas highlight a “more deep and true reality,” because the fact that both talk of the same aspect of reality merge the different planes as one. So in the case of “The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World,” Marquez underlines the reality of his interest by merging the stories of the sea and the village.

Going Places

     “You drive me crazy, I just can’t sleep. I’m so excited, I’m in too deep.”
     “Alice, stop singing. The snow is driving me crazy enough.”

Apparently, I was the only one excited about this trip to Denver, Colorado. I was singing my favorite Britney song, already making a huge snowman like Frosty in my head. My father, probably glad to be away on a business trip, had left my mother to suffer at the wheel, dealing with my innocent yet annoying exclamations, while at the same time driving to places such as Colorado, Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Utah, and even Virginia, all the way from Dallas, Texas. Not once did I notice my mother’s fatigue, though, simply excited at the thought of sightseeing.

Throughout my life, I have travelled by foot, by car, by plane, frequently moving as well. Busan, Tskuba, Gumi, Dallas, Cheonan, Seoul, and now Hoengseong… But no, I did not have problems, whether big or small, adapting to the almost regularly changing environment. In fact, that I experienced diverse cultures helped me enhance my social skills and affability. Driving out of a town called upon fragments of past memories, driving on highways surrounded by fast cars and somewhat crowded mountains gave me mixed feelings of both sadness and hope, and driving into a new neighborhood was exciting, allowing me to anticipate new experiences.

Among these moves, though, the turning point of my life was when I decided to move back to Korea in the third grade. It was a crucial choice, except how I chose to do so was based on my parents’ bribes: a four-day ticket to Disney World and a seat in the very front row of the airplane. I was so young, having no such maturity; I naturally neglected the fact that I had no life in Korea. Friends, gymnastics, church, soccer, Kool-aids, weekly outings to Ceci’s Pizza with my friends… Frankly speaking, I do not know if I would have moved back to Korea if I were to be given the choices again. Ten years having passed, would I be able to simply disregard my friends, my lack of ability to speak and write in Korean, and the apparent truth that I could not eat anything in the Korean cuisine, full of “redness?”

Swoosh, and the plane departed. It was then, though, when I finally came to my senses. Oops, too late to run off! I gazed at the land below where I had spent my last yet most memorable four years, where everything seemed so small, like connected pieces of LEGO. Soon enough, the plane was over the ocean and I was engulfed in big, white, and fluffy clouds. Everything was so white and so blue; it was pure, pulling out the honesty in me. Time to return to the reality, since the magical fantasy of the “Happiest Place on Earth” was over. The question whether or not I had made the right choice fogged my mind, numbing me to the bright surroundings. The first few weeks of my stay in America struck my memories, reminding me of how I had trouble saying absolutely anything in English. This was a critical problem, since I was and still am a person whose “thing” is talking. What about gymnastics? Ice skating? Shopping at Macy’s? Peeping at Swarovski jewelry in the display cases of Saks Fifth Avenue? Laura? Spencer? Captivated in my own bubble, I fell into seventeen long hours of thinking.

I was floating with time, along with the clouds that seemed to be doing the same. No one was bothering me, I had no such stress. I was in a limbo. Would Korea be like the States? Would I be able to come back? In a sense, I made a vital decision in an unbelievably simple and positive manner. I guess I just decided to adapt to the new environment, since I was already in the air. I mean, I could go back some day, right?

I am who I am now. Sure, it was hard at first. I had to learn Korean all over again, and I was quite often embarrassed due to my misunderstandings of words. It was not just a “move” like any other, as it involved a transfer between cultures. But I overcame them one by one, maturing in the process. I am told and do feel so myself that my multi-cultural experiences allowed me the not so common positiveness that I have.

Sooner than later, I will go aboard an airplane again and perhaps fall into another shift of time. Back to the United States, just as I had dearly wished for ten years ago. However, the passenger would no longer be the nine year old, immature yet innocent girl, but rather a passionate one who has firm beliefs but is still bright and positive. I will embrace myself in the clouds again, as a focused person who is ready to genuinely go towards her dreams. At this time, hopefully, the clouds will not be just white, but compact and dense with new people and a new community. So swoosh again, over the sea and into the clouds.