Recently, I co-starred in the chorus in KMLA fund raising concert held in November 19, with 40 other members. We sang two songs together, and I was in the bass part. At first, when the chorus started to prepare for the concert, none of us in the chorus seemed to like the idea. Since we were not volunteered to be in the chorus, all of us including me didn’t like to practice and perform. However, this chance to perform the chorus ended up with a lot of fun and taught me some important lessons.
First, I learned to respect other members of the group. When we started practicing, especially the boys in the bass part hated the chorus. We were not interested with singing, and we couldn’t find the meaning of participating in a chorus. To make the matters worse, none of us were good at singing. So, we didn’t practice hard and made many mistakes. Just like the orchestra and the band, harmony between the members is really important in the chorus. However, in chorus even one person can destroy the entire harmony since we’re only using our voice. Because of bass’ mistakes, the practice was delayed and the entire chorus couldn’t move forward. Then, I realized that I can waste other people’s time by not practicing hard and making mistakes. If I don’t try hard, I’m not respecting other members of the chorus because not only I was devoting my time, but all the other people were. I guess through this experience, I began to care about other people more than before.
Furthermore, I learned to enjoy if I can’t avoid something. Again, all the members in the chorus didn’t volunteer to be in it. We were all forced to do the chorus. Well, some members might have truly loved the chorus from the start but I’m sure that we all had some complaints. In reaction, some students were being really negative and kept complaining and damaging others by not practicing hard. Seeing those students, I determined that if I can’t change the situation, I will try to enjoy the situation. When I changed my mind, I was able to get less stress and do well on singing.
Although I had to sacrifice my valuable time, the chorus left me impressive memories. The chorus provided an opportunity to challenge myself. For instance, during the second song, there was a little bit of dancing which was quite embarrassing. Of course, I didn’t want to do it, but there was no choice. So I changed my mind and actively participated.
2011년 11월 21일 월요일
Yasheng Huang: Does democracy stifle economic growth?
Asian countries are striving to economically develop right now. However, huge gap exists between Asian countries. Some countries achieved great economic growth, while others are suffering from economic depression. When we discuss the case of success and failure in Asia, we commonly compare China and India. These countries have similar population and territory, but produced very different result right now. In this Ted lecture, Yasheng Huang , MIT and Fudan University professor, is comparing China and India in a neutral way to question whether democracy hinder or promote economic growth.
His main points in this lecture can be summarized into four points. First, infrastructure is not a cause of economic growth, but rather the result of it. Second, he refuted the belief that democracy is bad for economic growth. Third, as he directly mentions during the lecture, “The advantage the country (China) had was human capital -- nothing else but human capital”, he asserts that the reason why China achieved dramatic economic success compare to India is mainly human capital. Finally, he claims that political reforms are pivotal factors to economic growth and extols the possibility of Indian economy. Although I mainly agreed to conclusions he reached, I disagree with some of his major points.
First, human resources were not the only advantage that China had over India. The Lecturer is belittling other important factors. For instance, implicit causes like average economic level of countries around China and India might have influenced the result. China’s location was close to East Asian countries that had already gained economic development around 1980s.
Furthermore, the point that authoritative regime was no benefit at all to the economy is dubious. The lecturer gives example of failure cases like North Korea, Taiwan, Burma and saying that success cases like South Korea, is selecting on a dependent variable, to make an analogy, it’s like asking all the winners of lotteries, "Have you won the lottery?" And they all tell you, "Yes, we have won the lottery." However, when the economic situation of a certain country is seriously poor, an effective government should somehow organize economic activities for the country. I think it can actually ameliorate The cause of cases like North Korea, Taiwan, and Burma are inadvertent and reprehensible government.
Although I repudiated some of his points, I was amazed and agreed with the profound conclusions he made. He argues that economic growth comes with democracy. He argued that although China was able to gain economic success under an authoritative regime, economic success was possible because China has moved towards democracy and he believes that the political reforms are a must for China to maintain its growth. He apprehended that China will face some substantial challenges, because they have not moved further and faster on political reforms. Same story can be applied to India. India’s economic achievement was possible because India has been heading towards the direction of democracy.
After watching this lecture, current situation of Korea popped up into my mind. Although Korea has achieved democracy through many revolutions, there are many remains of the authoritative regime which is deterring political reformations. Korea will face substantial challenges like China with the economic development, if Korean government stops political reformation. Already some symptoms are shown like lower economic growth rate. For Korea to further advance in economy and preclude such challenges, what is need right now are not more factories, or capital but political reforms that can lead the country to the direction of democracy.
So far, the novel was mainly about four boys getting determined to begin a journey to find a dead body of a missing boy. The novel seemed like typical coming-of-age novel, but this novel had some very special features that make readers empathize with the boys.
In the first 30 pages, the backgrounds of the four boys are introduced. All boys seem to have problem in their family. Gordon, the main character, lost his brother in a military. Although Gordon and his brother were not a very close relationship, he feels guilt for his brother’s death. After his brother died, his parents divided and his family collapsed. Teddy has a problem with his father. Everyone in this world have problem with their family, no matter big or small. Thus, this setting will help people empathize with the boys.
I believe Gordon’s life can represent almost every men’s boyhood. He hangs around with number of friends he is close with, but his parents think they have bad influence on Gordon. I think many men went through similar stage in life. When I was around Gordon’s age, I used to play with friends my parents didn’t like. Back then, I didn’t know why my parents didn’t like them, but after a while I understood why they worried. They were worried that I might choose a wrong path. Through these little experiences I learned to grow up. I guess Gordon would go through similar experience.
Well, the relationship with Gordon and his old brother Dennis was an unfamiliar relationship for me. I have one sister instead of brother, and she is only 3 years older than me. However, the author described the relationship so well that I felt sympathy for the relationship. Dennis took Gordon to the baseball field, and it’s the happiest moment Gordon can remember with his brother. When I try to remember my happiest moment with my sister, similar moments come to my mind, like when my sister took me to a bookstore with her. Also, as me and my sister got older, we rarely talked and I looked at my sister with awe.
To add, Just like ‘Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption’, Stephen King gives detailed description of the time setting. Songs that were popular at the time like Elvis Presley’s ‘King Creole’, and books that were read. Places such as Castle Rock were not real. Although they are not real, detailed explanation of the background makes this story seem real.
I want to introduce an album released long time ago, but with such a modern sense. The album is ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’. Some people might wonder why I brought such an out-of-date “progressive rock” album, and you may be interested in hip-hop, pop, or modern rock music. However, there is a good reason why I want to introduce this album from 1973, by the band Pink Floyd.
Briefly introducing the band, they were English progressive rock band with 4 members, Rick Wright on keyboard, Roger Waters on bass and vocal, David Gilmour on guitar, Nick Mason on percussion. Pink Floyd made concept albums with the unique themes. ‘The Dark Side of the Moon’ is not an exception. After releasing masterpieces like “The Dark Side of The Moon”, “The Wall”, and “Wish You were Here”, they became legendary rock band. This album can be called a masterpiece, not even mentioning that it has a record of lasting longest on the billboard chart( 14years, 741 weeks )
As I mentioned earlier, all songs in this album are connected with the theme, madness. Literally, all songs in this album are about the things that make us go crazy. Looking at the titles of the songs we can find that out easily: Speak to me(Breathe), On the Run, Time, The Great Gig in the Sky, Money, Us and Them, Any Colour you Like, Brain Damage, and Eclipse. Everyone can feel sympathy for the lyrics of the songs, and we can get deep emotion from them. The good example is the lyric of the track ‘Money’.
Money
Get away
You get a good job with good pay and you're okay
Money
It's a gas
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash
New car, caviar, four star daydream
Think I'll buy me a football team
Money
Well, get back
I'm all right Jack
Keep your hands off of my stack
Money
It's a hit
Don't give me that do goody good bullshit
I'm in the high-fidelity first class travelling set
I think I need a Lear jet
Money
It's a crime
Share it fairly
But don't take a slice of my pie
Money
So they say
Is the root of all evil today
But if you ask for a raise
It's no surprise that they're giving none away
"HuHuh! I was in the right!"
"Yes, absolutely in the right!"
"I certainly was in the right!"
"You was definitely in the right. That geezer was cruising for a bruising!"
"Yeah!"
"Why does anyone do anything?"
"I don't know, I was really drunk at the time!"
"I was just telling him, he couldn't get into number 2. He was asking why he wasn't coming up on freely, after I was yelling and screaming and telling him why he wasn't coming up on freely. It came as a heavy blow, but we sorted the matter out"
Also, take a look at the track 'time'.'
Time
Ticking away the moments that make up a dull day
You fritter and waste the hours in an offhand way
Kicking around on a piece of ground in your home town
Waiting for someone or something to show you the way
Tired of lying in the sunshine
Staying home to watch the rain
And you are young and life is long
And there is time to kill today
And then one day you find
Ten years have got behind you
No one told you when to run
You missed the starting gun
And you run, and you run to catch up with the sun, but it's sinking
Racing around to come up behind you again
The sun is the same in a relative way, but you're older
Shorter of breath and one day closer to death
Every year is getting shorter
Never seem to find the time
Plans that either come to nought
Or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desparation is the English way
The time is gone
The song is over
Thought I'd something more to say
Home, home again
I like to be here when I can
When I come home cold and tired
It's good to warm my bones beside the fire
Far away across the field
The tolling of the iron bell
Calls the faithful to their knees
To hear the softly spoken magic spells
Those lyrics are easy to feel sympathy for, and has a deep meanings inside.
Not only lyrics, but the melodies and the instrumental section of all songs are great. The band used many experimental sound effects and instruments to send their message, and shows wide variety of sounds using various methods. In the track ‘Money’, the band used a saxophone which is mixed beautifully with the lyrics and the melody. Saxophone is also used in the track ‘Us and Them’. Also, in the 3rd track ‘Time’, the song begins with almost 2 and a half minutes of instrumental section. With the sound of clocks ticking and an alarm clock, the percussion creates dreamy mood of the song. In ‘The Great Gig in the Sky’, the woman vocalist Clare Torry’s voice moves many people’s hearts.This album begins with the sound of the heartbeat, and ends with the sound of the hearbeat. During those last heartbeats, if you turn up the volume, you can hear the whisper "There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark ". When I finished listen to the album for the first time, it made me tremble from the shock.
Recently, in September 26th, 2011, a digital remastered version of the album is released. Whenever you are in a sentimental mood or feel some kind of numbness, this album will definitely make you feel high and deeply impressed.
I am a lawyer in New York. I work for a biggest law firm in this area. I earn a lot of money, so I’m rich. Many people envy and respect me, but in fact, I hate my job. I always wanted to be a writer, but instead I chose to be a lawyer. Why? Every time I told people that I will become a writer, they convinced me that it is very hard to ‘succeed’ as a writer, and if you don’t succeed you’ll be a loser. Well, I definitely didn’t want to be a loser, so I changed my mind. However, the stress I’m getting from my job is getting more intense. I can’t hold on to it anymore. I want to run away from it, but I am afraid. I don’t know what to do. I think I need somebody’s advice. The first person that came into my mind was my father.
After a long time, I visited my father. When I confessed my worry, my father began to speak. “This is a story that I want to tell you. Now I am an old man waiting to die, but once I was an ambitious young man just like you. My goal in life was to become a successful person. At first, I tried to earn money to get rich. I believed that earning a lot of money would bring me success, as many other people say and wish these days. I put all of my effort on earning money. Soon, I became indifferent to everything but money. I became distant with my family, friends, and happiness. I realized that I was going to the opposite direction of success. Finally, I began to wonder what a true success is and searched for the answer.”
Then he asked me a question. “My son, how can we define success? Success is a vague thing to chase. Many people want to succeed, but they can’t define what success to them is. Unless there is a satisfaction, there can’t be a success either. What could be some common standards that people use in order to define success?” I replied, “Fame and wealth are probably the top two standards which people are trying to achieve”.
He continued speaking. “I think we have to define success in other ways. Fame and wealth are not the most important things. True happiness should be the standard of success. Then, what is true happiness? Some people may say that fame and wealth is there true happiness. I don’t think that makes sense. Fame and wealth will not bring happiness to you. For example, fathers go to work every morning to earn money. Fathers’ don’t go to work to earn money; instead their wish is to live happy life with his family with that money. Then, what about the fame? Being famous means being loved. At least, one can feel that way. Everyone wants to be meaningful and needed by others. Now we can think about success that is not about fame or wealth.”
After having a conversation with my father I realized that success is not about wealth and fame, it is about doing what I want and being happy. Yes, I might earn less money with writing. However, true success is pursuing what I’m happy with. Now, I will boldly abandon my secure job and I’m going to start a whole new life with a new career.
