Steppingstones to my future: Career Essay by Minji Kang

My childhood affected a large portion of my interests, values, and skills, which all led to my future career as a Foreign Service Officer (FSO). As an only child, I grew up alone and had a lot fears, especially about wars and death. Whenever I heard about wars or homicides, I have always dreamed of a world where we could live without fear, hatred, and pain. At first, I got scared and started to sob, but from one day, I started to ask myself of ways to change the world. Fortunately, because of my frequent family trips to several foreign countries, I became interested in other countries, their languages, and culture. Therefore, I could use my background knowledge from what I had learned and experienced. Because of my interest in knowing new cultures and people, I had valued relationships, and my knowledge in languages and cultures improved. As a result, the test for my career choices became a doorway to my determination to become an FSO.

My values, skills, and interests mainly affected what I want to be. Since I am “artistic, social, and enterprising” (Holland 2), I value relationship and responsibility the most. I put my best effort to complete and accomplish what I am responsible for, so I feel very uncomfortable when I do not do my works and just fool around. I think of relationships as an important part of my life as well; this includes my relationships with God, friends, and families. What makes my relationship gratified is having faith and treating others with respect. I also enjoy being involved in art-related activities like singing and drawing, and I have some talents in languages. My interests in art and my skills in languages might seem like they do not get along very well. However, for a person like me who is interested in arts of different cultures and able to speak more than one language, FSO is a perfect job. Moreover, I am “sociable and civic-minded” (Keirsey 2), so I will be able to communicate and socialize with representatives from different countries pretty well. Furthermore, I concern about the world and its conflicts, with means I already have a set mind and attitude to help making the world into a better place: “I worry a good deal about society falling apart, morality decaying, standards being undermined, traditions being lost, so I do all I can to preserve and extend the institutions that embody social order” (Keirsey 2). Overall, my characteristics and personalities will be a big influence to the future, and I should develop my skills and knowledge to achieve my ambition.

In order to become an FSO, I should know its roles and requirements that I should meet. FSO’s have many duties to help the development in international relations and economy: “they promote peace, stability, and prosperity, including advocating foreign policy, protecting citizens, bolstering business throughout the world (Career Profiles). These people work all over the world to attend conferences, or sometimes just work on documents. To become an FSO, I should receive a bachelor’s degree in one specific subject and apply for the job in the Department of Foreign Service. I must choose one of the five different career tracks: “Management Affairs, Consular Affairs, Economic Affairs, Political affairs, and Public Diplomacy” (U.S. Foreign Service Department). Then, I should take the FSO written exam, and if I pass the exam, I will be taking an all-day long Oral Assessments. Lastly, I have to pass the Comprehensive Physical Exam and a rigorous background security check. My earnings for the first year would be $39,691(U.S. Foreign Service Department). I wouldn’t necessarily have to be fluent in a foreign language because there are language trainings for overseas businesses; nevertheless, I already am able to speak two foreign languages. Nowadays, it is very hard to become an FSO because there are only a few hundred slots each year only for the people who pass all three exams. Therefore, it is getting more competitive to work in the Department of Foreign Service.

Being an FSO would be an awesome opportunity for me. I would get to visit many different countries and make new friends and memories as I work for the country I applied for. The country that I will apply for would depend on what nationality I will choose when I become twenty-two years old, but for right now, my plan is to become a South Korean FSO. The reason is because I want to show wonderful and fantastic cultures and traditions of South Korea that are not very well-known to people around the world today. I particularly want to work for cultural development department to introduce our culture, traditions, as well as the technological, economic, and artistic abilities to other countries. Even though Korea is developing more and more these days, I am pretty sure that if other diplomatic workers and I put in our best effort to solve international conflicts and keep good relationships with other nations, we will become more developed and recognized to other countries. Thus, it will lead to not just the comfort and pleasure of people in South Korea but also the peace and well-being of the world population.

Works Cited:
"Career Profiles." The Princeton Review. 2007. The Princeton Review, INC. 13 Mar 2007 .
"Foreign Service Officer." Careers Representing America. 27 Mar 2007. U.S. Department of State Careers. 18 Mar 2007 .
Holland, John L. Assessment Booklet: A Guide to Educational and Career Planning. Lutz: Psychological Assessment Resources. Inc., 1994.
Holland, John L. The Occupations Finder. Lutz: Psychological Assessment Resources. Inc., 2000.
Keirsey, David. Please Understand Me 2: Temperament Character Intelligence. Del Mar: Prometheus Nemesis Book Company, 1998.

Recriminate by Minji Kang

INT. IN LUCIA’S ROOM – DAY (SLOW)
LUCIA BONSAIRES, a young lady in her twenties, is getting ready to go outside. She looks at herself into the mirror putting on red lip gloss and black suit. She walks out of her room. .


INT. IN THE TAXI – DAY (FAST)
Lucia looks at the invitation card and outside through the window, there are people smiling, laughing, and they seem happy.


EXT. AT THE CHATAQUA PARK IN THE WEDDING CEREMONY – DAY (SLOW)
Lucia gets out of the taxi. People in the park all look very happy and joyful. Lucia sits down in one of the chairs. JOHN MORTON and JADIE CLINTON come out following the white silky carpet decorated with flowers and fabrics holding hands together. John is very handsome and tall and has blond hair and blue eyes; however he seems like an irresponsible person. Jadie is a beautiful young lady in her twenties with sharp nose and brown curly hair. John is in nice black tuxedos, and Jadie is in a beautiful white wedding dress that goes down to her toes. When everybody is clapping, but Lucia does not and stays still.











EXT. AT THE CHATAQUA PARK IN THE DARK FOREST – LATER (FASTER)
The ceremony is over and Lucia gets out of chair quietly and head to the dark woody side of the park. There, John and Lucia run into each other. Lucia glares at him and John tries to act like normal. Suddenly, Lucia grabs him by his neck and starts yelling. A few seconds after she started screaming, she realizes something strange; John won’t move, even his eyes. He falls down on his knees right away and Lucia realizes he is dead. She looks around and finds Jadie who watched everything that had happened. Jadie tries to run away but Lucia grabs her and blocks her mouth when she tries to scream. Suddenly, screaming stops and when Lucia takes her hand off of the face, Jadie’s face stays frozen with wide-opened eyes and lips. Lucia freaks out and runs away and people start to come to see what’s happening. They see the dead body and Lucia running away. The wedding ceremony becomes a mess.
INT. IN A MESSY AND DARK ROOM – NIGHT (FAST)
Lucia looks at herself into a dirty mirror with water spots on it. Then, she looks for the yellow book for a number and calls to “Beauty Clinic New York”.


INT. AT THE BEAUTY CLINCIC, IN THE OFFICE – DAY
GORDON BONSAIRES is in his forties however is very handsome and tall. Wearing a white hospital gown, he is looking through some documents on his desk. He seems very busy. There’s a knock on the door.

Lucia comes in.

GORDON
(with big eyes, drops his pen down on the desk)
Hello! My… niece Lucia! What brings you here?
LUCIA
(smiles and then a little seriously)
Uncle, I came here after a deep thought, to ask you for a favor. You see, I have been hiding in a tiny underground room for almost half a year in a small town by myself, and you know why. I was looking at myself in the mirror one day and thought that I should not live like his anymore. I looked so… weak and poor…and hopeless.

Silence.

LUCIA
(looks into Gordon’s eyes)
So Uncle, help me. Please? I want you to change my life. All you have to do is just change how I look. Into a totally new person. I promise you. I will live with honesty and faithfulness. You can watch me. I am a different person now.


INT. IN THE SURGERY ROOM – LATER (FAST)
Gordon and his surgeons are working very hard and finally, Gordon takes his gloves off and wipes his forehead.




INT. IN THE PATIENT’S ROOM – DAY
Lucia is lying on the bed and there are Gordon and his nurses around the bed. Lucia slowly opens her eyes.

GORDON
Can you see me, Lucia?

LUCIA
(looking with barely opened eyes)
Yeah… a little bit… It’s hard to open my eyes…

GORDON
That’s normal. You will feel better later.
(looks around and sees his nurse)
Alright, I need to talk with this patient lying down right here now, so please. All of you get out and I will be out very soon.

All the nurses go out.

LUCIA
Thank you so much, uncle. I don’t know how to thank you.

GORDON
(with a smile)
I think you should look at yourself first before you say that.

Gordon takes the mirror off from the wall and brings it to Lucia. Lucia looks into the mirror and gasps.

LUCIA
Oh, uncle. I can’t believe this. You are a very talented man, and I really mean this!

GORDON
Now, Lucia. We do not have much time. There is one more thing for me to tell you.
(takes out an ID card)
I have made this card for you. It’s a new ID card with your new name. Your name from now on will be Miranda Chavez.

They both look at the ID Card and look at each other, and they smile.

LUCIA
Uncle Gordon, I will be a good girl and I will never disappoint you. I will soon get a job and earn a lot of money. I owe you my entire salary. I am serious!





GORDON
(with a little smile)
That’s a fair offer. Well, I’d better get going because I have a next patient who’s waiting for me.
(with a serious look)
And remember, Lucia. You will always have to be careful. Call me if anything happens, OK?

Lucia nods and hugs him.


EXT. ON THE STREET – DAY
Miranda is walking on the street and passes by a big building that says “SUN”. She stops and finds a poster posted on the building. The poster says that the model agency, Sun, is looking for New York’s next top model. A woman in a nice suit comes out of the building. She looks like she is in a hurry. Lucia grabs her.

MIRANDA
Excuse me, ma’am.

WOMAN
(glances at Lucia from head to toe)
Yes?

MIRANDA
I just saw this poster and was wondering if I can apply for this audition.

WOMAN
Well, it is very competitive to get into our agency as you know, however it looks like you will have some hope here.
(takes out a packet out of her bag)
Here is an application form. Fill this in right now. I am on the way to the meeting with the president just now.

Lucia fills the documents. The woman looks at her watch very impatiently.

MIRANDA
I am very sorry. I am almost done.

WOMAN
(with a sarcastic smile)
It’s alright. Take your time.
MIRANDA
(finishes her writing)
Here! I filled in everything I can… Well, yeah. I filled out everything on that packet and… it says that you need a picture of me?

WOMAN
Yes, you have any picture of you with you right now?
MIRANDA
(hesitates and then with a worried face)
No I don’t have any with me right now.

WOMAN
Well… you know what? It’s alright. I have my cell phone right here.

The woman takes out her phone out and takes a picture.

WOMAN
I will call you within two weeks.

MIRANDA
Thank you so much ma’am.

WOMAN
(with a smile)
I will see you soon.

The woman grabs a taxi. Miranda waves her a good-bye until the taxi makes a left turn. She jumps up and down like a little kid, and realizes everyone’s looking at her. She calms herself down and walks like a model on the stage.


INT. IN A ROOM – DAY
Miranda is in her bed, sleeping very deeply. Her phone rings and rings but she doesn’t seem to wake up. Ring stops and after a few moments later, rings again.
MIRANDA
(looks for her phone with closed eyes and pushes talk button on the phone)
Hello…?

WOMAN(VO)
Hello. Is this Miranda Chavez?

MIRANDA
(scratches her eyes)
Yes. Who’s this…?

WOMAN(VO)
I am calling from Sun, the model agency you applied for a few weeks ago.

MIRANDA
(jumps out of her head and sits up fixing her hair)
Yes, yes! Hello, this is Miranda Chavez. How are you doing?

WOMAN(VO)
Very well, thank you. Can you come to the office today? We would like to have a talk with you. The president of our agency was very interested in you after the meeting that day.



MIRANDA
(with excitement)
Oh, really? OK. I’ll be there! Like in… an hour!

WOMAN(VO)
Very well. I will see you soon, Ms. Chavez.

Miranda gets out of her bed quickly and sits down in front of her mirror. She fixes her hair with hair rolls, and puts on make-up. She opens her closet and takes out all her clothes. She puts on this and that looking at the mirror. She takes out her hair rolls and throws them all around the floor. She gets out of her room and come back running inside again and takes out a pair of stockings out of her closet.


EXT. ON THE STREET – LATER
Miranda gets out of the building and grabs a taxi.

MIRANDA
(waving hard)
Taxi! Taxi!

A taxi stops and Miranda opens the door and hops in.

MIRANDA
To “Sun” Building, the best model agency in New York, please!


INT. IN THE OFFICE – DAY (SLOW)
Miranda comes into the office and when Ralph looks up he finds Miranda. For a while, Ralph stares at her for a long time not saying anything. Then the secretary introduces Ralph to Miranda and Miranda to Ralph. Ralph congratulates her to become one of the models in his agency. He tells her all about her job and the next day’s schedule.


INT. IN THE OFFICE – NIGHT (FAST)
Ralph’s secretary gives Ralph an invitation to a dinner party. The secretary tells him that the letter says that he needs a partner. They joke around about who he could take to the party with him.


INT. IN THE CAR – NIGHT (FAST)
As Ralph is driving through the highway, he ponders about something really deeply and then suddenly makes a sudden turn to head off to somewhere. He arrives at one huge building.


INT. IN A STUDIO – NIGHT
Miranda is wearing a beautiful pink evening gown and posing for the camera.


PHOTOGRAPHER
(holding a camera and taking pictures)
That’s good. Nice. VERY nice. Yes. That’s it.
(puts the camera down and claps)
Alright, alright. That’s good enough for today. FANTABULOUS job to day, Miranda!
MIRANDA
Thank you, thank you!

Ralph comes in.

PHOTOGRAPHER
(hugs Ralph)
Ah, who’s this! Ralph Waltzman, my old fella! Long time no see! How are you lately?

RALPH
Well, I’ve got this beautiful young lady here as our new model and it has been a great success, hasn’t it?

PHOTOGRAPHER
Yes, yes! She is AMAZING. Can’t wait till I see her walking on the showcase of Chanel, Gucci, Prada… Oh my, I got to be going. I have an appointment in an hour! Good-bye.

The photographer runs out grabbing a key on the table.

RALPH
OK then Ms. Miranda, would you like a ride?



MIRANDA
I’m fine. Thank you though, Mr. Ralph.

RALPH
I am going near your house. It’s the same direction. I can take you there.

MIRANDA
(with a little smile)
You know where I live?

RALPH
(blushed and embarrassed)
Well, yes. You’re the treasure of our agency. What would I not know about you.

MIRANDA
(laughs)
Alright, then.

They get out of the studio and get on the car.


INT. IN A CAR – NIGHT
RALPH
Miranda, I am going to this party this weekend held my many celebrities and agencies from many different countries… uh, and I have these tickets.

Miranda looks at Ralph with a confused face.

RALPH
OK so I was wondering if you would like to go with me to this party… so would you like to go?

MIRANDA
(smiles)
Definitely. I would love to go, Mr. Ralph.

RALPH
So I guess I will see you tomorrow?

MIRANDA
OK, see you tomorrow.

Miranda gets out of the car and Ralph sighs.


INT. IN A ROOM – NIGHT
Miranda is wearing a beautiful red evening gown and putting on red lip gloss. Then, she puts on mascara and foundation. Suddenly, the bell rings on the door, so she runs to the door and opens it.

MIRANDA
You’re here already!


RALPH
Yes, of course. Here is a flower bouquet for you.
(hands her a beautiful bouquet of red roses)

MIRANDA
(looks at the flowers and then looks at Ralph)
Wow, thank you so much… These are just so beautiful!

RALPH
Well, we’d better get going here. Are you ready?

MIRANDA
Yes, just a moment please.

She runs to her room and picks up a little box on her desk.
The two walk out of the house and get on the car.

MIRANDA
This is for you.
(hands Ralph the little box)

RALPH
What’s this?
(opens it and sees a necktie pin)
Hey… when did you prepare this? This is gorgeous.




MIRANDA
Let me put in on for you.
(she puts the pin on his tie and smiles)
It looks really good on you.

RALPH
(looks into Miranda’s eyes and says with a cheesy voice)
Thank you so much.

INT. CITY HALL – NIGHT
They drive to the city hall and get out of the car. Then, they go into the ball room and there are already so many people inside.

BRAT 1
Hello, Mr. Waltzman. How have you been doing?

RALPH
I’ve been doing very well actually. Oh, let me introduce our new model, Miranda Chavez. She will be taking shots in Paris with Marc Jacobs and Monsieur Jacques.

BRAT 1
(peeks Miranda up and down with a disappointed face)
Oh, well I’d better get going. See you later Mr. Waltzman.



GENTLEMAN 1
Who’s this! Ralph Waltzman, it’s been almost ten years since we’ve met! You still working for the agency here?

RALPH
Well, actually, I became the president of an agency. It’s called the Sun.

GENTLEMAN 1
The Sun?! You are the president there? Time flies… It’s just like yesterday when I think of the time we first met, eh? You sometimes come to visit me to Slovenia, okay?
(stares at Miranda)
Now, who’s this? Your new girlfriend?

RALPH
No, sir. She’s our new model from this season. Her name is Miranda Chavez.
(whispers to Miranda)
He is the one who held the party tonight. Say hello to him.




MIRANDA
Hello, it is a pleasure to meet you. I am having so much fun here.

GENTLEMAN 1
What a beautiful young lady you are. Well, enjoy the party. I should say a greetings or something right?
(laughs and disappears)

MIRANDA
Wow. Isn’t he like a famous actor or something? He looks really familiar.

RALPH
He was a producer who made many famous movie hits ten years ago. Remember, Forever in the blues, If only, Justice and the Truth?

MIRANDA
Are you serious? He is the producer of all three movies? That’s so cool!






RALPH
Not just those three. He made much more, but I can’t remember. Oh, shoot. Can you wait here? I need to talk with that person over there.

MIRANDA
Yeah, sure.

RALPH
I’ll be really quick. (disappears)

Miranda wanders around looking here and there. She picks up a chocolate dipped strawberry on the table and finds a fountain outdoors. She goes there.

MIRANDA
Wow… It’s so beautiful.

A few moments later, Ralph comes.

RALPH
Hey… I was looking for you!

MIRANDA
Oh, I am sorry. I just found this place and…

RALPH
It’s alright, it’s alright. No worries.

MIRANDA
Well, thank you so much for bringing me here. It’s been a great night meeting all these people.

RALPH
It’s not a problem. We should come to this kind of events pretty often.

Silence.

RALPH
Well… uh I was thinking… since you have been with me for tonight, what do you think about being together often from now on?

MIRANDA
You mean… like as in a date?

RALPH
(mumbles and blushes)
Well… I guess… yeah. As in a date.





MIRANDA
(smiles and jokes)
Of course. But you have to promise me to make my time with you the happiest than ever.

RALPH
I promise you.

They both laugh.


INT. IN THE OFFICE – DAY (FAST)
Ralph is looking at Miranda’s documents and finds her birthday is next Thursday. Then, he gets a phone call from his best friend, Charles. Charles tells him that they haven’t been seeing each other for a long time and to come over to his office.


INT. IN THE OFFICE –DAY (SLOW)
Ralph talks about Miranda and explains how she reminds him of his mother. Then, Ralph mentions that next Thursday is Miranda’s birthday and he wants to do something special for her. Charles suggests a surprise party. When Ralph is saying good-bye to his friend, he sees a list of criminals known as the “Black List.”


INT. IN A CAR – DAY (FAST)
Ralph calls his secretary to get some stuff for the party.



EXT. IN FRONT OF A BUILDING – DAY (FAST)
The secretary brings all the stuff, Ralph tells her to move Miranda’s schedule to this evening.


INT. IN MIRANDA’S ROOM – NIGHT (FAST)
Ralph decorates the room with balloons and Christmas lights. He finishes everything and realizes he needs to plug in to make the lights on. He looks behind a wardrobe to see if there’s an outlet and finds a dusty album. Inside, he sees a familiar face that he has seen before. Then he remembers the black list at Charles’s office. Suddenly, there is a beeping sound of the button keys on the door. It was Miranda coming into the house. Ralph gets out through the window with a picture in his hands. Miranda looks at all the mess and finds an album opened wide with balloons and Christmas lights. She finds a necktie pin that she gave Ralph on the dinner party night and a missing picture in the album. Wind blows very hard through the window and curtains are dancing.


INT. IN THE OFFICE – DAY (SLOW)
Ralph is trying to decide if he should forget about Miranda’s past and move on or think of Miranda’s past seriously and report it to the police.


INT. IN A STUDIO – DAY
Miranda is taking photo shots with a very uncomfortable face, and the photographer is taking many pictures with his camera.




PHOTOGRAPHER
(puts his camera down)
Stop, stop, stop! What’s wrong, Miranda? This is not how you do normally. More expressions, more feelings! Got that?

MIRANDA
(quietly)
OK.

She tries again but still with no emotions.

PHOTOGRAPHER
(throws his camera on the floor and with exaggerating hand gestures)
Hey, hey, hey! This is not what I want, OK? Today’s shot is about happiness! Joy! And love! What’s wrong with you! You’re not doing your best here.

MIRANDA
I AM trying my best here, OK? (sighs)
You know what, I need to take some rest today.

She grabs her purse and walks out of the studio.


INT. IN MIRANDA’S ROOM – NIGHT (SLOW)
Miranda is looking at the mirror. She realizes that something’s wrong with her nose. She touches it this way and that way but still it looks like a grandma’s nose. She falls down on her knees and starts crying.


INT. IN THE OFFICE– DAY (SLOW)
Ralph looks very tired. He is working on some documents but pauses and thinks about something very deeply. Then he works on the documents again but puts them down again. He grabs his car key and head outside.


EXT. IN THE PARKING LOT – NIGHT (FAST)
Ralph gets on the car.


INT. IN CHARLES’S OFFICE – NIGHT (SLOW)
Ralph just says that he was stopping by to say hi and they talk a little bit. Charles goes outside to get a phone call, and Ralph takes the picture out from his wallet and compare with the picture on the Black List. Sadly, the lady on his picture and the one on the Black List look like the same person. When Charles comes back in, Ralph quickly puts the picture back in. Charles suggests going out for a dinner, but Ralph says no and leaves the office.


INT. IN THE OFFICE – NIGHT
Miranda comes in to the office.

SECRETARY
Hello, Ms. Chavez.

Miranda ignores her and walks into the room. Nobody’s there.

MIRANDA
(with a disappointed tone and face)
Where’s Mr. Waltzman?

SECRETARY
He’s not here at this moment.

MIRANDA
Where is he?

SECRETARY
I am not sure, but I think he said he’s going to the FBI to meet somebody.

Miranda’s eyes get big and she runs into the office and her personal documents, resumes, and newspaper articles are all on the desk. Miranda stares at them for a while.

MIRANDA
(with a shocked face talking to herself)
This cannot happen.

She runs out of the office.






INT. IN A CAR- NIGHT ( SLOW)
It is raining a lot and Ralph is driving home in the highway. He looks at the picture again for a long time. Then with a face that seems like he has fixed his mind, he crumbles the picture and throws it away. He parks his car in the parking lot.


INT. IN A HALLWAY – NIGHT (FAST)
Ralph goes up to his floor and Miranda is in front of his door waiting for him. He tries to act like normal and walk towards her. She comes close to him and says that she never knew he would betray her like this. Ralph is very confused because he never thought of betraying her and he was never going to. He tries to figure out what is going on and ask her what’s wrong but she doesn’t listen to him. They argue and suddenly, Miranda kills him with a knife. They both gasp and without even carrying back her weapon, Miranda runs down the stairs and leave.


INT. IN A HALLWAY – MORNING (FAST)
The neighbors see the Ralph’s dead body and Charles comes running. He sees the dead body and tries to find what has happened. Charles sees a knife and puts it in a zip lock bag.


INT. IN A LABORATORY – EVENING (FAST)
Charles is working with his teammates with computers and documents. Then they find out that the murderer is Ralph’s girlfriend, Miranda.


INT. IN A ROOM –NIGHT (FAST)
Charles looks through Ralph’s room but does not find anything that could help him with his investigation.
INT. IN THE OFFICE – NIGHT (FAST)
Charles looks through Ralph’s office and takes some documents about Miranda Chavez.


INT. IN A CAR – NIGHT (FAST)
Charles looks carefully the inside of the car. He finds a crumbled photo at the back seat and he sees Lucia BonsAires, one of the people on his Black List. He looks at all the documents of Miranda and goes over them. His phone rings and hears an interesting news; the fingerprints of Lucia BonsAires and Miranda Chavez are identical.


INT. IN A ROOM – DAY (FAST)
Miranda is in her room watching a new that talks about her and all her crimes. Next to her, there is a newspaper that has an article about her on the first page. She turns off the TV.


EXT. ON A STREET – DAY (SLOW)
Miranda is walking down the street around the New York City and thinks back of the time when she was at the wedding. She now realizes that she should have let the couple go on their wedding day in the first place and just congratulate and bless them. Then she wouldn’t have done plastic surgery, become a model, meet Ralph, and let him find everything about her past and the truth; she could have lived a quiet good life. Now, she feels like there is no hope. When she is thinking about all this, FBI helicopters and cars spotlights and put her in the center of the street. Miranda does not seem surprised or anxious; she looks very calm and sad in a way. She knows that she deserves this so she does everything that they tell her to do. They put handcuffs around her wrists and get in the police car.

INT. IN A JAIL – DAY (SLOW)
Miranda is wearing the jail uniform with her numbers on. It is the time for the picture before she goes inside the jail. She at last looks very peaceful and free. Miranda’s lips move as she smiles a little bit, and the camera flash goes off.

Semester Goal

My Goal for 2nd Semester


My first goal is to find new, better ways to revise my work to have stronger voice and organized thoughts that are easy to understand for the readers. To achieve this goal, I am going to be highlighting main ideas and check if I am clear about what I’m saying. Also, I want to choose one specific voice before writing and then highlight individual voice when editing, to check if my voice is what I wanted in detail. My method for this goal would be working hard on D.O.L. during class. I think D.O.L. really helps me a lot to edit writings of my own and others.
To make my writing more stylistic and rhetoric, I will use a variety of transitional devices. Until now, I felt several times that I am a little weak at connecting all of my paragraphs together as one. I tried to work on it, but it was pretty hard. This semester, I want to be satisfied at my paragraphs connected fluently with smooth transitions so that my whole writing flows like water and becomes easy to understand. My method to succeed in this goal is keeping a little journal to carry with me to write down transition words or phrases that I find in any kinds of writings I read in class and at home.
Just like the transitional devises, using conventions of punctuation in correct forms is another problem I had during my first semester. Therefore, I want to learn specifically how I can use colons, hyphens, semicolons, dashes, and others in my writing. I am going to find out how to use and understand these marks from the Internet and use them wisely to support and clear my ideas in essays and also my readers to understand well.
Most of the time when I find sources for my research, I usually use the Internet, and sometimes books as well. I knew that the wider I look at and search for, the more information I would get. However I always chose the easy way. From 2nd semester, I want to use a variety of sources to gather information for my research. For example, I want to try new, different ways to find what I need, like interviews, videos, or educational radio programs.
From six traits of writing, the one that I had most struggles with was voice. Generally, this didn’t really matter because my writings were mostly informative, objective, and it had no special tone I needed to use to gain my readers’ interests. However, I was reading a book one day and realized how voice can affect the mood of both story and the readers so much. Therefore, my goal is to read as many books as I could to discover different styles and moods of writing to get an idea of what kind of voice I can use. After I have full of knowledge about voice, I want to write to make my readers nod their heads, cry, and laugh out loud as they read along.

Definition Essay

Venus Power Is Finally On Earth: Definition Essay of Beauty

Throughout history, the goddess of beauty, Venus has been ruling over the Earth.
Beauty affects how we define ourselves; how we look and dress up is an expression of
identity. For example, if you don't look good in an audition for a company or a show, you
would obviously not be chosen. Even little kids in elementary school prefer a well-dressed
and good-looking teacher rather than an ugly teacher wearing his jogging pants everyday.
Moreover, almost every South Korean female has had plastic surgery to have sharper noses,
bigger eyes, and smaller faces. Even males have had plastic surgery to look like Orlando
Bloom or Brad Pitt. However, people have different styles and thoughts of what beauty is, so
it is hard to agree what is beautiful or not with everyone. Therefore, this essay will be
explaining about the details, classification, and the examples of beauty.
Beauty is a psychological value that can be figured out with intuition. People have
different backgrounds and experiences, so people do not have the same opinion about a
subject's beauty. For example, when a family sits in a living room and watches a movie on
TV, the children would think the actress is so beautiful, but the father might not agree that
she's beautiful at all. Because beauty depends on each one of us, we cannot easily define
what it is. The more you try to define, interpret, analyze, and assess, the farther you get from
the true meaning of beauty. It is because beauty is an object of perception, not an object of
acknowledgement. Overall, you cannot just determine the beauty of something or someone
theoretically because beauty is located where you would never reach without a deep
impression.
Beauty is briefly classified into two parts: visual and auditory. The two parts are
basically divided by the way you know beauty. For instance, when you see a picture of a
colorful plain filled with all the different colors of lilies and daisies or a painting of beautiful,
yellow sunflowers by Gogh, you would be experiencing the visual beauty. On the other hand,
when you are enjoying listening to Piano Concerto No. 3 by Mozart or Celine Dion's "My
Heart Will Go On", you would be experiencing an example of auditory beauty. However,
eyes and ears are not the only parts of your body that are able to see beauty. Our hearts can
feel the beauty as well; it's called beauty by heart. Most of the time, people prefer visual
beauty to other forms of beauty, but beauty that you feel with your heart is the most beautiful
thing to find and search for. From heart to heart, you can share the beauty of feelings and
thoughts, like love.
True beauty is beauty that lasts for eternity. A poet, John Keats, once said in his work
"Ode on a Grecian Urn", that '''Beauty is truth, truth beauty' -that is all ye know on earth, and
all ye need to know (Keats 282)". In this poem, Keats describes the beautiful urn and
expresses his admiration about how the old urn could be still so beautiful. In other words, he
is saying that true beauty always lasts forever like the Grecian Urn. To illustrate, a famous
singer, Michael Jackson did so many plastic surgeries to look more beautiful than his original
image. At first, after his numerous surgeries, he looked great and handsome. However, it
didn't last for a long time because it was only a fake beauty. Thus, beauty is not about
looking good in people's sight. It is about being natural and truthful because the essential self
remains beautiful forever.
Beauty is a subjective ideal. We might have pleasure or even conflicts over this one ideal. Also, there are a variety of kinds of beauty that are separated by how we identify it. However, beauty has one common resemblance; only the veritable and genuine beauty can be known and endured continuously. On the whole, beauty is so different than what we think. This means that beauty is not very far, but you have to reach it with your heart and soul. Pink roses and Julia Roberts are not the only beautiful beings in the world. Beauty is nature itself and an undecorated, viable and wholesome aspect. Therefore, you can see the beauty only when your heart and mind are beautiful.

Process Essay

How to Wash a Dog

Are you having a hard time washing your dog? Does your dog look detestable to you after every shower? Is washing your dog giving you stress? If you answered “yes” to any one of the three questions, I have the solution to your “affliction”. I have two female dogs whom I have given showers to every two weeks since I was seven years old. I have been facing every single problem that you are dealing with since then. Therefore, I would like to present the six precious steps that I have taught myself to wash the dogs with more ease and dignity.
Before you start with anything, check if you have all the materials you need for the shower. You need one brush, one comb, a towel, one bottle of doggy shampoo, one squeeze of doggy toothpaste and a toothbrush only for your dog’s use. It would be excellent if there’s a dryer for your dog’s hair to be moistureless at the end. If you have all these supplies, you are all set to begin the work.
What you need to do initially is to brush the teeth. Brush the teeth with about the amount of toothpaste we use and a toothbrush. You should be using doggy toothpaste, not the toothpaste for people. Doggy toothpastes can be bought at a pet store near your house. Open the mouth of your dog gently and vigorously at the same time. Hold it tight to keep it opened, and carefully brush the teeth. We humans rinse off our mouths after brushing, however, dogs don’t have to. Thus, if you are finished brushing the teeth, you are done with my first valuable step. Subsequent to brushing the teeth, brush the cheeks as well. Dogs have dried tears on their cheeks that look like boogers. It would be gross if they stay there, so you need to brush them out. Then, brush the whole body and untangle all the hair.
After you are done with brushing, you may start wetting the dog. The head part needs to be taken care of very carefully. First, grab the skull with your thumb and index finger to block the ears so that the water won’t go inside. Then, carefully pour water on the head. The face part should be wetted with your hands separately. Put a little bit of water in your hands and gently massage the face with water, preventing the water from going into the eyes, nose and ears.
When the dog is wet enough, apply the shampoo on the back as if you are pouring some ketchup on a hot dog. Then put a handful of shampoo on your hands and apply on the four legs. Lastly, the face part is very important. Put a little bit of shampoo (about dime size) on your fingertips and carefully apply on the face to avoid getting shampoo in the eyes, mouth, and nose. What happens if you are not careful? I’ll leave that to your imagination.
The fifth step is very easy. You rinse off the shampoo by doing the same thing you did when you were wetting the dog. Make sure the shampoo is rinsed off completely.
Last but not least, squeeze all the water from the dog’s hair and dry with the towel. Then, begin to dry the hair with the dryer – brush the hair as well when you are using the dryer. Drying perfectly is important because it makes the hair become much healthier and cleaner. After the hair is all dried up, complement the dog that she did very well and perhaps give her a little snack. Hug her tight to show how much you love her. Follow my directions given above during each shower for one month, and embrace the change.

Poem Portfolio

The Twinkling Stars of My Heart

Veronica Youn Kang
Ms. Roni Johnson
Writing 1
11/12/2006

Preface

My favorite poem out of all the poems I have written is ‘How to Overcome a Gloomy Day’. I wrote this poem for teenage girls like me, so I can share my true feelings and the readers can nod their heads as they read along. I did my best to write specifically in detail, so people can understand easily by having vivid and live imagery. Not just on this poem, but for all the poems in this book, I tried to make them very smooth and enjoyable to read.
My daily lives with my friends and family inspired all of my poems. For example, my sound poem, ‘Hallway Music’, is about my everyday dorm life. Also, my mom has affected me a lot about music. She is a singer, so since I was very little, I had been listening to her practicing her songs everyday. My content poem, ‘Music is My Friend’, talks about how our lives are always with music. I personally like the shape of this poem very much. It took me some time to put my poems into an eighth-note shape; however, after I finished it, I was very satisfied. In addition, meeting with Ms. Johnson after school to revise my writings helped me the most. She gave me good advices that helped me improve in my writing skills and learn new techniques. By this result, I could understand how important it is to have a professional, like Ms. Johnson, who can give me suggestions and ideas for my work.
As I was working on my five poems, I realized word choice is the most important part to work on in writing process. For instance, even though my poem has some grammatical or organizational mistakes, it may turn out very nice if I have words that are very detailed and creative. To tell the truth, I had some problems with voice and word choice in the beginning of year. Nevertheless, I learned more and more as I have been working on many essays and poems with Ms. Johnson. Now, I think I got much better than the beginning, and moreover, I value the two traits the most in my writing process.
The title of this book, The Twinkling Stars of My Heart, tells indirectly that what I wrote in the book is very beautiful and precious. The five poems mostly come from my past memories. They are all very special and personal to me; however, I used them to write my poems because in most of the writings, sharing your true, honest feelings is very important. Therefore, as the readers read through the poems, they will laugh out loud with each other and be amused.


Table of Contents

Narrative Poem: ‘At 3 o’Clock in the Afternoon’ ---------------------------------- Page 1

Peer Assessment: ‘At 3 o’Clock in the Afternoon’ --------------------------------- Page 1A

Sound Poem: ‘Hallway Music’ --------------------------------------------------------- Page 2

Peer Assessment: ‘Hallway Music’----------------------------------------------------- Page 2A

Villanelle: ‘First Snow’ ------------------------------------------------------------------ Page 3

Self-Assessment: ‘First Snow’ -------------------------------------------------------- Page 3A

Content Poem: ‘Music is Your Friend’ ------------------------------------------------ Page 4

Self-Assessment: ‘Music is Your Friend’---------------------------------------------- Page 4A

Process Poem: ‘How to Overcome a Gloomy Day’--------------------------------- Page 5

Self-Assessment: ‘How to overcome a Gloomy Day’------------------------------- Page 5A


Minji Kang
Page 1
Narrative Poem
People in my old school
5th Draft

‘At 3 o’Clock in the Afternoon’

At 3 o’clock in the afternoon,
my friends and I grab our things
and start walking down the street.
The baleful icy wind blows our crimson uniform skirts
and scratches our bare legs.
“Where should we go?” I ask,
Same as always. The yellow bench right beside
the big old pine tree clothed with white soft ice cream snow.
Laughing and chatting never seem to end.
4 o’clock, 5 o’clock time shoots like rockets.
Rubbing our hands as hard as we can
little red noses like the blossom of Indian lilacs.

At 3 o’clock in the afternoon,
my roommate and I grab our cell phones
and start calling Mr. Ted.
“What are you up to, ding-dong?” he asks,
Same as always.
Room 25.
Sitting on a little orange chair,
one hour passes by and still on page 894
everything’s so hard to get.
Students raising their hands here and there.
Teachers running across the room here and there.
Remembering my old days
under the big old pine tree shining,
bright, green emeralds in the dazzling sunlight
right at this moment.


Minji Kang
Page 2
Sound Poem
My family
4th Draft

‘Hallway Music’

At midnight
on the girls’ hallway
of the Adams Dorm

Everywhere is dark
except for the green emergency light
glowing like a monster’s mouth

Girls in their rooms
giggling and whispering
about their day

Suddenly
tip tap tip tap
footsteps of an unknown

Shhhhh……
We whisper and
there comes the silence

Soft, gentle sound of the little girls
slowly, more slowly breathing in and out,
dreaming of their romantic fairy tales…


Minji Kang
Page 3
Villanelle
My friend in New York
4th Draft

‘First Snow’

When I see the first snow through the window
With mittens and hat that my grandma made for me
I’ll scamper off and jump in the snow

As I gently take one step and another on the white, soft snow
I’ll make the finest and the prettiest footprints that will ever be
When I see the first snow through the window

First thing I’ll do, I’ll grasp a handful of snow, and blow
The snowflakes floating in the air, and as I get on my knee
I’ll scamper off and jump in the snow

Second thing I’ll do, just like I’ve been doing since three years ago,
shaking and swinging the American Angelica Tree
When I see the first snow through the window

Third thing I’ll do, make a nice handsome snowman, although
It might have a crooked nose and bony arms like reeds,
I’ll scamper off and jump in the snow

Last but not least thing I’ll do, I’ll know
for sure, to make my snow angel with my dog Sally and Jolie
When I see the first snow through the window
I’ll scamper off and jump in the snow


Minji Kang
Self-assessment
Page 3A


‘First Snow’

‘First Snow’ was the first villanelle I have ever written in my life. It generally talks about what I will do on the first day of snow. There aren’t many grammatical mistakes and the voice of this poem is pretty childish and soft. I recognized the voice of this poem by the words I used. For example, ‘scamper off’, and ‘making snow angels and snowmen’ show how I am a very playful girl, who likes to play outside with snow. The piece is honest and passionate at appropriate parts, and has many details. Also, I used powerful verbs that give the whole poem energetic and creative with vivid imagery. The poem can be summarized and supports the main story with well-chosen details and research.
However, I should have worked more on organization and ideas. Even to me, I could not figure out what my main focus is. The message makes sense a little bit, but all I understand is that I will go outside and do many things when it snows. Moreover, this poem was not very well organized. Elements within the piece are not very effectively arranged to promote understanding, and transitions are not very smooth. Some parts are vague and awkward as well.
Overall, I think my second or third villanelle will turn out much better than this one, because at that time, I would know what I should work on more. Usually, I am pretty satisfied with my writings, but with this one, I am not very satisfied. However, I understand because it was my first try on a villanelle, and I know I tried my best.


Minji Kang
Page 4
Content Poem
Mom
5th Draft


‘Music is Your Friend’




DO
Mi
S oldo
M isol…
M usic makes
Y ou dance and
L augh it can make
Y ou cry as well…..
L ittle charming kids
S inging lalalalalalala
O rioles on a palm
T ree singing their
S ongs chopchopchop
L ove love love love
E xpress your feelings
W ith your song……..
I love you so much I would
NEVER live without you!!!!!!
Headphones on your ears listening to
your favorite song. All you gotta do is just
move your heads to left and right and remember
the old days with your only love... Music is your
life. In Paris, LA, or Seoul. When you are
delightful or depressed. Every second
and every minute you
are always around
music.



Minji Kang
Self-assessment
Page 4A


‘Music is Your Friend’

The poem has the most unique shape I’ve ever seen. It has an interesting topic that attracts the readers, and I wrote with much freedom and fun. This poem has a very happy and bright mood, and the word choice was in detail and clear. There were some metaphors and similes used in the poem that helped the readers with vivid imagery.
However, I could see some problems with organization and sentence fluency. Not all the phrases were connected to each other smoothly, and some sentences and words were repetitive. Elements within the piece sometimes seemed out of place, and the pacing was unbalanced as well. The poem mostly shows enthusiasm and passionate feelings about music, but again, it sometimes seemed like I repeated certain ideas.
Overall, I did a good job on voice, word choices, and a little bit of ideas. However, I should have worked more on organizations and sentence fluency.



Minji Kang
Page 5
Process Poem
Teenage girls
5th Draft

‘How to Overcome a Gloomy Day’

Open the window and do a deep clean of your room.
Change into your favorite jeans
that is chic enough to make yourself in the mirror satisfied.
Then go out for a walk to the nearest store
When you pass by the gold gingko tree,
the one that is just above your forehead,
stop walking and reach out your hands to find the prettiest leaf.
Go into the store and grab a Hershey Bar
Pay the cashier (the most important part)
Sing out loud your favorite songs
as you walk back home
Turn on I Love Lucy
Laugh like crazy
Burrow inside your cozy bed
Open up the Hershey Bar.
Slowly appreciate the deep, warm taste of the chocolate
melting inside your mouth
Gently close your eyes
Daydream about your lovely paradise
at the castle, near the gorgeous valley, of you and your prince.
You and your prince talking about the future that will be “brighter than the sun”
Take a short nap,
open your eyes,
and realize that your gloomy day is over.



Minji Kang
Self-Assessment
Page 5A


‘How to Overcome a Gloomy Day’

‘How to Overcome a Gloomy Day’ is my favorite poem out of all the poems I have written. The message is very clear, focused, and concise. It shows in-depth understanding about the topic. I used conventions skillfully and creatively to bring out meaning and voice. This poem was very well-organized, and the pacing is just right. The organizational pattern is ideally suited to the genre, topic, and purpose. Moreover, the voice is very calm and sophisticated, and I have shared my true feelings in the poem. All the words were in detail and meaningful, and they suited my purpose of this poem. The whole poem was pretty smooth and enjoyable to read.
However, there were some awkward parts that I wouldn’t figure out if I weren’t the writer of this poem. Everything was very well-done, but if I had let others to revise my poem before publishing, I think this poem could have been much better. Except for some inabilities to understand some parts, I really was satisfied and impressed with my writing. It had encouraged me very much for my next writings.