30 Things about Me
1. Lee Jiyin, Lee Soomin, Lee Jiyoon
My Korean name is Lee Jiyin. I love my name a lot, because it has a good meaning: 'ji' means wise, and 'yin' means benevolent. But my parents didn't think of that name at first; they thought of 'Soomin' and 'Jiyoon' because they have same syllables with my brother's name 'Sooyoon'. Fortunately, my grandfather insisted on 'Jiyin' that my name became Jiyin.
2. Chinese
I first learned Chinese at Chinese hagwon (academy). I attended there to prepare for mandatory Chinese class at middle school, but I found Chinese very attractive. First, it was familiar because I had taken Chinese character course at middle school. Second, it has diacritics that indicate tone. This was something that was different from Korean. Chinese characters have Romanized Pinyins spelled in English but pronounciated slightly differently from their English pronounciations. Because there are so many words with same spellings, they are distinguished by tone: mā, má, mă, and mà, for example. You can just remove any symbol over the vowel and make a neutral tone. Because of this tone difference, pronouncing Chinese words is pretty fun (they can never sound monotonous because it already contains different tones). Finally, other than learning new words, making sentences out of the words is also fun. After learning basic rules of constructing a sentence, making your own sentences becomes easy and is open to diverse manipulations. You can replace the subject with words you have just learned.
3. Korean Literature
My interest in Korean Literature increased recently during junior year when I took Korean Literature course. Previously, I didn't like Korean courses because they required simple memorization of self-study books. I read the text only to get good scores on the exam. But Korean Literature course was somewhat different. I liked that each student had a presentation on one text. Instead of a teacher who would give a tedious lecture, a student explained what he or she thought was necessary to understand the text---background information of the author, historical background when the text was written, and dissection of the text. I enjoyed each student's unique style and content of the presentation. I devoted considerable amount of time to preparing my presentation on 'The Land' by Park Kyung-li. I thought that if I made a poor presentation, students would be unable to realize the immense value of this novel.
4. Singing
I like singing a lot. The first thing I would do when exam was over was going to the singing room (noraebang in Korean) with my friends. We didn't care about keeping the rhythm or beat; we just screamed in each song. When I entered KMLA, I applied to NAB (ballad band) out of curiosity. I had never made a performance in front of others, and I thought it might be similar to my experience in noraebangs. After I was selected as a female vocal and had a performance at KMLA, I realized performing in the band was completely different from singing in noraebangs. I found hard getting used to so many eyes of the crowd staring back at me.
5. Girlish, Boyish?
Some say I am girlish, while others say I am boyish. I am not sure, too. When I was young, I loved dolls which had exquisite dresses and pretty faces. My cousin and I did sort of a puppet show with the dolls. I remember we quarreled over whose doll would be the main female character. However, my interest in dolls suddenly waned as I went to elementary school. Instead, I enjoyed playing games. My favorite games were slap match (slapping 'ddakji'), playing marbles, and having duel with Yu-Gi-Oh (Japanese animation) cards. I later became addicted to many online games.
6. Relay Runner
I am not that good at sports. But I excelled in sports that required speed, especially running. I was selected as a class representative relay runner for three years in middle school. Being a relay runner is absolutely exciting. I felt butterflies in my stomach when I waited for the runner to come and hand me the baton, and I forgot everything when I started to run. I couldn't think but move my legs as fast as possible. Outrunning my competitors was so thrilling: as I passed other girls, the sound of screaming and cheering was overwhelming.
7. 'Wanja'
'Wanja (완자)' is the name of my favorite workbook. At middle school, I loved and excelled in science (although I did not do prerequisite learning), and my high achievement in science is attributed to this textbook. This book is perhaps the best choice for people who want to self-study the subject before taking that course. It contains bountiful explanation about the concepts. It also offers childish tips on memorizing formulas and terms. The sample problems provided are arranged from easy to hard; while easy ones help me remember what I learned, hard questions force me to think and apply my new knowledge. Since I self-studied science by Wanja, I could keep up with the course easier.
8. Anti-shopping
I am an anti-shopper. I cannot understand girls who suddenly go to department stores to buy clothes for the upcoming school party. They are going to wear those only once, right? (Okay, maybe they can be recycled in the next party, but I doubt it.) I like to be pragmatic - I already have enough clothes. My mom begs me to go shopping to purchase new clothes for me, but I constantly refuse retorting back that I already have plenty. When I rarely go to department stores, I become bored. I look at some clothes with their price and pick one. But mom urges me to wear three or four candidates she chose. But she doesn't last in three or four - she throws me more clothes to wear. After shopping, I become very grumpy.
9. Anti-moving (anti-traveling)
Forget PC rooms, department stores, and tourist attractions. The best place for me is my room, especially my bed. When the exam is over, I climb up to my bed and watches Youtube videos happily. Especially in KMLA which stands in the middle of nowhere, I find no other places interesting enough to go.
10. Biology
Along with Chinese and Korean Literature, Biology was a course that I enjoyed a lot. Although I suffered from quizzes due almost every week, I liked reading Campbell and accessing new information. I liked the biology textbook the most because it has colorful pictures of animals, plants, human organs, and more.
11. Short
My height is 157, which is under average height of a Korean woman. I think my growth stopped since I entered KMLA (my height was also 157 at that time). Being short is not a disadvantage, but I do envy some of my peers who are explicitly tall and skinny.
12. Glasses
I wore glasses since elementary school. My mom told me I read books in the dark, and that is why my vision deteriorated. So I guess it was my blunder that ruined my eyesight. Putting on glasses greatly changed my appearance. I am looking forward to wearing contact lenses after I graduate KMLA.
13. Gatorade
Gatorade is my second favorite drink (my favorite is water). I store stacks of Gatorade cans in my room. They turn out to be useful: I drink them when I am sleepy or thirsty. At Chicken Day, I drink a full one can of Gatorade.
14. "Teapot Incident"
When I was a freshman and was taking the 21st wave orientation, I applied to many clubs in KMLA. One club member asked me if I had a memorable experience to share, and teapot came to my mind. (I still don't know why I thought of teapot when there were so many other candidates!) I mumbled, "When I was in kindergarden, I acted in a play "Beauty and the Beast" as a teapot...." When I told this to my roommates, they laughed so much and called me 'teapot' after that day. My facebook profile was also the picture of the teapot.
15. Hometown
I was born in Wisconsin, U.S. But I do not remember my life in Wisconsin because my family moved back to Korea as soon as I was born. Rather, my second hometown Bundang (in Gyeonggi) is more memorable. When I recall Bundang, I think of my elementary and middle school, so many delicious restaurants, hagwons, and friends.
16. Myungin Mandu
'Myungin Mandu' is the name of a restaurant in Bundang that I liked the most. It occupies a small space -the edge of the building- in the first floor. The cook, an old man, cooks very well. I loved his hard ramyeon and palatable mandu (dumpling).
17. Restroom (Toilet)
Restroom is one of the places that I feel comfortable and easily focus. When I was in middle school, I memorized subjects inside the confined restroom with the toilet next to my side. I like that my voice reverberates inside the room.
18. Animal Farm (game)
I am NOT talking about the novel written by George Orwell. I am talking about a game called 'Animal Farm'. This is a game that I really enjoyed when I was young; it is also the game that I found how to earn precious items without actually purchasing them. Just change the code of the item into that of the item that you want. For example, change part of the code 'blackbean' into 'happybean'. By manipulating the code, I acquired rare items and decorated my farm with them.
19. On the verge of death
I once felt I was about to die. I was eating meal and the bean sprouts got stuck in my throat. I choked hard, but the sprouts wouldn't be swallowed. Whenever I swallowed, they didn't budge and became more entangled. I choked really hard and finally spat out the bean sprouts. I thought I was nearly dead.
20. Friends
I am a introvert in terms of making friends. I don't like to be acquainted with many people; I prefer making few best friends. Friends are people I can trust and talk enthusiastically to. My friends say that I talk too much.
21. Ben& Jerry's Ice Cream
The happiest moments during vision trip to U.S.A were eating. I loved eating ramyeon, rice with laver, and ice cream. I ate Ben& Jerry's Ice Cream in the store near Harvard University, and it was SO SWEET. It reminded me of my favorite Korean ice cream, Bravo Ice Cream Cone.
22. Letter from my homeroom teacher
When the graduation ceremony at middle school ended, my homeroom teacher Ms. Hong handed me a short letter. She wrote that she was impressed by my efforts in her class and in preparing for KMLA. She said that if I maintain my diligence, I will endure and overcome high school life. I look at this letter when I feel that I lost my first emotions in freshmen year and my desperate will to get accepted in KMLA.
23. Smart Phones
I don't like smart phones. When I wait in the line to eat lunch or take the elevator, almost all students are peering into their smart phones. They move their fingers to see more posts and press them to show their 'likes'. When I see them, it seems like they are living in a different world. It feels like they and I are disconnected.
24. My weight is constant from freshmen year to now.
This is an interesting fact since I eat a lot and never exercise except during morning exercise and Sports Club. I wonder how I lose weight. Maybe it is because I skip meals when I have quizzes or presentations. Or perhaps it is due to mental stress.
25. Park Woojin
He is my favorite celebrity. He is a member of a K-Pop male idol group 'Wanna One'. He nearly possesses all necessary qualities of an idol: he is handsome, dances well, and raps well (he is the main rapper). Enjoy this gif:)
26. I like setting new goals, but they only last for three days.
There is an idiom called '작심삼일 (作心三日)'. It means that your goal cannot last more than three days. This idiom suits me: my will wavers and I easily give up my goals. I am trying to memorize Wordsmart I, but I keep failing every month.
27. My long-term goal is to become a well-known person that anyone can find if he or she googles my name.
My Korean name is Lee Jiyin. I love my name a lot, because it has a good meaning: 'ji' means wise, and 'yin' means benevolent. But my parents didn't think of that name at first; they thought of 'Soomin' and 'Jiyoon' because they have same syllables with my brother's name 'Sooyoon'. Fortunately, my grandfather insisted on 'Jiyin' that my name became Jiyin.
2. Chinese
I first learned Chinese at Chinese hagwon (academy). I attended there to prepare for mandatory Chinese class at middle school, but I found Chinese very attractive. First, it was familiar because I had taken Chinese character course at middle school. Second, it has diacritics that indicate tone. This was something that was different from Korean. Chinese characters have Romanized Pinyins spelled in English but pronounciated slightly differently from their English pronounciations. Because there are so many words with same spellings, they are distinguished by tone: mā, má, mă, and mà, for example. You can just remove any symbol over the vowel and make a neutral tone. Because of this tone difference, pronouncing Chinese words is pretty fun (they can never sound monotonous because it already contains different tones). Finally, other than learning new words, making sentences out of the words is also fun. After learning basic rules of constructing a sentence, making your own sentences becomes easy and is open to diverse manipulations. You can replace the subject with words you have just learned.
3. Korean Literature
My interest in Korean Literature increased recently during junior year when I took Korean Literature course. Previously, I didn't like Korean courses because they required simple memorization of self-study books. I read the text only to get good scores on the exam. But Korean Literature course was somewhat different. I liked that each student had a presentation on one text. Instead of a teacher who would give a tedious lecture, a student explained what he or she thought was necessary to understand the text---background information of the author, historical background when the text was written, and dissection of the text. I enjoyed each student's unique style and content of the presentation. I devoted considerable amount of time to preparing my presentation on 'The Land' by Park Kyung-li. I thought that if I made a poor presentation, students would be unable to realize the immense value of this novel.
4. Singing
I like singing a lot. The first thing I would do when exam was over was going to the singing room (noraebang in Korean) with my friends. We didn't care about keeping the rhythm or beat; we just screamed in each song. When I entered KMLA, I applied to NAB (ballad band) out of curiosity. I had never made a performance in front of others, and I thought it might be similar to my experience in noraebangs. After I was selected as a female vocal and had a performance at KMLA, I realized performing in the band was completely different from singing in noraebangs. I found hard getting used to so many eyes of the crowd staring back at me.
5. Girlish, Boyish?
Some say I am girlish, while others say I am boyish. I am not sure, too. When I was young, I loved dolls which had exquisite dresses and pretty faces. My cousin and I did sort of a puppet show with the dolls. I remember we quarreled over whose doll would be the main female character. However, my interest in dolls suddenly waned as I went to elementary school. Instead, I enjoyed playing games. My favorite games were slap match (slapping 'ddakji'), playing marbles, and having duel with Yu-Gi-Oh (Japanese animation) cards. I later became addicted to many online games.
6. Relay Runner
I am not that good at sports. But I excelled in sports that required speed, especially running. I was selected as a class representative relay runner for three years in middle school. Being a relay runner is absolutely exciting. I felt butterflies in my stomach when I waited for the runner to come and hand me the baton, and I forgot everything when I started to run. I couldn't think but move my legs as fast as possible. Outrunning my competitors was so thrilling: as I passed other girls, the sound of screaming and cheering was overwhelming.
7. 'Wanja'
'Wanja (완자)' is the name of my favorite workbook. At middle school, I loved and excelled in science (although I did not do prerequisite learning), and my high achievement in science is attributed to this textbook. This book is perhaps the best choice for people who want to self-study the subject before taking that course. It contains bountiful explanation about the concepts. It also offers childish tips on memorizing formulas and terms. The sample problems provided are arranged from easy to hard; while easy ones help me remember what I learned, hard questions force me to think and apply my new knowledge. Since I self-studied science by Wanja, I could keep up with the course easier.
8. Anti-shopping
I am an anti-shopper. I cannot understand girls who suddenly go to department stores to buy clothes for the upcoming school party. They are going to wear those only once, right? (Okay, maybe they can be recycled in the next party, but I doubt it.) I like to be pragmatic - I already have enough clothes. My mom begs me to go shopping to purchase new clothes for me, but I constantly refuse retorting back that I already have plenty. When I rarely go to department stores, I become bored. I look at some clothes with their price and pick one. But mom urges me to wear three or four candidates she chose. But she doesn't last in three or four - she throws me more clothes to wear. After shopping, I become very grumpy.
9. Anti-moving (anti-traveling)
Forget PC rooms, department stores, and tourist attractions. The best place for me is my room, especially my bed. When the exam is over, I climb up to my bed and watches Youtube videos happily. Especially in KMLA which stands in the middle of nowhere, I find no other places interesting enough to go.
10. Biology
Along with Chinese and Korean Literature, Biology was a course that I enjoyed a lot. Although I suffered from quizzes due almost every week, I liked reading Campbell and accessing new information. I liked the biology textbook the most because it has colorful pictures of animals, plants, human organs, and more.
11. Short
My height is 157, which is under average height of a Korean woman. I think my growth stopped since I entered KMLA (my height was also 157 at that time). Being short is not a disadvantage, but I do envy some of my peers who are explicitly tall and skinny.
12. Glasses
I wore glasses since elementary school. My mom told me I read books in the dark, and that is why my vision deteriorated. So I guess it was my blunder that ruined my eyesight. Putting on glasses greatly changed my appearance. I am looking forward to wearing contact lenses after I graduate KMLA.
13. Gatorade
Gatorade is my second favorite drink (my favorite is water). I store stacks of Gatorade cans in my room. They turn out to be useful: I drink them when I am sleepy or thirsty. At Chicken Day, I drink a full one can of Gatorade.
14. "Teapot Incident"
When I was a freshman and was taking the 21st wave orientation, I applied to many clubs in KMLA. One club member asked me if I had a memorable experience to share, and teapot came to my mind. (I still don't know why I thought of teapot when there were so many other candidates!) I mumbled, "When I was in kindergarden, I acted in a play "Beauty and the Beast" as a teapot...." When I told this to my roommates, they laughed so much and called me 'teapot' after that day. My facebook profile was also the picture of the teapot.
15. Hometown
I was born in Wisconsin, U.S. But I do not remember my life in Wisconsin because my family moved back to Korea as soon as I was born. Rather, my second hometown Bundang (in Gyeonggi) is more memorable. When I recall Bundang, I think of my elementary and middle school, so many delicious restaurants, hagwons, and friends.
16. Myungin Mandu
'Myungin Mandu' is the name of a restaurant in Bundang that I liked the most. It occupies a small space -the edge of the building- in the first floor. The cook, an old man, cooks very well. I loved his hard ramyeon and palatable mandu (dumpling).
17. Restroom (Toilet)
Restroom is one of the places that I feel comfortable and easily focus. When I was in middle school, I memorized subjects inside the confined restroom with the toilet next to my side. I like that my voice reverberates inside the room.
18. Animal Farm (game)
19. On the verge of death
I once felt I was about to die. I was eating meal and the bean sprouts got stuck in my throat. I choked hard, but the sprouts wouldn't be swallowed. Whenever I swallowed, they didn't budge and became more entangled. I choked really hard and finally spat out the bean sprouts. I thought I was nearly dead.
20. Friends
I am a introvert in terms of making friends. I don't like to be acquainted with many people; I prefer making few best friends. Friends are people I can trust and talk enthusiastically to. My friends say that I talk too much.
21. Ben& Jerry's Ice Cream
The happiest moments during vision trip to U.S.A were eating. I loved eating ramyeon, rice with laver, and ice cream. I ate Ben& Jerry's Ice Cream in the store near Harvard University, and it was SO SWEET. It reminded me of my favorite Korean ice cream, Bravo Ice Cream Cone.
22. Letter from my homeroom teacher
When the graduation ceremony at middle school ended, my homeroom teacher Ms. Hong handed me a short letter. She wrote that she was impressed by my efforts in her class and in preparing for KMLA. She said that if I maintain my diligence, I will endure and overcome high school life. I look at this letter when I feel that I lost my first emotions in freshmen year and my desperate will to get accepted in KMLA.
23. Smart Phones
I don't like smart phones. When I wait in the line to eat lunch or take the elevator, almost all students are peering into their smart phones. They move their fingers to see more posts and press them to show their 'likes'. When I see them, it seems like they are living in a different world. It feels like they and I are disconnected.
24. My weight is constant from freshmen year to now.
This is an interesting fact since I eat a lot and never exercise except during morning exercise and Sports Club. I wonder how I lose weight. Maybe it is because I skip meals when I have quizzes or presentations. Or perhaps it is due to mental stress.
25. Park Woojin
He is my favorite celebrity. He is a member of a K-Pop male idol group 'Wanna One'. He nearly possesses all necessary qualities of an idol: he is handsome, dances well, and raps well (he is the main rapper). Enjoy this gif:)
26. I like setting new goals, but they only last for three days.
There is an idiom called '작심삼일 (作心三日)'. It means that your goal cannot last more than three days. This idiom suits me: my will wavers and I easily give up my goals. I am trying to memorize Wordsmart I, but I keep failing every month.
27. My long-term goal is to become a well-known person that anyone can find if he or she googles my name.
Life is given only once. I do not know what
I would become in the future, but I do not want to be a person who gets buried
in history and forgotten by others. I wish my name and my identity are
documented on the Internet. I dream I would become such person.
28. Pink hat
I
have a pink, pointy hat. My mom bought it for me for birthday present. I denied
it because I already have a hat, but my mom shoved it into my backpack. When I
wear this hat, my peers and some of the teachers tell me it looks great on me.
Actually I am wearing this hat only to hide my oily hair when I forgot to take
a shower.
This is a song by Korean singers Sung Si Kyung and IU. I sang this song with Kiyoung for NAB performance. This song aroused the greatest applaud from the audience. My friends told me the two singers’ voices resemble those of ours. I began to like IU after the performance.
This is one of my favorite songs by Sonnet Son, one of my favorite singers. Sonnet Son is famous for hitting extremely high notes and having a powerful voice. In this song, which is an OST of a drama, she delivers sorrow emotions of the unfortunate couple. Hear the song from 3:30. She slays the entire song.
29. 그대네요 (It’s You)
This is a song by Korean singers Sung Si Kyung and IU. I sang this song with Kiyoung for NAB performance. This song aroused the greatest applaud from the audience. My friends told me the two singers’ voices resemble those of ours. I began to like IU after the performance.
This is one of my favorite songs by Sonnet Son, one of my favorite singers. Sonnet Son is famous for hitting extremely high notes and having a powerful voice. In this song, which is an OST of a drama, she delivers sorrow emotions of the unfortunate couple. Hear the song from 3:30. She slays the entire song.
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