Now, this is something new and refreshing.
I teach AP American History in one of Korea's two real boarding schools. These kids are the elite of the elite and are applying to American Ivy League schools and whatnot. Yes, these are the kind of Korean high school students you used to hear about memorizing pages of the dictionary in middle school and then eating them to "conquer" the spirit of the pages. I shit you not.
One of my students who is quite creative and eager to find an outlet of expression came to me a while back in search of advice as to how to improve her writing, found a way to put real thoughts to paper, while also prepare to write a book about how to study effectively as a Korean student. Her quite respectable claim to fame – and her eventual marketing gimmick – is the fact that she's NEVER had a private tutor or even gone to a hagweon. Ever.
Eveh-evah?
Ever.
That's just cool as all get-out, I think.
So I suggested that the best way to kill a whole flock o' birds with one stone was to start a blog. Write creatively. Generate some content and work out some ideas. Get feedback. Let a few faithful readers inspire you to keep writing.
She thought the blog idea to be a good one and she really rolled with it – here's her blog in all its glory.
I think it has something rare and a point of view expressed in English that is hard to find. Do you want to hear more about Korea from the point of view of a thoughtful youth in the time of life that is the most vexing and challenging for most Koreans, one that you might argue is a defining experience in most Koreans' lives?
If you are, this blog's for you. Remember – she's a high school student and it's damn tough to put one's thoughts out there for all to see and critique. So play nice, please.
