A little description for Ganggangsullae!

Ganggangsullae is a Korean traditional folk dance and song during which women formed a large circle. It is famously known to have been performed during the Japanese invasion of Korea in late 16th century. The Japanese naval force attacked the peninsula with about 133 battleships while Korea only had about 12. The Korean soldiers were completely outnumbered. It was obvious that Korea would have defeated so easily and ceded to the Japanese. However the renowned naval commander Yi Sunshin considered a great hero in Korea, used his outstanding tactics including Hakikjin(well-spread formation of ships) and utilized Korea’s geographic advantage. Eventually, his leadership led to an unexpected victory of Korea.

Ganggangsullae was also one of Yi Sunshin’s strategies. He used the circular motion to make his army look greater in number from a distance. Women were dressed in military uniforms and danced the Ganggangsullae on top of a high mountain. As a result, the Japanese thought there were more troops in Korea than reality. From this famous account, Ganggangsullae became an important part of Korea’s heritage, and it is still being danced, especially during cultural holidays such as Korea’s Thanksgiving Day or celebration of full moon during fall.    

Gangangsullae was usually danced by young women and the elders within their family or community. During the night of a special holiday in the backyard, they formed a circle by holding each other’s hands and move in a circular motion.

The lyrics reflect the life of young women and their role in society, yet they tend to vary by region and are sometimes newly created with the chorus of “Ganggangsullae” repeated at the end of each verse. Here I will introduce one version of the song in English translation.

Lyrics:   

강강술래       강강술래

  딸아딸아      막내딸아        강강술래

  발을벗고      샘에가냐        강강술래

  텃논팔아      신사주랴        강강술래

  텃밭팔아      종사주리        강강술래

  신도싫고      종도싫고        강강술래

  저 건네       묵은밭에        강강술래

검은 석포라   달려주게        강강술래

My daughter, my daughter, my youngest daughter Ganggangsullae

Are you going to the fountain with your bare feet? Ganggangsullae

Should I sell the rice paddy to buy you a pair of shoes Ganggangsullae

or should I sell the farm to buy you a servant? Ganggangsullae

I don’t need neither shoes nor a servant, Ganggangsullae……

           

TOEFL ESSAY PROMPT #1

Question: Describe a custom from your country that you would like people from other country to adopt. Explain your choice, using examples and reasons.

The world we live in has been significantly influenced by globalization. Each country is no longer separated from each other, but rather interacts with one another, such as in area of politics, world economy, as well as culture and customs. I want to describe some positive aspects of one custom of Korea, the act of bowing, which I would like people from other countries to adopt.

I firmly believe bowing is the easiest way to share people’s feelings. Koreans bow every time they come across a person. Bowing can also be a very meaningful act towards an opponent. It does not only have the meaning of saying hello but most importantly, you are showing respect to another person. Therefore, after bowing, people naturally feel pleasant.

Moreover, bowing leads to the start of good relationship. It is likely that two people meeting for the first time will create awkward atmosphere. However, if they were to bow to each other as a welcoming gesture, this will break the ice. For example, making a good relationship also applies to between a student and a teacher. Especially when a student and a teacher are meeting for the first time, the student will often bow first as an act of politeness in Korea even before sharing his/her name. Most likely, the teacher will bow back which will result in an exchange of smiles which marks the perfect start of a relationship. Also, a student bowing first is more memorable to a teacher than those who did not. As far as I know, there isn’t a single nation that doesn’t think it is important to behave politely to others. The act of bowing prevents anxiety and stress that can frequently arise between people.

On the other hand, bowing isn’t only for meeting people. Koreans also bow when expressing that they are sorry. We could question, “Isn’t it enough to just say sorry?” However, bowing is a very effective way to ask for forgiveness. By lowering oneself, one’s true feelings can be directly conveyed in a simple gesture. This behavior of moderating ourselves can bring many benefits. People accepting our bow as sincere will view us as credible. It is difficult to gain the trust of others. We have to show them by behavior that we are trustworthy. Trustworthy behavior can be shown when we keep ourselves from being arrogant. People would abhor anyone who always boasts and disdains others. The act of bowing can also be a start of showing personality traits such as kindness and dependability.                  

People in the modern world tend to focus on themselves, and at times only care about their own problems. In addition, people always stay vigilant to others whom they don’t know, and, they do not even want to know about neighbors. I believe we need to have at least, basic manners toward other people. The act of bowing may not seem to hold any special meanings because it is so simple and easy. However, this simple act can contribute greatly to establishing respect between strangers that may grow to become lifelong friends.

                  

Introduction

Hello, Mr. Menard and other classmates. I am Sungwon Kim. I am really glad to meet you all, and I am so excited to study in such a high-quality class with Mr. Menard. I hope the class to be always fun and enjoyable.

For this semester, I want to improve my English in general as much as I can. Since I have chosen international course, obviously English would be what I have to work on for most of the time. I will always try hard to increase my English proficiency and to become confident in English. Maybe it would not be able to escape completely from the nightmares of English. But I will keep practicing over and over so hopefully I’ll be able to overcome limitations of my English and become a fluent speaker like Mr. Menard.