Tizon, Anne Dominique

BEED ECE 3B

TTH 6-7:30PM

Inspiration in the Form of Kpop

Everyone experiences hardships and difficulties in life. In this unpredictable

journey, we can never avoid passing through bumpy roads, and crowded streets; we
stumble upon temptations and sometimes, we almost tend to fall off some cliffs.
One reason why people do not give up despite of all these obstacles, though, is
because they have something that inspire them to hold on, to keep fighting, to
survive. Coming from different places, different moments, different things, or
different experiences, our inspirations enlighten our paths and serve as a stepping
stone to reach our goal. Every person has his/her own source of inspiration. And so
do I.
A lot of things, and people, inspire me. There are so many persons that I am
grateful towards for serving as my inspiration and if I were to enumerate all of
them, the list would seemingly be endless. But one of the many people who inspire
me is Kim Jongdae.
Known as Chen, main vocalist of the Korean boy group EXO, Kim Jongdae is
not only a very famous young idol, but also a very inspiring man that deserves to be
looked up to. Living his life under the spotlight, people may think that he already
got all the good things that life has to offer. Theyre wrong. Jongdae, although
Korean, is a member of the Chinese sub-group of the boy group that he is part of.
He was forced to sing a language that was very difficult to learn, forced to perform
in a country that he wasnt even familiar with. Having trained for only a year (more
or less) prior to debut, fellow trainees were quite envious of him, which resulted to
him being criticized and bashed a lotdoubted of being worthy to debut as a
member of EXO. Even as an idol, he was said to have the least number of fans of all
12 members. He wasnt as handsome as the rest, some people say, and he didnt
receive the amount of love that he deserved.
But none of those stopped Jongdae from achieving his dreams. Gifted with a
beautiful voice that was comparable to that of an angels, it has always been his
dream since childhood to become a singer who inspires his listeners with his songs
which, I must say, has now become a dream come true. The singer does not only
inspire me because of his music, he also inspires me because of his perseverance
and determination to succeed. He has sacrificed a lot to reach where he is now. He
worked hard to fulfill his goals, and didnt allow depression or self-pity to ruin him.
He kept his head held up high and remained strong-willed. He sings for his fans, for
the people who supported him, and for the people that he is grateful. The fame that
he has now is a gift, a blessing that will never be equal to any amount of money.

Tizon, Anne Dominique

BEED ECE 3B

TTH 6-7:30PM

This is why Kim Jongdae inspires me. Like him, I want to aim high and fly high
without restricting myself or allowing others to draw a line between me and my
aspirations. I wont hide my true self behind faades of pretense. I will do what
makes me happywhat would make the people I love and care about happy. I may
fall and stumble and even get a lot of wounds along the way, but I will never give
up, because one day, I will achieve my dreams. One day, I will be who and what I
want to be.

Unchopping A Tree
W.S. Merwin
Questions on Subject
1. I think through this essay Merwin wants us to know about how much trees we are
cutting down without planting new ones. I think he is making a statement about
deforestation.
2. The unchopper cannot enlist the aid of nature because trees are part of nature
itself. Nature is living, but they need to be taken care of, not the other way around.
Un/chopping a tree is a man's work since we are the ones that need the trees,
cutting them down to serve our needs.
3. "It can't be helped." I think the people behind this statement are the ones with
power. The people that is responsible for chopping down trees and planting new
ones. Us. It can't be helped that we continuously chop down trees. It can't be helped
that we only plant little per tree that is cut down.
4. It is easy to cut down trees. But it is quite impossible to give life back to a
chopped tree. Little by little the number of trees in the world is reducing. Illegal
logging is abundant in different countries. Soon there will be a limited source of
wood.
5. I think what he means that we need to start replanting trees. Not just the the
same kind of the ones that we have cut down, but also various kinds of trees. I think
he also means that plants trees not because you cut one down but plant for
reforestation.
Questions on Strategy
1. Merwin uses analysis process to make us realize how hard it is to put back a tree
together no matter how impossible it sounds therefore it appeals to us readers and
gives us a message to start preserving nature. Another organizational strategy that

Tizon, Anne Dominique

BEED ECE 3B

TTH 6-7:30PM

he can use is Cause and Effect. He can discuss a particular cause then relates
effects to the cause to show their relationship, e.g. deforestation
Some causes of deforestation could be:
* To make more land available for housing and urbanization
* To harvest timber to create commercial items such as paper, furniture and homes
* To create ingredients that are highly prized consumer items, such as the oil from
palm trees
* To create room for cattle ranching
Some effects of deforestation could be:
* Loss/ Extinction of Species
* Soil Erosion
* Floods
* Climate Imbalance
2. It is a directional process analysis. Merwin gives the readers instructions on how
to repair a tree or how to unchop a tree if it is cut down, both of which is very
impossible to do, so it is more of a pseudo directional process analysis kind of essay.
3. The tone of this essay is somewhere near persuasive. The writer tries to persuade
us how to work hard to bring the chopped tree into the original situation, which is
not really possible. When a tree is felled down, there is no way to bring it into its
original condition. But its place can be replaced with more trees, which we plant.
Trees are also the important parts of the ecosystem as other living creatures. We
should think of conservation of such trees instead of deforestation for the protection
of the ecosystem.
4.

The effect Merwin is trying to have on his readers is that that our unwise

chopping of trees will lead us to the destruction of the environment for our safety.
Senseless and widespread chopping of trees must be ended at once. Another idea
that is expressed is that natural things cannot be replaced by manmade structures.
They will not have life. If we cut down the trees, they will be destroyed. He presents
the surgical work of tree for survival in the world.
5. The language of the piece is so simple. There is no outrage or accusation, only
the description of something impossible. The call for action comes from within the
reader. At least that was my experience. My heart is opened and I feel a real
conviction to be kind today, to not do damage. The last few lines describing the

Tizon, Anne Dominique

BEED ECE 3B

TTH 6-7:30PM

repaired upright tree are lovely: It is as though its weight for a moment stood on
your heart. You listen for a thud of settlement, a warning creak deep in the intricate
joinery. You cannot believe it will hold. How like something dreamed it is, standing
there all by itself.