valerie217
Jan 5, 2012
Undergraduate / 'Precious Calligraphy Workbook' - commonappp Main essay [7]
Hi! I am an international student!
Can you guys help me with my essay? I just need some people to proofread it and point some grammatical mistakes out!!
And although it's too late I also welcome critiques in content!
<My Precious Calligraphy Workbook>
As soon as the class is dismissed, I quickly take my traditional calligraphy workbook out. Its pages are all blackish full of finger stains and scribbles of letters. I grab a brush to give final touches, but at a sudden hip-hop beat coming from behind I become still and the memories of myself tagging American culture sweep over.
Often, I found myself sitting silently amidst the conversation with my foreign language high school students. They would chortle mimicking Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory or sing the musical version of Amy Winehouse's song from GLEE and I seemed to be the only one not following. Timidly, when I brought up an exhibition on Korean traditional calligraphy, silent and awkward atmosphere filled the air.
I tried to assure myself that they were more accustomed to American culture by their long experiences abroad. However, the feeling of isolation cringed through my mind and I desperately wished to fit in. I started to watch Comic-cons and download music on Billboard chart, setting my calligraphy workbook aside in the corner.
I now no longer sat silently in confusion. The jokes about Saturday Night Live show easily led me giggle or even drew me to bring up its other episodes. My mouth and eyes moved around chuckling. However, my heart stayed still all the while. Though American culture was fun to follow, it never pushed me to make a scrapbook, fill walls with posters, or attend festivals or exhibition like I had done for Korean traditional calligraphy.
The image of myself putting my name in calligraphy on my school textbook and submitting a journal about the history of Korean traditional calligraphy in writing class passed through my mind. Carefully, I picked up my workbook from the corner and started to fill things again. The pictures of calligraphy works I had taken from museums and the scribbles of letters I had practiced began to pile up on its pages. I further started to share it with other senior professionals. Even as they criticized my work as amateur-like, I was just happy to let my mind and body follow as I like.
Yet, a bigger value was lying ahead. As I used my spare time at school practicing, my peers started to gather around me. Watching me grind the ink stick and paint on my workbook, they continuously touched over the letters and started to ask me how to draw them. They were actually beginning to appreciate my interest as I no longer apologetically talked of my passion but pursuit it silently! Not to mention that I later made a traditional calligraphy club with some of the students, we together started to post our works on the school board and create a series of guide clips for the beginners.
At a cold drop of ink on my hand, I awake from my memories. I can still hear people rap along the stylish beat, but I turn my eyes to my traditional calligraphy work. I paint briskly on my picture because I know I cannot change myself and being truthful to myself would draw others to me and...
"Hey, that looks so cool. What is it that you're drawing?"
Smiling, I raise my head to answer.
--------------------------------------------------
By the way, I also welcome any comments that would help me make the first paragraph more tight, attention-grabbing, albeit short.
Hi! I am an international student!
Can you guys help me with my essay? I just need some people to proofread it and point some grammatical mistakes out!!
And although it's too late I also welcome critiques in content!
<My Precious Calligraphy Workbook>
As soon as the class is dismissed, I quickly take my traditional calligraphy workbook out. Its pages are all blackish full of finger stains and scribbles of letters. I grab a brush to give final touches, but at a sudden hip-hop beat coming from behind I become still and the memories of myself tagging American culture sweep over.
Often, I found myself sitting silently amidst the conversation with my foreign language high school students. They would chortle mimicking Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory or sing the musical version of Amy Winehouse's song from GLEE and I seemed to be the only one not following. Timidly, when I brought up an exhibition on Korean traditional calligraphy, silent and awkward atmosphere filled the air.
I tried to assure myself that they were more accustomed to American culture by their long experiences abroad. However, the feeling of isolation cringed through my mind and I desperately wished to fit in. I started to watch Comic-cons and download music on Billboard chart, setting my calligraphy workbook aside in the corner.
I now no longer sat silently in confusion. The jokes about Saturday Night Live show easily led me giggle or even drew me to bring up its other episodes. My mouth and eyes moved around chuckling. However, my heart stayed still all the while. Though American culture was fun to follow, it never pushed me to make a scrapbook, fill walls with posters, or attend festivals or exhibition like I had done for Korean traditional calligraphy.
The image of myself putting my name in calligraphy on my school textbook and submitting a journal about the history of Korean traditional calligraphy in writing class passed through my mind. Carefully, I picked up my workbook from the corner and started to fill things again. The pictures of calligraphy works I had taken from museums and the scribbles of letters I had practiced began to pile up on its pages. I further started to share it with other senior professionals. Even as they criticized my work as amateur-like, I was just happy to let my mind and body follow as I like.
Yet, a bigger value was lying ahead. As I used my spare time at school practicing, my peers started to gather around me. Watching me grind the ink stick and paint on my workbook, they continuously touched over the letters and started to ask me how to draw them. They were actually beginning to appreciate my interest as I no longer apologetically talked of my passion but pursuit it silently! Not to mention that I later made a traditional calligraphy club with some of the students, we together started to post our works on the school board and create a series of guide clips for the beginners.
At a cold drop of ink on my hand, I awake from my memories. I can still hear people rap along the stylish beat, but I turn my eyes to my traditional calligraphy work. I paint briskly on my picture because I know I cannot change myself and being truthful to myself would draw others to me and...
"Hey, that looks so cool. What is it that you're drawing?"
Smiling, I raise my head to answer.
--------------------------------------------------
By the way, I also welcome any comments that would help me make the first paragraph more tight, attention-grabbing, albeit short.