Get A Seeing-Eyed Dog

             Hemingway succeeds yet again at using the Iceberg Effect in his story titled “Get a Seeing-Eyed Dog.” The story begins mid-dialogue between a man and a woman, and they are discussing parts of a particular safari trip that the man is remembering quite well. As the dialogue progresses, readers are quickly able to associate the conversation between that of an ill man and a woman caring for him. He is most likely suffering from Alzheimer’s and possibly other diseases that are affecting his physical condition, for he is staying in some sort of a medical establishment and being treated for his condition. The woman does all she can for him to keep him comfortable, entertained, and feeling loved and worthy. However, the man continuously expresses his guilty conscience—he is so deeply saddened that the woman has to stay close to him and care for his illness when she could be spending her life traveling, learning, and engaging in other more worthwhile activities. But the woman assures him that she loves him dearly, and she wouldn’t have it any other way. The man makes a reference to her acting as his “seeing-eyed dog,” hence the name of the short story, and how he wished she would spend her time in other ways.

             To me, it is interesting how much information the man remembers considering that Hemingway makes it seem that the medical condition he is suffering from deals with memory loss. Not only is he able to recall several details from a previous safari trip, but he is also able to understand and recollect the condition that he is currently in, the relationship that he has and once had with the woman caring for him, and the fact that she has been caring for him for such a long period of time—so much so that he wishes she would leave and experience life outside of his confinement. This situation reminds me of my own grandfather, who suffered from a mild case of Alzheimer’s towards the end of his life. My grandfather, Papi, was a brave and charismatic man. He was born, raised, and married to my grandmother in Havana, Cuba. After having three children, including my father, Papi and his family became victims of Castro’s communist dictatorship, and they quickly fled the country and came to America. For many years after, Papi worked in the casinos in Las Vegas, Nevada in order to raise and support his family, which is where I was born and raised. As Papi grew older and more fragile, the doctors informed us that he had developed a case of Alzheimer’s disease, and that over time his condition would slowly digress. Interestingly enough, we found ourselves questioning on a daily basis whether or not he truly had been affected by the disease or not. Although his memory of smaller things, such as where he left his cane or his tennis shoes in the house, started to be affected, his memory of larger things never seemed to be impacted. He was always fully aware of who we were and where he was. He was always able to tell his story about Cuba in full detail if you asked him to, and last but not least, he was always fully aware and entirely appreciative of my grandmother’s endless efforts to take care of him. He was the most loving and honorable man that I knew throughout my childhood and young adult life, and it will always put a smile on my face to think about him and the pride and love that he had for his country and for his family. Although Hemingway writes a story about the sad reality of caring for an Alzheimer’s patient whose condition is steadily decreasing, it is also enlightening because of all of the many details that the man is able to remember during his time with the woman.

A New Experience: Korean Food for Lunch!

Just about a week ago, Julia and her sister Jeong insisted on taking me to get some Korean food for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon. I told them I had never tried Korean food before and that I would absolutely love to go and give it a try! I planned to meet them in front of the Bluu, where they would pick me up so we could travel to the restaurant together. While we were in the car, I learned that Jeong was the only one in their whole family that was able to drive here in America. I began to ask her about the differences between driving in Korea and America. She said that there was no such thing as stop signs in Korea, and so she was still trying to get used to the concept of stopping wherever there was a big red octagon. I slowly sat back in my seat and braced myself as we traveled down Berry and quickly approached the large 4-way-stop intersection directly in front of the Track field. Thankfully, she slowed and stopped when necessary.

                It took approximately 20 minutes to reach the restaurant on Bryant Irvin. It was a small, family-owned business with only a few other people dining for lunch as well. The waiter and owner were excited that we had come to have lunch, and they immediately welcomed us, introduced themselves, and seated us at a table. The waiter was fully aware of my complete inability to speak Korean or comprehend it in the least bit, so he spoke mostly English while taking care of us. Both Julia and Jeong would speak Korean with him every once in a while, which was the first time I had ever heard either one of them speak a single word in Korean. My time spent with them has been so focused on perfecting their English vocabulary that I had lost sight of the fact that they spoke Korean both fluently and beautifully. It was fun to see both of their faces light up when they held a brief conversation with our waiter and the owner in Korean. It was evident that for just a moment or two, all four of them felt as if they were right back in their home country speaking with other neighbors and natives who were also out to lunch.

                I had absolutely no clue how to read the menu or understand what would be served in each menu option. Therefore, I gave Julia and Jeong a brief overview of what kinds of food I like, and I trusted them to order for all of us. To start off, we had an appetizer dish that was the Korean equivalent of eggrolls. They were large shell noodles stuffed with beef and vegetables, dipped in soy sauce. To my amazement, they were absolutely delicious! Then our main courses came out, and they told me that they had ordered me the most Americanized dish that the restaurant served. The main dish was short ribs, and there was quite an assortment of side dishes, most of which were raw vegetables. I got a few laughs from both Julia and Jeong at my inability to work with a pair of chop sticks, so I eventually asked for a fork and enjoyed my meal. Some of the side dishes were interesting, but the short ribs, rice, and cucumber dishes were all delicious!

                We all pulled away from the restaurant feeling full and satisfied with our afternoon meal. Jeong insisted on paying for my meal, which meant a lot to me. This entire experience was yet another example of the appreciation that these two women have for me and my efforts to help them practice their English. What they most likely do not understand is that not only is my job to help them practice very easy, but it is also very enjoyable and quite a learning experience for me. Their English is most certainly still broken, but I have already begun to notice several improvements in their vocabulary and pronunciation. It is fun for me to help them pronounce a word that they cannot seem to say on their own, especially when I am able to determine what it is that they’re trying to say on my own. On the other hand, it is also fun for me to see them correctly pronounce a word that I taught them during a previous outing. Their continuous improvements and everlasting determination to keep learning motivates me to continue to help them in any way that I can, and it inspires me to work equally as hard at my own goals and aspirations. 

Julia + 1

              Just a few weeks ago, Julia and I had planned to meet in the Bluu again to get some lunch before my Monday afternoon class. Just about an hour before we planned to meet, she texted me and asked me if it would be ok if she brought her sister along on the lunch date. I had no idea that her sister was here in America with her, so I was excited to be able to include her for the afternoon and to get to know her as well. Sure enough, Julia and her sister, Jeong, walked happily into the Bluu that afternoon, and the three of us found a table outside where we could enjoy the beautiful weather together. I didn’t have to explain to Jeong as much about the food at the Bluu as I did to Julia the week before, mostly because Julia had already taken her to the Bluu for lunch and had already explained to her about each of the food groups. The three of us quickly found something good to eat for lunch, returned to our table outside, and began to talk.

                I had the privilege of learning even more about Julia’s family that afternoon, especially since Jeong was there to add some additional information and participate in the conversation as well. Jeong is just as passionate of a Christian as Julia and her family is. Jeong’s family is here in America too, including her husband. Jeong is not currently enrolled in classes at TCU due to a shoulder injury that she is trying to recover from; however, she works just as hard as her sister Julia to learn English to the best of her ability and to use my knowledge as a valuable resource. In fact, Jeong asked if it would be ok if she came to lunch with Julia and I every time from here on out so that she can continue to learn as well. I happily granted her request and told her that anytime Julia and I get together, she is more than welcome to join us as well.

                It quickly became clear to me the special bond that these two women have with each other. They are two of the most dedicated and hard-working women I know. They’ve both sacrificed much of their own lives in Korea to be here in America to learn English and then to travel the world to do Christian missionary work. They’re studious, and they’re not afraid to ask questions. They both have digital dictionaries that they can easily take out of their bags, type in a word, and it will instantly tell them what the translation of that word is in English or in Korean. As they began to explain how very different the culture is here in America compared to Korea, it was evident how very homesick they both are. Especially Julia, whose husband is still in Korea working and supporting their family. But it is rewarding to see how much these two women, both in their forties with families of their own, value the time and effort that I, a twenty-year old American student, put towards spending with them. Every time we’ve gone to the Bluu, they’ve tried to pay for me to eat because they don’t understand that I have free access with my student ID. They asked me if I would be interested in getting some Korean food with them sometime soon. They’re very proud of where they come from and their culture, but they are also very humble and eager to ask questions and learn all that they possibly can from me, a young girl no older than Julia’s own son.

                What this experience has shown me so far is that although many of the international students here on campus seem shy and perhaps even somewhat uninterested in mingling with us Americans, all it truly takes is a little bit of sincere effort to get to know them and appreciation of their own culture and background. By simply giving Julia and Jeong my full attention and interest in their past, their hearts have been overly joyous in my presence, and they have been nothing but attentive and interested in my own past and my own opinions of the American culture. What a blessing it’s been to get to know them both so well. I am continuing to learn from them and make a difference in their lives during every time we meet. This has been a phenomenal experience so far, and I am excited to see what else I will learn from both of these women throughout the rest of our visits. 

Cat in the Rain

             “Cat in the Rain” was an interesting story about the broken marriage of a traveling American couple. Once again, Hemingway succeeds at using the Iceberg Effect and eliminates the act of directly illustrating the issue at hand. He indirectly references the brokenness between the man and the woman’s marriage through the brief dialogue that occurs between them. The couple is on a trip to Italy during the holidays, and although it was raining outside, a trip of that nature should typically be an enjoyable and eventful occurrence. However, the husband cannot stop reading, and although he does pay his wife a couple of compliments, he doesn’t express any signs of affection or interest towards spending time with her during that rainy day in the hotel room. The woman is obviously desperately seeking attention, which is perhaps why she is so taken aback by the hotel owner. The man stands up and bows towards her in her presence, and in her attempt to rescue a cat from the pouring rain, he sends a maid with an umbrella to protect her. After the woman fails to find and save the cat, a maid shows up at the door of her hotel room holding the cat in her arms, claiming that the hotel owner had found it and had instructed her to deliver the cat to the room. The hotel owner shows more interest in the woman’s heart and desire for attention than her own husband.

             As I was reading this story in my bedroom behind a closed door overhearing my other roommates sing Christmas carols and decorate our home for Christmas, I slowly began to relate to the woman’s longing for attention and love, but in a much different way. The woman in the story longs for her lover to love her in the way he once did, perhaps as he once did when they were first married. She desires a renewed relationship with him, one filled with fun and enjoyment. The longing that I have discovered within my own heart is for the unconditional love and attention of another person. TCU is most certainly my home away from home. I have countless friends here, some who I will be friends with forever. However, I am most certainly a people person. I love spending my time with other people, sharing stories, listening to their stores, and developing relationships whenever and wherever possible. What I have felt in need of lately, though, is the unconditional love and attention of one person. My parents will forever love me and support me in all of my endeavors in life, but they live at home in Las Vegas. Same thing applies to my loving little sister. With a break-up with a serious boyfriend having just occurred and experiencing typical roommate issues, my heart longs to find just one person that can love me unconditionally and have fun doing things together, much like the attention the woman desires from her husband in the story. What I have begun to realize is that the Lord my God can be this person for me. I have found that through prayer and quiet time, I can depend on the Lord for unconditional love and attention, as well as a hand to hold and a heart to love whenever I am in need. I am never alone, and regardless of whether or not the woman and her husband’s relationship lasts, I hope that she can eventually discover the truth of this actuality herself. 

Hills Like White Elephants, or Like Friends?

              My first response to “Hills Like White Elephants,” by Ernest Hemingway, was a relief to its shortened length compared to the passages we have been reading recently. Thus, I was more than willing to do a blog about this reading. Besides its short length, it truly was an interesting story—one that caused me to think deeply about the hidden meaning of the conversation being held by the man and the woman. This short story leaves readers wondering what exactly the topic of the discussion was that was being held. Hemingway resorts to creating this sense of curiosity by leaving out details about the storyline in many of his other passages as well.

                Once I pulled up Cliffs Notes and read a detailed summary of the story, I finally was able to identify the situation being discussed as one about the woman’s pregnancy and whether or not she should get an abortion. Ironically, at the same time I was reading this story and the summary on Cliffs Notes, I was watching an episode of Friends. The particular episode on TV had to do with Rachel’s pregnancy with her and Ross’ child. It seemed ironic not only that both what I was watching and what I was reading had to do with pregnancy, but also because of the similarities present in the relationships between both the man and the woman from the story and between Ross and Rachel on Friends.

                There are seasons upon seasons of Friends, each of which encompasses its own unique addition to the long list of Ross and Rachel stories. The two characters on the show have gone through countless cycles of dating,  breaking up, and somehwere in the awkward stage in between. Throughout Rachel’s pregnancy, Ross and Rachel are not together, yet they decide to go through with having the baby and agree to raise it together as if they were still a dating couple. Although Ross exudes feelings of care and sincerity towards Rachel, the two characters have gotten themselves into a somewhat sticky situation by conceiving a child together without having an established relationship, which has caused a lot of tension and conflict to come between their friendship. The particular episode that I was watching involved Ross meeting an attractive young girl, which causes him to consider whether or not he wanted to seize the opportunity to start dating her or, for that matter, other women in general. Rachel, who is frustrated and offended, finally confronts Ross with her feelings of discomfort regarding this possibility. She clearly states how she would sincerely appreciate it if he would focus on taking care of her during her pregnancy and making sure the baby was born into a healthy environment rather than spending his time dating other women. This is only one of many examples of the tension and conflict that exists between their relationship as a result of the illegitimate child that they have conceived and are about to bring into the world.

                The truth behind the relationship between the man and the woman in Hemingway’s “Hills Like White Elphants” is initially somewhat concealed. But after further analyzing the conversation that they hold and interpreting their thoughts, it is made evident that there is tension and conflict between their relationship, as well. The man is encouraging the woman to have the operation, or an abortion, because he has heard that it is “…not really an operation at all” and that it is “…perfectly simple.” The woman makes clear her feelings of discomfort regarding the situation by repeatingly asking him to stop talking. She depicts her young age and innocence by commenting about the alcohol that they are consuming and revealing her infamiliarity with its taste. She ends up agreeing to undergo the operation in an effort to simply change the subject away from the stressful topic. He claims to love her, but he also states that he is worried and will only stop worrying if and when she has the operation because her pregnancy is “…the only thing that’s made us unhappy.” This places a great amount of pressure on a young girl, who is very much under the assumption that the man loves her dearly and wishes to take on the world with her at his side. However, why does he feel so passionately about having this operation if he wants to “have the whole world” with her? It doesn’t make sense, and the tension continues to build up throughout the entire story, much like the tension that exists between Ross and Rachel.

                The fact that I was watching this particular episode of Friends while trying to read this rather short passage at the same time was an incredibly ironic coincidence. Friends is a television show that I have loved for years, and it has often been a large distraction for me in terms of getting my homework done late at night. However, this beloved television show finally served a meaningful purpose. It helped to shed some light onto the reality of the seemingly loving relationship between the man and the woman. It also emphasized the passage’s modernist tendencies, since it is so relatable to a television show that had its peak performance in the 1990’s and 2000’s. It was an interesting story that captured many of Hemingway’s past literary functions, as well as offering an extremely modernistic view of a debatable issue.

My New Friend, Julia

I had some difficulty meeting with my original IEP partner. So after some discussion back and forth with Dr. Gayle, I finally was able to contact another IEP student about becoming her conversation partner. Her name is Julia, and she excitingly emailed me back and was eager to begin right away. So we set a date and time to meet up for lunch at Market Square in the Bluu.

           

             I met Julia at the front of Market Square on a Monday afternoon. Communication on the phone is difficult for her, but we eventually were able to find each other. She had never been to Market Square, so I began by showing her each food station and explaining to her what each one had to offer. We both settled for pasta and salad, and then we found a comfortable place to sit on the outside patio where we could enjoy the beautiful weather.

           

             Conversation was slow to begin. Her English is very broken and sometimes difficult to understand. I began with the simple questions—where are you from? How old are you? What brought you to America? Her answers were astonishing. She is from South Korea, and although she did not tell me her age, she did tell me that her and her husband have two children—a 10 year old daughter and a 20 year old son. Her husband is still at home in Korea working as a Christian pastor in order to support them all. She has come to America with her two children to learn English so that they can travel around the world and do Christian missionary work. English is the most commonly used language throughout the world, so they have determined that by learning English, it will be easier to communicate with people all over the world about God and His love for us all. I was immediately taken aback. Not only are most young Americans not willing to give up their dreams for a career to share God’s word with people overseas, but first having to learn a different language in order to do so would be considered an overwhelming and impossible amount of work. But Julia spoke of her and her family’s goal proudly, and she even became emotional when she explained to me the lack of such passion from others living in South Korea. Although the purpose of our meeting is to help her practice her English, I quickly detected that my time spent with Julia could be an incredible learning experience regarding how I can develop a drive like hers to share God’s word with others, regardless of the seemingly overwhelming obstacles that may cause this pursuit to be somewhat of a challenge.

Aside from this realization, the passion that Julia had for learning English and her desire to use my own knowledge as a valuable resource was made very clear on our first meeting. The amount of effort she put into clearly enunciating her words and choosing the correct words to express her thoughts was extremely humbling. She paid close attention to the way I pronounced words, and if I used a word she did know or had not heard of before, she wasn’t shy to ask me what it meant. Her determination is encouraging to me. Julia is a grown woman with a family of her own, and she has not let their location, finances, or anything else come between them and their drive to accomplish this dream. Since our first meeting, I have prayed that her own determination and willpower can serve as a source of encouragement and motivation for me to seek out opportunities to make a positive impact on this world once I graduate from TCU. The business and corporate world will always be available. What may not always be available is time, which is a precious and valuable resource that I will gain upon graduation. Julia has already begun to teach me the importance of having passion, chasing your dreams, and following your heart. I am excited to spend more time with her this semester and to continue to learn from her while she learns from me. 

Araby vs. Today

             James Joyce’s Araby was an unexpectedly interesting and attention-grabbing short story. To my surprise, I actually enjoyed reading the passage. My first experience when reading the short story was, admittedly, utter disappointment upon learning of the passage’s length. After overcoming this disappointment, my mind explored some interesting reactions and thoughts directly related to the reading. Although the thoughts provoked from reading the story may seem somewhat elementary, I believe that they speak on behalf of the time period in which the passage was written and identify interesting differences between Joyce’s time period and today’s society.

             At the beginning of the story, Joyce expands on the life of the unknown narrator, who seems to be a young boy who lives in an old home within a friendly neighborhood. I was immediately flooded with childhood memories, such as playing hopscotch and kickball with the neighborhood kids and eating popsicles on a hot summer’s day. The children’s attempt to avoid confrontation with the boy’s uncle reminded me of the scary old woman who used to live next door to us when we were growing up. She would come outside and yell at us children when our noise level would exceed her level of tolerance, and so we would all try to hide behind the bushes before she had a chance to determine exactly whose voice was bothering her this time. After reliving some of these memories, my thoughts quickly shifted to the disappointing reality of a changed world. I currently live in an old home on Wabash Avenue, a little less than two blocks away from campus. I am certain that there are families and children that live on our street (I have seen them before); yet the most common sound I hear when I sit on our front porch and enjoy the nice weather or work on my homework near a window is silence. Today’s generation of children enjoy new forms of entertainment, including videogames, television shows, and other technologically advanced activities. It seems as though my generation—young adults between the ages of 16 and 24—was the last generation of children to enjoy the old fashioned method of entertainment.

          

             This technological advancement has gone down in history as a major occurrence of the early twenty-first century. Just as the 1950’s are known for poodle skirts and diners, and the 1970’s are known for disco balls and drugs, the 2000’s will probably be identified with the iPad, 3D television sets, video-chatting, and several other technological devices that were nowhere near existence just a couple of decades ago. Although all of these hi-tech discoveries are fascinating and have created numerous opportunities for society, it is also sad to me to see how much society depends on these devices. Young adults are having a difficult time developing good communication skills because devices and programs such as text messaging, emailing, and instant messaging have replaced the need to have a face-to-face conversation. My own grandmother has lost interest in getting ready for the day and running errands because she can simply do all of her shopping online and have it delivered to her, all while watching her favorite television program. Sadly, research has indicated that children have already begun to be affected by these newly developed habits of today’s society. The percentage of obese children has drastically increased since the introduction of videogames. Young students are discouraged from reading books assigned to them in class due to the convenience of online services such as Spark Notes and Cliffs Notes. For these reasons and many others, it is important to me that my children experience the childhood that I had. I want my children to ride their bikes outside, play hopscotch and kickball, and eat popsicles on a hot summer’s day. I hope that there is a scary old woman next door who scares them into keeping their voices at an acceptable noise level. I will gladly and excitedly introduce them to whatever new technologies may exist during their own childhood. However, I will adamantly help them to understand the importance of developing strong communication skills, as well as the importance of enjoying each and every day. The essence of time is a blessing from God. It is an opportunity to learn something new, make a new friend, and enjoy life. I sincerely hope that my children will share a similar point of view that I have about the essence of time and society’s dependence on technology once they are old enough to understand the underlying issues. While videogames and other technologies are very entertaining, I hope that they will grow to appreciate the old fashioned method of growing up, and I hope that they will value the benefits that will result from it throughout their lives.