Vicology

    To most, this is just an ordinary picture capturing a sweet moment between a grandpa and his adorable granddaughter. Although that is the scene portrayed in the picture, to me this moment holds a special place in my heart.      I was turning 2 and I don’t remember much but the addictive strawberry mochi cake is still engraved in my mind. Ever since I was little, I’ve been an avid mochi consumer. Whether it be mochi ice cream, mochi donuts, or regular rice cakes, you’ll never see me refuse this delectable treat. The white mochi flour around my mouth is a clear indication that I very much enjoyed eating this cake; although I would’ve appreciated it if someone wiped my mouth before taking this picture (what a great candid shot though :/). Not only am I savoring the cake but my grandpa is also indulging this delicious dessert. He was fairly old; his teeth not in the shape to consume hard solids. Fortunately, the mochi was soft enough for his aged teeth to eat an...

      Attending my first birthday party in America, my 6 year old self was appalled by the abundance of calories present on the food table. Greasy pizza, cheesy fires, oily chips, chocolatey desserts, cavity-inflicting drinks, and mountains of candy. Although that table was my childhood dream, I’m now realizing how detrimental it is to a person’s clean, healthy diet. I’ve learned that the unhealthy lifestyle of this country is the one-way ticket to obesity and the pivotal factor in many overweight Americans.       In contrast to the destructive diet of American birthdays, in Korean tradition, one’s birthday is celebrated with organically cooked food — made by the guardians — that provide a healthy yet flavorful and fulfilling meal and sometimes consist of dishes that take up to 5 days to prepare: a period of time where an American could order about 10 different fatty meals, 15 different sugary drinks, and consume about twice as many calories.    ...

      Do you remember back in 2012 when the song, “Gangnam Style” by Psy, took the Internet by storm? It inspired flash mobs, countless parody recreations, and was even featured on SNL. With it’s music video racking up more than 4.3 billion views, it remains one of the most influential K-Pop songs of all time. But behind the addictive dance and easy-to-follow lyrics, there’s an underlying criticism against Korea’s materialistic society.  Gangnam is Korea’s equivalent to America’s Beverley Hills. Although the city supposedly portrays wealth and economic respect, the song contradicts those claims and defines the opposite of the cosmopolitan, sophisticated lifestyle of Korea’s most wealthy district.        The music video opens up with Psy laying on a “beach” but the camera soon pans out to find him chilling in a sandy playground — with children swinging on swings and climbing up jungle gyms in the background. From the start, he makes fun of people ...

      I’ve always had a dislike for first days of school. Not only is there that nervousness and anxiety of starting a new school year, but an underlying feeling of dread that I possess every single time. Out of the 13 first days of school I’ve experienced, I’ve spent 11 of those days abnormally uneasy during attendance. Excluding pre-school and kindergarten, when I was too young to have such complicated feelings, I was ashamed of my name that was on the attendance sheet. Ashamed at how teachers were always stuck on me after smoothly saying everyone else’s name before me. Almost every teacher has butchered my name one way or another. Therefore, I’ve always had the phrase “I go by Victoria” on standby, ready to proclaim my American persona.      My birth name is Youngchae, a typical Korean name but an atypical American name. Even as I am writing this, my name is underlined in red indicating that it’s spelt wrong when it is actually, undoubtedly spelt right! ...

    Rudeness is defined as behavior that violates social or organizational norms. If a person’s action is not considered acceptable in society, then they are labeled as rude, impolite, disrespectful, etc. But through this idea of ill mannered behavior emerges a different perspective: does our idea of what is or isn’t acceptable behavior differ according to cultural identity?      After reading articles on polite speech in different cultures, I’ve concluded that misunderstandings and miscommunications are at the core of deciding if someone is rude or polite. For example, Japanese people tend to use indirect speech tactics, such as saying: “Could I possibly bother you for a moment?”, whereas the German language puts more emphasis on direct, short constructions like: “We need to talk”. This doesn’t necessarily mean that Germans are less polite but differences in language patterns can lead to misunderstandings and offense where none was intended...

     Inspired by this week’s reading, Just A Walk On By , I decided to explore the differences of fear in women and men, specifically their psychological responses. The definition of fear is as follows: an unpleasant emotion abused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat. When faced with fearful situations, it’s previously been believed that men and women react the same way; a common reaction known as the fight or flight response . This is a process triggered by the perception of threat and prompt the body to either fight the danger source or flee the scene entirely. Now, that belief is starting to change with more and more research about the psychological responses to fear.       Shelley Taylor, a psychology professor at UCLA, proposed that there’s another behavioral response that only exists in women.  Tend and befriend . It’s a process that states that women are biologically predisposed ...

     Who was your favorite Disney prince/princess growing up? Was it the girl with the tiny waist and long, luscious hair? Or the charming prince with a dashing smile and striking hairdo? See how generic these Disney descriptions are? Up until the mid to late 1990’s, any royal character would’ve fit this criteria of a Disney prince or princess. But then  Aladdin  was created, breaking the past universal image of a Disney princess; followed by  Pocahontas ,  Mulan , and  The Princess and The Frog .    The most striking one of all was Mulan. In the first song of the movie,  Honor To Us All , gender stereotypes are clearly woven into the lyrics themselves. “ Boys will gladly go to war for you”  and  “A girl can bring her family Great honor in one way  By striking a good match ”.  Although she was born into a royal family, thus making her a princess, she decides to go against gender stereotypes, refusing to live up t...