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To: My dearest home

-Ayeon Jeong

The picture above is taken during my first birthday in Cebu. Though I am a foreigner in this place, I recognize this place as my native town or hometown. It is not only because of the long time I grew up in this place but because of the comfort and attachment I have. I was born in 2005, and I migrated to the Philippines in 2008; it is 2024 now, which means that I lived here most of my existence. Although I am not planning to live here anymore, I know I will return, and when I need a place to refresh, it will be here.

Living in this place was full of enjoyment from then till now. The wide places in the village for me to run and play, the school that I attended from the beginning, the amazing people I met. One thing that I agree with people's comment is the generous Filipinos. Personally, I like the food as well and the festivals that everyone enjoys and participate. Moreover, rather than the places and people, I really loved the fresh air of this place and the city view at night.

We do not call it a life without any challenges, right? despite the good times, I, indeed, had a bad time too, and some negative thoughts about this place. Firstly, the weather that is too hot sometimes, so if you are a traveler, it will be suggested to check the temperature before visiting. Cebu, also, is not clean in most of the places. Regarding the fresh air, the roads, forests, and the sea are polluted moderately. Lastly, is the fact that the city is a newly developing country.

As written above, I am planning to leave this place. However, it does not feel easy as leaving my hometown is like going on a travel without my personal belongings. I do feel like I will be homesick when I transfer because of how I am attached to the place and friends, but I know I must. I should for my education, job, my future.

Overall, all I can say is I am glad that I migrated. Even if I would not be breathing the air of this place for some time, the image of it will be vivid. Cebu City is not just a place where I lived, but a place where I learned new values. It is the place where I became myself. Although I have some bad memories and factors that I do not like, I can never outstand the fact that I love this place till I leave the world.

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Reflective Essay: Manggagawa by Gary Granda

The song titled "Manggagawa," which means worker, is a Filipino song that mentions Filipino workers' hard work and sacrifices.

As a foreigner, I needed help from an online translator to understand the lyrics. At first, because the music was deep and calm, I thought the song was meant to be romantic. However, I was mistaken. The song was about the miseries of the Filipino who works all day but does not get treated well.

The first stanza, which asks to be considerate of the person who simply wants to relax after a long day saddened me. It touched my heart as I knew how hard working in the Philippines is. Living for 16 years in the Philippines, I knew that some Filipino workers are not treated as how they should be. In my perspective, some were slaves rather than workers, as how the song stated that the capitalist lord happily enjoys with their guests.

Overall, I am glad that there is a song that talks about this civil issue, as it could enlighten the citizens more. This song also changes my view about working. Working for me was an action to earn money; it may be unfair in some cases, but I thought I should be the one to hold on to it. However, we have our rights, and in order to get our rights, we have to fight back as one.

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“My Refuge”

-Ayeon Jeong

Have you ever felt magical when you went somewhere? A place that you identified as your forever comfort zone?

I did encounter that emotion, and I will never forget that evening.

Since I had to take the TOPIK Exam, Test of Proficiency in Korean, in November of last year, I rode an airplane and subway independently for the first time in South Korea. Everything was perfect. As a lover of night city views and the sky, both of my wishes — to see the stunning sky from the plane and to discover the most suitable area to observe Seoul's night view — were granted on the same day. During dawn, I saw the dark sky just as I wanted. A black sky hung overhead with gradated colors stretching out below.

inside the airplane(photo by AyeonJeong)

And that evening, I found a place where I could see all the twinkling lights of the famous buildings in Seoul in one sight. Again, just as I had hoped.

To specify more, the place is called Ttukseom Park Station, and I actually went there for the first time last April with my family. I felt that I wanted to stay there forever. However, I could not express that as much as I wanted since I was with my family, and I was shy. But, of course, I did tell them that I loved the place and wanted to go back another time, and I did promise myself to return, as I knew nothing would stop me.

The timing of my visit in November was great as I was going through a difficult time in my life. I was not motivated, and both my physical and mental health were not in a good situation. Even though I transferred academies, my SAT grades did not improve much, and I was exhausted with my daily life. I wanted to give up and not go to any universities.

When I saw that view again, I felt at home. The view swept away my anxieties and kept me motivated until now. I felt at home, in heaven. As always, the big boat on the river and the bridge shined too brightly, and I could not look at it properly. The astonishment I felt in my brain is unforgettable. Words cannot describe that place.

Bridge (photo by Ayeon Jeong)

Boat (photo by Ayeon Jeong)

I walked deeply into the woods, where there was a walking trail. That is where I found my exact refuge. Because I was emotional at the time after I took a picture of the place, tears filled my eyes. I sat down on the stairs for around thirty minutes, and I reflected on myself. I realized at that moment that I was having a breakdown, I needed to focus on myself. So, I plan to travel more tomorrow before I go to the airport. To focus on myself instead of studying just for one day. However, That did not satisfy me as to how the view struck me.

Walking Trail (photo by Ayeon Jeong)

My trip was short and busy, yet filled with happiness. I was proud of myself for going out and taking my time traveling alone. Though it was my first time, and I was alone, I enjoyed it very much; I did not want to ride the plane and stay there forever. That is not it, I learned to give myself at least one day when I am not well, whatever happens. Being healthy is the top priority."

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Autobiography -Ayeon Jeong

I believe all Asians, especially Koreans, have sympathy for my life of presence. My name is Ayeon Jeong, Julie, and as a Korean child, even if I am a foreign student, my parents, mostly my grandmother, have been capturing me in studies ever since I was in grade one. However, I do not regret what my parents did to me. My foremost academy experience was indeed grade one; however, that is not significant in my life as it was just an elementary math class. The first proper academy I attended was named MJ Global Academy, and I can say the day I went there changed my life.

Around September 2018, when I was in grade six, because of an incident in my previous academy, my siblings and I transferred to that academy, MJ. After my mom met the teachers there and had counseling in the morning, I took the level test that afternoon. The day after, I started my TOEFL class and Math class. It was not pretty bad, and I was glad I made new friends outside my school. Since then, everything has been great for my other siblings, from my perspective, except for myself. My brother got accepted to a high-ranking university in China, and my sister was doing great in her academics; on the other hand, my grades got lower, and all I did was play. Nevertheless, even if there were expectations from me, and I did not study, I do not regret what I did those days because I was happy.

In the year 2020, when the virus COVID-19 expanded worldwide, I quit all of my academics. I was just in grade eight, so I was happy about it, not thinking about my future. I was happy that I could only concentrate on my school studies because academic studies were more intense than school studies for me. But that did not last long; I reenrolled to my academy in the next year, 2021. At that time, I studied math and IELTS until I went to Korea in June when the virus became heavy.

When I came back to Cebu around March 2022, I indeed returned to MJ. However, this time, I was invalidity. Math and IELTS classes did not change, but I began my SAT lessons. IELTS was manageable for me, but the SAT was at another level as it was not what I assumed. Since then, the school opened, and I took my first SAT in December, the last paper-based SAT exam before it changed to digital. I was not expecting my results to be high, as I took it like a mock test. From then, I paused studying SAT for my IELTS exam.

The first IELTS test I took was in February of 2023, and I did get a great score, band 7. Then, because I could go to a good university with just that, I think I became too loose of myself. I did not study, this time both school and academy studies. That time was when I had a bit of a breakdown. When I went to Korea for my check-up, I swore to myself to study hard after my travel and reach 1400 within the year. Nonetheless, I was not able to keep that because there were a lot of barriers that I did not expect. First of all, my plane got delayed because I got hospitalized, and my mentality was not good as my grades kept going lower while my peers' grades were increasing, and I had trouble with my friends; I was always mad about myself. This issue became worse after I took my August SAT. My grade did not increase that much, and that is when I noticed some changes from my academy teacher.

After I realized my teacher was not looking at me as she did before, I transferred to a different academy, which my friend recommended. From then, I kept myself strong and took the December SAT and started to participate in everything I could in school. As a result, my grades were better, but it was not enough so, I decided to take the 2024 March SAT. In 2024, when I just become an adult, I took my second IELTS exam as I was aiming for band 8. However, due to the failure to maintain my condition well I was not able to achieve the score I wanted to get.

This is the end of my story for now, but there is more I want to share, and hope for my future to be better by being kind to myself more. though I am scared to fail, I will never give up as happiness comes after a disaster and disaster always comes after happiness.🔥

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“Road of the Ace: A literary Journalism of Lee Heeseung”

-Ayeon Jeong

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I watched a K-pop survival show called “I-Land,” which altered my life. Specifically, "I-Land" is a survival show that eliminates trainees who aren’t able to make it into the top seven, chosen by professional music producers of BELIFT Lab or global citizens through a voting app. It was a collaboration between the Hybe label, the entertainment company behind BTS and TXT, and TVN, a Korean broadcast system. Lee Heeseung was one of the candidates, a twenty-two-year-old Korean man born on October 15, 2001. Now. He is a member of the famous K-pop boy band “Enhypen.”

Lee Heeseung was an ordinary Korean junior high school student preparing to attend senior high. However, since his father knew he had an ambition to become a singer, he urged him to apply to an art school for senior high. He listened to him and went to the school for his entrance exam and audition. That is when he got scouted by various entertainment companies. Among all, he chose BigHit as it was the company that desired to contract with him as soon as possible.

Since then, he began his journey of becoming a K-pop idol. After three years of training, he got an opportunity to debut through the audition/survival program I-Land. In the first episode, he mentioned that he trained alongside the present TXT members, which made the viewers interested in him. The other candidates defined him as the ace among the trainees and even put him as a role model, which raised expectations among the viewers. Moreover, he became famous for his deer-like eyes, powerful dance gestures, sweet voice, leadership, and proficiency he showed during the missions. Heeseung was able to obtain many votes from the public, acquire the first choice from the producer, and secure the fifth-place position at the end. Being at the show was not painless, but he always did his best.

Right after he officially became part of the debut team Enhypen, he experienced new wrangles. He had his own songs to practice, artist manner lessons, foreign language lessons, and most importantly, his own fans he must amuse. Unexpectedly, he is the eldest member of the group. Though he was suggested to become the team leader, he denied it, as he thought becoming the leader and eldest at the same time meant more responsibility, and said he would do his job as the eldest member.

November 30, 2020, when he debuted, his life was more than he expected. He had a hard time preparing for his debut, but the love he received from his fans made it worth it. He may not interact with his fans that much, but his love for the Engenes is vivid. Enhypen then received a lot of titles like “The 4th Gen Hot Icon” and “K-pop’s present and future.” Additionally, they received awards from big awards shows like the Rookie award from MAMA and AAA awards and the main prize from the Seoul Music Awards.

In conclusion, Lee Heeseung's journey from an ordinary student to a member of the successful K-pop group Enhypen showcases his determination, talent, and humility. Despite facing challenges along the way, such as the rigorous training process and the pressures of the debut, he has remained grounded and grateful for the support of his fans and family. His contributions to Enhypen's success have earned him recognition he would never forget. Now, he is maintaining his journal with a few new aspects in life like producing a music.