Kweonho Lee/Task 4.2 & 4.4 (p. 108-109)/Narrative Composition(2) Tuesday & 09:00~11:00

Task 4.2            There's a famous sushi restaurant near my house. The place is always crowded at night with people who want to enjoy fresh seafood with soju.            When I close my eyes, I can hear a lot of noises mixed together. Sounds from people, kitchen, and other objects are blended at the same time to form an ensemble like an orchestra. People enjoy conversations about all kinds of topics ranging from politics, economy, to daily gossips. Their voices are usually louder than normal because they are drunk and they want to make themselves understood by others in a cocktail party. Also, the sounds of ordering for more dishes and soju from the tables can be heard across the entire restaurant. Other noises include sounds of chopping a fish, washing the dishes, and creaking sound of opening the entrance door.            The unique scent of fishy smell fills the air in the restaurant. Some people call it as the mild fragrance of sea, but it is definitely not a pleasant smell for everyone including me. The smell becomes stronger when you get near to the huge fish tanks which are filled with different kinds of fish and other sea creatures. The smell makes you feel like you are in front of a huge ocean. There are also smells of cigarettes as people frequently go out to smoke. They return to their tables with the musty smell kept in their clothes. The people don't seem irritated by the smells or noises because most of their senses are concentrated on their tongue, enjoying the delicate taste of the foods. The restaurant is just like the taste of a raw fish. It seems weird and not comfortable at first, but it becomes one of your favorite places once you get used to it. The noise in the restaurant makes the place more lively and fishy smell becomes a faint aroma to the regular customers.   Task 4.4            I had never felt so nostalgic just by seeing the old building. Some of the parts were renovated with new paintings but I was able to recognize nearly everything. There was my old school which reminded me of a few memories in the past.            When I entered the entrance gate, the first thing I noticed was the old statue of a child reading a book. The child, who had been sitting in the same place for more than 10 years, greeted me with its artificial, cheesy smile. His rusty body and cracked face was telling me that he got old too, just as I did.            As I turned my eyes to the whole view of my old school, a cool breeze of spring gently touched my face. I inhaled deeply to feel the coolness in my nose and smell the fresh air. The wide open soccer field in front of the school looked peaceful. There were only few kids playing with a ball in the late afternoon and their giggling voices across the field occasionally broke the complete silence.            I stepped inside the school to meet my old teacher. The teacher's room looked busy with work. The scenes of teachers using copy machine, consulting a student, typing documents and doing other office work were quite contradictory to calm and peaceful soccer field. Among the noises in the room, I was able to recognize a familiar voice yelling, "Be quiet in the hallway!" There was my old teacher standing in the door. When our eyes met, she gave me a big smile.            She took me to my old classroom. As I pushed open the front door, I had to put an extra force because the door was old and stiff. I was amazed when I had a look inside the classroom. Although there were some changes, the light green colors on the wall and wooden desks were exactly the same as 10 years ago. The texture of the wall was cold and bumpy when I slowly touched them with the tip of my hands. It made me picture my old school days.            The taste of those memories was bittersweet. I had lots of good memories, but I also had some painful times. I made a few good friends in my first year and enjoyed hanging out with them after school. We often played basketball together or went to PC rooms to play computer games. However, after one year, I decided to go to a famous private high school in my neighborhood. To pass the entrance exam, I spent the rest of my school days sitting in my desk and studying at the expense of losing my friends at the time. I wasn't regretting it, but looking back at the days somehow made me feel pity for myself. At the same time, I was proud of myself for making it through the difficult times.