Khiriah Writes

Khiriah Ayyad is a freelance Writer with a BA degree in Liberal Arts and MA Degree in Inter-Asian NGO studies. She enjoys writing short-stories, on Personal development and lifestyles.

[khiriahayyad]

Racial Segregation

The freedom from discrimination, does this freedom really exist as long as there are strong capital investments for the high class? What does it mean for Colonial powers and post-colonial powers to use western reasoning to create racial spaces with in the society? These are issues that even till today are not able to escape, indigenous people re always subjected to discrimination and exclusiveness from the powers in control. David Goldberg tackles this subjects with a steady argument that;

 "Racism becomes institutionally normalized in and through spatial configuration… The rationalities of spatial space –it's modes of definition, maintenance, distribution, experience, reproduction and transformation- are at one fundamental influences upon the social relation of power" (Goldberg, 185).

 In other words, where you live determines your identity in the society and implicates the role with in the society whether it is an inclusive one or expulsive one. If you are part of the indigenous people while under colonization, the powers who have come to colonize you become the ones who determine your role in society. Goldberg believes that if you are someone who is considered inclusive in your society, you automatically are considered as a "truth" for the society and if you are excluded then you are a "stranger" to your society. The urbanization of racial discrimination became an issue around the 20th century by the European powers. "In the 1950s and 1960s, slum administration replaced colonial administration, exclusion and exclusivity were internalized with in the structure of the city planning throughout the expanding metropolises of the emergent 'west' '' (Goldberg, 188).

In the 1960s and 1970s urban space was defined by class the inner were poor and seen as undesired and outer were exclusive and carried the urban mobility. Creating leisurely areas for the ones who could afford it. By creating different areas within the city that are meant to perform in different ways you take away one person's freedom and give a surplus amount to another group of people, in the case of the Africans the indigenous people's freedom were restricted compared to the digenous people in Dakar. By creating these urban locations there is a commercial profit with in an economic outlook. Because of the separation of powers the health issues, job opportunities and living sustainability becomes more difficult for people living in slums which creates an " Unsanitary living conditions among the black urban poor in many of Africa's port cities  were excerbated by profiteering slum lords" (Goldberg, 190).  In 1914 at Dakar, the French administration created their own separation of headquarters by urban planner Toussiant who wanted to separate urban blacks from lower white class in order to prevent spreading diseases. Which was made as the "residential segregation" policy. Goldberg also talks about fanon's idea that colonizers do not live in with the natives but around them and put a siege around them. Which, in my opinion, ties the idea of racial segregation and apartheid, and lets us explore the idea that racial segregation is not only unfair and strips you of your freedom but also alienates you from the society putting you in the position of living with in harsh conditions or being removed by the powers in control.  

[khiriahayyad]

Dilemma of Human Rights

             James Nickel, the author of “Making Sense of Human Rights”  written in 1987, discusses the 8 elements of human rights; HR determine government manners, HR existing as moral/legal rights, Influence of HR by history, Minimizing negativity for obtaining HR, Making HR accessible for all, HR are always open for subjected, HR should be straightforward, and Human Entitlement of rights through loyalty and human duties not for us as individuals but as a whole. Then he continues by saying "A second claim to be rejected is that all human rights are inalienable". Which is something I disagree with. Although Human rights should not be Inalienable, in a sense they are, to the powerholders and aren't to the weak or people who are considered alien to the state. The text I will use to support my argument is one by Jack Donnelly called Universal Human Rights where he tries to find common grounds for the legal international laws that have been adapted in most governments and how to maintain the basic changing HR.  His arguments question the liability of HR and the people who are worthy of achieving it. There are two ways of seeing HR the eyes of the individual and the eyes of the state. Each eye has a different way of interpreting situations but the one who will most of the time have the upper hand is the state. So to say that human rights should not be Inalienable is already alienating someone who is lesser in the eye of the government. "For the state to interfere in matters of personal morality would be to treat the life plans and values of some as superior to those of others" (Donnelly, 44). For the state to assume the morals of humans because a religion states it, economics demands it, corporates assert it or the government needs it means that HR works only with a hierarchal approach. There is a short story by Franz Kafka (1883-1924) called "Before the law" and within this story there is a door keeper who prevents the main character from entering the door that had been made only for him. "It is possible; says the door keeper, but not now"(Kafka, 21). So the questions are; how are we recognized before the law and how long will it be before you are recognized by the law. If we listen to our law will the things that had been promised to us as an individual be provided to us or will it be provided but un accessible. We listen to the rules behind the law to achieve our HR equally but equality in HR is nonexistence. The man waited for a long time until his death arrived as he was still at the door and at his final moments of death the door keeper tells him, "nobody else could be granted entry for this entrance was meant only for you. I shall go close it.''(Kafka, 23). Before the law we are nothing unless acknowledged. "To treat someone with concern and respect and individual must first be recognized as a moral and legal person" (Donennly, 45). To have international human rights is to be acknowledged as a human but even the term Alien is given to a person when he/she travels to a new region because they are not worthy in the eyes of the government for human rights.  

[khiriahayyad]

KIIP Placement Exam Experience

If you’ve clicked on this link then you must have already learned about the KIIP program, about to register, already registered or is reading this one day before the exam. I took the exam in July 27th in Daegu, which is the exact reason why I am writing this. I had many expectations for this exam and tried to prepare myself the best to get into a level higher than level 0 or 1. As the procrastinator I am, I didn’t really prepare till 2 days before the exam. I searched the internet for information on the exam but not many people talked about the placement test. So instead, I will talk about my own experience from A to Z.  

The day before the exam I needed to do a couple of things; Print out your letter of confirmation which you would find on your account for the KIIP test account, that shows you are taking the test from https://www.kiiptest.org.  Don’t ever forget your password when you sign up for something on a Korean website because finding that password would be very stressful, trust me.  You also need to prepare your alien registration card or passport; if you don’t have it they won’t let you take the exam that day and you’d need to wait until the next exam. The final thing is a specific examination marker in the black color it’s called “컴퓨터용 사인펜” which means computer sign pen and that is double-sided (Thin side for writing and thick for filling out the circles). If you don’t have it, it’s okay but being prepared is the priority. Luckily, the test givers passed it around for people who didn’t have it; some people thought their normal pens are normal and didn’t raise their hand when they were passed around.  There is nothing embarrassing about accepting the markers they passed around.

The night before I watched a lot of videos to see what would be on the speaking section and writing section, a video that was good for mental preparation was this video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tA9dSSDCgk. Let me tell you though, easy and hard questions were scrambled all over the place, so if you see a hard question skip it, leave it blank and try the next question. I spent some time on hard questions so I regretted using that time and couldn’t complete the test. The test-taking time was one hour. We were told to arrive at the building at 12:00 and be in the room by 12:30. While you are waiting, your alien card should be checked, you will be asked to turn off your phones and put your bags at the area they create for the bags. You are not allowed to leave during the test to the bathroom so if you need to use the bathroom go before the exam preparation begins.

Right before testing time begins; they will pass out the card where you will fill out your answers. I suggest you know how to fill in applications before this exam starts because the instructors won’t speak a single word of English to help you. You should still ask for help if you don’t understand or ask your neighbor. There will be many confused people like you, so don’t feel embarrassed. Actually, the lady who was in charge of my group was not very kind, she spoke to us like we were less than her, rolled her eyes a lot and spoke very quickly. I believe that she was inconsiderate of the beginners in the room and got annoyed when people didn’t understand. Hopefully, when you take the exam you will not have someone like her in charge of the room.

When the exam begins, work on your pace and don’t let the quick flipping pages in the room to discourage you. Remember, everyone in that room is a different level and it’s a placement test. It’s not about passing or failing but finding your level. Don’t fill in the answers randomly by guessing, you need to place in your right level. If you pass by luck and end up in a higher class, most likely you will be confused and behind in class.  When the written exam is done then you wait for the speaking section of your exam.

The wait is so tiring; I waited in the classroom for 3 hours and a half for my turn of the speaking exam.  The examiners had two classrooms that had about 50 students each, which kept switching back and forth from the classroom I was in. So, I wasn’t just waiting for the students in my class to finish but the students in the other class to finish too in the number order. While you wait two sheets of paper would be given for you. You need to write your name, ACR number, date and the city in which the exam was being held. This would be used for the examiners, so don’t freak out if you don’t understand exactly what it says. Basically, it’s the sheet that examiners would fill out.  

I thought I needed to introduce myself to the examiners but I was more than wrong.  I wrote an introduction, memorized it and wrote about my country. The differences and the similarities between Korea and Palestine but they were all useless.  For the speaking section, we were given one passage to read, we went in 5 people together which was so intimidating. We read in intervals, one sentence at a time. I got a really hard sentence so I don’t think I did very well in reading and they cut me short. Afterward, the questions they asked about were based on the passages. In my case, the passage was about birthdays, what present the person bought and who they gave it too? Afterward, the questions were related to that topic but passed on personalized questions. If you were to celebrate your birthday, who would you celebrate it with?  What would you want for your birthday?  Where would you like to go for your birthday and what would you do?  The final questions were about Korean holidays. What do you eat in Choseok? The same question was asked for different holidays. I believe this section was to see how much the person knows about the Korean culture more than just language so learn about the Korean holidays from what they drink, eat, wear and do.

The examination felt very stressful because the Korean levels of the people around me were different so answering, I stuttered a lot. I believe that is the mistake I shouldn’t repeat.  So when you take the exam to be confident and ramble about whatever you can. I answered with short words but I wish I spoke more. Don’t be afraid to ask the examiners to repeat the question.  I believe that the exam is not scary but make sure to have a good meal that will make you have a lot of energy during the exam and get lots of sleep beforehand. I am looking forward to finding out my grade on my KIIP test portal online to see which level Korean class I would be placed in, to begin my Korean language Journey. Hope you stay strong, confident and find the right level that suits you as well. Happy journey readers!

[khiriahayyad]

Mindfulness is key to living harmoniously with your surroundings.  

[khiriahayyad]

A poem written in the style of Picasso’s “Boisgeloup 18 April XXXV”: She was never the monster

Don’t look at her in that way she isn’t a form of art you can’t throw her away she can see you point at her the whispers from afar don’t create her into a monster staring in her reflection all she can see is shame that has been pulled out of the male pockets cloaked with complete justice that was somewhere without her consent created a limitless time of endless judgments she couldn’t speak with a mouth so crooked it wouldn’t say what it wanted like a broken record stuck on the same note it last left echoing and creating an annulment in others enjoyment that seemed to spread quicker than pollen in the spring where she last felt safe before her dignity was taken away she had no choice that was in her hands although believed to be there it fell like the hungry children of Congo who seemed to suffer more than she does not understand that she can’t win on her own yet she chooses to pull us down too because she could not get to the top like how the sly foxes hide and attack the weak to live on the easier path to walk was formed long ago by the men that snapped their fingers to tears stricken to a women tender face expressions that seem too expressionless because it became a form of repetition that hung within all of our skies too high for her to see that I want to call out from where I stand to show her that she has not broken her limitations  but who am I to speak out to an audience that are deaf and blind like new born babies their heart beat for their wants not for their needs but for their greed that continues to grow while I stare blankly in to this grey sky I saw something like no other that was colorful that was to be called a word so forgotten like her if only she could have spoken a little louder the walls wouldn’t have seemed so high maybe like the bright green light Gatsby could have gotten a little closer in comparison to her effortless efforts there could have been the chance to see her stand in front of the murderers that innocently smiled with knives engraved within their hearts the moon could have fallen for their disguise that ran quite smoothly with his choice of words.

[khiriahayyad]

2018 Spring Blossoms~Your sweet memories shine the brightest nights. 

[khiriahayyad]

That “Nothing” was “Something”

Ever walk around a crowded city. No reason to do so. But to walk out of your home, with no sense of direction, like a helium balloon in the air. Just to walk around to find an answer to a question that hasn’t been asked yet. I have. With every rustling step, my shoes touch the dark cement, my shadow slowly paced around me. At some moments the shadow would disappear within the dark sides of these streets, and then it would reappear. Just like people, walking towards a person. Eyes meet. You acknowledge that I am there, and you are there too. But with no attachments we look straight ahead and continue to walk as if they were nothing. See nothing is a strong word, it is a word that represents a human non existing feature. We do not simply acknowledge anyone or anything as nothing. I saw you and you saw me, in my mind, I am happy to have seen that you have existed. I do not know anything about you, but behind your eyes there’s a story to tell like mine does. You have a heart that beats for someone, same as I do. So how can I assume that you are nothing, when you are everything to someone else? Assume to have believed that someone you had met and actually talked to had become “Nothing” to you. We have all done it. Whether you accept it or deny it. We have made several people’s statuses with in our minds change from “Something” to “Nothing”.  A girl who held her mother’s hand every night when she would go to sleep as a child but as soon as she became older, she let go of that hand because she wanted “Something”, rather than “Nothing” she had.  That girl who you liked and was too shy to speak to, and as soon as you had the courage to speak to her, she had already found someone to hold close to her heart, she changed from something to nothing. People in their life, spend so much time categorizing where every person they meet should belong? Maybe we’ve been wrong all along. We shouldn’t be categorizing the people we meet, we should be grateful that we got to meet them. Because as I walked through the city my eyes looked into a stranger’s eyes, and without a word we walked separate ways, desperate for words because that “nothing” was a “something”.  

[khiriahayyad]

A day to remember filled with happiness. 

[khiriahayyad]

Doggy Heaven in Gumi

These days it’s raining alot in Korea, it’s almost impossible to walk two steps without being covered in rain. That’s why many of my friends recommend going to a café instead of walking outdoors or staying at a park. Korea has a knack for themed cafes including having animals like meerkat, cats, sheep, dogs and other animals. I’ve been to animal cafes in Seoul and they were fun but they didn’t quit satisfy my needs as the one in Gumi did. When I first think “Gumi”, I thought it didn’t have much nice things to do until my friend showed me around. He took me to a dog café in Gumi called “이리오개” which means Come here dog, located in Indong 15 Gil 5 Sumgyebuilding on the 2nd floor.

This dog café is also a dog hotel. Meaning that some of the dogs there belong to different owners and some of the other dogs belong to the owner of the dog café. The dog owners leave their dogs there and pick them up a week or two weeks later. It could also be a space for a dog owner to bring their own dog and let their dogs mingle and leave. For people who don’t have a dog like me, you are free to play with all the dogs in the open spaced, airy and air-conditioned café. Yes, it doesn’t smell like a strong scent of animals but if you hold the dogs as much as I did, you will probably leave smelling like a dog.

The moment my friend and I walked through the doors of the café, we heard an orchestra of dogs barking in happiness, waging their tales. They greet you, lick you, smell you and try to climb in to your lap. This café is one of the cheapest dog cafes I’ve ever been to. My friend and I payed 7,000 won each to stay as long as we wanted with the dogs. The drinks come complementary with the pay of entry. I bought Cherry-aid and my friend bought a banana smoothie they were served with complementary tray of cinnamon cookies, both of the drinks were very nice and refreshing. The café was clearly taken care of well because it was seen that owner continuously cleaned any excrement of the dogs. The only issue I saw, was that the chairs were kind of destroyed, like the dogs probably bit the chair for fun. Not all the chairs were ruined, just a few.  

We stayed at the dog café for 4 hours and the owner didn’t mind at all. There were so many dogs and different varieties. Each with their individual charm, I’m not the most knowledgeable in dogs and their breeds but for sure the most energetic one there was the pug that ran with excitement, he tried to steal the spotlight of the other dogs, it was quit amusing.

My friend and I bought some dog food and feed it to the dogs, they basicly just hear the movement of the bag and get super excited. The mother and daughter sitting on the table next to us bought more than 6 bags of snacks for the dogs. Each bag costed 4,000 won so they spent 24,000 snacks alone. Every time they fed a dog they would tell the dog to 앉아, which means to sit. But when one person did it everyone else in the room said it. All of a sudden, it felt like a flock of birds tweeting the word 앉아. I thought it was a bit much but the people and the dogs were all enjoying.

One dog that caught my eye was 몽이 (Mong-ee), from the moment I came in to the dog café she never left my side. Even when other people threw snacks he stayed seating in my lap and that felt very relaxing. He began to feel sleepy and I did too. Being in that café made me feel refreshed and energized to start another day, although it was a very heart breaking goodbye when I left Mong-ee, I hope I could visit him once again in my favorite doggy heaven.  

[khiriahayyad]

Breaking the Silence with Introverts

Sometimes silence between two people could be the most comforting thing in the world. It’s a cushion landing after a hard fall, the first snowflake of the winter or watching the sunset. The air would be light, both secretly watching one another. When his eyes glance over to your hands while you type or when you observe him when he gets up to do anything, simply saying nothing brings your heart warmth of no other. But there are days where the silence is like a kickboxing punch bag is hanging in your chest swinging around beating you silly. The silence is not as silent as everything you wish you could say is amplified in your head and not with your mouth. Afraid the other person would react irritated, whether they had a hard day at work, didn’t sleep well, lost in a video game or there is a disagreement. Any word you say could be used against you at that moment, as much as you wish that was false, it is true.

My partner is an introvert and he’s a wonderful person but as an extrovert, it was difficult for me when he would be upset or when he would get angry. I didn’t understand why he didn’t want to talk with me, why he would get frustrated if I asked him just a small question. He constantly asked for space while I asked to be noticed. It’s like a dog trying to play with a cat, the dog wags its tail energetically and the cat just hisses and hides in small places. It was selfish of me to assume that he should react the same way I treated him. I talk to him right away when I’m angry, I face the problem head on and get over it. But he needs more time and space, makes me wonder if he likes me. He doesn’t only like me, he loves me and I couldn’t see it. When this form of silence comes between you two, what should you do?  

“Our culture made a virtue of living only as extroverts. We discouraged the inner journey, the quest for center so we lost our center and have to find it again”~ Anais Nin

1. Have patience and wait for them to cool off. Having Patience in the heat of a moment takes a lot of energy and sometimes almost drains you. But love and anger should be dealt in a slow pace. You don’t expect someone to love you with in a second but you also can’t expect them to switch of their anger. Talking to someone when they are angry could result in saying things that could never be unsaid or do things that can crack the frame of your relationship. If you love each other, you should be able to respect giving them privacy. Make the effort to distract yourself by doing something productive. Organize your closet, check your emails, pamper yourself or get some grocery shopping done. Self-reflect as well; write a journal entry or poem. The best tip is that you don’t occupy yourself with something (or someone) you will regret doing later. Just because you’re stressed doesn’t mean that you should approve yourself to do something that you know would make your partner angry. So, while you wait, don’t fume into flames.

2. When they approach you, Listen. After some time has passed by, the silence would come to an end. Your partner will most likely come back to you wanting to find comforting open arms. But also open ears, to listen to the struggle your partner is dealing with. It’s hard for them to express themselves, so when they do be cautious. Take note, open arms, open ear and most importantly open heart. It’s important to take note and understand them, even if you find it a silly reason to be “upset”. We’ve all seen extroverts be upset about not going to a party, not being popular, or not having a chance to speak up, same goes for introverts. For example, when they are concerned about what others are thinking about them, don’t want to leave the house all week or worrying about their online game, light hearted anger triggers that could be dealt with easily if the other listens to your worries and deals with it the same way as a major issue. Listening means not being prejudice and reaching the same understanding they have. When you see a baby crying do you deal with that baby the same way you deal with a 13 year old? No, you need to get to the babies level. In the end, we are all children at heart and we all have our unexplained moments. Which gets me to my next point; through mutual understanding you can reach a conclusion.

3. When you finish listening, make a mutual understanding. How can a mutual understanding arrive? When you’ve done the two steps above you reach the final step. Explaining to your partner how you felt during the period they were no speaking but then show them how you really wanted to understand them and endured the wait. Saying these things might make you seem vulnerable but in a relationship being vulnerable is not a bad thing. It reaffirms the other partner that they can be as weak as you are. If the reason the anger was developed from personal traits, talk about which traits and find a solution to deal with it. If it’s about losing an online game, find a game you think they’d win, like a confidence boost. It’s the simple decisions that you make that take you a long way in a relationship.

Prying for reasons, emphasizing your own emotions and neglecting the other can create a huge gap in the relationship. Learning how to control your emotions, words and actions can lessen the collateral damage (if there are any). Loving your partner doesn’t mean forcing their opinions on you, it means learning how to respect one another and open up the vulnerable side of yourself without question. Most importantly, pride ruins relationships. Don’t think who hurt who first and who should apologize to whom first. Think why is she quiet and why do I not understand why she is not speaking? Introverts and extroverts go well together, just make sure to think before you act because introverts do it much more than we think.    

[khiriahayyad]

South Korea: Shopping tips you didn’t know

By Khiriah Ayyad

When I first received my Alien Registration card in Korea, I didn’t know what exactly the benefits were and I didn’t understand the best advantage until far later. Your Alien Registration is a magical card that allows you to be recognized as a full time citizen and it allows you to enter/re-enter the country easily (Hello short vacation breaks to neighboring countries). That’s why you should protect it with your life and take pictures of your ARC on your phone because if you ever lose your card you need to recall the number on it. But most importantly it permits you to register for a phone plan. When you get a phone plan you can make memberships to your favorite stores, download applications that could help you in Korea and shop online.

When you register for a phone plan it’s unlocking a door of benefits. Specifically, your shopping benefits. Now if you are like me, studying abroad and work a job or planning on staying a while in Korea I definitely suggest you get it. If you do not know Korean well, I suggest you have a friend who could help you with the forms. If Korea loves doing anything, it’s filling out a lot of forms to verify your identity/number/purchases via applications. Personally, I suggest you get a KT phone plan because when you get KT membership you can save points to spend at the following places; Dominos Pizza, Mr.Pizza, GS Supermarket, GS fresh, Burger King, Baskin Robbins and (personally my favorite) CGV.

Afterwards choose which places you really like to shop at, get a membership card and become a regular. My closest friend in Korea loves going to Innisfree, she went to the one that was close to our school so she became acquainted with the employee and she gave her more samples each time she went there. I’m not saying to head over to Innisfree and expect free products but I am saying that if you are the type to purchase a lot then find a place, make a membership and go to the same location. If the employee grows fond of you, he/she most likely will let you leave with many samples. In addition to that, you raise the points on your card and get discounts.

The memberships I’ve made so far are the following: CJone, Emart, Daiso and Innisfree. I use CJone to go to Oliveyoung, twosomeplace and CGV. I’m sure there are other places but those are my most visited spots. Oliveyoung basically saved me because in the heat I sweat a lot and Koreans don’t really use deodorant but Oliveyoung provides Nivea Deodorant.  Daiso is your Korean version of a dollar store, very cheap and adorable products. Emart is a supermarket that I go to nearby my home but if there is a Homeplus, that’s really good too. Homeplus has home appliances, makeup, clothes, food, food court and others. It is also where I bought my bed sheets and pillows for not a very expensive price. Though, I think I would have found a more reasonable price online if I had known where to shop, which leads me to the third thing to do, which is shopping online.

Shopping online can take a load off of you to carry. Literally, when you need to buy things for your dorm room to apartment it can be exhausting without a car. My favorite site to shop on is Coupang. Coupang literally has everything I need. Since my shoe size is 270 mm, it’s very difficult for me to find flats or high heels at most stores in Korea. Even places like Forever21 and H&M don’t supply those sizes. So I turned to Coupang and found the flats I wanted. Other sites you could shop on are Gmarket, Naver Shopping and Amazon. When you shop online you can find the products you want for a larger quantity but a cheaper price so you’d be saving money long term. I even have friends who look at stores to see what they want and go back home to buy them. Make sure to know your address in Korean spelling and your area code (have it saved in your phone too, so taxi drivers don’t take advantage of the time understanding where you want to go and searches for the destination on his phone while the fair meter is on). Being able to buy the products you need for a cheap price, while making points and getting small benefits is something we should all take advantage of. So making a phone plan comes with its benefits, if you would like to look for other phone plans you should also ask about which shops they are associated with.