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Oil Drops at Home--Helping Out

by Julie :: Sunday January 27, 2008

There are countless times where my Thacher education links me back to the real world, and yesterday was no doubt one of them. On the Thursday before Winter Break, Dr. Vhynal (my chemistry teacher) showed us how an oil spill looked like, and ways of cleaning up the spill. Of course, what he eventually used to clean the pink "oil" was a powder that soaked up the "oil," but the idea of oil spills and cleaning them stuck with me.

When I came to Korea for my winter break, I was struck not only by the endless news of the disasters caused by the oil spill there, but also the news of countless volunteers helping out. After seeing videos and pictures of the volunteers, I knew that I simply had to go there. Yesterday, I got up at 6:30 am to drive down to Tae An, the location of the tragedy. When we got there, we were given the equipment necessary to start our work. Because so many people had already helped out, I thought we might only be left with doing just the finishing touches, but the truth was not as generous. Even in one small hole, the oil dribbled in endlessly.

Being there and helping out firsthand,  made me realize once again how difficult it was to undo a mistake. However, it also showed me the power of the people; that with everyone's contribution and effort towards a common cause, anything is possible. With the help of the countless volunteers and aid from all over the country, there is hope for the currently devastated people and shops of Tae An. One day, the soiled beaches will regain its former scenic glory, and I'll hopefully will be able to tell my grandchildren about the December miracle of Tae An.

P.S. I wrote this over holiday break and didnʻt get a chance to post it until today, just in case anyone was wondering about the dates!

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