Healthy Drinking Tips (extract from CK & DK's Alcohol Zine)

1. Sip and enjoy your drink-Do not speed up; drinking for speed and quantity would skyrocket your blood alcohol content. This would only decrease the pleasurable effects of alcohol and increase the risks.

2. Space your drinks-Your body needs time to process alcohol. Do not drink so much all at once.

3. Drink water while drinking-Quench your thirst with water. Water reduces the amount of alcohol absorbed by the body, and it helps excretion of alcohol.

4. Eat sufficiently before and while drinking-Food slows down the absorption of alcohol.

5. Count your drinks-Be aware of how fast you are drinking. Stop drinking when you have reached your limits.

6. Avoid drinking games-Competitive drinking puts pressure on you, which will make you
drink more than the right amount.

7. Stick to one type of liquor-switching drinks can really make you sick.

8. Remember that straight liquor contains much more alcohol than beer or wine-drink it in moderation or not at all.

9. Take multivitamins before drinking-This better prepares the body for the depletion of vitamins caused by frequent urination.

These are a few tips that would protect you. They will reduce the risks of many health problems due to alcohol. However, always keep in mind that drinking in moderation is the most important thing to do. Follow the tips and stay healthy, since health is the most precious possession!

Korean Soju (extract from CK & DK's Alcohol ZIne)

Soju is the most popular Korean liquor in Korea. At evening, when you go in a restaurant, you can always see empty Soju-bottles remaining on the table. Most of Koreans drink Soju. Soju is quite easy to buy, because it doesn't cost so much. Due to the cheap price, soju is a beloved liquor, and they are called 'A friend of life' or 'Common people's drink'.

There are two kinds of Soju; distilled Soju and diluted Soju. Diluted Soju is easier to see because Soju is manufactured by diluted way different from Whisky or Brandy. Usually, Soju has 25% proof of alcohol, but under 20% proof Soju has became more popular. Such a low alcohol proof made it possible for Soju to be sold in the lowest price.

What people generally called Soju was a distilled, transparent, hard liquor made from potatoes and grain with high alcoholic content. However, the Soju manufacturers started to produce diluted Soju in 1965, due to a policy that intended to save rice. (1965 was when Korea had a very hard time.) Besides, diluted Soju is easier to produce too.

Soju tastes slightly bitter and a bit similar to ethanol. It is a taste that always fits very well to your mood; no matter you're happy or sad. The alcohol proof of Soju is getting lower and lower, so everyone can enjoy it. Try some Soju with roasted pork, and you'll love it!

Epiphany in Earthquake

Natural disasters are things that are really terrifying and deadly. They mostly kill thousands and millions of people and destroy our homes. How would you feel when one happens where you live? You might be extremely scared. You'll even want to rely on somebody like your parent. “Earthquake”, a short story written by Jack Hodgins, is about what people experience and what happens during an earthquake.

In the story, a boy, who is the protagonist, gives a detailed account on what happened in his town during the earthquake, what happened to his uncles Neddie and Tobias Desmond, and one that occurred when he was eight years old. Uncle Neddie is a guy who was startled and terrified due to a strange coincidence, which was the earthquake beginning at the same time as he pulled the inaugural switch of his electric fence. Uncle Tobias is a guy who witnesses a lake entirely draining down the crack during an earthquake, which makes him exhilarated and incessantly talk about it. After referring to their stories, the boy tells his own experience as a narrator.

The earthquake began at morning. Milk was sloshing in the pail and the chimney was breaking down. The boy was so scared that he thought that it was the end of the world. His brother was giggling as if it was an entertainment, though his mother was screaming. They tried to escape, and got out to the verandah.

I'd like to know, still believing that the earth would stay steady beneath
your feet forever, fathers stay capable for heroic rescues forever,
mothers stay calm in any sort of emergency forever, and houses you
lived in stay solid and still and safe and true till the end of time? (335)

The passage above shows what the boy thought during the earthquake. Since he had reached the age of reason, he was able to realize that the earth beneath his feet can't stay steady forever and his parents aren't always heroic and calm in a way that keeps him away from danger. This passage shows the boy's epiphany, which is the theme of the story, that your parents can't always protect you. Ultimately, it means that a person must take care of him/herself and be responsible.

After a while, the earthquake stopped and the family got together. They see their house collapsed. After 15 minutes, Uncle Neddie and his housekeeper Grace came to see how much damage had been done. Uncle Neddie tells them about the strange coincidence that frightened him, and everyone laughs. Soon, when Uncle Tobias comes along, the boy's father says, “You see anything here that's changed?” (358), which is a joke. This part implies another theme of the story, which is laughing although having a hard. This means that maintaining a positive attitude will helps you overcome problems. During the frightening and tense moment of earthquake, the boy must have learned many things.

The story is about the boy and his uncles' experiences during an earthquake. During the earthquake, he started to be aware that he can't always be protected. After the earthquake, the whole family feels relief and talk to each other. The boy's father even makes a joke, which shows people laughing, to get over the damage. This story shows how life can be or how life is very well. The world is not merely a safe place, and sometimes we'll have to laugh and be optimistic, even though we're facing hardship.