Peace

          Peace is a state of quiet and calmness. If a country is at peace, there is order, harmony, and patience. Its people will feel secure and live in prosperity. If there is peace in every country, there will be peace in the world and maybe even the universe. Unfortunately, world peace is but a dream that is yet to be achieved.

          Throughout history, there have been wars and with the two world wars in the 20th century being the most remembered by humans. No place in the world has been spared. The Africans have endured almost more than 20 civil wars since 2005. North Korea, China, Pakistan and Iran continue to gear up themselves with nuclear weapons and there are fears of a third world war where these weapons will be unleashed. One thing is for sure, there are no fears of another war after that because the earth would be a total mess if there were a war.

         

          What causes these events that destroy peace and lives? Peace is threatened by a combination of causes. The most common causes are greed for resources, thirst for taking over and disagreement in ideologies. Many problems arised are from the result of one nation coveting another's resources which include land, water, and oil. Others are due to a person's desire to extend his territory and power. Great historical leaders such as Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan went to war with many countries for both reasons. In modern times, many conflicts have risen due to different interests and ideologies. 

          

          But there is something we can hope for. There are groups of people across the Earth that believe something can be done to work towards world peace. The first step is to start with ourselves, us. We must practise self-control and patience personally. We need to teach our children to avoid violence, to accept differences and to turn the other way. When there is harmony in relationships, it becomes a way of life in a country, there will be peace. And if every country adopts a culture of peace and harmony, there is hope that the world will be at peace.

          The key to world peace lies in our hand. It begins with this generation. Hold peace as a personal value, pass on the message to others, support peacekeeping efforts at every level and see things change. We have the ability to make world peace a reality.

The Major Cause Of Stress To Teenagers

          From my perspective, I think that the major cause of stress to teenagers these days are from the society and it involves a little bit of schooling systems as well. As I am a teenager myself, I find cooping up with the world is a time consuming project and sometimes a very stressful one too. Let me just talk about the schooling systems first. As a human being on Earth, education is very important to us, to our family, to our country and to our world. I mean aliens could dominate the Earth anytime now. Well, education is like everyone's top most priority. If you don't have it, you might as well give up on living. That is why our parents will force us to study as hard as we can in order to succeed in the future. Although it's already hard that our parents have to force us to study day and night, the schooling systems just pops out of nowhere and starts ruining your life.

          Why do I say that? Even though we jerked our asses off day and night, we can never surpass their requirements (unless you have like intelligent genes in you then you're good to go but if you don't then good luck). Imagine having to get multiple As at those subjects you can never get an A on in order to enter into the college you want to pursue your studies in. It's harder than you think because the pressure is real. You have to fight with like a brazillion number of students to enter that college and if you don't get that spot you wanted, then good luck finding another one because who would allow a student that got rejected?

          Next is society, where angels are sometimes the masks of devils. In society, when one fails to understand it, you might be involved in cyber bullying, shamed and many more. The world changes every day, suddenly a new trend pops out and when you're the only one who doensn't know about it, you will obviously be shamed. People are like that. They want to maintain their dignity and image that is why they have to shame others first, to keep their position well secured. Who would want to be looked down on others? Therefore, teens have to try their very best to maintain their placing in the outside world.

          When a teenager is bullied, he or she wouldn't have the guts to face society anymore. They are afraid someone might just come from somewhere out of the  blue and publicly shame them. They are afraid to be the outstanding weirdos, afraid to be looked down by the rest and this all can lead to stress. When stress comes and he or she couldn't handle it anymore, he or she will choose the best way for themselves, which is suicide. Suicide is nothing to joke around about. If one of our friends are talking about suicide, it's best to bring them to counseling. Tell them that there is a better way of fixing things. Then, this place wouldn't be such a bad place for the next generation after all.

          

Colours (Narative)

          One night, it was pitch black dark when Sally was walking down the road alone. Sally was about to visit her grandmother at her house because she had to pass her some fruits.. That night changed her life forever.

          While she was walking by the shallow drains, she heard a faint meow. She thought that it was just in her head since it was such a faint sound. Suddenly the meows became louder and she had to find where it was coming from. She went through the green bushes beside the drain which made rustling sounds. There wasn't any bright light around so she couldn't see as well. She tried her best to put her hand into the green bushes while trying to feel if anything was down the drain and was stuck there. She felt a soft sensation and it started to meow again. Sally quickly grabbed it and pull it out of the bushes.

          She remembered that she had her phone with her and quickly turned her flashlight on to see what is it that she got in her hands that had several red lines on it. After she turned it on, she realised that she got a kitten and it looks like its mother had abandoned it as it was very thin and light. Even though it was saved, it look as though it was very weak. The kitten had white fur and black lines on it that made her look like the endangered tiger. She quickly checked whether it had any cuts or wounds. She then brought it to the nearest veterinary. While walking tho the veterinary, she remembered she had fruits with her and quickly gave the kitten a few bites of the banana she had.

          The building was white in colour and has a blue roof. She ambulanced into the building's main entrance and ask the receptionist for a vet. The receptionist quickly brought a vet to her and a examination was soon proceeded. Sall waited outside the room to for the results. She began to think to herself whether she should bring it home or bring it to the shelter. Soon, the vets came out with the test and said that the kitten is fine and it just needs some sleep to get all worked up again. Sally thanked the doctor and took the kitten back into her arms, she then realise that it was a little boy kitten.

          She made up her mind that she should bring it home but she was afraid that her mother wouldn't want to keep him. She sneekly brought it home and brought it up to her room. Sally opened her blue door with colourful letters on it that spelt 'S A L L Y'. She put it a box with some blue cushion in it with a towel to act as a blanket. She gave it a bath and decided to name it Tigger. It was already exhausted at the point when she was drying it up. Sally left Tigger in the box when that was when her mother barged in the room in her purple robe with some green cucumbers on one of her eyes and some white cream on her face. 

          Sally's mother questioned her about Tigger and why hadn't she pass the fruits to her grandmother. Sally told her mother about the whole thing that had happened and how she forgottened to pass the fruits to her grandmother. Her mother looked at Tigger for a minute. Her eyes were as red as fire as if she was really mad. Sally told her that she promise that she will take good care of Tigger and promise to give it a good home. Her mother looked at her in disbelief but Sally didn't give up. At last she managed to persuade her to keep Tigger. 

          That was a year ago and now Tigger and Sally are best friends as they share everything with each other. As promised, she gave a lovely home to Tigger and kept her promises with her mother.

Crushes

          Crushes are weird. They pop out of nowhere, anytime, any day. Sometimes they can be very misleading and will make you confused. Why do I say that? Well, when you have a crush on someone, you would want to know who they are crushing on or who they like. It makes you wonder a lot about them and it may make you look stupid. You may even act crazy around them.That is because when you see them, most people will get butterflies in their stomachs.

          Crushes may sound stupid but if they actually realize your feelings towards them, maybe just maybe they have the same feelings towards you too. Actually that sounds like a miracle if that ever happens. If it does happen then congrats! You may now live a happy life.

          Anyone can have a crush, whether they want it or not. If they do, they need to be prepared for what's coming up. For example, your friends may tease you over them. Sometimes when your crush passes by, your friends will shout his or her name in front of you or even go up to them and point at you which most of the time you will be at that awkward position or you are sleeping soundly. These friends will do anything to embarrass you in front of them, but you still love them because they are there when you need them the most. Which brings up the next point.

          Some people may not tell their friends about their crush directly after finding out. They feel embarrass if their friends actually found out about their crush because he or she may not be up to the standards their friends are having about crushes. They feel as if their life is ruined just by letting their friends know about their crush. Some are scared that their friends will tease them about it or bully them about him or her. It sometimes makes the person feel very insecure and not have the courage to talk to their crush anymore. Even after all that thinking, they will still have to talk to someone about it because they will want to gossip about him or her.

          Going into the details now. There are many ways to know whether you are crushing on him or her or not.

• You may feel self-conscious around them.
• When your friends are talking to them, you would be the one not talking.
• You get butterflies in your stomach when you see them.
• You act stupid around them.
• When you do talk to him or her, your words will most probably jumble up together.
• You think about them constantly.

          There are many more ways to find out but you just have to get to know them well before you start panicking. Don't worry, there are always friends by your side that will support you along the way. Whether you caused a chaos or you burned down the school or anything, they will always be there for you no matter what.

Colours (Factual)

          The first thing I hear about colours, I think about all the vibrant colours that exists in this world. Colours may mean lots of things. For example, red may mean anger or love ; blue may mean cold or calm ; black means emo and cool ; yellow means happy because of the brightness of the sun ; pink may be like a baby because it is soft and baby-like.

          In most situations, colours define fashion. The colours make the outfits look more outstanding rather than being plain black and white. It attracts more people to buy the outfits if it has more vibrant colours. Even if it is a plain top, a colour brightens it up to look more of a higher standard. If an object is just a plain solid colour, it may not attract people that easily compared to a object that has different pastel colours on it. Colours might sometimes bring business to someone than having to suffer not earning any profit.

         There are different type of colours. For example, there are neon, metallic, floral, pastel, matte, etc. Also, every colour varies in shade. Example, blue has many shades such as baby, turquoise, navy, sapphire, steel, denim, electric and many more. Every human being on this Earth, favors a specific colour. Did you know that every person sees one colour a different way? It may seem a shade or two darker or lighter to them.

          My favourite colour is black. Why, you may ask? Well, black has different types too. Not many people know that black actually has many types too. My favourite is the matte black. It looks very plain but it's actually quite eye-catching if you pay more attention to it. To me black is a emo colour but I am not a emo person, I just like how black looks on everything. Think about it, black suits every outfit you wear, it fits with every colour. It looks good on everything even though it's a solid colour. Some people think black means 'evil' but no black can mean lots of things. It can be define as that one dress you like to wear a lot or a dress you would never get bored of.

          Without black, our world wouldn't start off with black and white but maybe only white and grey. The both of them look almost the same. Black is like the king of colours, it conquers them without a doubt but white is like the queen. Red mixes with black makes black, blue mixes with black makes black, white mixes with black actually forms grey. Without colours our world would be dull and it wouldn't be interesting. Appreciate colours with what you have now. You may not know but colours might fade away one day.

The Freedom Writers

          How does writing in journals help transform the lives of the students? How does writing "free" the students from the pain they suffer? It all comes down to whether they actually put their real emotions and feelings towards a situation, object or a person. This movie "The Freedom Writers" is about these handfull of students who feel unsafe in their own country due to racism and discrimination among the people. Children as young as 3 are already loosing their parents because of assumption among them. Therefore those children have no courage to show their true feelings because once they do, they get judge by others. In their own "world", you have to mix in well or else you will face the consequences. That is why most of the children there are well trained to avoid getting killed without a reason. Behind every child in this movie has a story to their feelings and thanks to Mrs. Gwen, they found a way to overcome the darkness and brought them into the bright light they needed.

          In my opinion, writing in a journal helps resolves traumas that inhibit people in their everyday lives. It is also a gentle way of looking at the past and finding an inspiration to move foward. Writing gives you a free will to express fully of one's emotions and feelings. By doing so, they find it more relaxing and they gain a sense of relief and clarity. When they re-read their own journal, they will feel more calm and relax because they have finally let it out without having to tell someone. A journal might even be their best friend because it is where they really show their true feelings when there is no one there for them. Sometimes writing a blog relating to their situation may lead them to finding a new friend online with the same problems. Then they can finally talk to someone who actually understands how they really feel. It also relieves them to find out that they are not the only one. 

          Secondly, when they re-read, they also get to reflect on their thoughts and solutions to their problems. Writing helps them define the issue, identify the solution to help them find a healing. When the problem is more defined, they will understand more about themselves and they get to find more relevant information and solutions to create a more better picture of what they want to be or want others to hear about them. It is like counseling but with a book and a pen in front of them to solve their problems. One day they will find out that writing actually helps a lot when they don't want to voice out the problems they are facing everyday. 

          Thirdly, reading previous entries are like reading your life story. Understanding their past will lead them to have a better future by not repeating it by improving their behaviour, patience, sense of humour, etc. It also leads to looking into the future with a positive attitude in order to reduce anxiety, stress and less anger towards life. It inspires them to create personal goals to achieve the "perfect picture" of whom they want to be. Once they understand more about themselves, they start to discover who their real friends are and who they should mix with for a better future surrounded with positive people. The journal is like a mirror where you look into to see who you really are and see what needs to be changed.

          Last but not least, writing in a journal really helps a person to open up and to help them have the time to themselves to think whether what they are doing is what they really want or how they really want to feel. In the movie, the students finally found their freedom to their feelings and at last they finally succeed in life. Sometimes things won't go your way but you just have to find another way to overcome it and conquer it. That is when their confidence boosts all the way up to find a solution over it. To me, every child should learn how to write in a journal because everyone has feelings and they are not always happy feelings. Without having to tell anyone, they can always open up to journal and re-read to find a solution to overcome it. Soon they will be independant and not reluctant to their doings to find a better future for themselves.

A New Friend

          I was casually walking to my class when I saw someone that i didn't recognise sitting at my seat. I walked up to my table and settle my books down to find her looking up at me and giving me a stare. "Sorry but you're sitting on my seat." I said. She got up, took her books, her bag and walked to the seat beside me. "Someone sits there too but you can sit at that corn-" before I could finished, she got up once again and move to the seat I told her about.

          I felt guilty for doing that to her so I got up and went to apologize to her. "Sorry for making you move around that much just now." She gave me a stare again and looked away. The bell rings and I quickly ran to my seat and get ready for class to begin. I then wonder what was with her attitude but I didn't really mind anymore after that.

          "Did you see how the new girl talk to me just now? She was so rude!" Said one of the girls in my class. It has only been half a day at school and rumors are already spreading around. I couldn't take it anymore and went to talk to her once again. "Have you noticed that people are spreading rumors around you already?" "Yeah, let them do it." Said the new girl. "Why aren't you doing anything about it? Everyone is already having a bad impression on you." I said "I don't care, I had always been treated that way ever since I started coming to school here." Cried the new girl. 

          Apparently her family recently moved from the rural area to the city and she has a hard time making friends. She misses her hometown and wants to talk to her friends back there. She decided to not make new friends here as she didn't have the heart to do it. I listened to her cry in agony and her thoughts of wanting to go home. I told her that it is not that bad here either. She has to open her heart and accept new people into her life. It took me several days to convinced her and she finally did open up and accepted new friends. 

          That was two years ago when I met Evie. She is now one of the popular kids in school because of letting herself meet new people and to accept them into her life. She learnt that no matter how far away you are from your friends and you're alone, it is alright to have new friends to guide you along the way. Occasionally, she would still connect with her old friends in her hometown via skype to catch up with the occasions or special events happening there. It is great to see her reconnect with them once in awhile. I have also learnt something from her through this journey, that we should appreciate our friends as they were there by your side whenever things go wrong and will always be  till the very end. Friends are very important to one's life. Without a friend, who are you suppose to gossip about that one cute guy in class or school?