Why people should learn another language

We're all deeply connected to languages no matter what-mainly because we couldn't live without them. They're even essential to survival when you think about it. I mean, the human civilisation has only come this far because of communication and both the togetherness and diversity that a range of languages has brought us. So, it seems pretty obvious now that learning more of them is highly beneficial, doesn't it? Not only is it an useful life skill, but both your intellectual and social minds can reap the rewards of adding an extra language to your arsenal of knowledge. Really, at the end of the day there is no downside to learning another language!

People who learn another language get around with far more ease than their monolingual counterparts in both daily life and in the long term. You don't even have to be fluent in another language for it to help you greatly. For one thing, travelling becomes effortless if the locals in another country speak the same language as you (you'll have no trouble getting around more than 29 countries if you speak French!). Not only can you converse better with people that can give you vital information, but being able to read important signs and whatnot can save you from a lot of future pain. And it's also good news if you're looking for a job-many jobs are available to bilingual speakers thanks to added efficiency if travelling is required, or their typical consumer speaks that language. You can even get jobs just for speaking another language if you're fluent enough, such as a translator or tutor! Not only this, but if you have a friend or family member who is more fluent in another language, learning that language results in more interesting conversations and being able to understand each other better. You'll gain a better understanding of the world around you, and the people that live in it.

However, languages can also increase efficiency in more discreet ways. Your brain subconsciously improves when you build on your lingo, and there's even scientific evidence to prove this if you haven't already been convinced. The New York Times says a number of studies suggests that bilingual experience improves 'executive function', the system that directs planning, problem-solving and other thinking processes that involve challenging thinking. A study from Penn State University says multilingual people, or people who often switch from one language to another, are more experienced at being able to perform similar tasks where you switch between two different ways of thinking. Georgetown University Medical Center also thinks being able to converse in another language is good for your noggin when it comes to looks-bilingual speakers they studied had more grey matter in areas of the brain responsible for short-term memory, attention and self-awareness. All these skills, no matter how small their improvements or whether you think you may not need them, add up and before you know it they'll be helping you get by in no time. And to think that all you need to do is be at least bilingual!

Learning another language may be useful for your future job, or your learning, but there's always a deeper meaning to it. Since everyone on Earth is constantly surrounded by different languages and everyone's lives are shaped by the languages they speak, it makes sense that being able to speak another language can mean a lot to others who can understand you. More stories and experiences can be shared between people and spread around. You yourself can read more life-changing literature in another language, or share your own experiences with others. Connections thrive on communication, which is synonymous with language. Being able to speak more languages means being able to reach out to more people everywhere, and with the added help of the internet you can build connections with complete strangers from the other side of the world with absolute confidence. A lot of people are often really touched when a language they speak gets some representation, or when they can speak to others in a different language and be able to share their culture. And perhaps that's the more unseen, yet most beautiful part of learning another language.

Studying another languages, as you have seen, is incredibly useful and you could even proudly say that there are no disadvantages. I've been able to share that life becomes easier when you train your language-speaking brain, and that your thinking skills and even your emotional bond to others improve along with that. It's just that effortless, and even good news for those who already grew up bilingual. So perhaps you should jump on that website, or pick up that textbook, and see where it'll take you-you never know what's in store when you learn another language!

The Ghost Farm

The farm was tucked in between the slopes of the two desolate hills, obscured from the rest of humanity. There was no fencing either; the alfalfa and other flora thickly blanketed the land around it and the farm animals were unmoving in their sheds. Even the wind didn't seem to want to disturb the tranquility of the farm-both the natural and man-made world had stilled in that moment, as it seems to always do in the morning. In the cottage, the dawn sunlight peered through the gaps in the door and spilled out into the nursery upstairs. The lump of  blankets in the cot jolted. It rustled for a moment, making the cot groan as it leaned, and a pudgy limb fumbled its way out of the cot and seized onto one of the cream-coloured posts. The chubby fingers strained, and a head emerged from the mound of blankets the way a pudgy maggot emerges from an egg too small for itself. The child wriggled a little bit more, its cocoon of blankets collapsing as it pulled itself up. Clad in merely a diaper, it sleepily clambered over the cot and plopped onto the floor, dragging itself down the stairs. 

The child's matted mess of orange hair appeared around the corner as it crawled into the kitchen on all fours. Pots and pans were hovering above the kitchen benches, rinsing themselves under the gurgle of running tap water. The air froze, and then the silhouette of a woman faded into sight. Her hair was stringy and pale, swaying about her lanky body, but her round face seemed to glow pleasantly in the soft sunlight. She was almost invisible and grayscale, but the baby seemed to clearly notice her and its chubby cheeks lifted as it grinned toothlessly at her. She turned back to her washing, her scrawny elbows brushing against her apron.

"Morning, Emmett," she said. The baby toddled past, crawling out the open door. "Stop that crawlin', it's undignified," she added, as Emmett's pudgy foot slipped out. Watching him pick himself up, she sighed and flicked off the tap.

The shed doors groaned as they swayed open. Another similarly dull, diaphanous figure crouched on top of a crate squinted as the light spilled into the room. As soon as the head of carroty locks came into view, Riley mumbled a greeting and went back to fiddling with a pocket watch. 

"Lily's up, right?" he croaked hoarsely. Emmett's beaming, rosy face peered into his hands, and then nodded, his curls bouncing. Riley clicked his tongue. "Fixed up the watch she had when she was alive," he said. "Gonna give it to her n' see what the other ghosts got."

When no answer came he turned his head in Emmett's direction. The toddler gave a guilty grin up at him, Riley's straw hat engulfing almost everything on his head above his smile. Riley sighed, plucking the hat off with his colourless fingers and knocking it on the crate, dust swirling into the band of light that stretched across the shed. "Need some new friends on this dang farm," he muttered. "All I got are some animals and a mute baby."

The children trickled out into the paddock, their bare feet trampling on top of the alfalfa as they hollered into the fresh air. Their washed out bodies occasionally appeared transparent as they twirled in the field, camouflaging with the sky. Emmett bounced on the tallest's shoulders, his head wobbling as the children stampeded along. A snake stole across the wooden patio, its body trailing behind it as it dove into the bush. Riley's sandal-clad foot lumbered onto the deck as he shuffled out, pausing to see the reptile's glimmering being shoot into the bush. 

"Snake?" Someone said behind him. Riley collapsed into the hammock, his body making a muffled thud in the material.  He hummed. 

A dumpy boy, not much older than fifteen or sixteen, stumbled after Riley and shut the flyscreen behind him. He paused to watch the ghost children gambol around a giggling Emmett, then his eyes travelled to the collapsed Riley. The boy grinned roguishly at Riley. "I died because of a snake bite."

"Hush it, Sammy, we all know."

"Just sayin'," Sammy murmured as he watched Riley shift in the hammock. "Say, why is it just us ghosts and Emmett?" 

An eye opened and studied the olive-skinned boy. Riley's head lifted up slowly, the hammock creaking along with him. "Like why he's stuck with us?"

Sammy nodded eagerly. Riley thoughtfully sat up, his eyes boring into the horizon. The sunlight was starting to dim, but it still glimmered in his weathered eyes. "Well, we're stuck here, for one."

"Hm?"

"This farm's on a graveyard. We're all stuck here, cause we're all buried here." Riley tilted his stubbled head towards Emmett. "Kid got abandoned on one of the hills. Lily took pity on him, and we owe her a lot." 

At that moment, the worn-out children traisped along the flattened path. The tallest boy set Emmett down and wearily entered the house, the others following. Emmett wobbled, trying to regain his balance. He tilted his head up at Sammy, the dimming light seeming to bounce off his lively features.

He promptly whipped around. The pair watched him as he tottered into the house. 

"Some place to be stuck, eh?" Sammy chuckled softly, his gaze moving over to the sinking sun. "A farm fulla ghosts."

The Qualities Role Models Should Have

Role models, in a way, are just another part of our society-they're human beings, like us. There's nothing magical about them, and they're just another small percentage of the 7.8 billion people that roam the Earth today. But what's so special about them that makes heads turn, that makes them stand out so much and able to change the lives of others? It's the qualities they carry-and these qualities, unlike the human bodies we're born with, don't come equipped with every person. They inspire others and people everywhere look up to them. They can change the world and the future of it, and maybe even how we approach the past. But this isn't so supernatural as well. You may even be able to find these qualities in yourself, and be able to use them for the better. It's just a matter of knowing what they are.

Role models would always have to start with the quality of passion. It gets them where they are today, it's the quality that got them moving in the first place, and it's the quality that helps them keeps pushing themselves further and reaching higher. The one thing that always gets your attention and makes someone stand out is the overwhelming amount of commitment they have. Perhaps it could be for a talent-a passion for the arts inspires other people to want to be as skillful, a passion for music can touch the hearts of those who hear it or a passion for almost everything else, from sports to cooking, shines through in your work without you even knowing. If you didn't have such enthusiasm for something, you wouldn't try to improve it or work on it. Because of passion, you can pick yourself up and keep moving, and find new ways to do things in order to reach your goal. This is why so many talented people are seen as role models. But this isn't the only form of passion. Passion can also be for a cause, or an argument. This can be a charity or an existing problem. The people we admire today for representing a cause is because they have so much dedication that they have gone above and beyond to represent and contribute to this cause. When you look at people you admire, you'll easily find that they have a strong passion that stands out, no matter who they are or what they are known for. Passion truly is the blueprint for every role model.

Empathy is also an underrated, yet just as important quality in a role model. A special thing about role models that sets them apart from the term 'celebrities' is that they are able to connect with their audience, whoever their audience is, and be able to relate to them and make them feel like they are just as similar as they are. This helps everyday people believe that they can achieve what the role model can and be able to push themselves as much, but this also means that the role model is able to touch others' hearts and help them understand more about themselves and their own qualities. And after all, it's a well known fact that when someone relates to you or is like you, you'll immediately like them more and be more inspired by them. It also means that role models are just as human as we all are and have their own fair share of challenges and obstacles, and what some of them have to go through sometimes.

Morality is also one of the qualities that every role model has. To be truly inspirational, cause some change in the world, or properly do your job as a role model, you have to do what you know is right no matter the consequences. True role models value justice and fair play. They don't put themselves above others or see anything differently when they become role models, in their head their only duty is to do what they know is good for others and sometimes even for themselves. And they also have to know what decisions and ethics should be prioritised and what benefits others the most. This may seem simple and obvious that not only role models but people in general should have this quality, but in today's society it can even be hard to find (people can value themselves more sometimes, or be more of a bystander). And when morality shines through a person, you'll know you can trust them and look up to them, and that they'll be able to do the right thing no matter what. Simple-but essential in a role model.

Passion, empathy and morality are some of the most crucial qualities of being a role model. You'll be able to find which people to trust and look up to when they have these qualities, and you'll see that  people you already look up to will have these qualities if they're worth admiring. But sometimes there's no need to be scrutinising others for these traits. Even you could become as inspirational if you can nurture or develop these characteristics in yourself, and who knows what you could be doing or the people that you could affect? All you have to believe in yourself, and that's the starting point for any role model.

The Weaver

Bryn Brentari. 

The name woven onto the bracelet in a vivid, strong vermilion glittered in the mellow lighting. Bryn slipped the bracelet off the desk, the beads glistening as he fastened it on his wrist. The workshop was empty for the moment aside from the scattered tools on the benches, the neighborhood tranquil and unmoving. Bryn tugged the clip from his hair, his chestnut bangs brushing sweeping against his eyes. 

The church bell pealed in the distance, the ringing echoing throughout the town. A man's voice yelled out something muffled and inaudible, and at that moment the doors of the villagers swung open and families, people and animals alike streamed out of the houses. Another day had begun.

Bryn bounded down the stairs with his sketchbook under his lanky arm, swinging around the banister. His mother's head tilted towards the thundering sound and mumbled a 'Morning, Bryn,' to which he jovially responded. He slipped into his seat, his knee bobbing up and down beneath the dinner table. The comfortable silence ensued, apart from the gentle sizzling coming from the kitchen. Bryn's mother plodded into the dining room and slid the eggs onto his plate, slumping into her own chair. She sat there quietly, watching her son wolf down the eggs. Bryn's father burst through the door, his portly figure huffing as the sound of muffled thumping grew closer. His head peered around the door at his family. 

'Mornin' Bryn,' he grunted.

'Morning dad!'

He shuffled into the kitchen and heartily commenced his meal. Bryn threw over a coat and was heading towards the door when his father called his name, smearing his oily hands on his trousers. 

'And where are you going this early?' he said, belching heartily. Bryn's hand froze on the doorknob, his freckled skin slightly paling. 

'Just back to the castle again,' he murmured. His mother looked up with a cocked eyebrow, her weary expression one that Bryn had seen quite a few times lately. 'No wandering around for too long,' she said as Bryn mentally groaned. 'and come back early to weave some more bracelets for the shop.'

Bryn chirped a 'Of course' before rushing out the door. The Brentari parents sighed, exchanging glances as their son's footsteps pitter-pattered in the distance.

Bryn bolted down the cobbled pathway, the yelling of shop owners and gleeful titters of the children thick in the air. His breath hitched as he dodged a horse and cart, the driver scowling at his retreating back. Bryn turned the corner, heaving as his pace slackened. The castle nestled in the very middle of the city, its striking height making it loom over the villagers. Bryn glowered at the flag billowing in the wind. Stupid rich people, he sneered internally as he trudged towards the castle, his fingers tightening around his sketchbook. 

The guards in front of the gate parted as Bryn walked through, greeting him monotonously.

'Welcome to Grey Castle, happy Royals' Day,' they boomed as Bryn disappeared into the hall. What a pig, thinking he's saved the world by letting locals in for Royals' Day when he can't even tell the proper truth about the history.

Bryn had walked through the halls many times, in fact he had visited every year for Royals' Day but the sight rendered him speechless every time. The colossal rooms could house the whole town with room to spare-in their sprauncy, aristocratic decorations. Every room was swathed in some velvet or fine fabric with jewels adorning the walls, along with depictions of dumpy cupids and sculptures of who-knows-what. The architecture was intricate and refined, and a complete opposite to the dilapidated shacks the citizens lived in. 

Bryn scoffed at the paintings of the royals with their upturned noses and poodle-like hair. Having an interest in history didn't stop him from despising royalty. Especially when he knew what had happened. 

Bryn scrutinised the empty halls, took a deep breath, and reached up to one particularly hideous cupid. He tugged on the marble arrow, and the statue toppled over, the bricks shifting and turning magically as they revealed a doorway. Cheering under his breath, Bryn slunk inside as the doorway realigned itself. The brunette glided down the secret path, shuddering as a drop of water ran down the back of his neck. Bryn jogged towards the gate, prying it open gently. He winced at the creaking sound it made, but his features relaxed when he saw the figure inside. 

Bryn beamed, tugging a bracelet out of his apron and crept eagerly forward. The curled up dragon slunk out from the darkness, its scaly face looking down fondly at the boy.

'Ah, welcome back, Bryn.' it rumbled.

Why sexism should be abolished for women in science (and everywhere else)

Gender inequality has been a popular topic since men and women were often split into two with different stereotypes-women were expected to work and be housewives, dedicated to only their home life, whereas men could do pretty much anything else and had obvious privilege (it's quite obvious, too, which gender had enforced these stereotypes). These days those ancient stereotypes are falling apart and women have achieved more freedom and been able to prove their skills-especially in the controversial topic of science. However, not everything has been smoothed over. Injustice and sexism still heavily burdens women in science and everywhere else for that matter. But why would only gender, something you are born with, affect you so much? Females have so much potential and have already contributed so much to the science world, and it can even be scientifically proved that they are able to do just as well, maybe even better, than men. So if you are adamant that women can't contribute incredibly to science, think again.

Of course, no two people on this Earth are the exact same and that rule definitely applies to gender too. To categorise people that way would be an inefficient system-especially in science, where knowledge, passion and education are the most important traits. Not a lot of people recognise this simple fact, though. Because of cliches for men and women, girls with potential often don't have the chance to recieve the education they need as people think the education would be wasted on them, intellectual women can't get good jobs in science because people can think a man would do it better, and females with plenty of potential can be discouraged from the start because of the ideas that society forces on them.  You may think these are just situations that I've come up with, but millions of females everywhere face these situations daily and it happens pretty much everywhere you can think of. Even if it's a small change, if we collectively try to end these generalisations then you could unknowingly turn around the life of a girl somewhere, or even the future history of science. And one change could turn into something even bigger. Never underestimate the potential one idea has-even if it fails, it could inspire someone else. Letting women contribute to science as freely as men do creates huge opportunities as they can use their voices. And having being able to use your voice, no matter how quiet it is, will always allow you to be heard.

Even with all these toxic stereotypes and cliches, women have still managed to make staggering contributions to science (imagine what it would be like if they could be at their full potential!). Men are often credited for the largest contributions to science, but they would have been nothing without the help of women. Rebecca Saunders and Muriel Wheldales' work contributed to the foundation of modern genetics, there are many women who worked for NASA that were the only ones the astronauts trusted, and Marie Curie's studies pioneered science and the study of radioactivity, including her discovery of two new elements (radium and polonium). But a majority of women who have been able to contribute to science have been overshadowed by men, who took all the glory. Lise Meitner calculated the energy released by splitting a certain type of atom, but a male colleague won a Nobel prize for the discovery and she was only credited 22 years later. James Watson and Francis Crick may be familiar names to you because of their discovery of how DNA was structured, but Rosalind Franklin was the one to be able to acquire the x-ray image for them. These are just a few of the hundreds of forgotten stories and there have been far worse events, but with the injustice that women suffer in science, those stories might never be heard unless something is done about it. It's such a trivial and meaningless problem with a simple solution, yet it's affected women so much over the course of history. If you don't do something about this and just stand and watch, you are part of the problem. This is why it's essential for you to do anything, no matter how small it is and perhaps these situations will become a thing of the past.

And if you still aren't convinced, even scientific reasoning sides with girls. A recent research found out that a nerve in the left side of the brain grows faster in girls than in boys. This nerve makes girls more intelligent in the earlier years of their lives (hence girls often being seen as more mature than boys). At 7, the average IQ for girls is 100.6 while it's is 99.4 for boys.  At the age of 11, these results still remain true. Scientists from University of Missouri and the University of Glasgow studied the the educational level of 1.5 million students who were 15 from around the world using studies from 2000-2010. David Geary, a professor at The University of Missouri, says girls are surpassing boys in reading, mathematics and science literacy even in places where rights for women are the worst in the world. Girls outperform boys in almost much every country or region there is, and students in girls schools do significantly better in general academics and even have better mindsets than those who don't attend those types of schools. Modern scientific evidence simply shows more than ancient stereotypes ever will, and it's obvious that those facts can be proved in daily life. Even significantly less education compared to boys, societies with an obvious bias towards men, or the early stages of life doesn't stop women from showing that can be are able to achieve more than boys and are just as capable.

In the end, gender means simply nothing to what a person can achieve. Women are just as capable as men and it's obvious, no matter who wants to deny it and it's likely that they can even do more than the latter. Females in science not only are inspirations to other girls and women, but they can also pave the way for others and change the mindsets of future generations-no matter what gender they are. But if this change doesn't happen now, when will it happen? Are you just going to wait until someone else does it for you? If you can at least bring awareness to the topic, you're doing far more than nothing at all and that's enough.

The Magic Cafe

Genevieve flitted out of the kitchen, the metal tray on her forearm jangling as the contents bounced on it. With a wave of the fingers from her free hand, the sign magically flipped around and the door swung open, the bell pealing canorously as she met the faces of her customers.

"Welcome to Magic Bakery!"

She turned around promptly and left as the customers rushed in. When she was back in the kitchen, she swallowed thickly and looked at the moving ingredients pouring over one another into a drifting bowl, the jars and bags swooping around the room. "You're managing perfectly fine , especially with your magic, okay?" she chastised herself. At that moment, the bag of flour jerked violently and sent the white powder flying into the air, just as the bell on the counter rang. Genevieve sighed in exasperation, darting through the door to greet the customer as she pinned her unruly hair up.

When she returned, eyes already heavy with exhaustion (a customer had loudly reproached her for one of the growing spells she put in her blueberry muffins as their 8 foot child crouched behind them) she dashed over to the potion cabinet and rummaged through the glasses. They clinked together as she snatched out a potion reading 'growing potion for plants', her eyes widening as she scrutinised the smaller text. 

Genevieve's antagonised groan resonated throughout the bakery, a few customer's heads turning towards the swaying kitchen door.

You'll never be able to take care of your mother like this, her mind derided. I'm not even a full-blood witch, forgive me for trying, she sourly retorted.

Genevieve's mother, the previous owner of the bakery, lay upstairs. Often Genevieve would look at her immobile body, almost expecting it to leap up and lift Genevieve back up on her back, her ringing laugh echoing around the shop as she did when her daughter was younger, but as time went on and her condition worsened, rendering her almost unable to even move her face, Genevieve's hopes grew less and less. Her face had barely aged-her eyes grew softer, Genevieve could see on the occasion that she opened them, and her solemn, unmoving face seemed to add a few years, but she looked so healthy that Genevieve's heart melted just a little every time she laid eyes on her mother and eventually realised she wasn't going to recover soon.

Curse her being a half-blood witch. Not only was she considerably weaker and clumsier, but her mother could have been alive if she was more powerful. Now she had to run a whole shop, selling her attempts at potions and spells in the form of baked goods to others to buy medicine for her mother at the age of only sixteen. 

Genevieve's hand trembled as she pressed the buttons on the till, her eyes tearing up. We'll never survive like this. The suspiciously customer glanced at the girl who was almost in tears, but grabbed their healing spell cookies and left swiftly. 

Genevieve closed for the day, somberly rolling down the curtains.  She was cleaning up the flour disaster in the kitchen, humming softly as she swayed around. The light had dimmed, the bakery once more becoming tranquil and still. She smoothed down her pink frilly apron, and set down her baker's cap.

Until a series of clashing rubbish bins and a yelp thundered across the kitchen. Genevieve tiredly raised an eyebrow, shuffling over towards the back door and peering around it. A flash of red hair appeared near the spilled garbage, and then the head of hair appeared again, in front of Genevieve. She looked down to see a boy, with his head sheepishly tilted down. He has antlers, must be a hybrid, she mused as she peered at him. The boy flushed in embarrassment. 

"I'msosorryyouseeIwasn'tspyingIwasjustcuriousandIneedworkand my- you see- antlers-"

"That's fine," Genevieve said warmly. "Just clean it up with me." 

She felt his wide, doe-like eyes examining her fearfully as she picked up all the old milk cartons, and chuckled quietly. "So, you said you need work?" Genevieve said, turning to the scrawny hybrid. He nodded enthusiastically, his eyes wide with a rubbish bag dangling dumbly from his antlers. She grinned at him, her hand outstretching.

"Well I need help, so you're temporarily hired for Magic Bakery by me, Genevieve!" 

His face brightened, and he beamed so brightly Genevieve was slightly stunned in the dark lighting. He bounded over, eagerly grabbing her hand and shaking it roughly. "I'm Mitsu, you don't need to worry about a single thing if I'm working for you!" He yelled joyfully, springing up and down. Genevieve smiled back at the suddenly energetic boy, leading him inside as the back door swung back shut, the small amount of sunlight left slowly ebbing away.

It had turned out, in fact, that Genevieve would have to worry about a considerable amount of things with Mitsu around. A test baking session had resulted in simple 'hair colour change' cookies turning out to be more of a.. batter? Genevieve had just stopped the fervent assistant from putting the sludge into the oven, and she silently decided he would just have to do other tasks as the boy bashfully scraped the mixture into the bin. A potion task decided Mitsu wasn't exactly built to be a wizard. 

Genevieve looked pityingly down at the redhead as he shamefully cleaned up. Perhaps he was just nervous-he didn't seem like he had a place to go to, and after all such he was such a young kid looking for work, and didn't seem too fortunate. She paced over to him and crouched down, her hand resting on his shoulder. Mitsu's face turned towards her, his expression one of mingled glumness and disappointment. 

"I'm sorry for bothering you, I'll go now." He mumbled, picking himself up. Genevieve watched him, and then burst into peals of laughter, her golden hair bouncing on her shoulders. Mitsu swiveled around, his head tilting in confusion as his scarlet hair swayed in the wind. 

"I haven't even fired you yet! Come with me." Genevieve quipped, grabbing his arm and dragging him back in. 

The next day, Genevieve was whistling merrily as she slid a tray of dough into the oven, the clanking noise slightly muffled as it settled inside, the girl rushing over to prepare lemon tarts. And Mitsu? Word goes around that the witch who owns the cafe near the town square has a new assistant-a sprightly reindeer mascot, who is a tad clumsy, yet just as lovable. They're doing incredibly well! But we'll leave the two to their own adventures from now own, as they'll figure out how to work things out. Pleasure doing business with you!

Why Travelling is Good For You

Travelling is often one of the most popular things to do for leisure-adults often talk about travelling when they imply they need a break, and people who often travel to exotic places in movies and books are seen as 'cool' and as role models. No wonder travelling is so well liked-however, along with not being burdened by work, travelling provides more benefits than you think. It's also changed the world, revolutionised cultures, history and our society for the better and you'll find it helping your own state of mind and your future before you even know it. Yes, even something as easy and fun as travelling can help you that much! So when you have any sort of break, just try going anywhere you want or anywhere you can, and you'll see how much good exploring brings you. 

Travelling is sure to improve your mood and gives you a well deserved breather-but even after your holiday you can still benefit greatly. Anywhere you travel, as long as there is something new to learn, you can be rewarded in the long term. Wherever you go, you bring along your own experiences and your own way of life as well as getting to see others'. Something 'normal' that you may be accustomed to, whether it be your environment or your food, can be seen as amazing and inspiring to others and vice versa. Even trivial things such as beauty standards can vary all around the world and there is always something fascinating and new to learn in every corner of the world, whether it be big or small. Learning about other people, cultures and environments can reward you in different ways-a job that requires knowledge of a certain country, an essay about a place you've visited before, learning a new language, writing a fiction book set in a certain city or even trying to come up with a new dish (and many more situations) can all be aided with travel experience. However, travelling can also do so much more than that. The beliefs and life lessons that you can learn from people who grow up in different places can remain with you for eternity, and you can compare different people to yourself and start to value parts of your life more when you see how others live. Reading a website about a certain dish or watching travel vlogs are far more different than going and experiencing it yourself. Even your own imagination can be stimulated by what you see, hear, smell and feel in an unfamiliar place. You might even be able to see or experience more than others, or notice more than they do. And that is one of the best parts of travelling that can stick with people for the longest of times, even when they forget their own name.

Not only does it significantly help yourself, but it's helped society and the human race ever since mere cavemen moved out from Africa into all different parts of the world millions of years ago. So many different parts of our daily life, politics, our cultures, and pretty much anything you can name has been influenced by travel. Inventions, animal breeds and foods, even fruits you find in your local supermarket such as bananas and pineapples, have spread all around the world and been developed and changed thanks to people who explored unfamiliar places and countries. The most important scientists who have made staggering contributions to things like biology or medicine did this by going to different places with different environments. Charles Darwin's evolution theory was supported by his research of animals on exotic islands, the useless and harmful cures of England from centuries ago were revolutionised thanks to travelling and meeting experienced Arab doctors, and different diseases have vaccines now because of scientists travelling and seeing how other people in other countries had cures-these are just a few of the uses travelling has brought to the world, and they have prevented so many possible deaths. Even Roald Dahl who traveled for work and eventually fought in the second world war in Africa has been able to write a successful book on his unusual experiences and the beauty of the country. Most of the time, even the scientists, doctors and biologists who did this for their work enjoyed the travels because of the new experiences they had and all the new sights they got to see. They were affected they same way travelling might affect you. Even you could change history just by seeing something new-it just takes a bit of exploration.

Of course, you might say it would be easy to just state this. "This is from your experience-what if I have a different mindset?" However, even scientific evidence supports the idea that travelling does you infinitely more good than bad, especially to your personality and to your mindset. A study from Rice University (along with Columbia and North Carolina University) revealed that people who live overseas for a long time develop 'self-concept clarity' who are more self aware and understand themselves better than others who have always lived in the same situation and can't see their growth as a human being. You don't have to be a university-level student to understand this. Anyone at all who's lived in two significantly different places for a long time can see this themselves developing this self-concept clarity as they can compare the two different places and be able to gain empathy for others. I've also experienced this, as I moved between two different places where the communities were made up of two completely different cultures-Vietnamese people and migrants to a more fortunate community made up of mainly Jewish and western people-and I could see how much I changed in different societies, and how others who had lived in both communities for their whole lives didn't have as much experience and awareness. I've also traveled far more than other people in my year group-my Maths class took a survey on how many countries out of Australia we had been in, and no one had surpassed 10 countries apart from me-who had answered around 21. In turn, I have more knowledge and background information on history and different cultures, and I know about different landmarks and cities more than the average. But this doesn't require incredible analyzing skills and to study for ages about other countries. Simply going someplace else and absorbing the information subconsciously does this to you, no matter who you are.

So in the end, travelling proves itself to be more than it seems and its rewards have surprisingly helped in all sorts of ways. Next time, try going to an unfamiliar country or a new city even within your own country and just relaxing and exploring the new surroundings. There is new potential wherever you can find new experiences, and who knows what you can be capable of? It just takes a bit of curiousness and interest, and a simple vacation will be able to change so much before you even know it.

The Concrete City

Emerson looked out into the horizon, the concrete cities obscuring the river on the other side. He huffed out, scratching his stiff collar. What is this material made out of, steel? He cursed his overly extravagant father as he adjusted his glass helmet. Considering this is the 31st century and the only outfits here are made of glass, metal, or some fabric that could cut your neck, that's likely. 

"Something the matter, sir?" Emerson tore his eyes away from the disappointing view to look at his butler. The mechanical servant whizzed quietly as it darted over to him, its artificial eyes darting around to look for a threat. "Your father has suggested you might not like looking at the poor, you are allowed to come inside." Emerson's eyes narrowed and he gritted his teeth at his his father's 'suggestion'. 

"You fool, being in your presence is far worse than innocent people!" he snapped, whipping around. A few moments passed as he stubbornly looked over the balcony, ignoring the whirring behind him. A few cogs could be heard silently clicking behind him, and guilt rose up in his chest. Emerson reluctantly spun back around, a surly expression pulling at his face. 

"I apologise sir, my fault for upsetting the son of a baron. I'll leave you alone." The butler said, hints of sadness lacing his electronic voice. 

"No, come back." Emerson mumbled, shifting his feet. "Sorry Blaine, I'm just in a bad mood." 

Blaine swiveled around, his screen displaying a more upbeat face. "I'm not programmed to cheer sir up, but perhaps we could go visit your friends?" 

Emerson visibly brightened up, beaming at the robot as he nodded and sprinted back inside his house with a "Hurry up, you're a little slow for a robot", as Blaine sighed and trailed after him. Emerson scrambled up into teleporter, sprinting into his room as his footsteps thundered on the floor. He shoved a cereal bar into his mouth, practically inhaling it as he yanked off his glass helmet and tugged on another one with some steel covering. Emerson was chewing the remainders of the cereal bar as he yanked a hoverboard from his wall when his father stepped out of the teleporter in his fancy-pants royal meeting suit, clearing his throat.

"Where are you going, son?" he queried monotonously, his voice a little strained. Emerson licked his lips and looked up at his father wearily as he buckled his shoes. 

"Out."

His father, looked to the side, twiddling his thumbs as if he wanted to say something. He glanced at Emerson's outside clothing, then his eyes traveled to his son's hoverboard. 

"I have a meeting with the king soon, don't get yourself into trouble." he mused, moving back towards the teleporter. "And I'm sorry, Emerson." Emerson's eyes widened at the last statement, but his father had already vanished. He stared stiffly where his father was once standing, his hoverboard subconsciously sliding out of his grip.

Then he shook his head, his shaggy black hair falling over his eyes as he dismissed the situation. He darted out to meet Blaine again, and shot out onto the balcony. Blaine once more followed behind Emerson, as he hurled his hoverboard into the air and leapt onto it, bobbing in the air. He shot an impish grin at Blaine, who seemed to be regularly involved in his master's shenanigans. A pair of propellers entered out of Blaine's steel skull, twirling around as Blaine's wheel folded into his body. The pair whizzed off into the city together, fading into the dense smoke as Emerson's exuberant whoops echoed into the distance.

Emerson waved the smoke away from his eyes. Lord, the city really is doing worse every day. He thought, his eyes wandering around as he observed the unfamiliar area. He and Blaine had passed the thriving, streamlined buildings where the rich lived in contentment and had just entered the worse off areas-rather, the majority of the population. People swarmed the streets like ants around a tasty morsel of food, with barely enough room to even stretch one's arms out. The grey smoke that typically billowed out from every corner of the Earth was extra dense, but there was plenty of sound suffocating the area that a local could easily find their way around. The streets were filled with chatter and the yelling of shop owners and beggars, while bells tinkled around on little carts and the wailing of hungry children pierced Emerson's ears. He had heard the streets were once white, but the mass of dirty, suffering people obliterated any view of it and the pavement was littered with piling trash and filth. The smell was as appalling as Emerson imagined the sight to be-human or animal waste, along with rotting food and some smells he had never even smelled before. Emerson shut the flap on his glass helmet, his nostrils rejoicing as oxygen from the helmet poured into the glass bubble. He squinted, craning his neck out as he tried to see the buildings in the area. The buildings were surely not sleek and streamlined. He could make out the graffiti on the walls and the tattered rags that were likely the curtains, along with chunks of the walls missing and even a whole roof demolished, the rubble still there. 

Emerson could see children pouring out and gaping him through the windows (more like the holes in the wall). "Posh kid!" A voice rang out faintly, the owner of the voice jumping out and down. Emerson looked the other way, his cheeks burning as he regretted showing up in such a dramatic fashion.

"We're here," Blaine declared, his wheel folding out as he landed gently on the ground. Emerson clambered off of his hoverboard, ducking into the alleyway. The bustle of the city streets grew more tranquil as he scurried into the alleyway, jumping a little when he already saw all his friends bunched together.

"And here's Emerson, the star of the show." A girl snapped, her voice slightly muffled through her medical mask. Emerson rolled his eyes, but elation flowed through his body to see his friends. He bounded over towards them, embracing them tightly.  "Shush Elaine, hoverboarding is pretty much the only way I can get to see you guys." 

"Not the only way, I'm sure." A tall, freckled boy mused as he his chin bumped against Emerson's helmet. "His darling daddy could surely order a magic carpet?" Emerson smiled gently as he pulled away from the hug, almost as if he could see his friend's smirk even if half of his face was concealed behind a mask. 

"Come on guys, he doesn't even like me that much," Emerson whined. "We got into a fight about my plans for this area. But too bad, they're already almost in motion." 

The group rolled their eyes at his first statement, but hearing what he had said after, their faces burst into firey anticipation. Even Emerson's tall, sarcastic friend was lost for words as he stared aghast at the boy currently full of obstinacy. 

"We're changing this city for the better!"

Why people should practice their writing

 Writing is a subject that is essential in school, as almost every school internationally has writing as a main subject. You may hate writing with all your soul or you may really enjoy the subject. However, even outside of school writing should also be practiced. Teachers and adults value writing so much because it has so much more use than you think and will benefit you more than any other subject. Daily lives, job opportunities, your mindset, your imagination and all your studies are just a few things that can be affected by practicing writing without you even knowing. One thing is for sure-practicing your writing will surely change your life.

In education, the main purpose of writing is to prepare you for future jobs and to have prepared writing skills for when you need them. Even if writing isn't your most favourite thing in the world, it's still crucial to have those skills. Writing is one of the most ancient school subjects and the written word is one of the most developed subjects, educating generations and passing on vital knowledge. In places such as Ancient Egypt, those who knew how to write were valued because of their knowledge and often lived good lives. Facts like those still ring true to this day. If you need to seem intelligent for a job interview, or in an email to your boss, good writing skills can showcase that you know what you are doing and you can use it to your advantage to seem like a good person. Things like this can even decide whether you keep that job or not. There are also hundreds of jobs that require excellent writing skills. To start with, being an author would be a very beneficial, well-paid job and if you like writing then it would simply be a hobby-however, you would need to outshine all the other authors and have books everyone would want to have, and that requires good writing. But it doesn't just stop at being an author-magazine writers, script writers, scientists, journalists and almost every job out there requires writing skills of some sort. Every job that you have, if you look close enough, will eventually involve writing. Practicing your writing outside of school therefore helps further improve your skills and get ahead of others, and even help you greatly in getting your ideal job. So the next time you have to write something, don't complain-writing will always help you in some shape or form.

However, practicing your writing doesn't help you in just getting jobs and your future life-even your school life can be improved. Of course, your growth and grades in writing subjects are enhanced. But did you know that many other subjects can be improved when you practice your writing? When you write a lot and familiarise yourself with words a lot more, your spelling subconsciously improves. Writing good science reports are essential for getting good science grades, as you'll need to categorise your data properly and write good conclusions. Food studies, drama, and physical education are all subjects that may seem like they don't require writing but often you may get essays about those tasks (such as writing about a dish you made, a performance you did, or about the history of a certain sport). Humanities is also a subject that heavily relies on good writing, because taking notes and writing essays about things such as historical events takes place all the time in that subject. Language studies also rely on you to be very familiar with your own language and understand it fully in order to compare it with another language-writing in either language (e.g. your own, or the one you're learning) will improve your understanding of it. Ancient civilisations understood how important it was and students often only had writing and maths as their only subjects, which sometimes was more than enough. Practicing your writing doesn't only improve just your writing grades and future life, you'll see it affecting so many other things in your daily life.

And when you practice your writing regularly and express yourself in your writing more and more, you'll inevitably find yourself enjoying writing. You don't even have to be the best writer or instantly write best-selling pieces of writing every time you sit down, if you're enjoying yourself you'll be more motivated to practice and improve and that passion will genuinely show in your writing. Someone who can't be bothered to check their writing or change the way they write will clearly show it without knowing to the readers. Writing also gives you a sense of freedom and this is how people can express themselves-they have the power. They can choose what to write about, what universe, symbolism or style of writing they want to use. They can write about what makes them happy. Even writing terrible pieces can benefit you. From then on, you know what not to do and you can look back on it and see how far you've come and how much you've changed. Your imagination can also be improved, as the more you write, the more you can envision what you are trying to describe. If you really enjoy writing, you can easily describe your surroundings when you are writing something and submerge yourself into the world you have created with no problem. This is important for good writing as well, especially creative. Many passionate writers are celebrated because of their dedication to writing and their talent even if they existed centuries, or even millennia ago. Words are so powerful that you don't even need the presence of the author to make them count. They live on forever. And if you practice enough and use your passion for writing to your advantage, what you write can affect people for the rest of time.

As you can see, writing is extremely beneficial in so many ways and practicing it helps you more than you think. You can improve your studies, and even your future if you practice writing and at the same time you can even enjoy it and make a hobby out of it. You can always do this by starting a blog where you post, share writing with people you know, write on social media, in an exercise book, with a friend, or on a website where people can write together. There are so many options, with so many benefits and you can start at any time, even right this second. The possibilities are endless, but there is only one question. What use will writing have for you?

The Runaway Royal

Based off of Howl's Moving Castle

Lloyd bunched up her petticoat with the berries rustling around in her pockets, her bare feet scrambling over to the hot air balloon. She crawled up the basket, blueberries tumbling out as she leapt over swiftly and jerked the rope confining the grand balloon to the tree. Lloyd huffed out as she leaned over the basket, the balloon swaying as it ascended sumptuously into the sky. She slumped back into the basket, her braids swaying in the breeze.

She picked herself up, almost tripping over her lace garments, and grinned mirthfully down at the possessions in the basket. Lloyd then waved a hand over the ground before her, and a fire split out, crackling serenely as it hovered above the floor.

"Let's do this!"

Waving a hand towards her knapsack, it magically flipped open and its contents rose and floated over to her. Lloyd yawned as packets of flour and milk poured themselves into a mixing bowl behind her. She glanced towards the horizon. Lloyd squinted into the distance as her pancakes gently sizzled in the background, the pan jerking upwards every few minutes to flip them over. She flipped a switch above her head, and the hot air balloon soared up into the clouds. Lloyd sighed as her atlas drifted over to her. She snatched it and began flipping through the pages sluggishly. The fire seemed to stretch up, the pancakes sliding in the pan, as a mouth appeared and yawned comically.

"Told you you should have brought cards," the fire drawled as a hand shot out from it and shifted the pan.

"Shut it," Lloyd jeered as she eyed it from her atlas. "It's not like you've ever played Go Fish before. Are the pancakes done, Marion? I'm famished."

Two fiery eyes appeared, seeming to smile up at her. "Done."

Marion stretched up, the pan flying up as the pancakes perfectly stacked up on a hovering plate. Lloyd licked her lips as she grabbed the plate and sprinkled the blueberries over it. Marion coolly watched Lloyd inhale the pancakes noisily, crumbs flying everywhere. She wiped her mouth on her embroidered sleeve and belched heartily.

"Even eating like this is so freeing, after being holed up in that pathetic castle." Lloyd commented, playing with her ebony braids. Marion crackled quietly, studying the girl.

"Don't forget you're quite lucky, young lady. I mean your parents used their magic quite sensibly and didn't curse you into something only useful to cook an escaped princess's pancakes."

Lloyd chortled as she stood up, clutching a rope in her hands.

"It was suffocating in there, though. I had my magic restricted to 'not cause trouble' and I was going to marry some old tramp from another kingdom to keep the bloodline. You were a maid, don't you even remember how awful my supposed parents were?" 

Marion furrowed her eyebrows at the young princess's blatant disrespect towards the royals she had served. However, she could barely argue with her favourite master. 

"Okay, Miss 'my life is so hard'. Where are we headed now?"

Lloyd rolled her eyes at the remark, but responded as she flung the rope over the balloon.

"Wherever this balloon takes us."

"Also, don't call me a young lady. You're, like, only a year older." the young royal mused as she slipped down the rope, her feet dangling in the air. Marion huffed quietly, and vanished into the air as the last few sparks drifted upwards. 

Lloyd grunted as she fastened the rope to a stray tree, and sauntered through the forest with her bag swaying on her back. She picked up the occasional flower, and tucked it behind her ear as she searched for fruits and animals. Her bow and arrow was in her tight grip, she would be safe.

A rustle of plants behind her made her ears perk up. Lloyd spun around, her calculating eyes searching the flora. An animal shaped shadow slipped through the trees. The gentle winds seemed to still as Lloyd stretched her arrow back. The shadow appeared again and Lloyd's hand released the string, the sound making a crack through the forest air as the arrow shot out.

"W-what was that? Who's there? Show yourselves, thieves!" A timid male voice squeaked out, as two figures on a horse stumbled out into Lloyd's view. The horse bucked around nervously, but she could see a scrawny guard of some sort waving his sword around, with a girl glowering at him as she held onto the horse. Lloyd ran up, pulling on the horse's fine leather reigns as she steered it back, cooing at it as it calmed down and stumbled around as it regained its balance. The guard hissed at her, placing his sword underneath her chin so he could see this thief's face. Lloyd examined their faces, specifically the girl, not the useless guard. Her eyes widened as she noticed the braids adorning the girl's hair-a sign of royalty. Was she from a neighboring kingdom-or even a replacement Lloyd's parents had chosen?

"Put the sword down, Greg." The girl said smoothly. "You're scaring no one, let's see what she has to say."

The guard spluttered, but obeyed her orders, dropping the sword. He looked at Lloyd once more, gasping as he finally noticed the braids in her hair. Lloyd raised an eyebrow mockingly, smirking as she tucked her bow and arrow back into her back. 

"Go." 

"B-but I have to guar-" the guard stuttered.

"Go back. I shall talk with her in private."

The guard lowered his head in a defeated bow. Even though it was his job to protect her, an order was an order. He sluggishly slid off the horse and trudged back. Lloyd and the girl studied each others' faces.

"A royal, huh?" They said in unison. Lloyd chuckled slightly, liking this girl.

"Ex-princess Lloyd of the Petor dynasty. I'm a runaway, I don't care if you tell anyone." She introduced, holding out a hand.

"Ah, the current talk of the town." The royal replied, smirking as she shook Lloyd's rough hand. "New  princess Akihiko Petor. Runaway in progress."

Why you should give away to charity

Ever since the start of time, no one's ever been an equal in society. Some people have always been born into instant privilege, while on the other hand others are stuck in the loop of poverty and a terrible life ahead of them. However, things have changed and improved over the years-these days, people now have the chance to help others who suffer thanks to charity. They can now give life-changing help and not even lift a finger because of these charities. But charities still struggle all around the world due to the lack of help they receive. Even if a charity supports a child, at the end of the day they can only scrape a few dollars to barely survive on while the rich people of the world bask in their unnecessarily large wealth. This selfishness easily explains why the world is still so corrupt-everyone's too focused on themselves and what they can gain, instead of the thousands of people dying and suffering each day. Are you going to join them? Are you simply going to become so self absorbed you can't even spare something that won't even affect you?

We may all be human, but society divides us so much that people on two sides of the spectrum might as well be two different species. Some people have more money than they know what to do with-such as Elon Musk, who went from rich to rich (his parents giving him plenty of money to start his career) to people who are born in such poverty that they have to eat dirt and beg for basic personal needs such as food. Behind all the news stories and ads on Youtube, these people all have hopes and dreams and their lives are wasted as they have to focus on merely surviving. Yet people such as Bill Gates (with a staggering net worth of 125 billion dollars) could give away 1% of their wealth and change the lives of even decently rich people. These people can afford pretty much anything they want and live lavishly, with plenty of money to spare yet they can't be bothered to give a few dollars away to, for example, keep a family eating for one more week in India. Rich people can gamble their lives away and buy their children designer bags, but why is it so hard for them to donate even half of that money to a homeless organisation. If you let things like this pass by, you are part of the problem. You are part of the problem if you don't see how unacceptable this treatment is.

There are so many examples of this issue all around the world-including around you. One example is the Baluch people in the south of Kerman, Iran. A report from only two days ago show that these people have been suffering so much that they have moved to Kerman, which is already one of the poorest areas in Iran. They live in tents of wood, bark and ripped fabric if they can find any, and have to acquire their own water in the sweltering heat. Children themselves struggle to find food and eat from any garbage dumps they can find, and even simply retrieving water can result in lost hands or legs, or even death from marsh crocodiles. In India, 3,000 children can die every day from hunger and almost a third of the population is forced to live on less than $1.90 per day. Now think about yourself-you probably can easily, safely retrieve water by simply turning on a tap. You have the privilege to complain about how expensive strawberries are, without knowing that in the first place you are so lucky to even just safely be in reach of food and afford it. Perhaps you even dislike how small your living space is-but people with shelter and food are already in the 20% richest category. The average American can use around $101 per day on basic necessities and not think twice about it. You may not be filthy rich yourself, but you are so lucky to be surviving each day and not need to rely heavily on other people.

There are so many ways you can help others-it just takes a bit of thinking. You'll never know how much your help can affect someone. Even just the smallest donation can end up into a person who can finally afford a house and a steady supply of food. Help can stretch out of charities too-giving help in person is also possible. The world has become so degenerate that you could even easily find people in need in your neighbourhood. Giving a few dollars, food, or just inspiration could change a life anywhere. Living Goods, Oxfam, Village Enterprise and Red Cross are just a few of the thousands of charities out there. So many people have benefited due to those charities and have managed to get their lives on track and finally support themselves and their loved ones, but this only means that they have only been able to receive food, clothing and shelter-they still haven't been able to find their passions and interests. If you were in their place, would you have been furious at those who wasted their money while you struggled to survive? There is always a possibility that you could have been born into their position-helplessly fighting for your life, day by day, until you'd die and all your descendants would have to follow the same path. Sometimes, your sympathy is enough-spreading the message and bringing an awareness to this motivates other people and can help change the mindset of everyone, especially those who can help.

You always have the power to help, to change lives and that can start with charities. If you don't start now, when will you start? You don't need to be someone wealthy who can throw their money around to charities, or a poor person who understands the daily struggles of trying to make money, but if you know how much people are suffering and you are willing to spread the message and do what you can, you should be more than proud of yourself for doing so much already. Any help, after all, is a step forward.

Why people should be following the COVID-19 restrictions

 In 2020, it's no surprise that the corona virus has become the biggest issue and change in our lives so far. Most of us have never been in a situation like this, and some of us have never even worn masks. However, even with all the news of cases and the dangers of passing around some people choose not to respect the guidelines and still go on as if there was no virus-just because of things like their own selfishness, because they don't see the virus as something that should affect their daily life. But this is why you and everyone out there should respect the guidelines set out for us, so we can fight the virus as a whole.

When you perhaps saw the virus first trending, you might have not thought that much about it-as medicine and technology these days is powerful and thanks to scientists, if anything somehow did spread, they could take care of it. However, from then on the virus got worse and society saw the virus spreading internationally quicker than ever. The more people were sure the virus wouldn't reach their city, the more careless they got. When it got too far and the government finally started enforcing COVID-19 restrictions, at first people didn't think too much of it-there were still plenty of people hanging out in groups, huddled together as if there were no virus. Simple things like such as meeting a friend can turn out to be fatal for others, especially with a virus that is airborne and can easily creep up on you when you least expect it. The virus may be dangerous, but one of the biggest reasons it spread so much is because people didn't take it seriously enough and take measures to stay away from others. The restrictions are also there for a reason-to keep you safe. Protesting and being angry about wearing masks doesn't make the virus stop, it's doing your bit to stay safe that helps. Sometimes putting others before yourself isn't that hard-staying at home and wearing masks is the least you could do, and could save a life. 

Out of all the viruses that have plagued this earth, corona is not that much different, and we have it much easier than perhaps people in older times, or people in other countries or situations. The fact that you likely have shelter, the internet and medical help shows that you will be able to survive this better than the Londoners of the Victorian Era who lived in dirty, diseased slums, or homeless people who have suffered more than ever without the help of others in this time, or even in ancient civilisations, where cures to even simple ailments would be of no help whatsoever and likely kill you. It is almost certain we'll be able to make it through the virus if we all try to fight it together-so it's no reason to get too worried about it (although you should be worried enough to follow the restrictions). It also means it doesn't even take that much to do your part in helping. The bare minimum is to social distance, wear masks, and stay home as much as possible. Implementing those habits into your daily routine takes no effort.

If the restrictions do somehow stop you from living your fullest and 2020 has been a disappointing year no matter how you approach it, be reminded you can still have a wonderful year, if not the best, while in isolation and following the guidelines. Even if you're a morning person who likes going outside and being active, you can still make your year fun. Depending on your restrictions, going outside and exercising is most likely permitted, and you can probably enjoy nature even more as the restrictions have benefited to the environment-carbon emissions in China have decreased by a quarter, and Venice canals have thrived so much due to the loss of boats that creatures have been returning to live in the waters. Even as the cases have grown, it costs nothing to keep your head up and enjoy the positives, whatever they might be and look forward to how much more you'll value life after we all recover. No one is alone in this, and we're all working together instead of against each other.

2020 may have not gone the way we all planned it to, especially with all the new careers, travel plans and friendships that might have been waiting for us. However if you be grateful for what you have, find happiness in your daily life and follow the restrictions without complain, 2020 won't have to be seen as a year of burden, but instead a year of growth and change. And that is what we need to find in a time like this.

Why people should help with humanitarian crises

 As humanity progresses and changes, the more we hear about other things that happen in the world that can surprise us more than ever. Thanks to interconnection through things such as the internet, generations are slowly becoming more exposed to and educated about different things that happen in the world. People can learn about what goes on in other countries and what they can do about it. However, a majority of people don't participate in humanitarian activities-and why is that? As more horrific events take place in today's society, this is why you and everyone should stop, take notice and take action.

This earth holds about 7.8 billion people-all in different countries, with different beliefs and hopes and dreams. 7.8 billion people who have the chance to change the world, but also have the opportunity to ruin it. And even though we all are very similar, we go through different things that many of us may not know. Things like the blacklivesmatter campaign, the Chinese concentration camps and many other stories that are yet to be told have always been hidden by the media-the one place where people can find information. We may have heard of them, but most of us never really think about how the people involved in them are humans, just like us. That we could have been in their position, or that they have thoughts and feelings of their own, each and ever person. That is why we need to take action-to let people have a chance to live normally. Other things like the Lebanon crisis and poverty in all sorts of countries are only covered briefly on the news if they are lucky-but all humanitarian crises need the attention they deserve to truly bring a stop to them.

If people took notice of what was happening and did their research and helped out, not only would the media start bringing more attention to such topics, but more successful organisations would start to help others and other people would definitely be more interested and information would reach more people-thanks to social media. Because of social media, people can find out about topics and humanitarian crises as they can accidentally stumble upon content-or things can be shared and promoted by others. Many activism campaigns and charities have started because people have spread messages about humanitarian crises, and if just more people brought their attention to such topics, people could receive enough help and support to stop whatever problem they have. This is why every person's support and help matters, as it all eventually builds up-even you.

To help support others, it doesn't take too much. Most of the work someone can do to help is free and doesn't require much work, and it could change someone's life. Signing petitions is a great way to help, as petitions can even be counted by the government and laws can even be changed, and it just takes two seconds to sign your name. Charities are a great way to help others, but if you don't have money on you, donating money for free exists-no matter how silly it sounds. Things such as streaming monetized videos that are said to donate to humanitarian crises on YouTube are a great help, and you can mute the video and help others without even trying. Things such as spreading awareness of problems on the internet is also a great way. Giving links to petitions, giving information about what is going on and talking about humanitarian crises can convince others to start helping as well. There is sure to be information you need on every social media app-you just need to search. Anyone is capable of changing a life, no matter how much they think they can't.

At the end of the day, just being an ally to other people is just human nature-it should be done without thinking. It doesn't matter if a lot of people already support something, or if it doesn't have a lot of attention brought to it. People should try to support and do as much as they can nonetheless. We all bleed the same, and we all have the same needs-so you should give your attention where it's worth, to give more hope towards a society where everyone is equal.

The Search

Evangeline swept up her things on the desk, giving the tattered tablecloth one final smack, as dust streamed through the air. Oliver gawkily pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, as he glanced in Sandy's direction. Sandy locked eyes with him, something hidden in her gaze. She paced forward and stiffly shoved the compasses and the pieces of paper in Evangeline's rucksack for her. Evangeline looked up at Sandy. 

"Come on, we should have gone ages ago." Sandy said sternly.

Evangeline sighed her auburn hair bouncing on her shoulders as she bobbed her head up and down. "Sorry guys," she mused, "I just want to get a lead on this case."

Oliver and Sandy looked back at each other, both feeling the same emotion for once for two people who were so wildly different. They peered back at their friend in worry, but they chose not to say anything. 

"Get home safe, okay? Don't let this dumb special assignment keep your head in the clouds." Oliver murmured, and the two friends slipped out of the shed door, gently shutting it with a resounding click.

Evangeline groaned in frustration. Pacing around the room, her thoughts swirling around in her head. We had something going on, I can feel it. Her eyes wandered over to the scruffy leather knapsack that had fallen. I swear we're so close to solving it. 

She pushed herself up out of her squatting position, and snatched up the knapsack, shaking the contents out as they clattered out. 

There was something they had missed. Evangeline, not noticing the lights dim in the room, rummaged through the items for the hundredth time that day.
The god that had given them such an 'important mission', and had begged the unusual group of friends to do it 'because they were special' had barely given them any clues or solutions. The few pieces of equipment he had given them too, no matter how magical, was second-hand and barely worked. Six months of trying to find this 'special orb' that would change the world had ended in finding barely anything-after all they were your average group of kids. Both Oliver and Sandy had clearly given up.

But why hadn't Evangeline?

She just had the feeling. Just a smallest thought that she might find it, and that it really was more significant than that god had revealed. If the equipment he had given them was magical, then really anything was possible, and Evangeline was sick of such a boring life, a life of being in the shadows.

She whipped her head around, her senses coming back as she faded back into reality. It was pitch black outside. How hadn't she noticed? A small huff of air left Evangeline's lips in exasperation, as she packed up her items once more. She'd be walking home in the dark now, how nice.

Her sneakers clattered against the floor as she fumbled with the knapsack in the crepuscular lighting. The floorboards creaked as she pulled herself up. She paused at the door, and felt around with her callused hands, trying to find the handle. Her fingers brushed against it, but she leaped back as a squeak left her lips. Her hand had been yanked back by an imaginary force.

"Don't bother, it's locked." A voice rumbled from the depths of the musty sports shed. Evangeline squinted, but she pivoted around to see the god behind her, eerily glowing like a lantern. 

"Stop calling me that, it's not that hard to remember the name Loki." he huffed, ignoring her shock at his ability to read her mind. He slipped off of the bench, and glanced casually at his nails. 

The air turned cold. Loki looked down at her frozen figure. 

"Oh yeah," Loki mused, grinning in a sinister manner. "I've been found out for tricking random groups of kids around the country and everything into finding that little orb thing." He flicked out a hand, and Evangeline gasped in horror to see her two best friends, unconscious in a small holographic blue flame, gaunt and pallid-faced. She looked back at Loki, rage and utter confusion burning in her chest and she opened her mouth, about to explode at him.

He carelessly silenced her with a wave of his hand. "And I'm getting rid of the evidence, so it was pretty time wasting to find out you've been cooped up in this rubbish dump of a shed all day-solving the clues, I presume?" 

Loki took a step forwards, the vision of Evangeline's friends vanishing from sight. "Your turn now, sweetie."

Evangeline's lip trembled, as she stumbled back. Her eyes widened as she straightened up, gaping at the sight over Loki's shoulder.

"Principal Smith?"

Loki's head swiveled around, but as he did, a clang echoed behind him. He swayed to the side, unsteady on his feet, before his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed-revealing a quivering Evangeline with a dented shovel in her hands.

Evangeline, stepping disgustedly over the god, tried to brush herself off as her heart pounded in her chest, almost threatening to jump out. She grabbed her bag, ready to make a run for it, when something caught her eye.

A small, intricate object had fallen out of Loki's breast pocket and was glittering peculiarly in the moonlight as it lay next to him. A necklace.

The Plane

The shivering, gaunt boy scrambled up onto the deck as the cheers of the crowd intensified, a mass of hollering, sweaty adults. The boy turned over to look at the old man beside him.
"Go, Oliver," the man drawled, rubbing his weathered hands together greedily. "you know what the tradition is."
Oliver visibly gulped, the yelling of the adults ringing in his ears as they slammed against the frail deck, gawking at him with wide, hungry eyes. He shuffled towards the podium. The mayor looked down on him, a gleam in his eye. He snatched Oliver's lanky hand in his fleshy one and raised it over their heads, a sneer forming as he studied the crowd of adults.
"Ladies and gentlemen, our champion! When he returns from his flight, that is when you start bidding for him. Don't get too excited now!" He taunted, letting go of Oliver's sore wrist.
Oliver's eyes narrowed slightly, but his slight disgust vanished as he turned towards the hot air balloon towering behind him.
Oh it was grand, why wouldn't it be, considering it was prepared for such a special event? Subtle waves of lace were draped over the balloon brimming with hot air, as the pale pink silk that surrounded it swelled as it bobbed above the ground. Oliver gawked at it, but then flashes of his previous friends' faces appeared in his mind, prompting him of their murders, or their terrified faces as wealthy couples dragged them off. Anger bubbled in his stomach, as he spun back to the crowd, confidence building up in him. The scrawny old man raised a prickly eyebrow at this, then his chapped lips split into grin, revealing his crooked teeth to the back of the boy's head.

Oliver stumbled along the dilapidated hallway of the orphanage. The small muffled chattering of the fellow 'orphans' behind the thin walls were the only sound he could hear, apart from his small footsteps. Suddenly, the thundering of footsteps echoed behind him. Oliver whipped his head around questioningly, and his lips quirked up in a small grin as his friends bolted around the corner and towards him, shoving each other roughly out of the way.
"Oliver, man of the hour!" Charlie bellowed, throwing an arm over his shoulder. "Perhaps we should start respecting the chosen child?"
"Not a chance," the twins chorused as they hurried towards him. Something like deep sympathy glistened in Grace's eyes as her beaming face fell, and she turned and hugged Oliver's waist tightly. Even the normally rowdy Garrett's cheerful demeanor vanished as he stared at Oliver with pursed lips. Charlie's grip on Oliver's shoulder loosened as he observed the change in atmosphere.
"There's nothing we can do now, except joke about it before he goes." Charlie mused.
Grace sniffled as she let go, looking at Oliver sadly as Anna slowed down as she rushed towards them, looking at their concerned faces. Anna's face split into a grin, albeit a slightly sad one, as she hooked Oliver's arm with hers.
"Seems like it was only yesterday when I saw the skinny little toddler lining up for the porridge, and now he's already leaving me with these idiots." Her rough accent echoed as she pulled him along. Oliver chuckled, an image of a younger Anna with pigtails appearing in his mind, before sorrow replaced his happiness.
He faced the dirty, smudged faces of the only family he had over the years he had grown up.
Looking at each and every one of the faces that he might as well see for the last time, he smiled wistfully.
"I can't guarantee I'll be safe, but I really won't forget you guys. Really."
Grace burst into tears and fled to him, hugging him. Charlie didn't even make fun of her for once, miserably trudging up to them and gently bringing his gangly arms over the both of them in a group hug. Garrett didn't waste time in jogging up and squeezing his own arms around them, gripping Oliver's torn shirt tightly. Anna stared at the ground, shuffling her bare feet from side to side. Oliver poked his head up, raising an expectant eyebrow as he smiled warmly. Pretending to huff irritatedly, Anna walked over, but immediately broke out into a run as she buried her head in the middle.
Oliver stayed there in the embrace of his friends. He squeezed his eyes shut. Curse those greedy adults, tearing him and his family apart to make him try and compete just for the highest bidder to bring him off to make him a servant. He wasn't even an orphan.
Somewhere out there were his parents, who he had been stolen from by those money hungry people. Everything had ended up being just for money, with all those scared, hungry, lost children having to suffer the worst of it.
Oliver looked over the heads of his friends once more, determination glazing over his eyes.
He would avenge all the lost childhoods.

The Train Station

She darted past an officer, slipping past the pole behind him so silently that he would have never felt it. The girl slunk around a corner and, very carefully, tiptoed over the gate. She glanced back. She could no longer hear the yells and orders of the guards, nor see the peeping heads of the unfit, middle aged men over the crowd as they tried to scrutinize the faces of each and every person to check if it was her. The girl checked her ticket. What was her name again? 

Printed on the crinkled ticket in mahogany, type-written letters were three words: Aubrey La Fournier. 

The girl ogled at the ticket, her bony hands stretching the paper so far that it might as well have ripped. She didn't look cut out for it, didn't she? Such a fancy name for a commonplace, grubby urchin. The new Aubrey, I suppose we'll call her, reached down and smoothed out her torn frock in an attempt to make herself look presentable. Humming in satisfaction, she snootily held her head high as she marched barefooted further into the train station.

The old building really didn't look like the grand train station that it really was inside. Originally Aubrey had decided to escape from the horror that was considered by others as an 'orphanage'. Hell, she was deemed even unworthy of a name before she had escaped. The old building appeared as a refuge to Aubrey as she had walked through the empty streets languidly. She even peered into the windows to check, and all she saw were plain, bare concrete rooms that would have at least sheltered her decently for the night. So how had it completely changed before her eyes when she pried open the door?

The sight inside was staggering. Aubrey stumbled back, her eyes wide as she gawked around her. She was so stunned at the sight in front of her that she didn't notice a mysterious gust of wind gently nudge her forwards and a hidden force shut the door behind her with a small click. She blinked hard, trying to decipher whether what she was looking at was a figment of her imagination or not. Extravagant, lavish decorations encompassed the huge hall in bundles of velvet and gold leaf sculptures of angels, and aquamarine marble floors. But the most intriguing part of the station in the ornate archways, on either side of the majestic fountain resting in the middle of the station were vivid, wildly different trains speeding on either side. They appeared to move faster than light, but stopped equally as quick as soon as a passenger hurried towards it. So far, Aubrey had spotted a square train swathed in exotic fabric and jewelry, an oddly shaped train with a range of household objects scattered around the top, and a particularly large train entirely made out of crystal that sparkled underneath the blinding lights that shone from up above. And in this train station, were all sorts of people lumbering around. They were all oddly dressed. Some in togas and some in large top hats that obscured their faces, and many glided into each train with ease while others wandered around in confusion, or just simply doing their own thing-but it was deathly silent as none of them spoke a word. One thing that Aubrey could see on every person though, no matter how different they were, was a ticket in their hands, or in their breast pocket or peeking out of their sock on the rare occasion. That was when she saw some guards hurrying towards her, yelling for her to show her ticket. She squeaked and ducked her head, weaving through the crowds, no one even sparing a glance (it seems that they couldn't even see her at all) back at her. She tugged her frock up so as to not trip over it, panting as she nimbly sprinted away. As she darted away, she bumped harshly into a girl dressed in gaudy clothing. The girl couldn't seem to see Aubrey or hear her apology, but she glared sharply into the space behind her as she whipped her head around and tottered off. A ticket fluttered out of her pocket and fell to the ground. Aubrey, shrugged casually, snatched the ticket and then made a run for it.

And that brings us back to Aubrey's current situation, standing in the middle of the great train station with nothing but her ticket clutched in her grimy hands. The name of the girl who Aubrey was impersonating glittered brightly on the ticket, shimmering underneath the light. She peered at it in awe, holding it up close. She brushed her fingers over it. As soon as Aubrey's skin brushed over the smooth paper, she felt the light pulsate around her, as her vision blurred for a second. The crowd of people surrounding her dissipated into thin air when her vision cleared. There wasn't a single person in sight. The train station felt still, as Aubrey looked around her. She stumbled towards one of the archways to poke her head out to look for a train. All of a sudden, a train rumbled in a distance as it bolted towards her, the blazing lights paralyzing her for a short second, then stopped dead in front of her as it lurched slightly from the sudden movement. Aubrey had just enough time to yank her head back sharply, screaming in shock as she checked anxiously that her head was still attached to her neck. Panting with her hand resting on her chest to try and calm down her pounding heart, she looked up at the train which looked... quite normal? She peered at it curiously. Was this her train? What was it for anyway? The doors shuddered as they drew open, but unlike the other trains, She felt someone was in there already. The doors shut abruptly as the train picked up its pace and she had to scramble to hold onto a pole, a squeal escaping her lips. The lights flickered, then shut off before Aubrey had time to see who the person was. She squirmed in her seat, growing uncomfortable as her warm, clammy hands scrunched up the ticket in pain. 

Two gleaming eyes flashed in the darkness that consumed the carriage.

"Look who's been stealing," a low raspy voice chuckled.

Humanities at School

Humanities is a subject that probably isn't taught in other schools, and I had only recently heard of it when I moved to my new school. It's also a subject that probably hasn't been taught in the past and might have only been recently introduced to schools these days. However, it's an important subject that should probably have been introduced earlier to to students all around the world and has the potential to be life-changing.

When I was in grade 3 (the first time Humanities was introduced to me), Humanities sounded like a really difficult subject and sounded like university level material. At my old school, there had been no mention of such a subject and my friends from other schools never talked about anything of the sort when it came to such a subject. But as soon as we started learning, Humanities to me became a subject that just taught me about the other people in the world and didn't involve hard maths or difficult vocabulary. It was an eye-opener to me and my teachers went into depth (but not too deep for a third grader) about what other people in the world were like and how they lived their lives. Humanities wasn't like any other subjects, like English or Maths where we studied to gain knowledge to prepare for things such as future jobs, it felt like it was there to teach us about the people around us, to show us about ourselves as people. There are similar subjects such as law, politics, philosophy and history-but teaching things like those to someone who just came out of 2nd grade would be too confusing, and humanities was basically a subject that could sum all of that up-while being easy enough to understand.

The humans in this world are all different. Living in different conditions, being raised by different people and seeing different things give us all different perspectives on our own lives and how we see others. Humanities was a factual way learn about others in the world without added opinions to twist the way we learned about them. Asking people like parents or friends about others in the world would result in different opinions, and maybe sometimes even some misinformation due to the experiences they had and what they saw. If you asked someone the amount of Spanish people in their neighbourhood, there is a chance they might respond with how many Spanish people they'd seen in the neighbourhood they lived in- but there's a lot of flaws that come with their statement. You couldn't then be able to learn properly. When learning about Humanities with facts and detail going into peoples' lives, you can then make your own opinion based on what you learn. Things like this can really change humanity and change how people see others, and might even do more for how the humans interact with each other than something like Maths might do.

Humanities also is a subject that employs others in it. Maths is often used for percentages and populations, science can be used for how human beings have improved in science and what parts of the world have contributed more to science than others, and other things such as fine arts are all part of humanities-because they have all been created and developed by humans as time went on. It doesn't only teach you the facts, but it's also about people's personal lives and how they have grown and changed. Learning humanities makes you more understanding of the people around you, and you can also understand more about not only the people on this planet, but the planet itself and how we have affected it, therefore being more environmentally aware. Humanities might even make you a better person.

In conclusion, even though Humanities isn't a common subject in most schools, even though it should be because it would clearly benefit us all and teach us more about people in other countries. It has the potential to teach young children about people in other countries and how different they all are, which to me is a special thing because they'll retain that knowledge and it'll change the way they speak to and interact with others in the future. And for me, that's one of the most important things.

My identity

Since I was young, too young to even remember my life back then or merely speak, my parents brought me around the world and I lived in several countries, including Vietnam and Singapore. When they finally came to Australia, bought a decent home near the school I'd be going to, that was when I started learning how to read and write. And the more I grew up, I started learning more and more about my identity and began asking questions about all the places I had lived in. But what sort of identity do I have? Is it English, Vietnamese or Australian? The place I was born, the place my parents came from or the place I live in?

I was born in Norwich, England. I have no memories from the few years that I spent there, and ended up moving to other countries. However, when I returned after a few years of living in other countries, I immediately connected with the country as I travelled around it and hadn't ever found myself happier in any other country. The huge history behind the country (I'm a pretty big fan of history, specifically England and its kings and queens), the cultures and the personalities of the people I befriended when I went there captivated me, and I still long to go back one day. The country just seemed like the perfect place for me-the people were so nice, the weather was exactly the type of weather that I enjoyed (I've never minded rain, and I've always wanted to see snow once again), the country was filled with tourist sites and intriguing places filled with history and going to London especially was a wonderful experience, even if it was short-lived. So if I could say I came from a certain place, England would be my pick.

Vietnam was the place that both of my parents had come from. We returned there frequently, about every 1/2 years to visit my family, and I loved the country and its culture. Vietnam had always been a different experience compared to England or Australia, as the food was unique and tasted much better, sightseeing in Vietnam was always a joy and each place we travelled to was different from the other and offered some amazing sights. Another special thing about being in Vietnam was meeting the different people in my family, both from my mother's and my father's side, and seeing us all grow up and change. They reminded me of the life I would have been living if my parents had never moved to other countries. Of course it would be different. Of course my only identity would have been Vietnamese, and I'd probably never have the chance to go to other countries and experience different cultures and meet all sorts of people. And of course when people meet me, the first thing they typically think (apart from thinking that I'm Chinese) is that I am Vietnamese, not Australian or anything else. But I haven't gotten the chance to properly live in the country. To people in Vietnam, I'm more like a foreigner and Australian is more of my identity, since I can't fluently speak Vietnamese, eat Vietnamese food or the fact that I grew up in different conditions compared to them.

Australia was the place that I had the most memories from. I was taught in an environment that a majority of the other kids in Australia that I knew had the same experience. I had a lot of fun in a public school, and lived in a much better condition than other kids back in Vietnam. When I was in third grade, I chose to move to a private girls school that was much further away from my old school. When I moved, life was much different, even if it was in the same city. And even then, it was hard to choose where I belonged-with my old friends, or with my new friends?  I was different in both places now-my new private school, because I came when everyone had decided on their own friend groups already and life was different, or my old school, where I had left for another school and didn't have anything back then to keep in touch with my old friends. But in Australia, in general there were a lot of cultures and diversity, so I was never quite alone when it came to being Vietnamese, or living in other countries, or being someone who had lived in England for a little bit.

I think my identity consists of all the places I've been to-the places where I've made many friends and seen many beautiful sights. Of course to specific people from specific places, my identity is different and I'm a different person to each person I meet. But there's one thing, and that is even if I've lived in so many places, each place has made an impact on me and made me into the person I am today.

How COVID-19 has affected my life

The Corona virus has, in some way, affected everyone's lives and changed some for the worse. However, the measures the government has taken to save the lives of others could have prevented ruining some other peoples' lives before they even knew it. This is how my life has changed since the first day word got around on social media that there was a virus originating from China.

When I had first heard about the virus, nothing like this had ever occurred in my life until now, so I somewhat brushed it off. I lived in Australia, an island in the middle of the sea, and whenever I had heard about viruses the previous years leading up to that moment, those viruses typically remained in the countries they originated from. Of course I was concerned for the sick people who had caught the virus and hoped they would get better and it would all calm down in a few weeks or months. What could possibly happen to me, or the rest of the world?

I didn't keep in touch with the media too much, so I went on with my business at school, having fun with my friends and going to the park, or to the shops occasionally. A few weeks later, sitting at an art class and sketching out a toy, I overheard a conversation between my art teacher and one of my classmates. I tried to focus on my drawing, but phrases and words coming from their conversation reached my ears and my curiosity grew. Small phrases such as 'staying at home', 'school closes down' and 'corona virus' were repeated in their conversation and my classmates had long forgotten their art projects and were chattering to the teacher about their concerns. I silently paid attention to their conversation. This was so sudden. Had the virus from a few weeks ago become so serious that something like this had to happen? Would I really be getting a longer holiday? I focused on my drawing and ended up finishing, unlike my other classmates that began to converse about what they'd be doing if school closed early. And as I left the classroom, travelling down the stairs, the thought of what the virus had been doing to other people after all this time.

Slowly, I started hearing more and more about this virus the more time passed. It was inevitable to not hear about it. At school, many of my classmates began to disappear, one by one, until there were barely enough students to form a decent class. On the internet, it was all people could talk about and warnings began popping up everywhere. The news barely talked about anything but the virus, and who had died and who hadn't. All the shops that I had been going to before the pandemic all had closed down suddenly. I couldn't even go online without Corona virus warnings screaming in my ears in my music app (I'm listening to one right now as I write this). The cases grew and grew, while more people panicked and began to prepare for when the virus really hit. The more the virus spread, so did racism towards asians, which infuriated me because those attacking others weren't doing really anything to help and only further increased my concerns.

Once we were called in for an emergency assembly at my school (of course, every person sat a seat/

two seats apart), where my principal announced that we would be beginning online school a week before the holidays and a week after. I didn't think much of it, and my classmates began bringing all their folders home in their backpacks, looking like turtles with the heavy weight on their backs. Before I knew it, online school started, and while I managed with it decently it was still a super new experience. And according to the adults that I knew, it was likely I wouldn't be experiencing a situation like this for possibly the rest of my life.

Staying inside all the time started to get boring, and many of my friends agreed with me. I started doing things I thought I'd never be doing, like playing my favourite old video games (which had certainly changed since the last time I played them, which must have been years ago), or watching my old favourite shows (I'm rewatching Total Drama Island, and I recently watched a few episodes of Camp Lakebottom, which of course you might be aquainted with if you've read my blog). It gave me more time to do things, but the huge number of people internationally that had been negatively affected by the virus remained in my mind. Of course, a cure hadn't been found yet and I still had to be very careful when going outside for a walk, but I still was trying to make the most of it as much as possible.

Of course, the virus still exists as of right now and it is impossible to ignore the numbers of people being diagnosed with it/the amount of people that have died because of it, but keeping our heads up in this sort of situation really helps us have a more positive outlook on this situation. I really do think that all of us who have been keeping each other safe and even just washing our hands should get a pat on the back, because it all eventually adds up.