My opinion on the Australian bushfires

Lately Australia has been having the worst of the worst bushfires lately, and even help from other countries hasn't calmed down the fires. Every state has been affected by these, but New South Wales has taken the hardest hit, as more than 100 fires are still burning as of right now. These fires can start in small places, like old buildings or part of a neighbourhood but they can get as bad as up to entire hectares of land being swallowed up by flames. More than 28 people have died so far because of this, and so have many Australian animals, which I think is awful because most of those animals don't exist in any other country and they are what makes Australia its own unique land. Animals like koalas are suffering. Because they sleep for most of the day and are quite slow, they can't easily escape from fires. I read an article where firefighters were looking throughout a forest that had just been through a bushfire, and they found a dead koala that had tried to escape. I think that's awful. I'm glad both Australian people and other countries such as the US are helping, but it really does help to keep spreading awareness so we don't push Australian animals towards extinction.

The cause of this is the fire season, which usually happens in summer. Climate change is also making its impact as well and even humans are deliberately causing these fires. Lightning is also a cause. Fire season is usually dangerous, but these days scientists are saying that the fire season lately is unusually severe and has broken records that had been set decades ago. Houses and habitats have been absolutely destroyed and burnt to ashes, and many of Australia's beautiful landscapes are being ruined as I type. Bushfire smoke is also difficult to deal with and can have many harmful effects on the human body. Even things like that have caused deaths, due to poor air quality. An example of the severe negative effect bushfires have caused is that a third of Kangaroo Island, Australia's third biggest island, is burnt. This is horrible as many unique, special and important animals live there and can only be found there. Numbers of animals such as glossy black cockatoos and Ligurian honey bees have descended more than ever and so many magpies are so used to hearing firetruck sirens that a lot of them can mimic them. I think that even though if people may live far away from these bushfire prone spots, they can still make a big impact and help those who need it. These animals and people will need support after their homes are burned down, or they are injured and sometimes you only have to do a small deed to change their life completely. What are you going to do to help?

The benefits of playing an instrument

Many people play an intrument for fun, and some people play only instruments for a job. But these people benefit a lot more from playing instruments than others who don't might.

For example, people with memory loss who take up an instrument are more likely to remember more, and children who play instruments usually focus more in school. People who take IQ tests are also more likely to get a higher score if they play an instrument. Not only does it make people smarter, but it also gives them something to do and it can be a new hobby  for them  to take up. Playing an instrument also improves hand-eye coordination, and playing an instrument with friends, for example a band, is also fun. Playing an instrument also relieves stress and you're more social. Practicing an intrument also trains your brain, as remembering things such as chords and notes will help you remember other normal, everyday things like remembering your keys or to feed your pet. It also deceases age related hearing loss and keeps creativity going. Babies also benefit from listening to music, too!

There are also many health related benefits of playing an instrument, like the enhancement of deep breathing (when playing wind instruments) having refined hearing skills and being able to have good posture. Reading, concentration, mathematics and listening skills also improve when learning an instrument. Reading music strengthens the ability to process information, and things like pattern recognition and measuring the amount of beats and stuff are math related. There are also many emotional benefits, too. Like if you're stressed, one thing you might do is listen to music. So playing an instrument will likely be as equally stress-relieving. Expressing yourself through music also helps a lot, like writing songs or composing your own piece. A sense of achievement is usually gained by being able to finish that one hard song, or making up your own melody or even being able to focus more in class more because you learned something new.

So why wouldn't you start learning an instrument? It could change your life completely, while being totally fun and interesting. If you'll never try learning, you'll never know how much it'll benefit you.

Pros and Cons of Homeschooling

Homeschooling is not very common, but it does exist and there are certain good and bad aspects of making this decision to teach your child at home. Do keep in mind that every child and guardian is different, so not being able to relate to one of the pros or cons is perfectly fine.

One reason parents might choose homeschooling over school is because of flexibility of the schedule, and because parents have the power to select subjects for the child. They are more aware of the child's dislikes and likes and will be able to put together a schedule that suits the child more. Parents will also have the satisfaction that their child is learning enough and is happy enough. And if the child has activities like swimming lessons or a music lesson, it's easier to postpone anything they're doing to make time for those. It's also much easier to take trips to places to socialise and for the child to be outside more, because in a normal school it would be harder to take children on trips all the time since there are more of them. More focus is also on the child as they are the only student and therefore they will mature and learn more. Children can also work at their own pace and it's easier to work with someone they are close with.

It's also quite difficult to start homeschooling, as parents may find it harder to take time out of their schedule to teach their child. Children also might find it harder to make friends as they're not usually bonding with a lot of people almost every day. Parents are usually not skilled in every subject, so teaching or explaining something to their child might be hard. It can also be hard to find which things to teach your child sometimes, and parents don't always have time to themselves. Parents also have their own lives away from taking care of their kids and it's harder to make time for either of those. Parents who have experience with homeschooling their children have often expressed their worry of being judged by society, and not always do parents have people to support them.

But nonetheless, homeschooling can sometimes be the absolute best choice for parents and has benefited the family way more than normal school. It really just depends, but homeschooled children aren't really all that different from others. What matters is that it suits them and that they're happy.

Vietnam

Occasionally every one or two years we would travel to Vietnam. I have been going there since I was about 1, and I have been to many places and experienced a lot of things. It's a little hard considering I'm not that fluent in Vietnamese, but I have improved. My dad always brought us to his hometown and went there frequently every trip, but I think the only journey to my mum's hometown (which I prefer) that I remember was more enjoyable.

The food was much better than Vietnamese food is typically in Australia, and much cheaper too. The food has much more flavour, and Vietnamese people will truly eat anything and everything. Dishes such as dogs, pigs' ears, and crickets  exist in Vietnam. Pho is also a very popular dish in both Vietnam and other countries, and so is spring rolls, but I think there are some dishes that people in other countries really do need to taste because they don't have enough of good Vietnamese dishes in Australia.

Streets in Vietnam, specifically the city, are truly chaotic. Crossing the street is difficult when there are no traffic lights and drivers seem to always be in a rush. It's always busy in the city, including markets with stall owners fighting for the attention of tourists and people bustling around in shops for a meal. In food markets though, the smell of all the combined scents coming from each stall is truly marvellous, and the atmosphere is what gives Vietnam its own unique style.

The architecture is also very beautiful in some places, and many buildings in Vietnam have French touches, including your typical house or apartment block. Temples in Vietnam are also quite picturesque, with well tended flora and stunning designs. People in Vietnam also care a lot about clothing and embroidery and having the right clothing designs.

In Vietnam there are many tourist sites. Mountains are often part of these sites, especially the  mountains that look like they have steps. Those ones are often in more rural areas, and the purpose of their odd design is for growing crops, and maintaining the water so the plants are hydrated.
I have also been to places with houses on stilts. You sleep on the floor, and the entire house is likely to be made of just wood but the views can be just stunning as there isn’t any smoke from factories or buildings taking up your view. People who live in these types of areas usually make a living out of selling souvenirs and handmade things for tourists to buy.

In the city, though, during celebrations at night or anything of the sort, the city is packed with people walking around. There are usually a lot of people selling toys or performing at these times, and restaurants and shops are packed with people. It’s fun to walk around and look at all the acts and musicians.

Even in such a small country, the culture and people of Vietnam are very interesting and it’s why many people visit it to experience these things. The place is full of history and arts, and it’s worthwhile going to because there is so many different aspects to it. There will never be any other country exactly like Vietnam.