What I want to do when I grow up

When I grow up, I know I'm going to meet a lot of challenges. Most grown ups, when you ask them about growing up, will of course tell you about how much they work to pay their bills and how jobs are tiring and how being grown up is very hard. Of course I believe that to an extent, but I also believe there is a lot of fun that comes with some jobs. Of course, there are actually a lot of fun sounding jobs (don't worry, lawyer isn't one of these) and I have a hard time choosing some of them.

One thing you might know me for is how I like to draw and make art. Of course, artist is always an option, but there is the stereotype that artists don't make a lot of money. A art related job that pays well? Writing a successful comic might be nice as I like making them, but it's known that some artists who were forced to make detailed comics in a short span of time were very stressed and miserable. An art director? The idea seems actually quite nice, and I'd benefit from it, so that one would actually be quite a nice job.

But on the other hand, writing is a hobby of mine and I do it a lot (hence this blog exists). An author would be the most likely option when you hear about writing, but I don't know about writing an entire book when the most I've ever written is at the most 5 or 6 pages of a narrative. What about journalism? I'd have the chance to travel the world and meet a lot of people, so that wouldn't be too bad. 

Another thing I'd really like to do is to work in anything movie related. I prefer animation, but that might just be because I watch that more. Not just for the art/drawing, but I would really like to direct or help with the music. Experimenting with sound is really fun, but I'm still not a professional musician, so I would do considerably less in that area but I still think that would make me really happy. With directing, I have made a few stopmotion and animation movies since the age of 6 or 7 (and that was really fun). About a year or two ago, I made a short film with a group of my classmates, just for fun. We didn't end up winning the competition that we had entered in, but I did end up making up a little song that I drew an animation for (that my classmates ended up really liking). Of course those short films weren't professional, but I had a lot of fun and ended up getting a lot of ideas from it.

So which one would it be? I would be really pleased with getting any one of them, but if I had to choose one, it would be assisting in making films. Those are two of my favourite things combined, and I would have the most fun in doing those. Who knows, I might end up being a lawyer one day, but all I'm thinking of these days is following my dreams.

Why libraries are better than e-books

With technology advancing quickly the way it is, things are so much more accessible online and even the written book, which has existed for centuries, is being replaced by e-books. But this one change isn't necessarily beneficial. Libraries not only are good for your mind as they are peaceful and calming, without potentially hurting your eyes, but they allow you to study and be able to ask for help from librarians. Another thing is, apart from all the wonderful books they have, libraries offer a range of activities and clubs to allow you to be social and find some new friends, all while being able to do your hobbies. E-books may be 'efficient', but they don't provide all the benefits that libraries come with.

Libraries are the ideal place someone goes to when they want to be at peace. The quietness of libraries has a calming effect, and talking with a calm person is much nicer than talking to someone constantly stressed and angry. Even walking to the library has a more soothing effect on your mind than being cooped up in your home with your tablet, making your eyes tired and droopy. When you hear the word 'library' itself, the first thing that usually pops up in your mind is that it's a calm and tranquil place, isn't it? Well, even taking the smallest trip to your local library will prove more beneficial for your body and mind than burying your face into a computer screen ever will.

Being calming and good for your health isn't the only thing libraries can do. Libraries help bring communities together and have a history behind them. People who need a job can always work at the library, and libraries also play a role in the economy to benefit others. Libraries also offer the education that some people might not receive, as they're free and easily accessible. Poor and homeless people can learn by just going to the library and reading books. This is how libraries might even change lives of some people.

E-books don't allow you to be social. In fact, they might as well keep you inside for longer. But libraries offer things like clubs, activities and workshops to keep you busy. This way, not only can you possibly discover a new hobby, but you can find new friends who find a similar interest. There is always an activity you might be interested in, that isn't always about reading or books. Board game clubs, calligraphy activities, knitting or videogame clubs are all things your local library probably offers. Many parents also find group reading (where someone reads books to toddlers and babies) really helpful in helping their child calm down and start a love of reading with friends. Libraries sometimes aren't all about books, they're about connecting with other people and making friendships, which is something that e-books don't give you.

So next time you have a science project, boredom or a crying toddler on your hands, try going to the library for once instead of having your eyes glued to a phone. You'll find yourself having a better time that way, and being able to use your time on a more rewarding and valuable experience. Maybe you can find a new friend there, but you'll never know unless you go!

Recount: Anne Boleyn's old house

About three years ago, my family and I went to Anne Boleyn's old house, Blickling Hall. If you don't know who Anne Boleyn was, you should take a closer look at your English kings and queens. Henry VIII, famous for having 6 wives throughout his entire lifetime, married Anne after he divorced his first wife(he did end up beheading Anne, though.). We had travelled from Australia all the way to England, and decided to visit some important historical destinations, and I was thrilled to be visiting the house of a person that I knew about. I used to be very interested in history, and Anne Boleyn was a name I had heard of many times.

The path leading up to the house was quite plain, being nothing but a neat gravel path, surrounded by neatly trimmed bushes. But once you were in the house, I remember it being grandiose and luxurious. Bedrooms were scattered everywhere, the libraries (imagine if your house had a whole library!) were extravagant and decorated entirely in wood, and the house greatly resembled a castle, not that much different to Queen Elizabeth II's  estate (possibly a little more homely). From being the place where Anne was born and raised to being a major tourist attraction, the house was very well kept and tidy.

We had a tour guide bring us around, who brought us around to each room of the house and explained the history behind every room. There was a room reserved for royals and important people, which was much more lavish than any of the other rooms. It was barely used though, apart from one time where Charles II visited. His visit itself was quite odd, since the house was parliamentarian and even had a painting of Oliver Cromwell, who had previously fought with Charles's father, Charles I.

Speaking of paintings, the house was absolutely covered in them. There were paintings of monarchs, of relatives, and each one was delicate and had a beauty of its own. Even the carpets, wallpapers and fireplaces were all unique in their own way and had a history behind each one. Exquisitely decorated, the house had a homey feel and was very comforting.
I hope to return one day, to experience it all again and to remember the history behind the house.

Why palm oil should not be used

Pretty much everything you've used today contains palm oil in it. Soap, spreads, makeup, noodles, creams are only a few of the things that use palm oil, and you've probably already used a bunch of them today. It seems useful, doesn't it?

 But the harvesting of palm oil is fatal to the animals who need it-orangutans, tigers and elephants are a few who need this palm oil for their habitat. Not only are the populations of the animals who use palm oil declining rapidly, but palm oil is basically running out and is hard to acquire. Another thing is that reusable resources exist, yet we don't use them enough and instead risk the lives of harmless animals. This is why more people need to take action to reduce the use of palm oil.

Palm oil comes from oil palms, commonly found in Africa, and some parts of Asia. These palms a considered a home to many animals. Those three animals I mentioned earlier are only a small part of 193 species affected by the farming of palm oil around the world. Imagine nearly murdering an entire species just so your favourite shampoo company could release a new product. Half of the products in your local supermarket probably have palm oil in them as well. The act of farming for palm oil has forced animals to look for new habitats, as all the oil palms have been cut down and leaves them vulnerable. These animals have never done anything, yet we have destroyed almost all their homes and killed nearly all of them off. Approximately 6000 orangutans have died each year and there are only around 400 Sumatran tigers on the Earth, yet we keep wasting all this palm oil and not try to do anything about it.

There is also not enough land on this Earth to grow palm oil, since almost all the land in Indonesia and Malaysia has been taken up, and oil palms can't grow as well in different places. Not only is this a problem for the animals if we want to restore their habitats, but that most of these problems could have been prevented if we made attempts to use reusable resources earlier. Doing this would have also prevented many other problems to do with the environment. Things like pollution that are a result of the manufacturing are also harmful to the environment. 

It's time for us to start thinking about all the animals that have been affected by our decisions and ways we can change this. There are so many options, but we have never thought enough about it. So what are you going to do? Are you going to wait for all the animals to die off, or are you going to try and make some changes and help them? It's your choice, but you'll find it has a significant impact on our environment.

Why students shouldn't have to wear school uniform

School uniform is one of the most important things about school, and you can easily see that there are many rules about it. Many schools promote it, and recommend it so students can represent the school. However, you may notice that these schools never view it from the students' perspectives and never think about it from the way they see it. Here is why schools should think more about their students' wellbeing by allowing them to wear what suits them.

Being able to casually dress to school also gives a sense of freedom, having more time in the mornings to get ready. A dress code can always be enforced, but being able to dress confidently allows students to study with more ease, instead of having to think about the uncomfortableness of the uniform, having to constantly change into different uniforms or having to think about getting new uniforms. Students go to school to learn, not to think about badly designed uniforms. The extra attention that uniforms require, e.g. blazers, bothers families about not being able to just toss them in the wash. Families with more than 1 child can just reuse clothes that the older children previously used and give them to the younger children, saving money and time. Having uniforms makes it difficult, unless there is rare occasion that there is a family with kids the go to the same school, have the same gender, preferences, size, and the uniform is still in good condition.

Of course, schools still insist on making their students wear uniforms for a range of reasons. They say that students might be bullied based on the types of things they wear. But then again, the actual problem is bullying and not students being able to wear things that allow them to feel like they have a sense of identity. Schools often also state that there will be a clear difference from more privileged kids to less privileged kids based on the clothes they can wear, and that it creates a barrier between those two groups of students. However, it is way more likely that students just choose comfortable clothes to think more about their studies. There will also be more things in life that show the difference between these two groups of people other than just uniform. Another point that schools try to give is that on field trips, students can easily get lost and they can be found easily due to their uniforms. On the other hand, that problem can be easily fixed by having the students wear things like tags.

Sometimes, not being able to wear a school uniform is totally unrelated to fashion, and more like what suits the students. Things like the uniforms designed for specifically each gender is a problem, such as having to wear heavy trousers on a hot day, or having more parts to a girls uniform, making it harder to change. Disabled children may also feel discomfort from wearing certain types of uniform and it would be much easier for them to just wear what would suit them, instead going through all the trouble to buy a special uniform or to convince the school to wear something that they feel more comfortable in. The children can wear something that doesn't constrict them, and with less trouble. Families that don't have the budget to buy a useless uniform that must be replaced constantly can use their money for more important things.

There are so many benefits that come from not being forced to wear uniforms. Students can feel more comfortable, and the main concern of their school should be focus on their wellbeing. A laidback, relaxed environment is what every school needs, and that all starts with letting the students wear what they want.