Teentrest-Ink by Teentrest Ink

American vs.

British Slang

Kopitiam Food

What else for delicious? How to Make Your Crush Notice You?

Secret Regrets

YOLO?

Editor’s note

One of my students put up his hand and asked me, “Sir, any recommendation of reading materials to improve English language other than newspaper and story book?” It took me a long time to ponder on this question. A magazine, maybe? After searching for some time in the market, there are not many English language learning magazines in the market catered for teenagers. This has encouraged our writing team to take a brave step in creating the very first issue of Teentrest-Ink. I’m here to express the deepest gratitude to all the writers and designers for the great effort in the production of this lovely magazine. English is an international language full of colourful varieties. In this issue, we introduce the differences of American and British English. Additionally, English is not a completely easy language structure to master especially for English as Second Language (ESL) learners. In this issue, we will explore the magical gerund where the -ING verbs turn to nouns. Our cover story for this issue is the Kopitiam food in Penang. Talking about food, it is always the most interesting topic as a proud Malaysian. This gives our readers the opportunity to learn different words for delicious. Enjoy and have fun reading our firstTeentrestInk issue! Thanks for your support.

From,

Win Chan

Editorial Board The Teentrest-ink Workshop Email: teentrest.ink@gmail.com

Editor Aw Win Chan

Copy Editor Adlyn Ahmad Farouk

Writers Faten Ibrahim Lizamaria Raphael Parrikal Sujin Chin Lydia Chai Stacey Polly Barks Martin Hendrikx Joshua Glunk Malvine Ariel Frankeny Elisa

Graphic & Art Editor Chin Tze Chiann

Content

Cover Story Kopitiam Food – What else for delicious?

English Language Gerund Act like Nouns American vs. British Slang Food Idioms

Issue YOLO?

Lifestyle Travel Taste of Diversity

Love/ Relationship How to Make Your Crush Notice You?

Celebrities Eating with the Stars

Reader’s Club Books to read

Columns Hope in the Darkness Secret Regrets

Fun Zone Brain teaser Horoscopes – A Taste for your Horoscope

Issue

By Liza

YOLO?

A group of teenagers are standing huddled together in the park. For a while, they remain tightly grouped surrounding a thin and smaller brown haired boy while darting glances at the nearby lake. The dark haired youngster darts out of the bunch, races towards the pier and jumps right into the icy cold waters below. The other lads cheer and shout at the completion of this event and rush to the scene to congratulate the young stuntman. Unfortunately, he is no longer breathing.

teenagers

Recently, Malaysians were shocked to hear

today are obsessed

of the death of a Form 3 student who fell

with the acronym

through the roof of his school hall. May felt

Many

YOLO which stands for You Only Live Once.

The

mis-

guided idea behind YOLO is that one can crazy,

anything fun

and

sometimes dangerous because you only have one chance in a lifetime to do it. However what many fail to

been prevented if the students had received better guidance. Sources believe that the victim was dared to climb onto the roof of his school to retrieve his pencil case. Why do YOU think young Amri climbed onto the roof?

Did he do it for the fame and glory?

realize are the awful consequences this idea

Many adolescents think it is cool to “go with

can bring.

the flow” and do what everybody else is

Have you ever been challenged to do some-

doing. No one wants to be left out or called

thing exciting, perform something dangerous

a coward. It is normal for us to want to be

or even life threatening? If you enjoy the

included in a gang. Some think that they

adrenaline rush of taking part in such chal-

must prove themselves worthy to be ac-

lenge, you might categorize yourself as a dare-

cepted by a group of people. When asked

devil. Dares can range from something crazy

about this, teens just call it fooling around or

like dancing in the middle of a shopping mall to something downright reckless like crossing

pulling pranks.

the street with your eyes closed. After doing a

“Everyone’s doing it”

dare, one often feels bold, exhilarated and

“What’s the big deal?”

unstoppable. But what happens when something goes wrong? What if someone gets hurt or loses a life? You may have to live out the rest of your life with regret and shame.

that it was a catastrophe that could have

“It’s supercool.”

Issue Did he do it because he was forced to?

So what happens

Sometimes, we feel the need to comply

when these jokes go

with the wants of others, neglecting our

awry?

own safety and wellbeing. Often, we do not realize that we have the right to say NO. Bullies come in many shapes and sizes.

If someone pressures you to do

something that you don’t want to, is HE or SHE really being a friend? When I was in Form 5, my friends dared me to scream in the middle of the school library, but I refused because I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of disturbing the peace. They made fun of me for a while but soon forgot all about it. Never compromise your own security for the entertainment of oth-

In America, teens are caught up in the “planking” phenomenon which requires a person to lie flat on his stomach for at least 5 seconds. The more dangerous the place, the more impressive the “plank”! What we sometimes fail to realize is the danger we pose to ourselves and to others watching. There have been incidents of teens “planking” in the middle of construction sites, or on top of moving vehicles just to be videotaped by their friends. Needless to say, the number of accident

ers. “Come on, be sporting!” Many a times, we hear this and end up acting against our own beliefs and values. When I was in school, my friend was challenged to combine a few volatile and explosive chemicals in the laboratory just for fun. An explosion blew up the sink and a few tables were set ablaze as a result. No one thought she was brave or courageous. On the contrary, she felt quite foolish after the incident.

have also seen a hike. In conclusion, we always need to remember that whatever situation we are facing, there is always a choice. In the wise words

Glossary

of Oprah Winfrey, “If it doesn’t feel right,

Daredevil- A reckless person who does not fear putting his/her own life at risk

don’t do it” Remember that You Only Live Once, so live wisely.

Volatile- Easily evaporates at normal temperature and pressure Awry- to go away from correct or expected plan

Life Style

Hundreds of thousands of people travel every day and their motives to partici-

Taste of Diversity

pate in this activity of course are various –

by Malvine

from business and urban tourism to adventurous and breath-taking experiences in the nature. Yet one common thing all types of travelers can rarely avoid is the cultural exchange, which surely includes vast variety of aspects such as architecture, traditions, language and undoubtedly also food. This article will give you a very brief insight into some foods around the globe representing different cultures yet nobody says you cannot try some of themin your own kitchen (of course, taking into account how available the needed ingredients are to you).

Greek Gyros, photo credit @ mygreekdish.com

Europe most certainly can be proud of having

are incredibly popular in Poland, Ukraine and

the most varied food traditions as it incorpo-

the Baltic States whereas if you’d go a little

rates countries with incredibly diverse cui-

bit to Central Europe, you would find people

sines. If we look upon the Eastern European

telling stories about famous Hungarian gou-

countries, then there is plenty of food one

lasch – soup made of paprika powder, meat

should try. Some of the most well-known ex-

and vegetables. As for the Southern Europe,

amples are potato pancakes (mass of grinded

it surely is the right destination for travelers

potatoes mixed with egg and flour that after-

who have need to fulfill the gastronomical

wards is being cooked in oil) or borsch (the

curiosity – everything from Spanish tortillas

famous soup from beet-root) both of which

(dish made of potatoes) to Greek gyros most certainly should be tasted. In short, once it comes to Europe and eating, you get the whole spectrum of tastes – from super-spicy to just a little bit salty or very sweet so, if going there, be ready that what is fine to be eaten in one country can be considered strange in a country just a few hundreds of kilometers away.

borsch, photo credit @ Marina

Life Style Similarly,

Although Europe is considered to be the

when

best place where to seek for food meant for

going Africa, you would find that there are

different tastes youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find some iconic meals in

many amazing foods you had never tried be-

other

Americans

fore. African cuisine represents rich multeity as

(Brazilians, Argentinians, Colombians and oth-

ingredients and cooking techniques are differ-

ers) for instance are very proud of their Asado

ent for each of the African cultures. One of the

traditional barbeque cooked on open fire using

finest examples that also have been introduced

special methods.

in Europe is Ethiopian cuisine. Usually it means

continents,

too.

South

serving injera â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a flatbrad base on top of which you get different stews and salads. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s particular is that injera is to be eaten with hands and this is how you shall do it even when visiting an Ethiopian restaurant elsewhere besides Africa. No matter to which part of the globe you travel, you will find that food simply cannot be detached from the local culture and thus trying what is offered by the locals usually Asado Traditional Barbeque, photo credit @ Espacio Gastronomico

means honoring their traditions and even history so be open to all kinds of challenges especially once it comes to getting acknowledged with local cuisine and facing some of the most

Also empanadas (pastry stuffed with various ingredients) are very popular dish, which means that visitors of Latin America usually are not allowed to resist trying these.

Injera, photo credit @ wikipedia.com

Empanadas, photo credit @ organiccornerla.com

English Language

Gerunds that Act Like Nouns By Stacey

Julia looked at her iPad. “What is a gerund?” She mused. “How am I going to figure this out for the test tomorrow?” She stared at the screen without really seeing it. Her black knapsack was squashed up under her chair, and her grammar textbook was pushing its way out of the top. “The „ing‟ form of the verb can function like a noun, flashed on her screen in a bright green font. “It‟s so confusing; it follows certain words as a noun, how am I supposed to remember all these words?” There are a lot of special words like love, go out and avoid that can be followed by gerunds. Julia turned one of the words over in her mind, “love”. She thought about her boyfriend Jeremy with his luscious black, curly hair and velvety, smooth skin. She loved dancing, loved holding and loved snuggling with him. Julia touched the IPad screen and another page appeared about gerunds. She started to focus harder on the list of words that were followed by Gerunds. She read the word Detest. “How would I put a gerund after detest?” she wondered. “I detest doing grammar,” She thought and then laughed a little when she realized she had used a gerund. “I detest working at my job, I detest going to the movies with Paula and Joan.” Maybe it wasn‟t that hard after all, those two women were enough to drive anyone crazy. Another tap of on her screen brought her to another page about gerunds, flashing in bold purple. Gerunds were used a lot with comparisons especially the words „like‟ and „dislike‟. Julia had never thought about that.

Danny likes playing tennis but he dislikes jogging, blinked the exercise on her IPad. She thought how she could use comparisons with gerunds. “I like going out but I hate staying home” she tried. She was surprised that gerunds also work with the word hate. That could be useful. There were many things she hated. Grammar tests were at the top of the list. She also hated talking to Emily who always made her feel bad about herself. She didn‟t enjoy putting up with her superior attitude and the way she enjoyed looking at Jeremy when she knew Julia was watching. Julia started to make up a little rhythm to help her remember the words that were followed by gerunds:

She smiled as it started to get easier to remember the list. She realized that a lot of emotional words were followed by gerunds and helped express people‟s feelings. Gerunds seemed to be used more with activities Enjoy, advise and appreciate Admit, prevent and celebrate Promise to decide

and emotions rather than people or things. Julia realized that she didn‟t want to confuse people by saying, “I enjoy sitting with Jeremy instead of I enjoy to sit with Jeremy.” They won‟t understand what I mean, and that would upset me a lot.

English Language British versus American Slang:

Not Just One English By Polly Barks

Imagine asking your friend to give you her diary so you can look through it. In the United Kingdom, your friend might just shrug and give it to you, assuming you want to see if she has some free time this week. In the United States, your friend might give you a nasty look and tell you 'no way!'.

Diary (British English): a book to write all of your important meetings Diary (American English): a private book to write all of your important secrets English is a very flexible language which can vary from country to country. One of the best examples of this is the difference in British and American slang. One word might mean something in New York City but have a very different meaning in London! Students all over the world learn both British and American English... so which one is correct? Actually, neither way of speaking is correct or incorrect â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it just depends on where you're speaking! No matter which type of English you're studying in school, it's important to understand the difference between American and British English so that you can understand other people and so that you can use the correct word in whatever context you're in. Here are some of the most common major differences between British and American slang: What do you call the sport where two teams chase a round ball and try to score goals? In the UK (and most of the world), it's football. In America, it's soccer. If you really need to go to the toilet, what do you ask for? In British English, you should ask for the loo. In American English, you should ask for the john. (It's true!) When you order chips at a restaurant, what do you get? In London you'll get a plate of long, fried potatoes. In New York City, you'll get a bag of thinly-sliced, hard potatoes. If your friend tells you his party will be fancy dress, what should you wear? A British party will be full of people in costumes (like at Halloween), while an American party will be women in long dresses and men in suits. Where does your friend live if he says he lives on the first floor? In England, your friend lives on the floor above ground level. In America, he lives on the floor at ground level. There are many such examples of the differences between British and American English which, while small, can create funny situations if a student doesn't understand a word's different meaning. While in the big picture slang may not seem very important, it's a very useful part of the English language to learn. Think about how much you use slang in your own language and what you would sound like if you didn't use slang! Just like in your own language, it's important to learn English slang and the different variations that occur in different English-speaking countries. Master the difference between British and American slang, and you'll have no trouble fitting in no matter where you go! 6

English Language English is a complex language and there are many different things to learn if you want to speak like a native English speaker including idioms. Idioms are phrases or sayings that are used in everyday conversation that have a meaning other than their literal one. Remember that idioms are normally acceptable in informal situations but if

FOODIES EXPRESSION By Martin Hendrikx

you are doing business, you should stay away from them. Some of the most important ones to learn involve something that every person on the planet needs. Food is something universal from plants to humans. We all need it and talk about it a lot, which is why you should learn some of the most commonly used food related idioms. These idioms can be used in everyday conversation and in typed messages to your friends and family.

To be the “apple of one’s eye” This is used when someone is considered very special to someone else; like a family member, friend, or your crush. Example – Maria is the apple of her boyfriend’s eye.

“As busy as popcorn in a pot” This idiom refers to the fact that the corn kernels jump around and pop quickly

when you make popcorn on the stove. Since popcorn was made in pots with oil

before they made microwaveable popcorn, it is also possible to update it and 7

English Language

“Bite off more than one can chew” When you take too much food in your mouth, it is hard to chew. This idiom refers to trying to do too many things at once. Example – Since I offered to help my neighbour move, and I still have schoolwork and my household chores to do, I think I bit off more than I can chew.

“In a pickle” This idiom doesn’t really have a logical explanation but it is commonly used to refer to some sort of trouble or problems that you are facing. Example – I was riding my scooter on the highway and got a flat tire. Since I didn’t have a spare and my cell phone was dead, I was really in a pickle.

“Slice/piece of the pie” This idiom means that you get a share or portion of something. It typically refers to money as well. Example – When all of my co-workers heard that I won the lottery, they all wanted a piece of the pie.

“Cheesed off” Cheesed off refers to someone being annoyed or irritated. Example – When I found out that the professor assigned a 5 page assignment that was due in three days, I was really cheesed off.

If you ever hear another idiom that is not on this list, feel free to ask the person what they meant or remember it for later and try to google it. Practice these idioms with your friends and family so that they stick in your head and you can use them like a native. 8

eating with the Stars By Josh Glunk

We enjoy watching them on TV or on the big screen and listening to them on the radio. Hollywood celebrities, sports legends, and world famous musicians are a part of our culture. But some have gone beyond merely entertaining us, as they have opened some pretty awesome restaurants. Although it will surprise some, these celebrity owned dining destinations are both fantastic in terms of the food that they offer and their overall designs. The establishments themselves do not typically reflect the lifestyle of these celebrities, but are inviting never the less. If you music is your thing, try one of these musician owned eateries. Rock star Bon Jovi’s Soul Kitchen not only possesses some rocking food, but also has some interesting policies. Attendees do not pay set menu prices, since this New Jersey restaurant allows guests to pay whatever they want, as a donation or volunteer their time in exchange for food.

Photo credit @Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation

But perhaps rock is not your thing, so possibly Toby Keith’s southern-style Detroit restaurant is worth checking out. Named after the country artist’s single, I love this Bar & Grill is decked out with Keith’s personal effects and has eight other locations.

Photo credit @ Vegas.com

Southern Hospitality Restaurant, photo credit @ Southern Hospital-

The pop star’s Southern Hospitality brings the American South to the Big Apple. Sport fans can take in some Green Bay Packer spirit, with former quarterback Brett Favre’s Steakhouse. But Packer memorabilia is not all that this Steakhouse has to offer, as it boasts some excellent cuisine and mouthwatering steaks. Another quality steakhouse is that of NBA legend Michael Jordan, which has multiple locations. The chain is present in New York City, Connecticut, and Chicago, as only fitting for the former Bull’s player. Although known for steak, the New York location hosts executive chef, Ted Pryor, who makes a well-renown crab cake. But if you prefer and are craving more varied food, golfer Arnold Palmer’s La Quinta in California is worth the time of any golf-enthusiast or just someone craving some excellent grub. Any of these sports celebrity locations are definitely worth a visit if you are in any of these corre-

If these two music styles are not inviting, Justin Timberlake fans can enjoy some southern comfort food at his two New York City locations. 9

Photo credit @ FijiWater

Arnold Palmer’s La Quinta, Photo credit @ arnoldpalmersrestaurant.com

If you tend to be drawn to Hollywood’s movie stars, there are a few who have opened some rather impressive eateries. While Aston Kutcher is usually known for his goofy antics and comedic relief, there is nothing laughable about his Atlanta dining area. The restaurant is especially known for its outdoor patio, where the lighting and overall atmosphere provides a pleasant eating experience at Dolce Enoteca e Ristorante. Ghost busters’ star, Dan Akroyd, joined comedy legend Jim Belushi and the pair now has thirteen locations for their House of Blues chain. These are known for their delicious food and live music.

Celebrity restaurants are now providing tourists and locals with delicious food and enjoyable environments. While New York City and areas around Hollywood house many of these eateries, some of the chains span the United States, while others have expanded beyond the country, such as the Hard Rock Café. Regardless of whether you go for the amazing food or merely the scenery, you are sure to be in for an excellent experience.

House of Blue, Photo credit @ hummingbirdmedia.com

Glossary Big Apple – the nickname for New York City. Memorabilia – things that are remarkable and worthy of remembrance/collection. Cuisine – A style or method of cooking, especially as characteristic of a particular country, region, or establishment

COVER STORY

We MALAYSIAN love to explore and find new places to eat. We also like to try different variety of food. To our advantage, in our multiracial county, there is a wide range of food that we can choose to eat because each ethnic group has its own specialty. Examples of cuisines are nasi lemak, char kueyteow and roti canai. Aren’t those food yummy? Well, those are the common food that people eat for breakfast. Another Malaysian favourite breakfast meal is the kopitiam food.

WHAT IS KOPITIAM FOOD? ‘Kopi’ means coffee and ‘tiam’’ means shop. In short, kopitiam is actually a coffee shop. It is a perfect spot to hang out with family and friends and it is also suitable for people of any generations. So, what is kopitiam food? The A NYONE UP FOR A CUP OF COFFEE ? answer is as easy as the food that is served in a kopitiam. There are various types of food that people can eat in a kopitiam, but the most renowned and famous kopitiam food is simply a set of tasty half-boiled eggs and toast served together with a cup of coffee or tea. In Malaysia and Singapore, kopitiam is highly dominated by the Chinese. As recommended by an influential Chinese food and restaurant guide website, OpenRice, these are the Top 6 kopitiams you must visit in Penang - Kheng Pin Cafe, EngLoh Cafeteria and Hotel, Toh Soon Cafe, Ah Lai Kopitiam, KekSeng Cafe and last but not least, JooHooi Cafe. Although most people would associate kopitiam and kopitiam food with the Chinese society in comparison to other races, there is a growing number of kopitiam food served in other eateries too. Surprisingly! This might due to the positive assimilation between the different cultures and races in our country. Thus, I took some of my time to KOPITIAM FOOD TOUR One of the eateries that I went was Honey’s Corner. This small family business is owned and operated by a Malay lady. The shop is even named after the owner’s name. Honey’s Corner is situated in one of the shop lots (corner lot) in the food court near Rope Walk, Georgetown, which is located next to the Bandaraya Stadium. This small shop has a variety

Coffee TIME in 11

by Nonnakaran

Kopitiam

COVER STORY

of delicious toast menu options that you can choose from to enjoy it together with two half-boiled eggs. Examples are toast with baked beans, toast with jam, toast with cheese and few others. In addition, nasi lemak is also sold here! However, this shop only serves food and not including the drinks. So, you might need to get your drinks from other shops nearby. After you have finished your meal, you can go window shopping or entertain your eyes with the goods sold in the flea market right opposite the food court. You can find almost anything and everything under the sun there.

'ROTI TELUR GOYANG' AT H ONEY 'S C ORNER

The next destination is Transfer Road, Georgetown. Located in the heart of the city, here, I found two street stalls that sell the kopitiam food. Both stalls are being run by Indian-Malay mixed (Mamak) owners. One is situated along the road (opposite a bakery) and the other one is situated right at the end of the road (opposite a hotel). Nevertheless, both stalls are populated with people almost every minute. Not only they serve the typical mouth-watering kopitiam food, they also have other food such as nasi lemak, delicacies and even roti canai. What acK OPITIAM FOOD IN T RANSFER ROAD tivity can you do after breakfast? Well, you take a trishaw ride around Georgetown to explore and enjoy the view of the town area from a different perspective and of course in a different pace. Lastly, I went over to the mainland and found a small shop near Kampung Pertama, Permatang Pauh that sells palatable kopitiam food. It is known as ‘WarungAdikAbang’. Running the business under a cozy shed, it is a family business initiated and owned by a Malay man and his siblings. In addition to the classic kopitiam food, they also have different breakfast sets ranging from local to international food such as nasi lemak, omelette, English breakfast and fried noodles. All of the food looks appetising. However, the service was rather slow. Luckily the food tastes good. As the saying goes ‘full belly, happy heart’ and at the end of the POWER VOCABULARY day, everybody left the shop with a smile. A society that EATS together, STAY together forever!

Other words you can use for “delicious”

Yummy Tasty Mouth-watering Appetising Palatable Scrumptious

was a deep hole - so deep that you

cannot expect anybody to hear you even if you shouted with all your might. “Ouch! My arm hurts! I cannot move!” Jen was holding her injured arm with her other hand. “Who is over there?” A distinguished male voice was heard and frightened Jen, who was still in pain but tried hard to stand up to look for the source. She replied, “I am Jen. Who are you? Where am I? What is this place?” It was a strange place. Everywhere was dark. You could barely see your five fingers waving in front of you. All you can see was just darkness, not even the slightest sun ray could penetrate through it.

“Jen? Is this you?” he asked, with heavy breaths exhaling from his mouth as though he just went on a marathon. “Y-es… It’s me. Where am I? Where is this place? Why am I here? A moment ago, I was actually… jogging… yes, jogging in the park. Then, I fell into this deep hole and… I couldn’t remember what happened next until I met you here,” explained Jen in her weak and shabby voice. “Don’t be afraid. You are not alone. In fact, there is more than just the two of us here. However, only we can hear each other. You must be wondering why this is so. I came to this place one month before you arrived. At that time, luckily I had no injury but I was alone.

“Okay Jen, I am Adrian. Keep counting from 1 to 100”, said Adrian. “What? Are you kidding me, dude? I am in pain now and you still want me to count what, 1 to 100? I need a doctor, not a Mathematics teacher!” Jen replied angrily. “Listen to me. Just do as I say. Otherwise, I can’t find you,” Adrian tried to explain to her with full patience. Despite the pain and uncomfortable surrounding, poor Jen had no choice but to abide to Adrian. She started counting from 1 to 100. Each utterance was accompanied with a painful groan. Finally, when she reached 88, Adrian managed to find her and patted her shoulder. 13

Written by: Lydia Chai

A soft voice told me to wait patiently because there will be another person coming in a month’s time. I guess you are the person it meant.” While telling the tale, Adrian tried to examine the injured Jen in the dark. Surprisingly, he seemed to know what he was doing and Jen was feeling much better after a few pulls and stretches. “You are all good now. Luckily, it is just a sprain. Try to move a little,” instructed Adrian. “Thank you Adrian. Can you tell me now, where is this place? How did I get here?” “I don’t know. This place is like a black hole. Nobody can enter easily and nobody can leave as they wish. It is like a vacuum, which sucks people into it.” “Okay enough of the fantasy. Are you telling me there is no way out from here?” “There is, if you believe.” “Believe what?” Adrian slowly exhaled and continued, “That there is hope in darkness”. “That is im-poss…” Jen paused suddenly. She started to realize something – a truth.

Impossible is the destruction of hope. Darkness is dark because there is a lack of light and hope. Jen slowly closed her eyes and murmured silently in her heart. She decided to change her perception of how she viewed this place. To her surprise, when she opened her eyes once again, the place was no longer dark. It was beautiful, like a scenery in a painting. There were beautiful valleys and streams flowing with crystal clear water. Fishes could be seen swimming freely and everything was just beautiful. Jen was delighted. She turned around to look for Adrian. “Adrian! Adrian! Look!” However, she did not receive any response from anyone. She was alone at this serene place. Adrian seemed to be missing. She closed her eyes and prayed so that she could see Adrian again. As she was praying, a familiar voice interrupted, “Jen! Jen! Are you okay?” It was Jen’s mother. Slowly, Jen opened up her eyes once again. In front of her was her worried mother. Jen was told that she encountered a car accident and went into a coma for a few days. During her unconscious state, she kept mentioning a name; Adrian. After a few days, Jen returned to school. A boy entered the class, claiming to be a new student transferred from another school. His name is Adrian.

Hi there. How has school life been treating you? Are you feeling great? Ex-

hausted? Bored? Either way, I am sure you just can‟t wait for the year to end. As for Form 5, you must have been screaming, “Let‟s get the SPM over and done with!” You want to be free. Free from the clutches of those nosy adults, be they your teachers or your parents, and most importantly, you are free to do whatever you want. No longer having to wake up pretty early or wear stuffy school uniform and you know what, you don‟t even have to bother about homework anymore! Yayyyy!!

Well, that was exactly how I felt when I graduated from high school….until I entered the university. At that time, often deep within my subconscious, had I been given a second chance to rewind the clock and enter high school just one more time...I would take it. Why, do you wonder?

Secret Regrets By ChePah

As a teenager, I suffered from a quite serious inferiority complex. Well, I was, from my perspective. You see, I was in the school‟s netball team back in primary school. When I went for a tryout during Form 1, I felt discouraged at the thought that the other girls had played until the state and national levels. Even during practice, it seemed to me that they were more „favoured‟ by the seniors. So I quit.

When I was in Form 2, I was elected to join „EDAR‟, which stands for „Exco Dakwah Ruhiyyah‟, an organisation that handles students‟ affairs with regards to religious matters. It felt like a heavy load and I was scared of not actually being „qualified‟ for the job. I wrote a letter to the teacher begging to let me go. And so, I quit. I hated wearing uniforms. Therefore I didn‟t join any society. The fact that my school did not make it compulsory, if a student joined a martial art club, had made it easier for me. For sports club, I joined the chess club on the pretence I was interested in the game. Unfortunately, I am ashamed to admit that up to this very day, I do not know how to play chess. When I was in Form 4, the principal announced in front of the school that I was elected to be the second Vice Head Prefect. How did I react? I cried. Not because of happiness; but out of grief. I was scared and yeah, I hated it. I hated it to the point that I decided to quit school. After much discussion and counselling, I decided to give it a try. 15

“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” E.E. Cummings

When I was in Form 5, I was supposed to become the Head Prefect. It had always been the tradition that the second Vice Head Prefect would be the Head Prefect, unless there were objections, which was unlikely. In my case, I nominated a friend of mine to be the Head Prefect instead and I opted for the post treasurer. I was scared, and I hated conflicts. So I gave up. We learn best from experience. When I was at the university, there were challenges, that if I were to face my fears back then, I might have had the „technical know-how‟ on how to deal with things. Of course, things would still go wrong and even worst at times, but at least I would be prepared. All these remind me of my father‟s advice, “School is A PLACE TO LEARN. It is here that you are allowed to make mistakes. You are not alone, remember, everyone is going through the same process.”

If you are extremely shy and scared of big crowds, but would like to join the debate team, IT IS OKAY. Just go and sign up for it! If you are assigned a task or a post, and have absolutely no idea on how or what to do, IT IS FINE. Even the Prime Minister had to start from somewhere. Just do it! What you do in high school shapes you into who you are and what you can be.

Picture credit: @electerra

Life Style

How to make your crush notice By Elisa

Every day is just like every other ordinary day until you meet “The One” (at least that‟s what you think). This Prince Charming or dream girl of yours appears genuinely attractive and everything they do enlightens you. You get butterflies in your stomach whenever you see them. Even your friends realize that you keep on smiling for unknown reasons. We‟ve all been through it and we LOVE that feeling! And since everyone has Facebook nowadays, you even stalk them. Trust me, it‟s ABSOLUTELY normal. So you want them to notice you but it seems impossible. No worries. Here, I‟ll tell you 5 tricks to get their eyes on you. Before that, make sure that they don‟t have that „special someone‟. It wouldn‟t be nice to separate a couple, would it?

Find out his/her interest Get to know what they like! See if you share the same interest. Dig up for some information from their friends or acquaintances but DO NOT make it too obvious. They might mention it to your crush and that would totally scare them off. You don’t want to bury your face in the sand, do you? If you’re shy, look up on Facebook. Check on what they’re up to. See where they usually hang, what sports they’re into or what kind of music they listen to. Once you start talking to him/her, you won’t have to worry about the “awkward silence + cricket sound” atmosphere.

Groom yourself It’s not all about the looks. It’s the impression you give your crush that matters. Keep yourself neat and tidy. Wear stylish clothes but don’t go over the top as you will end up looking sloppy. Make sure you smell good too. Put on some perfume but not too much. Keep it simple yet classy and you’ll be fine.

Life Style

Be confident! Everyone loves someone with confidence. They always reflect a good personality and it’ll naturally make you more attractive. Even better if your crush sees that in you! Show them how content you are with your life and believe me; it will make them want to know more about you. After all, confidence is sexy!

Find an excuse to talk to them Ask your crush whatever that comes on your mind. Of course it has to make sense, but just go for it. If you’re in the

same

school,

university

neighborhood, ask anything regarding stuff that’s related to them such as what clubs or society they joined and what kind of activities they did. Pretend that you need their help for the research or assignments you’re currently doing and see where the conversation leads to.

Socialize Socialize with everyone and be approachable. Stay out of dramas to avoid giving yourself a bad image. By chance, if your crush happens to ask about you to people, they’ll only hear pleasant stories of you. You do want them to see

Now that you‟ve figured it all out, you know what to do. If it doesn‟t work out, remind yourself that there are other people who will notice how amazing you are, especially if you follow these tips.

Life Style

Bookstoread By Sujin Chin

Big Stone Gap Author: Adriana Trigiani

Okay, this book is really more suitable for girls. It is also a book that takes you back into the past where you live in a small town and coal mining is a big thing. The main character is Ave Maria. She is the local pharmacist (the only one; so you can imagine how small the town is) living on her own in Big Stone Gap. Yes, Big Stone Gap is the name of the town and it’s in Virginia, United States. Before you start dreaming about living in the United States and how life is like over there, let me remind you that the setting of this book is in 1978 so it’s not really a good representation of what the US is like right now.

Author: Adriana Trigiani

Being in a small town means everyone knows everything about everyone, there’s little hope of keeping secrets because you can’t stop the power of gossip. Scary? Well, both Ave Maria’s parents are dead and it is now that she found out from the lawyer that there’s family secret: She is not who she thinks she is. Her biological father is actually alive and is in Italy. Soon, this news spread like wild fire and Ave Maria’s friends want to know what she is going to do about it. Ave seems to be at a loss and then she received two marriage proposals; making her even more confused. If it’s you, what would you do? The author wrote it in a way that makes us see through Ave Maria’s actions on what she might do eventually. Whenever someone in town asks Ave, she would say she don’t know but in actual fact, everything she does seems to be leading her into leaving Big Stone Gap to find her real dad. Did she leave town to go to Italy? Or did she stay back in Big Stone Gap to have family of her own? Whose marriage proposal did she accept? You will only know if you read the book. I stayed up till late at night just to finish reading it.

Life Style

Books To Read

File Under:

Suspicious Incidents here’s your chance to test whether you have

Author: Lemony Snicket

the eye for details and the knack to be a great detective. In this particular book, we get to be Lemony Snicket! Yes, the author has the same name as the main character and we encounter mysterious cases brought to him. Although he’s young, he talks in a mature and serious manner. Sometimes he would even teach you new words, so if you get this book, try and list the words he has taught you.

All the cases end with Lemony stating that he’s solved it but it doesn’t tell you how he solved it so you have to guess what made him say he’s solved it and what makes him so sure he’s got the right criminal. Some can be mind-boggling but I can guarantee you its all very fun. If you really can’t figure out how he has done it, then you get to turn to the back of the book where he gives you an explanation. Remember to do that only if you can’t solve the mystery or if you want to check if you’re on the right track. Whilst there are 13 cases, there are more than 13 explanations at the back of the book just to throw you off track. So you had better keep an eye on the correct page to turn to so you can get the right solution.

It’s really not too hard to solve the mysteries; all you have to do is read carefully because almost anything can give you a clue in helping you solve the mysteries. Remember to read between the lines and to connect the dots. If you succeeded in solving the mystery on your own and it checks out with Lemony Snicket’s explanation then you have potential to be a detective. If you don’t, never fear; at least you know what you won’t be doing in the future.

By Sujin Chin

Fun Zone

WORD TWIST Take a piece of blank paper and a pencil. In this 4 X 4 square of letters, find and write as many words as possible. Each word must have at least three letters.

ANSWER

BOET (3), BOR (3), BORD (6), BORE (3), BORER (5), BORT (4), BORTIER (7), BREI (4), BREN (6), BRIE (3), BRIER (5), BRIN (6), BRINE (4), BRINER (10), BRIO (3), BRIT (4), BRITT (8), BRO (3), COB (3), COR (3), CORD (3), CORE (3), CORER (5), COZ (7), COZE (7), COZEN (8), CRETIN (5), CRIER (5), CRINE (6), CRIT (3), CRITTER (7), CROZE (9), CROZER (13), DRIER (4), ERN (6), INERT (4), IRE (3), NERD (3), NET (3), NETT (3), NIE (6), NIT (3), NITE (3), NITER (5), NITRE (5), NITRO (6), NITTIER (9), NIX (5), ORB (3), ORC (6), ORD (3), ORE (3), ORT (4), OTTER (4), REI (6), REIN (3), REN (6), REO (3), RET (3), RETRO (5), REZ (9), RIN (6), RINE (6), RIOT (3), RIT (3), RITE (3), RITT (6), RITTER (10), ROB (3), ROC (4), ROE (3), ROZET (11), TEN (3), TERN (3), TIE (3), TIER (3), TIN (3), TINE (3), TINIER (5), TIRE (3), TIRO (3), TIT (3), TITE (6), TITER (5), TITI (4), TITRE (5), TIX (5), TOIT (6), TREZ (9), TRIE (6), TRIER (5), TRIN (6), TRINE (6), TRIO (3), ZEIN (9), ZERO (6), ZORI (9)



You are allowed to move in any direction, as long as the next letter is touching, but you cannot use the same letter more than once per word. 

After you finish writing, check the answer below and each word has score awarded. 

Total up your score. (Answer below) 

Challenge your friends.

Fun Zone

Sudoku Fill a number in to every cell in the grid, using the numbers 1 to 9 You can only use each number once in each row, each column, and in each of the 3Ă&#x2014;3 boxes.

Fun Zone

A TASTE OF YOUR HOROSCOPE from timescity.com

The 12 horoscopes represent different types of food. Each type of food has different characteristic and specialty. Let‟s take a look at your horoscope to find out what food you are matching with.

Aries Being a fire sign, Aries are completely in love with anything that’s spicy – basically anything that’s red. Red curries, chillies or tomatoes, Aries are drawn towards the aroma of spices and herbs. Anything that is quick to whip up and ultra delicious matches perfectly with their personality, which is possibly why you will find Aries often stuffing themselves with a bevy of junk food items. On the upside, they love to experiment with new foods. Foods they love: French fries, gol-gappas, garlic, red meat, paprika

Taurus These bulls are emotional and they carry their sentiments to their food also. The idea of trying the new does not appeal to them and they seek comfort from the traditional when it comes to food. Strong flavors like mint, chocolate, coriander, parsley tend to catch their fancy. They get excited with the idea of luxurious fine dining but are usually lazy when it comes to hitting the treadmill running. However, they do keep going into diet mode every now and then, coming back all lean and slim. Gluttony is a sin they that seems to have been invented because of a particularly lazy and hungry Taurus. Foods they love: Aloo paranthas, chocolates, cheese, curd

Gemini Ask any Gemini to name their favourite food and they will come up with varied options – everything from burgers and pizzas to salads and veggies excites them. Their choice for food is diverse to say the very least and they love novelty. Generally blessed with a low appetite, they usually feast with their eyes first thus their food needs to look good and appetizing. Wining, dining and being at the centre of prestigious social gatherings really gets them going. Foods they love: Coffee, colas, pizzas, nuts, sandwiches

Cancer Cancerians are the ones you’ll find queuing up at desserts and pastry shops for hours. They’re the guys who’ll dream cupcakes and besan ke laddoo. They are addicted to sweets and fancy desserts – chocolates cakes, to caramel mousse, strawberry souffle and fruit puddings – are totally their thing. Foods they love: Sea food, soups, breads, ice creams, potato chips 23

Fun Zone Leo Lions have a taste for luxury and panache in life and love food that’s expensive, classy and exploding with flavours. Hot spices, chillies, pickles and condiments make their taste buds tingle and as a result, cuisines like Indian and Mexican always do the trick for them. Leos not only demand superb food on their tables but are also not averse to making a dining experience memorable by doing something cool Foods they love: Pickle, curries, hot peppers, papad, bhujiya

Virgo The mascot of health food, Virgos are in love with green leafy wonders such as broccoli, spinach, and cabbage. Gluttony is not their thing and they believe in satisfying their hunger with fresh produce, raw salads and natural ingredients. Foods they love: Nuts, granola, green salads, white wine

Scorpio Allured by seductive food they seek pleasure in gorging on food with aphrodisiac effects – walnuts, oysters, strawberries and drumsticks. In particular, they have a peppery palette and are drawn towards spices, chillies and garlic. Foods they love: Black olives, dark chocolates, meat, green onion, crabs

Sagittarius They’re usually not fussy eaters, they will eat tindas and tauris as easily as they will a kebab. They have a special place in their hearts for fried stuff, and therefore Moroccan and Indian cuisine work best for them. Foods they love: Chickpeas, bitter gourd, paneer tikka, tortilla chips

Capricorn They’re health freaks by nature and because they tend to pile on those pounds with relative ease, they usually keep a hawk eye on what goes in their tummies. A simple home-cooked meal with the right amount of nutrients and vegetables will put a smile on their face. For them, simplicity and quality do the trick. Foods they love: Pistachios, leafy vegetables, eggs, cold soups

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Aquarius Aquarians would want to know what goes into making exotic dishes, but they may not have the heart to put their taste buds at stake. They usually seek comfort in simple ingredients and dishes like dal chawal or palak paneer. They go for nosh that is quick, fast and yet not high on calorieslike sandwiches, pasta, noodles, salads and corns. Foods they love: Cherry, dal chawal, lime, smoothies, rice

Pieces A fish without water and a Pisces without sea food on their plate – they will both suffer. The paired fish sign is more often than not tempted by the exotic creations of Thai and Chinese cuisines mainly for their extensive use of sea food. They like water based foods like melon, sugarcane, cucumber and strawberries. Foods they love: Chilly sauce, banana chips, fish, shrimp, juices

Libra Just like their lives, Librans seek balance in their food. Patrons of perfection, finesses and fineness, they like foods which are beyond the obvious and redefine luxury. Also, they are ardent admirers of creativity and innovation when it comes to food. Their favourite food formula is “Surprise me!” Foods they love: Fruit dessert, wine, chocolate, popcorn, berry