CONTINUOUS: ARGUMENTATIVE Which do you prefer, living in the countryside or living in the city?

Countryside I think living in the countryside is far better than living in the city. There are numerous of reasons why living in countryside is the better than the city. The scenery, the streets, the people and the paced are totally different compare to the city. The first outstanding characteristic about the countryside is that it is beautiful and peaceful. The air is fresh and the surroundings green. This is because the countryside is free from pollution, be it air, land or noise pollution. There no such perfect peaceful view that you can see other than in the countryside. There are no crowded streets and heavy traffic in the countryside. Thus there are no fumes from cars and smoke from factories buildings to pollute the air. The trees surrounded the countryside help the people from inhaling the polluted air. The freshness smell of plant somehow helps the people of the countryside to have a healthy life. Furthermore, people in the countryside are more conscious of keeping their surroundings clean and so there is little throwing of rubbish everywhere, only at designated places. This is unlike the cities where if the garbage trucks do not collect the rubbish DISPOSED by household or restaurants, the city will be overflowing with rubbish! This will attract the mosquitoes, fly, rats and wild dogs to pollute their surrounding that will cause them to have diseases like dengue and cholera. Thirdly, heavy traffic and crowded streets increase the level of noise pollution. The honking of cars in the streets is continuous and the crowds on the roads increase the hub of activity. There are also sound of the machine used in manufacturing factories, loud radio in and out the mall. These add to the noise of the city. Even if one lives in residential areas, one is never far from busy streets. However, in the countryside, life is slow-paced. There is no need to rush around because there are not too many places to go. Most places are close by and people can walk or cycle. Less vehicle used, so less fumes is released. The most heart-warming thing about the countryside is the attitude of people. People are friendly and helpful. If there are any happy or festive occasions, everyone pitches in to help. This feeling of cooperation and neighbourliness is what separates the countryside from the city. In the city, people are too busy to take note of the people around. Some hardly even know their neighbours. So they would not even be bothered about what happens to people around. This is why the crime rate is increasing in the city because bystanders do not rush in to help if a crime is committed on the streets. The pace of life in the countryside is slow so people have more time to enjoy life as the day goes on. Thus, for me to enjoy the quality of life, I prefer to live in the countryside

Pollution Pollution is an issue of concern in the modern world that we live in today. There are many types of pollution, namely air, water and noise. Pollution in our environment will undoubtedly affect our quality of life. Our naturally beautiful world becoming ugly because it is suffering from the effects of environmental pollution. Pollution can also cause various health problems and other negative effects. Air pollution is caused by the emission of toxic gases from vehicles, factories and open burning. Nowadays, there are more and more vehicles on the road as society gets more affluent. More and more people strive to have a better quality of life by having the convenience of driving to their destinations instead of taking public transportation. Automobiles provides transport to millions people around the world to enable them to travel to their workplace, school and other places, therefore, the air around us is getting more polluted by the carbon dioxide that is emitted. Carbon monoxide is another type of gas which harmful to the environment as it can cause the reduction of oxygen in the bloodstream. Another example of contributor to the air pollution is the manufacturing factories. The manufacturing of products in factories to meet the growing demand of society is also causing air pollution. Factories release toxic gases to the environment. Some factories also use coal to generate heat and energy. As a result from the burning of coal, carbon dioxide is released into the environment. Besides factories, many people are still practising open burning as a way of disposing their household wastes. Although burning our household wastes is a convenient way of getting rid of our rubbish, it is harmful to the environment as it contributes to the worsening of the air quality. As a result, air pollution causes people to suffer from health problems such as chest pain and asthma. In extreme cases, people can contract lung cancer. Water pollution is also a problem that we are currently facing. The marine life is the first to suffer from water pollution as they depend on the nutrients in the water to survive. As a result, we are robbed of beautiful sea corals and unique species of fishes. Besides ruining our marine heritage, the disappearance of marine life will affect the livelihood of fishermen, not to mention our source of food. Water pollution is caused by harmful waster from industries, farms and sewerage systems which are dumped into our sources of water such as rivers and lakes. This irresponsible act contaminates our drinking water and can cause serious health problems and can even culminate in death. Noise pollution is another form of pollution. Noise from heavy machinery and vehicles can cause hearing problems and in extreme cases, deafness. As there is growing number of vehicles on the road, we are exposed to noise pollution every day. The government in advanced countries encourage their citizens to take the public buses and

trains by providing an affordable and efficient transportation system. This effort discourages people from driving their private vehicles and consequently reduces the number of vehicles on the road. We must work together to reduce pollution so that the future generations can live in a healthy, unpolluted environment. As the saying goes, precaution is better than cure. Lets hands on hands together by recycle and conserve the world for the better future.

Sequence

Result

Emphasis

First / firstly, second / secondly, third / thirdly etc Next, last, finally In addition, moreover Further / furthermore Another Also In conclusion To summarise Addition

So As a result As a consequence (of) Therefore Thus Consequently Hence Due to

Undoubtedly Indeed Obviously Generally Admittedly In fact Particularly / in particular Especially Clearly Importantly Example

Reason

And In addition / additionally / an additional Furthermore Also Too As well as Contrast However Nevertheless Nonetheless Still Although / even though Though But Yet Despite / in spite of In contrast (to) / in comparison While Whereas On the other hand On the contrary
Next

For Because Since As Because of

For example For instance That is (ie) Such as Including Namely

Comparison

Similarly Likewise Also Like Just as Just like Similar to Same as Compare compare(d) to / with Not only...but also

The Importance of Studying English It is a big concerned for teenagers nowadays as they are unaware of the importance of English language as they tend to ignore to learn the language. Students attitude towards the language is also crucial to make sure that these teenagers can face the future world better by learning English language as it is an international language. Although the government has repeatedly told us of the importance of English, many students are still not bothered about studying it seriously. There is also a campaign that still on to make all the Malaysian becomes a better English learner, which is Enhance Proficiency in Bahasa Malaysia, Strengthen the English. English is the most important and the most useful language in the world today. There are many reasons why you should study the language properly. First and foremost, English will definitely help you a lot when you want to further studies. Almost all books at university are written in English in all subjects. Plus, it is a compulsory for any candidate to pass English with credit before entering any universities. So, if you are poor in English, you will blow you chance for better education or worse, you are going to have a big problem studying at university. The second reason why you have to study English well is that it will help you to get a job. When you go for a job interview, the interviewer will surely talk to you in English. The first impression you should give in order to success and have the job is, to respond in English fluently. Your chances of getting the job are very slim if you stutter while interviewing. A good command in of English will also help you greatly in your job. If the company you work is actively involved in international trade, you have to speak to prospective customers in English. Miscommunication might occur if your English is bad. And this will put your company at risk and you will likely be dismissed if this happen. Good English will also help you a lot when you travel. Every country in the world studies English. Even the roadside stall-holders in China speak fairly good English! At least some of the people you meet on your travels in other countries can understand English. The language is certainly practical when you are lost in your trip. Communication problem will not happen if you can converse well in English. Inevitably, English is one of the languages used in any airport in the world in making announcement. Knowing English well, therefore, make travelling overseas easier. Besides all these, entertainment is one of the major advantages you will experience if you good in English. You will enjoy televisions best programmes. We must admit that many of the best programmes are produced by the Americans and British companies. High self confidence influenced by the programmes will indirect inculcate in yourself when you are fluent in the language. Quality time is worthily spent if you understand and enjoy the programmes.

Based from all the above elaboration, I hope that students will see the importance and realise how importance the language is for their own future. Although it is a second language in our country, it is now a main language all over the world. 544 words

DIRECTED: ARTICLE / REPORT: Newspaper Article / Report Couple Foils Robbery Attempt PULAU PINANG, Thu An elderly businessman and his wife foiled a robbery attempt by two men armed with a screwdriver and a knife. The victims were reported safe from any bad injury. Tan Ah Wok, 60 and his wife were taking a morning walk near their home in Helen Heights yesterday when two men on a motorcycle stopped them under the pretext of asking for directions. As Mr. Tan was giving directions, one of the robbers pointed a knife at him and ordered them to keep quiet. He then relieved Mrs. Tan of her jewellery and instructed Mr. Tan to hand over his ring and watch. When he refused, a struggle ensued. Meanwhile, his accomplice grabbed a helmet and hit Mr. Tan on the head with it. On seeing this, his wife started screaming. One of their neighbours, R. Subramaniam, who was taking his dog for a walk, heard the screams and when to investigate. On seeing Subramaniam and his dog, the robbers fled. I was taking my dog for a walk when I heard someone shouting for help. Knowing that something was wrong, I ran there as fast as I could. Before I reached the scene, the robbers fled on a motorbike. They were probably afraid of my Rottweiler. Mr. Tan, who suffered a small cut on his head, was given outpatient treatment at a private clinic. He said that it was a horrified experience as he never expected the two men would

attack his wife and him. He thought that they were lost and needed help. He also mentioned that the guard who in charge nowadays easily allowed the strangers to enter their residents. State CID Chief Supt Harun Din advised him and the people to be more careful in giving help to strangers. The guard also must be stricter in letting people from entering any residents without proper permission. He added that the suspects, aged between 25 and 30, were believed to be illegal immigrants. He said there had been similar incident last week when two men approached a factory worker who was on her way home after work. The duo then relieved her gold chain and cash. He advised the residents to be alert and reports to police any suspicious-looking characters lurking in their area.

PSEUDO- = not genuine ; False or pretended eg, pseudo-intelectual DUBIOUS = 1-doubtful eg, I was rather dubious about the whole idea. 2-suspicious eg, They indulged in some highly dubious business practices to obtain their current position in the market. 3-that you cannot be sure about; that is probably not good eg, They consider the plan to be of dubious benefit to most families. || She had the dubious honour of being the last woman to be hanged in England (= it was not an honour at all). LETHARGY = the state of not having any energy or enthusiasm for doing things ; listlessness ; inertia eg, The report criticizes the lethargy shown by employers when it comes to job creation. || i'm feeling lethargic ARCANE = secret and mysterious and therefore difficult to understand eg, her arcane lecture makes lily confused SEETHE = 1-to be extremely angry about something but try not to show other people how angry you are eg, She seethed silently in the corner || He marched off, seething with frustration. || Inwardly he was seething at this challenge to his authority. 2-to move around quickly and violently eg, The grey ocean seethed beneath them. 3-seethe (with something) (formal) (of a place)

eg, the resort is seething with tourists all year round. SCOWL = to look at somebody/something in an angry or annoyed way eg ,The receptionist scowled at me. APPREHENSION = worry or fear that something unpleasant may happen ; anxiety eg, They shivered with apprehension SARCASM = a way of using words that are the opposite of what you mean in order to be unpleasant to somebody or to make fun of them eg, That will be useful, she snapped with heavy sarcasm = actually she really thought it would not be useful at all) || a hint/touch/trace of sarcasm in his voice COVERT = secret or hidden, making it difficult to notice eg, He stole a covert glance at her across the table. MIASMA = a mass of air that is dirty and smells unpleasant eg, the cloying miasma of alcoholic beverages ORGY = an extreme amount of a particular activity eg, The rebels went on an orgy of killing. || an orgy of spending HITHERTO = until now; until the particular time you are talking about eg, Her life hitherto had been devoid of adventure. || a hitherto unknown species of butterfly DEMEANOUR = the way that somebody looks or behaves eg, He maintained a professional demeanour

IMMACULATE = 1- Spotless ; extremely clean and tidy eg, The property is in immaculate condition. 2-Perfect ; containing no mistakes eg, His sense of timing was immaculate INTACT = Undamaged ; complete and not damaged eg, Most of the house remains intact even after two hundred years || He emerged from the trial with his reputation intact.
That's all for now ... hopefully you found this beneficial ...

1 The lure of Possibility

Posted by Dhyra at Friday, December 10, 2010

I stand silently in the cool, crisp air. Around me, the houses cast off a sullen light in the covering darkness. I slowly walk forward, my thundering footsteps the only disturbance in an otherwise quiet night. Inside the house, the television blares on with soap operas. The moon is rising, emitting a faint light as it appears over the horizon. The stars are clearly visible, tiny jewels of light studded in the black quilt of the night sky. I look to the stars, and my mind wanders. A majesty is evident in the quiet brilliance of these points of light. I lose myself in their shine. Out there are wonders. Millions of balls of gas, planets and even black holes exist up beyond the black veil of night. Hundreds of galaxies swirl gracefully out in the vast emptiness of space. The universe, with all its mysteries, looms just beyond the horizon. I had read about space when I was in 2nd grade, spending many evenings sprawled on my bed, devouring books by Isaac Asimov on asteroids, comets, stars, planets and black holes. These heavenly objects represented the unknown and their enticingly mysterious names Enceladus, Andromeda, Io called to me. As a high school student, I read Stephen Hawkings A Brief History of Time and watched a Nova series on string theory on the Internet to get a better idea of how our universe works. Something about the heavens draws me in. A hint of something

exotic, beyond the mundane interactions of daily life. Up there, stars with so much gravity that not even light could escape twisted the fabric of the universe, quasars blew out large bursts of radio waves and dark energy stretched the universes boundaries. Scientists could explain neither how the universe began nor how the universe was going to end. Up beyond the black veil of night, something remains out of reach of human knowledge, wafting a scent of mysteries unsolved. When I learned that we were going to cover space in school, I became thrilled at the prospect of discovering the universes secrets. I fervently hoped that the teacher would tell me about the Big Bang and black holes in detail. However, I was bitterly disappointed. The teacher glossed over black holes, instead focusing on teaching the names of the planets and moon phases, in the order that they both occurred. The universe, with all its mysteries and complexity, was condensed to 16 easy to remember words. Class focused more on the sparse words inside the McDougall-Little textbook than on the universe that lay outside, beckoning to us to view its wonders. Yet, I cannot stay out forever. Already, I can hear them. The soft, insistent lisp of my opened textbook. The accusing hum of my computer. The grim tramp of duties coming to drag me away from my galaxies and dark matter. My heavy sigh tumbles into the night air; many days could pass before I could escape their grasp to come out again. With one last longing glance, I plod towards the door. As the door clicks behind me, I return to the comfortable, mundane sounds of television soap operas and clanging spoons in the sink. Behind me, the stars smile mysteriously behind their black veil.

2 My Inspiration
0Posted by Dhyra at Friday, December 10, 2010
I was a week into my second trimester of freshman year when my mom lost all feeling in her left side. She tried to blame it on a pinched nerve for days until we convinced her to see a doctor. The day of parent-teacher conferences at my school I met her in front and could tell she had been crying. She assured me that everything was fine and we went in, but she could barely walk up the stairs and refused to tell me what the doctor had said. She just smiled and tried to stay cheery. That night we ordered pizza and my mom ate in bed because she was so tired. After dinner my dad told my brother and me that we needed to have a family talk. As I sat on the foot of my parents bed watching my mom struggle to tell us what was going on, I heard the two words that would alter my whole universe: multiple sclerosis. I was only 14 and hardly well versed in neurological disorders so, naturally, all I could do was burst into tears. She explained to us that multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disease that involves the central nervous system specifically the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves and that MS can affect muscle control and strength, vision, balance, and mental functions. The tone in my house was a mix of mourning and solitude in the weeks that followed. My moms condition got severely worse before it got better. She was on steroid treatment to reduce the swelling in her brain, and was chronically fatigued

and

often

confused.

In the months after her diagnosis I took on a new role in our family. I cooked dinner every night, did laundry, went to the supermarket, and even paid bills. It wasnt hard at first, but after a while my schoolwork started to catch up with me. If only you knew my mom: she was one of those super-moms who found time to get everything done and was never crazed or disheveled but calm, collected, and great at everything! And then I lost all of that in what felt like the blink of an eye. I had never felt so alone and helpless. Im sure if I hadnt gotten help I would have gone crazy. After a few months I went to my first MS support group. By then I had read every article on neurological disorders. I was excited to attend these meetings and ask the doctors all the questions the articles hadnt answered. When the speaker that night stood and introduced herself, I was surprised to hear she was a registered nurse who specialized in multiple sclerosis. I had never heard of a nurse having such a specific field, and as she spoke I discovered how much Rita understood about how this disease was affecting my family. I continued going to the support group, and over time I realized what Ritas job really entailed. I had no idea how interactive a nurses career could be. I told her that I had been curious about a career in medicine but had never felt as passionate about it as when I realized how much an illness can affect a whole family. Thats when I discovered I wanted to be a nurse. I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders, because I knew that I had finally found something I could be passionate about for the

rest of my life. The work my moms doctors and nurses have done with her has vastly improved the quality of her life. They teach her to be optimistic and supply her with many types of support. I think the best people to help others through hardships are those who have experienced them firsthand. And I feel that my experience will help me become an amazing nurse who can help other families through the difficulty of having a loved one with an illness.

8 The Lure Of Possibility

0Posted by Dhyra at Friday, December 10, 2010
I stand silently in the cool, crisp air. Around me, the houses cast off a sullen light in the covering darkness. I slowly walk forward, my thundering footsteps the only disturbance in an otherwise quiet night. Inside the house, the television blares on with soap operas. The moon is rising, emitting a faint light as it appears over the horizon. The stars are clearly visible, tiny jewels of light studded in the black quilt of the night sky. I look to the stars, and my mind wanders. A majesty is evident in the quiet brilliance of these points of light. I lose myself in their shine. Out there are wonders. Millions of balls of gas, planets and even black holes exist up beyond the black veil of night. Hundreds of galaxies swirl gracefully out in the vast emptiness of space. The universe, with all its mysteries, looms just beyond the horizon. I had read about space when I was in 2nd grade, spending many evenings sprawled on my bed, devouring books by Isaac Asimov on asteroids, comets, stars, planets and black holes. These heavenly objects represented the unknown and their enticingly mysterious names Enceladus, Andromeda, Io called to me. As a high school student, I read Stephen Hawkings A Brief History of Time and watched a Nova series on string theory on the Internet to get a better idea of how our universe works. Something about the heavens draws me in. A hint of something exotic, beyond the mundane interactions of daily life. Up there, stars with so much gravity that not even light could escape

twisted the fabric of the universe, quasars blew out large bursts of radio waves and dark energy stretched the universes boundaries. Scientists could explain neither how the universe began nor how the universe was going to end. Up beyond the black veil of night, something remains out of reach of human knowledge, wafting a scent of mysteries unsolved. When I learned that we were going to cover space in school, I became thrilled at the prospect of discovering the universes secrets. I fervently hoped that the teacher would tell me about the Big Bang and black holes in detail. However, I was bitterly disappointed. The teacher glossed over black holes, instead focusing on teaching the names of the planets and moon phases, in the order that they both occurred. The universe, with all its mysteries and complexity, was condensed to 16 easy to remember words. Class focused more on the sparse words inside the McDougall-Little textbook than on the universe that lay outside, beckoning to us to view its wonders. Yet, I cannot stay out forever. Already, I can hear them. The soft, insistent lisp of my opened textbook. The accusing hum of my computer. The grim tramp of duties coming to drag me away from my galaxies and dark matter. My heavy sigh tumbles into the night air; many days could pass before I could escape their grasp to come out again. With one last longing glance, I plod towards the door. As the door clicks behind me, I return to the comfortable, mundane sounds of television soap operas and clanging spoons in the sink. Behind me, the stars smile mysteriously behind their black veil.

11. Music In My Life

0Posted by Dhyra at Friday, December 10, 2010
For a young person with little experience, music can be a hard concept, especially singing. At the age of nine, I stepped into the field of music. Little did I know that it would be lifechanging. My story begins in 2001. My mother asked if I would be interested in singing. I hadnt given it much thought. She suggested I join the Phoenix Boys Choir. She explained what it was and how successful it had always been. I decided to try out. When I arrived, I met the conductor in charge of the younger boys. She had me sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. A few moments later the conductor announced that I had passed my audition and would soon be a member of the training choir. I was so thrilled I couldnt say a word. This would turn out to be one of the most memorable moments of my life. I was going to be a member of the internationally known Phoenix Boys Choir! I moved up through the levels of the choir quickly. Every boy longs to be in the most elite group the Tour Choir. After two years, I made it. At 11 I had learned more about music than I could possibly have imagined. I learned music theory and how to read music. By the end of seventh grade I had been to Spain, Italy, and France. In Rome we performed at Saint Peters Basilica. It was a blessing to be able to sing in such a holy setting. We also sang in the Florence Cathedral. We traveled around the United States performing with other choirs. Often we sang for dignitaries.

I think God blessed me with this talent because he wanted me to share my voice with others. Ive heard it said that when you sing, you pray twice. I have learned hundreds of songs. We sing in many languages, and since our director always explains the songs meaning, I understand and really become part of the music. If my mother had not inspired me to try something out of my comfort zone, I never would have experienced what the world of music has to offer. More importantly, I might not have unveiled my true self if it were not for my mom and singing. Singing makes me happy, and it is a huge part of who I am. I hope to keep singing and increasing my knowledge of music. I have graduated from the Phoenix Boys Choir, and I now sing with the phenomenal Mens Choir, a group for former Boys Choir members, which has provided me with many opportunities. Last February, I took part in the American Choral Directors Association Honors Choir of 186 students chosen from five states. Because of this, I was offered a scholarship to the Idyllwild Music Academy for summer camp to become a better singer. Unfortunately I couldnt attend. I am very grateful for all I have accomplished musically and want to keep striving to become a superior musician. God has blessed me with the gift of music, and Id love to share it with others so that they too can find the music in their lives

12 . A Black Stool
Posted by Dhyra at Friday, December 10, 2010

A black stool, as black as the night sky, stood alone. There was nothing special about it that anyone could see. It was simply a cheap black stool, but it was not ordinary to me. To me it symbolized something special in my life: time spent with my brother. Our family purchased the infamous black stool because my brother told my parents that he must have an electric piano. And he needed something to sit on while he played. True to my brothers nature, he rarely played the must-have item. And the black stool sat there reminding us of the impulsive purchase. No one ever went near it. That is until the day my parents purchased computers for my brother and me. When, out of the blue, my father decided to buy us computers, I knew the people in the next town must have heard me yelling with joy. Of course my older brother got a much nicer and faster computer. He was even given a new computer chair with wheels. I, on the other hand, did not get the executive chair. Use the piano stool, my father said. With my lip sticking out a mile, I went to the basement to get the filthy old stool. In the weeks that followed, that stool became my favorite item in the playroom. After school I would run into our house like a madman to use my computer. My brother and I would play the same video game. Having a ball, we loved our time together. For the first time, I felt like I really connected with him. Previously I had only seen him at dinner. Now we shared adventures on the computer. On that stool I have learned many life lessons. I learned to deal with sorrow and anger. From time to time my brother would get depressed, thinking no one loved him. But I was there, on

that stool, loving him and helping him get through those dark emotions. Because of that stool and a pair of computers, I gained a best friend. This ordinary object will always remind me of that special time I shared with my brother.

13. Failing Successfully

0Posted by Dhyra at Friday, December 10, 2010
My day in the sun had arrived my magnum opus would be revealed. I had just delivered a memorized speech that I had labored over for weeks, and I was about to learn how the panel judged my performance. The polite but sparse audience leaned forward in their folding chairs. A hush fell across the room. The drum rolled (in my mind, anyway).

The contest organizer announced the third-place winner. Alas, the name was not mine. Then he read the second-place winner, and once again it was not me. At last, the moment of truth came. Either I was about to bask in the warmth of victory or rue the last several months spent preparing. While neither of these came to pass, my heart felt closer to the latter.

Losing is a part of life, and I have dealt with the emotional baggage that travels shotgun with it on more than one occasion. However, it was an indescribably underwhelming feeling to drive 200 miles round trip, get up obscenely early on a freezing Saturday morning, and yet still finish fourth out of

four contestants. After Lincoln lost the 1858 Illinois Senate race, he reportedly said, I felt like the 12-year-old boy who stubbed his toe. I was too big to cry and it hurt too bad to laugh. Oh yeah, I could relate.

I had spent many hours in front of a computer and in libraries doing research for the Lincoln Bicentennial Speech Contest. As I pored over several biographies, one notion stood out: Lincoln was handed many sound defeats, but he never allowed them to (permanently) hinder his spirit or ambition. While I believe many history lessons can be applied to modern life, I hadnt considered the agony of defeat as a historically valuable learning experience. I never dreamed I could relate to Lincoln! A president no less, and the greatest at that. I thought failing successfully was a very appropriate topic, given the many letdowns Lincoln experienced, and so this became the title of my speech.

After not placing in the first year of the speech contest, I really wanted to compete again. Lincoln had been the epitome of persistence, so I was not going to give up on a contest about a historic individual who did not give up! I reworked my speech for the following year, and while I did not come in last, again I did not place. Some days youre the dog, and some days youre the hydrant, and this was definitely a hydrant day that brought me down for a while.

I couldnt accept the fact that I had failed twice in something that I had worked so hard on, until I contemplated the individual whom Id spent so much time learning about. Never

mind the lost prize money (ouch, major) and praise (ouch, minor) I had learned, really learned, about a great man who had experienced failure and disappointment, and had many chances to give up. We remember Lincoln because he didnt take this route; he didnt throw lavish pity-parties, and he persevered to become, according to many, the greatest American president.

While I did not earn monetary awards as a result of this contest, I did gain a new perspective. Through learning about Lincoln, I discovered that I can fail successfully, and that it is possible to glean applicable wisdom from the lives of those who have come before us. Now, whenever Im faced with a setback, I remember what Lincoln said after his unsuccessful 1854 Senate race: The path was worn and slippery. My foot slipped from under me, knocking the other out of the way, but I recovered and said to myself, Its a slip and not a fall.

14. A Better Barbie

0Posted by Dhyra at Friday, December 10, 2010
I dont have any alumni ties to Brown, though its possible I could be the long-lost granddaughter of James S. Miller. Never have I sailed the Pacific Ocean on the back of a humpback whale, nor can I wrap sushi with the skill of former Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. I havent done much research regarding podiatry, and chances are I will never win the Michigan MegaMillions lottery. I am, however, the proud owner of a Little Mermaid Edition Barbie.

At

some

point

in

almost

every

Alittle girls life, she becomes engrossed in the Pepto-Bismolpink world of Barbies, a place I entered at the age of seven. My sister, Hannah, and I decided to take our collection of 11-inch plastic friends for a dip in the pool one sweltering summer day. Hours of giggling resulted from tossing the Barbies as high as we could into the air and watching them dive gracefully into the waves. Three two one, I launched my Little Mermaid doll in the same fashion as Apollo 11. We watched her rocket into the sky. I glanced at my sister, who was scrambling through her scorecards to make sure she had the well-deserved 10 ready. My eyes returned upward, anticipating the gymnastic stunts Barbie would undoubtedly deliver to her enraptured audience. Where was she? The crowd was growing restless. Had she landed on the moon?

Utterly bewildered, we combed through the freshly mown grass and woods, but unfortunately, our search bore no fruit. After a moment of sorrow, our tiny attention spans directed us to a different game, and our minds fluttered away.

Over the years, I encountered many of my own quirky adventures. As a field biologist intern, I camped for 15 days on an uninhabited island, purified my own water, surveyed the endangered Piping Plover, tested the water quality of lakes,

and found my way out of 70,000 acres of northern Michigan wilderness. My view of the world broadened through travels and encounters with the Costa Rican, German, French, and Australian cultures. I won varsity letters, had my poetry published, and volunteered at a local hospital, and as I grew older, the mystery of the once-beloved Little Mermaid Edition Barbie faded into a misty memory.

One recent fall day, rainbow-colored leaves swirled through the air and the chilly breeze carried its pleasant scent, an amalgamation of bonfire and pumpkin. Upon the rooftop was not good Saint Nick, but rather my dad, cleaning the leaves off our house. Tied to the branch of an ancient oak tree, the tire swing moved my body in a pendulum motion. My dad approached with something dark in his hands. Eh does this belong to you, or Hannah? he said with a look of perplexity painted on his face. I couldnt believe my eyes: It was the Little Mermaid Edition Barbie! The poor girl she was an absolute disaster. I affirmed my ownership of the traveler, and took her battered body in my hands.

Nine years had passed since I had seen the almost-worldrenowned Olympic diver. I recalled that summer day and smiled as memories flooded my mind. She looked as though shed been struck by lightning a few times, weathered heavy monsoons, and held onto the gutter for dear life during tornados. Her mangled arm appeared to have been mistaken for a worm by a ferocious momma bird. Leaves, dirt, and other debris were entwined in her once shiny, cherry locks. Her attire was tattered she seemed to have fashioned herself a Tarzanesque ensemble. Her ingenuity was impressive; it reminded me

of an experience in which I had to craft socks out of a garbage bag and medical tape, then wear them for three days in pouring rain. Nevertheless, one thing stood out as I ogled my long-lost friend: her face.

She wore a radiant smile, a look of contentment, selfconfidence, and accomplishment. With head held high and a positive attitude, she had battled lifes unexpected challenges. She knows now what it means to strive and succeed. I realized the world of pink doesnt fit someone with so much potential, so much passion for learning, so much heart, independence, and creativity. I looked at her and saw myself reflected in her sapphire eyes.

Like her, my dreams lie far beyond those of a Stepford wife, and with the ability to bend and not break, I am ready to step out of my plastic box society, through the Van Winkle gates, and into a world of endless possibilities. I crave the works of Thoreau and Emerson, not mall directories or grocery lists. I desire adventure and the opportunity to study new cultures. I long to write what I want and voice my opinions with my whole heart behind them. And as the Little Mermaid Edition Barbie sits on my shelf, next to musical and athletic trophies, behind silly pictures of friends, and alongside books by Maya Angelou and Lewis Carroll, she reminds me of myself. For this ambitious girl, pink is not enough; she is ready to dive into Brown