Cell phones have lost their meaning over the years.

These small devices were

once developed to get in contact with someone else in case of emergencies, and
now talking on the phone while driving has turned out to be a way of life for
millions of American drivers. More than 85 percent of the 100 million cell-phone
subscribers frequently talk on the phone during driving.(www.smartmotorist.com)
Talking on the cell phone while driving should be illegal, because of the dangers
they cause. Driving while using the cell phone is one of the major problems here
in the US. Cell phones should not be used while driving. This matter is too
dangerous to let it go unnoticed.
According to the essay, Yes, Prohibit Their Use, which appeared on the
congressional quarterlys web site on March 16, 2001, the Harvard Center for risk
analysis printed a study in 1999. They appointed a crash risk factor to using cell
phones. In the summer of 2000 it came out to 450 to 1,000 fatalities each year.
The NHTSH says that for every fatality, there are 666 property-damage and
injury-producing crashes. There are about 300,000 and 650,000 different crashes
due to cell phones! This same essay states that Japan is one of the 14 countries
banning the use of handheld cell phones while driving. The accidents caused by
the use of cell phones dropped by 75 percent the next month, proving cell
phones are not necessary parts of the driving nature.
There are major dangers connected with driving and cell phone use. Drivers have
to take their eyes off the road while dialing. Also, drivers can get so deep into
their conversations that their ability to concentrate may be dangerously limited.
This jeopardizes the safety of the people inside the vehicle, and the pedestrians
outside. In order to drive safely, the driver should be able to put 100% of his or
her focus on the road. Cell phones are simply a huge distraction while driving.
It is understandable that there are some cases where the use of a cell phone is
needed. In these cases, I agree with the author of Yes, Prohibit Their Use, the
driver should pull-over somewhere safe to use the phone. If someone receives an
incoming call, he should wait until the car has come to a complete stop. Then he
should proceed to use the phone. If he feels that the emergency is urgent
enough to take action right away, then the person should use the hands free
headset. Only in emergencies should cell phones be used.
Some people argue that there are other distractions other than cell phones.
While using a cell phone when driving may not be the most unsafe distraction,
studies prove that it is the most common cause of car crash accident, and
common cause of death here in the US.
The use of cell phones while driving should be banned in Philadelphia, because
many people die due to distraction of cell phones. Cell phone distraction causes
2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries in the United States every year.
(www.livescience.com/technology). Another reason to not use the cell phone
while driving is devastating the many lives of the victims and their families in the
case of an accident.

When driving, cell phones should not be allowed. Help the statistics decrease not
increase.

You take the blue pill -- the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe
whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill -- you stay in Wonderland
and I show you how deep the rabbit-hole goes." Morpheus

Although fictional, the Matrix world as in the blockbuster movie The Matrix by
the Wachowski Brothers is very relevant in the context of our society today.
Undergraduates, especially the ones from local universities are akin to those
stuck in the Matrix. Fed with the belief that they will make it in life, armed only
with a scroll, they succumb to complacency. Their minds start to rot, intellectual
growth is suppressed, and the end result; they hit rock bottom in the real world.
Groping in the dark, they try to find a way out, but to no avail. Thereafter,
enlightenment ensues, a harsh realization, that the scroll in their hands is merely
that, a scroll.
Since pre-school, our parents and teachers have constantly imparted upon us,
that success in life can only be achieved through education. This is true to a
certain extent, but apparently, as we grew older, something got lost in
translation along the way. Education is no longer interpreted in the normal sense
of the word, but solely equated with academic achievement. Our undergraduates
are products of a system that hails the number of As and a CGPA of 4.0 as the
only testament of success, indicating a bright future ahead. Rote learning seems
to be the order of the day, while the holistic approach is now almost obsolete.
Such values to life in university defeats the whole purpose of a tertiary
education. Undergraduates strive to get CGPAs of 4.0, and are further exhorted
to do so, especially when an ex-Minister proclaimed that it is their duty to get 4.0
in university. As preposterous as this may sound, it is very real. A right-minded
person would shun such statements, but for some, its almost like a matter of
filial piety. Time spent mugging and memorizing might get you good results, but
it does not prepare you for the real world, where problem solving skills and the
ability to think outside the box is valued instead of the text book stuff.
Students spend so much time studying, they forget about everything else,
except where to find that particular book in the library. Ask them if they know
anything at all on current issues, and they respond with a blank look, expecting
you to fill them in. The other problem with our undergraduates is that, they seem
to idolize pop culture a tad too much. Try organizing a public lecture by Warren
Buffet and a concert by some Akademi Fantasia singers on the same day. It is not
that hard to predict which event will have a bigger crowd, unfortunately.
Then, there is the other group of students, i.e. those who believe that life in
university is a bed of roses. There is, of course, nothing wrong with that. Problem
is, some tend to stretch it a little too much, so much so that they dont even
know what they are doing. They believe that just as in the university, everything
will be taken care of when they are out there in the real world, i.e. that their
precious scrolls will take them places. No effort whatsoever is made to improve

themselves and participating in ridiculous activities is deemed to be the ultimate

indicator of what is to expect in the real world. For instance, a senior while
ordering around a junior to do this or that project will justify it by saying This is
to prepare you for working life, especially when facing employers. And the poor
subordinate believing it, bids the seniors wishes. We should never send across
such wrong messages. Kow tow is not fun, and will never be. Period.
Furthermore, why should we continue the negative and perpetuate such myth?
Whatever happened to entrepreneurship?
Another issue which bugs a portion of undergraduates today is the inability to
converse and write in English. Needless to say, in the era of globalization, the
importance of English cannot be over emphasized. One might have plenty of
mind boggling ideas, but without the ability to articulate them, such ideas cannot
be conveyed to others. While such facts are known to every student, they prefer
to converse in their mother tongues. Getting out of the comfort zone is often the
toughest nut to crack.
On the other hand, the introduction of a compulsory soft skills course serves only
to magnify the deficiencies of our education system. Students have forgotten
how to interact, how to communicate, and how to ace that interview, to the
extent that such drastic measure has to be taken. While this solves the problem
on the surface, it effectively sweeps the bigger chunk of it under the carpet.
Undergraduates cannot be expected to learn the art of eloquence and to gain
self confidence overnight. It takes more than a course to create the wholesome
undergraduate.
More importantly, undergraduates must be provided with room and space for
holistic growth. Intellectual discussions, debates and forums on any topic at all
should be encouraged and the underlying fear that students will rebel, retaliate
or even form extremist groups, I would like to state, is unfounded. As adults, they
should be respected as such, which means also to be given inter alia, the right to
freedom of expression. What is right or wrong is not the point. The focal point is,
undergraduates must be allowed to think, to express themselves, and to dissent
if they want to. Keep pushing them around, and what do you get? A bunch of
pushovers in society.
The bottom line is this. Whether or not an undergraduate will ever be ready to
face the real world is essentially a matter of choice. Choose to maintain
your status quo, you continue in your temporary bubble in Neverland, waiting for
the real world to come crashing through. Choose to free your mind from the
fetters of tradition for traditions sake, and to move out of your comfort zone, you
embark on a journey with nothing guaranteed, except unfamiliarity. The latter
sounds like a better deal, at least to me.

When I was small, I often dreamt about being rich as my parents were quite poor.
We had difficulty making ends meet each month. So, if I had a lot of money, I
would certainly fulfill my dreams.
First and foremost, I would buy a house for my parents, preferably a bungalow, in
a quiet town. I would equip the house with the latest technology so that it would
be a smart home. My mother would have a state-of-the-art kitchen as she loves
cooking. I would also get a maid to help her with the household chores. I will
ensure that my family is comfortably settled in this house.
The second thing I would do is to go on a world tour with my parents. I have
never been overseas but I long to see the places I have only read or dreamt
about. First, I would like to visit Europe, especially Italy, the city of romance. I
would visit all the museums and buildings I have heard so much about. My next
stop would be Hong Kong or China. There is something mystical about China and
her people. This would be my dream come true.
Apart from that, I could finally go on a shopping spree, which is my favourite
pastime. Thus far, I could only go window shopping and if I had a lot of money, I
would go into these stores and buy whatever I fancy. Just imagine that for once in
my life, I do not need to look at the prices of the items that I like. I could just
shop till I literally drop. The salesgirls would be hovering near me with their latest
outfits and my wish would be their command. Ah, I would not be ignored
anymore as I walk into their stores!
Besides shopping, I would also remember the poor and the less fortunate. First, I
would certainly build a better home for the orphans in my town. In fact, I would
also sponsor their education till they could stand on their own. They would
receive an allowance monthly and I would definitely take them shopping.
Finally, I would take the opportunity to further my studies. When I was younger,
my parents could not afford to send me overseas. So, I would love to pursue a
course in interior decorating in London and once I graduate, I would like to set up
my own business with the rest of the money.
They say that a fool and his money are soon parted. Thus, I would be very careful
with how I spend my money. I would invest my money with my parents advice
and keep some for rainy days.

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.
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.
489 words
City
In my opinion, one has not experienced life until one has lived in the city. There is
so much to see and experience in the bright lights of the city that you cannot get
in the countryside. Here in the city, you can learn about how to get along with
people of different types, encounter varied situations and solve problems. All
these help a person to grow in maturity. After all, experience is the best teacher.
In the countryside, however, you only move around people you are used to. So,
you seldom encounter strangers or new and demanding situations. Life is more
mundane and routine-like. Staying in a secure, safe place does not allow for one
to gain new experiences and grow in maturity.
Furthermore, young people need a life that is exciting and pleasurable. It is the
city that offers you entertainment- cinemas, parks and eating places. Here you
can hang out with friends and family members. Life as fast-paced and this keeps
you active and alert all times. And when it comes to educational opportunities,
the city abounds in this. There are good school and libraries that are necessary
for your mental development. Furthermore, there are places like museums and
educational centres where you can go, to increase your knowledge.
Such places that offer you entertainment or learning opportunities are of course
not available in the countryside. For entertainment, there is only the occasional
festive celebration or marriage feast or fishing outing. Some may find this
appealing but not me. Moreover, opportunities to widen your knowledge are
limited in the countryside.
Another point in support of living in the city is the available of jobs. In the city,
you can find a job that suits your qualification or interest. If you find a job
unsuitable, you can always move to another. This, naturally, increases your
earning power and you have better chances of a more comfortable life. Of
course, one may argue that one can live in the countryside and work in the city
but this will only incur extra expenses and unnecessary inconveniences.
Thus, for all the reasons mentioned above, I think that life in the city is better
than living in the countryside. After all, you are young only once.

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.
The school days are crammed with facts and figures, encompassing various
subjects ranging from English to Mathematics. All of these require students to
learn, memorise, understand and to be tested. Besides grades and examinations,
the school also encompasses a wider curriculum including character moulding,
citizenship building and personality development. Indeed, I think the school does
prepare us for life.
Firstly, the school teaches us self-discipline. We learn to keep to a schedule and
to adhere to the timetable. We also learn to appreciate time and to be punctual.
Moreover, we are trained to plan and manage time wisely. We also abide by and
respect rules and regulations. The disciplined students will grow up to be
disciplined adults and they will do well in their future undertakings.
The school also helps to fortify our determination and perseverance. We learn to
fulfil the demands of the school. We also learn to meet deadlines and hand in the
homework on time. Moreover, we learn to face stress and pressure. In school,
students learn to overcome challenges. Students with strength of character will
be well-prepared to face the challenges of work and life in the future.
Co-curricular activities are part and parcel of a students life. They help to mould
students character and personality so that students learn to be confident. They
help to hone the leadership qualities in the students themselves. Students learn
to work together and co-operate with others. They also learn to appreciate good
values like esprit de corps. Students learn to contribute positively and to put
their best foot forward besides to take success and failure in their stride. We as
the students learn to honour values of sportsmanship and fair play. Through cocurricular activities, students also learn loyalty, commitment and responsibility.
When they grow up, they will work well as a team with others and committed in
serious work.
The school is a micro-society. The everyday social interaction is an excellent
preparation for life in the society outside. In school, students have the
opportunities to interact with other students from varied background, creed and
race. Indirectly, they learn tolerance, acceptance and understanding. The
students also have the opportunity to work and to mingle together. This can help
to foster an open mind and promote unity.
Just mention the word school and images of grades and examinations come to
our mind. Indeed students spend a lot of time and energy preparing and sitting

for examinations. Along with that they gather a string of qualifications as well as
knowledge and skills. They are crucial since they are the stepping stones and the
foundation for the future. They can help students to secure a good job and
successful career.
In short, school does prepare us for life. It helps to nurture and to build strong
character in ourselves. School also prepares students with the necessary tool so
that students can fit into society and contribute positively to the nation and
people in future.

Write story ending with: "...That is the reward for my patience and
hardwork,"
No guts no glory. No pain no gain. Those are my life mottos. I feel that
nothing can be achieved by simply sitting and doing absolutely nothing to make
dreams come true. Life can be so hard especially when you are not born with
silver spoon in yuor mouth. It is also the time when true friends are hard to
comeby just because you do not much money to treat them at Kentucky Fried
Chicken or Burger King. That is something that I have experienced ever since my
family moves to this metropilitan city and I study in the new school.
In my new school I study hard to complete with all my fellow classmates
who come from all walks of life but most are from rich background. They have all
that I have ever wanted in my life but fail to get. They can buy branded shoes
and clothes, unlike my worn out Bata. They afford the latest handphones brands
with the latest technology but me? There is nothing I could do to be on par with
them. So, I just let them show off their fancy gadgets without feeling remorse
with the fact that I am only an ordinary student coming from a family clerk. I just
feel sad that they act as if I do not have feelings. I do not feel the least
discourage since I know that I can also be like them one day if I work hard
enough to score in my SPM exam.
Day after day, night after night, I do not to do anything else but concentrate
on my studies. Spm examination is just around the corner and I have no other
wish apart from wanting to pass Spm with Flying colours. My parents are my
inspirations. They always remind me to work hard and hange our fate, make
them proud as well as prove to everybody that a son of a plain clerk can also
succeed in life and deserve some respect. At times, I feel so stressed out that I
almost give up and cry. Nevertheless, thinking of my parent's hope and wishes, I
would never surrender and that is my final decision. I engage myseld in group
discussion, have consultations with my Physics and Chemistry teachers, the two
subjects that I am weak at as well as burn as much midnight oil as possible to
atain my ultimate goal-10A+ in the exam. Sometimes, I feel overworked myself
but I know I have to muster every single once of my strength to pull through this
ordeal and pray that it will end soon.
The most awaited moment has arrived. With prayers and good luck wishes
from my father and mother, I step into my examination hall with full awareness
that I have to do really well in the exam to realize all my parent's dreams and
mine. The torturous moments last for three weeks and as far as I am concerned
time really flies but I trust myself that I have given my very best for each paper.
March 2013 comes I heard on the television that the SPM result will be out
today. With anticipation and nervousness I walk to school with my good friend
Samah. I cannot imagine getting less than 8A+ because according to my
conselor, only getting 8A+ will I be able to secure any scholarship, something
which is very important to me due to my parent's incapability to pay for my

tertiary education. The moment Ms. Asiah, my form teacher hands me the result
slip, my heart skips a bea. i am cold from feet to toe from the suspense. Then the
moment arrives! It is the most unforgettable time of my life. I mange to get
10A+ and my prayer has been answered. Thank God for giving me apportunity to
succeed and make my parents proud. That is the reward for my patience and
harwork.

A holiday I would never forget

Holidays, A time everyone gets hyped up over, parents planning activities
for the family to spend quality time with and school children ( as well as
teachers) jumping for joy. Hello, waking up late, celebrating, going for tuition and
best of all, vacations! In my case, a holiday I would never forget is a fruitful one I
experienced five years ago, where my family I spent six days in the land of K-Pop
and ' kimchi '- Korea.
Finally, after ages of waiting, our family arrived in beautiful Korea. Stepping
out of the plane, we could feel the chilly weather to our bones. Never
experiencing that kind of weather, my siblings and I were totally excited. Passing
through immigration and baggage claim, we were talking animatedly about our
new surroundings. Since we went with tour group, we knew we were in good
hands.
Incident number one. We were supposed to take a bus to check in at the
hotel, as instructed. I guessed I was overeager and without thinking. I ran to a
random bus and knocked on the door. The young bus driver opened the door and
looked at me with a puzzled expression. He started asking me something in
Korean, which of course I did not understand. I tried to reply in English, but
before I could make the attempt, my father quickly apologized to the driver and
walked me back to the tour group who was watching from afar, shaking with
laughter. It turned out that the bus I was running to was not the bus we were
supposed to take. I dismissed my burning cheeks. I was glad I could be the butt
of everyone's jokes on my first day in a foreign country.
It was a bit past lunch time when we were done checking in our hotel. Not
doubt, everybody's stomachs were grumbling. Thank God after checking in, we
were going to have our lunch and do a bit of sightseeing. While waiting for the
others outside the hotel, we walked around nearby. There was a row of vending
machines that sold various snacks and beverages, including Haagen Dazs icecream , and instant noodles. My mother had a craving for Nescafe, so she spent
her first Korrean money on that.
At the restaurant, a delicious meal was already spread out for us. That was
the first time we all tried kimchi, a spicy and sour vegetable side dish.I did not
think it was horrible, buut I preferred the fish kimchi much better. We all ate
using chopsticks, so that was kind or awkward for me and my siblings, as we
were not skilled at using them yet. Being Malaysians, we were used to rice, so it
was a good thing that the Korean meal included rice and a few other side dish,
eaten from a Bento box. It was weird though, the rice was stickier compared to
the rice we eat at home, mainly to make it easier to eat using chopsticks. There
was also hot and scumptious miso soup together with the meal. Since my sister
and my brother did not like it much, I finshed up theirs. I gulped the warm soup
down my throat- a nice connntrast from the shivering weather outside.

One of the highlights of our activities that we did in Korea was skiling.
Everybody from the tour group was looking forward to that, even the 52-year old
couple traveling with us. Since it was'nt fully snownig yet, the hill was coverred
with artificial snow. After grobbing our ski gear, we listen to a briefing by the
instructor. He was very help ful, especially with us kids annd the elderly couple.
Feeling jumpy and hyperactive, me and my sister made our way to the
cable car and successfully skied down a slope. I thought, " We're natural at this,"
and my sister could not agree more. When we came to see how our parents and
brother were doing, my brother started to throw a snowball towards me and my
sister. It hit me, and we started having a small snowball fight of our own, just like
in the movies! I guessed we got a bit out of hand and my sister accidentally hit a
woman's back. when she turned around, she had this angry look on her face and
started to walk towards us.I hurried my siblings to continue skiing with our
parents,and we ran away before she cold catch us. Breathless, we giggled
innaivety as we recapped the moment.
In a way, skiing is like swimming. Why do I say so? Well, when swimming
,you do not feel tired , but you would see the effect when you get ravenous and
eat more after a session or when you aintend to tke a nap, but it is extended to
long hours. The same goes to skiing. When we arrived at the hotel after skiing,
we were drained out and starving. Instant noodles saved the day! We all ate
curry-flavoured Maggi together, savouring the memontary pleasure. We also
dozed off quite early that night , right after going for a walk to enjoy the amazing
night view of th mountains, and breathing the cool, fresh winter air.
Shopping in Korea was also different compared to Malaysia. Its malls were
packed with small shops or stalla on every floor. Big boutiques were not seen as
much as the quaint kiosks. Nevertheless, I found shopping at their markets more
enjoyable, especially because you could haggle the price. Their specialities
were crystals, fabrics and outerwear. Apart form that, I also liked their wet
markets , mainly because they were very clean and they did not have that fishy
smell. I remembered a shocking incident when walking through the stalls of the
wet market. A large fish jumped out its aquarium and onto the floor. I stared at
it and suddenly, I saw a huge cutting knife slicing through the fish's neck! It was
the owner of the stall's doing. Then, the owner left the fish flapping around
lifelessly without a head.
There was also a treasure trove among the stalls of the wet market- a tiny
shoop which served grilled seafood. My family stepped into the shop and ordered
some grilled fish and cockles.
After saying our prayers, we devoured our mouth-watering find of the day.
Dripped in a type of souce, the seafood was the best I had ever eaten, as you
could taste the freshness. Or maybe I was just hungry after a full day of
activities.

If it was up to me, there were so many things to write on my memorabe trip

to Korean. Not onli we got to spend quality time together as a family, but we also
learnt countless new things and even discovered hidden talents. My father
always said we should travel with an open mind and an open heart. This is when
you get to see your capability to adapt to changes. Just enjoy the simple things
in life and be thankful of what you have. So, do just that. Who knows you might
discover a part of yourself you never know existed?

Friends by Manu Menon

Friends are people whom we turn to when our spirits need a lift. They are always
by our side through thick and thin. They stand beside us even when our
disposition is not perfectly right and will fight for us if we are oppressed.
Therefore, it is clear that friends play a vital role in shaping who we are today.
But what qualities exactly do we need to look for in a friend?
A friend should always be caring towards you. He or she should take interest in
your problems no matter how big or petty your problem may be. A friend should
be able to sit beside you and encourage you to keep your chin up even when
everyone else is against you. A friends empathy and lovingness will also
replenish your worn-out soul and will make you realize how important a friend
really is.
Apart from that, a friend should be an honest person. An honest friend will
dissipate any worries that he or she is lying towards you. A friends honesty will
enable you to trust his or shes opinion when it comes to telling you the truth
about yourself. For example, an honest friend will remand you on your declining
grades and will ask you to work harder while a dishonest friend will see it with a
blind eye. Therefore, an overall improvement in yourself will be noticeable if you
have an honest friend.
Moreover, a friend should be generous both emotionally and knowledge wise. A
friend who is generous ought to be able to connect with you and provide
emotional support. He or she should also be generous when it comes to sharing
knowledge. A true friend must be ever-ready to help you when you are inept in
certain subjects. A friend can easily guide you towards understanding the subject
matter better as he or she is often on the same page as you. The only difference
is that you cant quite grasp the content of the page per se.
Besides that, a friend must also be able to humour you. Humour plays a
quintessential role in making your day more lively and enjoyable. Friends who
pull your leg and mess about will indefinitely make life seem so much better. As
they say, laughter is the best medicine and a little levity on rainy days is always
welcomed.
In conclusion, friends are people we spend most of our time with. Thus, we have
to be selective when it comes to choosing our friends.

Question : Write your story beginning with " My heart beat frantically as
I made my way to the principals office "
My heart beat frantically as I made my way to the principal's office . My
mind could not figure out what would be the possible consequences and
punishment from the principal.I am guilty and there is no way the principal can
forgive me.I told myself. I felt like I was going to be given a very stern
punishment.Then I tried to figure out why I was in this mess.
It story started when my mom gave birth to a new baby boy in our family . I
was in cloud nine that day as my father told me that I have a new brother . "
Wohoo ! " I shouted. I put the phone back to its original place after Ispoke to my
dad. I was not really myself that day . I shook hands with all the students in my
classroom.I could see they were starring at me with strange faces.Most of my
classmates were baffled initially until I told them about this new brother.Then
slowly one by one stood up and congratulated me.So I told them I would
persuade my dad to throw a small party over the weekend to celebrate this
occasion.Everyone was looking forward to this occasion.In my classroom,I was
commonly known as a quiet and shy boy.I didnt talk too much unless someone
asked me to. But today, after that good news,I completely change myself.I was
just like a character of a "wood-pecker" as I made a lot of annoying noises in the
class .
Kring ! Kring !.The bell rang and it was time to go home. I quickly packed all my
stuff into my school bag and ran towards the main gate with a fantastic speed .
I could not wait to get home to meet my newborn brother . After five minutes,I
felt bored. I walked around the school compund . While walking, I could see
something that caught my eyes.I picked up five bottles of wood-sprayer in
various colour which are commonly used by PMR students for their Life Skill''s
carpenting projects.Then,I ran to a new building at a compound nearby.The
building was almost completed and most of the classrooms were already used.
There was another one room left and the school management wasnt sure of
what should be done to that empty room .
Without hesitation, Spurshhhhhhh ... ! I started spraying at the main door.It
reads, Welcome to the world of Arts "with a combination of two vivid colours in
graffity style. It looked catchy as the backround of the door was lily-white .
After I had sprayed the main door , then I started to spray the room's wall.It
reads, This place is only for talented ones.The colour matched the wall and it
was done beautifully.Out of the blue,I heard some clear footsteps.I could guess
that footsteps must be owned by a big size person. My hair stood up and I could
feel my hearts drumbeat. The happiness and excitement that I had just now
vanished in no time.The steps were coming closer.I slowly sneaked out to
identify who was the owner of the footsteps.
. Oh gosh! All I could see was a grumpy tall man cladded with black suit.It was
my principal! I tried to find a way out but it was useless.I boosted my mind as
the footsteps became nearer.Aha! then an idea struck my mind. When the door
opened, I dashed out.He grabbed my school shirt to stop me from running away
and I quickly closed his eyes with my palms wishing that he couldnt see me. I
was really panicked and my body was trembling.Without hesitation, I pushed
him strongly and he fell down.I ran as fast as a lightning and luckily my dad was
in the car waiting for me.I then realized my name tag fell somewhere.No more
thinking,I jumped into dads car.

The next day I went to school as usual and pretended nothing had
happenend.Like the usual shy boy that do not talk or entertain to anyone unless
someone wanted to say hello, I sat at my place besides Mahaddi,my close
friend.I quickly grabbed the assignment on English literature given by Sir Rosdi.I
knew that Sir Rosdi was watching me very closely and he suspected that I had a
problem to settle.My heart beat faster when my name was called out through the
paging system. Attention to Fahmi Azan from 5 Amanah, please report
immediately to the principals room right now! That was the hoarse voice that I
heard before. My blood started to flow faster and I could feel the andrenaline
flowing..All the eyes were straight on me including Sir Rosdi. They were
wandering why the principal was making the announcement himself.
.I quickly walked to the principals office .As I arrived there I knocked the door
politely. Come in! .Gulp ! Only God knows how I felt right now. I slowly opened
the door and entered the room.The room was so cool as cool as my body. Please
have a sit.My principal quipped.After being interoggated for almost half an
hour,I felt so calm.I listened attentively and nodded.He told me that he was
attracted to my arts and proposed the room that I sprayed being made The
school arts room.What a surprise! I smiled and thanked him. He also proposed
an Arts club and appointed me as the president of the club.I hugged him
tightly.He was so shocked but happy with my reactions.
I shook his hands and thanked him for his kindness.I never expect this dramatic
event took a 360 degree turn.It wasnt a mess as I thought initially..

When asked if school children should have long holidays, the answers of different
individuals will certainly differ. Some people have the opinion that school children
should be entitled to long holidays while the others disagree. From my point of
view, school children should be given long holidays. I have my own reasons for
thinking so.
The freedom of school children is normally restricted by their parents during the
school days as they want their children to focus on their studies in order to pass
their examinations with flying colours. Apart from schooling, they have to spend
a lot of time doing their homework and attending tuition classes as well. As a
result, they hardly have any time left for leisure pursuits. During school holidays,
more freedom is usually given and children are able to spend their time on
activities that they are fond of. For example, if children have green fingers, they
can spend more time on gardening. They can also spend more time on their
favourite sports in order to keep fit both physically and mentally.
The arrival of long school holidays is also a good time for children to strengthen
their family ties, since families need to spend time together in order to bond.
Examples of activities that assist to develop close family ties are having a picnic
at the seaside and playing sports and games. When children involve in family
activities such as cleaning the house and preparing a meal, they learn about the
spirit of cooperation and burden-sharing, thus promoting strong family ties.
Besides, they learn to be more independent and responsible when they do
household chores such as washing the clothes and dishes, sweeping the floor,
laying the table before a meal, making their own beds, and so forth.
Another reason why long holidays are necessary is that children need to meet
other relatives and to socialise with friends in the community so as to improve
their interpersonal skills, since 'no man is an island'. This can be extremely
beneficial to them and helps them be better equipped especially when they grow
up and starts working in the society.
It is true that many parents face problems during long school holidays as their
children waste their time by spending it on undesirable activities such as playing
too much computer games and getting into bad company. However, I believe
that such problems can be solved through proper planning, guidance and time
management.
Though there are disadvantages for school children to have long school holidays,
the benefits far outweigh the disadvantages. As the saying goes, 'all work and no
play make Jack a dull boy'. Therefore, I disagree that school children should not
have long holidays.

There is a saying, 'health is better than wealth'. The saying is extremely true - a
man may be immensely rich, but without health, he can hardly enjoy his wealth.
Since health is so important, how does one keep oneself healthy?
One of the most effective ways to keep fit is through exercising. Doing exercise
helps to reduce the risk of contracting heart diseases and getting stroke. Other
than that, it also helps to decrease the risk of developing diabetes, high blood
pressure and colon cancer. People who exercise regularly are able to maintain
healthy bones, muscles and joints. Therefore, it is advisable to do exercise such
as walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, doing push-ups, skipping, playing sports,
et cetera three to four times a week for about half an hour per session to
maintain good health.
Having a balanced diet is another key factor in ensuring a healthy life. It is
important to eat food that is rich in nutrients. Fresh fruits and vegetables are rich
sources of vitamins and minerals that are essential in order to keep fit. For strong
bones and teeth, drink more yogurt and milk and eat more cheese. Other food
that contributes to a balanced diet includes fish, poultry, eggs, beef, beans, nuts
and tofu. It is advisable to avoid food that contains too much sugar as it causes
bad health. The same goes for junk food and also food made from refined flour
as a lot of nutrients are destroyed during the refining process. Unfortunately,
most bread is made from refined flour nowadays. It is best to increase the intake
of natural foods as they contain plenty of natural goodness which we cannot do
without to possess good health.
It is wise to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol, since they damage our lungs
and livers respectively, besides bringing forth other harmful effects to our
bodies. Taking drugs can be a serious problem as it usually causes addictions,
diseases and cancers. In serious cases, it may even cause deaths. Thus, it is
advisable to stay away from drugs.
Having sufficient sleep is also a vital factor. Every day, school children, teenagers
and adults should get 10 to 11 hours, 8 to 9 hours and 7 to 9 hours of sleep
respectively. The insufficiency of sleep can lead to serious heart problems, high
blood pressure, stroke, diabetes and obesity. To improve the quality of our sleep,
it is important to sleep in complete darkness, since artificial light interferes with
the production of hormones or chemicals that tells our body to rest. If we are
unable to eliminate the light in our room, then wear an eye mask.
Over-eating and under-eating can give rise to health problems as well. Therefore
we should eat the right amount of food each meal.
About 70 percent of our body is made of water. Since our body is constantly
using it up, we need to drink about 8 glasses of water daily to replenish it. Water
is needed to flush toxins out of our vital organs, carry nutrients to our cells and
provide a moist environment for our ear, nose and throat tissues. It also cools our
body through the process of perspiration. When sweat evaporates from our skin,
it takes heat with it and lowers our body temperature.

In conclusion, it is extremely vital for us to do everything in moderation. As long

as one cultivates good habits and leads a healthy lifestyle, it is not difficult to
keep oneself healthy.

A Prominent Malaysian Leader

As the fourth and most dynamic Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tun Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad will
indelible impression on the sands of Malaysia for many years to come. He held the post for 22 years
from 1981 to 2003, making him Malaysia's longest-serving Prime Minister, and one of the longestserving leaders in Asia.
Born on 20th December, 1925 in Alor Setar, Dr. Mahathir is the son of a teacher. He is the youngest of
nine children of a school teacher and a housewife. His father, Mohamad Iskandar, was of Indian descent,
being the son of a Muslim and a Malay mother, while Mahathir's own mother, Datin Wan Tempawan Wan
Hanafi, was Malay. He is married to Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah binti Haji Mohamad Ali, they have seven
children, four sons and three daughters. From an early age, Tun Mahathir had the importance of
education drummed into him by his father, who was also a strict disciplinarian.
After his early education at the Maktab Sultan Abdul Hamid in Alor Setar, he enrolled at the King
Edward VII College of Medicine in the University of Singapore. Armed with a MBBS degree in medicine,
he set up his own clinic, the Maha Clinic in Alor Setar. As a doctor, Tun Mahathir came into close contact
with people from variety of social strata and enjoyed a close rapport with them. He understood their
problems. Thus, when he was thrust into the politic limelight, he strove to fulfil the needs of the people.
He was first catapulted into the world of politics when he became the Member of Parliement for Alor
Setar in 1964. After holding a number of portfolios, including Minister of Education, Minister of Trade
and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister, he finally became the Prime Minister on 16th July, 1981. The
country flourished with Dr. Mahathir at the helm of the government. His contributions to the nation are
so immense and par excellence. He has left his mark in every aspect in politics, economy or education.
Realizing that government-owned enterprises are neither efficient nor profitable, he initiated the
privation policy in 1983. This had immediate effect of cutting down bureaucratic ineptitude and
operational cost while at the same time generating more revenue.
With collapse of the prices of agricultural commodities in the eighties, Tun Mahathir decided that it was
time to shift the nations focus to more profitable areas. Thus, he started the industrialization
programme. Reputed as the countrys top salesman, he showcased Malaysia to investors abroad in a bid
to woo them. As a result of the heavy industrialization drive, major projects like national car project or
PROTON and the steel company, PERWAJA, together with other mega project were launched one after
another. Next, realizing that industrialization would require a good infrastructure, he set about improving
it. The Mahathir era saw a successful completion of the North-South Highway, the East-West Highway,
the Multimedia Super Corridor, the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang and many more.
An astute politician, he charted the growth of the countrys progress from the day he took office. He
envisages that Malaysia can only attain the status of a fully developed country if it becomes an
industrialization one and this ambition has been his main agenda during his tenure. With this in mind, he
announced Vision 2020, his most ambitious vision.
Frank and outspoken by nature, Tun Mahathir speak without fear nor favour. This has been the hallmark
of thus much respected statesman. The inefficiency of local and international organizations has always
come under his scrutiny and critism.
It has been almost two decades since Tun Mahathir took over reins of the government. It has
undoubtedly been the golden era for Malaysia with many notable achievements.

Social Networking Website

A large number of internet users have joined social networking websites. A social network service is an
online service, platform, or site that focuses on building and reflecting of social networks or social
relations among people. For example is for those who wants to share interests and, or activities. A social
network service essentially consists of a representation of each user which known often as a profile, his
or her social links, and a variety of additional services.
Most social network services are web based and provide means for users to interact over the internet,
such as e-mail and instant messaging. Online community services are sometimes considered as a social
network service. In a broader sense, social network service usually means an individual-centered service
whereas online community services are group-centered. Social networking sites allow users to share
ideas, activities, events, and interests within their individual networks.
In the last five years, they have been growing up more and more popular. This increase in their
popularity has led to a large number of members.
One of the many reasons why Yahoo!, MySpace and Facebook social networking websites have increased
in popularity is due to the fact that they cover a wide variety of different topics, issues and interest.
They do not just focus on one particular group of individuals or one particular issue. Their policy is to
invite as many types of internet users to join as possible. By this, it gives members a wide selection of
online friends to choose from.
If you are looking to join a social networking website that is more focused on creating friendships or
partnerships between internet users preferable with the same interests, then you will want to focus on
social networking websites. They have a particular focus. The prevalent websites focus on important
issues, topics and hobbies, such as pet owners, religion travel and others. So before you join, think of an
issue you are interested in and sign up for the website that focuses on that issue.
What really sets them apart from other websites? What is so special about them? These are questions
which have been asked by many who show interest in joining. Primarily, it is the community. As
mentioned, such social networking sites tend to focus on a particular topic, issue or hobby. This means
that if you are a keen traveller and you would like to speak to other keen travellers, you will want to join
a travellers networking sites.
The difference between these social networking sites and traditional ones is that you will automatically
be paired with hundreds, if not thousands, of other internet users who share the same interests, views
or beliefs as you. This is a big bonus to the members.
Another benefit to joining the social networking website is that you are, in a way, safer than those who
are members of other networks. Most of them require activation before joining the site. Before activation
can occur, many users are required to state their reasons for wanting to join the network or they may be
required to fill out a small questionnaire pertaining to determine whether or not they have a genuine
interest in the topic focused on by the network in question. By pairing you with a group of individuals
who share the same beliefs, views and interests as you do is advantageous to members. It means that
you do not have to spend hours researching a person or speaking to them just to learn what they are or
are not interested in. Therefore, this enables you to jump right in and start making friends, almost as
soon as you are granted access to the site that you have chosen. This service gives the social
networking websites a great edge over other websites.

Why think of road safety at all? It is because of the accidents that occur
everyday on the road, in which all sorts of vehicles and human beings and
even animal are involved. These accidents mean loss of life and loss of
property and more often than not obstruction to traffic. In this age of
speed and fast moving vehicles and with the congestion on roads, these
accidents have became almost an everyday affair. So unless everybody is
educated on the importance of road safety, the loss and the sorry
spectacles cannot be avoided.
Prevention is better than cure. This holds good even in the matter of road
accidents. Accidents are due to many causes and may occur under
different circumstances. The simplest but at the same time dangerous
perhaps is people slipping down on the road caused by an orange or a
banana peel. Without meaning any harm, quite innocently a person may
throw away the orange peel or the banana skin on the road or the
sidewalk. When a person, walking briskly, steps on, it he or she will slip
down ending in fracture of bones and sometimes even more dangerous
than that. So people must take care they do not throw the pealings on the
road but should deposit them in a dust-bin. In some countries the
offenders are severely punished. The second cause of accident is due to
careless crossing in busy roads. While crossing one must look to the right
and left for moving vehicles and then cross.
Where there are Zebra crossings on the road for the pedestrians to cross,
one should cross along them. One should keep to the margin of the road
while walking and the vehicles must keep to their lanes in busy streets.
In the case of accidents involving vehicles there are many causes. One is
trying to overtake and very often taking risk. Another is wrong judgment
in crossing. Sometimes it may be not caring for the signals. In crowded
streets accidents may take place in a snap second because one does not
care for the signal. "Stop, look and go" is the best precept; it will save
vehicles from accidents. But where one takes a foolish step, the result is
the inevitable accident. Jay riding may be another cause. Riding two or
three abreast is always dangerous. Especially one must be aware of this.
Scooter riders become victims of road accidents. But if they just wear the
helmet as required by law they could easily avoid fracture and hence
death.
Very often the cause of accidents is the failure of the brake system which
means the owner of the vehicle does not bother to keep the machine in
good condition. By attending to the vehicle regularly a lot of miseries
could be avoided.

Road safety is a matter of education in which the school can play a

significant role. Through scouting, Red Cross and social education classes,
children can be taught the importance of observing the rules of the road.
Children must be taught their limbs and lives are very valuable and they
must not take risk, especially when leaving the school. As soon as the bell
goes children rush out and accidents do happen. Under the circumstances
the teachers must feel it their duty to regulate the traffic near the school.
The police can cooperate with the school in this respect.
To make the people road conscious, the mass media can play a useful role.
The newspaper, the wall poster and the cinema and now the TV come in
handy. Shots in the cinema or TV emphasizing the importance of road
safety can be highlighted. There may be speeches over the radio by the
police officials. During peak hours in crowded areas, the police may direct
the traffic and ask people to keep to their lanes.

After a century of railway working all over the world, and despite the fact that we have almost
said the last word in safety, both in protecting the millions who travel by train and the
employees who work them, accidents still happen and sometimes with disastrous results. It
is with a view to minimising them, so far as our own railways are concerned, that I would
give a little sound advice to the younger members of the service, and I include all
Departments, viz., Locomotive, Traffic and Maintenance. From experience gained in the
course of nearly twenty-five years in the Traffic Branch, I have come to the conclusion that it
is the younger men of the service who really need advice on the question of safety. There is
an old saying Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Take the locomotive Department
first. If a knoek develops on an engine, the good old saying, take no risk, is at once
apparentyou may come in contact with a bridge or other obstacle. Play safe, stop, and
then look round for anything loose about the engine. The same remarks apply to the fireman.
If he has to trim coal there is always the danger of striking an overhead bridge or telegraph
wires crossing the line. Keep well down towards the front of the tender when engaged in this
work. When an engine is slipping badly, and the sand pipes are blocked, great care requires
to be exercised; if tapping pipes with hammer or other tools you are dangerously close to the
motion, and a shattered arm is the result if you come into contact with same. Again I say,
play safe, stop and adjust matters. To my mind one of the most dangerous undertakings on
our railways is performed by an employee who is called upon to run over any portion of the
track with a velocipede or trolley. Here it is a question of being absolutely sure of your
whereabouts and the time the train is due to pass, to say nothing of...

Road traffic safety refers to methods and measures for reducing the risk of a person using the
road network being killed or seriously injured. The users of a road
include pedestrians, cyclists, motorists, their passengers, and passengers of on-road public
transport, mainlybuses and trams. Best-practice road safety strategies focus upon the prevention
of serious injury and death crashes in spite of human fallibility[1] (which is contrasted with the old
road safety paradigm of simply reducing crashes assuming road user compliance with traffic
regulations). Safe road design is now about providing a road environment which ensures vehicle
speeds will be within the human tolerances for serious injury and death wherever conflict points
exist. Furthermore, the highest possible degree of safety shall be ensured when transporting
goods by road. It is of vital importance to monitor and validate the road transportation safety,
including comprehensive checks on drivers, vehicles and safety processes.

Drivers must at all times, abide by the safety regulations of the road and most importantly stick to the
speed limits or stick to a speed which will allow one to stop within a safe distance. Drivers must, most
importantly, take responsibility for themselves at all times. By this I mean, they must know that they
should not drive if they feel tired, sick, drunk or upset. They must also ensure that the appropriate eye
wear or hearing aid be worn if necessary. Patience is a quality in which drivers must exercise. They must
be cautious especially on wet roads, pedestrian crossings and junctions.
Typical examples of drivers practicing unsafe habits are, drivers who cut people off in traffic or attempt
to run out the amber traffic light. Another example of this occurs when drivers dont give the right of
way to anyone especially when coming when coming onto highways or going around a round-about or
even by giving the pedestrians the right of way at a pedestrian crossing. All of these things contribute to
a drivers social responsibility.
Driver distraction and inattention are important driving safety issues. Within the past five years, the use
of in-vehicle technologies for example the cell phone and the pager, became more popular. The cell
phone, primarily, causes a concern about a concomitant increase in driver distraction. Billboards and
artifacts from roadsides also contribute greatly to the distraction.
Drivers however are not the only ones to be blamed. Pedestrians have traditionally accounted for many
deaths on the road. During the past five years, pedestrians have accounted for at least 30% of road
accidents. Pedestrians must, at all times, walk on walkways and cross the main roads and highways with
extreme caution always giving the right of way to cars approaching.
Even if a driver is responsible and cautious, who is to blame if an accident still occurs? Drivers cannot
drive safely in unsafe conditions. Another factor which contributes to road accidents is the condition of
the roads and infrastructure of the country. The government should ensure that there is adequate
maintenance of our infrastructure. Impediments on roads cause drivers to lose control over their
vehicles and force drivers to make illegal moves.
It should also be ensured, by the government, that the roads of a country are well lighted in the night.
Some drivers are unable to see oncoming vehicles in time and thus collide causing death or injury. Areas
of congestion are also a common location for road injuries. Even though, patience in traffic plays the
major role in preventing road accidents in traffic, another role should be played by the government, in
preventing excessive traffic. It is a known fact that officials in the Licensing Office take bribes from
students who want to obtain their license faster. These bribes must be stopped . No amount of money is
worth a life!
There are many solutions to the problems stated earlier. Firstly and most importantly, the drivers
attitude has to change. The driver should always be patient, responsible and cautious. He should ensure
that all the fittings in the car be in such a manner as not to cause or to be likely to cause, danger to any
person in the vehicle or on the public road. In other words, he should always have social responsibility.
Secondly, the government is in charge of making a country a safe place to drive in. The government
should ensure that there is proper maintenance of infrastructure. Should impediments such as pot holes,
branches etc be removed, roads will be made safer to a significant degree. Maintenance of infrastructure
should also include properly functioning lights on roadways for night drivers and properly maintained
street signs and traffic directing arrows. To reduce accidents due to speeding, there should be more
effective mechanisms to detect speed for example hidden cameras at traffic lights and radar systems.
It should be made mandatory that all drivers in Trinidad and Tobago take courses on defensive driving.
There should be more police on the road during the night taking random breathalyzer tests to determine
if the drivers are intoxicated. Billboards and other artifacts must be removed from major roads to reduce
driver distraction. The use of cell phones while driving should be banned for this, primarily contributes to
driver distraction. In order to avoid excessive traffic congestion, the government should make the
highways wider for many accidents are caused in the build up of traffic.
The most effective solutions to road safety related problems integrate the driver, the vehicle, the road
and environmental considerations. Improvements in road safety can best be achieved through

consultation and co operation with specific levels of government, industry and the public. All users of the
transportation system must share responsibility for safety. Recently, road accidents have increased
drastically and should be really considered a major health hazard of today.

Synonyms alarming, dire, direful, dread, dreadful, fearsome,forbidding, formida

ble, frightening, frightful, ghastly, hair-raising, horrendous, horrible, horrifying, int
imidating,redoubtable, scary, shocking, spine-chilling, terrible, terrifying
Related
Words daunting, demoralizing, disconcerting,discouraging, dismaying, disquietin
g, distressing, disturbing,perturbing, startling, threatening, troubling, trying, unn
erving;bone-chilling, creepy, eerie (also eery), weird; appalling,atrocious, awful, g
risly, gruesome (also grewsome), hideous,horrid, macabre, monstrous, nightmari
sh
Near
Antonyms calming, comforting, consoling, inviting,lulling, pacifying, quieting, re
assuring, relaxing, soothing,tranquilizing (also tranquillizing); nonintimidating,no
nthreatening
2 easily frightened <a scary horse who spooked and kicked at its own shadow>
Synonyms fainthearted, fearful, fearsome, mousy (ormousey), scary, skittish, ti
mid, timorous, tremulous
Related Words chicken, chickenhearted, chickenlivered,cowardly, craven, dastardly, gutless, lily-livered, milk-livered
[archaic], poltroon, pusillanimous, spineless, unheroic, yellow;jittery, jumpy, spoo
ky; anxious, apprehensive, nervous;afraid, alarmed, horrified, panicked, panicky,
panic-stricken,scared, shocked, spooked, startled, terrified, terrorized,unnerved
Near
Antonyms brave, courageous, dauntless, doughty,fearless, gallant, greathearte
d, heroic (also heroical),intrepid, lionhearted, stalwart, stout, stouthearted,undau
nted, valiant, valorous; assured, confident, self-assured, self-confident; determine
d, firm, game, plucky,resolute, undeterred, unflinching, unswerving; mettlesome,
spirited, spunky
Antonyms adventuresome, adventurous, audacious, bold,daring, dashing, gutsy
, hardy, venturesome, venturous
3 filled with fear or dread <I got a little scary when I heard the noise in the
basement>
Synonyms affrighted, aghast, alarmed, fearful, frightened,horrified, horrorstruck, hysterical (also hysteric), scared,scary, shocked, spooked, terrified, terrori
zed
Related
Words chicken, fainthearted, fearsome, shrinking,shy, timid, timorous, tremulant
, tremulous; agitated, anxious,apprehensive, disconcerted, disquieted, disturbed,
funky,jittery, jumpy, nervous, panicked, panicky, panicstricken,perturbed, skittish
, uneasy, upset, worried; phobic; appalled,dismayed, startled; cowed, daunted, in
timidated, unnerved;coward, cowardly, craven, gutless, lily-livered, pusillanimou
s;careful, cautious, heedful, prudent, unadventurous, wary
Near
Antonyms adventuresome, adventurous, audacious,bold, daredevil, daring, das
hing, gutsy, plucky, spirited,spunky, venturesome, venturous; brave, courageous,

gallant,hardy, heroic (also heroical), intrepid, lionhearted, manful,stalwart, stout,

stouthearted, valiant, valorous; assured,collected, composed, confident, cool, sa
nguine, sure,unperturbed; dauntless, resolute, undaunted
Antonyms fearless, unafraid

1) "To make someones hair stand on end"/ "To make someones hair stand up on the
back of someones neck" to cause someone to be very frightened.
When you make someone scared or panic or to shock them.
2) "To curl someones hair"/ "To make someones hair curl" to frighten or alarm
someone; to shock someone with sight, sound, or taste.
This expression may have developed in the middle of 20th century as a dramatic or
humorous variation of "To make someones hair stand on end".
3) "To make someones blood run cold"/ "To make someones blood curdle" to shock or
horrify someone.
The phrase comes from the medieval physiological scheme of the four humours in the
human body (melancholy, blood, phlegm and choler). Under this scheme blood was the
hot, moist element, so the effect of horror or fear in making the blood run cold or
curdling (solidifying) it was to make it unable to fulfill its proper function of supplying the
body with vital heat or energy.
4) "To scare the pants off someone" (slang) to frighten someone very badly.
5) "To scare someone out of their wits/ senses" to frighten someone badly, suddenly or
both.
6) "To scare living daylights out of someone" give someone a very severe fright.
This expression was a mid 20th-century development from "To beat the living daylights
out of" on the premise that the effect of extreme fear is as drastic as physical violence.
Daylight or daylights has been used from the mid 18th century as a metaphor for
eyes, and here has the extended sense of any vital organ of the body.
7) "To frighten/ scare the hell/ the sh*t out of someone - to make someone feel very
frightened.
8) "To give someone the willies" make someone feel very nervous and apprehensive
(fast ride, exams etc.).
Willies has historical references back to a man acting like a child, but also was reference
in Yugoslavia as a spirit or ghost.
9) "To give someone the creeps" to make you feel frightened or nervous ; to cause
someone to feel dislike or disgust.

A BLOODCURDLING SCREAM: a terrified scream as to cause ones blood to freeze.

A JINX: someone that brings bad luck or a spell.
CREEPY / SPOOKY : scary.
LIKE A BAT OUT OF HELL: very fast
SOMETHING/ SOMEBODY SENDS SHIVERS DOWN MY SPINE: feel frightened by something or
someone.
THE WITCHING HOUR: midnight or any time of day when something bad is likely to occur.
TO BE (AS) PALE AS A GHOST / PALE AS DEATH: very pale or white in the face.
TO BE SCARED STIFF : very frightened so that one is unable to move.
TO BE SCARED WITLESS: very frightened so that one becomes senseless.
TO FREAK OUT : become scared, excited or disturbed, or very angry or upset.
TO GIVE SOMEONE THE CREEPS: make one feel frightened or nervous.
TO HAVE A SKELETON IN THE CLOSET : something that might bring shame or embarrassment to a
family or person if other people knew about it.
TO JINX SOMETHING: bring bad luck.
TO LOOK AS IF ONE HAS JUST SEEN A GHOST: look frightened or upset
TO MAKE ONES HAIR STAND ON END: cause one to be frightened
TO SCARE THE PANTS OFF SOMEONE / TO SCARE THE BEJESUS OUT OF SOMEONE : to
frighten someone a great deal.
TO SHAKE LIKE A LEAF: be very scared and trembling.
TO SPOOKE SOMEONE : to startle or disorient someone.
TO STAB SOMEONE IN THE BACK: to betray somebody..
TO WEIRD SOMEONE OUT: make somebody feel very uncomfortable or uneasy.

As I stood, gazing at the dilapidated house. I shivered, as though, ice had

replaced my spine. The cold air enveloped the entire body. The multiple layer of
clothing could not protect against the deathly cold. The walkway leading up to
house were cracked. Weeds and dandelions poked out from these cracks. Red
roses grown wildly in thick batches by the gate. The moonlight cast a ghoulish
glow on the house. Vines formed a twisted maze upon the side of house,
reaching their tentacles towards the roof. The house's walls showed black decay
by neglect. Splotches of original paint hinted at the house former prosperity.
Cobwebs covered the corners of the doors, tiny black spiders threading towards
their prey. The house is fit for the kings and queens of the supernatural.
The door begrudgingly creaked open. A musty, dank order creep into my nose.
The house was dead silence except for the intermittent creaks and moans. Black
and brown mold dotted the ceiling in clusters, evident of rain seeping through
the roof. I quietly entered the dark living room. Windows covered with grime and
dirt, the calm moonlight struggled to penetrate the darkness in thin thread rays.
Sharp shadows roamed around the room. The sofa and chairs overturned
revealing deep grooves on the ground where they used to sit. Wallpaper lay
curled on the floor. A large jagged hole dug through the wall stood as though
daring any to enter. Picture frames hanged off-centered. Sharp shadows roamed
around the room. A misplaced grand bookcase stood the corner of the room,
undisturbed for a long time. Selecting the correct book could reveal a secret
doorway into a labyrinth.
I made my way back into the hallway, a slimmer of light came from behind a
door. I approached and opened the door. I had reached the bathroom. The single
window was mildly dirty, a flood of light flowed into the room. Dust swirled
around the room as I made my way inside. The medicine cabinet mirror lay
shattered in pieces on the floor tile. Empty medicine bottle lay in the porcelain
sink. The only sound to be heard is the drip, drip of the faucet. A closer look
revealed the discoloration of the water, a brownish concoction. A lone mouse
stood sentry at the bottom of the tub. Never having a visitor in a while, it
curiously eyed me before scuttling away. Approaching the bathtub, a violent odor
made it way to my nose. Pinching my nose, I leaned over and peered inside.
Crusty rags filled the bathtub, little hints of movement underneath them. It
would be unadvisable to see what is under the rags.
I arrived at the foot of the staircase. I stood and peered at the top, wondering
when a twisted head person will crawl down and have me for dinner. I summoned
strength and tiptoed my way up the stairs. Each step intensified the moaning
and creaking as if the steps could collapse at any moment. I turned to the right,
and met my final destination. The door did not give way easier, a forceful push
was needed. Stepping inside, a dresser seem to have been pushed against the
door, attempting to deny anyone entry. I could make out the silhouette of bed,
edging in closer for a better look. A toy dinosaur lay missing its head on the bed.
The sheet was splattered with a dark color. The wind intensified outside, the
rustling of the leaves and branches were louder. In the corner, a little chair began
to rock slowly. The room had once belonged to a boy. The thin strips of wallpaper
showed little trucks. Crayon markings scrambled upon the wall where wallpaper
used to stick. The carpet squished as I walked. Little picture frames remained
facedown on the carpet.
A howl echoed throughout the house. It was time to leave, I told myself. I closed
the bedroom door behind as I carefully walked down the stairs. I hoped I did not

disturb anything or its somber rest. I made my way outside where my group of
friends was standing. They asked me what took me so long; I replied that
escaping the ghosts was difficult.

A beautiful 8 year old girl, Izzy, got this adorable china doll for her birthday. She called her
Sam. One day Izzy was playing with her doll until her mom called her for bed. Izzy put the
doll in the basement and went up to bed.
In the middle of the night she heard weird noises. Then she heard "China doll, china doll in
the basement, china doll, china doll on the stairs, china doll, china doll in your parents room,
now they're dead." Izzy fell back into a troubled sleep.
In the morning she raced to her parents room and they were dead. She cried as her brother
planned the funeral. Izzy did not play with Sam that day. She went up to bed early and fell
asleep.
In the middle of the night she heard chanting again. China doll, china doll in the basement,
china doll, china doll on the stairs, china doll, china doll in your parents room, china doll,
china doll in your brothers room now he's dead." Izzy shivered and fell into another troubling
sleep.
In the morning she went to her brothers room, he was dead. She spent the day in her room
and wouldn't come out. Night fell again and she went to sleep.
She heard the chanting again. "China doll, china doll in the basement, china doll, china doll
on the stairs, china doll, china doll in your parents room, china doll, china doll in your
brothers room, china doll, china doll in your room." She gazed up to see the doll. "Now
you're...dead!"
The police found her the next day with no sign of the murderer. All they heard was chuckling
in the distance. The chuckle of a brown haired, brown eyed china doll, on the hunt for her
next victims.

The relationship between a mother and daughter is one of the most profound bonds in life. A
mother feels her daughter's first kick during pregnancy, labors to bring her daughter into the
world and watches as she takes her first breath of life. Similarly, a daughter opens up a new
world and range of emotions to her mother, allowing her to feel an unconditional love she didn't
know she possessed.
Im not going to last longer, anyway
When the time of my death comes,
I hope you hold my hand
And give me the strength to face death
And dont worry
When I finally meet our Creator
I will whisper in His ear
To BLESS you
Because you loved
Your Mom and Dad
Thank you so much for your care
We love you

Words cannot express the gratitude and appreciation I feel for you, nor can they begin to define the
thanks that I would like to give to you for everything that you have done for me. You have always been
there for me and have shown me the way. You have pushed me to be the best that I can be and are the
reason I stand where I am today.
You are my guiding light, Mom. The lighthouse at the edge of the seashore, always calling me home.
You have taught me everything I know and stand for and have raised me to be strong and independent.
But no matter what, I will always be your little girl, and I will always need you.

Thank you for everything, and I mean everything. For teaching me to smile in the face of adversity and
to believe in myself no matter what anyone says. I can only hope to one day become half the woman
you are; strong, beautiful, and intelligent.

I was born with spina bifida (think Baby Noor!) When I was 19, I became
deafened from an antibiotic given to save my life from severe kidney infections.
When I was 33, my kidneys failed and I began dialysis. I had a transplant and
have been on dialysis for nine years. I am not eligible for another transplant due
to my worsening scoliosis. Yet I hesitate to submit my story.
Why? Because my disabilities do not define my life. Our culture is such that if
you do not look like people in magazines and in movies, it is assumed you have a
sad life. I am a Christian, a woman, a sister, an aunt, mom to my pets "the
fabulous furries," a devout Braves fan, and a tree-hugger. I can think of many
more adjectives before I would arrive at person with a disability.
My life is not so different from other single women: I graduated from college
(with honors), I hold a Masters degree from New York University, I am a certified
public manager, and I have 20 years of full-time work experience in rehabilitation
administration. I own my house (which I share with the fabulous furries), I drive
my car. I have traveled to most of the 50 states, Mexico, Canada and Austria. In
fact, during both trips to Austria I received dialysis treatments.
Why do I feel I have a happy, satisfied and peaceful life? No doubt most of it is
due to my faith. I know I am never alone. That is not to say I never have a bad
day, but knowing I am not alone and that I am loved by my Lord gets me through
the rough times. I am a sister in the Daughter of the King lay order and my
sisters are wonderful spiritual role models. I feel challenged by learning from
them to continue to grow in faith.
Of course, none of this would be possible without my parents. Sadly, they both
passed away when I was relatively young, my mom died when I was 14, my dad
when I was 24. I am now 51 and grew up in a time when expectations were not
high for someone with a severe disability. Yet there was never a question that I
might not go to college, just like my older brothers did. I am sure they must have
had to fight a lot to get treatments and education for me but their expectations
of me were high. (And my family laughs a lot too!) We are now on the second
generation of Give me a ride, Aunt Robin! I hate to brag but I have been told I
am more fun than Six Flags!
Lastly, there are my friends. Some are close by in location, some are not, but all
are close by in thought and prayer. I have a group on my email listing of earth
angels and one email to that group and I know I am lifted in prayer by many.

My Sweet Ruby,
When did you become an almost five year old? Where has the time gone? There are moments I still
feel you dancing in my belly, nuzzling your tiny face into the nape of my neck as I burp you. The smell
of dried milk and baby powder on your skin.
You are and will always be my baby, my angel.
I loved every minute of our time together, when I was pregnant with you. Moving together, practicing
together on my yoga mat, you, sleeping within mesafe from the world. You taught me intimacy at a
time when I needed it the most.

At 34 weeks, you wanted to burst into the world, but you knew you needed a little more time. I was in
pre-term labor with you, in and out of the hospital for weeks. Once we reached 38 weeks, I tried
everything to get you outacupuncture, you name itbut you wouldnt budge.
Finally, when it was time you came with ease, quickly and gracefully. You danced out of me with your
perfectly round head and gorgeous face. You have always moved this way, like you were a ballerina in
a previous life, stolen from the last scene of Swan Lake, continuing your performance in this life. I
could watch you dance, forever.
You are a quiet, observant spirit. You watch, tentative, calculated a master at making your moves
appear fluidly spontaneous. How do you do that? You take your time and then you jump in,
completely.
I remember feeding you, nursing you. I had to be patient and willing to wait. You would drink slowly,
mindfully. Filling yourself to prepare to be awake, aware and engaged in everything you did. I watched
you grow this way, from sitting up, to crawling, to walking, to running, to sprinting, to climbing, dancing,
coloring, playing,
You love school, learning, reading, drawing, playing make believe. Sitting and watching you play with
your baby doll. Sometimes you dont even know I watch you, but I do. You are a care taker, a lover, a
mother.

Korean drama (Hangul: ), k-drama for short, refers to televised dramas, in a miniseries format,
produced in South Korea. Many of these dramas have become popular throughout Asia, with growing interest in
other parts of the world. K-dramas have contributed to the general phenomenon of the Korean wave, known as
Hallyu (Hangul: ), and also "DramaFever" in some countries.
Flagship Korean dramas typically run from 16 to 20 episodes. Occasionally, historical epics stretch for 50 to 100
episodes, in a single season. Sometimes, if a show is popular, networks extend them. The Fugitive: Plan B in
2010, for example, was extended from 16 to 20 episodes. Since each episode usually runs for about 60 minutes,
one of the shorter 16-episode K-dramas might consume about 960 minutes of air-time. In comparison, BBC's
1995 Pride and Prejudice takes 330 minutes. The American mini-series Lonesome Dove takes 384 minutes
and Noble House takes 376 minutes.
The broadcast time for flagship dramas is 22:00 to 23:00, with episodes on two consecutive nights: Mondays and
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and weekends. Different dramas appear on each of the nationwide
networks, Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), Korean Broadcasting System (KBS), Munhwa Broadcasting
Corporation (MBC) and on the cable channels, Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company (jTBC), Channel
A, tvN, and Orion Cinema Network (OCN).
The 19:00 to 20:00 evening time slot is usually for daily dramas that run from Monday through Friday. Dramas in
these slots are in the telenovella format, rarely running over 200 episodes. Unlike the American soap operas,
these daily dramas are not also scheduled during the day-time. Instead, the day-time schedule often includes
reruns of the flagship dramas. The night-time dailies can achieve very high ratings. For example, the evening
series Temptation of a Wife peaked at 40.6%, according to TNS Korea.[2]
Korean dramas have also spread overseas with several on demand streaming services which legally license
Korean dramas. For example, the company DramaFever, which was founded in 2009 during the Hallyu Wave,
reports a catalog of over 13,000 episodes.[3]
Flagship dramas fall into 2 main categories. The first category includes stories set in modern South Korea.
Popular examples are Full House and Boys Over Flowers. Milieus range from restaurants (Pasta), to a mayor's
office (City Hall), to the Blue House (City Hunter). Plots range from serious, 49 Days, to comical, Couple Fantasy.
Most emphasize family, as in Stars Falling From the Sky. Many, if not most, follow the efforts of a young woman
trying to climb out of a hole, In Soon Is Pretty being a clear example. The hole sometimes is the result of her own
machinations, as in Coffee Prince. Shorter K-dramas like those mentioned in this paragraph tend to be singlethreaded, with a conventional design, not unlike a novel: set-up, suspenseful body, climax and denouement.
Because of their length, many Korean dramas do not start in medias res. Indeed, in many, the set-up (Act I)
occurs when the hero and heroine are children. Missing Youexemplifies this.[citation needed]
The other main category of prime-time drama includes dramatizations of Korean history, such as Queen
Seondeok. These Costume dramas, also known as Sageuk (Korean: ), typically involve very complex story
lines with elaborate costumes, sets, and special effects.[4] Martial arts, sword fighting, and horsemanship are
frequently a big component, as well.
There are a growing number of dramas somewhere in between the modern and historical. These tend to be
single-threaded like the first category but have many of the trappings of the second. Some, like Sungkyunkwan
Scandal or The Moon Embracing the Sun, have a firm historical setting but have little to do with historical events
or persons. Arang and the Magistrate, while set in the past, is completely imaginary and based on folklore. A few
recent dramas, like Rooftop Prince, exploit both past and present by injecting time travel into the storyline. Queen
In-hyun's Man goes full circle. The hero, from the Joseon era, goes to a library in modern day Seoul to consult a
history book so that he can solve a problem in his own era.

One reviewer characterizes Korean dramas as having excellent production quality, well-drawn but stereotypical
characters, and intelligent scriptwriting.[5] Currently, many, if not most, of the screenwriters are women,[citation
needed]

notable among them, the Hong Sisters, Hong Mi Ran and Hong Jung Eun. In The King of Dramas, a k-

drama about making k-dramas, the heroine is a screenwriter.

She admits she didnt know anything about South Korean television, until a serial
popped up on her Netflix recommendation list.
I started watching it, and as soon as I saw the subtitles, I thought about turning
it off. But then I thought, well, Ill watch it for a few minutes, and within 10
minutes I was hooked, she says.
The show? City Hunter, a hit thriller about a man whos hunting down his
fathers killer. I watched the whole 20 hours. Marathon-ed it!
Shes been hooked since, and it's thanks to video streaming companies
like DramaFever, the largest distributor of Asian TV content in North America. It
attracts millions of viewers in the United States, and most of them are non-Asian.
I think what we tapped into was the demand for foreign content regardless of
your ethnic background," says Suk Park, co-founder of DramaFever. "A demand
for foreign content that was something different, something exciting, something
interesting that wasnt available.
Park stumbled on the idea for his company when he began searching for Korean
television dramas to improve his own Korean language skills. Park is Korean-born
but was raised in Spain and studied in the United States and he quickly
learned that finding those Korean shows was a challenge.
Most of the consumption was happening online through illegal sites, he says.
So, in 2008, Park launched DramaFever, a legal site with subtitled content,
licensed from South Korean broadcasters. He now employs more than 60 people
and runs sites in English and Spanish. Turns out, Korean dramas have become so
popular with Latinos, that DramaFever just signed a deal with Hispanic
broadcaster, Telemundo.
One very popular K-drama is "Coffee Prince, a Cinderella story about a poor
young woman who disguises herself as a boy to get work at a coffee shop. The
rich store owner falls in love with him and then discovers hes a woman. Park
calls it a K-drama classic.
Youll always have the really rich, aloof, male lead, and then the poor girl, from
a poor family with the heart of gold," he says.
Last fall, one of South Koreas leading production companies joined forces with
DramaFever to produce their first original series, Heirs already a fan-favorite
with 17 million views in just the first three months. The story is about privileged
high school students and was filmed largely in California.
Other series have storylines about aliens falling in love with humans, dramas
about about revenge with hoky twists and turns and they are all packaged for
binge-watching.
Its one complete story, one season, and then youre out," says Sarah, who
prefers to go by her online aliasJava Beans. She works full-time on a wildly
popular Korean drama super-fan website called Dramabeans.
Sarah grew up in California watching Korean TV with her parents. They were
always on in my household. I watched so many [shows] that I dont know the
name of, that I barely remember the plots. My parents would just have them on,
on the TV.
She says changing viewing habits and YouTube fueled the genres popularity here
in the US.
Sarah and her co-writer Jen who goes by her online handle Girl Friday
regularly host K-drama meet-ups in cities like New York and Seattle.

We had 60-something-year-old professors, 18-year-old college students, people

who were like, 'Um, Im in high school. I cant come to this meet-up at the bar,
can you meet me at the local Starbucks?' she recalls.
American media companies are taking note of this growing
viewership. Hulu recently partnered with DramaFever to offer more than 200
different K-Dramas on their own site. Netflix is expanding its foreign content too.
But Park says he isn't expecting to compete with companies like Showtime or
HBO. He has other goals in mind.Entertainment is a gateway to culture. Through
Korean dramas, you become familiar with Korean values, Korea as a country,
Korean food, Korean customs, Park says.
And the shows are proving America's endless appetite for binge TV viewing goes
beyond the English language.

The Importance of Water

Water, the most abundant compound on the planet, is a material, which

is essential for all living organisms. Its uses in all living things
cover a huge variety of everyday functions, which are important to the
continuity of the organism. Water has obvious familiar properties, its
colourless; It's tasteless; It's odourless; It feels wet; It's
distinctive in sound when dripping from a faucet or crashing as a
wave; It dissolves nearly everything; It exists in three forms:
liquid, solid, gas; It can absorb a large amount of heat; It sticks
together into beads or drops; It's part of every living organism on
the planet.
Water's unique properties are largely a result of its simple
composition and structure. Water is composed of two hydrogen atoms
bound to one oxygen atom. The two hydrogen atoms are smaller the
smallest atom there is, in fact, and they rest on both sides of the
larger oxygen atom at an angle of 105. When the hydrogen atoms
combine with oxygen, they each give away their single electron and
form what is known as a covalent bond. Because electrons are more
attracted to the positively charged oxygen atom, the two hydrogen's
become slightly positively charged (they give away their negative
charge) and the oxygen atom becomes negatively charged. This
separation between negative and positive charges creates what is known
as a polar molecule, meaning a molecule that has an electrical charge
on its surface somewhere. Although the water molecule as a whole has
no charge, the parts of it, the hydrogen wings and the oxygen body, do
exhibit individual charges.
The polarity of water allows it to join with other molecules,
including itself. Water molecules can form hydrogen bonds, which give
shape to water as a whole. Water has a high surface tension(Fig 2).
The ability of water molecules to quickly break and re-form hydrogen
bonds gives it a property called cohesion. Water's high amount of
cohesion makes it "sticky" such that across the air-water interface, a
kind of "water barrier" is set up that allows things to float easier
on the surface and causes water to form beads. These hydrogen bonds
also give water many other unique properties.
One of the most important properties of water is as a solvent. Water
is slightly ionised which means that other polar molecules such as

salts, sugars and amino acids will dissolve readily in water. This
means water can be used for the transportation of such substances
(notably in the bloodstream of animals and the xylem and phloem
vessels found in plants)
Water has an unusually high specific heat capacity; over twice the
specific heat capacity of ice or steam this makes it a very useful
substance for living organisms. Water does not change temperature very
easily and therefore minimizes fluctuations in temperature in cells
and creates a remarkably constant sea temperature for aquatic
organisms. As water is heated, the increased movement of water causes
the hydrogen bonds to bend and break. As the energy absorbed in these
processes is not available to increase the kinetic energy of the
water, it takes considerable heat to raise water's temperature. Also,
as water is a light molecule there are more molecules per gram, than
most similar molecules, to absorb this energy. Heat absorbed is given
out on cooling, so allowing water to act as a heat reservoir,
buffering against changes in temperature.
Water has a high latent heat of vaporisation, which means that when
animals sweat and plants transpire water, takes energy from the
organism when it evaporates and as a result cools the organism.
Therefore water has many interesting and unusual properties which are
fundamental for survival of all living organisms.

WATER:
THE IMPORTANCE OF WATER
With two thirds of the earth's surface covered by water and the human body
consisting of 75 percent of it, it is evidently clear that water is one of the prime elements
responsible for life on earth. Water circulates through the land just as it does through the
human body, transporting, dissolving, replenishing nutrients and organic matter, while
carrying away waste material. Further in the body, it regulates the activities of fluids,
tissues, cells, lymph, blood and glandular secretions.
An average adult body contains 42 litres of water and with just a small loss of 2.7
litres he or she can suffer from dehydration, displaying symptoms of irritability, fatigue,
nervousness, dizziness, weakness, headaches and consequently reach a state of
pathology. Dr F. Batmanghelidj, in his book 'your body's many cries for water', gives a
wonderful essay on water and its vital role in the health of a water 'starved' society. He
writes: "Since the 'water' we drink provides for cell function and its volume
requirements, the decrease in our daily water intake affects the efficiency of cell
activity........as a result chronic dehydration causes symptoms that equal disease..."
THE HISTORY OF WATER
Water has been used since antiquity as a symbol by which to express devotion and
purity. Some cultures, like the ancient Greeks, went as far as to worship gods who were
thought to live in and command the waters. Whole cities have been build by considering
the location and availability of pure drinking water. The place of gathering was around
the wells, which is perhaps the following trend in building fountains in the middle of
piazzas.
Traditional and modern medicine have been makings use of the psychological and
physiological diverse properties of water, in all forms of hydrotherapy (composite Greek
word: hydro, of water and therapy, . We all know of the simple, yet effective, calming
qualities of a warm bath or the invigorating qualities of a cold shower. For centuries,
numerous healing springs located all around the world have been recognised for their
benefits. The famous Belgium spas in the Ardennes is a fine example. Historical records
of these cold springs claim 'cures' since the fourteenth century. The hot Californian spas,
the healing spas of Loutraki in Greece, the Dalhousie hot springs in the border of South
Australia and Northern Territory, Moree in NSW, Hepburn mineral spas in Victoria are just
a few examples.
OUR WATER TODAY
Contrary to the past, our recent developed technological society has become
indifferent to this miracle of life. Our natural heritage (rivers, seas and oceans) has been
exploited, mistreated and contaminated.
The population decline of the marine and riparian life, the appearance of green
algae in the rivers and the stench and slime that comes as a result of putrefaction in the
water, are clear signs of the depth and extent of disruption that has been caused to this

intricate ecosystem (a composite Greek word: eco, home and systema, a combination of
things or parts forming a complex or unitary whole). Government bodies and water
authorities will have us believe that it is 'safe' and we should not worry about this global
alarm. Awareness and action lies entirely upon us, as we need to become our own
educators, physicians and innovators. Socrates had once said: "an unexamined life is not
worth living....", Jesus took it a step further: "seek, and you shall find......the truth shall
set you free..." So questioning everything and anything that anyone tells you until it
makes sense, is of uppemost importance. If it is the truth it will feel right, set you free
and lead you on the road of discovery and recovery.
THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DRINKING WATER
Our drinking water today, far from being pure, contains some two hundred deadly
commercial chemicals. Add to that bacteria, viruses, inorganic minerals (making the
water hard) and you have a chemical cocktail that is unsuitable (if not deadly) for human
consumption. John Archer in his book 'THE WATER YOU DRINK, HOW SAFE IS IT ?' refers
to an estimate of 60,000 tonnes of fifty different chemicals being deliberately added
annually to Australia's water. Some of these are:
chlorine: studies1 indicate that chlorine is involved in heart disease, hardening of
the arteries (arteriosclerosis), anaemia, high blood pressure, allergies and cancers2 of
the bladder, stomach, liver and rectum. Further, chlorine can destroy protein in the body
and cause adverse effects on the skin and hair. The US COUNCIL of environmental
quality states that cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93% higher
than among those whose water does not contain chlorine". Chlorine binds and reacts
with many other chemicals, forming carcinogens like Trihallomethanes3 (THMs), with
chloroform being the most common one. Furthermore, recent real life evidence in the
tap water of Sydney shows that certain viruses and parasites, like giardia and
cryptosporidium, are being resistant to chlorine and can survive the long journey from
the sewage treatment to your tap. That makes chlorination a even more pointless and
dangerous practice.
Giardia and cryptosporidium are protosoa (unicellular organisms) parasitic to the
intestines of animals and humans. Once in the body, these parasites then multiply and
cause the respective infections of giardiasis and cryptosporidosis, which contribute or are
associated to enteric (intestinal) diseases. Other than food, these parasites are
transmited from contaminated drinking water. These infested waters are today in most
major cities which is a direct result of the unsuccsessful treatment of recycled sewage
effluent. These parasites initially venture their way into the sewage effluent, from
Hospitals, abattoir and farms waste, which contain blood, intestines and faeces. While
immunocompitend (the ability to develope an immune response) people may remain
asymptomatic (presenting no symptons) by ingestion of this parasites,
immunocompromised (ie malnutrition Cancer and Aids) patients are at risk. U.S Health
Officials estimate 900,000 people each year become ill, and possibly 900 die from
waterborne disease4. Notable outbreaks occured in Milwauke, Wisconsin, in 1993 when
over 400,000 people became ill after drinking water contaminated with the parasite.
Symptoms associated with the infection of this parasites are, mild to profuse debilitating
diarrhoea, lassitude, nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting with consequent loss of
appetite and fever. The threat and danger of outbreaks similar to the dreaded great
London epidemic in 1854 (were cholera due to contaminated water took the life of many

unaware citizens) is now once again at our door step and unless drastic precautions are
taken on these early sign's we could be expecting disasters of great magnitude (in the
apocalipse it states, that one third of the waters will be contaminated, could this be it?).
For now it is about time that water authorities admit to their erroneous ways and start
looking for alternatives to maintain and preserve water safety and quality. Water is a
living substance and as such it needs the same treatment as all other living forms
(poisons can not purify). Germany has been for long now pumping oxygen in its rivers
and lakes in an attempt to revitalise its nearly dead waters, while Switzerland is
experimenting with ozone treatments.
aluminium sulphate: that is added to clarify water, has long been associated with
memory loss, possibly Alzheimers disease and is believed to increase cardiovascular
disease.
sodium fluoride: this is not a water treatment and was initially added as a
supplement to 'assumingly' prevent tooth decay5 in children. Its toxicity is high enough
that in larger concentrations can be used as a pesticide and rat killer. In humans it can
be damaging to the heart, lungs, liver, cause genetic mutations and have long term
negative effects on enzyme production and the efficiency of the immune system. In the
medical encyclopedia and dictionary by Miller-Keane, under fluoridation it refers that
slight excesses of fluoride are poisonous and it can cause dental fluorosis (mottled
discolouration of teeth) and when you look up further down under fluorosis, you can see
clearly the irony of the system an enamel hypoplasia resulting from prolonged ingestion
of drinking water containing high levels of fluoride". Tests carried out in Victoria in 1976
by the State Water Supply Commission indicated that fluoride is involved in the corrosion
of the copper pipes, which causes more poisons leaching into the water. Copper at
certain concentrations effects the uptake of essential zinc in the body and can bring on
stomach pain, nausea and diarrhoea. Newer office blocks and high stories buildings are
more risky, as taps are not regularly used, leaving fluorinated water standing in the
copper pipes for longer periods of times, consequently allowing corrosion. As the debate
about the safety of fluoride continuous, countries such as Switzerland, Belgium, Holland,
Germany and Sweden have terminated its use due to its potential health hazard.
lead: is another chemical ingredient found in the water that imposes risks to the
nervous, circulatory and digestive systems. It is a teratogen, a substance known to
cause physical defects in the developing embryo. Chronic exposure, even in small doses,
may have serious implications to your well being. Symptoms to be wary of are irritability,
nervousness, weight loss, anaemia, stomach crumps, constipation and mental
depression. The main source of lead in the water is the plumbing and its corrosion.
The list of chemicals continues: sodium sillicofluoride slurry, sulphuric acid, sodium
hypochlorite solution, calcium oxide, silt, rust, algae, debris, larvae, asbestos (mostly
from corroding cement pipe lines), pesticides, herbicides, fertilisers (from agricultural run
offs), moulds, fungi, industrial waste, toxic metals, amoebas, clay and silica have all
found their way into the water. As if this is not enough, chemical reactions of the
different constituents in our drinking chemical and sewage cocktail make things even
worse.
Nitrates from fertilisers when brought in contact with chlorine and ammonia, can
turn into nitrites. Nitrites once inside the body combine with amines and form

nitrosamines which are highly carcinogenic. Nitrites can interfere with oxygen uptake and
since babies are specifically sensitive to this aspect you could not fail to see a possible
link between blue baby syndrome and the nitrite factor.
According to studies by the state of California, women who drink tap water have
twice as many miscarriages and birth defects as those who have filtering devises or are
drinking bottled water. Five studies arrived to the same conclusion, according to State
Health, Director Kenneth Kizer. This connection now is such a common knowledge that it
even appeared as a passing comment during the movie 'ONE THOUSAND ACRES'.
Inorganic minerals (minerals not suitable for human consumption) such as calcium
carbonate, have their effect. Unable to be assimilated they store in between joints,
muscles, bones, nerves, inside arteries and become partners in many crippling dis-eases,
such as arthritis, hardening of the arteries, gall stones, kidney stones, gout, tinnitus and
perhaps even stroke and neuralgia. Dr Paul C. Bragg in his essay and book 'THE
SHOCKING TRUTH ABOUT WATER' argues that the human brain and other body
structures will become hardened largely through the use of "chemicalized and
inorganically mineralised water".
Dr E. Banik, in his book 'THE CHOICE IS CLEAR', explains that inorganic minerals
coat the crystalline lens of the eye with a fine film, resulting in cataracts. Glaucoma, the
dreadful eye disease, can be another result of hard water. The tiny vessels film up with
mineral deposits, which results in a build-up pressure in the eye.
WHAT CHOICES HAVE WE GOT?
Dr Batmanghelidj talks about the shrinking of the vital organs due to insufficient
hydration. Dr Bragg postulates how inorganic minerals in water turns people into 'stones'
and advises the use of pure water. John Archer alarms of the dangers and condition of
public (sewage) water
You are what you drink so make sure what you drink is pure'
Ten years ago the prospect of drinking only purified or bottled water was a fiction,
or a novelty for most people. Nowadays, it is becoming a necessity in maintaining and
preserving good health. Finding pure water is becoming more than just food for thought
and with our brain being 85 percent water, we better start thinking of the choices. It is
my opinion and as well of others that tap water should not be drunk at all if other
sources are available. However, if tap water is your only option, then boil the water for a
few minutes, expose it to the sun for a while in a clear glass container and then aerate it
by pouring it back and forth from one container to another. Keep in mind that boiling will
only kill bacteria and that harmful chemicals and minerals will still remain in the water.
Rain water it is no longer the best available option with today's pollution. Water is a
hungry solvent and as the rain falls, it begins to collect hundreds of potentially harmful
substances, such as radioactive isotopes and their degradation products of atomic fission
including barium, caesium and strontium from world wide atomic experiments and
"accidents" which travel around the atmosphere (<I style="mso-bidi-font-style:
normal">refer to chart). In addition industrial and exhaust fumes including carbon
monoxide, sulphuric acid and lead are collected. That is why the sky looks so clean after
a good 'acid' rain.

Spring water contains those unwanted inorganic minerals and their purity is
debatable if you consider the pollution of the soil. So use it sparingly or when nothing
else is available. Don't be mislead by claims about the value of inorganic minerals, the
body cannot make use of any minerals unless they are derived from the plant kingdom
(organic minerals). A well balanced diet will provide an abundance of organic minerals
that water never could. In his book 'New Life Through Nutrition' nutritionist Dr Shelton
Deal debates that we should not look to water as our source of minerals. As for the
inexpensive supermarket filters they don't eliminate all impurities and toxins (not that it
is claimed that they do).
Reverse osmosis is by far the most advanced technology for home installation
available to the public. It is based on the process by which the human cells diffuse fluids
between the intracellular and extracellular spaces, by separating and selectively
preventing the passage of solute molecules (through a semipermeable membrane) and
allowing the passage of the solvent H2O. Through this process almost all harmful
bacteria, minerals and toxins are eliminated. Professional installation and surveillance is
necessary for if the membrane is ruptured without your knowledge the final condition of
the water could be worse than if it were not filtered.
Distilled water, contrary to the wide held view that it leaches organic essential
minerals and micronutrients from your body, its emptiness works in your favour. It
dissolves and eliminates harmful inorganic minerals and toxic waste accumulation. Once
the organic nutrients have been absorbed by the cells they cannot be taken away. Is
there an inherent intelligentsia behind all this? The answer is yes! after all, what is the
animating factor behind all things? but far from being just an esoteric answer, the key
lies in the inherent 'instructions' of the human body's filtering system. The kidneys make
sure that nothing valuable will be lost, there is a constant recycling, so even if nutrients
were to be 'stolen' they would be returned by the kidneys. Which explains the dark
appearance of urine during times of inadequate hydration. Distillation is achieved by
boiling the water, steam then rises and is collected in a condenser where it is stored and
cooled. The problem in this process is that together with the steam, percentage of the
pollutant gases such fluorine and chlorine are also evaporated over into the condenser.
To overcome this problem scientists developed other methods like fragmented
distillation and C.M.D method (Cold Molecular Distillation) amongst others. C.M.D water
is available from companies6 specialising in this area and supply water for medical
purposes, allergy affected chemical sensitive people, cancer and dialysis patients (were
even small traces of contaminants can send the patient into shock) and generally to any
one who is seeking good health. C.M.D water contains no solid matter and is solely
consisting of two elements, Hydrogen and Oxygen.
THE AMOUNT OF WATER YOUR BODY NEEDS
Another important factor is the amount of water necessary for our body to function
at its peak performance. Bearing in mind again that your body is about 75 percent water
it is easy to understand that water must be your body's most essential daily ingredient.
Your body looses each day about 2-3 litters of water through elimination, urination,
perspiration and respiration. However, this may increase during illness, high
performance, exercise, pregnancy and nursing. The beverages most people choose to
consume are often counter-productive in promoting hydration. Coffee, tea, alcohol, soft

and sugary drinks are all diuretics and will cause not only the loss of water the are
dissolved in, but they will also draw water the bodies reserves. In normal conditions your
body needs to replace the fluids it has lost throughout the day. Most of fluids should be
replaced by drinking pure water. The rest you should get from fruit, vegetables and their
juices. Attention must be given that the elderly and children are meeting their daily
requirements. Dry mouth is not the only indication of dehydration, in fact it is the last
sign. You need to acquire the habit to drink water even when you think you don't need it
and eventually your true thirst mechanisms will be reawaken. Signs to look for that
identify with dehydration are constipation, headaches, indigestion, weight gain, fluid
retention, dark and pungent urine, and their associated pathologies colitis, kidney
stones, bladder and urinary track infections to name only a few.
SUMMARY
Water is involved in all bodily functions: digestion, assimilation, elimination,
respiration, maintaining temperature (homeostasis) integrity and the strength of all
bodily structures. Today, the water is polluted with hundreds of toxins and impurities.
Authorities only test for a small number of them. Your body, being primarily water,
requires sufficient daily water replacement in order to function efficiently. Water
treatments, that are aimed to render our drinking water bacteriologically safe, have been
proven ineffective and the presence of certain pathogenic bacteria like giardia and
cryptosporidium recently found in Sydney water is just one of the many examples.
Viewing the effects of individual chemicals, inorganic minerals and their by-products, you
can see a link to today's major diseases. If you drink devitalised, impure water how can
you expect vitality and health. Dehydration, due to the offensive taste of the water and
the introduction of commercial sugar loaded beverages, has become another contributing
factor to dis-ease. The advice of Dr Batmanghelidj to stop treating thirst with
medications holds lots of merit. Mineral water may be wonderful to bathe in, however,
the presence of inorganic minerals makes it undesirable. Tap water has been proven
unsuitable even for showering7. In an article published in the magazine New Scientist,
by Ian Anderson 18/9/86, he writes "Showers pose a risk to health". Pure water may
become the medicine of the future. 'Oxygen enriched and free of radioactive and
chemical compounds' may read on the label of our bottle water in the next millennium....
At this stage Reverse Osmosis and C.M.D water are our best available options.

Add to this our latest Nikken PiMag Living Water System. With FIR, removal of all
the nasties, even Gardia and Cryptosporidium, down to .2 microns, replacement of the
trace minerals that we are so desparately short of, then the magnetic coil to complete
the proccess.

The Biological Importance Of Water

The Biological Importance Of Water";"The Biological importance of Water
Generally, the main biological importance of water is that life cannot exist without it. In fact on a
percentage basis, the majority of any organism is comprised of water. Additionally, it is believed
that life first originated in the bodies of water on the earth. The importance of water is seen in such
third world countries as Kenya. Where the inhabitants are forced to drink water so dirty and
contaminated that they know it might kill them. However they still drink it because its essential for
life.
The solvent properties of water are essential for living organisms to survive. The solubility of the
substances needed by the organism depends on the ability of water to interact with them, and the
polarity of water plays a critical role.
Water is an excellent solvent for ionic compounds such as sodium chloride. This is because cations
like sodium ions become surrounded by a shell of water molecules each attracted to the positive
charge by the slight negative charge on the water-oxygen atoms. Anions are hydrated through the
attraction of the slight positive charge of water-hydrogen atoms to their negative charge.
Substances, inparticular polar substances, which dissociate in water, are known as hydrophilic.
Covalent compounds are harder for water to act as the solvent. Some molecules have strong
intramolecular forces, which prevent their solution in water, but have charged surfaces, which
attract a covering of water molecules. This covering ensures that the molecules remain dispersed
throughout the water, rather than forming large aggregates, which could settle out. The dispersed
particles and liquid around them collectively form a colloid. Such substances are sugar and
alcohols. This is important because such molecules provide an osmotic effect, which helps to draw
water into the blood vessels of living organisms.
The fact that water is a very effective solvent allows all of the substances essential for the
functioning of cells and organisms (glucose, amino acids, vitamins, fats, respiratory gases) are
transported around in solution in the blood. This means that water acts as a transport medium for
the polar solutes. It carries things needed by cells to cells and products from cells to other cells and
waste products to be excreted. In mammals this happens in the blood and in plants it happens in
the xylem and phloem.
Similarly all metabolic reactions, catalysed by enzymes occur in solution. Chemicals can only react
with each other...

The importance of water

Life, both animal and plant, is impossible without water. Without water men die of
dehydration About 70% of the human body is water. Of the total surface of the earth, 75 % is
water and just below the surface of the land in most areas there is a saturated layer known as
the water table. Animals and plants have large percentages of water in their make-up and
some animals regulate their movements according to the water sources.
If there is no water there can be no life. The moon is a sterile desert because there is no water
in it. It is to be remembered that it was water that determined the location of human
settlements and without the Nile the Egyptian Civilization would not have developed The
Nile provided the Egyptians facilities for irrigation and transport. As Herodotus said, Egypt is
the "Gift of the Nile".
The urban man rarely thinks of the importance of water. When he needs water, all he has to
do is to turn on the tap. The only time the urban folk become aware of the importance of
water is when there is a drought and their water supply is regulated. If water rationing
becomes too drastic. they may find themselves in a worse position than the rural man who
may have a steady supply of water from his well.
Imagine a day when the taps ran dry: Mr. Townsman would have found life intolerable. He
could not brush his teeth, have his shave or could he have his bath in the morning. After
lunch, he would have had a very difficult time trying to wash up. He might have used cloth to
wipe his crockery. He could not wash his car. At the end of the day, however, our Mr.
Townsman would have realized that water is precious and he should not be a water-waster.
Scientists find water the most fascinating fluid in the world because of its versatility and
usefulness. Electricity is generated by the force of running water. Unlike other substances,
water expands when freezing takes place. In ancient Rome snow was used to pack prawns
and meat. Ice is used for refrigeration. Water is converted into steam and used as power.
Whatever man eats is dependent on water for its growth. Water can convert whole, barren
tracts of land into luxurious, rich and fertile regions, through the use of irrigation. In parts of
Spain, diminishing quantities of rain have caused fertile land to dry up in the past years,
creating barren deserts. This is turn has caused many men and their families to move to new
places.
Most of us who take our daily supply of water for granted. may not be able to fully appreciate
the importance of water. Many have perished through lack of water.
Military men know that the most effective way of subduing any city or fortress is to cut its
water supply.

Water is a natural resource in the Earth.Water is essential to our life also, such as water can
solve our thristy problem, water can make us survive, water can clean our body, water can
recharges our fatigue, and water can revitalise our skin.According to scientist investigation,
70% of our body mass are water.Therefore, water is very important to us.
Although water is essential to our life, we will lose water everyday also.How we lose our
water? We can lose water through perspiration, respiration and bowel movement. For
example, regular exercising will start perspiration which is sweating and respiration. We will
proceed bowel movement also which is defecation.
Water is having a lot of benefits to us. First and foremost, water will revitalises our skin
because our skin will dry under sun.
In this hectic lifestyle, we will facing a lot of stress and this may make us age.Then, water will
helps to revitalise.Besides that, water can rehydrates our body.Playing games, working and
perspire will causes us dehydrate.Dehydration will causes us many health problem and this
may need water rehydrate.
When we playing, working, studying and so on, we will be fatigue. We need water to
recharge fatigue for us to continue our activities. Fatigue can having at mentally and
physically.Fatigue mental will make a person become sleepy and decrease attention of the
person whereas fatigue physical will make a person's muscle become pain and tired. All of
these fatigue will make people become sluggish.Last but not least, water can help a person
detoxes to cleansing the bacteria of a human.In this whole world, there were nothing to help
us detox and cleansing.Water is the best agent.
Water is the most important in our world.If we without food for three days we still alive but we
without water for three days we will become a corpse. Water is having a lot of advantages,
we should take care our water to prevent water pollusion.

How To Conserve Water

Do you play with water at home? Then you must not know how to
conserve Water. Conserving water is an easy way to to help you and the
environment. It helps you because it gives you some money and it helps save
the world. Saving water is very important because even though water does
not run out we are limited of what we can use. So keep reading to learn how to
Conserve Water at home.
Do you enjoy taking long 20 minute showers? Well did you know that
if everyone takes 20 minute showers that we are wasting over 150,000,000
gallons of water every day! However if we shorten showers by at least 5
minutes we would reduce the number of gallons we use by more than half. If
you cant take shorter showers then you can always turn the water off when
your soaping and why would you have it on. Do you really need it on anyway?
Do you play in the hose on a hot day? Well you should reconsider
because playing in the hose for even fifteen minutes wastes a lot of water. I
know it is really fun and everything but when you play with the hose then you
are washing fertilizers right down to the ocean and killing the animals in the
ocean. Now does it sound like fun? That is how it can effect the ocean but do
you know how it will effect your parents wallet? It is not pretty when you
want something new theyre not going to buy you what you want because they
have to save for the water bill. So if you dont want that to happen dont play
with the hose.
When do you think it is a good time to water your lawn? Well to you
its probably when ever you are told right? That my friend is the wrong
answer. If you do it during the day all the water will just evaporate. However,
when you water the lawn at dawn or when the sun is going down the water will
absorb into the plants instead of evaporating (A.K.A) wasting water. Its also a
good way of getting out of a chore until sun down.;)
Those are only a few of the thousands of ways to help save money and
water for the planet. So the next time you want to do any of those things just
think of it this way when you save water you save money for you or your
parents. Please take these things serious because water is technically not free
So be someone who is willing to save water.

Water conservation on earth

Water conservation importance.
Water is very important content. With out water there is no life in earth. We use water in so many
ways in our daily life. Water is a substance which covers part of the world. It means water is
occupying more portion compared to land. But this water is becoming more polluted because of
the environmental changes. So it is necessary to conserve the water. It is every one duty to
protect the water because everyone uses this water and we the people are making water
polluted. Now we may get the doubt how to conserve the water. A few simple changes in home
about the water consumption make a vast contribution to water conservation.
The basic changes we have to do is stop leaking of water. We have to see whether there is a
leakage in our taps. Because of the water leakage taps we cant protect the water. We can also
protect the water byInstalling Low-Flow Showerheads. With these we can protect the water
because it flows lower. And we wont use much water with these Low-Flow Showerheads. When
we are brushing our teeth or when we are shaving we have to turn off faucets. After completing
the work we have to use the water. By this change also we can preserve the water. Using
sprinklers for yard is also a good remedy for water conservation. Turn off the water in the shower
when shampooing the hair Water will be saved . it is better to replace the new toilets in place of
old toilets. These are high efficiency and will use less water. To collect a rain water use a rain
barrel at the bottom of gutter down spouts. It may use for watering plants. These are some of the
things to follow to conserve the water.
We all use the water we must also see how we are using this. It is important to note that there
are many reasons why we waste this natural resource; it has become necessary to waste the
resources for innovating new technologies. How ever we have now proved it is not necessary to
waste. It is easy now to conserve the water. By conserving water we can also save the money.
There are hundred of ways to conserve the water. But may not follow all those ways. We can
follow only those ways which are easier to us. The easier things we can follow are the things
which are mentioned above. They are the things we follow easily in our home.
It is the responsibility of every one to educate our children. With this we are indirectly conserving
the water in future also. The children who are educating to save the water will save the water in
future also. Now if we cut the usage of water it definitely helps the future generations. Water is
mainly related to environment. Green also helps for the environment. Growing greenery every
where and encouraging forest causes rain fall. So green is also conserving the water

Water Conservation: Now More

Than Ever
Will there be enough water for a more crowded world? The adult human uses on average
about 100 gallons of water a day. Utahs population as of 2009 is about 2.8 million,
making domestic water usage about 278 million gallons per day. This is only about 0.3%
of Utahs overall daily water usage. The other 99.7% goes to public supply, aquaculture,
industrial work, and irrigation. This is only a small percentage compared to what the rest
of the world is using. Only about 2.5% of earths water is fresh and only 1% is actually
attainable for usage. The available water on earth has not changed. The same water we
have today has been recycled for millions of years, we are not gaining any more. The
time to do something is now. In this essay I would like to remark on the past, present,
and future of water conservation.
We use much more water today than we ever did in the past. With new technologies and
fashions, we use more and more water every year. Not only do we have luxuries that we
didnt have a hundred years ago, our world population has more than tripled since then.
Yet our supply of water is not changing. Water has gone through the same replenishing
cycle since our world began, and we are using more then ever. Now is the time to make
sure we conserve.
Small fixes can make a big difference. This could be not leaving the faucet running while
brushing teeth, or not allowing a leak to continue unchecked. However, it is just as
important, if not more, to fix the big things. For example, 81.1% of Utahs freshwater
usage goes to irrigation. I have personally observed this water being wasted, such as
farmers leaving their sprinklers watering crops all day, nonstop, rain or shine. Much
could be done to fix this problem such as low-pressure sprinkler systems, rain sensors,
and cost-sharing programs that can improve farm water delivery systems. If we use to
much to fast, the earth will be unable to replenish her supply quickly enough to fulfill our
needs. If we dont take the needed steps now, it may be to late.
We have an obligation to our future. With world population growing at the rate it is, we
must take precautions that those ahead of us dont suffer because of our negligence.
Water is life; the number one necessity for survival. Not only must we conserve now to
prevent future problems, we need to teach the coming generations the importance of our
water, that they in turn can make sure nothing will ever happen to bring about disaster
in the form of water shortage.
As we can see, water conservation is a much larger issue now than it ever was in the
past. What we do now makes a difference. We must do all we can to make sure our
future is safe.

Water For The Future

"Water is the greatest of all things," said the Greek poet Pindar. Many scientists
presume that life itself began in water. There could certainly be no life without it; most
living creatures consist mainly of water. But what if one day there were no water? Why
should we care about the water of the future, and what can we do about it?
Flip through any science textbook and you'll read that water is renewable, that although
it's used, it is never used up. But water usage is increasing. Although water covers
three-fourths of the earth, 97 percent of it is salt water, and more than two percent is
frozen in glaciers and icecaps. That means less than one percent of all water on this
earth is usable, while water usage per person averages 100,000 gallons per year.
The world's six billion citizens are already appropriating 54 percent of all the accessible
fresh water. United Nations' research shows that by 2025, we will use 70 percent - and
this calculation reflects only the effect of population growth. If per capita consumption of
water resources increases at its current rate, we would be using over 90 percent within
25 years, leaving only 10 percent for all other living creatures.
There is also another problem affecting the water system - pollution. Human and other
animal wastes, toxic chemicals, metal and oils all pollute. To illustrate the problem, let us
go to Milan, Italy. Doesn't that sound romantic? This famed city is where fashion
designers come to seek fame. Is your mind filled with images of magnificent trendy
shops? But, hey, hold your breath - Milan has the highest recorded level of sulfur dioxide
pollution of any city in the world, which not only causes air pollution but also contributes
to acid rain. Sulfur dioxide is a heavy, invisible and poisonous gas, and is the most
widespread man-made pollutant. It's used as disinfectant, refrigerant, bleach, and food
preservative. When absorbed by water vapor, it turns into acid rain and poses a serious
threat to the environment as it increases the acidity of soils, lakes and rivers,
endangering organisms. In Great Britain, an estimated 67 percent of forests have been
damaged by acid rain.
Italy's longest river, the Po, now has pollution 10 times higher than officially
recommended. It is estimated to discharge 250 tons of arsenic into the sea each year.
And it's not alone - according to a 1992 water resources survey, 40 percent of America's
rivers and 45 percent of its lakes are impaired or in poor condition; the leading polluter
was agricultural chemical runoff.
Many governments have limited the amounts and kinds of waste that can be dumped
into water. In addition, nations, states, cities and various industries have spent billions to
reduce pollution and construct water treatment plants. But pollution has not stopped.
Many cities still release untreated sewage into rivers, lakes and coastal waters. Some
factories still discharge largely uncontrolled pollutants into the water through their sewer
outlets or factory drains because it would cost much more to manage the waste.
Every year, some 300-500 million tons of heavy metals, toxic sludge solvents and other
chemical wastes fall out from industry. As a result, high levels of mercury have been
found in fish far from industrial areas. This means that the main sources of the mercury
appear to be emissions from coal-fired boilers, municipal incinerators and smelters.
Another damaging effect is when large quantities of water are used to cool industrial

equipment. Heat produced by the equipment makes the water hot, and as it's released
into rivers and lakes, the heating causes thermal pollution, which can kill fish and plants.
Even industries based on organic raw material, such as the food sector, also emit
pollutants into the usable water system. At the end of the day, all this points to the
decrease in usable water for the world's living things.
This is what happens when water is contaminated:
Every day, 6,000 people - most of them children under five - die from diarrheal diseases.
Water-borne diseases including cholera, typhoid, polio, hepatitis A and meningitis kill
more than 5 million people every year.
Another 2.3 billion people suffer from diseases linked to dirty water.
About 60 percent of all infant mortality worldwide is linked to water-related diseases.
The earth is expected to support another 5 billion people by the year 2050. This means
sewage facilities must be provided to 383,000 new customers every day. In the year
2000, the world's demand for fresh water was double what it was in the 1980s.
What's next? What can we do? I live in a country where most energy is produced by
hydropower. Worldwide, there are about 45,000 large dams. They have inundated more
than 400,000 square kilometers of mostly productive land. Fully 20 percent of the
world's freshwater fish are now endangered or extinct. About 80 million people have
been forced to relocate as a result of their homes being replaced by dams. Although
hydropower is economically feasible and could reduce greenhouse gas emissions, we
would face the loss of wildlife habitats and aquatic biodiversity. Mini hydropower plants,
however, would have minimal impact on the environment and be much cheaper.
Better water management should be applied to reduce the demand for water. It will
never run out if we are smart enough to use water wisely, but some regions have a
shortage because the people have not managed their supply well. Some look for new
sources after polluting their water, others have plenty of water but not enough storage
tanks, treatment plants and distribution pipes. More effective irrigation techniques,
planting of drought and salt-tolerant crop varieties are also some ways out. And many
industries can reuse water. Most steel companies in the west use a small amount of
water over and over again in a circulating cooling system. Many communities in the
United States have started to irrigate their crops with treated wastewater. As an
alternative, we can also improve water-delivery systems.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has said, "Unless we take swift and decisive
action, by 2005, two-thirds of the world's population may be ... facing serious water
shortages." Our generation has the responsibility of taking care of our planet. We all are
children of the earth. It is useless if only the decision makers or a few of us are
concerned about the water issue because this planet belongs to us all. We cannot
accomplish anything big without support. To save the water of the future and to share
this beautiful planet with future generations, are you, the master of the earth, prepared
to fight this battle?

Our ancient religious texts and epics give a good insight into the water storage and conservation
systems that prevailed in those days.
Over the years the rising populations, growing industrialization and expecting agriculture have
pushed upon the demand for water. Efforts have been made to collect water by building dams
and reservoirs and digging wells; some countries have also tried to recycle and desalinate
(remove salts) water. Water conservation has become the need of the day. The idea of ground
water recharging by harvesting rainwater is gaining importance in many cities.
In the forest, water seeps gently into the ground as vegetation retards the flow of water over the
surface. This ground water in turn feeds wells, lakes and rivers. Protecting forests means
protecting water 'catchments' capacity. In ancient India, people believed that forests were the
'mothers' of rivers and worshipped the sources of these water bodies.

Important Points to Follow for Water Conservation

The most important step in the direction of finding solutions to problems of water and
environment conservation is to change people's attitudes and habits which includes each one of
us. Conserve water because it is the right thing to do. We can follow some of the simple things
that have been listed below and contributed to water conservation.
I. Try to do one thing each day that will result in saving water. Don't worry if the savings are
minimal because every drop counts ! You can make a difference.
II. Remember to use only the amount you actually need.
III. Form a group of water -conscious people and encouarage your friends and neighbours to be
part of this group. Promote water conservation in community news letters and on bulletin boars.
Encourage your friends, neighbours and co-workers to also contribute.
IV. Encourage your family to keep looking for new ways to conserve water in and around your
home.
V. Make sure that your home is leak free. Many homes have leaking pipes that goods unnoticed.
VI. Do not leave the tap running while you are brushing your teeth or soaping your face.
VII. See that there are no leaks in the toilet tank. You can check this by adding colour to the tank.
If there is a leak, color will appear in the toilet bowl within 30 minutes. (Flush as soon as the test
is done, since food colouring may stain the tank.)
IX. Avoid flushing the toilet unnecessarily. Put a brick or any other device that occupies space to
cut down on the amount of water needed in each flush.

X. When washing the car, use water from bucket and not hosepice.
XI. Do not throw away water that has been used for washing vegetable, rice or dals. Use it to
water plants or to clean the floors, etc.
XII. You can store water in a variety of ways. A simple method is to collection source. You can
also collect water in a bucket during the rainy season

My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu (born 1931);
Nobel Peace Prize Winner
When a work is done united for obtaining any special goal is called unity. It is a
significant feature in human life. Without unity we cannot do a single day.
The necessity of unity in human life beggars description. Unity has great value in
every walk of life.
It is related to our existence. There is a proverb that unity is strength. Therefore,
our first and foremost duty is to maintain unity of our life. We cannot do a single
day without the help of others. In addition, the help of others depends on unity.
Being united, many difficult tasks can easily be done within short time. There are
thousands of problems in mans life. To solve these problems, united effort is
essential. Unity helps a nation to reach the goal. Unity is essential to save any
country and countrymen.
The results of unity are many. People can enjoy a tension free life living united in
the society. It is said that united we stand, divide we fall. It is true that we can
break a single stick easily. On the other hand, to break a bundle of stick is really
difficult or impossible. Thus, we can realize the value of unity. It is very
significant in trade and commerce. Because, different countries of the world
make trade union to lead a good trade among their own. Unity is a powerful
weapon to be successful in trade and commerce. It is said that without unity to
run trade and commerce is impossible. It is true that to gain any kind of freedom
without struggle is not possible. For this, unity is must.

The effects of unity in national life are very significant. Today we can observe the
merits of unity among the developed countries in the world. In a word, to live
successfully in this world unity is must.
There are many bad effects of discord. A nation without unity is considered as a
weak nation. A nation cannot stand upright without unity. To be united, personal
and national selfishness must be abandoned. For living united, we have to take
lesson from the history. In the past, many nation and community ruined due to
discord. Unity saves us from thieving, robbery, smuggling, hoarding and mischief.
In the time of flood, cyclone, drought, earthquake etc. people suffer a lot. They
need help then. To help them united efforts is must. Therefore, to run voluntary
activity unity is essential.

For the development of a country united efforts is must. Without unity a country
cannot run. Therefore, for the betterment of the country and countrymen, we
have to live united.

Unity is when we come together with other individuals or groups to form something
greater than any of us. For many people, the heart of spirituality is a sense of being part
of something larger than ourselves, a unity or oneness with our fellow humans and with
the vast and intricate Reality in which we have our existence.

Unity is often built around a common purpose a harmony of interests or values that
create a shared identity. When people are united by shared values and goals, they can
move together, synchronizing their efforts to attain things that none could attain alone.

Unity is inclusive. It frees us from the divisiveness of prejudice. We see our commonality
without devaluing our differences. A sense of unity can transcend our fear of each other.
In unity, the joy of one is the joy of all, and the hurt of one is the hurt of all; the honor
of one is the honor of all.

The proverb unity is strength tells us that "united we stand, divided we fall".
Unity refers to the condition or state of being one. A rope is strong because its
threads are united. We cannot break it unless the threads are separated. Nothing
can be achieved without unity. Unity is necessary for the survival of all. Today our
world requires a lot of unity among the nations to tackle with important issues
such as environmental pollution. Unity not only leads to the prosperity of a
person but also to the prosperity of a nation. Unity helps in strengthening
relationships. Unity is like a link that connects a long chain. If we are united none
can destroy us. Unity helps in achieving triumph. It can destroy terrorism. The
ultimate success always depends upon the people. The security of a nation
depends upon the integrity and harmony among its citizen. During the past
many countries were in the control of foreign powers. There wasn't any unity
among the people and rulers. This enabled the foreign powers to easily conquer
them and rule them. We achieved our freedom through the combined effort of
our great leaders and our ancestors. Unity is essential to maintain peace in the
world. Unity helps to avert wars. We must also live in accord with the
environment. The thought that "I am a human, all humans are my brothers and
sisters" symbolizes unity. Thus knowing the power of unity, all of us should stay
together. If and when misunderstanding arises it must be talked out without
beating around the bush. Thus unity means "all for one, and one for all".

On the other hand, the government should impose heavier punishments on those
people who are executing their unruly acts which are connected to hate and
racism. Punishments like putting the wrongdoer into a prison cell with people of
the race he dislikes or jail him for trying to disrupt the peace in the country. It is
essential for this action to be carried out because once these punishments are
being executed; people who are attempting to carry out their future plans will
think twice before they do it. The moment these acts of nonsense cease, peace
will once again be in our beloved homeland.
Another way to integrate national unity in our country is by having politically
stable country. The political groups in our country recently are being very
competitive to form the government instead of having the peoples welfare at
heart. Political parties in our land should be more concerned about the citizens
trials and tribulations that they are facing every day. By doing that, not only the
political party will contribute hugely to the integration of national unity, but it will
also gain the trust of the citizens to elect the particular party to represent them
as a nation. The particular party should also put their heart and soul into this as
national unity is the backbone to our countrys stability and integrity.

CLOWN DOLL

SATANIC SPELLS

BLOODY MARY

She lived deep in the forest in a tiny cottage and sold herbal remedies for
a living. Folks living in the town nearby called her Bloody Mary, and said
she was a witch. None dared cross the old crone for fear that their cows
would go dry, their food-stores rot away before winter, their children take
sick of fever, or any number of terrible things that an angry witch could do
to her neighbours.
Then the little girls in the village began to disappear, one by one. No one
could find out where they had gone. Grief-stricken families searched the
woods, the local buildings, and all the houses and barns, but there was no
sign of the missing girls. A few brave souls even went to Bloody Mary's
home in the woods to see if the witch had taken the girls, but she denied
any knowledge of the disappearances. Still, it was noted that her haggard
appearance had changed. She looked younger, more attractive. The
neighbours were suspicious, but they could find no proof that the witch
had taken their young ones.
Then came the night when the daughter of the miller rose from her bed
and walked outside, following an enchanted sound no one else could hear.
The miller's wife had a toothache and was sitting up in the kitchen
treating the tooth with an herbal remedy when her daughter left the
house. She screamed for her husband and followed the girl out of the
door. The miller came running in his nightshirt. Together, they tried to
restrain the girl, but she kept breaking away from them and heading out
of town.
The desperate cries of the miller and his wife woke the neighbours. They
came to assist the frantic couple. Suddenly, a sharp-eyed farmer gave a
shout and pointed towards a strange light at the edge of the woods. A few
townsmen followed him out into the field and saw Bloody Mary standing
beside a large oak tree, holding a magic wand that was pointed towards
the miller's house. She was glowing with an unearthly light as she set her
evil spell upon the miller's daughter.
The townsmen grabbed their guns and their pitchforks and ran toward the
witch. When she heard the commotion, Bloody Mary broke off her spell
and fled back into the woods. The far-sighted farmer had loaded his gun
with silver bullets in case the witch ever came after his daughter. Now he
took aim and shot at her. The bullet hit Bloody Mary in the hip and she fell
to the ground. The angry townsmen leapt upon her and carried her back
into the field, where they built a huge bonfire and burned her at the stake.
As she burned, Bloody Mary screamed a curse at the villagers. If anyone
mentioned her name aloud before a mirror, she would send her spirit to
revenge herself upon them for her terrible death. When she was dead, the
villagers went to the house in the wood and found the unmarked graves of
the little girls the evil witch had murdered. She had used their blood to
make her young again.

From that day to this, anyone foolish enough to chant Bloody Mary's name
three times before a darkened mirror will summon the vengeful spirit of
the witch. It is said that she will tear their bodies to pieces and rip their
souls from their mutilated bodies. The souls of these unfortunate ones will
burn in torment as Bloody Mary once was burned, and they will be trapped
forever in the mirror.

NO TRESPASSING
Peggy and her boyfriend Tommy were driving down a lonely stretch of
highway at dusk when a thunderstorm came crashing down on them.
Tommy slowed the car and they crept their way past a formidable
abandoned house. Plastered all over the fences and trees were no
trespassing signs.
A mile past the house, the car hydroplaned. Peggy screamed as the car
slid off the road, plunging down into a gully. The car slammed into a large
boulder, throwing Peggy violently into the door, before it came to a rest
under a pecan tree. Her head banged against the window, and a stabbing
pain shot through her shoulder and arm.
Tommy turned to her. Are you all right? Youre bleeding!
Arm, shoulder. Feel bad, Peggy managed to gasp.
Tommy glanced cautiously at her right arm. I think your arm is broken,
he said, and he tore a strip off his shirt and pressed it to the cut on her
head. Im going to call for help, he said when it became obvious that
the bleeding was not going to stop right away. But neither of them had
their cell phones.
That house we just passed will have a phone I can use. Tommy said.
Peggys eyes popped wide open at this statement. Despite her pain, she
remembered the creepy abandoned house. Stay here. A . . . car . . . will
come,
I cant stay, Peggy, Tommy said, It could take hours for another car to
come, and youre losing too much blood. He tore another strip of his shirt
and placed it gently on the cut on her head. Then he went out and
retrieved a couple of blankets from the trunk to cover her with. Ill be
back as soon as I can. He raced out into the storm, shutting the dented
car door behind him.
Peggy drifted in a kind of daze. Something at the back of her mind was
making her uneasy. She slid down on to the floor and put her head on the
seat, completely covering herself with the blankets, head and all. Feeling
safer, she allowed the weariness caused by the wounds to take over and
fell asleep.
Peggy wasnt sure what woke her. Had a beam of light shown briefly
through the blanket? Did she hear someone curse outside? She strained
eyes and ears, but heard nothing save the soft thudding of the rain, and
no light shown through the blanket now. If Tommy had arrived with the
rescue squad, there surely would be noise and light and many voices. But
she heard nothing save the swish of the rain and an occasional thumping
noise which she put down to the rubbing of the branches of the pecan tree
in the wind. The sound should have been comforting, but it was
not. Goosebumps crawled across her arms even the broken one -- and
she almost ceased breathing for some time as some deep part of her

inner mind instructed her to freeze and not make a sound.

She did not know how long fear kept her immobile. But suddenly the raw
terror ceased, replaced by cold shivers of apprehension and a sick coil in
her stomach that had nothing to do with her injuries. Something terrible
had happened, she thought wearily, fear adding yet more fatigue to her
already wounded body. Then she scolded herself for a ninny. It was just
her sore head making her imagine things. Somewhat comforted by this
thought, she dozed again, only vaguely aware of a new sound that had
not been there before; a soft thud-thud sound as of something gently
tapping the roof. Thud-thud. Pattering of the rain. Thudthud. Silence. Sometimes she would almost waken and listen to it in a
puzzled manner. Thud-thud. Patter of rain. Thud-thud. Had a branch
dislodged from the tree?
Peggy wasnt sure how long shed been unconscious when she was
awakened by a bright light blazing through the window of the car and the
sound of male voices exclaiming in horror. A door was wrenched open, and
someone crawled inside. She lifted her head and looked up at a young
state policeman.
Miss, are you all right? he asked and then turned over his shoulder to
call for help. Peggy told the officers her story and begged them to look for
Tommy. They deftly avoided answering her and instead called the
paramedics.
As the paramedics carried her carefully up the slope of the incline, Peggy
looked back at the car and saw a grotesque figure hanging from a branch
of the pecan tree. For a moment, her brain couldnt decipher what she
was seeing in the bright lights of the police car parked at the side of the
road. Then she heard a thud-thud sound as the foot of the figure scraped
the top of the totaled car, and she started screaming over and over in
horror. One of the police officers hastened to block her view and a
paramedic fumbled for some valium to give her as her mind finally
registered what she had seen. Tommys mangled, dead body was hanging
from the pecan tree just above the car, and nailed to the center of his
chest was a No Trespassing sign.

THE HANDSHAKE
Polly was the sweetest, prettiest girl in Goldsboro. All the local boys were
chasing her, and quite a number of the fellows from the surrounding
countryside were too. All the girls were jealous of Polly because they
didnt have no sweethearts to take them to the local dances. They all
wanted Polly to choose her man so things could go back to normal. But
Polly was picky. None of the local boys suited her, and neither did the
fellows from the back country.
Then one day, George Dean came home from university, and Polly was
smitten. Polly completely dropped all her other beaus when George came
courting, and it wasn't long before George proposed and Polly accepted.
Polly started making preparations for the wedding and shopping for items
to fill her new home. George wasnt too interested in all the fripperies
and wedding details. He left the womenfolk to get on with it and started
spending time down at the pool hall with some of his buddies. And thats
where he met Helene, the owners saucy daughter. She had bold black
eyes and ruby red lips, and a bad-girl air that fascinated George. He
spent more and more time at the pool hall, and less and less time with
Polly, who finally noticed in spite of all the hustle and bustle.
Of course, Polly was furious. She immediately confronted George with
the story, and he couldnt deny it. Suddenly, George had to toe the
mark. His pool-hall visits were over, and he spent every free hour he
wasnt at work by her side. That didnt sit well with George, but his family
backed Polly up, so he went along with it.
The day of the wedding dawned clear and bright. The guests filled the
sanctuary, and the pastor and the best man waited patiently in the antechamber for the arrival of the groom. But George didnt
come. Eventually, they went searching for the missing bridegroom, and
found out he'd left town with Helene an hour before the wedding. With
dread, Pollys mother went to tell her daughter what had happened. Polly,
all bright and shining and lovely in her long white dress and soft wedding
veil, turned pale when her mother broke the news. Then she stiffened,
grabbing her left arm as a sudden pain ripped through it. She was dead
from a massive heart attack long before she hit the floor.
A few days later, Polly was buried in the churchyard, still wearing her
white wedding dress and veil. The whole town came to the funeral and
wept at the passing of such a beautiful young girl. George and Helene,
who had spent the week happily honeymooning in the Outer Banks,
arrived home at the very moment that the black-clad crowd exited the
churchyard. Their arrival caused a commotion. The minister had to pull
Pollys father off George before he killed him. And both George and
Helenes family disowned the couple right there in the street in front of
everyone. The couple fled town in disgrace.

Time passed, and eventually the scandal was forgotten. Until the day
Georges father passed away. It was rumored that he was to be buried in
the local churchyard just a few plots away from the girl who had almost
become his daughter. Suddenly, the story of Polly's jilting was revived and
folks wondered aloud if George would dare attend his father's funeral. But
George was too clever for them. He waited at an inn outside of town until
it was dark, and then he went to the churchyard to pay his last respects to
his father.
As he unburdened himself at his fathers graveside, George heard a
sweet female voice calling his name. George. Sweetheart. George
looked up in sudden hope. Was that his mother, come to forgive
him? Then he saw, rising up from a grassy mound under a spreading oak
tree, a figure in a long white gown and a soft veil. Her eyes and her lips
were yellow flames beneath the veil, and the rotted wedding dress glowed
with a white-yellow light. It was Polly.
Georges body stiffened, shudders of fear coursing up and down his
arms and legs. He put a shaking hand to his mouth and staggered
backward, the other hand outstretched out ward off the spectre floating
toward him. The spectral bride cackled with angry laughter and swooped
forward until its hand closed over Georges outstretched one in a terrible
parody of a handshake. The grip of the spectral bride was so cold it
burned the skin, and so hard that the bones crunched as it
squeezed. Come along into the church, George, the glowing bride
whispered. Through the veil, George could see maggots crawling in and
out of Pollys flaming eye sockets.
Nooo! Polly, no! George screamed in terror, but he could not wrench
his hand free. The ghost dragged him step by halting step toward the
front door of the church. His hand was a red-hot agony of pain, though
the rest of his body was shaking with cold.
No! George gave a final cry of despair and wrenched again at his
hand. And suddenly, he was free. The spectral bride gave a roar of rage
as George ran pell-mell down the church lane and out into the street.
Youre mine, George Dean! If not in this world, than in the next, the
spectral bride howled after him.
By the time George reached his room, the fiery pain in his hand and
arm was seeping through his entire body. He rang desperately for the
house maid and begged her to send for a doctor. Then he fell into bed
and stared at his hand, which was black and withered, as if it had been
scorched long ago by a fire. Black and red streaks were climbing up his
arm so fast he could almost see them move.
George was unconscious when the doctor arrived, and the swelling
was already extending into his chest and neck. There was nothing the
physician could do. The injury was too severe and had spread too
far. Within two days, George was dead. Polly had gotten her man at last.

DO NOT TURN ON THE LIGHT

She commandeered the room in the basement of her dorm as soon as she
realized she would have to pull an all-nighter in order to prepare for
tomorrows final exam. Her roommate, Jenna, liked to get to bed early, so
she packed up everything she thought she would need and went
downstairs to study . . . and study . . . and study some more.
It was two oclock, when she realized that shed left one of the textbooks
upstairs on her bed. With a dramatic sigh, she rose, and climbed the stairs
slowly to her third-floor dorm room.
The lights were dim in the long hallway, and the old boards creaked under
her weary tread. She reached her room and turned the handle as softly as
she could, pushing the door open just enough to slip inside, so that the
hall lights wouldnt wake her roommate.
The room was filled with a strange, metallic smell. She frowned a bit, her
arms breaking out into chills. There was a strange feeling of malice in the
room, as if a malevolent gaze were fixed upon her. It was a mind trick; the
all-nighter was catching up with her.
She could hear Jenna breathing on the far side of the rooma heavy
sound, almost as if she had been running. Jenna must have picked up a
cold during the last tense week before finals.
She crept along the wall until she reached her bed, groping among the
covers for the stray history textbook. In the silence, she could hear a
steady drip-drip-drip sound. She sighed silently. Facilities would have to
come to fix the sink in the bathroomagain.
Her fingers closed on the textbook. She picked it up softly and withdrew
from the room as silently as she could.
Relieved to be out of the room, she hurried back downstairs, collapsed
into an overstuffed chair and studied until six oclock. She finally decided
that enough was enough. If she slipped upstairs now, she could get a
couple hours sleep before her nine oclock exam.
The first of the suns rays were beaming through the windows as she
slowly slid the door open, hoping not to awaken Jenna. Her nose was met
by an earthy, metallic smell a second before her eyes registered the scene
in her dorm room. Jenna was spread-eagled on top of her bed against the
far wall, her throat cut from ear to ear and her nightdress stained with
blood. Two drops of blood fell from the saturated blanket with a drip-drip
noise that sounded like a leaky faucet.
Scream after scream poured from her mouth, but she couldnt stop herself
any more than she could cease wringing her hands. All along the hallway,
doors slammed and footsteps came running down the passage.
Within moments other students had gathered in her doorway, and one of
her friends gripped her arm with a shaking hand and pointed a trembling

finger toward the wall. Her eyes widened in shock at what she saw. Then
she fainted into her friends arms.
On the wall above her bed, written in her roommates blood, were
the words: Arent you glad you didnt turn on the light?

A BAKERS DOZEN
Back in the old days, I had a successful bake-shop in Albany. I had a good business, a
plump wife, and a big family. I was a happy man. But trouble came to my shop one year in
the guise of an ugly old woman. She entered my shop a few minutes before closing and
said: I wish to have a dozen cookies. She pointed to my special Saint Nicholas cookies
that were sitting out on a tray. So I counted out twelve cookies for her.
The old womans eyes narrowed when she saw the cookies. Only twelve? she asked. I
knew at once what she wanted. There were some bakers in town who sometimes gave an
extra cookie to their customers, but I was appalled by the custom. What man of sense would
give away an extra cookie for free?
I asked for a dozen cookies, and you only give me twelve, the woman said.
A dozen is twelve, my good woman, and that is what I have given you, I replied.
I ordered a dozen cookies, not twelve, said the old woman.
I was upset by this demand. I always gave my customers exactly what they paid for. But
I was a thrifty man, and it was against my nature to give away something for nothing.
I have a family to support, I said stiffly. If I give away all my cookies, how can I feed my
family? A dozen is twelve, not thirteen! Take it or leave it!
Very well, said she, and left the shop without taking the cookies.
From that moment, my luck changed. The next day, my cakes were stolen out of my
shop, and the thieves were never found. Then my bread refused to rise. For a week, every
loaf of bread I made was so heavy that it fell right through the oven and into the fire. The
next week, the bread rose so high that it actually floated up the chimney. I was frightened
when I saw the loaves floating away across the rooftops. That was the first moment I
realized I had been bewitched. It was then that I remembered the old woman who came to
my shop, and I was afraid.
The next week, the old woman appeared again in my shop and demanded a bakers
dozen of the latest batch of my cookies. I was angry. How dare she show her face in my
shop after all the bad luck she sent my way? I cursed her soundly and showed her the
door.
Things became worse for me then. My bread soured, and my olykoeks (donuts) were a
disgrace. Every cake I made collapsed as soon as it came out of the oven, and my
gingerbread children and my cookies lost their flavor. Word was getting around that my
bake-shop was no good, and one by one, my customers were falling away. I was angry
now, and stubborn. No witch was going to defeat me. When she came to my bake-shop a
third time to demand a bakers dozen of cookies, I told her to go to the devil and I locked the
door behind her.
After that day, everything I baked was either burnt or soggy, too light or too heavy. My
customers began to avoid my cursed shop, even those who had come to me every day for
years. Finally, my family and I were the only ones eating my baking, and my money was
running out. I was desperate. I took myself to church and began to pray to Saint Nicholas,
the patron Saint of merchants, to lift the witchs curse from myself and my family.
Come and advise me, Saint Nicholas, for my family is in dire straights and I need good
counsel against this evil witch who stands against us, I prayed. Then I trudged wearily back

to my empty shop, wondering what to do.

I stirred up a batch of Saint Nicholas cookies and put them into the oven to bake,
wondering how this lot would turn out. Too much cinnamon? Too little? Burnt? Underdone? To my surprise, they came out perfectly. I frosted them carefully, and put my first
successful baking in weeks onto a tray where they could be seen through the window. When
I looked up, Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas) was standing in front of me.
I knew him at once, this patron Saint of merchants, sailors, and children. He was not
carrying his gold staff or wearing the red bishops robes and mitered hat that appeared on
the figure I had just frosted on my cookies. But the white beard and the kindly eyes were the
same. I was trembling so much my legs would not hold me, so I sat down on a stool and
looked up at the Saint standing so near I could have touched him. His eyes regarded me
with such sadness it made me want to weep.
Saint Nicholas said softly: I spent my whole life giving money to those in need, helping
the sick and suffering, and caring for little children, just as our Lord taught us. God, in his
mercy, has been generous to us, and we should be generous to those around us.
I could not bear to look into his eyes, so I buried my face in my hands.
Is an extra cookie such a terrible price to pay for the generosity God has shown to us?
he asked gently, touching my head with his hand.
Then he was gone. A moment later, I heard the shop door open, and footsteps
approached the counter. I knew before I looked up that the ugly old woman had returned to
asked me for a dozen Saint Nicholas cookies. I got up slowly, counted out thirteen cookies,
and gave them to the old woman, free of charge.
She nodded her head briskly. The spell is broken, she said. From this time onward, a
dozen is thirteen.
And from that day onward, I gave generously of my baking and of my money, and thirteen
was always, for me, a bakers dozen.