Honesty

   Honesty is one of the treasured values of human being. Living life honestly means opening oneself freely and exposing one's true self to others. Honesty is essential because it acts as the glue holding people together. Moreover, honesty helps a person to conquer problems and excel in his life. However, is this always right to tell truth? 


   First of all, honesty is the foundation upon which a person builds any relationship with his loved ones such as family or friends. By being honest to his loved ones, he will make them feel that they are trustworthy and closed enough for him to totally expose his true self. Thus, they are more assured that he values them and their relationship. The sweetness in the relationship, therefore, is more likely to remain.

   In addition, honesty helps a person to conquer problems and excel in life. It is essential for a person to be honest with himself. Only when a person plucks up the courage to face his inner values and emotion, can he get rid of the negative feelings which hold him back and as a result, find the confidence within. The confidence is what he needs in order to handle problems and perform well. Moreover, trust is produced by honesty. Without trust, a person has no credibility which is at the core of being able to influence others and provide strong leadership. It is equally hard for him to seek help from others when needed because others may not believe in whatever he says.

   However, being brutally honest all of the time can also backfire on a person. There are situations when he inflicts a lot of pain and stress on somebody else by telling the truth. It is comprehensive that a person needs not to be honest all the time. Sometimes, he needs to justify what is the best resolution because not telling the truth, in certain cases, is the best way to protect his loved ones from being hurt. 

   In conclusion, by living honestly and freely, a person will find that his life is more enriched and meaningful. Honesty helps a person to strengthen his relationship, conquer problems and excel in life. However, a person can choose to not telling the truth in order to protect his loved ones.

How important is our mother tongue?

   In today's fast-paced society, our traditional cultural values and identity are at risk. We have to make a conscious effort to ensure that we do not lose touch with our cultural heritage.One of the important features of a cultural identity is the ability to speak one's mother tongue. For example, among the Chinesde there are several dialects spoken such as Cantonese, Teochew and Hokkien. Well, I would say that I can speak a dialect, Hokkien which is used in Penang. I mean, my parents are from Penang and anyone, I mean everyone who is from Penang can speak Hokkien because nearly the whole Penang population speak to each other in that particular language. At home, my family usually converse in Hokkien, something i never realised until now. And now, I'm trying to learn Hainamese because that is the dialect my mother and grandmother used when they gossip about other people and being the busy body that I am, I want to know what they are talking about. And besides, I can scold or insult someone right in front of them and they wouldn't know what I am talking about. Isn't that awesome? (Don't worry! I never tried that before. Well actually, I did) Anyways that is not the main point. If we don't preserve this culture or mother tongue, it will be gone forever. Wouldn't it be such a waste and humiliating that our ancestors have passed it from generation to generation and  we are the ones who lost it? Hence, i think that we should not neglect our mother tongue.

Is being alone good?

   I'm sure everyone who knows me would say that I'm an introvert, doesn't speak much to anyone but her friends. I mean sure sometimes I feel a little lonely but i got used to it after a while. One couldn't rely on a friend to keep them company all the time now can they? And anyways, being alone is actually a good thing because it can boost your creativity. Clearing out distractions and allowing time for reflective thoughts is a great way to tap into your creativity. Being alone with your thoughts is often a time where out-of-the-box ideas comes up.
   

   Also, it is a chance to slow down and recharge. When you're away from technology and people and work, you can finally have time to breathe. It is an opportunity to just get back in touch with yourself. Besides, ypu can also have a little fun by yourself. Once you become more comfortable with the idea of being alone, doing activities like shopping, seeing a movie, or hiking by yourself can actually be enjoyable. You can do whatever you want without having to adhere to anyone's preferences, schedule or expectations. You might discover that spending at least one afternoon or evening per week on your own doing something you love can be totally relaxing and liberating. It too can boost your self-esteem. Learning to enjoy the time you spend alone can help you to build a better relationship with yourself. Voluntary solitude is a great way to get back in touch with your feelings and remember all the things that make you awesome. If you want to feel more confident and self-sufficient, first tackle your fear of being alone. Lastly, it can improve memory & focus. Time spent in solitary reflection has been linked to improved concentration, as well as higher levels of academic performance. In their book "Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses," authors and sociology professors Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa find that students who study alone are more apt to succeed and retain knowledge than those who study in groups.

  

Importance of healthy eating

   A nutritious, well-balanced diet – along with physical activity and refraining from smoking – is the foundation of good health. Healthy eating includes consuming high-quality proteins, carbohydrates, heart-healthy fats, vitamins, minerals and water in the foods you take in while minimizing processed foods, saturated fats and alcohol. Eating in this manner helps you maintain your body’s everyday functions, promotes optimal body weight and can assist in disease prevention.

   The nutrients in the foods you eat support the activities of day-to-day living, protect your cells from environmental damage and repair any cellular damage that might occur. Protein rebuilds injured tissue and promotes a healthy immune system. Both carbohydrates and fats fuel your body, while vitamins and minerals function throughout your body in support of your body’s processes. Vitamins A, C and E, for example, act as antioxidants to protect your cells against toxins, and B vitamins help you extract energy from the foods you eat. Calcium and phosphorus keep your bones strong, while sodium and potassium help to transmit nerve signals. Without a healthy diet, you might compromise any of these essential functions.

   In addition to the quality of the foods you consume, the quantity matters when considering good eating habits. Taking in the same number of calories as you burn ensures your weight remains steady over time. Consuming more than you burn, on the other hand, results in weight gain as your body converts extra calories to fat tissue. When you accumulate fat tissue, you increase your risk of developing one or more health problems, including heart disease, hypertension, respiratory issues, diabetes and cancer. A healthy meal plan without excess calories helps you not only feel better but can prolong your life.

Traveling

   I believe that almost everyone, if not all, loves travelling. However, unlike migratory birds which fly south during winter for survival, the main reason for our love for travel lies in welcoming novel experiences of seeing new things, meeting new people and gaining new knowledge.   
   When we travel, we experience the glorious beauty of nature. Nature is truly breathtaking and it provides us an appreciation for geography. Traveling increases our knowledge and widens our perspective. To view new customs, different ways of living is fantastic for the mind. It gives us a new perspective about life and especially our life, it can help us change some of our habits or even create new ones. When I travel I usually make it a point to try new food, some cultures don’t have fries in their diet and they are all skinny, others use spices to give taste and not oils or fats. Discovering different values and ways to get by in life is really interesting. You also need to visit exotic new places and discover what this wonderful world has to offer.   
   Another great benefit is the relaxation you get to do. It’s nice to live life to its fullest and enjoy a stress free time with yourself. Going on vacation lets us recharge our “batteries” by disconnecting us from our regular life. When we come back we feel invigorated and we are happy to be back in our day to day routine. It’s a very good stress remover that has a lot more to give than most people are willing to accept.

   When i grow up, I hope that I have the opportunity to travel to many places so that I can experience the wonders of the world.

A strange encounter

   In the wee hours of a winter morning, I was walking home from work. The streets were deserted mow that it was already three in the morning. My eyelids were drooping from lack of sleep as I had to burn the midnight oil to meets the deadline of an assignment. Cautiously, I surveyed my surroundings but was only greeted by an eerie silence. Instinctively, my mind replayed the scenes from those crime investigation shows where criminals lurked around the corner, waiting to attack unsuspecting victims and a shiver ran down my spine. Hurriedly, I dismissed my thoughts as paranoia and continued my journey.

   It was so cold that night. It was so intense that even with multiple layers of winter clothing, the chill still managed to seep through it, freezing my limbs. Rubbing my palms together, i began a slow jog to keep warm. Halfway down a street, spotting a 24-hour convenient store, I sighed in relief and entered. I stood at the entrance, grateful, as warm air rushed at me, unclenching my stiff muscles. A few minutes later, with a cup of steaming coffee in my hands, i exited the store and into the freezing winter night.

   With the coffee pumping in my system, each step became quicker as my yearning for home grew. I was just turning around the corner when a reflection on the display window of a shop caught my eye. Instantly, I turned around, only to find an empty street staring back at me. That was odd, I was certain that I saw someone a few steps behind me. Someone who was wearing a long black cloak which was obscuring his or her face. Looking at the display window again, I found nothing that suggested what I saw was real. So, i calmed down, blaming my imagination on fatigue. Despite so, deeply bothered, I made a mental note not to walk home alone late at night.

   After what felt like eternity, I finally reached home and was relieved but relief soon turned to horror as i laid eyes on the same cloaked figure, standing at my doorsteps. A wave of dizziness threatened to overcome me as  I was paralysed with fear. My mind screamed, unable to comprehend what was happening. Snapping out of my confused thoughts, I swallowed my fear and opened my eyes and found that the mysterious yet terrifying figure disappeared. Less than a minute ago, he was there but now, it was as if he vanished into thin air. I looked around but there was no sign of the person.

   Later on, I lunged at the door, unlocking in panic. Then i made sure all doors were locked, double-checked the house for signs of break in but there were none. Still shaken, i sank into bed after hastily changing out of my working clothes and kept the lights on. I did not get a wink of sleep that night as my mind was in a turmoil. I never told anyone about it. How could I when I did not even believe what I saw. Until this day, I have no logical explanation for the incident that night. It was truly a strange encounter.

Reading...

   I love reading. Though it has been two years since I read storybooks on a daily basis, whenever I want to,  when i walk past bookshops, I still feel this invisible magnetic force attracting me into its world. My mother sort of banned me from reading because i tend to forget time whenever I read. Funny thing is, none of my family members like reading except me and it's a really really bad thing because none of them understand my passion for reading. They think that reading does not bring any benefits but I say it does. 

   It helps us gain knowledge. Everything you read fills your head with new bits of information, and you never know when it might come in handy. The more knowledge you have, the better-equipped you are to tackle any challenge you’ll ever face. Additionally, here’s a bit of food for thought: should you ever find yourself in dire circumstances, remember that although you might lose everything else—your job, your possessions, your money, even your health—knowledge can never be taken from you.

  

   Reading too helps us to learn new vocabulary and expressions. This goes with the above topic: the more you read, the more words you gain exposure to, and they’ll inevitably make their way into your everyday vocabulary. Being articulate and well-spoken is of great help in any profession, and knowing that you can speak to higher-ups with self-confidence can be an enormous boost to your self-esteem. It could even aid in your career, as those who are well-read, well-spoken, and knowledgeable on a variety of topics tend to get promotions more quickly (and more often) than those with smaller vocabularies and lack of awareness of literature, scientific breakthroughs, and global events.

   There are many other benefits for reading but I will stop here. I can’t wait to start reading again.