Is Being Rich Overrated?

By Curtis (Age 15, HKIS)

In the extremely capitalistic environment of Hong Kong, where people are constantly striving to earn more money, people work to not enjoy the results of what they are doing, but only to earn more money to spend. So, rich people are defined by having a lot of money. They have money that they typically don't need and can't finish spending if they didn't go buying everything they wanted with thinking twice.

The question is, is being a rich person overrated? Is being a rich person not as good and glamorous as it is emphasized in the media today? I think that being rich is overrated. This is because being rich in the first place requires a lot of hard work or a very lucky birth. People who are rich normally have a lot of responsibilities, more so than ordinary people. That is because while they have to not only worry about their jobs, they also might have to worry about when their new boat is arriving, when their car is getting fixed, how the company is doing, and many other things that require the attention of people who are used to being in control and the boss of a company.

Being a rich person also means that you have to constantly worry about other people being jealous of you, or your wife not happy with you because you forgot to send her a birthday present of a new handbag from Italy that cost 100,000 dollars. Being a rich person means you can consume more and have more materialistic things, but it also means you have to give more of your attention to consuming material things. If I had 10 pairs of shoes, each morning it would be a hard decision about which one I would wear. If I had 2 pairs, it would be a matter of which one I wore yesterday, or what I feel like wearing today. Rich people may seem to have more, but they mostly feel very unhappy and have more pressure.

Buying things only gives you a temporary happiness. It only gives you a moment spark of something new and that feeling will dissipate two days later when you put what you bought with your other "new" but forgotten things. People act and say that only by consuming and getting more will they feel happy but is that really happiness? Or is it just a way to cover up the emptiness of making so much money, yet not knowing what to use it for? Or even the purpose of earning so much money in the first place? People today feel that if you have money and a lot of material things, then you must be a happy person. That you live a successful and good life. But, like the Fancl commercial (less IS more), when I have fewer material things, fewer things that I can consume, the weight of it all gradually is reduced. I don't have to worry about my new car getting scratched, my new phone getting stolen, and my new watch getting smashed. None of that will happen.

So if people have enough to get by and make decisions on their own, then their lives are the best in my opinion. They can indulge in luxury once in a while, yet can maintain a low key lifestyle that they feel comfortable with. They don't have the stress and emptiness that all material things bring, yet can jump into the world of materialism once in a while for a taste. So strive to be wealthy in terms of spirituality and ethics and life goals, because they will bring you happiness. Don't strive to be rich.

Hea

By Vanessa (Age 13.5, St. Paul's Convent)

Hong Kong teenagers are very extreme. One moment we are efficiently going through projects and homework, and the next, we're "hea-ing". Basically, "hea" is the new found name of just being plain lazy and the term "hea" can be translated as "killing time" in English. Although there is no official Chinese word for "hea", it is one of the most widely-used terms by Hong Kong citizens, especially teenagers.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

"Hea" is not an official word, and thus means differently to different people. It is practically anything that we're doing apart from working or studying. Hea-ing, in other words, is doing nothing seriously. As a teen, I really have to say this: we are obsessed with hea. We literally do that everyday without fail, especially during the holidays. Any student who didn't hea during holidays are automatically demoted to the "goody-two-shoes" category. Yes, "demoted", because no one really bothers knowing you if you don't "have a life." Anyway, what we do during "hea-ing" is practically nothing, or nothing meaningful to be more precise. Yep, you didn't hear me wrong. We teenagers just laze around aimlessly or SMS with anyone else who may also be hea-ing at the time. Stalking people on Facebook, MSN, chat is also what we love to waste our time on.

It is actually very obvious that "hea-ing" is a serious misuse of our time. We never get anything achieved during those few hours we spend except for expensive phone bills and loads of emails from Facebook spamming our mail. However, teenagers don't seem to mind that. To them, "hea-ing" is wonderful: an activity that they would always look forward to. Yet, they seem oblivious to the downfalls of letting "hea" control their life.

"Hea-ing" is not exactly bad. After all, it is reasonable for teenagers to want to take a rest from all their work from time to time and just laze around. However, it seems that they do not understand one bit just how wasteful this activity is. They spend hours on Facebook stalking or just commenting on someone's status. They build up huge phone bills by texting at least three people at once for two straight hours. They fritter all their free time by randomly surfing the net. They neglect their homework and go find funny videos on YouTube. If this continues, we are all going to become a bunch of soulless robots who don't have a life.

Take my cousin as an example. He is addicted to the net and his iPhone, and spends at least four hours a day facing his computer. He is what people call "home boys", males who just stay at home doing nothing meaningful. He is a very good example of what will happen to the rest of us teenagers in Hong Kong if we don't start to spend our time wisely. I'm sure that none of them out there would want to marry their computer in their future, though I'm sure if may be seen as a potential partner, seeing as they spend so much time together.

Another example is that "hea" has taken up such a big part of our lives that we are starting to unconsciously apply it as our life motto. Teenagers have become lazier over the years. They do not put much effort into their work. To them, scraping a pass on a test is already a big achievement. It never seems to occur to them that they might get a B or even an A if they just work harder. Also, they seem to prefer spending time with their computers over real people. When my friends and I eat out, we all take out our phones and start texting or playing games. We interact less than we used to, which in truth, in actually breaking my heart. Another case is that I remember seeing a girl telling her boyfriend to confess to her by texting his confession. Yes, isn't it crazy? If this goes on, I'm sure that "hea-ing" is going to be the downfall of us Hong Kong teenagers, so we really should get off our sorry butts and actually start doing something meaningful.

Helicopter Parents

By Erica (Age 14, St. Paul's)

"Darling honey, what do you want to eat? Do you want to try the chicky wings, or do you want to eat the cute wobbly jelly? Make up your mind, chocolate pie," a mother cooed behind me to her child. It happened during the summer when we were queuing up in a fast food chain, with her standing behind me. I turned my head, fully expecting to see a lovely toddler with cute pigtails, for they are the only ones who understand baby talk. However, to my utmost horror, the 'toddler' was actually a teenager, around my age, with a mask covering half of her face. Instead of being embarrassed, she giggled in a way that resembled Dora the Explorer. As if that wasn't enough, she replied to her mother in the same baby talk nonchalantly, not realizing that she was already too old for it.

The term "helicopter parents" was coined by an American author and refers to parents who constantly hover around their child. These "helicopter parents" give the best of everything to their child, pamper them with all sorts of luxuries and let the child do whatever they want, just to make them happy. These parents are always there to help their child, even when the requests made are outrageous. A teacher once told me that during a school trip to Beijing, a student's mom went along and stayed exactly where the child and the other students were staying. The child later complained to her mom that the mattress was too hard for her to sleep on. So the mother immediately went to the nearest shop and got her daughter a new mattress, which she slept on for only ten days. This is the perfect example of how spoiled kids are in Hong Kong. If parents follow their children everywhere, the kids will not be able to learn how to be independent and cope with unexpected situations.

Loving a child will easily turn into spoiling a child if parents don't draw the line somewhere. Parents will not always be able to provide for the child and be together with them. If children are accustomed to being the 'master' and having everything their way, they will suffer badly when they grow up since nobody will be there to unconditionally 'serve' them. Parents should focus on long-term effects rather than short-term ones when they want to pamper their child.

For example, when parents are reluctant to let their child go to overnight camps for fear that it's dangerous, they should focus on the good side. Camping is a great opportunity to test the child's independence, learn survival skills and be tougher. Keeping them at home will only hinder their personal and mental growth. Some lessons cannot be learned at home and it's time for the parents to let go.

Always being there for the child and helping them unconditionally will also affect the child's personality. The child may take the parents for granted and expect them to do everything for them. Bad attitude and aggressive behavior are also associated with over-pampering. My fifteen-year old cousin still needs his mom to bring him to school, carry his schoolbag and bring him lunch occasionally. My aunt brings him books for tutorial classes and calls him every ten minutes when he's out with his friends. Though he is an endless source of ridicule among my family, my cousin is living proof of how spoiled a child in Hong Kong can be.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Tough love may seem harsh at first but it proves to be better for the child. Parents should learn to accept the fact that their child will one day grow up and leave them. Suffocating them with love and materialistic pleasures and shielding them from doing anything too hard will only lead them towards destruction. As the Nike quote says, "Just Do It." It's never too late to make the child wash the dishes, learn to do the chores or help with the cooking once in awhile no matter how hard it seems. A plant that grows up in a greenhouse dies when placed outside, but will thrive if it is accustomed to the wind and rain of the real world.

Tiger Parenting

By Hannah (Age 12, Canadian International School)

Hi, I'm Rebecca Johnson, Becky for short. I am a 13-year old girl and still have mean, cruel, evil, bad, annoying - and don't forget old - parents. Anyway, I slipped and fell down some stairs, and I must have gone through some kind of magic portal. After I got out of it I woke up in my parents' room and I was an adult. When I went to look around the house I saw my parents in child-form and they were on the computer, playing. My dad said to me, "Hi mom, where is BREAKFAST?!"

"Yeah, give me the breakfast!" repeated mom. I was shocked, confused, and scared. Then I had an evil thought in my head... "Hey mom, cook me some breakfast!" demanded mom. Now it was time to give them a piece of my mind!

"Do it yourself, you little lazy butt!" I replied and they went off and listened. If I was in their shoes I would have shouted, but I didn't have to. Ha ha ha! I treated them like my parents treated me!

"You get me a snack and you be my footrest!" I commanded. My parents quickly followed my orders and got to work with no comment. Awesome! I drove them crazy. I made them to work, I made them clean up, and I didn't let them eat or sleep.

"Hey mom, don't you have to go to work?" asked little mom.

"Oh right! Bye! Oh and when I come back I want you to have done your work and gone to asleep!"

At work the boss made me do a whole bunch of things I didn't want to do. He made me work to the bone! I thought I was about to explode and I hated him.

When I got home from work, the whole house was spotless and my parents were asleep in bed. I felt sorry for them because now I knew why they were mean to me. Their work was really stressful!

The next day my parents woke up and they were adults and I ran up to them and hugged them tightly. Then they said they had a weird dream and they explained the whole of yesterday to me. I told them to work for someone else and they did. Now, when they come home, they have a smile on their face and a skip in their step. I was also treated differently and I liked it. Now they don't punish me anymore when I do something bad!

The Downsides of Medical Reality TV Shows

By Bryan (Age 13, Hong Kong International School)

Editor's note: Read a response from a TV-executive who supports airing a reality TV show about cancer patients. 

Recently there has been a show that follows cancer patients' lives as they deal with physical and emotional pressures of the disease. It will follow several patients with different cancers and at varying stages of their illness. It is predicted that some patients will require surgery at some point during the show and some will die. I think that they should not air this show for many reasons.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

One reason why they should not air this show is because people may be uncomfortable with the situation they are in, for the entire camera crew will be always with them, talking to them and asking questions. I think that's the last thing that people with cancer want because I would want to spend my last remaining time with my family. Another reason why is because they will be constantly reminded of the situation they are in since the camera crew will pretty much track them everyday about their situation and sometimes the patients would want a break from that. People will get uncomfortable when people around them start bringing up the situation when they want to talk about or do something else other than the thought of cancer.

Another reason why is because it will cost a lot of money for the people who are making the TV show. If the cancer patient is poor or doesn't have enough money for chemotherapy, then the company will have to pay for that. To add on more, it has to deal with family situations and emotional problems. To top it off, they have to pay for all the people having to do everything for the TV series. The real reason for this reality TV show is to inform people about cancer, so why not save money and instead do something much simpler that can show how to prevent cancer or something like that?

Lastly, what if a person in the show dies? People in the show who have serious cancer are sure to die. In fact, this show is most likely going to look at some people who have serious forms of cancer (since it may develop more attention) and if they all die, who are they going to bring up next? They even said on the article that some people are going to die, so what if they die on screen? Is it going to be live? And if it is, what happens if they die while the live cameras are still rolling? Most likely even before the patient dies they will get fed up with this whole documentary thing because the patient can't spend a minute alone with his or her family.

I strongly advise to not air this show because a lot of bad things are going to happen both emotionally and physically, the cost is going to be too much, and people may die from the cancer on screen.

Medical Reality TV Shows and Education

By Michael (Age 13.5, South Island School)

Editor's note: Read a response from a student who points out the downsides of medical reality TV shows. 

Cancer, as we all know, is one of the deadliest diseases known to man. It is horrifying and devastating to many people. Most of these cancer victims and their family members have emotional and physical problems while dealing with cancer. Therefore, cancer reality shows for television are being developed. It affects and follows the lives of cancer patients at different stages of cancer. During some point in the show, the patient will have to undergo surgery, and some are predicted to die as well, unfortunately.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Being the television executive in charge of the programs in the local network, I think that this reality television show is perfect for the public audience. My main reason is because the public will be able to put themselves into the shoes of the cancer patients, to understand how they live their lives and what it's like to go through the pain and pressure. It would also be an excellent source of knowledge for young doctors or students who want to be surgeons or doctors. These reality shows can help the viewers/audience take steps to prevent cancer and stay healthy.

On the other hand, if the doctors were to be filmed while in the process of surgery, it would bring a lot of pressure and distraction. Different factors of media and film disadvantages are lighting, drama, camera angles, and other theatrical matters. These could possibly lead to mistakes made by the doctor, risking the lives of the patients. The patients basically would be guinea pigs whose lives are being played with for television purposes. Unless the cast members, doctors, cameramen and the media consider these factors, this reality show would not be successful.

In conclusion, I think that this reality show is completely relevant to the public and can allow the public to understand more about this disease and bring knowledge to young students, doctors, and scientists. Not only would it help the media and television society, it would also provide a wider opportunity for researching the cure for cancer. This show might be able to help us improve the world and make it a better place.

Parent-School Complaint Letters

By Richard (Age 13.5, Chinese International School)

Editor's note: The following letters were written in response to an incident where a teacher told a 6th-grade student to "go shoot yourself." 


Dear Mr. Headmaster,

I am shocked at the behavior of one of your school staff, who apparently said to my son a few irresponsible, uncalled for and most extremely rude words. "Go shoot yourself." I mean, really? We as the parents are paying the school fee to go to your school, just to have our child abused and put down? My wife and I are shocked, and as for my darling son, I believe he is in a state of trauma. His self-esteem (or whatever is left of it after one of your teachers cursed at my child in such a vulgar manner) has not skyrocketed, as it should have done going to such a privileged school, but crash-landed in such a way that in its current state its dim light could be compared to that of a dwarf sun. To have (may I repeat) one of your teachers, who has been teaching at this school for 32 years so maliciously injure my child - well, it will not stand. I am suggesting - demanding - that you fire such an undisciplined "member of staff" or at least suspend such an evil mind from pay for at least one month. He is the snake and my child is the innocent mind of Adam, exploring the garden until it came in contact with such a dark and crippling soul. If such reprisals are not made, we shall bring the hurt down on you. This would, admittedly, make news.

                   Mr. and Mrs. Annoying

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Annoying,

I see your reason for frustration! However, let us not come to any dire situations or conclusions yet. It is to my understanding that one of our staff has offended you and possibly distressed your child. However, I personally beg of you to see it from the school's point of view. The teacher was under a lot of pressure and the whole class in general was being loud and hard to handle. Everyone has their fragile twig known as patience, and although some are made of finer woods than others, eventually they both snap and situations like such will arise. And when such situations arise, it is the duty of the staff and the parents to duly and patiently support the school. This school is well-known and I as the headmaster intend to keep its reputation skyrocketing. Including the media and press on this issue is really unnecessary and I urge you to reconsider your actions. I am sure that a compromise can be made. For example, how about moving your child into a different class? It is understandable that the child might feel certain pressure when working with someone who has so recently undermined them and like I said, a compromise can be made. The possible solutions that I have suggested cannot possibly scrape on the surface of the great universe of solutions, remedies, and compromises. Think about yourself. Everyone loses their temper sometime, and it's up to everyone to control it. Please reconsider your actions.

Mr. Headmaster 

Hong Kong: Help

By Christina (Age 14, German Swiss International School)

In Hong Kong, it's not unusual to find a home with two helpers or more. It's also usually expected for people to have drivers and for the kids in that family to go to tutors. People who grow up here have generally been born with silver spoons in their mouths, and grow up pampered with constant help with everything.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Parents work in a society where everyone sends their children to extra tutoring after school to help them improve their grades to straight-A's. Then they are sent home by their driver in their private car, where their two helpers will then cook them dinner. This makes many students spoiled, and lets them become so used to the extra help that they don't learn to do things by themselves. It then becomes normal for people to say that they don't know how to do their laundry, or do the dishes.

These are things that kids are meant to learn how to do from a young age, when they are given chores to do around the house. It shouldn't wait until they're about to leave for university when they have to learn how the washing machine works. Having helpers in Hong Kong means helpers do all the house work. This prevents children from knowing their responsibilities. They should be learning from a young age that they can't just sit in their room all day, as they should be helping around the house: something that they will have to do in their later life when they start working and have their own house or flat to take care of.

Parents pamper their children too much, as they themselves have either also been raised like that, or they earned their way up there so they want their children to have more comfortable lives. Students are spoiled with the fact that they have too much help, up to the point when many don't even pay attention in class because they know they have an extra tutor for that subject later that day to explain to them what they weren't paying attention to in school.

It is good that people can live more comfortable lives, but this shouldn't result in laziness. They should be able to know their limits, and do things when necessary. They can't always depend on help.

In conclusion, I think that people in Hong Kong have been over-pampered with help, and that this should be fixed in some way. People shouldn't grow up too spoiled, and not learn about how lucky they really are that they have this help.

Tiger Moms

By Vanessa (Age 13.5, St. Paul's Convent)

Recently, Amy Chua, Yale professor and author of the book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother, published an essay on the Wall Street Journal. It caused such an uproar that everyone around the globe is talking about it.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

In her essay, she talked about the 'teaching' methods she used on her two daughters, Louisa and Sophia. She expected perfect grades from them, and never allowed them to go to sleepovers, watch TV, or have boyfriends. They were made to practice violin or the piano for excessive hours too.

To tell you the truth, I don't agree with Amy Chua. How can a kid survive without her social life, Internet, or fun? It's just crazy. The methods she used were extreme and way over the line, and in short, inhumane. I can't picture how it would feel to be forced to do whatever my mother says especially when my social life is at stake.

On the other hand, I do have to give her credit. She was able to train her two daughters to ace practically every test or exam they have. They are also not hooked on drugs, computer games, or other entertainment that may take up most or a lot of their time. This is not what every child can achieve as there are many temptations around us these days, may it be computer games, TV, money, etc. What Amy did well was that she was able to prevent her daughters from being affected by temptations. She has made them strong and independent through her harsh training. However, I don't think that this should cost a happy childhood. Furthermore, it seems to me that she made it their life goal to get straight-A's in everything and just neglect everything else. Though she may have given them extremely good training on the piano and violin, I have a feeling that her daughters don't even know how to do the dishes.

Furthermore, I don't agree that Amy should just force her daughters to do whatever she wants them to do. Forcefully making someone do something is not the best way to get good results. Instead, she can settle for methods that are not so aggressive. She can sit down and discuss with them and try to work out a timetable or plan that the three of them are satisfied with. Amy should also remember that nobody is perfect, least of all her daughters. Although setting up a high standards will help her daughter academically, she should never forget that Louisa and Sophia are just young girls at heart. It is very natural for them to want to socialize and just have fun.

In a nutshell, I really think that Amy should just let her daughters make their decisions for themselves. Let them fail, and encourage them to try again. Keeping them in an ivory cage is not going to help them become strong. Only if they truly experience it for themselves can they understand and learn from it, and that is definitely not something straight-A's on every report card can do.

Teacher vs. Student

By Cheung (Age 15, Chinese International School)

Teacher Frustration Guidelines:

Are you a teacher? Have you ever felt extremely frustrated and annoyed? All because of a student that misbehaved and started disrupting the class, have you wanted to shout all the profanities in the world at him, but didn't want to get in trouble? Well fear no more. With these guidelines you can vent out your frustration.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

The first thing you should do is to count to five and give students time to be quiet. For each second, over the five seconds you count, you should add one minute to the end of class. This would make the kids more disciplined and would become quiet quickly, because kids do not enjoy detention. If this doesn't work, then you can send an email to their parents every time they misbehave. If the parents don't care, which is not usually the case, you may report to the principal, and he will give the student a warning. If the student misbehaves two more times, the principal would publicly announce the misdeeds of this student and suspend him for three days. If further behavior continues, you can expel the student. This frustration guideline may not completely vent out your frustration, but it will make it so you don't have to deal with the student or students anymore.

The teacher, having said "go shoot yourself" to a 6th grader in this case, should get suspended for around three days. There isn't anything more the teacher should be punished for. The teacher may have been a bit harsh by verbally abusing the student, but this is all normal. This is because being a teacher is extremely frustrating. It is extremely frustrating to the point that even some teachers at my school need to be taken to the hospital because of stress. Since in this case it is a public school, it is already unfair for the teacher. It would make things even more unfair for the teacher if the school punishes them too harshly.

There are two scenarios for the dangers of letting this situation go. As the teacher is in America where it is perfectly normal to carry a gun, then it is quite easy for the child to shoot himself. Though I would like to stress that the child would only do that if he were an idiot, it is still dangerous. Letting this go may also result in other teachers doing the same because they think it is appropriate. The moment the teacher says it to a particularly sensitive child, then the child might take the teacher's word seriously. This is highly unlikely, though.

The other scenario is if the teacher were in Asia where it is perfectly normal to throw a few insults at an extremely misbehaving student. For example, like most of the people in our critical reasoning class, we have all gone through some sort of Amy Chua-styled training. We are either used to this kind of verbal insult, or would be able to tolerate it with no problem at all. In some cases, Asian students would brush verbal attacks off as an everyday routine, and even laugh at it. More importantly, it is illegal for civilians to carry guns or any kind of artillery, therefore the possibility of danger is close to nothing.

Privacy Story 2020

By Richard (Age 13.5, Chinese International School)

I reached for the roll of black tape by the side of my desk. It was placed there since the hackers on the internet have discovered a way to access the webcams on computers. The little green light, that was on my computer which signaled that the webcam was on, was blacked out by a small strip of tape. I sighed, leaning back onto a chair, which was probably the only private part of my world growing up. My curtains were closed as usual - the hackers around the world had long since discovered how to hack into government satellites, and although the police and the UN have tried hard, not one hacker has been caught.

I didn't use Facebook anymore, after an incredibly scary episode including me, a hacker from the internet with a picture of me outside my door and a sick smile. I wasn't really missing out on much, anyway. No one used Facebook anymore, except a few "daring rebels" who simply thought using Facebook was like a game. Google had recently tried to put up a "safe" Facebook replacement called GoogleCommunicate, but considering how easily the hackers broke into Google satellites, no one really bothered to try it out. New anti-virus programs had been released with the added function to prevent key-logging (a method by which a hacker records all the keys that you press) and my parents had bought me the program to install on my Mac. It was time for school, and comparing this world to that of eight years ago, it's incredible how things have changed.

I walked out. I waited outside my house, staring at the sky. It was unnerving to know the number of satellites up in space. There were probably two satellites watching your every move. The school bus came, and along with my surrounding environment, consisting of modern grey buildings and tinted windows, the bus had changed. The whole bus was painted a shiny black, and the windows were tinted. Why? I was lucky to go to one of the higher-end schools of this little town and the school was worried about student privacy. Two of this city's most powerful men had sons or daughters in this school. The whole bus being a big piece of shiny black metal on wheels made it harder for satellites to distinguish what was the window and what was just the side of the bus. The school was not so different from before. However, the once open corridors were walled up and the sports field and basketball court each got a roof. It was scary the amount of money that people spent to keep their identities safe from some creepy stalkers.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Even as the bus trudged along the road, security cameras swiveled to face the vehicle. The corporate sign "Google" was written in bold blue letters along the side of the camera, and "for your personal safety" was inscribed underneath. I didn't believe it. At first, Google was the hero of the cyber privacy crisis and by 2015 Google even had a military force designated to stop such cyber criminals. However, Google began to realize that these military forces were not producing satisfying results, and although the military scheme was not abandoned, the soldiers were increasingly showing behavior that of a hitman or assassin. Innocent people were killed and the UN forced Google to stop the scheme. Since then, they have been working on safer, newer methods that could be like our original life, such as GoogleCommunicate, but the results haven't turned out too well. Who knows: perhaps by 2060 computers might be banished.

As I slowly doze off to the rhythmic bumps of the wheels, I do not notice a little red light on a satellite, hundred of miles away in space from me, flash. A little red dot. And I do not notice a man, plugged into a huge computer, wires spreading across his desk, connecting antennae boxes, two keyboards, and three screens. He starts to smile.

Unlikely Friends

By Blossom (Age 6.5, ISF Academy)

Editor's Note: This is a story based on City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems. 

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Once there was a hamster. 

It was from a city called New York. 

Then there was a rabbit. 

It was from a tropical island called Honolulu. 

The hamster said that she had no more friends but the rabbit said, "But I will be your friend."

The rabbit said, "Let's play jumping games." 

"No," said the hamster. "Let's play hamster games." And that was spring. 

When the rabbit went to the city to visit the hamster, the hamster was trapped in a cage. But the rabbit rescued the hamster and they sat and talked together on a rock. And that was summer. 

They did a lot of things. They played and played. Then they talked but they were moving. And that was fall. 

But when the hamster saw that the rabbit was missing she was sad. The hamster looked for the rabbit. And that was winter. 

A new animal appeared. It was a dolphin. It was from the sea. 

The hamster learned how to swim because the dolphin taught him. They played a lot of games, like hide and seek. They played dolphin games then they played hamster games. The dolphin game was splashing. The hamster game was going in a tunnel.

And that was spring again. 

Hainan Golfing

By Albert (Age 12.5, Canadian International School)

Photo via Wikimedia Commons

In Hainan there have been numerous projects to improve the economy and make Hainan a tourist destination. The biggest projects are all related to golf and golf resorts are springing up all over Hainan. I think that this will have a lot of impact on the environment and it will do more harm than good. The development of Hainan should be controlled so the impact on the environment will be minimal.

The first reason this is a bad idea is that it will destroy the environment. 300 endangered species will be affected and some of them will probably go extinct if the development plans are not controlled. Forests, mountains, and even volcanoes will be destroyed. This will destroy the natural beauty of Hainan and it will result in the loss of jobs. It will also force thousands of people to move because the golf course has taken up a lot of space.

This project is also a waste of money. In the article it said that China wants to turn Hainan into China's Hawaii in a relatively short period of time. The Hawaiian islands did not become what they are right now in only 10 years. In fact the Hawaiian islands are a great tourist spot because it took a long time to develop it to sustain the natural beauty. If the Chinese think that Hainan is going to be like Hawaii in 10 years, it will result in Hainan being heavily polluted and no one will want to go there.

A better way to develop Hainan would be to limit the amount of resorts and development plans going on at once. Although it might result in a lot of controversy over who gets to build on the island, this will ultimately help Hainan to become a tourist destination.

On the other hand, the numerous development projects will heavily improve the economy and increase jobs. Some companies like tourist groups and companies that sell sports equipment will probably benefit, but it is better to develop Hainan safely to make it better.

Overall, I think that the Chinese should have patience about development and control the development of Hainan if they want to turn it into a huge tourist destination.