Revisiting ‘Hatchet’: a reading recommendation

Imagine that you are a 13-year-old on a bush plane flying to see your father. The only other person onboard, the pilot, suddenly dies of a heart attack mid-flight. Your plane goes off course, stalls and crash lands without you knowing your precise location or if the cries for help were really heard over the radio.You’re stranded in the Canadian wilderness, in the middle of nowhere. Though you are not unscathed, at least there are no broken bones. With nothing but a hatchet, tattered clothes,

May 29, 2023 | BY Rui Pastorin

Comment: 0

Book review: A Short History of Chinese Philosophy

When chatting with friends, philosophical topics often come up. Usually, they mention the works and novels of Western philosophers such as Nietzsche, Sartre, or Plato, and rarely touch upon Chinese philosophy. Including myself, most of us first encountered Western philosophy; aside from reading some sections of Mencius and Zhuangzi during high school, we knew almost nothing about Chinese philosophy, and simply thought it was not as interesting as Western philosophy. Perhaps it is because

May 29, 2023 | BY William Chan

Comment: 0

What is Mother’s Day?

Next Sunday is Mother’s Day for most of the world, but how did it start and why? In America Mother’s Day is a relatively new tradition that was started in 1907 by Anna Jarvis, after her mother died,  who organised the first Mother’s Day service of worship and celebration in Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton, West Virginia.Mother’s Day started out as Mother’s Day Work Clubs, which Jarvis formed to address public health issues. She and another peace activist and

May 8, 2023 | BY Lesley Wells

Comment: 0

Mom’s most important advice

Has anyone ever given you a piece of advice that was so strong that it never left you? When I was a child, my mother told me, ‘Sometimes it’s okay, as long as you had fun.’As a student, volunteering at school events was something I truly enjoyed. It helped me bond with my friends and learn some things outside the classroom setting. There was never a time I did not enjoy attending those events. One day, my family planned a morning trip to Zhuhai, the same day as our school held a

May 8, 2023 | BY Jo Azurin*

Comment: 0

The negatives about technology

There have been a number of remarkable achievements and advancements in technology over the years. At times, it can give its users power at the touch of a button and convenience through a voice command. However, it is not without its concerns and negatives, particularly in terms of what can happen when over-reliance occurs and when replacing certain things with it come up.In the modern world, technology is a crutch that is integral and often necessary. Over-reliance on it, however, can be a

May 1, 2023 | BY Rui Pastorin

Comment: 0

The Good Side of Technology

I start my day when the alarm clock in my mobile phone rings, then I switch on the light to wake myself up properly. I walk into the living room and turn on the television for the news, while brushing my teeth with my new electric toothbrush. I repeat “Siri, how’s the weather” every day when I am selecting my outfit of the day. When I’m in good mood, I turn on the radio for music while enjoying my breakfast with my expresso made by the coffee machine. After that, I switch on my computer

May 1, 2023 | BY Yuki Lei

Comment: 0

The importance of time & effort in learning a skill

I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror as I gripped my father’s clippers, which were old and missing a tooth in the clipper guard. It was during the time when most barbershops were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and I was in desperate need of a haircut as my hair had become lifeless and overgrown.With no practice or even any sort of training except for hours of YouTube videos, I spent 20 minutes bouncing between saying “this is a horrible idea” and “social media said I

April 17, 2023 | BY Rui Pastorin

Comment: 0

Learn something new every day

We start learning from the day we are born and hopefully until the day we die. It may be something simple like learning to change a light bulb or something more complicated like taking a PhD. Learning should always be enjoyable because if it feels like a chore, it is extremely difficult to retain the information and easy to be distracted.Many people seem to think that learning something only involves academic subjects, which is not at all true. Learning something new, whether it be a

April 17, 2023 | BY Lesley Wells

Comment: 0

Avoiding negative peer pressure

Is peer pressure always a bad thing? Maybe not. Sometimes, whatever you’re being pressured into doing can be harmless, while the best kind can even be beneficial. In a perfect world, all peer pressure should be positive. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case and most of us might be familiar with the more negative side of the term.Some examples of this include being pressured into maybe just one more drink at a party, shoplifting to fit in with, and please a group of “cool kids”, or

April 3, 2023 | BY Rui Pastorin

Comment: 0

How is peer pressure described?

About peer pressure, here I want to share an observation with you all to discuss what peer pressure is, which I would describe as copycat behaviour.First of all, what is peer pressure? According to Wikipedia, peer pressure (also known as peer influence) is the direct or indirect influence on peers, i.e., members of social groups such as classmates or friends with similar interests, experiences, or social statuses. Members of a peer group are more likely to influence a person’s beliefs,

April 3, 2023 | BY Yuki Lei

Comment: 0

The ‘lucky’ necklace

As a sceptic, I have my doubts about the phenomenon of luck. I don’t always believe in it and my reasons were formed and solidified when I was in Third Grade, the time when my uncle came to Macau to visit my family.He was a fashionable young man in his late twenties, working as a teacher by day, and a musician who performed to a hip young crowd at night. To me, he had all the makings of a cool uncle. I could not be happier when he decided to leave me a gift before he left for home, which was

March 27, 2023 | BY Rui Pastorin

Comment: 0

Luck & feng shui: how Chinese traditions influence daily life

Whenever luck is discussed, it’s impossible to ignore the role of feng shui (風水) in Chinese culture. Feng shui is the ancient Chinese practice of arranging one’s surroundings to promote balance and harmony, and to attract good luck and prosperity. It is believed that feng shui – aka Chinese geomancy – can impact a person’s life in significant ways, both positive and negative.As a Chinese person, I can attest that our lives are more or less related to feng shui. While I am not

March 27, 2023 | BY William Chan

Comment: 0

Acts of kindness are good for you

Have you ever felt great when you have acted kindly to someone? Of course, you have.According to the BBC website https://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/54921787, acts of kindness are: good for your heart, are contagious, slow ageing, give us energy, make you feel happy, reduce stress and anxiety, support your immune system and reduce pain. Amazing benefits for something that costs nothing and also makes the recipient feel good too.Some people are naturally kind and think nothing of helping someone out

March 20, 2023 | BY Lesley Wells

Comment: 0

A splash of pure kindness

An act of kindness can do a lot for someone. It can make both the doer and the recipient feel good, as well as even change the course of someone else’s life. Maybe it can even lift a person up, with the doer having no clue just how much their act means. One January afternoon this year, I experienced an act of kindness, one that is unforgettable and perhaps done in its purest form.Some might be familiar with the term “January blues”, which, according to PsychCentral, is “a common period

March 20, 2023 | BY Rui Pastorin

Comment: 0