Walawey!

Hey ho peeps!

Lets start with the introduction aite.

Hee. I'm Izura, Izura Shukor and I'm 19. :) This would be my first time blogging for YouthSays and I hope I can share some of my experiences with you, who's reading this right now.

Hmm… Right now, at this moment, I’m a boring person! Yes. I’m stuck at home till July before pursuing my Degree. I’m currently working as a highly paid babysitter/PA/driver. Yeah! Boring kan? Hah. Tell me about it.

I’m loud, at times, well, I think I’m loud all the time. Hehe. I might look snobbish when you see me, but the truth is, I am not sombong at all! But you have to tegur me first la. :D I enjoy a good quality time with family and friends during weekends. And I like reading books. Oh oh! And I like those K-POP songs and K-Drama’s too. ;)

So, here it goes.

1. What’s the best thing about being youth today? Do you think the future is bright, for your generation or do you think the future is something to worry about?

Our means of communication! SMS, e-mails, Facebook, IM's, and the list goes on. Imagine if I have to write a letter to my mom instead of sending her a SMS, deng! *speechless*

To me, the future is uncertain and you have to take it seriously no matter how comfortable you are right now. At this moment, when you think of what’s ahead of you, you’ll think that it’ll be easy for you and you won’t have to work your *** off to survive. But anything can happen. The economy can be stable for years and it can collapse in a blink of an eye. We have to think in of your future in a long term basis. Making decisions based on short-term thinking won't bring any good to you.

2. Do you think “youth” (people like you) are rebellious in nature? Do you think youth today rebel like they used to before? Explain. Do you/have you rebelled against anything or anyone in the past? Explain.

In nature, it is normal for us, teenagers, to venture out on our own and try new things. When there’s a barrier aka your parents or teachers, trying to stop us from venturing out, automatically, you’d feel on wanting to do it more and more. And by wanting to do it, you’d create all sorts of lies and excuses so that you’ll get away with it easily.

Case 1.

Girl A: Mom, can I stay back tomorrow after school and go to ****’s house?

Mom: No. Why would you want to go to ****’s house? Stay at home la.

Girl A: But mom, please!

Mom: No. You will come back straight home after school.

And with that, Girl A thinks her mom doesn’t understand her and she’s frustrated. With that, she’d be rebellious and she’ll come out with ideas to lie or give excuses to her mom.

A week later.

Girl A: Mom, I have to stay back tomorrow. I have an extra class after school.

Mom: Alright, I pick you up at 5.

Instead of having extra classes, Girl A lied to her mom and she went to her friend’s house.

When parents control us, teenagers too much, eventually, we’ll rebel over it and want to break free. Its normal of it. But without supervision, we can go gaga. So, what my parents did while I was growing up is that they don’t hold me back but they will ask me questions occasionally. I’m cool with that as long as they don’t interfere with what I’m doing. And my parents set up rules and limits that were flexible and easily followed for me.

3. Do you think youth today have an easier or harder life than our parents’ generation? Please explain your answer.

I’d say both. The life that today’s youth are living are both easy and hard.

It is easy as you can get things easily. Everything is provided to you. Okay la. Go back 50 years ago, we don’t have Internet, we don’t have mobile phones. Imagine our life today, without those things. Can die one! I kid you not.

But it is hard to maintain such lifestyles. With all the distractions that you have these days like games, Internet, etc, youth will have a hard time concentrating on one thing. Other than that, teens nowadays are too mature for their age. An 11 y/o kid thinks and acts like a 14 y/o kid. By the age of 15, you’d think of how to maintain your social life, how to make your BF happy and all. People back then, I don’t think they have to think of all that. When this process goes on for, let’s say, 10 years. You’ll be mentally exhausted and you might end up like Jennifer Garner in 13 Going On 30. Think too much what's ahead of you.

4. What is your biggest fear in the world…other than death?

I try not to think much of what I fear as it will distract me from being who I am.

5. What makes you happy?

Honestly, as long as I get to spend time with my brothers together with my friends. Just a day at the mall, watch movies, having fun, is enough for me.

6. What has been the most difficult hurdle you have overcome so far in your life? What did this experience teach you?

I was brought up in luxuries. I’ve never experience the taste of living a hard life until my mom’s business started to collapse a few years ago. I was 13 at that time, and my mom was supporting all of my siblings including my sister which at that time was studying in New Zealand. I used to get weekly allowances up to 50 bucks a week (excluding fees and all). *yeah, spoilt to the max* So, when her business were down, we were forced to gave up a lot of privileges. I mean A LOT! From 50 bucks a week, it went down to like 20 bucks or sometimes 15 bucks a week. I couldn’t ask for things that I want. It was hard.

But after a year or so, I was okay with it. My parents tried their best to accommodate us with other things. They taught us to find other alternatives in life. And now, slowly, we are back on track (not as rich as before lah) but I’m grateful of it. Come to think of it, I’d prefer my life now rather than before because when you’re too spoilt, you don’t know how to appreciate things. When we were rich, we spent our money like there’s no tomorrow and we didn’t appreciate what was in front of us for quite some time. During the difficult times, the feeling of getting 50 bucks was like getting 100 bucks from your parents ok! It was that hard.

“God won’t let you deal with things if he knows you can’t handle it.” That’s what my mom said at that time. I thank HIM for letting us go through this predicament because it taught me how to survive and opened my eyes to see a different view of life.

7. Which has more importance today in your life - family or friends? Why? In your experience, did you ever have to make a choice between your friends and family? If ‘yes’ please explain your answer and why did you do so?

I’d say family. Friends come and go. No matter how closed you are to them, no matter how much you know about them, they can’t always be with you when you’re in need. When you’re in trouble, they can’t help you all the time. But family, they’re always with us. I’m closed to my family especially my brothers. So, my friends, they understand that my priority is that my family comes first.

That's about it for today. Wait for more posts from me later. :D