Hey.

Yeah, I've finished all my 10 entries two days ago.

I'd like to say thanks to the organizer of this blog, the admin, and fellow bloggers. I had fun, like seronok sangat. :D

Unfortunately, while I'm having fun with this blog thingy and with my daily activities, a few of our fellow Malaysians are struggling to help the Palestinians there in Gaza. And the saddest thing is that the fate of 9 Malaysians are still unknown as their ship was attacked by the Israeli's. I'm pissed! And sad at the same time.

Lets pray hard for them there, Amin.

News #1

Till we meet again, Izura signing out from here. Chow!

I want keropok lekor ah

Salam and heyya peeps!

According to Wikipedia, The 1Malaysia campaign has been going on since September 16, 2008.

Okay... 1Malaysia... Its just another political campaign to me. Back when Tun Mahathir was the PM, there was WAWASAN 2020. Pak lah's turn, ISLAM HADHARI? Now, its Najib's turn, 1MALAYSIA.

Since its a new campaign, a new approach from the new government, obviously people are excited la kan. But I know it won't last long, I think.

Besides, we have always been a 1MALAYSIA before this. Its just that we don't publicized it as much as we do it today. Kan? Since Tunku Abdul Rahman shouted "Merdeka!", our country has always been the multi-racial Tanah Melayu. To be fair to the other races, we've even changed our name from Tanah Melayu to Malaysia.

1Malaysia ain't a bad thing and it's not a good thing either. For me, let's just say that the campaign brings no good to me.

My vision for Malaysia in the next five years are quite vague. I mean, I don't trust our government that much when it comes to making the right decisions but with the current state going on, I think we'd be just fine in the future, God willing.

In the next five years, I hope Malaysia will develop rapidly and stay in the same level as other 'BIG' countries.

In the next five years, I hope the education system will grow better and more efficient.

In the next five years, I hope there won't be poverty amongst us Malaysians.

In the next five years, I hope that we'll have a more stable government.

In the next five years, I want be like Japan and Korea when it comes to TECHNOLOGY!

There are a lot of things that I want our Malaysia to be in the next five years. To achieve all those things, we have to work hard and work together. We will achieve what we want and more, God willing.

I'm raised to have friends from different races. My parents taught us not be racism towards others because we're not living here alone. But there are times where you know, we'd argue about our beliefs and cultures. Even if we live together, you can't hide from the fact that there would be fights and quarrels amongst races. For me, what kept all of us together is the education. From education, it'll develop to other things.

Since we're a multi-racial *I was just about to type company, heh, my bet*, multi-racial country, people around the world see our Malaysia as a world with unity. With all the races, we unite as one to form a peaceful country, MALAYSIA! Oh, lupa, we're good at sports as well and our education system is the BOMB yaw!

In the end, no matter how much you hate your country because of the political system or because we're lacking of tech gadgets, you will always be a Malaysian. And I'm proud to say, I AM A MALAYSIAN!

Beautiful Day

Salam and hey guys!

LEE DEWYZE IS THE NEW AMERICAN IDOL!

I'm glad that he won. Though Crystal was better in the finale, I was happy Lee won the whole thing.

Let's get back to business ya peeps.

Brands... I'm not into brands that much as I'm more of a casual, I-DON'T-CARE or I-WEAR-ANYTHING-AS-LONG-AS-ITS-COMFY type of girl.

I do wear branded goods and all but I'm not into it like its a must for me to buy the ones with good names.

Even if I'm the I-DON'T-CARE type of girl, brands still matters to me, cuma tak la macam orang lain yang nak beli branded stuff gila-gila. I know branded goods are comfortable than the cikek ones, that's the only reason why I buy things from Adidas, Nike or LaSenza and all. Because they're comfortable. If you recommend to me a brand-less shirt, but you say its comfy and a high-quality thing, I'd definitely buy it. Comfort and quality matters most to me.

Casing point,

SEBAMED!

I think its one of the best brands when it comes to skin-care, hair-care, etc. I mean, I've been using their cleanser since I was like, what, 15? I have extra sensitive skin so, I have to use SebaMed. Even my brothers used it when they were kids. Their shampoo, the BEST!

Ala... Typical la if letak all those Nike stuff and all. I mean, semua orang nak cakap dia pakai NIKE, ADIDAS. "Weh, kasut dia NIKE dowh!" You know, it doesn't matter anymore. Aku pakai POWER, takda hal pon. Selesa aje. Murah pon ada, jimat. I also can say, "Oh, look at my new shoes, I pergi NIKE semalam, my dad belikan, lawa tak?" Hah! I'm just not that type.

Kadang-kadang orang ukur status/kedudukan kita dengan jenama. Tak suka la... Hish.

And when you ask, does religion influence my choice of brands, my answer is yes it does. I try my best to support my religion. Most of the time, my parents would remind me of what to buy, what I can't buy, you know, all those things. But sometimes, beli jugak la benda yang tak sepatut beli. Hmm.

For me, brands can be important when you want to feel good for yourself. Not for the sake of showing off. Get it?

Oh, here's a few videos that I like.

BIG NAMES = FULL-BLAST BUDGET ADS

SELAMAT HARI WESAK!

She's Got You High

Salam.

Hey guys!

I'm bored and I'm not in the mood to blog but my brother forced me to post an entry tonight.

Owh, yeah, this is my brother, Harris. He forced me to post an entry tonight. He's 18. I don't know why girls go for him. =_=' Oh, I have a message from him to you guys, "Hey, do add me on Facebook yeah guys, Ayesh Shukor." Ergh!

THE 3 THINGS THAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU GUYS!

Recently, I've discovered my dad's Flickr. I'm amused by it, I mean, I know he's in the advertising industry and all. But I never knew his photos would be that, pretty! to me la.

Bapak's Flickr!

I wanted to show you guys Muse's new video, Neuron Star Collision but I can't find it on YouTube, I've watched it a few days ago but now I can't find it. :/ But Muse's Resistance is quite nice. So, I'll share that with you guys. Its better than nothing kan. Hehe.

I want to recommend to you this book! You must read this,

I got this book from my sister for my 18th birthday last year. And I thought it was great! :D

I've never really thought of my 2010 resolutions. I don't know, resolutions never worked for me. So, I've never even bothered to think what to do/what to have/what I must achieve in a year. I just go with the flow.

OUTFITS...

Ala... I'm not into fashion that much and I don't keep myself updated to the latest fashion trend. I usually wear clothes which are comfy for me and I usually don't plan my outfit in advance except for special occasions. A blouse with jeans, and a pair of flip-flops or snickers is like my normal outfit. Malas...

I'm the one with the white tudung. See how casual my outfit is. Senang and selesa.

Ni lagi satu benda that I'm not into, GADGETS! I can't keep myself updated with all those new gadgets. Banyak sangat. Now, as I'm still on a holiday, I'll usually play my brother's GBA, PSP and PS2. I tried playing my dad's PS3 once, but somehow, I feel uncomfortable with the wireless controller. Idk why.

That's about it I guess. I'm losing out ideas here. And I'm sorry for the NOT-SO-COOL entry.

Good night!

OH! I GOT MY SPAIN JERSEY ALREADY! ;D

Devil

Salam and good evening peeps!

B.O.B's Nothin' On You feat. Bruno Mars

To keep myself entertain, I usually listen to new, current songs, read books and sometimes watch TV.

Since my mom unsubscribed the Astro services a year ago, our so-called entertainment has been very limited. Though we have no Astro, we still have the Internet and game consoles to keep ourselves entertained.

I'm not much of TV a person. But I do watch a few shows like American Idol, House, Chuck, Ugly Betty and a few other TV series. Since most of these shows aren't showing on our local channels, I usually watch it online, download it or take the episodes from my friends.

And I loooooveeee to watch Korean dramas on stream. Its faster that way since we can't get the latest K-Drama on Malaysian TV. :/

Super Junior's Bonamana

I'm more of a music person rather than a fashion girl. I'm no fashionista I tell you. But music is like everything to me. For the bands/singers/groups that I like, I'd keep myself updated to their new songs and activities through their official websites, a few fan-based websites and friends.

My all-time favourite band is Coldplay! To me, Coldplay's music is very unique and if you listen to their album, they will only focus on certain themes in their music.

Coldplay's Fix You

I also like to listen to The Killers, The Strokes, Duffy, One Republic, and Silverchair. Not forgetting, Sami Yusuf's songs as well. I like his song as it calms me down while listening to it.

OMG! I forgot to mention that I'm a BIG fan of Super Junior and Big Bang! Hehe. :D

And to keep myself away from boredom, I'd read books. You should see how many books we have at home. Tu pon ada yang dekat rumah Nenek la, kawan pinjam la.

I spent a lot of my money on books and I think that's the only thing that my parents won't nag me for if I beli banyak-banyak.

G-Dragon's Hello feat Sandara Park

Ever since I finished my foundation, I've finished reading more than 20 both Malay and English books. Yeah! Gila kan.

My last three books was:

I love Hlovate's novels. Though I don't read Malay novels that much, but her books are nice to be read.

Darren Shan... I've never read the book before when my mom bought it for my brother. Thought it was boring. But after I watched the movie, I've decided to read the whole vampire collection. :D

Coelho has been my favourite author since I was 15. I love The Alchemist the most. :D

I can sit for hours at MPH or Borders just to find books. ;P

That's about it I guess. Have a nice day.

It could be wrong

Yusuf Islam's Months in Islam (on repeat)

Greetings fellow earthlings. Today, I shall talk about social networking and our means of communicating with friends.

Oh yes! Social networking... I have been using FB for the past three years to communicate with family and friends especially the ones that I barely see. I do have a Twitter account but I don't really know how it works and I don't feel like using it that much. Hehe.

My baby. Haha. I bought this before I went to UIA a year ago with my own money. :D

Besides using FB to communicate with people, I tend to use SMS more than any other means of communication. Though it ain't free but I prefer to text people on phones as its easier and I can do it anywhere. Texting nowadays are cheap too with Hotlink's Youth Club!

For me, FB makes my life both easier and worse at the same time. Its easier to use FB when it comes to communicating and socializing and all. But when you're too caught up with it, you tend to forget other things. Leka sangat main FB sampai tinggal solat, tak buat homeworks, and etc.

Check my social networking sites, and fill free la if you wanna add and all.

1. Facebook
2. Blogspot
3. Twitter
4. Formspring
5. Tumblr

Most of my friends on these sites are my real-life friends. There are a few (less than 20?) whom I've never met before but that's it. Like I've said before I don't add up strangers because I don't feel as if I can trust them.

I prefer to see people and talk to them face-to-face rather than to meet up online. Safety comes first people...

Whatever it is, think of your safety first. No matter who you met, how long you've been talking to each other, people can always lie to you. SAFETY COMES FIRST!

Spotlight is on!

Salam, and good evening to you! Yeah, you!

SNSD's Oh!

How are you guys doing? I hope it has been a wonderful week for you. And since tomorrow is Saturday, I bet you guys have plans with your families and friends. Hee...

Silverchair's Straight Lines

Yeah, I'm a slow typer. See... Two songs and I managed to type only a few lines. Hehe. Who cares... I have a question to ask you, yes, YOU!

CAN YOU LIVE WITHOUT THE INTERNET?

If I had to answer that question, I'd probably said no. I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THE INTERNET. Okay, maybe I can live without it for a week or so. But not forever... My life revolves around it la. :D

Daily, I'd spend about four to five hours online, and that only happens if I'm at home. If I'm at the campus, an hour is like the most I can get. No time la...

Shinee's A.M.I.G.O

If I go online, I basically do the same thing all over again. I will check a few things like,

1. Facebook, post up status, comment people's status and all.
2. Emails
3. Blogspot which includes reading other people's blogs.
4. Allkpop! Oh, this is a must! A must!
5. Google News/Star Online. Since we don't read the newspaper pretty often, I have to at least read up anything about the news.

Selena Gomez's Naturally

Oh! And I love Wikipedia! :D

If you wanna find me, you can always Google, Izura Shukor. lol

When I go online, I will only use my name, Izura. Not my full name, just my 'commercial name', Izura Shukor. I don't like to use nicknames/alias as I want people to know who I am and I don't want to be anonymous.

Paramore's The Only Exception

Even if I do like going online and I'm an active Facebook user and all, I don't make many friends through the net. I mean, most of my friends online are my real friends in the real world and my relatives and all. I don't feel comfortable making friends virtually because I don't know whether I don't trust strangers easily. But I do like sharing my experiences with people. I think that's why I started blogging. And even if I do add up strangers, I think he/she would ended up in being just a 'hiasan' on friend list. lol ;D

Oh, did I tell you that my parents have Facebook accounts? JYEAH! They have one and only my mom is in my friend list since my dad is a little bit over-protective, so bahaya la if add dia.

One Republic's Secrets

Mak dah ada dalam friend list pon dah kira cukup bahaya. Hehe. I somehow forgot that my mom can read my statuses. So, being the stupid me, I wrote stupid things on my FB. I once posted, "I don't feel like going to my evening class, malas sangat...". A few minutes later, I got a notification on my phone from FB and when I opened it, this went up, "SITI NUR IZURA ABD SHUKOR! YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSE TO SKIP CLASSES! YOU WILL BE GOING TO YOUR EVENING CLASS, THANK YOU!". Yeah! I kid you not, my mom posted that on my wall. I was like, "Oh crap! Mampos la Iwa."

My mom's FB!

So, I went to class la kan since my mom warned me already. As soon as I entered my class, five minutes late, everyone laughed at me including my lecturer. Yeah! She read my what my mom wrote on my wall. And not just classmates saw the post, even coursemates, dormmates and lets just say, all my friends. Embarrassing ok! Adeh. Tu la. Do stupid things lagi, can got caught bulat-bulat. :/

But I like it when she's around like that. I feel as if she's watching from a far and I don't mind that. It keeps me aware of my actions. :D And they'd know what I do la even if I'm not at home.

N.E.R.D's My Drive Thru feat. Santogold and Julian Casablancas

Though the Internet connects you with your friends and family, it also makes you forget about them in reality. Being connected virtually doesn't show much actions and emotions towards your friends and your family. Seriously... Sometimes because you're too hooked up on the Internet, you talk through the Internet, you'd sort of forget to communicate verbally. And the Internet is like a thing that triggers fight among friends. I have a few friends who fought with each other because of FB and all.

Simple things like, "Asal tak tag aku?", "Aku tgk gmbr, kau pg Melaka? Asal tak ajak aku? Kwn-kwn lain pergi kan."

Mutemath's Spotlight

Yeah, simple things can be a BIG thing because of the Internet.

The Internet can be very useful to us and at the same time, it can destroy us. We should use it wisely and not abuse any of your privileges. :D

p/s: I've listed down a few songs that are currently in my iTunes.

Salam and good morning!

Hah. I'm not working today as my boss cakap, "Oh, tmrw tak payah datang la." :/ Yeah, my boss memang mcm tuh. She'll ask me to come when there's kerja only. But best jgk, boleh chill kat rumah. :D

Mumm-Ra's She's Got You High

Yeah, I'm currently working as a PA/babysitter/driver while waiting for my Degree intake in July. :) It has been 2 months since I started working there. Good pay I have to say... $$$ MUAHAHAHA!

I'm like this, you know, mata duitan, because my parents ni jenis yang, IF-YOU-WANT-MONEY-YOU-HAVE-TO-EARN-FOR-IT type of people. Jyeah... *rolling eyes* Tell me about it. If I want extra $$$, I have to work for it. When I was a kid, I used to work at my mom's office during the holidays. Now, I have to find work myself, malas...

Muse's Neutron Star Collision

Perhaps, that's why I think money is very important for me. I mean, since my parents wants me to be independent and all, I don't have much money to spend, unless if they give me extra cash la. But usually, they don't. They will give cukup-cukup. In order to survive, I have to plan out my spendings. Yes, I will list down what to buy and how much I have to use and all. :D

Even if money is important for me to survive in this materialistic world, I think money is a very dirty thing. Other than being passed around, money can make people fight with each other. Money is used for a lot of bad bad things, bribery, threats, jealousy and all. Ergh! In the end, $$$ is the one thing that will make us happy. Ntah la. I hate talking about money.

Lee Hyori's Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Since our country's economics aren't going strong, to me, I feel as if my generation needs to work harder than the generation before us to survive. Having a good working ethics and being a hardworking person may put you in a high position in the future. To me, if you do things sincerely and with the right ways, you'll be just fine.

Kings of Leon's Sex on Fire

Our country's economy condition will always give a big impact to us. Its like we're tied to it. If it goes down, we'll go down as well.

Justin Bieber's Baby

Since the economy condition is not a certain thing and we can't depend on it too much, it made me think of what's the best thing for me to do in the future, which sector won't have a big effect if the economy's going down? What are the chances of me to have a good life? You know, all those things are important.

John Mayer's Waiting on The World to Change

The coolest jobs ever!

1. A travel writer! Oh crap, we can travel around the world and the company pays for your expenses, how cool can that be! :D
2. Ice cream taster. WOAH! And get to taste all those new ice creams, HEAVEN!
3. Food critics... I don't have to pay for the food that I had. WAHAHAHA!

David Guetta's Memories feat Kid Cudi

The worst jobs ever...

1. Bikini waxer. OMG! I don't want to see all those things... Yulks...
2. Garbage collector. I don't think I can stand the smell.
3. Sitting models. Do I have to sit all day long?

Coldplay's Yellow

This is enough!

p/s: My dad's turning 40 tomorrow! :D

I'm not a creative person, but...

WHO CARES!

For a better view, click the images. Sorry, but I don't feel like typing today. :/

I'm the world's greatest babysitter!

Salam and hye guys!

I have to at least finish up a few posts before Saturday since I'll be busy for the next few days.

So, moving on to the 2nd topic, Family & Friends!

1. Tell us about your family structure and members. Tell us stories about your time spent with family. Bring us to become part of your family!

I have no idea how to edit pictures. I'm no wonderwoman!

My parents have kids from three generations. The 80's, the 90's, and the 2000's. Yeah! Six in total; three girls and three boys.

1. Ayuni, she's 26, married and currently 7 months pregnant. I used to be quite closed to her, not anymore. I don't know, I get annoyed easily when I'm around with her. But I still love her.
2. Nadia, 25, married with three daughters. Yeah! She's freaking 25 and yet, she has three kids. She was raised by my grandparents. Therefore, I barely see her since she's in Kedah.
3. I'm the 3rd! 19, currently in IIUM. ;D
4. 4th, hah! The first boy in the family. Harris, my 18 y/o brother. Girls go crazy over him. Tak la handsome mana. I don't get why people say his good looking. Ergh!
5. Iyaz, 9 y/o, a hyper-active boy who doesn't like to eat.
6. Anaz, is the youngest and he's the opposite of Iyaz. Iyaz doesn't like to eat while Anaz, he can't see food on the table. Our baby fatso. :D

My baby brothers... Well, they're not babies anymore. But I love them so much.

Me mom's always at home though she's working, she's always around. My dad@Bapak is a very busy man. He's busy with work and his hobby, fishing. Yeah. Oh, you should check out his Flickr.

Bapak's Flickr

2. Tell us who are your best friends and why do you like to hang out with them and the activities you all frequently do together.

Liya with Kiko at our usual hangout spot in Nilai, McD.

Putrajaya!

Best friends... I'm closed to a few friends from school and from uni as well. When I'm on campus, I'm very close to my classmates and course-mates especially Liya. Bak kata orang, "Di mana ada Liya, di situ ada Izura." We're always together. :D Usually, when we're bored or we don't know what to do, we will usually lepak at mamak, sembang-sembang. You know, the typical stuff students would do after class. And if we're in the mood for movies, we'll go to Alamanda Putrajaya since that's the nearest mall from Nilai. =_='

Adlin is on my right and Amalina on my left. Our last year of school, 2008 :D

Back home, I'd meet up with my best friends from school, Adlin. Amalina is not around often as she's busy with her studies. With Adlin, I enjoy chilling at her house, watch movies, do some catching up and even if we go out, we'll find somewhere quiet since I don't like crowded places. :) Adlin is not much of an outdoor person. So, when I play futsal and all, you won't find her with me. Hehe. We'd go shopping at times but she'll do all the shopping since I'm not into shopping that much. Heh.

3. When you are meeting new people how do you describe yourself?

The normal stuff I think. What I'm doing currently, where I live, and so on. The usual stuff.

4. Is identity important to you and your friends? How important is standing out / being different to you and your friends?

Identity is very important to me.Being able to be different or stand out from others shows who you are in general. I used to be easily influenced by the people around me. And it controls how I think, how I act, and all at that time. To me, it’s not a good thing. Now, I try to be different from others. I try to speak out what’s in my mind and not to be afraid of my surroundings. I try to broaden up my mind by approaching people from different areas. I’d avoid asking others to make decisions from me. When you’re different from others, people look at you in a different way. You will be respected and get recognition from the people around you when you stand out.

But standing out too much is not okay too. You don't want to be a pain in the *** kan. So, think before you act.

5. Does religion affect your choice of friends? Explain your answer.

Not really. I mean, religion doesn’t stop me from making friends. I’ll make friends with people but I will not do the things that they do if it goes against my religion. If they do things that are against my beliefs, I will try to explain the rights and wrongs of the actions and try to avoid it as much as possible. It’s as simple as that. You make friends as many as you want, but you don’t do what they do.

6. How do you and your friends like to categorize people of your age group . i.e EMO, Skater, JPop, KPop fanatic, Hip Hop, Goth, freak, geek, shutterbug, others? What are the three most popular groups/looks amongst you and your friends?

My friends and I will categorize people based on their personality and how they act. They are categories such as the perverts, the goody-two-shoes, the anti-soc, rempits, the mak nyah’s (they’re just boy who are soft. Evil Izura!) and the list goes on.

I think the most popular group amongst us would probably be the K-POP fanatics, the perverts and the SPOILT-BRATS-WHO-COMPLAINS-TOO-MUCH.

Okay, I'm done! I have to go out and run some errands for my boss. :D I'll write more tonight or tomorrow.

p/s: Formspring!

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