Samsung VS Apple

Nowadays Samsung and Apple has become very popular not only in Malaysia but around the world. Samsung came up with Samsung Galaxy and Samsung Tablet whereas Apple came up with iPhone and iPad. Which is better? iphone or Samsung Galaxy? Samsung Tablet or iPad?

 

iPhone 5 (the latest iphone from Apple)

Samsung Note

Samsung Galaxy Note is an android smart phone produced by the Samsung. It is 5.78" tall and 0.38" thick. It is just like a Samsung Tablet only thing smaller and it is also a phone and not forgetting the pen that comes together with the phone. Some say that having a Samsung Galaxy Note is just as good as iPhone 5 because it is a touch screen phone, it is fast and the most unique thing about the phone is it has android. The same goes to Samsung Tablet. Most people buy the tab to download and play games. With Samsung Tab you would be able to download for free by going to the Android Market whereas for iPad you would have to buy some of your games or jailbreak.

Latest model of iPad

The latest model of Samsung Tab..Samsung Tablet 10.1

However, iPhone 5 is heat detected which means you do not have to press too hard on the screen to switch screens, widen the screen or tap on it to type. The graphics for iPad is better than Samsung Tablet. It sometimes feels that it is a 3D game. There are a few people that say the photos that are taken by the iPhone is also much clearer and sharper than the Samsung Galaxy. All Apple products cannot get virus and so that is why many people long to have an iPhone or an iPad.

All in all, I guess it depends on the person which phone or tablet is preferable to them. Each of this product has its own uniqueness and capabilities. Its up to you to decide...

BY SHARYL ANDREA STEPHEN

Shouldn't the third genders have a happy ever after?

Recently an article was written in the newspaper stating that a political party does not want the lesbians, gays, bisexual and transsexual to have a gathering in Malaysia which has been going on every year but only once a year. Is this right or wrong?

Well in my opinion it is wrong! Why is it that we can have a normal happy life and the third genders are not able to have a happy life? Why do they have to suffer the taunts and bullying? Aren't they human? They have a right to live a normal life just like you and me. They should not be discriminated or judged. For your information, sometimes they do not choose to become this gender but it isn't wrong. Some people have more X chromosomes or Y chromosomes in them so they tend to be more towards being a girl (if it is a guy) or guy (if it is a girl). Sometimes even they are so fed up of having girlfriends or boyfriends that cheat on them that they start experimenting on their own gender and they find their life more happy.

Famous bisexual celebrities (left to right): Christina Aguilera, Lindsey Lohan and Megan Fox

Ellen Degeneres and Portia De Rossi are a married lesbian couple.

One of the lead actor in "How I Met Your Mother" Barney Stinson (left) a.k.a. Neil Patrick Harris with his partner.

South Korean transsexual entertainer Harisu (left) married to rapper Micky Chung.

There are many more celebrities that are gays, lesbians, transsexuals and bisexuals. If they can be accepted in today's society, why can't we all make an effort to accept them? Let them live a happy and normal life. Don't abuse them. Don't discriminate them or treat them unfairly. Don't make fun of them. Support them. Be their friend. After all, they are only human. They deserve their own happy ever after.

BY SHARYL ANDREA STEPHEN

What would you do if you lived to be 95 years old?

Last week a man celebrated his 95th birthday with his family, friends and relatives in a small house at Puchong. Although he is not able to hear, talk or walk properly, he could still remember his family. He has 12 children and about 10 grandchildren. 

The question is what would you do before you reach that age. Would you make your life exciting and interesting by going jungle trekking in the Amazon forest, climbing mountains and traveling around the world? Or would you live life dangerously by going cliff diving, parachute gliding and sky diving? These are a few things in mind that would make your life fun, exciting and interesting at the same time.

Diving with the fishes

Watching a beautiful aurora

Indoor diving if your afraid of sky diving

The thrill of sky diving

Rock climbing with only ropes

These activities are just the tip of the iceberg. Some people would live their life curiously by not listing down things they would do before they reach that old age where they can't do anything anymore while others have a long list stating what they should have done before they reach that age. So what are you going to do? Are you going to list down the things you want to do? or do you want to live your life curiously? That is all up to you.

American Field Service - AFS

AFS is a field service that helps students to go on a student exchange program.. In this program you can choose to stay for 2 months or a year but it also depends on the country you pick. Some countries that you pick such as Italy and France, you would only be able to go to that country in June or July.

During this period there will be students from different countries also coming together for this student exchange program...The process goes like this...
First you must apply to this student exchange program by getting a form online
Next, once you have applied wait for the mail to come to say if you were chosen to go for an interview. If you were selected then you must go for an interview and you will be interviewed by 3 people.
After that, if you were selected you will get a letter stating when is the post departure camp
Last but not least once everything is settled you will receive a letter and information or profile on your host family and where you will be living...
In my case, I went to Leverkusen, Germany.

  Clockwise: Kai (Australia), Tom (New Zealand)  and me

The AFS students from all over the world who were at Cologne

It was a once in a life time experience and I would do it all over again...I made friends from all over the world. Once in Germany, we will be staying with a host family. The host family would be like your own family. My host family had 7 people which means I had 5 siblings and I was the eldest among them. It was a big difference being the eldest when I am the youngest in my family in Malaysia. Once you are living with this host family you become apart of their family. Some of the host parents would ask the students to call them "Dad" and "Mom" because the students are now their adopted children.

My host mum

My host dad

Three of my host siblings

Going for this student exchange does not mean it is a year of holiday. We actually have to live a life of a student in that country which means we do have to go to high school. Usually participant who are chosen for the year program are students (Malaysia) who have finished their high school which means 18 year old students.The school that I went to didnt have any gates, there are no school uniforms and the students could go back and come back if they do not have a subject at that time so it is not like the schools we have here in Malaysia. The students there were very polite and kind. We also had to go for an intensive language school which means we had to go everyday for a month and by the end of the year we were all able to speak almost fluently...

My German friends

My German Friends

       













The only advice that we anyone of you if you want to go  for a student exchange program is to not keep to yourself and try to blend in with not only your student exchange friends but also your german school friends so that life would be a little less harder there. Of course you will be experiencing home sickness but after a while it will be fine and to be honest in this year i felt more matured then ever (because 18 years old was considered an adult in Germany) so I prioritized what is important and thats when I felt myself maturing. Until today I have not regretted that experience and I wish I could go through that again because I made 2 best friends and a few close friends...
So come and join AFS!

My 2 best friends in Germany until now....

 
By Sharyl Andrea Stephen      

Easter Day

What is the most important day to the Catholics?

If you were thinking Christmas, then think again! It is Easter!!

Easter is the greatest and most important celebration for the Catholics because it is the third day of the death of Jesus Christ and the day he resurrected from the dead. The Catholics believe that after Jesus Christ death on the Cross, he was wrapped up in linen cloth and put in a tomb with a big boulder covering the entrance to the tomb. On the third day, the women that went to visit the tomb found the boulder moved and the tomb empty and they ran to tell His disciples. When the disciples arrived, there was an angel saying that Jesus Christ has risen. Thus, Easter became the most important day for the Catholics because it was a great day to celebrate.

The Pope saying mass on Easter Day

Look at the crowd!! (Vatican City)

Children get to have fun too! (China)

Eggs in a basket? Are they real eggs? (South Korea)

The Pope saying a mass on Easter Vigil (The day before Easter, midnight mass)

During the week Easter it is called the Holy Week and during this week people who do not fast for 40 days before Easter would try to fast and abstain the whole week because it is a very holy week. In some of the pictures you can see eggs. The eggs are not real eggs but chocolate in a shape of an egg and it is wrapped up in wrappings. In Germany, people would hide a basket of Easter eggs and chocolates and presents for the kids to find. It is quite fun! and the grownups would be given presents. In almost all families, during Easter day, they would have a family reunion and eat lunch or dinner together.

During the Easter Vigil, candles would be lit for awhile to show respect because the moment Jesus Christ died the sky became dark for a moment and so this is a sign of respect for Jesus Christ death on the Cross. However, in Malaysia (I am not sure about other countries) the candles would not be on for the whole mass.

Good Friday

What is Good Friday? Good Friday is celebrated by the Catholics. Good Friday is the day that Jesus Christ was crucified and died for the good of mankind. On this day, the Catholics would go through the 14 stations that He went through before he got crucified. Some would actually go through the process that Jesus Christ when through which means they would also be crucified. Crucified means being nailed on to the cross. Different countries would celebrate it differently. In some European countries, it is a public holiday.

In Jerusalem, the Palestinians are celebrating Good Friday

In Iraq, the Bishop gave a mass for the soldiers.

In Indonesia, they acted how it was during the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

In Indonesia also in a church the cross was carried.

On the head of Jesus Christ, were thorns. This was taken in Mumbai, India.

The women in India would also carry cross and follow the man acting as Jesus Christ.

 I know some would think why is ist a celebration when Jesus Christ was brutally crucified. He was taunted, beaten up, scourged and ridiculed but in Catholicism, Jesus Christ suffered and sacrificed his life for the good of mankind. They believed He was the Son of God that was sent down from heaven and His sacrifice was to open the heaven so that all mankind's sin will be forgiven.

This is a very sacred day and Catholics would go to church on Good Friday to pray and remember the day Jesus Christ sacrificed His life.

Till Death Do Us Part??

Marriage has a different meaning to everybody, every religion and families. Some people would say that marriage is a contract made by two people to love and serve one another until the day they die. If you noticed, they did not specify the gender but usually they would refer to man and woman. Other people would say that marriage is a license to have a more physical relationship with their partner, meaning legally be able to have intercourse because they are legally binded in a relationship. Marriage is the social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies and so on.

According to a write up on the definition of marriage to Islam, marriage or “Nikah” means physical relationship between man and woman and also the contact of marriage which makes the relationship lawful. Definition of marriage in fiqh is a contract that results in the two parties physically enjoying each other in the manner allowed by the Shari’ a. Since this is only one aspect of marriage a modern scholar named Muhammad Abu Zahrah stated that marriage is a contract that results in the man and woman living with each other and supporting each other within the limits of what has been laid down for them in terms of rights and obligations.

Political philosophers agree that sex and reproduction are essential to the health however moral philosophers debated whether marriage has a special moral status and relation to the human good. A quote by one of the famous Greek philosopher Socrates, “By all means marry: If you get a good wife, you'll become happy; if you get a bad one, you'll become a philosopher.” Although this quote may seem mean to some people it also may seem funny to most. In some ways this is quite true because choosing the right person to get married will make your life happy and if the person you marry is not the right person then you will be a lot smarter and wiser in a relationship and you will have lots to advice.   

In my opinion, marriage is when two people who are in love, make a decision to share their life together physically and mentally. They want to build a family together and spend the rest of their life caring and loving each other till the end of their lives. Marriage is something very sacred to me. People should not take it lightly and divorce every time they have a small misunderstanding or don’t find their spouse attractive anymore. In my religion, Catholic, there is no such thing as divorce. You can only marry one person and you cannot divorce them but you can live separately. So if you want to marry a person, make sure he or she is the one because getting married is a very big decision especially when you are planning to spend your rest of life together. 

Not all marriages end in divorce. People tend to see the bad side of marriage. What if they get married and then get a divorce? What then? Well marriage takes to people to commit. Try not to make a big deal out of a small misunderstanding and always try to work it out with your spouse so that your marriage will be saved. I mean sometimes people tend to see what that person did wrong not what they did wrong. They are too stubborn to admit their fault that they blame it all on their spouse and that is when trouble or misunderstandings happen. That is when married couples have trouble to compromise and therefore end up divorcing or living separately from each other.

Marriage will change your life forever. Some people do not believe in marriage because they say that marriage is the worst thing that could ever happen to a person. They say that because for them, being bound to only one person is not their cup of tea. They would rather like to party all day and all night and go out with different women or men. They like to use the term “tied down”. So these anti- marriage people find that tying the knot or by being married they would be tied down which means they would not have any more freedom to roam or live the way they used to during their single life. That is usually the main reason why they do not want to get married. 

However, there are some who do want to settle down and build a family of their own. Knowing that their loved ones will be at home when they get back from work is one of their main reasons to be married. They might even feel lonely and fed up of being or staying alone that they decide that it is time to find the perfect wife or husband and get married but there are some men and women who do not want to have children once they are married because they are scared of getting stretch marks or they say that children are a nuisance to them. Some say that they do not want to have children because if they do then their privacy will be gone. Their children will always be around and their children will always have to come first especially when they are just toddlers.

I do not think that it is wrong neither do I think that it is right but being married has always been a dream of mine. To be able to spend the rest of my life with someone who understands me, who is patient with me and who loves me for who I am and treats me with respect the way I would treat him. 

Some marriages last a life time and some do not. However, we should not be afraid to get married although it is a huge step because going out with a person and living with him/ her is absolutely different. You will know their habits and see who they really are and you would have to get used to their bad habits and you will no longer have any personal space because what is your is his and what is his is yours. However, you will be able to spend the rest of your life with the one you love. Waking up every single day to the sound of his/ her voice and coming back home from work to the open arms of the one you love is the best thing that could ever happen to anyone.

Maybe I’m just a romantic but this is what marriage is all about. Trust, compromise, love and respect are essential in a marriage.

BY: SHARYL ANDREA STEPHEN

Save a life. Adopt a pet.

Pets are house animals that you would nurture, love and protect. It sounds a bit like having a child but pets are something like a child. After you trained, play with them and love them, they would do the same to you. They would protect you from any harm, they would come to you when your sad, they would lick you if you were hurt, and sometimes they even know how to cheer you up.

Most people would like to have dogs and cats as their pets but pets can be almost any type of animal for example, parrots, tortoise, birds, rabbits, chickens, fishes and even hamsters. Those are most of the usual ones. The unusual are snakes, spiders, frogs, iguanas, monkey and so on. According to some people, since they could not have a child they would have a pet or they want to know what it is like to have a child so they start of with a pet first.

A child and a puppy...both similar but different

Who says cats and dogs can't live together?

There are even clothes for dogs

All cuddled up

An exotic pet. A sloth.

The snake loves me!!

These pets have owners who love and care about them. They are taken care of and treated as part of the family but what happens to the other pets? What happens to the pets that are abandoned or abused or stuck in a dog pound waiting for a new nice owner to arrive and save them. Pets who are longing for love are care and attention. What happens to them? Don't they deserve a second chance at life? Don't deserve to be saved? This video would help you understand what I am talking about.

 

So go now! Save a life and adopt a pet!

Live happy and healthy

There are so many people who are overweight and obese. Some even die of obesity. So what do we do? Do we continue ignoring this fact or are we going to do something about it? Most people have realised about this and so they have taken precautions by exercising or dieting or even both. Most celebrities also try to keep their body fit by exercising. These are some of the exercises you could do.

1) You could exercise on your own or with your partner by going for:

A walk with your partner to get some sunshine, enjoy the view and exercise.

No wonder Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes look awesome! Run Forest! Run!

2) You could also make this a daily family fun activity.

Jenny Arnold having a fun ride with her son

3) If your partner does not have the time to do this with you, you should try exercising at home by following exercise cds that has aerobics, dancing, weights, yoga, step exercise and pilates.

These weights would turn my fat into muscles.

An exercise machine that would take me places

Crunches would give me flat abs!

Hula hooping is fun and also it shapes the waist.

4) You could join a gym. Some say that they feel bored doing exercise alone at home so they go to the gym to join with the others.

Doing aerobics in a group is much fun

This is good for cardio.

Those are just the simple ways to have fun and exercise at the same time. At first you might find it tough but once you get the hang of it you would feel a change in your body and you will start to feel more active and healthy. So stay healthy by exercising!!