Global Warming: Why It’s Happening

(Winner of High School Group, Teen Essay Contest 2009)
by Anne Fong

Global warming, what do those two words mean? If you ask, some people might say that global warming is the warming of the globe, just a temperature rise is all. Other people may say that global warming is more then just the warming of the globe. To them, global warming means more global disaster (storms, diseases, drought, fire, etc), more suffering in third world countries, and more greenhouse gases. Global warming is all that and more. It means overcoming more hurtles and obstacles.
To break down what has been happening we must first ask ourselves: how did the earth transform from a clean, green planet to a dirty, polluted planet? One of the answer lies within technology. With technology, we have cars, electronics, and home appliances. Technology has improved human life immensely. Technology has also harmed our planet immensely. All of these technology release a gas called carbon dioxide (CO2). The CO2 rises into the atmosphere and traps the heat coming from the sun. The heat warms the planet. This effect is called the greenhouse effect(1). It’s called “greenhouse effect” because a greenhouse is a building that keeps plants warm.
The greenhouse effect is all around us. And it's most likely going to worsen. CO2 emissions have risen so much that by 2050, scientists believe there will be billions of tons of it in the atmosphere(2). CO2 is the largest contributor to the greenhouse effect. The greenhouse effect is affecting the polar ice caps. The North Pole has been retreating since January of 2005(3) and is still retreating. With all this ice melting, the sea level rises. Wind currents that rely on the ocean to blow change patterns. A change in wind means climate change. Climate change brings more storms, more hurricanes, and more El Niño’s. Climate change also brings heat waves that can kill people. Hot temperatures also bring disease-bearing bugs and insects such as mosquitoes.[4] These are some of the effects of global warming.
How should global warming be prevented? We currently have a few methods to slow global warming. There is solar power, wind power, and hybrid cars. Other solutions include using less water, recycling more, driving less, and buying fewer appliances that release CO2. These solutions are good. In order to implement these solutions, we must begin with educating the public. People need to be aware of global warming, understand we are the cause of it, and be part of the solution.
Some suggested solutions include population control(5), consumption taxes(5) (taxes on luxuries), and conservation of natural resources. These maybe be effective, but there will always be an opposition or someone who will refuse to change. No matter what kind of solutions we create, there will always be a downside that will lead to more problems.
In third world countries, population continues to increase. With more people, there are less living space and higher consumption of resources, resulting in a greater release of CO2. Controlling the population in third world countries means involved educating of men and women not to have many children. In these countries, the purpose for females is to have children. Women in third world countries are not fortunate like the women in America. The women have no say on the number of children they have. They are being controlled by men. The problem with population control is that it will cost a lot of money and also take time to educate the men and women of these countries.(6)
Consumption taxes are taxes that are imposed on appliances that release the harmful CO2 gas. If taxes are raised higher, then people who cannot afford the luxury will not buy it. Taxes that keep climbing higher will discourage the poor and possibly the middle class from buying the appliances. The problem is that the rich who can afford it, will continue to live their usual, extravagant lifestyle.[5]
Conservation of natural resources means we must learn to consume less. For example, in order to conserve water at home, take shorter showers, don’t let the water run while brushing teeth or washing dishes, install low-flow toilets and showerheads, and use energy-efficient washing machines.7 And better yet, sun-dry the clothes instead of using a dryer. The only difficulty with this solution is that people are not ready to give up their long, hot shower custom. Not everyone can afford a low-flow toilet/showerhead, or an energy-efficient washing machine.
By identifying the cause of global warming, we have begun addressing the issue. By coming up with solutions and aware of the obstacles that we will face, with hard work, cooperation, determination, preservation, and dedication of humankind, we can slow down the global warming. Who knows, maybe we will reverse global warming.

Works Cited:
1.“Global Warming: The Signs and the Science”-DVD
2. “Six Degrees Could Change the World”-DVD
3. Nicklen, Paul. “Life at the Edge” National Geographic June 2007
Appenzeller, Tim. “The Big Thaw” National Geographic June 2007
4. Lin, Tiffany. “The Secret Drought” San Francisco Chronicle 16, April 2009
5. Ehrlich, Paul; Ehrlich, Anne. One with Nineveh: Politics, Consumption, and Human Future. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2004
6. Leung, Rebecca. “Sudan: Rwanda in Slow Motion” 60 Minutes. 20 October 2004; with correspondent Scott Pelley
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/10/20/60II/main650457.shtml?source=search_story
7. “Sustainability Made Simple: Everyday Choices You Can Make to Protect the Planet’s Future” California Academy of Sciences 2009

Hope for Earth

(Winner of High School Group, Teen Essay Contest 2009)
by Leanne Wu

People need to focus on Earth's deterioration. The world we now live in will not exist in the future if we continue to neglect the crisis of global warming. With overpopulation and overconsumption, our planet is being stripped of its natural resources. Factories and modern technologies, such as gas fueled automobiles, emit carbon dioxide, causing consequential damage to the atmosphere and our environment. In director Ron Bowman's National Geographic documentary, “Six * Degrees Could Change the World”, Earth's many urgent problems are displayed and explained. Earth is warming from depletion of the ozone, causing major glaciers to melt and sea levels to rise. The world's major cities will flood in a matter of a few decades. The rising temperatures also cause droughts. Just a 1 degree Celsius rise will turn the most fertile ranch land to desert, which affects food supply that is now in more demand than ever before. A 6*C cooling has caused the Ice Age. Imagine what a few degrees of warming will do. The future of every person on the planet is in danger, but the poor are the most vulnerable. As more people demand new technologies and products, the prosperous, large companies become richer as the poor become poorer. Big industrial nations are the major polluters of the world. The poorer countries will have to suffer the damage they did not cause.
The National Geographic documentary, “Six * Degrees Could Change the World”, reveals some of the underlying causes of the global issue. Global warming is caused by greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide emissions. Transportation is responsible for one third of the CO2 emissions. Heating homes, deforestation, agriculture, making cement and industry emits another third. Though electricity itself is not a carbon emitter, the power required to generate the electricity is responsible for the last third of CO2 emissions. The carbon dioxide is trapped in the atmosphere, absorbing solar radiation, heating the planet. This is the greenhouse effect. In director Michael Taylor's Global Warming : The Signs and the Science, the dangers of Earth's increased temperatures are explained. Increased temperatures melt large ice bodies. When masses of ice gets into the oceans, the natural patterns of the waters will change, causing more frequent and intense natural disasters. Melting ice also raises sea levels, putting coastlines and even some countries at potential risk of being flooded. Higher temperatures also cause droughts, destroying people's food and water supplies. Warmer temperatures bring about more, and larger insects that can transmit diseases. These diseases put animals and plants at risk of extinction. A problem of overpopulation adds to the issue because more people means higher demand for more of everything. Overpopulation also contributes to overconsumption. In One with Nineveh : Politics, Consumption, and the Human Future, Paul R. Ehrlich, Bing Professor of Population Studies in the department of Biological Sciences at Stanford University, quotes the modern scientific community, “...growing numbers of people, together with rising levels of consumption, especially among the world's rich, are threatening to the natural underpinnings of human life.” (7) Earth's limited resources cannot fulfill constantly increasing demands. In modern times, demand for extravagant, mostly unnecessary and even environmentally damaging luxuries, are skyrocketing. Large amounts of money are spent on these luxuries and not even attention is payed to the crisis of global warming. The government is also barely doing anything helpful to the cause, especially with corporation-hired lobbyists who can manipulate the government into enforcing their preferences and whatever they need to make more profits for the companies and themselves.
Many suggest little things such as switching to hybrid cars, using fluorescent light bulbs, and recycling reusable materials. In the CosmoGirl article, “American Waste Land”, Jessica Strul says, “What if you were to recycle all of your cans? See? You do have the power to improve the world.” The truth is that doing these small things simply isn't enough to make the impact. Not everybody is going to want to make the initial investment on a hybrid car. Hybrid cars use up electricity as well. Recycling materials also take up energy to fix and transfer those materials around, which doesn't do as much in reducing carbon emission as people think. It will take too much for individuals alone to save our planet with these little things. People must unite to make a difference, especially with the government's support . But it will be nearly impossible for the government to focus more on solving the environmental crisis with corporations constantly bribing it with money, turning them the other way. Corporations will influence government policy to benefit themselves with raised profits, whether it be through advertisements or taking in taxes, and they will leave the rest of the population to experience unfortunate financial complications. Stabilizing the population has been suggested, but there is the problem with religion. Some religions prohibit birth control. Many also believe that this means genocide.
As individuals, we must learn to rid our undeniable greed. The desire for lavish amenities is costing us our planet. Many of the 'finer things in life' are simply unnecessary objects that people desire in order to seek a little attention and make some impression of themselves. People do not need luxury, gas guzzling cars that cost more than some homes. Capitalistic minds are keeping the poor poorer and making the rich richer. To survive as a whole, society must take care of those who are incapable of caring for themselves. With enough attention to raise awareness from the public with the aid of the media, people will realize their unfortunate realities.
Education is key, which emphasizes the idea of more equal and abundant funding toward education systems. Many people must first obtain information of our global crisis in order to take further steps to help improve current conditions, and the ones who do know of global warming and deny the issue are simply consumed by self interest.
The government is no exception to having selfish motives. Money and power is its objective, as it is for the rest of the human population. In One with Nineveh: Politics, Consumption, and the Human Future, Paul R. Ehrlich states, “...the spread of Western economic values has helped to produce a dog-eat-dog world in which immediate financial gains too often govern people's relation with the environment and with one another...” (279) So the government, as well as everybody else, must consider the interest of the population as a whole before individual desires. People must learn to resist and ignore propaganda, for wealth and possessions are not reliable solutions to every aspect of their lives. Laws must be enforced to prevent people from carelessly abusing Earth's resources. In One with Nineveh: Politics, Consumption, and the Human Future, Paul R. Ehrlich states that consumption taxes on items and travel that create CO2 emissions must be imposed. Despite expected disapproval of raised water and gas prices, these must also be enforced in order to prevent wasting and further stressing the environment. Oil companies, car companies, and other environmentally negligent corporations mustn't be further encouraged by high profits.
Suggestions such as recycling are simple things that people can easily do to feel as if they are actually contributing to the solution of global warming. These 'easy-fix' solutions are so popular because people do not want to admit to their realities. Humans are innately selfish and competitive. It is vital to individual survival. But when one's greed causes another's anguish and extreme misfortunes, humans take a step back from evolving into better beings, which is what we strive for everyday. We can actually understand the underpinnings of Earth's many crises and perhaps find its solutions if we recognize, admit, and eliminate our own greed.
We humans cannot easily tell others to rid their selfishness, when we ourselves are flawed with our own greed. Human nature cannot be denied, but we ourselves constantly deny our own inevitable imperfections. Our current economy has taken some time to build, and people will not be willing to easily give up their desire for wealth. Most people are also too comfortably accustomed to their current lifestyles and it will definitely be a hardship to convert their thinking into a less capitalistic state. We must all recognize and eliminate our own, individual selfishness. We, whether rich or poor, can do this by supporting each other as much as we do for ourselves. Communities can host gatherings and all residents can contribute ideas that can benefit each other as a whole. As a big, connected group, people will acquire a better understanding of themselves as well as others through those around them, and when this happens, our greedy self interests diminish.
There may be no guaranteed solution to our crisis, but the future of the planet we humans have put in much effort to 'build' and have adjusted to as our homes is worth the attempt. In One with Nineveh: Politics, Consumption, and the Human Future, Paul R. Ehrlich states, “Dealing with population, consumption, and power will not be easy. But each day we do nothing forecloses options for creating a better future...” (15) Our every action determines our futures and the lives of future generations, so why not give Earth the proper treatment required to sustain life? We must care for our fragile, delicate home, from first conceiving the idea of global warming, to taking action to make big scale changes.

WORKS CITED:
*Bowman, Ron, dir. “Six * Degrees Could Change the World”. National Geographic, 2008
*Taylor, Michael, dir. “Global Warming : The Signs and the Science”. South Carolina Educational Television, 2005.
*Paul Ehrlich and Anne Ehrlich. One With Nineveh : Politics, Consumption, and the Human Future. Washington, DC: Island Press, 2004.
*Strul, Jessica. “American Waste Land,” COSMOGIRL, December/January 2009.

Why Live Green?

(Winner of High School Group, Teen Essay Contest 2009)
by Daniel Xu

Countless centuries ago, the Earth was created. She became a planet capable of sustaining life on a large scale. She was the source of life for humans that inhabited on the planet. She provided them with food, water, and air, basically everything they needed to live and thrive on it. We humans owe her a great debt for all the things she has given us. Unfortunately, we have not paid and may never be able to pay our debt back fully. Worse yet, some of us do not realize this. It would be unthinkable if we did not repay what we owe her. And the best way to return her favor is to live green. We should start immediately living green, because doing so is good for the environment, money, and us humans.
What does “living green” mean? It is something that many of us struggle to answer and define. Most of us often associate the concept and practice of “living green” with something big, for example, treaties signed by countries to take actions against global warming. Also, most people think living green may require them to make significant and even life-changing sacrifices. Perhaps this is why many of us hesitate to act on the idea of living green. But as a matter of fact, living green can be any action or activity that results in a positive impact on the environment. Thus, living green can be done virtually by anybody, anywhere, and at any time. It is just that simple. The beneficial, “green” action does not have to be a big one. And we have no excuse of being reluctant to live green and thus pay back our due to the mighty Earth.
One advantage of living green is that it saves money. For example, carpooling can save some money. Carpooling is when a driver takes one or more passengers on a commute or short trip. My dad carpools to work and does see the benefits. Every workday morning, he goes to a place where carpool drivers wait for passengers with the same destination, San Francisco in my dad’s case. He notes that it is faster to take carpool than take bus or BART. Moreover, the entire ride does not cost him anything. It is also good for the environment, as there are fewer cars on the road than if drivers drive alone, hence causing less pollution. In addition to carpooling, resource conservation is another easy way to save additional money. One reason that some property owners pay too high water bills is that they excessively or inefficiently water their plants. Often, the plants are watered too much or the water is wasted by accidentally flowing to the pavement or the walls of a typical owner’s house. However, if the owners start to give the plants just enough water and are efficient in doing so, they will see the cost of their water bills to drop. Similarly, conscious usage of electricity will eventually pay dividends in the form of lower energy bills, as electricity is often wasted or excessively used. For example, simply turning off lights and non-essential appliances reduces electricity usage, therefore lowering the cost of utility bills, which obviously means less money to pay and more money to save. Another way of slashing utility bills is to replace old, inefficient appliances with energy-efficient ones. In addition, there is an advantage of owning solar panels. Homeowners who have installed them can make surplus electricity on sunny and clear days. They can expect to have a near zero energy bill and also sell surplus electricity back to the local energy company. The investment would pay for itself in a couple of years and a lot of money can be saved in the long term. Clearly, by using the minimum amount of all kinds of resource, savings will add up, and we humans benefit from that by having more disposable income.
Living green will also benefit the environment. Again, a good example is carpooling. It uses less gasoline because fewer cars are being driven, and in turn, less smog from cars is created. Because there is less smog being released, less pollutant contaminates the atmosphere of the Earth, leading to a less tainted environment. Also, the natural resource of petroleum, which is in limited supply, is saved because carpooling uses less gasoline. Another “green” possibility is to take public transportation rather than driving. It has a positive environmental impact, as transportation vehicles do not pollute at all or pollute very little compared to ordinary cars. These vehicles also tend to use no or little natural resources for their fuel, thus saving preciously non-renewable resources. Recycling is another simple green action that many households can take. For instance, instead of filling up limited landfill space with wasted paper, we can simply recycle it. All it takes is to put used paper into recycling bins instead of trashcans. The used paper can then be processed to make new paper and other paper products, saving extra trees from being cut down to make more paper. As fewer trees are being cut down, less pollution is created -- Cutting and transporting tree trunks require fuel. This contributes to a cleaner world. Also, having more trees on the planet contributes to a cleaner atmosphere, as they absorb carbon dioxide which is responsible for global warming. Metal and glass can also be recycled. When these items are being recycled, there is less need to mine their sources to satisfy demand. In short, recycling can conserve preciously non-renewable resources on the Earth from being depleted too quickly, save energy and money used to harvest such resources, and keep the environment cleaner.
Lastly, living green is good for human health. As mentioned above, my dad regularly takes carpool to work, and it has, in addition to the environment, benefited his health. In order to get to the carpool waiting area, he has to take a half-mile walk there. He finds that walking is good for his health. And for most public transportation users, they have to walk to the waiting stations. Walking regularly can improve their health. As I pointed out already, these types of public transportation produce less smog, keeping the air cleaner and benefiting human health. We breathe in fewer pollutants, thus reducing the number of harmful particles in our bodies and possibly extending our life spans. Also, changing the way we do our errands can have a positive impact on our physical well-being. Most people tend to drive cars to all of the locations on their to-do list. But such practice is wasteful and not friendly to the environment, in particular when the locations are within a walking distance. Gasoline is wasted in traversing short distances and unnecessary pollution is produced. If more people change the practice of driving to everywhere and instead walk whenever possible, all the human being on the Earth gets the benefit -- The Earth gets less polluted and humans get healthier because of a cleaner environment. True, some green actions entail some form of light to moderate physical activity, but we humans benefit from these actions.
Ultimately, living green saves money, conserves natural resources, protects the environment, and improves the health of humans. Being mindful and careful of our consumption of resources saves us from paying for wasted resources. Additionally, this helps conserve the limited natural resources on the Earth and saves them for use by future generations. Taking either public transportation or carpooling has a greener footprint than commuting work alone by car. Also, green actions are less harmful to the Earth, thus less harmful to our health. Moreover, taking certain green actions can improve physical fitness and health. To an individual, it may seem that green actions are just extremely tiny steps towards a cleaner future, but they become giant steps if more and more people recognize the need and importance to live green. Understanding the need and importance to live green can help us begin to appreciate all the things that the Earth has done and can do for the human being on the one hand, and realize the urgency to offer her our care and protection through green actions on the other hand. Hopefully, with this understanding, we will now start living green and fulfill our obligations to our beloved Earth.

Teen'Zine Gaming in Summer '09

( For tweens & teens, ages 8-18)


Let's play Wii games: Super Smash Brothers, Wii Sports, etc. Bring your own game and play with others.
In June, & July
Fridays, 6/26, 7/10, 7/24, & 7/31
Afternoon: 4-5:20 pm
Chinatown Library Community Meeting Room
For more information, contact Jewel Chen (415) 355-2888 or jewelchen@sfpl.org
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
歡迎參加Teen'Zine暑假電玩遊戲日

限八歲至十八歲參加
星期五: 6/26, 7/10, 7/17, 7/24, 7/31
下午4點至5點20分
地點在華埠圖書館一樓會議室
提供免費Wii遊戲, 帶你的遊戲來與別人共同玩

Teen'Zine Gaming Days

Saturday, December 6th, 2008, 1:30 - 3:30 pm &
Saturday, January 10th, 2009, 1:30 - 3:30 pm
at Chinatown Community Room

Come to celebrate Christmas & New Year by playing Wii, Playstation, X-box and more.
It's a part of Teen'Zine program, free to teens ages 12-18.
Light refreshments will be served in the community room.

For more information, contact Jewel at Chinatown Library (415)355-2888 or jewelchen@sfpl.org

歡迎參加Teen'Zine電玩遊戲活動日

星期六, 十二月六日 (2008) 下午1:30 - 3:30 pm 及
星期六, 一月十日 (2009) 下午1:30 - 3:30 pm
地點在華埠圖書館一樓會議室
提供免費遊戲: Wii, Playstation, X-box 及其他
並備有免費餐點, 供參加者享用
查詢請洽華埠圖書館館員Jewel (415) 355-2888 or jewelchen@sfpl.org

Lunar July Ghost Month and Zhong Yuan Pu Du

adapted from Ghost Festival-Origin

According to folklore, the gates of hell are opened at midnight on lunar July 1st, allowing all the suffering spirits to return and see their living descendants, and enjoy grand feasts. The vacation ends on July 30th, when all the ghosts must return to the underworld. Therefore, lunar July is called the Ghost Month.
Most folk activities in lunar July are related to wandering spirits, who are called good brothers. From July 1st to July 30th , the Pu Du activities, designed to placate wandering ghosts, are seen everywhere, and are the culmination of religious ritual for the entire year. In Chinese, Pu Du means universal deliverance.
Zhong Yuan Pu Du originated from the ancient ritual of offering sacrifices to malicious ghosts. In order to keep from being bothered by those who died of unnatural death, people would burn paper money and spread starch liquid to bribe and placate the fierce spirits. Fear of ghosts has resulted in a variety of rituals designed to ward off evil.
The term Zhong Yuan originated from Taoism. To Taoists Zhong Yuan, or the 15th day of lunar July, marked the birthday of Di Guan - Di meaning land, Guan, official - the god believed to be in charge of land. On this day, sacrifices are offered to Di Guan to thank him for his protection of crops. Di Guan has been referred to as Xung, a legendary virtuous ruler around the year 2200 BC.
The concept of Zhong Yuan Pu Du developed from a popular Buddhist story concerning Mu Lian who was the eldest monk disciple of Buddha.
After learning of the sufferings of his mother in hell, from the spirit of his deceased father, Mu Lian visited his mother and tried to alleviate her pain, with rice and water. But the rice and water turned to fire soon after reaching the mouth of his mother. Mu Lian then turned to Buddha for help, and was told that his mother's sins were so great that it would take the combined power of thousands of monks to save her. Acting on Buddha's advice, Mu Lian held a massive ritual on the 15th day of lunar July, chanting liturgies and providing abundant sacrificial offerings to save his mother's suffering soul from hell. Now, large-scale rituals are held on this day for the deliverance of all suffering souls.

鬼月及中元普渡

摘自Ghost Festival - Origin

在民間的流傳中，每年陰曆七月初一凌晨，地府開鬼門，讓所有在陰間受苦受難的鬼魂，能夠趕回陽間去探望生前的老家和後世子孫，並且享宴一番。到了七月三十，假期結束，這些鬼魂又得重返陰間。因此農曆七月就被稱為鬼月。七月的民間行事中，大部分都跟被稱為「好兄弟」的孤魂野鬼有關，所以，從七月初到七月底各地的普渡活動不勝枚舉，這也是我們一年的祭祀活動中的高潮。
「中元普渡」的起源，根據記載就是古代的「厲祭」，「厲」指惡鬼。人們怕橫死凶亡的「強魂厲魄」來作祟，因此就燒些紙錢，灑些江水來賄賂他們，叫他們不要干擾人們。也由於這種怕鬼的心理，才有了這些各式各樣的祭祀祈求消災。
「中元」的名稱來自道教，而中元指的就是道教信仰的最高神祇「三官大帝」中的地官，因此七月十五這天，民間都會祭祀地官大帝，而地官大帝相傳也就是古代賢君大舜，所以民間就以祭祀地官大帝，感謝大地的福佑，作物得以生生不息。
「中元普渡」的觀念是來自佛教的「盂蘭盆會」。相傳佛陀的大弟子目犍連，也就是民間傳說中的目連，到了地獄，看見母親置身在餓鬼道中受苦，趕緊用缽子盛飯給母親解餓充飢，但是沒有想到飯一到母親口中，立刻變成火炭，不得下嚥，目連悲痛不已。
於是就以百味五果供養佛僧，廣結十方僧侶，舉行「盂蘭法會」，誦經施食，把母親的靈魂從地獄中救出，福報無量。宗教的慈悲精神，借著超渡的活動，來表達人世間的善意。

A Traveler's Journey

(Winner of the High School Group, Teen Essay Contest 2008)

“Blink Twice, Look Once”
by Melissa Tsang

Living in a world filled with terror and fear. We all want to break loose and cast out the world once and for all. The scorching summer is to burn in rage and havoc.



As I lay down in the open grassy plains, I look up to see the clouds above. Then, I close my eyes one last time, before I drift away. Until Armageddon, the sun will never rise in my world every again. Not ever, again.

A little while passed until I awoke to the sound of chimes in the distance. It rang in my ear like no other sound I have ever heard before. Still partially sleeping, I rose and brushed off my pants. But there was no grass on it like I expected. I looked at the floor and was astonished to see that I was really sitting in the middle of what looked like an open ocean not far from ashore. But how? I stood there pondering on the spot because I did not know what would happen if I walked across the completely still transparent water. I could see the bottom of the ocean. I didn’t know that to do. Three more chimes sounded and I desperately searched for where they came from. I couldn’t quite locate the sound, but I then saw something shiny. The shiny object reflected on my eyes and I cautiously took one step towards the shore. That was a big mistake. A gaping whirlpool opened up under me and I felt like I was being pulled into the depths of the unmerciful waters. I figured that one step off my spot would trigger this and shatter the shatter the enchantment the water was under. My last memory before I was completely sucked in was that I could not trust anyone, or anything.



Am I conscious? Well, I don’t really recall how I got to wherever I am now. Did I drown in the abyss? I am here, alive? My surroundings felt different this time. I felt calm and relaxed sitting on a soft surface. I opened my eyes and saw that I spit out onto what appears to be a giant mushroom. I see the sun high overhead. I can infer that it is around noon. A monstrous caterpillar peered out of the leaves above. It towered over me menacingly. The caterpillar wasn’t gigantic, it’s just that I was small. I quickly hopped off the mushroom and dashed for a nearby swamp. I wasn’t quick enough. The next thing I knew, I was swallowed up, but not chewed, by the caterpillar I thought would give me a break. Everything was pitch black and I did not want to keep reliving this cycle over and over.

My eyes automatically flung open and my sense of awareness grew sharper because of the constant environment shifts. Under the large fronds of a palm tree which provided me shade, I laid on the soft silky sands of time. It felt somewhat familiar to my touch. A coconut dropped and barely missed me. I looked up and atop the tree stood a half-monkey, half-bird like creature. It spotted me and jumped on my head, digging its talons into my scalp. I tried to swing it off, but it didn’t work. It suddenly hopped off and dashed into the forest of palm trees ahead. I thought it was nothing to worry about so I kicked back and absorbed the sun’s rays and the tropic air. I couldn’t care less where I was or how I got here. I just wanted to relax and be left alone. As I was about to close my eyes and doze off, I looked into the waves in the distance. It seemed like they were rushing faster and faster to touch the shores. The currents blew harder and I was almost blown away. The powerful crashes against the cliff increased. The tide was coming in, a lot more than I expected. I turn around to see a 60 feet wave heading towards the shore about to smother me. Tsunami! I ducked behind the palm tree and crossed my fingers and hoped for the best. I said my prayers one last time before I was swept away again. The roaring waters engulfed and I gave in to Poseidon.

An instant impulse caused me to awake once more. This time it was different. I had landed atop a tall skyscraper in a more modern era, but not even close to my time. It was nighttime and I was trying to stay steady. I balanced on the tip and held on tight. The gusts of wind sent dust in my eyes and I could not hold on much longer. From where I was standing, I could tell it would be a far jump up here down to the busy city streets below. The lights illuminated the darkness of the night. The weather shifted, I could tell. Suddenly, I slipped and before I know it, I had scaled down 80 floors of darkness. I shut my eyes, trying not to look, but I didn’t need to see to know my fate was sealed.

The vast field of colorful flowers spread over the terrain. And I could make out gophers hard at work and butterflies fluttering the air. Bees were busy pollinating and making honey. I was safe and unscarred from the fall. How did that happen? Leaping up on my feet, I slowly danced through the beautiful petals, but watching carefully to make sure I don’t fall into a hole or anything. It felt like no one was here on this side of the world with me. After dancing, I was exhausted, so I flopped on the ground care freely. Staring into the clouds above once more, I saw the wisps of white cotton candy that I long to devour. I reached up and try to grab it by the handful, but that didn’t work. My eyes dropped and I heard a hymning melody of a bird I don’t recognized nearby. As I was lulled, I couldn’t resist but to dose off.

Floating amidst the clouds, I was actually just walking on thin air. Disbelievingly, I pounced on a cloud and it was stable enough to hold my weight, yet it looked so light and airy. The tickly sensation overcame me and I felt like I could do anything. The clouds formed a pattern that seemed like they were stairways. I was curious, so I walked up on each cloud that spirals up into more clouds. I hope the Giant isn’t up there. Well, this isn’t a beanstalk anyways. There was a key hovering straight ahead and I grasped it with two hands to ensure that it won’t slip away from me. The key glowed in my hands and I held on tight and kept following the increasingly narrow clouds up to the beyond.

As I climbed higher and higher, I approached two silver gates. I wonder where they lead to. To the left of the gates, there was a keyhole. And where there’s a keyhole, there’s a key to go with it. The key I was carrying matched the keyhole, so I slowly slipped it in and turned it. The lock clicks, and the gates open. I am free, to another realm where I can escape to. This is my home. There is no danger. There is nothing to hide from or be afraid of. This is my subconscious. This is the world we recoil to when there is nowhere else to go.

A Traveler's Journey

(Winner of the Middle School Group, Teen Essay Contest 2008)

by Anna Skovajsa

Imagine, being able to travel to many places on a hot summer’s day or cold winter’s day. Instead of just being at home playing video games, or watching television, imagine yourself traveling to far away, exotic places that can be both pleasant and horrific for you. A traveler has to both give up their time to go travel to these places, and may carry so little things with them, or lots of things. Travelers are very lucky to go traveling and meet new friends, or even just to taste delicious foods they never had before. They can have it very tough, although it may be very exciting.

I have traveled to Japan, the country where my mother is from, and it is very beautiful there. They have good food, cool monuments, and even wonderful places to shop all you want! Traveling is very exciting, and very fun but is very tiring since in order to go to Japan, it takes about ten hours to get there. After a while, you get used to the long flight, but the first time I went there, I could not stand it and wanted to get off the plane. Excluding the plane flight, when you get there, you land at: Tokyo, Osaka, etc, you can go shopping after a long plane flight, and get something yummy to snack on as well.

Japan has a lot of history behind it, and has monuments that are over 100 years old! Like other Asian countries, Japan contains primarily a Buddhist religion, and a little bit of Christianity. Japan also has temples, that have Buddha in them, and there is this one temple in Kyoto that is famous for touching Buddha’s belly to grant you a wish if you are being good. Green tea, a famous tea in Japan, is very healthy for you, and originally comes from Shizuoka. Kyoto is famous for a lot of good green tea, and as well as sweets that go well with the tea. Not only does the tea in Japan sparkle, but the entertainment is so towering, it can blow you away starting from Rakugo, a Japanese comedy. Kabuki is a theatre performance, and people participating in this event, wears heavy white makeup with red makeup all over their faces. The costumes of kabuki are very elaborate and sometimes can show emotions like anger, sadness, or happiness.

Now, to the shopping or mall experience, you need to have myriad amounts of money on you, or you will miss out on things. Everything in Japan is so cool, that you will want to buy it; you will spend your money on things that you may not even use, but think it’s so cool, so you buy it. For example, there is everything “smelly” there, like a smelly pen, a smelly eraser, markers, and pencils, high lighters, led for led pencils, staples, and things you can’t even imagine. The clothes there are funky, and groovy, and not so much like American outfits, but is very cool. Nail salons usually have long lines outside of them since a lot of the nail salons hold fake nails that every Japanese female would want since it is the “in” thing in Japan, currently, Anime, or manga stores sell many comic books, and is really popular in Japan; likes in America, manga and anime is very popular, that they sell out as fast as Japan does these days. The shopping is pretty tiring after a while, but it’s worth it because you can get many things that you have never seen before.

When you’re too tired to go shopping, and look at things on sale, why not just relax at the restaurants, or cafés? Again, the restaurants and café’s are excellent, but are pretty expensive. There are things like cola floats, melon floats, gigantic parfaits, cream puffs, gelatin that can refresh you on a hot summer day in Japan. Sushi is really good, but don’t just look at the sushi course, but you should try the “donburi” course. A donburi is basically a rice bowl with numerous amounts of toppings, likes eggs, chicken, fish, etc. There are many restaurants that do special things on your birthday, graduation, and many other events and even special things like eating near the window from the 13th floor, and enjoying the magnificent view. There are many famous restaurants that have “all you can eat buffets” that are kind of different than other country’s buffets because in Japan, there are lots of them that you can make your own ice cream, or sweets, or eat all for a very low price like $5! Make sure to stop by at the little booths at the cellar of Japanese malls since there are booths filled with food that have free samples for everything they sell. Don’t get too carried away, or the power of food will swoop you away into being full.

When you are pretty tired from all the hard shopping, and easing, or traveling alone, there is always wonderful hotels, and resorts to stay in. The spas in Japan can put you to an ease from a long day. The hotels are gorgeous, and room service can be enjoyable. Some hotels even have a special thing to them like having a raffle to people who stay in the hotel the longest, and many more.

When you know you loved Japan so much, and don’t want to leave, you know that you have to leave; you can store memories from there. Whichever season you plan to go there, each season is very wonderful. Traveling is really fun, and can be tiring, but it’s worth it, and instead of just staying home and not wanting to do anything but watch TV, traveling can be very educational at some point, and can put smiles to the faces of each family member. Talking about traveling makes me want to go somewhere even more! Sayonara, a Japanese word that means goodbye, I say to you, and hopefully you can enjoy the fantastic experience I enjoyed; all you need to do to travel is to get a suitcase, and some family members to enjoy it with or alone, along with a traveling ticket, and a great attitude!