Star of the Sea - SM Stella Maris Pudu 2020 Magazine

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Pongal Celebration

On the 15th of January 2020, our school held the annual Pongal celebration. The term 'Pongal' in Tamil
means "to boil", and this festival is celebrated as a thanksgiving ceremony for the year's har-
vest. Pongal also happens to be the name of a dish consumed during this festive time, which is sweetened
rice boiled with lentils.
After the morning assembly, the Form 1 students gathered at the school’s mini court as the teachers were
boiling milk in a clay pot. After boiling the milk, the teachers added the necessary ingredients into the pot
such as rice and sugar. Throughout the ceremony, the teachers explained the origins and significance of
the festival. Questions from the students about the festival were also answered by the teachers. The stu-
dents were invited to taste the Pongal, once it had been cooked.
Overall, it was an unforgettable experience as the students learnt a lot about the meaningful festival and
Tamil culture. This tradition should be continued as it teaches and exposes students to another culture.

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Chinese New Year Celebration

On the 6th of February, all students and teachers gathered at the auditorium to celebrate the annual Chinese
New Year festival. The auditorium was beautifully decorated with Chinese cherry blossoms and red
lanterns by the Backstage Crew, led by Mr. Eugene. The celebration began with a welcome address by the
emcees, followed by a short video presentation. The first highlight of the day were the student performanc-
es. Chloe Chan and friends began the show, followed by a class performance from 4S called the Cup Song.
Next were the dances: a modern dance from Form 2, a traditional fan dance from Form 1 and 5 and of
course, the evergreen lion dance performance by students of 5S. The lion dance performance was a hit with
the audience.
Madam Mystrical Rose was then invited to deliver her speech. She stressed the importance of love, under-
standing and respecting one another. One of the emcee then invited all Form 1 students to queue and
receive their angpow packets from the Principal. Even though some of them were shy, they were still
excited to receive the angpows. Not to be left out, the Form 2 and 3 students received angpows from their
respective class teachers later in the day. The celebration officially ended at 2.30 p.m. and everyone went

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Patriotic Month

This year’s Patriotic Month celebration was a relatively simple affair. Nevertheless, it was still a joyful
occasion that highlighted the Malaysian patriotic spirit. Classrooms were decorated with Malaysian flags,
while patriotic songs were played every day over the speakers just before the first lesson of the day.
"Malaysia Cares” was the chosen theme of this year's National Day and Malaysia Day, to show
appreciation towards the front-liners and their fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. There were slogan
writing, poster drawing and choir competitions held. For the choir competition, students were to sing in
class while maintaining social distancing.

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During the closing ceremony broadcasted through the
school PA system, Madam Mystrical Rose stressed the
importance and significance of the month and theme with
the students. She hoped that this would foster unity and
love for the country among students, and urged them to
continue following the SOP.

She then proceeded to award the prizes to the winners.
One notable winner was Adriena Tan Yan Zi from 5L who
won both the poster drawing and slogan competitions for
Form 5. When interviewed, she said she was pleasantly surprised at the announcement, as she was not
expecting to win anything. Therefore, it came as surprise to her when her name was announced for the
second time.

The full list of winners is listed below:

Poster Drawing Slogan Choir
Annabella 1K
1st 1st Cynthia 2L
Pua Jun Hao Hana Humaira
(1S) 3M
(5L) (1M)
2nd 2nd Gayathri Devi
Adriena Tan Han Yoang Xin (2S)
(5L) (3S)
Anna Maria
(3M)

3rd 3rd Elizabeth Liang 4S
Siddarth (5L) Leong Yung Wei (4S)

(3M)

Adriena Tan 5K
(5L)

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Form 1 Leadership Camp

The Annual Form 1 Leadership Camp was held on 13 February. It aims to help the new Form 1 students
familiarise themselves with the culture and life in SM Stella Maris. It also gives them a chance to practise
leadership skills while fostering friendship and understanding among the students, their seniors and the
teachers. The camp officially began at 3.15 p.m., as the students gathered at the auditorium for an opening
prayer led by Ms. Cherane. It was followed with a welcome speech by Mdm. Mystrical Rose and a quick
briefing on the house rules. The ice-breaking games were held after everyone had their refreshments. The
Form 1 students enjoyed the games and got to know one another better. Teamwork activities were then car-
ried out, such as The Human Knot and a guessing game that required the students to work as a team.
A treasure hunt was conducted after the students had showered and eaten. Each group was given a set of
questions about the school. The groups had to look around the school to answer the questions correctly. By
9 p.m., all students were instructed to gather at the auditorium for the annual Night Walk. The Night Walk
is a Stella Maris tradition, where prefects and teachers lead the students — who were blindfolded —
around the school. After the Night Walk, supper was served. At 11.00 p.m., everyone went to sleep. The
following day started with a morning exercise session at 6.30 a.m. in the auditorium. The students followed
along to Zumba and ran around St. Anthony’s Church. They were then given time to shower and have their
breakfast at the canteen. After having their breakfast, the students proceeded to the auditorium for a poster
making competition, themed “Care, Share, Love and Serve”.

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There were twenty groups with four to five students in each. After all the groups handed their posters for
judging, they went to the canteen for lunch. At 12.00 noon, the students took part in station games such as
Sims, Blind Drawing, Flour Pong, Straw and Rubber Bands. The students had lots of fun playing the
games. By 1.00 p.m., they went to pack their belongings and clean the classrooms where they had slept in.
Later at 2.30 p.m., hampers were presented to every group for participation. Group pictures were also taken
of teachers, prefects and students. The camp ended at 3.30 p.m.

Written by,
Cheong Ivy

4M
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House Promotions, Circuit and Athletics Training 2020

A series of events and trainings were planned for students, in preparation for the 24th Annual SM Stella
Maris Sports day that was to be held at the University Malaya Stadium. Form 1 students were assigned to
their respective sports houses named John, Matthew, Luke and Mark. Ms. Yugamalar and Mr. Eugene con-
ducted the programme. After their briefing, the first sports house meetings were held.
At the house meetings, members were told to elect a Captain and Vice Captain, who will then plan the ac-
tivities for the house.
The House Captains for 2020 are:

John : Oscar Ho Yu Hang
Mark : Sia Ee Shean
Luke : Isaac Kong
Matthew : Chong Wyxin

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House Promotions, Circuit and Athletics Training 2020

Members were taught their house cheers and claps, a
long-held tradition which is passed down from the
seniors to the juniors. On the 10th of February, the
sports houses led by their respective Captains and
Vice Captains did their House promotions at the au-
ditorium during the morning assembly. Each house
was given a chance to highlight their strengths and
strategies to become champions on Sports Day. On
the 4th and 21st of February, students were taken to
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council Stadium for sports
selection. This was the first time the school was able
to use the facilities in this stadium. The events held
on those days were the high jump, the long jump, track and field events. In the run-up to the Sports Day,
students participated in circuit training and march past around the school compound. Unfortunately, due to
the global pandemic and the Movement Control Order, all forms of sports activities had to be cancelled.
Therefore, the 2020 SM Stella Maris Annual Sports Day was indefinitely postponed.

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WORDS OF WISDOM

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MY PROUD MOMENT

In 2016, I represented my country, Malaysia in the World Robot Olympiad (WRO) competition.
Ever since I was in Standard One, I joined the Robotics club in my school. After two weeks, I was
chosen to participate in my first robotic competition, representing my school. It was a terrible experience. I
had fever on the competition day and was unable to do well in it. Due to our hard work, I was chosen to be
the only girl in the robotic school team. This is because girls do not like to play robotic as it is popular
with boys. I trained everyday after school. The training was from 3.50 p.m. until 8.00 p.m. My teammates
and I trained under pressure because we needed to focus on our studies and also do well in our competi-
tions. We went to many countries representing our school and also our country. But no one knew that we
were actually exhausted. I underwent stress from my teachers and friends because they had high hopes in
me. I did not want to let them down.

When I lost in a competition, I cried because I did not live up to their expectations. Of all the countries I
went to, Vietnam, Philippines, China and India, I had the most memorable memories in India. The road to
India was not easy for the three of us. We had to get into the top 10 ranking in the zone competition, top 3
in the state competition and also top 3 in the national competition in order to participate in WRO. Fortu-
nately, I won the 9 th place for zone level and 1st place for state level for two consecutive years and 3rd
place at national level. We were excited and shocked. We even cried when we heard our names announced
during the national level award ceremony. It was a tough fight against more than 100 teams in Malaysia.
We were sponsored by the Ministry of Education for the competition in India. We trained even harder
than before as the country had high hopes in us.

We went to the robotic base camp before the competition to touch up on our robots and programming. Fi-
nally, after a few months, we represented the country in the World Robot Olympiad competition. There
was even an interview by the government before that. On the 23 rd of November, we arrived in New Del-
hi, India at around 2 a.m. We had a test run on that day. We were exhausted as we had only slept for three
hours. The next day, we went to the test run venue to do the final touch up on our robots and program-
ming. We were stressed and excited when we saw more than 400 teams from 55 countries. We did the test
run until night and got some rest for the next day’s competition.

The day finally came. We woke up around 5 a.m. and prepared everything. We wore our Malaysian jacket
because it showed that we represent our country and it somehow gave us courage. When we reached the
competition venue, there were many reporters all around to interview the teams. After the interview, the
competition started. We were very nervous when building our robots. Our hands were trembling, and the
atmosphere was very tense. We were the first team to finish building our robots and we tested the robots
quickly. After a few rounds of the competition, we had an interval. I exchanged my Malaysian jacket with
a Canada participant’s jacket as a sign of friendship. Then, there were many continuous rounds of compe-
tition. Eventually, the competition ended. We were exhausted and immediately fell asleep after arriving at
our expensive hotel.

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The next day, the results of our competition were released. My team was placed among the top 20 of the
participating countries. We were extremely happy because our expectations were not that high. But at the
same time, we were also sad as we thought we could have done better. Fortunately, there were many Ma-
laysian teams that did well in the competition. Our coaches encouraged us to keep our chins up as we had
given our best. Our spirits lifted because we were going to visit the Taj Mahal the next day. After the
award ceremony, the Malaysian team leader took us out for dinner. The food was mouth-watering and
spicy. It was the fourth day in New Delhi. We went to the Taj Mahal, located in Agra. The journey to Taj
Mahal was very long. It took us five hours to reach one of the seven wonders of the world. We were sur-
prised that there were many people at the ticket counter. We had to wear protective covers for our shoes.
This is to protect the Taj Mahal from pollution. It was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, Mumtaz
Mahal. Taj Mahal was made out of white marble. We saw the tomb of Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal in
the mausoleum. It was a long and tiring journey to the Taj Mahal.
Unfortunately, I came down with high fever and slept for a long time on the flight. After six hours, I ar-
rived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Our parents and supporters welcomed us, and we had our
final interview with the reporters. It was a great experience and we, the Malaysian team thanked everyone
for supporting us throughout the competition. In a nutshell, I am blessed to have had such a great experi-
ence with such a great team and I hope to represent my country again in the future.

Written by,
Yap Zhi Xuan

4S

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Who and What I Dreamed of Becoming

As children, we are carefree and young, hardly having any responsibilities to stress or worry
about. Hence, we know we have lots of time to grow, allowing us to dream of who and what
we’d become when we’re older.

Unrealistically, we would dream of becoming prominent or famous characters, such as Peter Pan or
Hercules, because who wouldn’t want to fly and stay young forever or have indescribable strength and
immortality? As for the girls, we would most probably wish to become a princess or a mermaid. In all
honesty, I don’t think anyone would decline the offer of living a luxurious life in a castle filled with hun-
dreds of rooms nor would anyone decline the ability to talk to our favourite aquatic animals.

Unfortunately, we have to agree that these dreams are nothing but fiction and eventually, we let it go
and think about real occupations. Over the years, our dreams tend to change, from one job to another.

My first ambition was to become a paleontologist. What is a paleontologist you may ask? In simple
words, it is a person who studies the science and fossils of extinct creatures and past geological periods.
Growing up, I had an obsession and fascination towards dinosaurs. The first non-animation movie I ever
watched was the classic 1993 ‘Jurassic Park’. It’s no surprise that since then, I’ve constantly read and
learned about dinosaurs. As I grew, my knowledge on dinosaurs didn’t exactly come to use unless you’d
ask me what species of dinosaur was in the aisles of ‘Toys R Us’.

Not long after these twelve long years of increasing dinosaur knowledge, I started to gain a particular
interest in musical theatre. Among the stage musicals I enjoy include ‘Hamilton’, ‘Heathers’, ‘Dear Evan
Hansen’, ‘Les Miserables’ and much more. This fascination, sparked years ago when my parents bought
me tickets to watch ‘Shrek: The Musical’, though I haven’t truly embraced it until the mid of 2018. There-
fore, I wanted to be involved in musical theatre whether it was to write the music and lyrics, or to be the
head of lighting or live music as I play the piano. Though as expected, this ambition didn’t last long as mu-
sical theatre isn’t the hype and main interest here in Malaysia.

Lastly, my latest ambition is to be an author. Reading books have always been a big part of my life,
considering that my parents have always emphasized reading. As a child, I would be curled up with a good
book if I wasn’t watching the television or playing games on the computer. Ever since I read the Chaos
Walking trilogy by Patrick Ness in Form One, I felt intrigued with writing and realized how much I
enjoyed it. Besides painting, I would most likely be writing a short story or adding a chapter to a book. I
take inspiration from countless authors, including Patrick Ness, the well-known Stephen King, Roald Dahl,
Victor Hugo, Neil Gaiman and the prominent Hans Christian Andersen, well known for his fairy tales.

I hope I can achieve this ambition of mine someday. Till then, I won’t leave any stone unturned in
reaching the finish line. Overall, we should always be sure to have second choices of occupations, and to
be open to new ideas and possibilities.

Written By,
Ashley Danker

3M
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WHY STELLA MARIS IS SPECIAL TO ME

Sekolah Menengah Stella Maris (Pudu) Kuala Lumpur. It is the high school I have been going to
for the past five fantastic years. Stella Maris is a private school established in the 90’s. I got to
know about this school when my best friend in primary school told me he was planning to go to school
here. I then told my parents that I wanted to go to school here too for the sole reason of being with my
best friend. We both took the entrance exam and passed with flying colours.
A short while after that, my best friend told me that his mother has decided to place him in another
school. I was devastated because my plans were ruined. This was the only school I had applied to. I had
no choice but to go to school here alone. I was miserable and lonely. I lost all confidence to attend
school. Nevertheless, I am now in Form Five and I have managed to survive. Let me tell you the interest-
ing things that happened in the past five years.

My first impression of the school was that it was weird. I have never seen a green school before as
compared to other schools which are all painted in common colours like blue and brown. On my first
day, I was terrified because I was worried that I wouldn’t make any friends. All the newcomers were
briefed by the wonderful Dato’ A.R.Peter who was the principal at the time. I was assigned to 1L. I
quickly took a seat and hoped someone would “adopt” me. Eventually, someone did. That someone was
tall and big. I immediately turned stiff because he looked like a bully. Our friendship started with him
borrowing a pencil from me and we started talking. He is still my friend till today.

I wouldn’t say my first year here was the best. I was friends with my classmates but did not let any-
one get close to me. I was antisocial and did not take part in many school activities . Soon, I realized I
was wrong. Just because my best friend was not here did not mean I should whine about it. I decided to
get over it, move on and try to make the best out of the next five years. I decided to change. I held my
head up high and I did make a lot of good memories here.

I made a lot of friends too. The teachers, well, most of the teachers were great and I did fairly well
in my studies. I would say my biggest accomplishment was the friends I made. I’m grateful for those who
stayed by my side and being there for me and never leaving me in my worst moments. They made me
who I am today, a confident and optimistic young man. I wake up every morning looking forward to see-
ing my friends in school. I shall be graduating soon and saying goodbye to dear Stella Maris but this
school will forever hold fond memories for me. Stella Maris, thank you.

Written by,
Chua Jian Yan

5S

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AN UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE

I was happily shopping for some new clothes in a new shopping mall when I heard a siren go off. The
siren was to indicate that the mall was closing. I looked at my watch and to my surprise it was only
7pm. “Gosh! What’s going on right now?” I said to myself as I headed straight towards the main exit. It
was at the moment I realized that I had not seen anyone for the past few minutes. I quickened my pace but
my heart dropped when I saw that the exit was closed. However, there were two more exits in the building.
I did not waste any time and sprinted towards the exits but just like the main exit, they were closed.

I broke down at the thought of being trapped alone in this enormous shopping mall. “I should’ve ran fast,”
I thought to myself. Just then I remembered that I had my cellphone with me. I felt a sense of relief but that
feeling did not last long as I realized that there was no line on my phone. I decided to sit on a bench and
play with my phone till the mall reopens the next morning. I was lucky because my phone battery was still
full and I always have my portable charger with me wherever I go.

I did not realize how much time had passed and it was already 9pm. I decided to take a look around the
mall to ease my aching back. I saw that the shops were open and all the lights were still on. I took a look at
everything that was in the mall but did not take anything even though I did contemplate it because I did not
want to get caught red-handed. As I was heading towards the escalator to go to the second floor, I heard a
sound. To be precise, it was a conversation between a few people. I got scared and ran frantically to hide
behind a counter. I did not have enough time to listen to their conversation. It was pin-drop silence as they
stopped talking. After a moment, I heard them coming down the stairs

“Hey! Is there anyone down here?” a man asked. His voice sounded so loud because it was so quiet. I was
debating to myself if I should show myself or not because I was scared that they would hurt me. I decided
to trust my gut feeling and showed myself. I saw that the group of people consisted of two men and three
women. They were very shocked to see me as they were not expecting anyone. Soon after, we started talk-
ing and I came to find out that they were not related to one another. We shared our experience about how
all of us had ended up in this predicament. We were terrified and homesick. Suddenly, my phone pinged. I
looked at it and it turned out that my mom had sent me a message. I immediately burst into tears because I
was afraid that I would not get to see them again.

As I was typing a reply to the message, the ground and the building started to shake. At first we thought
nothing of it but it started shaking more strongly. At that moment, all six of us knew that something bad
was about to happen. We quickly went into a store and hid under the table. The shelves started to vibrate
and shake, causing all the products to fall to the ground. All the lights exploded and particles were flying
everywhere. After what felt like forever, everything came to an end. Everyone was as quiet as a mouse. We
were digesting the fact that we were still alive

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Slowly, we crawled out from under the table one by one. Since the lights were not working anymore, our
phones' flashlights were the only source of light that we had. We were in a daze, not believing what we
had just gone through. One of the ladies started bawling her eyes out as she was so traumatized by the
experience. We decided to walk to the main exit to see the situation there. As we were getting closer to the
exit, we heard faint noises coming from there. The sound was not really audible but we sprinted towards
the sound. When we reached the exit, we saw that a few firefighters and an ambulance. They quickly got us
out We were greeted by our sobbing families. I ran into my parents’ arms and hugged them tightly. I was
so glad and emotional to see them again that I started crying. I was taken to the hospital where I was exam-
ined for any injuries. That was when I heard the news that a volcano exploded a few kilometers from the
shopping mall. I was so glad that I survived the experience. I learnt to appreciate life more and to be grate-
ful for what I have because everything can disappear in a split second.

Written by,
Chin Qiao Ro

5K

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My House Is My Home

A home is a place that is very important and significant to a person. A person does not just
stay in a place and call it a home if it is just a normal house without any happiness. A
home is somewhere you will feel warmth and love from others living with you. They could be our fam-
ily or friends. When we live together with them, we can create boundless memories and feel like we
belong to this place. I would like to describe the most special place in the world to me, my home.

I live in a triple-storey terrace house in Taman Bukit Permata, Gombak. My house does not look
so different compared to other houses. It’s just an ordinary terrace house and it is not very unique from
the outside. If you were to walk into my house through the front gate, you can see a small garden right
next to the car porch. There are a few plants which my family and I have been growing for a couple of
years. Some of the plants are blossom and pandan plants. The garden has contributed to the greenery of
my house. I live in a place close to mother nature. My house is surrounded by trees and plants and you
could even see wild animals like monkeys and wild boars. I love nature and I think this is one of the
greatest aspects of my home.

Other than being close to the wild life, the internal layout and structure of my house has also
made my home one of a kind. There are three storeys in my house. The first floor is where my sister
and I do our school work. This is because our computers are placed on the first floor. I also have a pi-
ano near the entrance of the house. During my free time, I would play computer games and also the pi-
ano. One of my favourite past times is playing my favourite songs on the piano and I enjoy every single
minute of it.

Moving on to the next floor, it is where the living room, the kitchen and the dining room are situ-
ated in my home. Every night, my family and I dine in the dining room. We would sit around a huge
round dining table and enjoy the delicious dinner cooked by my mother. The kitchen is where my
mother would make everything “come to life”. Sometimes I watch my mother cook some colourful and
tasty dishes. After dinner, my family and I would sit on the couch and watch television shows and mov-
ies together as if it is a family tradition. We would talk about the funniest and most interesting moments
in the movie. This is also one of my favourite things to do with my family and I wish it would be like
this forever. There is also a big area outside of the kitchen where I used to play badminton and basket-
ball as a kid with my family.

Finally, the top floor is where all the bedrooms are located, including mine. I only go to my bed-
room when I am about to bathe or sleep. Overall, my house is where all the memories of my family and
I are stored, and that is why I consider it a home. I hope everything stays the same and this house will
always be my home.

Written by,
Yong Jun Xi

5S

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My Trip to Turkey

It was my first trip overseas. I was 14 when it happened. I went there with my mother and sister.
Turkey is one of the Middle-East countries that is quite famous with tourists. We went there on
Chinese New Year eve. We celebrated the Chinese New Year in Turkey. I remember being as
happy as a lark, waiting for our plane to arrive. I felt as though I was waiting for years because I just
could not calm down.

Finally, our plane arrived. We rushed into the plane as fast as lightning. It took about eleven hours for
the plane to reach Istanbul, Turkey. I was surprised because I did not think the weather there could be so
cold. It was also raining when we reached there. We quickly put on our jackets and ran towards the bus
that was going to take us around. Inside the bus, it was so much warmer and more comfortable.

Our first destination was to the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. The mosque looked so magnificent and gor-
geous. It was one of the best things I had seen in my life. The architecture was beyond imagination. No
doubt many tourists come here. After that, we went to a nearby restaurant to try some local delicacies.
We did not expect we would love them because they were so different from our normal delicacies. After
eating our dinner, we went to the hotel to check-in and got some rest.

The next morning, we woke up extremely early but none of us could have slept soundly due to jet-lag.
We changed our clothes and packed our luggage to set on our journey to another state, Çanakkale. We
had to get on a ferry to pass through the Mediterranean Sea to get there. Soon after that, we went to a his-
torical place where World War One took place. There were so many underground tunnels and caves
which allowed armies of soldiers to pass through. I had mixed feelings because I felt amazed and afraid at
the same time. The warfare was fascinating yet so destructive.

The next day, we went to Cappadocia to get on a hot air balloon. I did not expect the hot air balloon to
be so huge. I have seen pictures of it, where it looks smaller in size. I was so excited. When it took off, it
was a little scary because there was constant movement. When we were up, the scenery looked so beauti-
ful and gorgeous. I felt as though I was on top of the world. Everything seemed to have stopped at that
moment. That same night, something happened that I would never forget. It snowed. It was my first expe-
rience with snowfall. It felt so wonderful and magical. My sister and I tried building a snowman and had
a lot of fun in the process.

It was the next morning and we had to get ready to go to the airport to return home. We felt extremely
sad because we will surely miss Turkey. It was a great experience and I will carry it with me until the end
of my life.

Written by,
Eros Ng
4S

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My Trip to China

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit a few places in China with my family. We de-
parted from KLIA2 to Xi’an which is a province in China. We stayed there for three days
two nights before we left for another state. I got to visit Emperor Qing’s museum and the Bell Tower of
Xi’an during my stay there. I was very impressed when I visited the Emperor Qing’s museum because I
got to see the figures of warriors and armies from ancient times and I also got to learn more about the his-
tory of The Qing Dynasty. My family and I rented bicycles in the Bell Tower of Xi’an and we had a short
ride around the tower for around an hour. I was really relaxed during my whole stay in Xi’an.

After a three day two night stay in Xi’an, we took a train to Beijing and stayed there for a night. We did
not do much that night as we were all exhausted from the train ride. We departed from Beijing to North-
east China. When I first arrived there, I was not used to the weather at all. It was freezing cold. At first,my
family and I stayed in a place in Jilin City known as Changchun. I was not used to the food there as it was
mostly Korean food. That city was close to North Korea and I could see many Korean words written
around shops in that city.

On the next day in Jilin City, we went to Changbai Mountain. The ride up the mountain really scared me
because we could fall off the cliff anytime. When we reached the peak of the mountain, it was really cold
and it was hard to breathe. I had to stay in the tourist centre most of the time because every time I went
out, I would have difficulty breathing. I got to see North Korea from the mountain because it is the border
town between North Korea and China. I felt lucky to be able to see that.

Few days later, my family and I went to Harbin. Firstly, we stayed in Xuexiang which is also known as
China Snow City. I have never seen that much snow in my life. All the houses were covered in snow
which is something we do not see in Malaysia. After a night in Xuexiang, we went to Harbin City. Harbin
City was completely different from Jilin City. Harbin City was filled with Russian words and it felt like a
western country. The souvenirs sold there were also similar to Russian things. When we went there, it was
around Christmas. Hence, there were many Christmas decorations around the city. During our stay there,
we walked around the city and went to festivals held there.

Unfortunately, I got sick on the last day. We had to take a long train ride from Harbin to Beijing. In the
train station, I vomited twice because I was feeling sick.The ride felt uncomfortable. Luckily, I felt much
better when we arrived in Beijing. We stayed in Beijing for two days and one night. My family and I did
not visit many places in Beijing because we have been there before and the city was quite polluted at the
time. We did enjoy the food there such as the Peking Duck which is one of my favourites. After 14 days in
China, we had to bid farewell to that beautiful country. I really enjoyed my trip and I would most definite-
ly visit China again.

Written by,
Chan Yi En

4S
71

KATA-KATA HIKMAH

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Tindakan-Tindakan Yang Perlu Dilakukan Oleh
Remaja Untuk Memenuhi Harapan Ibu Bapa

Dalam menelusuri arus kemodenan ini, ibu bapa sering menghadapi pelbagai cabaran untuk
membesarkan seorang anak supaya menjadi seorang individu yang berbudi pekerti mulia
dan berilmu pengetahuan tinggi. Seperti yang kita sedia maklum, remaja merupakan benteng kemajuan
negara pada masa akan datang. Oleh itu, ibu bapa wajarlah mengambil setiap langkah yang sesuai untuk
melahirkan remaja yang sempurna. Rahmohan Ghandi telah mengatakan bahawa keruntuhan keluarga telah
melahirkan generasi yang lemah. Intihannya, bagi mengelakkan remaja terjerumus dalam gejala sosial sep-
erti gengsterisme dan melepak, ibu bapa patutlah sentiasa memberikan didikan moral bagi memastikan jati
diri remaja dapat dikukuhkan. Bukan itu sahaja, remaja haruslah memainkan peranan mereka sendiri untuk
mewujudkan perasaan bangga dalam hati ibu bapa mereka. Tidak dapat dinafikan bahawa terdapat bebera-
pa tindakan yang harus dilakukan oleh remaja untuk memenuhi harapan ibu bapa.

Pada realitinya, sudah terang lagi bersuluh, antara langkah yang mestilah diambil untuk memenuhi harapan
ibu bapa termasuklah remaja hendaklah belajar dengan bersungguh-sungguh untuk mendapat keputusan
yang cemerlang dalam peperiksaan. Hal ini dikatakan demikian kerana, sebagai seorang pelajar, remaja
patutlah memainkan tanggungjawab mereka dengan sentiasa mengulang kaji pelajaran selepas sesi
persekolahan. Sehubungan dengan itu, remaja patutlah sentiasa membuat refleksi diri bagi mengesan dan
memperbaiki kelemahan diri dari segi akademik dan kokurikulum. Sebagai uswah hasanah, remaja
bolehlah berjumpa dengan guru mata pelajaran mereka seperti guru Sejarah pada waktu rehat untuk men-
gukuhkan lagi kefahaman mereka dalam sesuatu topik. Dengan berbuat demikian, murid tersebut akan be-
rasa lebih yakin ketika peperiksaan dan mampu mendapat keputusan yang cemerlang. Francis Bacon telah
mengatakan bahawa ilmu ialah kuasa. Intihannya, bergelanggang di mata orang ramai, remaja haruslah
mempunyai usaha yang berterusan untuk sentiasa mengulang kaji pelajaran serta membuat refleksi diri bagi
memastikan mereka mencapai harapan ibu bapa.

Selain itu, isi yang tidak boleh dikesampingkan termasuklah remaja haruslah sentiasa menerima dan
menghormati nasihat ibu bapa. Hal ini tercetus apabila remaja sedang menghadapi dugaan dalam ke-
hidupan yang mencabar. Misalnya, remaja patutlah menerima nasihat ibu bapa untuk makan makanan yang
berkhasiat bagi memastikan kesihatan mereka terjamin. Lebih-lebih lagi, remaja bolehlah sentiasa ber-
kongsi masalah yang dihadapi di sekolah dengan ibu bapa mereka apabila mempunyai masa terluang seper-
ti pada hujung minggu. Hal ini akan mewujudkan hubungan silaturahim yang lebih erat kerana ibu bapa
berasa selesa untuk menolong anak menyelesaikan masalahnya. Tamsilnya, sekiranya remaja mempunyai
masalah, mereka perlulah bersikap terbuka terhadap pandangan ibu bapa mereka agar dapat mencari jalan
penyelesaian yang terbaik. Dengan ini, ibu bapa akan berasa bangga kerana anaknya berasa selesa untuk
berkongsi masalah dengan mereka. Secara keseluruhannya, sebagai seorang anak yang ingin melahirkan
perasaan bangga dalam hati ibu bapa, remaja perlukan sentiasa menerima dan mematuhi nasihat ibu bapa

73

Bertitik tolak daripada itu, usaha yang wajarlah diambil termasuklah remaja mestilah menjaga maruah
keluarga untuk memastikan nama baik keluarga terjamin. Hal ini dikatakan demikian kerana, anak-anak
yang menconteng arang ke muka ibu bapa mereka boleh menjejaskan hubungan kekeluargaan. Sebagai
seorang remaja yang bertanggungjawab, mereka haruslah menghindari diri daripada terjerumus dalam ak-
tiviti yang boleh mencemarkan nama baik keluarga serta menjejaskan masa depan mereka, seperti menagih
dadah. Mari kita ambil contoh, sekiranya remaja diperas ugut oleh rakan-rakan di sekolah untuk mencuba
aktiviti-aktiviti yang tidak berfaedah seperti vandalisme, mereka patutlah bersikap rasional dan berfikir ter-
lebih dahulu tentang implikasi kegiatan tersebut kepada diri sendiri dan harapan ibu bapa mereka. Dengan
melakukan ini, remaja dapat mengelakkan diri daripada menyakiti hati ibu bapa mereka. Natijahnya, para
remaja seharusnya sentiasa mengambil langkah untuk menjaga nama baik keluarga bagi memastikan ibu
bapa tidak dipandang serong oleh orang lain.

Akhir sekali, tindakan yang wajar dilaksanakan untuk memenuhi harapan ibu bapa termasuklah remaja per-
lu sentiasa berpegang teguh kepada ajaran agama. Pegangan agama yang teguh membolehkan para remaja
mempunyai benteng keimanan yang kukuh dan ampuh bagi mengelakkan diri mereka dipengaruhi dengan
perkara negatif yang dapat menjejaskan kehidupan mereka. Dengan berpegang teguh kepada ajaran agama,
remaja akan memiliki jati diri yang utuh untuk melawan serangan pemikiran yang boleh menjerumuskan
mereka ke kancah maksiat. Hal ini realitinya menjelaskan bahawa Tuhan sentiasa menyeru hambanya un-
tuk melakukan sesuatu yang baik serta menjauhi perkara yang buruk. Pegangan agama juga dapat mening-
katkan keyakinan diri remaja dan membolehkan mereka mempunyai matlamat yang jelas dalam hidup se-
terusnya dapat memenuhi impian ibu bapa mereka. Bukan itu sahaja, didikan agama yang diberikan kepada
remaja juga akan menjadi pedoman hidup yang boleh membentuk mereka menjadi seorang yang positif
dalam segala hal. Dengan ini, remaja akan lebih mudah berjaya dalam kehidupan. Jelaslah bahawa siang
bagai hari, terang bagai bulan, remaja yang berpegang teguh kepada ajaran agama dapat membanggakan
kedua-dua ibu bapa mereka.

Sebagai penyimpul kata bagi segala yang dibincangkan, jelaslah bahawa anak-anak haruslah sentiasa

mengambil langkah untuk menggembirakan hati ibu bapa. Sekiranya hal ini dipinggirkan oleh generasi mu-

da, kemungkinan kadar kes kemurungan dalam kalangan ibu bapa akan meningkat akibat perangai anak-

anak yang tidak ingin membalas jasa ibu bapa. Sehubungan dengan itu, ibu bapa perlulah istiqamah

menasihati anak-anak mereka tentang kepentingan kejayaan dalam hidup dan sentiasa mengingatkan anak-

anak akan tanggungjawab mereka terhadap ibu bapa kelak. Tidak cukup dengan itu, media massa seperti

televisyen hendaklah menyiarkan drama atau iklan pendek tentang kejayaan seorang anak yang mampu

membahagiakan ibu bapa mereka. Kerajaan juga berperanan penting untuk melahirkan genarasi muda yang

sentiasa menyayanyi dan taat akan ibu bapa mereka melalui kempen Keluarga Bahagia Tanggungjawab

Bersama. Apabila semua pihak berkerjasama bagai aur dengan tebing, maka dapat melahirkan generasi

yang berwawasan dan mampu merealisasikan harapan

Ditulis oleh,

Lauren Daniel

5S

74

COVID-19

Sarawak indah bumi yang kaya,
Memegang erat budaya bangsa,

Covid-19 virus bahaya,
Tidak dicegah membawa binasa.
Rakyat Malaysia penuh wibawa,

Patuhi arahan barisan utama,
Jaga jarak dan juga nyawa,
Untuk keselamatan diri bersama.
Jika tiada keperluan nyata,
Duduk di rumah buat sementara,
Covid-19 bukan pandemik semata,
Boleh mengundang maut sengsara.
Ayuh bangun semua bangsa,

Bangkit dan buka mata,
Jangan lagi duduk selesa.

Mari kita jaga Kita

Ditulis oleh,
Anna Miasarah

4M

75

你的人生有遗憾吗？

“有些人的童年能治愈一生，也有些人需要用一生来治愈自己的童年。”表面看似开心的人生实
则苦不堪言。苦是什么？什么才为之苦？我们每个人都会对这个世界充满遗憾和愧疚。人的一生
真的挺短暂的，你永远不知道明天和意外哪个先来。世界上万物都在扮演着自己的角色， 大家都
在自导自演自编自己的人生剧本。即使是长的毫不起眼的一块小石头殊不知已经帮助了人类起了
多少间房子，给了多少人一个温暖可靠的避风港。但一个人的人生里不一定是完美的，人生终究
会有遗憾。或许是遗失小时候心心念念的玩具，上学时期那一分之差就及格的华文考试，或是你
生命中最想完成但又无法实现的事情。生命对每个人来说都只有一次，此生不能实现自己的理
想，那便是莫大的遗憾。你的人生到底有什么遗憾吗？
我们并不是伟人，也并不是什么世界首富，但是我们同样拥有着属于自己的梦想和追求。我们追
求的不一定是希望自己含着金钥匙出世或一夜暴富，说实际一点的就是想要在某个领域达到自己
设定的里程碑。打个比方，一个职业游戏选手肯定是希望自己终有一日能够成为游戏界里的领头
羊。但是人生路上总是风雨相伴，遗憾也总是如影随形，如果他没有达到目标，那冠军梦便是他
的遗憾了。当然，为了不让自己留下遗憾，勇敢尝试是必须的。如果机会摆在眼前但是不愿放手
一搏，不踏出第一步，那这一个遗憾终归只会一场空。在中国历史中扮演重要人物，统一华夏的
千古一帝秦始皇，最大的遗憾恐怕就是找不到长身不老之术。秦始皇生前多次召见来自全国各地
的方生术士共同探讨长生不老之术，并从未停止过找寻长身不老药，直到死也没有忘记他想长身
不老的心愿。
“每一个研究物理的人其实都在等待一刻的真理之光，有些人等到了，有些人没有。” 从霍金的
角度切入，他用了毕生的时间来研究浩瀚的宇宙，黑洞则是他的心血。身患疾病的他，连一个亲
身探索外太空的机会都没有。这就是霍金人生中最大的遗憾。对于科学界来说，失去了霍金就等
于失去了一个精神支柱。但霍金不是逝世，只是挂在宇宙边缘的那个黑洞，陨落了。当霍金的死
讯被公布时，相信所有人都和我拥有了一样惊讶的表情包。对于许多像霍金一样热衷于钻研宇宙
的人来说，他的逝世无疑是一个沉重的打击。这样看来，就连伟大的科学家都有遗憾，更何况是
我们这一些平民。霍金的遗憾来自于命运对他的不公平，而我们的遗憾则来自于我们的不努力。
霍金的一生真的失去太多了，他失去了像正常人一样健康的身体，他也因为疾病失去了说话交流
的能力。但他并没有因为这些而自暴自弃，放弃自己的理想。他永不放弃的精神是我们必须学习
的。

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没有遗憾的人生犹如没有波动的心跳图，但有了遗憾的心跳图则不完美。没有人想要在饯
别生命时留下遗憾，我们不可能完全没有遗憾，但是我们能减少遗憾发生在我们的身上。
撇除了遗憾以后，我们的生命会变得更圆满。每个人都想拥有圆满的人生旅途。圆满的前
提下，我们必须勇敢的踏出第一步，还要不断的尝试各种新鲜的挑战。为了那一次的成
功，99次的失败都不算什么。在人生的道路里，宁愿做错也不要错过，因为若干年以后依
然被我们铭记在心的可能并不是自己的什么丰功伟业而是那些点点滴滴的“遗憾”。因为
梦想，我们愿意去努力。因为青春，我们能够去拼搏。不要让遗憾插足你的人生。世上所
发生的一切没有绝对的对与错，只有你自己喜欢才最重要。不要再害怕他人的眼光，绽放
出自己的美丽。回顾你今天所发生的一切，你今天遗憾了吗？

This essay is about regrets in life.

Written by:

郑芷晴 Chang Jhi Qin
4S

77

宽容

“比海洋更宽阔的是天空，比天空更宽阔的是人的心胸。” 想必你一定曾听闻这句充满哲理的
话。人的心胸之所以能那么无边无际的广大是因为人懂得宽容。宽容指的是宽恕他人，容忍
他人的过错。宽容代表了人与人之间能互相原谅的能力与智慧，同时也显示出每个人不为人
知的人性 。

宽容是一种美德，它能包揽人世间的懊悔及芸芸众生的过错。宽容是一缕温柔的阳光。
它照在心胸狭隘的人的身上，刹那间，映入眼帘的是不曾欣赏的美景，是更遥远的远方，是
更快乐的世界。我们生而为人，宽容是我们基本的修行。人间有谁不是第一次做人的呢？人
非圣贤，孰能无过。无论是大错还是小错，我们都应该尝试了解他人是否是无心犯下的错还
是故意对我们犯的恶。话虽如此，本是同根生，相煎何太急，我们应该时刻秉持着一颗宽容
的心，随时随地准备原谅他人。

既然人人都需要学习原谅别人，那么我们应该如何原谅别人呢？举个例子：如果有人不
问自取地把你的文具“借”走了，可是又趁你不注意之时“还”给了你，你不应该恼羞成怒
地把他捉出来兴师问罪，而是私底下和他了解为什么他会通过不问自取的方法来使用文具。
他的回答可能是“我和班上的同学都不熟，也没朋友，所以不敢向你借文具。”这时，你不
只该宽容他的错，也该进行自我反省，“为什么我从不和这位同学交朋友、为什么我从未考
虑他的感受、从他的角度出发来看待这个问题。”
从前，山上的一座庙里有一位老和尚和几位年纪尚小的徒弟。有一天，一位小徒弟觉得庙里
的生活太单调、无聊且枯燥乏味，所以便在万籁俱寂的夜晚跳上一把椅子，翻过围墙并且跑
了出去。不料，老和尚碰巧发现了靠在围墙旁的椅子，不想而知便推测有徒弟连夜摸黑偷偷
溜出了庙。果真，不一会儿，一个小身影轻轻地翻入墙内，并且迅速地发现自己是踩着老和
尚的背下来的。徒弟瞬间羞红了脸、无地自容。他心急如焚地向老和尚赔不是。怎知，老和
尚不仅没有怒发冲冠地责骂徒弟，而是细心地叮嘱徒弟不要在那么冷的天穿得那么单薄，还
让他赶紧穿厚一点。老和尚知道，无声的宽容是对徒弟最好的教育。他深知“宽而栗，严而
温”的道理。

虽然我们要拥有宽阔的胸怀，但是我们不能盲目、是非不分地原谅别人。对于无心犯错
的人，我们可以给他们一次改过自新的机会，并把烦恼一笔勾销。相反的，对于那些明知故
犯，屡教不听、左耳进，右耳出的“顽童”，我们就没有必要浪费时间宽恕他们。倘若我们
一直受困于他们的“陷阱”，那么他们会利用我们的宽容而变本加厉，滥用我们的宽恕并且
道德绑架我们。“一个不懂得宽容的人，将失去别人的尊重；一个一昧地宽容的人，将失去
自己的尊严。”

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宽容了别人，我们便会解开心中的一个结、忘却了过去的一笔仇恨并且迎来真诚的笑容与和
平。宽容了别人，我们将拥有忍一时风平浪静的安宁和退一步海阔天空的快乐。心胸狭窄的
人们大多数都很自私，不愿别人做自己不喜欢的行为。他们自己带着有色眼镜来看待一切，
却又厌恶别人评价自己。这些人把自己束缚在密封的小黑屋里，与世隔绝，见不到温暖的阳
光。我只能说，如果他们不早日洗心革面的话，那么他们的一生将过得极其悲伤且黑暗。

当每个人都缩小自己时，大家的空间就变大了。倘若我们无法容忍别人的小错误，那么
我们将无法成为一位优质的领袖，也无法成就伟大的计划。所以，我们得学习该如何宽容别
人。有了肚里能撑船的人，这个世界将充满更多爱与关怀，不必要的战争与纠纷也可以被幸
免。

This essay is about tolerance and forgiveness.

Written by:
张瑜芯 Chong Yixine

5S

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