Mean Girls

(Author : Vaniessa C.)

It seems like just yesterday we were hanging out in the hallways of our high school in between classes. Boyfriends and girlfriends sneaking in a kiss and hug, trying to avoid getting caught by the teachers. Staying after school just so you could hang out with your friends before extracurricular activities start or maybe to catch a glimpse of that special someone you had a crush on.

High school was never easy, peer pressure, fitting in or being different and still being accepted. Maintaining grade averages, boys, homecoming, prom, dating and drama. Yes, I finally said it! There was always some drama, especially with that one particular clique. You know exactly which group of girls I am talking about. The ones that stare down at you at the hallways, spread rumors about you, and goes after your crush not because they liked him but because you did. They basked in everyone else’s misery because they had control and they knew it. Making people look bad was their forte' and they would not stop until someone got hurt.

Well, years have passed and times have changed but some things remain the same. Means girls are still at as they were. But now, my best friend is made one of their victims. Imagine if you were in her parents’ shoes..how hard is it to watch your fifteen year old go home in tears just because other schoolgirls spread rumors about her, threatened her and enjoyed the emotions on her embarrassed face.

They stalked her until she locked herself in the restrooms in tears and hyper-ventilate. She lashes out at me and her family because she is stressed and does not want to go to school anymore. Can I blame her? Honestly NO. If her parents had their choice, she would be home schooled for the rest of her high school days. However they do not want her to miss out on the great things like education, homecoming, and prom etc.

Where does it end with these girls? Most of the time, they get a little slap on the wrist and go right back to doing what they do best which in turn makes them retaliate even more? It's a vicious cycle that needs to be broken. How many times have the parents gone to the school to confront the situation and only to have the administration tell them, "Girls will be girls, try and let them handle it. The girls will work it out on their own." Really? What is it going to take? Someone’s child going to the extreme, drama escalating into a fight and or hurting themselves?

I'm not a super bestie or best friend because I can do anything and everything; I am a super best friend because I will do anything and everything to protect my friend. I am the friend that will stand up for my friends because I believe in them; I have grown up with them with good moral values and done the best I can as a friend. I worked hard.

I just want to send a message out to all you that are experiencing the same situation.

You cannot let them break you. Remember how amazing you are, and they would not do what they do unless you had something that they want. You can't break someone who thinks nothing of you. They are looking for a reaction which is really the only thing you are responsible for. You cannot control them but you can control how you react. Be strong and don't let them know they hurt you or that they scare you.

Friends;
be supportive and remember how hard high school was and guide them to a better tomorrow.

To all you mean girls out there;
I have taught myself, and my friend, strength and courage. You will not break us.

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Winnie the Pooh and the Meaning of Life

(Author : Vaniessa C.)

Chances are you've seen the show Winnie the Pooh at least once. And, chances are, you've long since forgotten about it.

You most likely watched it when you were young, maybe 4 or 5 years old. A few years passed and you began to shed your childlike behaviors. You started getting rid of things; your stuffed animals, your Barbies, your Hot Wheels. And before you knew it, you had grown up.

Recently, I found myself sitting in a rather uncomfortable chair, waiting for my checkup with the dentist. I flipped through a few magazines, but it was all the same: DOW is lowest it's been in years, suicide bombing kills twelve, stimulus bill being reconsidered, tax cuts imminent... Not wanting to sit there and twiddle my thumbs for the next half-hour, I continued to look for something, anything, that would keep me occupied. My gaze settled on a book I hadn't read in most likely over a decade: "The Sneetches" by Dr. Seuss. I had no better options, so I thought "Ah, why the heck not?"


Thirty minutes later, I was still dazed and amazed.

I had always respected Dr. Seuss for his way with words. The way he weaves and warps his words, his poetic style, even his cartoon illustrations are done with a finesse that most authors and artists only dream of. But there was something else about his writing, something I didn't quite understand until now.

There was philosophy in it. Philosophy. In a children’s book. Ideals of equality and loving yourself for who you are. Of course, this got me thinking: what other childhood memories where more than met the eye?

And that brings me to Winnie the Pooh...


Symbolism in Winnie the Pooh

I popped in my old favorite "Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day", got out my notepad, and started watching. I watched closely, looking for any deeper meaning behind those lovable little balls of fluff. Here are my thoughts:

Winnie: Let's start with the shows namesake, Winnie the Pooh, or as I call him, "Pooh-bear". Pooh-bears favorite food is honey or, as his jars dictate, Hunny. Everything he does is in the pursuit of more honey. He eats and eats and eats, and just won't stop. I believe that he is symbolic of obesity, an extremely large problem in every country. Some even go so far as to call it an epidemic. I'm not going to quote some BS statistic stating what percentage of Malaysians are obese. However, I can personally say that about one in every 3 or 4 people I see walk by are overweight. Heck, I used to be pretty overweight and I didn't care about what other people thought. But when I started learning about the health issues associated with obesity, I changed my ways. Another interpretation of Pooh-bears behavior could be a representation of gluttony, one of The Seven Deadly Sins.

Piglet: Small, scared, and a little bit wimpy, Piglet seems to be a physical manifestation of fear. While many episodes end with Piglet conquering his fears or overcoming great obstacles, on the whole he is quite the pushover. It only seems fitting that he represents Malaysians many fears: terrorism, an economic crisis, worries of tainted food, police brutality, and a plethora of other problems. We live in an age of fear, but if we can trust our economy, if we can trust the food we eat, if we can trust law enforcement to not abuse it's power, we just might be able to beat our fears.

Eeyore: The pessimistic one of the bunch, Eeyore is almost always feeling down. Constantly ignored and his opinions undervalued, Eeyore tends to keep to himself. At first it reminded me of my junior high years, but them it hit me: depression. This one actually hit pretty hard, because me and most of the people I care about have dealt with extreme cases of depression at one time or another. It takes a hold of you and your life and doesn't let go. Some people get better, some people don't. But one thing's for certain: it has a huge impact on our lives.

Tigger: This one's just too easy: pride. Tigger loves himself. He has a huge ego, he's competitive, and he constantly lies about his abilities in order to inflate his ego even more. It seems that each day, people become more and more egotistical. We're completely self-centered, selfish beyond reason, and extremely vain. We care too much about what others think of us. We obsess, every second of every day, about the way people view us. Plain and simple, we are a very shallow society. (And yes, I did use another one of the Seven Deadly Sins)


Closing Thoughts
While my interpretations might be flawed, I firmly believe that many of our childhood memories still hold some truths in our lives to this day. Even if you disagree, it's still fun to relive parts of your childhood. So pick your favorite childhood book, grab some movies you used to love, and I think you'll soon realize that enlightenment is everywhere.


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