Cosmetic Surgery Before Seventeen: What's Right & What's Not

Mustafa Al Saeed

Many people nowadays think that cosmetic surgery before the age of seventeen should not be allowed.
Over the last few years many specialist hospitals have been built, and a lot of people have had cosmetic surgery, and it is dangerous. It is extremely likely that no one wants his children to make some bad change, to do something dangerous. While some teenagers think their faces are not good or there are some mistakes in creation nobody knows about the effect in the future.

First of all, it is certainly true that people can change their bodies and faces. While the features of a face come from God, and this is not their choice, human beings believe they can change the creation for the best, but in fact it is to the worst. On the other hand any one before seventeen years old should not be allowed to have this surgery even if their parents agree. In Lebanon many teenagers who are 13 to 17 years old go to change their bodies every year, similar to some celebrities. I have seen many teenagers girls who are from Lebanon have their breasts, lips, and haunches enlarged. A point in support of my point of view is that many people blame themselves and want to get their past faces. I watched a program that had an interview with some people who had cosmetic surgery when they were teenagers. They said they would be happier if they hadn't had that surgery. What’s more almost every cosmetic surgery has been done using some chemicals such as silicon or plastic, and they affect human beings. Many researches prove they cause cancer and many different types of diseases like itch. The desire to look like a star is very dangerous for normal people, because some hospitals do not have good treatments. Every one has a perfect body when he is born.

On the other hand some children have accidents or fate changes their bodies, which has caused deformities for them such as cuts in the ear or nose. No one likes to see a deformed face, so a lot of hospitals, governments, and people agree with that. Furthermore the environment affects children with such as fatness or hair that becomes hard to manage. In those cases, children or teenagers have been changed to the best, because those problems are not from the creator but from people. Ironically, children's need of cosmetic surgery has not been supported, while children who do not need cosmetic surgery have had billions of dollars invested in them, especially in the western countries and the Middle East.

In summary, there are 2 choices to everything, one is good and the second is bad. I have never ever seen people who paid to change their creation to the best (they believe that) who are happy with the new look. I have seen many stars that have had cosmetic surgery before seventeen years old and they blame themselves because they said people before seventeen do not have enough awareness.
The cosmetic surgery is good for children who have deformities and bad for child who want to change the creation.

Cosmetic Surgery For The Under Seventeens: A Thai Perspective

Nitikorn Fongrattanakul

Nowadays, everyone can see a lot of cosmetic surgery sites in many countries and they can be found through different media sources such as television, newspapers, magazines, the Internet and brochures. Cosmetic surgery is able to make or change the face or body to be more beautiful than before. It also treats you as a nice person and creates you to become a new person. However, there are some advantages and some disadvantages of cosmetic surgery.

On the positive side, everyone has equality as humans and they can do the same things if they want to. In addition, there may be good things which come in life through cosmetic surgery such as good looks, the ability to earn money a lot and become famous.

For example in my country, Thailand, cosmetic surgery is really popular among people over twenty and famous Thai people. Most famous people usually have a new face or a new body made by being operated upon in hospitals.

On the other hand, there are some problems. There may be accidents during operations. Firstly, young people tend to make decisions without thinking carefully and it may be too dangerous for them to do some things which risk their faces or their bodies. Secondly they have just wanted to do it to follow the fashion of each period nowadays. And the last disadvantage is that cosmetic surgery is not necessary in life and it also requires people to spend too luxuriously.

In my opinion, cosmetic surgery is able to be good or bad because if you are operated upon safely in a good hospital, you will get a good result but if you are not, you may get bad news. However, it depends on each doctor and how they perform, whether it be skillfully or not.

In conclusion, people under seventeen should not be allowed to have cosmetic surgery because they are very young people and they also have to be looked after by their parents closely. If they were adults, they could have it. But not this time, to do some thing like this.

By Means of The Scapel: Cosmetic Surgery Before Seventeen

Araceli Munoz

Currently, in occidental societies, people give a special importance to the body’s image. Although the cult of the body isn’t a new fact, and this fact has existed in all cultures and in all times, lately, the conception of the body has acquired a new meaning. At the same time, there has also been a big improvement in science and medicine that has entailed the discovery of new products and techniques of surgery.

Thus, these two factors have entailed an increase in cosmetic surgery lately. But, if in the beginning, plastic surgery was applied to specific cases, like malformations, cicatrices and physical defects which caused psychological harm, actually, a lot people go through the operating room only for aesthetic reasons.

Furthermore, this obsession for changing our body can go to unsuspected limits. If a few years ago people who had cosmetic surgery used to be old women who wanted to seem younger, now, women and men of all ages have an operation only to change their image. Actually, younger people go through the operating room *. But, at what age should the age limit be?

Some people think that everybody should have the opportunity to decide to have an operation if they want it, even if this person is a minor. The decision of having or not having cosmetic surgery is something totally personal and we shouldn’t criticise young people who want to have a better appearance by means of the scalpel. These people believe it isn’t bad that a teenager desire to have plastic surgery in order to feel good about himself. Young people have rights over their bodies and they can have one or more cosmetic surgery if they want.

In addition, following this viewpoint, there can be many reasons why these young people decide to consult a cosmetic surgeon: from health reasons to personal goals, and passing through to self-esteem problems. Sometimes boys and girls are traumatized by a physical defect which gives a complex or isolates them from the people who surround them. Other times, they have self-esteem problems because they receive a lot of pressure from their environment which says how they should be if they want to be accepted.

Notwithstanding, are young people qualified to make this decision? Who can judge their ability? According to some experts, no teenager should undergo cosmetic surgery if they haven’t been psychologically examined in order to evaluate their maturity level and detect possible problems. On the one hand, these boys or girls a lot of times have a wrong idea about what cosmetic surgery is. And, on the other hand, sometimes these young people aren’t ready to face the problems that can arise after any surgery.

In the opinion of these experts, although plastic surgery implies a positive aspect and a big improvement when it comes to solving malformations, cicatrices and physical defects, any surgery has its risk. In the case of adolescents this risk is bigger than in adult people, because cosmetic surgery can entail complications to their development ** . Moreover, the problems aren’t only physical but also psychological due to a lack of maturity and the emotional importance of this physical change.

In my view, plastic surgery among young people is only advisable in case of malformations, cicatrices and physical defects which cause psychological harm, but I think that it shouldn’t be recommended when boys or girls decide to have an operation only for aesthetic reasons or for being fashionable. Although it’s true that we live in a society where the beauty ideals exert a lot of pressure on young people and often entail self-esteem problems, it’s time for young people to learn that these problems shouldn’t be solved without going through operating room, but looking for other incentives, motivations and values beyond beauty standards. And I sincerely believe that the media could have a very important role in this last process.

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* Statistical data from American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) points out that the number of young people in USA who underwent cosmetic surgery to increase the size of their breasts tripled between 2002 and 2003, when the number of this kind of operations reached the 11.326 cases.

** Like in the case of a rhynoplasty among young people who haven’t finished osseous growth. When they finish this growth is possible that the nose will be deviated because some of the nucleus of ossification is destroyed. Or in the case of a breast implants among teenagers, when the breasts are developing and the tissues are growing. Because of this, the breast can sometimes come to look different from the initial results as time goes by.

A Baby at 70?

Meiti Iotefa Stergios

At present, medical techniques have become more advanced, and I think that in future years men will know all medical knowledge! From now on, it will be possible to do many things which were unimaginable 50 years ago. Today, with the medical advances, it's possible to be pregnant at 70 years old! Incredible isn't it? But do you really think that women are allowed to have a child at this age? In that case, what purpose does the menopause serve? Can men defy nature's laws?

Firstly, I think this medical innovation is good for women who desire to have children or have children again, but who cannot have them because they are sterile and because they have problems or diseases. This allows them to feel a mother again. And it is tremendous for an old woman. Because her children are already adults and have their own life, then she sometimes feels alone.

Secondly, I think that becoming mother at 70 years old is to reign assured because such a woman has years of experience behind her. So, she knows how to take care of children.

That's my argument for. Now for the arguments against.

One argument against I think is, women of 70 are too old for having children and I think, their bodies cannot support the weight of the pregnancy. A woman of this age has more risks of giving birth with problems because her body is too old and has no more capacity. And also, if they are allowed to have children at 70years old, the baby will suffer because the mother is already old and she doesn't have much more time to live. The child cannot indeed take advantage of her and will suffer too young when his mother will die.

Another argument against, is the energy. I think, to have children it's necessary to have energy because it's not a small work. It's necessary to be able to do sleepless night, change nappies and prepare the baby's bottle in the middle of the night. So I think for an older lady, it risks to be difficult. And also, a child requires money so it's necessary to have some to raise it. But most old women don't work or, are already in retreat so it must be more difficult

In conclusion, I think it's not really a good idea to have children at 70 years old because there are lots of contradictions such as diseases, tiredness, etc and mainly the menopause! I think nature does things well, then if women become menopausal, it's for a reason. May be their body is not any more capable to carry a child and it is more sensitive than formally. So I think, it's much more dangerous than joyful having a child at 70 years

Children Over 50 or 60: A Way Forward

Afnan Khadawurdi

Nowadays a lot of people think that everything can happen by using technology such as some old women can have babies by using fertilization techniques, but like everything some people are for this technology and others are against.

The first point in favour of women being allowed to have children when they are in their fifties or sixties is that some women when they were young might not have had time for children because they were businesswomen or something like that, or because now they have a huge experience from their lives. Also some women think their life will be more funny and exciting if they have a new baby especially when their kids became big enough and autonomous. I read in one article there was a family that had three children, all of whom went overseas to work or study. So the parents decided to have another child and they did that and they were very happy. Accordingly some people believe that they should be allowed to have children at this age.

On the other hand some people think that this is very difficult for the mother and the baby. Firstly if the mother gets pregnant when she is 50 or 60 she might lose her life because the delivery in her age is so hard also, if she lived after that would the baby live with her mother just for a short time? I knew one woman who is my mother’s cousin and she got pregnant when she was around fifty however she was a grandmother and had grandchildren and the doctor told her she had to give up the baby because she could lose her life or the baby, but she determined to keep him and when she was to deliver she suffered for three days. Then finally she received a surgery to help her and her baby. Secondly the age between the mother and her baby would be very big and I think they would not be able to understand each other because there are several generations between them. The mother will become older and won’t be able to give her baby care, because she needs special care.

In conclusion, I think women shouldn’t have babies after the age of 50 or 60 because as I said she might be suffering some problems or her baby might.

I recommend if such a woman wants a baby she could adopt a baby. May be this can reduce some problems that could happen in the future.

Babies in Your Fifties Or Sixties?

Fatmah Al Naser

Nowadays, with advanced technology and improvement in knowledge, having children in old age for women is become easy by fertilization techniques. Many people believe that women should be allowed to have babies at this age because this makes the women's lives better and happier. Also women in their fifties or sixties have good experience and more knowledge. In addition, sophisticated technology makes everything possible. However, other people have a different opinion about that. They think it is high cost and illegal in some countries. Also what will happen to this baby in the future?

First of all, the people who believe in having a baby in old age, support their opinion by saying that life without children is like a flower with no smell. For instance, one of my relatives did not have children. She was sad most of the time, but when her doctor told her she could get a baby although she is an elderly woman, her life completely changed and became happy. Moreover, women in this age have good experience and knowledge to educate their children and they guarantee the best life for them. Also the mother at this age has a lot of money to spend on her child to give him a high quality education and good care. Her baby in that case will have a beautiful and a successful future. As well new technology makes the impossible things possible. In the UK there are many successful operations to get a baby.

On the other hand, this kind of operation is very expensive and is not available in most countries. Getting a baby cost my relative a lot of money, approximately $ 50,000, but because she is rich she could do that. My neighbor in Saudi Arabia has similar circumstances but she does not have enough money to get a baby. Besides that, in many countries fertilization techniques are illegal; it depends on governments and religion. Also this technique is not accepted in many nations, because something like that is unusual and needs more time to become normal. Moreover, the baby in that case will face difficulty in the future to understand his mother and the gap between two generations will be very big and his mother probably will die early to leave him alone, so his life will become miserable and depressing. An example of this is my sister's friend. The gap between her and her mother is fifty three years and she is not polite with her mother and she describes her mother's way as old fashioned. She was rebellious against her mother.

In conclusion, I would like to say that although using fertilization techniques to get a baby in old age has disadvantages, it is still a good solution to get a baby. Also we should use the latest technology to make our lives better. In my opinion I completely agree with using fertilization techniques. It is a credible way.

Exploring a Mystery: The Dyatlov Pass Incident

Wayne (Weimin) Li

I have heard lots about the paranormal or mysteries. There are all kinds of theories defining these mystical events. Although, some of them are deliberately caused by someone who wants to be focused on by the public, some mysteries are real indeed. Who did it? The experts are still solving these mysterious questions.
An example of an unexplained event is the Dyatlov incident that occurred in the northern Ural Mountains in an evening of the month of February in 1959 -- the death of nine on a cross country ski trek.

The team's captain was called Dyatlov. He led the trek. When they were climbing the Ridge of Death, the whole team died. The investigation into this matter revealed that the trekkers' tent was open. They were covered by thick snow and had bare feet. There is no evidence of fighting. The scene showed a skull fracture, two broken ribs, and a missing tongue. Some of them were wrapped in rags, but it seemed like these clothes were cut off from the corpses. Through the investigation, it was found that the deceased’s clothing had a strong radiation, even though this radiation may have been subsequently added. However, it was shown that nothing was relevant. One of the experts who surveyed this accident said that the three of the deceased’s fatal injuries couldn't have been caused by humans, but were caused by a kind of unknown power. So far this unknown force is still unsolved.

Secular humanism is informing the focus on supernatural encounters. Yet humans naturally believe in supernatural encounters. These encounters might vary from person to person and culture to culture, but people naturally perceive beings like angels, demons or ghosts to exist.

Reflections on Friendship

Mustafa Al Saeed

First of all, I would like to introduce what friends mean. Friends mean society, family, and life.

No matter in which way I make any friend I will be faithful to him.

Secondly, I have various best ways to make friends. I enjoy making friends in every area, school and country. I believe the aim of making friends is we help, also we respect each other. How we meet isn't so important.

Most of my friends are neighbors, from my school, sports club, friends of friends and family friends. However I do not have any problem to make friends using other ways, furthermore, I know some friends who I helped or they helped me.

I am still with friends who are respectful, generous, humble, faithful, sincere, dependable, and respect their and my parents.

I have many friends but our friendships have not been continued because some of them have died or and some of them are busy with their families or work.

I have never left a friend and my opinion a friend is a gift from God.

Finally I like to behave with people, as I like them to behave with me.

Making & Maintaining Friendships

Meiti Here Iotefa Stergios

I think that there is no best way to meet new friends. You can meet them anywhere and any time. Most often one meets friends at school or at work, places where there are lots of people. It is also possible to meet friends in a sports club or by organizing activities. The way most used by young people in order to do it is the Internet! Several sites enable people to meet and to make friends worldwide. I think that it is a really good idea and it also allows us to stay in contact with friends and family, and matters in the world! It's quick and efficient. I use it too and I'm sure that lots of students in the Language Centre also use it. It's also possible to make friends at a party or by the way of our friends. Pubs, bars and coffee shops are also known for meetings, because many people go there.

To maintain a friendship, I think that it must always be necessary to stay in contact, to be called from time to time or to exchange emails. However, for friends living in different countries, exchanging letters or speaking to each other online seems to be a good idea to prolong a friendship. I also think that doing activities with friends, such as going to the cinema, going shopping or having lunch together nurture our friendships and make sure they're long lasting. Having a party with friends also allows the support of friendly relations and at the same time, is also allows one to meet news friends. In my country, there is a party to gather all old students of a school to remember old times.

The Advantage of Meeting in the Flesh

Afnan Khadawurdi

I like forming new friendships especially since I came to New Zealand because there are a lot of international people from everywhere. As a result I can learn and I get to know plenty of information.

After I came here I wanted Arabic people to talk with and I felt homesick and strange in this country. Then I met a lot of Saudi girls who encouraged me and I felt nearly the same as in my country.

I like meeting friends in a public place such as in school, homes, gardens and university because I can see them and talk with them. I also can form ideas about them. On the other hand I don’t choose to meet new friends on line chatting on Skype or MSN because I can’t see them very well.

I really like friendships because sometimes we need someone to talk with or some advice about something.

Advice & A Warning

Chris (Ce) Dong

Friends play important roles in our lives. A proverb says 'One man is not good enough to live alone in the world.' Indeed, there are many things in life which we can't perform alone. We need friends’ help. It's great to have a memorable and eternal friendship but it's difficult to make a real friend. So we should learn more about how to find new friends and how to nurture and maintain our friendships.

Of course, we can make friends everywhere at anytime. For example, we can go to speed dating, join a reading group or even find friends though the Internet. However, I think the best place is school, where we are among a big number of boys and girls our own age, so it is easy to get to know each other in a short time. Besides, we can also make friends among the people who work with us in the community.

In order to make real good friends, the most important thing I think is that we should have common ambitions as well as the same interests and hobbies because it's hard to stay with a person who always disagrees with your ideas. In addition, we must be honest, noble-minded and kind-hearted in order to leave a favorable impression with others. And we mustn't lie to our friends. For me, when I was a child, I didn't understand what a real friendship meant. One of my best friends asked me the date to go back to school when we were on holiday. I told him the wrong date so he didn't go to school on time. Then the teacher asked his parents to come to the school. He was so angry and broke up with me. I hoped to say sorry to him but it was too late. I still regret that.

At the same time, we should avoid bad friends. A proverb says ‘A friend in need is a friend indeed.' Friends are people who willingly and readily help us when we are in trouble, and show sympathies for us when we are in misery. However, bad friends always do harm to us and they are dangerous to the people around us. What is even worse, they mar our friendships with good friends. So we should make friends wisely.

An Optimal Environment for Making Friends

Othman Al Ghamdi

I would like to talk about getting together. In my opinion, I see the best way to meet new friends is in school. I chose schools because they are the easiest place to get new friends and know them very well. There are many ways to get new friends but there is not enough time to meet them. It might be because of study or work. If someone asks me why I chose schools as the best way, I would say it is because I have met many of my best friends in schools.

At the University of Otago Language Centre I have made and got to know my best friend, called Ahmed Al Zahrani. I have known him since my first day at the Language Centre when I was looking for my friend Abdul Aziz in the common room. I think that reason is enough for me to respond when anyone asks me why I prefer schools as the greatest way to get the best friends.

I believe that the best way to maintain our friendships is to keep in touch with each other and try to help each other when anyone of us has got a problem. In addition, trying to not be angry when someone makes a mistake. I think these ways are the best ways to maintain our friendships and grow them.

Practical Advice on Nurturing New Friendships

Wayne (Weimin) Li

A friend, which is the most important thing in anyone’s life, represents honesty and support. Therefore, making friends is very important. Whether good friends or bad friends, both can affect the way we live.
With hi-tech developments, there are so many ways to find new friends or keep in touch with our old friends. As you know the way we usually use to communicate with people, are the telephone, writing a letter, the Internet and text messages. If you want to know which the best way to meet a new friend is, I can tell you this depends on different kind of people, who have their own personalities.
However, when you make a friend, if you are not concerned about this up and coming friendship, you're likely to lose this friend soon. So, what you should do after having made a new friend is having contact with them properly or doing something that shows you care about them. For example, if you want to attend an activity, you may call your friend and say ‘would you like to attend that activity with me?’ And you also can text them to say ‘How’s it going?’ Or you can send them some gifts as well. I think all the means above definitely work.
To tell the truth, I am not really sure how to maintain a relationship or to make it long-lasting, but personally, whatever the case is, doing your best for your friends is the key.

To Have A Friend Is To Have A Treasure

Araceli Munoz

Friendship is an important element of our social relations and our social environment. People usually find friends within the context that they move. In their school, in their neighbourhood, in their job, while traveling, on the Internet ... it’s possible to find friends everywhere.

In my case, I have made good friends at every time and in all places of my life. My friends mark the different phases though which I have passed during my life. I still keep in touch with some of my friends but others only remain for a while in my life and afterwards they only rest in my memory.

Many times, we fall out of touch when we lose some common thing that we shared with our friend: a place, a hobby, other friends … Sometimes time or distance doesn’t make it easy to keep our friendships, but, even so, some relations remain. We lose other friends forever. And some ones seem lost but we return to get in touch again after some time.

During my life I have learnt that being able to keep our good and old friends is sometimes more important than finding new ones. It can be easy to find new friends but keeping the friends that you already have is much more difficult. Maybe, if you want to keep your friends, the most important thing is allocating time for them.

But, what do we expect out of a friendship? Perhaps, we look for confidence, respect, sincerity, reciprocity, understanding or support, someone who will be with you when you need him and whom you will help when he calls for you. Or, maybe, we only try to find affection or companionship: somebody with whom we can speak about our problems, happiness or sadness and who listens to you both when you are right and when you are wrong. Or simply, we need to have friends in order to be happy and to enjoy good times, because, like the saying tells us “to have a friend is to have a treasure”.

However, we don’t expect the same things from all our friends. Not all friends have the same importance to us and we are not fond of each one in the same way. There are good, close and essential friends and there are more superficial relationships. And, sincerely, I believe that the former are the most important to keep.

Meeting New Friends & Maintaining Your Friendships

Fatmah Al Naser

Friendship is an amazing thing. I know many people but I only have a few friendships which I consider to be true friendships. These are people that I love and share my life with.

My friends always make me laugh and smile. They also keep me strong and encourage me to achieve my goals.

In my opinion there is no particular way to meet new friends. However, sometimes when you meet a new friend you feel you already know this person even though you have not met him before. This person probably becomes your friend because he is a copy of you and you see yourself inside him.

I read something interesting about how friends break up. Let me tell you about it. Firstly both friends will think the other is busy and will not contact him. As time passes, both will think why should I contact him first? Your love may be converted to hate. Finally, without contact the memory becomes weak and they forget each other. Keep in touch with all your friends because I don’t want you to be one of these kinds of people.

Making New Friends at the UOLC

Nitikorn Fongrattanakul

There are a lot of ways for making new friends and there are friends everywhere in the world such as at school, university, office, pubs or bars and the Internet. Before I came here, I only had Thai friends but at the moment, I’m staying in Dunedin and of course, I’ve already made new friends who are from different countries.

In my opinion, travelling is the best way to meet new friends for me. This is a good way to know other people and lots of other things such as culture, tradition, religion, society and so on.

Until now, I’ve studied English here for almost 6 months and I’ve got to know a lot of international friends such as Chinese, Japanese and Saudi people. How have I got to know them? Because I first started studying in the Elemetary class and now, I’m studying in the Upper-Intermediate class, so I have met a lot of friends.

In my view, almost all of them are good and kind people and I should cultivate our relationship by speaking to them and learning about them a lot, so this is a good way to nurture our relationships.

Moreover, I’ve already learnt various habits and got experiences that I’ve never had before and I promise that I’ll definitely maintain this happy time in my life forever.

Watch Out In Old Buildings!

Othman Al Ghamdi

I am going to talk about the paranormal. In my opinion, I believe there are some paranormal beings in the world and they live like us, but we cannot see them though they can see us. For example, many genies live around us and they hear us and they may do something that we do.

I do not believe some events have a supernatural cause because events cannot change and also God knows the events that will happen before they happen, so how can genies change something? It is not true that there is the ability to change or make events in life.

I am not interested about an explanation for phenomena in the material or natural sphere because nobody can change it, but we should find and search about the main reasons for that. In Saudi Arabia, I know some old buildings that people used to live in, but when they left, the buildings changed to be lived in by genies and many of them still live there and anybody who tries to get into these buildings may become mad or get sick. I know some people have got mad or got problems by getting inside many old buildings and they cannot cure themselves yet.

In conclusion, there are many paranormal beings in the world like genies. Nobody should try to get inside old buildings. That is my advice for each one.

The Musings of A Sceptic

Meiti Here Iotefa Stergios

I don't really believe the paranormal. I am a sceptic. But in my religion, we believe some Bible stories, but I don't know if they're true or false. We are just asked to believe in them. As when Jesus gifted sight to a blind person. It's a miracle but I don't know if it's really true. Maybe ...

In addition, in my home-country, many people say that they have seen UFOs, but may be it was just a light or a cloud. Perhaps a plane. Nobody really knows.

There are also some odd stories whitout explanations, such as ghost stories or the sudden disappearances in the Bermuda Triangle. They're really strange…

I only believe the things or the events that I can see or touch, I always seek an explanation for everything.

The Bermuda Triangle

Chris (Ce) Dong

There are lots of unsolved mysteries in the world. They are all very strange and unbelievable. We can't understand how they have happened--even scientists can’t explain them. So people are very interested in the mysteries. The Bermuda Triangle is one of the most attractive mysteries in the world and I am very curious about it.

The Bermuda Triangle is also called the Devil’s Triangle. It is an imaginary area in the Atlantic Ocean. It extends more than one million square kilometers between the island of Bermuda and it's very mysterious and dangerous because lots of planes and ships have disappeared in this area. It's said that at least fifty ships and twenty planes have disappeared there during the past one hundred years with over 1500 people disappearing. The accident that first suggested the danger of the Bermuda Triangle was the disappearance of five American Navy planes in 1945. The planes were carrying fourteen people on a training flight. They never returned. And a plane sent to search for them also disappeared.

In addition, it's also very strange that in this area compasses and other instruments stop working. Even satellite connection is gone. And some planes and ships’ captains reported that they saw a yellow fog in the Bermuda Triangle. When they approached the area, the sky suddenly turned yellow, and the sea and the sky seemed to come together. As a result, they could not tell where they were, or in what direction they were heading.

There are many different kinds of ideas about the mysteries of the Bermuda Triangle. One writer says that there are powerful forces under the water. These forces interfere with communication devices and cause planes to crash and ships to sink. Some people think that creatures from outer space guard the area. These creatures pull the planes and ships to another planet. On the other hand, some critics think the Bermuda Triangle stories are false. They say most of the events that have taken place in the area can be explained scientifically. There isn't a definite and common idea yet.

In my opinion, the strange phenomena in the Bermuda Triangle area tell us that human beings are only one part of nature. Through the long history of development, men have gotten to know more and more about the world. However, there are still more natural phenomena we do not know. We human beings still have a long way to go.

A Man of Incredible Strength Plus Some Djinns

Mustafa Al Saeed

In fact I do not believe all that I am told though I respect people's opinion, however I think some supernatural men have power or thinking which is better than the normal. There are many things we should put on the table to discuss, for example some miracles.

Everything has an interpretation. While I talk with my friends about this they think they are lied to by me. Those stories Arab Countries have too many. I would like to say two things, one is true and the second is questionable even if we see it clearly or the scientists seek how to prove it.

The first one is supernatural; I remember one man of my city had super powers. I did not see every thing about him but I saw him do many crazy things. I saw him swimming and pulling a boat that had 5 people because they were in the middle of the sea and the boat’s engine stopped. That time it was in the winter that it is very dangerous to swim, and many people were missing, and he has never tired of his job. He is in his 60s and he defeats young people who are in their 30s or 40s. Furthermore some people said to him there is a dog, which is the most dangerous dog in my city, and the man who had that dog bought it almost for $10,000 from Pakistan. The supernatural man did not want to kill that dog and he said one of us will be dead, so there were 2 choices for him (be killed or be a killer), but he was told he would fear the dog. Then we went to the farm to see that fighting. The dog rushed and bit him then he hit it on its face and broke its neck.

The second one is when I was in Oman, I saw some wells and a cave which are believed to have been made by djinns. I did not see that it was very hard to make them. I told my friend “maybe these are such as the pyramids that are in Egypt ” They told me "why, you do not believe the djinns.” This is not an argument but it is questionable. I believe the djinns but I do not believe in some of the things people say they do. People make everything miraculous.

The Power of the Mind

Fatmah Al Naser

Nowadays, in many countries governments start to concentrate on the human being as the source of power for countries. The science of self development has started in the last few years in education.

This kind of science focuses on human study and explains the difference between people and why we can see for example two brothers grow up in the same environment and under the same conditions, but one of them is smart and the other one is a normal person. In my opinion the first one understands himself clearly and he works to improve his mind and he really knows himself very well, so he becomes different.

One day I read about the human brain and how we can discover the power of the brain and that we use only five percent of our brain power and the remainder is unused. Also I read about photoreading which is kind of reading skill and the brain is able to take a photo of every page in a book in a few seconds, and then the person is able to read the whole book in minutes and will also be able to remember the numbers of the pages. When I read that for the first time I could not believe it, but when I researched it on the Internet I found many topics about photoreading and how can we improve our reading skills. This kind of reading is what we really need in the ILETS exam.

Mysteries or Lack of Knowledge?

Araceli Munoz

In general, at all times and in all cultures, people are prone to want to have an explanation of all the things that we see, think or do, even if this is beyond our means. People try to find different ways of looking for these answers and these can vary depending on character, education, religion, tradition or culture. We want an answer and if we don’t find one inside our knowledge system, we look for it in another place. We don’t resign ourselves to ignorance or doubt.

As well as the rest of people, I try to look for an explanation for all the things that surround me. Slave of the modern times and the occidental culture, I characterize myself by an extreme incredulity (I won't believe it until I see it) and a great scepticism with relation to strange explanations of unknown phenomena for which science (still) hasn’t found an answer. This includes not being a religious woman, and only having faith in the things which I can see or feel and in the people who I love, like my family and my friends, who I trust (maybe contradictorily) with a blind faith.

Nevertheless, I try to bear in mind that mine isn’t the only existent knowledge system. There also exists other world views in other cultures and these have their own way of explaining the world that surrounds them. The interpretations that these modes of seeing the world provide are as valid, logical and credible for these people as the scientific explanations of occidental culture for me.

Even if everybody tries to explain the things which happen through the knowledge that their tradition or culture provide them, people should also bear in mind that their way of explaining reality isn’t better (or worse) that the manner provided by other societies. The others' world views (different from ours) can supply explanations as logical as our interpretations. Although for us these are intelligible I think that the comprehension of our reality should be accompanied by respect for the way that other people see the world.

But, on the other hand, that doesn’t mean that, inside the same culture and the same manner of seeing the world, we must have an absolute confidence in the explanations that different people, collectives, institutions or groups of interest give us and that we must believe all the assertions that they explain to us. It’s important to underline the role that every person has in the process of rationalizing the information that they receive, deciding by themselves if this information can be a plausible and convincing explanation for their doubts.

Responding to Stories of the Paranormal

Nitikorn Fongrattanakul

In my opinion, I usually have two ideas to compare everything. The first way is an agreement and second way is a disagreement. Accordingly, the paranormal and the supernatural things are possible or impossible. Some events are probably true but other events are difficult to believe, aren’t they?

My country, Thailand has a lot of supernatural stories. For example some people believe that there are angels in famous Thai rivers and inside holy Thai trees. Thai people often worship them because they can give them many good things such as a good life, good careers etc and they also are an important thing in their life.

However, other Thai people don’t think so because they think they are hoaxes and maybe coincidences, and the believers are blind. If you want to have a good life, you have to be a hard working person, they say.

In addition, I’ve watched one of the Thai scary movies and this movie is about a black magic ritual story and the main actress had supernatural powers and she could move many nails to inside humans’ stomach if she wanted to do it. I know though, it can’t explain how she does it.

In conclusion, there are lots of reasons for things being true or fake. Sometimes, we can’t understand how they are happening, or why they happen? What is the cause, human or the natural? However, we should believe them about fifty percent of the time and shouldn’t be immersed in what is claimed to be paranormal too much.

A Miraculous Healing

Afnan Khadawurdi

I believe in the supernatural but I think this is a gift from God because he can do everything for people. He created them and gives them eyes, ears, a mouth, a brain and everything in their life. In my religion I believe that God can make me a successful person. He also can cure me from illness so I ask him for every thing I want.

I will tell you a story about that. In my country a lot of people every year have cancer. My friend told me a story about her cousin. One day when she woke up she saw in the mirror a swelling in her throat. Every day it became bigger than the day before. After that her family took her to a hospital. A doctor arranged blood tests and x-rays for her and told her she had a cancer in the throat, or more exactly in the thyroid gland. And they could do surgery but the problem is when they cut out the cancer they could cut the vocal cords and then she wouldn't be able to talk again and she was 20 years old and this was very difficult for her. And the doctor told her she had to decide very quickly because the cancer was spreading very fast. She went home and thought. Then she decided to go to Mecca, the holy city in Saudi Arabia and stayed in the holy mosque in it for one month. Every day she prayed and asked God to cure her from the cancer. She also drank the holy water called Zam Zam. After one month she went to hospital and received another blood test and x-ray. When she saw the doctor, he was amazed with her result. He told her the cancer had gone and she didn’t have to have surgery.

I was very surprised when I listened to the story but I remembered God can do everything impossible.

The Power of Fame

Chris (Ce) Dong

Fame and fortune, how attractive and beautiful they are.I think no one would say that they don't want to achieve fame and fortune. When I was a child,I even felt that if we don't have fame and fortune, it won't be a successful life. I dreamt of being a celebrity whom everyone knows. But on growing up, I have become more realistic. I know that life isn't all about that. Fame and fortune are not the whole meaning of life. The most important thing is we should live a happy life.

Surely,celebrities are important to me. I feel they are an important part of society. They can be models or idols for us. I have many favorite singers and actors. I often listen to their songs and watch their movies. I also regard some successful persons as models, like Bill Gates.

One of my favorite celebrities is Jet Li, who is a famous kung fu movie star in Hollywood. He was born in Beijing in 1963. When he was young, he was a martial artist and he won lots of golds in matches. He acted in his first film Shaolin Temple in 1982. Then, he became more and more famous not only in China but also in the world. In 1998, Li played a role in his first Hollywood movie, Lethal Weapon 4. In subsequent years, he has acted in lots of popular films like Kiss of the Dragon, The One, and Hero etc. Some of his movies have won a lot of awards in film festivals. So you see, he is really a successful celebrity and many people in China are proud of him.

Without doubt, Jet Li has lots of fame and fortune. But he has never been high-headed. He always says that he just wants a real simple and happy life. Besides, Li is also a kind-hearted man. He always devotes himself to charities. He has founded a charity named 'One Foundation.' By September 30, 2009, it had already collected 181,550,569 yuan. The money is used to help the poor and people who are disabled all over the world.

Reflections On Fame

Mohammed Al Amri

Fame and fortune are the ambition of a lot of people these days. In other words, there are a lot of people who think that happiness and satisfaction can’t be found unless you a rich and well-known person.

On the other side, there are diehard fans and every one of them is attracted by someone famous and ready to spend his/her life for his/her idol. They imagine every day about their marked persons: How they eat? How they sleep? How they spend their day? There are a lot of questions that convert those celeb worshippers lives into a hell.

They do that because they don’t know the cost that you should pay for being famous or rich. In my experience, mostly, poor people are happier than rich, because most rich people can’t sleep at night because of the stress of how to manage their money. They still think about that all the time.

In addition, famous persons don’t feel comfortable anywhere, usually, because they are followed by paparazzi and some obsessed fans and they face a lot of problems through their life because they are in the public eye and their mistakes are counted up by people and published by the press.

In my opinion, having enough money to survive and a home to live in is a decent life, much better than that of millions of people starving and dying in many places around the world.

Halle Berry

Afnan Khadawurdi

She was born on August 14^th, 1966, in Cleveland. When she was studying at high school she was very active and she took part in plenty of activities such as being newspaper editor. After that she completed her study at Cleveland’s Cuyahoga Community College where she studied broadcast journalism.

She started her career as an actor in television with a role on the short-lived sitcom Living Dolls in 1989. In February of 2000 Berry faced controversy when she was involved in a hit and run accident that erupted into a tabloid scandal. In the summer of 2001 she costarred with John Travolta in an action movie Swordfish.

She is one of the highest paid actresses in Hollywood. She has earned as much as $14 million a film. In 2009 she acted in the movie Frankie and Alice.

She has achieved a lot of awards after an Oscar in 2002 for best actress in a leading role for Monster’s Ball. In 2002, 2004 and 2008 she won BET awards for best actress. Also, in 2005 and 2006 she won the Black movie award.

I admire Halle Berry because she achieved something for the first time in being the first African American woman to win an Oscar. She still continues to win awards