bicycle description

I woke up to the sound of my alarm beeping loudly. It was a fine and bright Saturday so I decided to make a use of it. I brushed my teeth, washed my face and got changed into my exercise clothing. I went   into the garage and took my blue, two-wheeled bike out. I closed the garage and made my way to my bike for my exercise.

As I walked towards it, I thought about the complexity of how the bike was made. Melting the metal, then making it into shape and painting it. Using those materials, it can make something that is helpful for our body.

There was only one reason why I bought the bike - it was to keep in shape and make my body healthy. I looked at it once again carefully; noticing every bit of the bike. The blue and white painted body, the black, rubber wheels with strings hung onto it, the silver pedal, black chair and the white handle. They all just seem to fit into each other perfectly with no problems.

When I was satisfied with what I saw, I got on my bicycle and felt the coldness from the metal travel throughout my body, giving me a shock. I started off slow but as soon as I could, I picked up my pace and travelled to the distance.

famine and malnutrition in Somalia - third draft

It was an extremely cold winter in Somalia and everyone was suffering from it. I didn’t want to get out of bed because I knew that if once I did, the harsh coldness would hit me straight in the face, and it did. Even if I didn’t want to get up, I knew that I had to. My best friend was waiting for me inI didn’t want to get out of bed because I knew that if once I did, the harsh coldness would hit me straight in the face, and it did. But eventually, I did. Everywhere I went, old, rusty buildings were covered with cold and rotten dead bodies. 

It's been months since Somalia had experience a bright sun and felt warmth around my body. Even if we had summer, everything was dry.  I dragged my fragile body across the hard pavement until I saw my best friend since birth, Anna waiting for me at the entrance of the forest. 

She hugged me and shouted ''Ally! I'm so glad that you're okay! ''

Although we were only 12 years old, we knew we had to be brace because no rain have been coming to Somalia and because of that, none of the crop were growing. It was affecting the livestocks too and most importantly, the humans. Everywhere we went, there will always be dead bodies laying around. Luckily for us, a mission from London, John came to Somalia and tried to help us by giving us food and drinks. He's a really nice guy and he actually lives with me since all of my family died a year ago.

Each day, Anna and I would go deep into the forests to look for edible food but for the past week or so, we haven't been able to find any since the famine is getting much more severe. Other people were also looking into the forests to look for food for their family so they wouldn't suffer from starvation and malnutrition. 

Deep down, I personally knew that Anna wasn't going to last any longer. I could tell by the way she walks. She has been getting really weak and sick. We couldn't find any food and although John give out food, Anna and I wouldn't accept it since we knew that other people out there needed it much more than we did. 

One day, as we were walking inside the forest, Anna said to me, 

"Ally, I-I-I don't think that I can live for any longer" she said stuttering because of the cold.

"No," I insisted, "You can get through this and you will. You're stronger than this Anna, and I know it. You know it too, deep down inside your heart."

Day by day, Anna got weaker and weaker. We still couldn't find any food and because of that, she died not long after she told me that. 

I was devastated for days but John managed to look after and comfort me no matter what kind of situation that I was in. He told me about Jesus Christ and after about 3 weeks, I became a follower of Christ.

I would still go to the forest and remember the good times Anna and I had but one day, as I was walking to the forest, a family of 5 were walking back and somewhere in my head, I knew that they weren't from Somalia.

"Where are you guys from? I don't think I've ever seen you in Somalia before." I asked.

The father of the family answered, "We're from Ethiopia because the Americans think that we're not a worthy country. They want to bomb the entire country because we've been having famine and malnourishment problems for the past 5 years."

I thought about it and felt bad for them but suddenly, out of nowhere, something clicked in my mind. Somalia has famine and malnourishment problems too. 

As if he was reading my mind, he continued saying, "Somalia will get bombed too. We heard it from the locals. It would be best if you get out of here."

I couldn't thank him enough for the information that he gave. I ran back to my house and told John about the news. He was shocked too, like I was. He made a phone call to his missionary campaign and told them about the bombing and almost immediately, they wrote a letter and sent it to America stating that they can make Somalia a better place. America gave them three months to make Somalia a better place or else, they would bomb the country.

Because of that situation, John and I flew back to America and helped the campaign. We posted millions of posters up in London and since that, we've gotten over 10 million dollars. Using that money, we spent it on food and drinks then we would ship it to Somalia. We sent engineers there too so that they could build proper houses for the people there. 

Everything seemed to go in a right direction. After about two months or so, Somalia had their crops and livestock back and their population were increasing too. John adopted Ally and raised him like it was his daughter.

famine and malnutrition in Somalia

As soon as I stepped out of the house, the cold harshness hit me straight in the face. It was a really cold winter right now in Somalia. Since it was a very early morning, everything was black but I knew my way round. I could smell the rotten bodies lying on the ground see shadows of ruined buildings all around me.  Even though it was cold and dark, I knew that I had to keep moving no matter what happens.

Famine and malnutrition was a big problem in Somalia and it was taking Somalia over. Everywhere they went, dead bodies were lying around and ruined buildings. It is such a hard time to get past through.

My best friend, Anna since birth was waiting for me in the entrance of the forest. As soon as I reached there, she hugged me tightly saying,

 'oh Ally, I'm so glad you're alright.' 

Although we were only 12 years old, we knew we had to be brave because no rain have been coming to Somalia and because of that, none of the crops were growing. It was affecting the animals too and most importantly, humans. Everywhere we went, there will always be dead bodies laying around. Luckily for us, a missionary, John from London came to Somalia and tried to help us by giving us food and drinks. He is a really nice guy and he actually lives with me since all of my family died a year ago.

Each day, Anna and I would go deep into the forests and try to look for something edible but over the past 6 days, we haven't been getting any. Since the famine is getting much more severe, more and more people are going out into the forests to get the food they need. Day by day, they got weaker and weaker.

Even though John gave food out, Anna and I would always reject it and only accepted it on certain times because we knew that the people out there needed it much more than we do. I knew that Anna was getting so weak because recently, she couldn't even pass the half-way mark of the forest. I had a feeling that she wasn't going to last any longer and I was right.

"Ally, I-I-I don't think that I'm going to l-l-live for so long anymore." Anna said to me stuttering from the cold.

"No," I insisted, "You can get through this and you will. You're stronger than this Anna, and I know you are."

Day by day, Anna got weaker and weaker and eventually, after a week, she died from starvation and malnutrition. Ally was devastated. She just lost her best friend. Each day, she would get flashbacks from memories that happened and it just made things worse. 

John tried to comfort her with everything but still, she wouldn't let go until one day, he told her about Jesus Christ. Slowly, she got better and after a few months, she became a follow of Christ. 

But after 5 months since Anna died, it was summer and the people in Somalia were still dying. Their population was decreasing rapidly. Everything was dry and they could hardly get any clean water. All they could eat and drink was salty cabbages and dirty water.

As soon as John realised that the people were suffering and that the food he brought was running out, he decided go back to London and bring more food from there. Once again, Ally was devastated but when John thought back and remembered that she has no one else, he decided to take her back with him to London. Ally was jumping for joy.

"Thank you for letting go with you. Sometimes, I just can't stand that place," Ally said while shaking her head, "too much bad memories."

"It's okay, it's true. So much terrible things have happened to you while you were there. It's time for you to go some place else." John said.

Once they arrived in London, they head straight back to John's missionary campaign. He told the other missionaries about the trip.

"It was a horrible place. The famine, starvation and malnutrition is taking over Somalia. Dead bodies were lying everywhere and old, ruined buildings. Millions of people have died and we need to help them." John said strongly.

They all nodded their heads vigorously. They needed to do something to help them. Over the next 3 days, thousands of posters were hung everywhere. Because of that, they were able to get over 10 million dollars per month. They used that money to buy food and drinks and then ship it to Somalia.

Ally was extremely happy and grateful that her home town was finally going to be a much better place and she hopes that her people there are happy. 

letter to the editor

Felinsha Youzchalveen
29 January 2013
felinsha@gmail.com
Jakarta Barat, Indonesia


                                     Dear Editor,

               It has come to my attention that there has been some serious world hunger problems happening around the world, especially in Africa. Although Africa is so far away from Indonesia, we can do something to try and stop world hunger. I think that Indonesian students can really help world hunger.


               In my opinion, Indonesian students can help a lot. If most of the Indonesian students just give 30% of their pocket money, it can make such a huge difference to those who are in need. If we can use the 30% of our pocket money, we can buy food, drinks, blankets and shelter to those people. But the problem is, we're selfish, incompetent and lazy.
 

                If we do these things, the world would be a whole better place not only for the people living in poverty, but also for us. Let's make this world into a better place!


Sincerely,
Felinsha Youzchalveen

white poppy

The white poppy is an artificial flower used as a symbol of peace, worn as an alternative to, or complement to, the red remembrance poppy for Remembrance Day or Anzac Day.

In 1926, a few years after the introduction of the red poppy in the UK, the idea of pacifists making their own poppies was put forward by a member of the No More War Movement (and that the black centre of the British Legion's red poppies should be imprinted with "No More War"). Their intention was to remember casualties of all wars, with the added meaning of a hope for the end of all wars; the red poppy, they felt, signified only the British military dead. However they did not pursue the idea. The first white poppies were sold by the Co-operative Women's Guild in 1933. The Peace Pledge Union (PPU) took part in their distribution from 1934, and white poppy wreaths were laid from 1937 as a pledge to peace that war must not happen again. Anti-war organisations such as the Anglican Pacifist Fellowship now support the White Poppy Movement.

Those who promote the wearing of white poppies argue that the red poppy also conveys a specific political standpoint, and point to the divisive nature of the red poppy in Northern Ireland, where it is worn mainly by the Unionist community. They choose the white poppy over the red often because they wish to disassociate themselves from the militaristic aspects of Remembrance Day, rather than the commemoration itself.

The Royal British Legion has no official opinion on the wearing of white poppies, stating that it "is a matter of choice, the Legion doesn't have a problem whether you wear a red one or a white one, both or none at all". However, opponents of the white poppy argue that the traditional red poppy already encompasses the sentiments claimed for the white poppy, such as "remembering all victims of war", and consider that it undermines the message of remembrance. In the 1930s, when the white poppy was first established, some women lost their jobs for wearing them. Others are concerned that the money raised by the white poppy appeal may affect the funds raised for the Royal British Legion by the red poppy appeal.

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source : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_poppy_(symbol)