Hey Woooooooorld!

Time for a second introduction.

Hi, my name is Yoan, 17 year old Sri Lankan living in the UAE.

Budding Synyster Gates, Matt Heafy, Kirk Hammett, Alexi Laiho, you name it. The guitar, I believe, is as important as food or water and I cannot see myself living life without one. Music is my passion, it drives me, motivates me, allows me to look forward to the next day. It is my escape, my life, it is the air that I breathe, cheesy as it my be.

Other interests include Basketball, PROUD Cleveland Cavaliers supporter (so sue me), while the Cavs are my favourite team, my favourite  player is LeBron James, always has been and always will be. The man practically introduced me to basketball. There’s a reason many people consider him to be the best player around (26.7 PPG, 7.0 APG and 7.5 RPG in the 2010-11 season can’t lie)

Expect me to talk about music, sports, movies and many, many, many other random subjects. Stick around, read a bit, comment a bit and enjoy yourselves.

Cheers,
Yoan 🙂

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Credit goes to Dwight Howard for the post name 😛

A*

In just a few short days, students around the world will embark upon one of the most important test of their teen years. Their IGCSE’s. Years worth of studying will come to one final month or so where students realize that time of the essence and that every formula or definition is of the utmost importance. In all truthfulness, it might be.  But some people take these exams all too seriously, when they should be calm, collected with the right mindset for it, they are instead panicking and stressing out.

Everyone wants to achieve their dream report card (all A*s, undoubtedly), and to do so, all they would needed to have done was pay attention in class from the beginning the course and not try to cram it all up in the last week. Students have ‘sessions’ that last for days without sleep, but they need to realize that staying up late does not help, it does the opposite, it burns them out, what’s worse than sleeping during an exam? =P A composed, rested mind is the most essential thing to acing an exam, plenty of sleep is an absolute must.

These exams are important and their significance should never be understated, while failing them might not be the end of life as we know it, it just means life is just that much harder =) Ace the exams, get into a good college, get a good job, have a happy life, every teens dream right? With the right grades, anything (realistic) is possible, any university one would want to go to, any job one might want to apply for, get the A’s and you get what you want.

Some people take exams too seriously and it can lead to self harm or even suicide, yes it has happened. Students need to take the exams for what they are, exams, not life itself. If they fail them, it’s not the end of the world, resits were invented for a reason and you could always take the exam at a later session, when you’re ready for it. All students need to do is pay attentions and not shove everything down their own throats in one day, let me put it like this, if you don’t eat for a year and then get all the food you want at the end, does it help? No.

Big thank you to Benedickte for the idea for the article.

Im Lovin’ It. No, you just think you are.

How many of you have been dragged to McDonald’s by your kids or younger siblings? Just because they want that one toy, that one, cheap plastic toy. Why do you think they want it? Is it because it’s fun to play with? It looks nice? No. They want it because advertising makes them think they NEED it. Companies spend millions of dollars on advertising, through promotional gifts, television commercials and celebrity endorsements, and the kids are helpless to the power of influence of these massive companies.

Kids spend a lot of time in front of the television, what do you think goes on in between their favorite shows? Advertisements. Kids are forced to watch just how ‘awesome’ or ‘cool’ a product is, they see the adverts where the kids are excited and amazed at a certain toy or place and in time feel that it is also what they need to be happy. Product promotion is everywhere, from billboards and street signs to the internet and t.v, there’s just no escaping it. Millions are spent by industries to ensure that there product is on the corner of every street or on the commercial breaks of the most popular kids shows. Even celebrities and sport stars  are in on it, because they love the product? No. For the money.

How is the younger generation supposed to say no to a product when their favorite basketball or football player is shown endorsing  it? They receive huge sums of money to put their name on merchandise, more for appearing at events with them, and even more starring in a television commercial. Youth see their idols, their superstars with a product and feel that they have no choice but to get it for themselves, and they do so by constantly asking, reasoning and compromising with whoever they need to, to get what they need.

Kids will do anything to get what they want, or what they think they want. McDonald’s spends an estimated $1.4 Billion on television advertisements, just to get children to drag their parents there for a meaningless toy and a quick (unhealthy) meal. They nag, plead and cry for what they think they need and parents seem to have no choice but to say yes.

Advertising plays a very dangerous albeit sometimes important part of your lives, it can used to spread awareness and the right messages, however the negative aspect shows how it can be used to manipulate children into buying things that the adverts deem as ‘needs.’ Can we stop it? No, what we can do is be careful of what kids to watch and educate them on what’s truly needed.

 

Diary Entry: Day 4

6th December 2013

Another day another tale of terror, I didn’t know how I was still alive, and quite frankly if I wanted to be. Aimlessly wandering the streets with terror looming at every corner. I’d given up on everything at that point, my bubble of what life is supposed to be, burst into countless irreparable pieces, as I had been forced to embrace this bleak new way of life. Survival of the fittest never seemed this serious.

Times like those are when a mans true worth is measured, based upon whether he can provide and protect himself and his family, and in my case, whether he can keep sane while doing it. Whether one can truly keep ones thoughts focused when it was just that wasy to drift away, just to pass out. Determination and heart is proven here.

We had now spent a whole day looking for anything beneficial, but as usual we returned empty handed, as there was nothing of value for as far as the eye could see. We had been reduced to our very last rations, and how we were going to acquire nutrition was a complete mystery to my whole family, water however seemed to be sufficient as there was constant drizzling in the area.

I wondered how much longer we would need to endure this adversity, it almost seemed like a curse from God, but everything happens for a reason, right? We’ll just have to find out tomorrow.

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It’s all fictional.

Diary Entry: Day 3

5th December 2013

Our food was running out, and so was my hope, my hope that this would all be over soon, hope that I could look outside without worrying that an AK-47 would be aiming down at me. We had met up with a family that had also fled from Dubai, they told us that Dubai had been in ruins, that nothing was the same, smoke along the buildings, fissures among the roads and gunshots were almost all that they had heard, and lastly… Abu Dhabi was next.

I tried not to panic and just think of a reasonable way to overcome. I couldn’t do it. My dad then decided that we should continue to go towards the border of urban Abu Dhabi, in hopes that the conflict might be over before they invaded that area. We continued our overwhelming journey, and it gave me a lot to think about, what good were material possessions at times like this? How helpful would a 50″ flat screen be right now? Not a lot. Circumstances like the current really does put ones life into perspective.

I tried to look for anything that could be useful as we ventured through the barren streets, but found nothing, the streets were empty and meaningless at this point, abandoned cars and stores were copious, whereas patience and optimism were running thin. We found shelter in another deserted apartment, where we wind up another day in this hellhole, where it seems more likely than not, all hope is gone.

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Yes, yes, it’s all fiction.

Diary Entry: Day 2

4th December 2013

We reached Abu Dhabi in one piece, with everyone safe, thankfully. After hours of searching the desolate streets, we found a small, almost eerie, abandoned apartment that we decided to take shelter in.

There was no electricity and no communication as the opposing forces first undertaking seemed to have been the destruction of power suppliers and telecommunication lines. The absence of those two vital aspects of life was certainly taking it’s toll on everyone. We didn’t know what was going on or where we could go. We felt alone, helpless and desperate, desperate for anything from warmth to communication to food. Relying solely on the small rations we had packed earlier, we made do with what little we had, but we had no idea as to how long they would last us.

I was going irate, but I needed to be brave for my families sake, I needed to assure myself that I would be prepared for any and every situation. I wanted to know how my friends were doing, but alas, no communication. Despite all those feelings, one stood out, one was more intense, anger. I was livid at the fact some creature would just say the word, and instantly ruin, if not destroy innocent peoples lives. As day 2 winded up and finished my so-called meal, I thought to myself, is tomorrow worth it?

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Again, this is all fictional.

Diary Entry: Day 1

3rd December 2013

Today started out as any ordinary day, but ended up a living nightmare, a nightmare drenched smoke, fire, dead bodies and gunshots. I felt lucky to even be able to stand on my own two feet after seeing some of the dismembered people laying on the road, waiting to be put out of their misery.

I was just relaxing at home when it all started turning for the worse, I heard the earsplitting roar of something that could only be an F-16. The windows of my room shattered, my eardrums felt like they exploded. At that moment, my parents burst through my door, told me not to panic and to take anything that was essential. I felt confused and lost as I mindlessly tried to gather vitals into an undersized valise. After I crammed in everything I could, I went into the living room. All the TV channels were giving out nothing but static and nothing could be heard on the radio. My parents said then said that Dubai was being being attacked, and that we had to flee to the nearest safe haven, in this case Abu Dhabi.

As we rushed into our car, and began our daunting journey to Abu Dhabi, I could just hope and pray that my friends and family were all fine and that they had gotten to safety. Today was a complete calamity. It seemed as if anything I did at this point would be futile as all I all I could do was listen to the fear-inducing explosions and gunshots behind the car. I felt lost, as I didn’t know where we were going or what was going to happen next, muddled at the fact that I was truly clueless to everything around me and scared that I may not live to see another day.

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Keep in mind that all work is fictional.

“If I hadn’t had music in my life, it`s quite possible I`d be dead and I’d much rather be alive.” James Hetfield

Average teen? No pressure, right? Wrong.

Sitting around at 12:30 AM, personally, my favorite time to write as it is free of distractions. I was picking my brain apart trying to think of something, anything to write about. Then it hit me, from all the pressure of thinking of what to write about, I decided to write about pressure. People tend to foolishly assume that teens these days have no pressure, that their life is undemanding and effortless. They could not get anymore wrong. Teens at present times have to deal with heaps of pressure coming from everywhere, from parents, to friends and even the future. The life of a modern day teen is anything but easy.

Pressure, stress or anxiety towards teens comes in many forms like parents. The folks give us pressure by comparing us to our friends, comparing grades between friends, they really do need to realize that we are our own individuals, but I suppose that if they solemnly do it for the better, then it is acceptable, but as always, to a certain extent. Peer pressure is the direct influence of a social group in the encouraging of a person to change his or her own views, beliefs or personalities, in order to conform to norms. This is austere because it takes away one of the most important thing about a person, their individuality. But what maybe more dangerous is the influence that some hold over others, which may cause them to drink or do drugs, just to feel accepted. And that kind of pressure is just devastating. Perhaps the most insermountable obstacle, is the on that is inevitable. The future, the life that both parents and school try to prepare us for. The fact that we are going to live unaided by our parents, that we have to survive by ourselves is perhaps what teens fear the most, and it is bound to happen.

Pressure within teens is inescapable, while some may play instruments to escape it, and others draw, it is important to have some form of stress relief or it could lead to serious medical problems. The fact of the matter is, stress is inevitable, and the sooner we deal with it, the better.

Twas the Night…

Waking up this morning I knew that tonight was going to be crazy, fun and eventful. That was a understatement. Tonight was the night of Metal Asylum Festival Day 2. The plan was to go for day 1, but unfortunately it was changed to 21+. Anxiousness ran through me like a wildfire, as I couldn’t wait to start moshing and headbanging! Met up with Joshua Rego and Jemuel Carillo, and off we ventured to experience total Metal Madness!

We were late, but fortunately so were some of the bands! Sitting down for a few minutes to mentally prepare myself for what was to come, but nothing, NOTHING can prepare one for experiences as brutal as what we were about to witness. The first band to perform was ‘Osprey,’ and they did a great job of getting the crowd ready for later, a true metalcore sound with harsh vocals and widdly solos and awesome drumming, this band got the crowd started. Next band were ‘A Blessed Aftermath,’ another metalcore band from Abu Dhabi, and they continued to get crowd pumped with viscous verses and brutal breakdowns. At this point, the crowd was way into the music, everyone in the somewhat small audience of 50 or so were headbanging… relentlessly. I, and a lot of people began to feel bad for their necks at this point, but no one seemed to care, all they wanted was for the Metal to conintue! And it continued with The Crow Murder, a heavy metal band formed in the UAE, this band really started to interact with the crowd, and it was amazing, the singer really captured the audience and get everyone fired up and did an amazing job of preparing the crowd for HATRED! As soon as they hit the stage and hit the first notes, the roof went off the place, the crowd went insane, headbanging in unison, jumping around, the energy was completely overwhelming. The German Thrash-Metallers kept the ruthless pace throughout the set list, the headbanging was unremitting as the whole place was wild. The mosh pits began, people started running around and going crazy, this was the most fun  I had in ages. The singer was able to grab the audience and keep them together with every word and scream. These guys are the real deal, and tonight they proved it. With fast, heavy and vicious songs, the headbanging continued and the moshing was as brutal as ever.

After the show was over and the dust had settled, I needed to get out and give my neck and ears a break. Once my head was cleared, we went in to talk to some of the bands, and even though they are brutal on stage, they were really nice guys, talked to them for a bit, got pictures and the whole lot. And it was really good to see that these guys go out there and give it everything they’ve got, even for just a few people, and that’s what I love about Metal, be it 50 or 50,000 people, the energy given out from the fans are mind blowing, and you wont get that from any other genre.

And now, with a stiff neck, an almost lost voice, bumps and bruises and my half deaf ears, I know that I must take all those things and go to school tomorrow, be that as it may, it was an awesome night and I wouldn’t have changed a thing.