Since 2008, the Chinese government has been running the Hanyu Qiao Chinese Bridge Chinese Speaking Competition. The competition gives students learning Chinese a chance to show their skills in Chinese speaking, general knowledge about China and their cultural knowledge and performances.

Twenty students competed for the chance to represent Australia at the finals of the competition in China. Three of them came from Darwin, one of them was yours truly, and the other two were Gabriel Heines and Jeremy Lung.

All of the contestants performed incredibly well, with topics ranging from the humdrum families and activities to international travels and Chinese censorship. There were four winners, and while unfortunately no one from the Territory won, Gabriel won a special mention for his speech, in which he talked about the history of the Chinese in Darwin. Good work Gabriel!

If you are learning Chinese, this competition is a great opportunity to show off your Chinese. And to those who are not, remember to consider learning Chinese due to Australia’s (and Darwin’s) proximity to China and its prominence in the world.

School has started again, but we all know chillax time is just as important! Grind has composed a list of activities and ideas that may keep you occupied and entertained when it’s time for a break from school.

1. Riding buses to nowhere

This idea came up as we sat around doing nothing in particular. Round up a few mates, hit the buses and cruise. As students get to travel for free, provided they have student cards, a group can travel all around Darwin for free. Buses also provide luxuries such as air conditioning and, since they move, the scenery is always changing. Another advantage of riding buses is that you will get to know Darwin and its bus routes.

2. Learn something new

Not exactly an original idea, but learning to do something new, whether it be a musical instrument, a new trick on a bike, or learning to draw can be very rewarding. Some suggestions of things to learn are: Morse code, juggling, as many digits of pi as possible, and trick card shuffling. See which ones you can come up with, try them out and leave us a comment saying how you went. You’l kill some time and learn something new while you are at it.

3. Write a short story

If you are anyway interested by reading fiction, then writing a short story can be interesting. You can write a short story about a character from a book or TV show you have watched or read, or you can make up a character. Even the character creation process can be interesting, as you can give your imaginary character any trait you want, any flaw, any strength and any name. And what is great about writing your own story is that anything can happen; from your character attempts to buy a trombone in Humpty Doo to Darth Vader attempting to destroy the human race from another galaxy, its up to you. And at the same time, you practise things such as spelling (very important) and grammar, as well as putting ideas into words.

4. Cooking

If you have a well stocked pantry or fridge that is full of ingredients, then cooking can be very rewarding and keep you occupied until you have finished. If you have never cooked before, you might want to try something simple like cupcakes, and then progress from there. Cooking can win you points with your parents and friends. Also, cooking is a valued skill by the opposite sex, so keep at it.

5. Get arty farty

Whether you are into art or not, it does not matter. Just do something which involves art, whether its finger or toe painting, drawing, arranging displays or leaving encouraging messages to passers by on the footpath in chalk. It does not matter if can or cannot draw, paint, write legibly or be creative. You can also attempt to teach yourself any of these.

Note: finger and toe painting is extremely fun, but remember only to get the paint on the thing you are painting, you do not need to redecorate the floors of the house while toe painting.

6. Make something

Home made items can be a lot of fun to make, whether you decide to make a sculpture out of the pebbles in your garden or make a castle out of a cardboard box. Or, you can make small gifts out of items laying around your house. You can make jewellery out of erasers, or robots out of you old VCR, or even a chain out of paperclips. If you are interested check out:

http://dollarstorecrafts.com/

7. Make a mini movie

If you have a video camera or a digital camera that can record videos, you can make and direct a mini video. With simple items, a few friends and a bit of improvisation you can make just about any type of mini movie from a three minute action thriller involving fights with a giant cardboard box monster to a ten minute sci fi featuring an alien with a liking to a laundry basket.

8. Make someone’s day

There are a few ways to go about brightening up another person’s day. You could write a thank you letter to someone who helped you, it is always nice to be appreciated. Or, you could write to a distant friend who may be drifting out of touch; its always good to hear from different friends. Another good idea is to write a list of things you like about someone then give it to them. If you find a display of appreciation embarrassing you could find a way to give it anonymously. If there is someone new in your street or at school/work, you could welcome them and introduce yourself and things of importance, such as your friends.

If you are interested check out http://www.operationnice.com/

9. Plan world domination

Plan out how to take over with a friend. You could try any approach, from taking over the world’s security services to contacting aliens and using them to take over the world. You could write up plans, and draw arrows on a world map and label it master plan as well as include photos and plans for strategic targets. This can keep you occupied for quite sometime.

10. Write a Grind article

Whether you are a part of Grind or not, you can write a Grind article. You can write it about anything from school subjects to genetic engineering. Anything that is relevant to you is probably of interest to others, and you could write an article about it. If you have an article already written, or even just need ideas, or maybe just interested, just email: grind@grindonline.com.au

Why it’s the best and worst thing you will ever let into your life.

You’ve heard about it, you’ve seen it on your mate’s computer. A little button at the top of their screen that simply says ‘Stumble!’. The StumbleUpon toolbar is a mysterious and powerful tool, whose mystery is only exceeded by its power.

Be aware, for you have been warned. If you have the StumbleUpon toolbar on your computer, two things are likely to happen. One, you will discover total radical and awesome sites that will blow you away. Two, you will never sleep again. I’m telling you, it’s addictive.

“Just one more Stumble,” you say to yourself over and over and over, as the clock hands drift. Then you look and it’s three in the morning, and you haven’t moved in six or seven hours. “Oh no! I’ve got school/work tomorrow!” you think, “I’ll just have one more…”

So it goes, on and on. Yet, I have no regrets about Stumble. Since I signed up for a (free) account, I have seen areas of the internet that I would never have found. I have learned random and useless facts. I have seen amazing photos of events I would never have known about. The concept is so easy! All you do is go to www.stumbleupon.com, and sign up for an account. You tick a heap of boxes so Stumble (in all its mystery and power) knows which sites to drop you at, and then you put your like it, or  you don’t. After that it’s even easier. You can write a review of the site, you can friend and connect to people who like the same stuff you do, or you can sit for hours in front of your computer like a mindless drone… Or if you’re looking for a more positive spin, a sponge eager for information. So in a nutshell, Stumble is like channel surfing on the internet.

I know you want to know more, so go and check it out. And remember, Stumbling is less awkward on the internet.

Naughty Stories for Good Boys and Girls.

These stories were full of win. Packed with gruesome stories of farting and picking boogers, my year 5 teacher Mr. V had us in stitches at story time.  If you never read one your childhood was probably spent crying in the cupboard unaware of how hilarious bodily functions could be. I pity you.

The series consists of 13 sets of short stories published by Milne Books in 2000 with the first book in the series winning the Young Australian Best Book Award.

Why it’s a Nostalgia WIN

For one thing, it was Australian, not American like Sesame Street or British like our good friend Harry but pure, true blue, put-a-shrimp-on-the-barbie Aussie. Secondly, Naughty Stories for Good Boys and Girls was nothing like any other book our teachers would ever let us read – not that we wanted to read anyway. It was crude and made us feel dangerous; so while we sat in the corner laughing our heads off reading about ghouls and pranks and swear words, poor old Sally two shoes and her lost puppy remained in the cupboard under a fine layer of neglected book dust with the other boring morals.

Isabella Swan moves to a small, dull town called Forks. As her first day begins she notices that the Cullens, particularly Edward Cullen, hate her. As time goes by Bella becomes more and more fascinated with his porcelain skin and golden eyes. She notices how they all walk gracefully and look the same, but are her theories right? Are Edward and his family all vampires? Is she putting herself and others at risk? The book begins with love, and action leading to a suspenseful ending. You must read the book to know all the answers. It will keep you reading non-stop just like me.

If you like this book read the next two in the trilogy: “Newmoon” and “Eclipse”.

Reserve/Borrow a copy now!

The snow fell down so hard on them it might have been hail; the wind was not so kind either. The howling wind freezing with snow blew right through her very soul. Despite her body’s wish to turn around and go back to the warm village, she not once stopped to look back. She kept pursuing him through the blistering storm, the tall dark figure shrouded in darkness. The only way she knew he was still there was because the snow and wind seemed to touch him as he hovered on top of the deep snow.

“Why do you continue to follow me, are you not content with the agony you have caused me already?”. His voice was harsh and cruel, driving his words like a blade into the young woman’s freezing heart.

“NO!” she cried against the wind “It’s not true, I would never betray you! I could never hurt you!”.

The sound of angry priests approached shouting blasphemous curses in Latin, trying desperately to catch up to the two of them. Frightened she turned to the tall man cloaked in black, her eyes wide with cold tears falling down her cheeks. The hood covering his face made it impossible for her to see where the single red tear fell from.

Chapter 2: Birth of an angel part 1

Angel awoke for the first time in three days. She lifted herself up with tired arms that shook as she sat up. Her head was so heavy that she thought it may just crumple back down. Her eyes were blurred to the point that she might as well be looking through tracing paper. As she looked around, she noticed that the room was painfully bright. Slowly her senses came back to her. She instantly noticed irritating beeping noises all around her. She looked at her arm, there were  enough needles in both arms to fill a pin cushion. She followed the drips up to a series of machines, they seemed to be monitoring something.

She thought to herself she might be in a hospital, but it was a brief thought before she grabbed the needles and ripped them out of her arms. She had never liked needles, especially when they were connected to strange machines.

The white corridors seemed to go on for ever. Every corner she took was the same as the one before. There were no doors or windows in the endless white maze. It felt like she had been running forever yet she had not once lost her breath or felt tired.  Finally, by what she thought to be a stroke of luck, she turned down a corridor which was unlike the other ones. It was dark and gloomy, so dark that it absorbed the white of the corridor, engulfing it and turning it into an eerie mist that seemed to leak from the deeper parts of the darkness. She could just barely see the shape of a door at the end of this perpetual abyss of nothingness. It was a large black door that emitted a glow that most would describe as evil.  Above the door handle there resonated a symbol, the symbol seemed to be dripping upon closer observation. It too was a blood red. “Jezz” she sighed, “Doesn’t anyone in this place have the slightest clue of how to use other colors than white, black and red”.

He could feel every droplet touch him, each leaving an imprint, each with a memory of its own. Every touch felt like a heavy pressure with the weight of a secret that has been locked away for years. Every droplet released a food of expression and reminded him of what he forgot and chose not to share. A replay of a past he had tried to forget.

The man’s eyes were closed, but his ears were open to the sounds that were so alien yet so deeply embedded into his mind, that they sounded familiar. The sound was so clear, as though he could hear every drop hit the ground; hear it vibrate through his body like a shockwave, making his mind race with images they contained. The sound was deafening even to his already near-deaf ears.

The smell of the atmosphere filled him, running through his senses like wildfire. He could smell the moisture as his mind replicated these for the past. Memories. The thick humidity drenched him with not only water, but a deeper thought, something that cut into his senses more than a simple drop of water could. Locked away, its hidden metaphor; a reality that he substituted for rain.

He opened his mouth, the water filling up his cheeks as he let it run down his chin and join the rest of the water as it soaked his clothes. A sweet refreshing taste of clean water warped his clear headedness and it was the final straw of sanity. A vivid slideshow of the past printed itself from behind his closed eyelids. Tears trickled down his cheeks and mixed in with the rain. The water represented to him, a year of torment, a year of hardship and a year of rain and death. The shower of rain was transformed into a shower of bullets that cascaded down upon them from the dense twilight from unseen enemies. The loud crash of thunder represented the deafening explosions of grenades. The lightning struck all around him, like fingers reaching out to grab at him, to take whatever was left of his sight that a landmine had taken from him with its burning lights that fried his retinas. The hard downpour filled his cupped hands as he sipped the contents, it tasted as sweet as it had when he first came home, but as stained with hardship, as it had when he first got there.

All these memories swirled around him and crashed home as hard as the rain did. He could remember the time where even the fresh smell that rain brings, brought a knot to his stomach. He could remember everyday that it rained, and the few that it didn’t. The times where it was as close to heaven that life could have been were the days when they could see the sky.He hated rain, he hated water. But with each droplet, the anger melted away till he was just left with his thoughts, and the fading sounds of the ending rain.

“Papa? What are you doing out here? You’ll catch a cold!” A girl of twenty placed her hand on the old man’s shoulder.

“I was just remembering Kakoda…”