BADMINTON COACH PROVIDES INSPIRATION My favourite teacher is Amy, who is also my badminton coach. I was a Form Two student when we first met during the Christmas break. My father wanted me to do some exercise so I took up badminton. Thanks to her help, I was selected for the school badminton team within a year. My coach has influenced me in many ways, including my studies and character. She always encourages me, which has helped enhance my self-esteem. She cheers me up when I have study problems, and she is also there to share my happiness. She is like my mother - I feel so relaxed in her presence. I did not agree with my father when he suggested that I should change my coach. Amy has helped me to become a school badminton star and she plays an important role in my life. If all teachers and students have a good relationship, I believe everyone will be happy. Choi Sing-wan IT'S SO SAD TO LOSE A GOOD FRIEND If you don't value your friends, you will lose them. I am very sad now because I have lost a good friend. We have known each other for three years. We did almost everything together. Everyone said that we looked like sisters. We were very happy. But our relationship faced a difficult test last year because of another friend's problems. We found it hard to handle our emotions. Later when we met, we pretended that nothing had happened. But it's not the same anymore. Our friendship has suffered. Friends should have a good understanding of and be open with each other. Please treasure your friends. Daisy Chan Leung Shek Chee College CHILDREN NEED LOVE AND ATTENTION There are different ways to punish a child. But every child is different, so we should first understand their feelings. It is important not to ignore children. The purpose of punishment is to let a child know that they have done something wrong. Ignoring a child doesn't help them learn from their mistakes. We need to explain why they are wrong so they will behave better in future. We should also never shout at a child. When we are angry, we may use words that hurt their feelings. Talking with them can release the tension and ultimately find a solution to the problem. We should listen to a child's views before blaming them for any wrongdoing. Surveys have revealed that emotional and physical punishment is not good for children. They need our love and care. Connie Lam Kit Sam Lam Bing Yim Secondary School NATURE-FRIENDLY GOLF COURSE FOR SAI KUNG A $300 million golf course is being developed on Kau Sai Chau off Sai Kung to enable more young people to take up the sport. This is a good idea, but we have to strike a balance between development and the environment. Fishermen say they have suffered since the first golf course was built on the same island about 10 years ago. This time, the government is convinced the new course will not damage the environment. Officials say approval for the third course was only given after careful assessment of its environmental impact. I appreciate the government's attitude on this project. It seems that the authorities have learned from their mistakes. Ben Ng Ka-wai Cheung Sha Wan Catholic Secondary School LIVE YOUR DREAM We have all had dreams since we were a child. Some of my friends want to be firemen or doctors. But they will never achieve their goals. Why? It's mainly because they don't have confidence in their abilities. They only dream about what they want to become, without really trying to make their dreams come true. I believe we should have targets - not dreams ? and aim to achieve them with determination. Never give up or think it's too late. For example, if you want to be a doctor, you should start reading books or watching TV programmes about medicine. The more time you spend on it, the more you will gain. And finally, you will be able to make your dream come true. Ivan Chang St Mark's School GREAT MEMORIES My parents took a lot of photographs when I was a baby. I can be seen crying, laughing or eating in them. These photos provide wonderful memories which I will treasure for the rest of my life. Kathy Homantin Government Secondary School
