bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

SCMP Reporter

Real friends, or fakes?
I have a lot of friends.
I meet them on many different occasions, such as at barbecue or sports competitions.
Some are young, others are older.
I recently discovered that there are two kinds of friends - fake ones and real ones.
Fake friends always spend time with me. We like having meals, watching movies and playing games together, which are our favourite activities.
Real friends are different. We seldom spend much time with one another but they are willing to give a hand no matter what has happened.
We share our feelings because they are excellent listeners.
They are honest in their opinions and are not afraid to criticise when it is necessary.
Spending time with real friends is enjoyable Try to identify them and make a friend for life.
Cheung Po-yiu, Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College
Sweet dreams
I used to think that sleeping was a waste of time.
I would rather have been doing more meaningful things, like studying or exercising.
I used to sleep for a few hours and sometimes felt tired and lacking in energy.
Now I realise that sleeping is actually an extremely important part of life.
In fact, sleep is an amazing thing that allows our body to relax and get some rest.
If we don't get enough sleep, we won't have sufficient energy to do the things we want to do, even if we are full of enthusiasm.
We should treasure our sleep and never think of it as a waste of time.
Wai King-lam, Shun Lee Catholic Secondary School
Brave at heart
I am not a really brave person. Sometimes, I am afraid of talking to strangers who look sad or angry. I worry that they will find me annoying if I talk to them.
But, recently, I have tried my best to overcome my fears. When I tried talking to someone who looked sad, the situation changed and they began to smile. It really inspired me.
Now I have more confidence and I actually try to communicate with the others.
I believe that if we take a risk and try to do something that we are afraid of, we will always learn something.
Leung Hau-tung
Blood is thicker
The expression 'blood is thicker than water' means that family relationships are stronger than all others.
Your family is your treasure.
When you are sad, they comfort you.
When you are angry, they listen patiently.
No matter what you are thinking of, they will know because they love you very much!
They may be too busy talk to you sometimes but you should never complain. They work hard to make better life for you.
As a good son or daughter, you ought to be understanding about your parents. While they are working hard, they are missing you.
Rainy Tang, Shun Lee Catholic Secondary School
Dancing for joy
I joined the Gift Youth Dance Programme  last year.
The audition was very tough because the judges only chose 40 candidates out of 300 applicants.
I was very lucky that I was chosen. It made me very happy.
By the end of the first semester, I gained many things from the course.
As well as the wide variety of professional dance training, I had many opportunities to perform and to make new friends who have similar goals and interests.
We shared our experiences of dancing and helped each other when we had difficultly.
The programme taught me a lot about dancing and broadened my view of life. I think it's fantastic!
I hope can improve my dance technique so that I achieve my dream of becoming a professional dancer.
Holy Chan Pui-shan, The MCHK Wesley College
A sporting life
According to a recent report, most people in Hong Kong do less than one hour of exercise a week.
This is not just a problem among adults, it is also true for teenagers and children.
But  sport can provide a lot of benefits. It helps people to relax and it can improve their mood and relieve stress.
Sport can strengthen the muscles, boost the immune system, improve the respiratory process and help to lower blood pressure.
It can also boost self-confident and build co-operation within a team.
Even if we are very busy, I believe we can all squeeze in time for sport.
Here are some suggestions: walk up some stairs when you get back home, go for a walk after dinner, or play badminton, bowling, basketball, football or swimming during the weekend.
Sport is fun - it allows a group of people to play together.
There are dozens of different sports you can do.
Bertha Lo, Methodist College
Good English
My English teacher is wonderful.
She is kind and her English is good. Her teaching is fun and she puts a lot of effort into her classes.
She teaches us to be polite, helpful and attentive.
Sometimes she imitates the characters in our books to make the lessons more interesting.
She encourages us to speak English and not worry about making mistakes because practice is important.
She also encourages us to read out loud and be active in class.
Suman Varma, California school



letters