Beauty of Japan

We all know brands like Toyota, Sony and Mitsubishi. Many of us have at least once in our lives used an appliance from the Sony Company or been in a Mitsubishi car. But, do we know anything about the country which owns these brands? Do we know anything about the country with the second largest economy? Do we know anything at all about Japan?

Japan is an island country situated in East Asia, in the Pacific Ocean.

Japan is not made up of one big island, but an incredible number of 3,000 islands.

The four largest and main islands are Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku.

Japan has a very vast population of around 128 million compared to the 20 million in Sri Lanka.

With this much of a population, there is bound to be a lot of people of different races with different languages and religions.

The main languages of Japan are Kanji, Hirasana and Katakana. The main religions are Shitu, Buddhism and Christianity, though there are many more minority languages and religions.

The capital city of Japan, which almost all of us have heard of, is Tokyo. It is one of the richest cities in the world as well as one of the most polluted cities in the world.

Due to the growing economy, the industries also grow. This leads to the growth of pollution damaging the environment. However pollution is not the only cause for concern for Japan’s environment.

Due to its position on the tectonic plates, Japan is a very unstable country which is rocked by frequent earthquakes and tsunamis. It also has a large number of active and non-active volcanoes. In fact, Japan’s highest peak which is Mount Fuji is also a volcano.

Putting aside Japan’s dangers, Japan without a doubt is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with its lush green lands and beautiful mountains. Japan is truly a magnificent place with many wonders and attractions.

Sachini Chandrasekara, Grade 11, Colombo International School.
 

OBEDIENCE

It is our duty to obey our parents. We must always do what they tell us to do because all that we have is given to us by them. Love, care, food, clothing and education are what parents give their children.

They take good care of us when we are too young to do anything for ourselves. They watch over us in times of illness, teach us values and principles and also religion. They guard us and protect us from all danger and harm. Obedience is a very simple way of showing gratitude for all these benefits we get from them.

Parents are not only the providers, but also the guides of their children in all matters of life. Being adults and having experience in the world, they are in a position to form a better judgement about many things than children. Therefore obeying parents is not only just a duty. Doing so is in his/her best interest.

Examples of disobedient children are very common in this world. Regret has often been the result of disobedience.

Disobedience is ingratitude and one of the greatest cruelties a child can inflict upon a parent who has toiled for years for his/her sake.

From today keep in mind the importance of obeying your parents. Listen to what they say and live according to their rules. Then you will definitely become a good person in the future.

Indira Attygalle, Grade 10-C, Alethea International School,Colombo.
 

My school

My school is very beautiful. It is situated in Kuliyapitiya in the North-Western Province. There are about one hundred teachers and 2,500 students.

My school was placed fifth at the all island GCE O/L examination result standings. It also won first place in the North-Western Province.There are beautiful flowers and trees in the school premises.

There are many buildings comprising different rooms for computer science, science, art, music and dancing, a library, multimedia unit, canteen, main hall, girls and boys hostels, the pavilion, a large playground and the school office.

I love my school very much. May the school prosper!

L.W. Ashinsa Ronali, Grade 7F,Kuliyapitiya Central College.
 

Dear teacher...

There are many teachers in the world, but I consider one particular teacher as the best.

You will always stay with us as a friend, dear teacher. I like you because at all times you are with a beautiful smile. When I see your smile, it makes the day beautiful.

You direct us to do good things and to study; you teach us what the good and bad effects of our actions are. After that we are able to choose the good actions and achieve success in our lives.

Teacher, you always care for us like a mother. If I do some creative work you praise me and you encourage me very much. The most important thing is that you are a teacher who loves us very much. I too love and respect you dear teacher.

Dear teacher, thank you very much for your valuable guidance. You are the greatest teacher. I am very lucky to have such a great teacher like you. I wish you a bright future!

Kavisha Wijerathne, Sujatha Vidyalaya, Nugegoda.
 

Save plants that save us

“Nature is the art of God”, it is said. If we allow it to be destroyed we are only showing contempt to its creator. It is the most precious gift given to mankind, and it is our duty to protect and preserve it.

Plant life makes the largest contribution for the survival of our delicate eco-system. Plants not only provide us with food and shelter, but fresh and clean air too. For, plants are the producers whereas animals are the consumers. We all depend on plants for our survival.

Therefore, if this green umbrella is destroyed, it would disrupt the whole food chain and the balance of nature in our surroundings. Can we imagine a world where there are no forests or woods; but deserts without any moisture except acid rain? If all the flora and fauna are devastated, where would birds and squirrels set up their homes? What would they eat?

Despite the valuable role, plants play in our existence, it is very sad to note that these green friends are being eliminated from Planet Earth by ungratful man for his/her own selfish ends.

For the sake of development, the forests are cleared and land is stripped bare.

Aren’t we steadily moving towards the path of destruction? Let’s join our hands, as a strong chain to protect the plants that save us..... Keep us alive!

Chanchala Widulap, Grade 10, Royal College, Horana.
 

Cleanliness and health

We all like to lead healthy lives. In order to do so we must look after our health. We must eat proper food, keep our environment clean and free of diseases and do exercises.

In our day-to-day lives, we see many people who have different lifestyles. Some live in unclean environments while others live in clean environments. You must have seen how some city dwellers lead their lives. They do not care about the cleanliness of their environment.

Many dump their garbage in the streets and as a result, flies, rats and cockroaches breed. Other animals like crows, stray cats and dogs scatter the garbage all over the place.This helps spread diseases. It gives a bad odour too. How can we create a clean environment?

We must grow trees around our homes, stop throwing garbage here and there and collect it into one place and dispose of it properly. We should also collect empty tins, coconut shells and bio-degradable plastic wrappers and burn or bury them or give it to garbage collectors.

To stay healthy we should be clean both in mind and body and live in a clean environment. Cleanliness is very important for a healthy life. You must not forget that cleanliness is next to godliness.

M.R. Fathima Razume, Grade 7-A,St. Joseph’s Balika MV,Kegalle.
 

Unity is strength

Sri Lanka is a country with a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society. There are people of different religions, following diffferent customs and traditions, living in our motherland. But they are all Sri Lankans. Therefore, unity is very important for people to live in peace.

First we must learn how to live in unity with others from our childhood. Our parents are the first teachers; they teach us how to live in unity with our brothers and sisters within the family. Therefore, the family lays the basic foundation to teach us how to live in unity.

Next, we get a thorough knowledge about unity and its strength from school. Throughout our lives we have to associate and work with different types of people. Unity is very important even in sports activities to achieve victory. So, any one can see that unity is strength.

Animals too display some traits that reveal their unity. The ant is one such creature. It is amazing how they build huge ant homes many times larger than them. They build such large homes with the assistance of the whole ant community. They also carry food bigger than themselves with the help of one or several ants.

So this shows us the unity among ants and the strength they get through this unity.When there is no unity among people in a country, work place or anywhere, there could be problems. In Sri Lanka there is an ethnic war due to the absence of unity.

A large number of people die because of it. Many women become widows, children become orphans and parents become childless because of this burning problem. This all happens due to lack of unity.

Now it is very clear that with unity our environment becomes peaceful and a friendly place to live in. But with the absence of it, the Earth will become a dangerous place. The strength towards the development of a nation is unity. Therefore, we must all work as a single unit, as Sri Lankans, towards the development of our country.

Nishadi Madumali Bandara, Grade 9-F,Mayurapada Central College,Narammala.
 

I can only dream

I can see the stars
In the sky at night.
I can hear aircraft
Flying in the sky.

I can watch on TV,
The seven wonders of the world,
I can read about Mars and outer
space.

I can listen to
electronic sounds and music.

But I can only dream,
about a national school for my higher education.

Hasini Vihanga, Grade 5A, Dharmawickrama Girls’ College, Kandy.