Holidays

TAKE NOTE: I penned this essay during my mid-year examinations last year (2010). Thus, I cannot guarantee that the essay is flawless. Please enjoy it anyway and do leave comments, Thanks! :D

I look forward to holidays. I believe that most of you look forward to those days as well, after a long period of conscientious studying. By the way, how do you spend your holidays? Do you know the purpose of such a break and relaxation, albeit the rat race in academics which you face in school everyday?

Holidays are precious. As Malaysians, we are fortunate enough to have plenty of holidays, which are virtually almost half a year. Just count them for a week, and almost a month-long holiday at the end of the year. Think of the holidays for festivals and weekends as well. You can imagine such considerable days for breaks for every Malaysian. However, time is gold. We should not take holidays for granted. Holidays should be used for revision and reinforcement on our studies, apart from sports, recreation and suitable entertainment. Try to imagine our lives without holidays. Study, work, study, work… How monotonous our days would be! Our wise ancestors even reminded us that “All work and no play make Jack a dull boy”.

Holidays should be well-used for beneficial purposes. Loitering, hanging out in shopping malls for hours and smoking turtle is strictly a no-no for a high-quality holiday. Yet, it is not sensible to simply do revision the whole day long during the break. It is time to let our hair down during such days.

As adolescents, we might question: how to spend the holidays? Well, first and foremost, consider tidying up your house, or at least your room. It is very sickening to see a rom in ultimate mess. The books should be placed in racks and the wardrobe must be neatly arranged. Such an activity is not hard labour at all. In fact, you can grab this opportunity to put in your creative juices to redecorate and reorganize your room. Tidying a room is a form of mild exercise as well. You can relax by tidying up your room and listening to the music at the same time. When your room is finally spick and span while looking cool and attractive, you will have a sense of self-achievement and bliss.

Next, remember that your parents have some skills up their sleeves which you can learn to get yourself ready for an independent lifestyle. Try to help them with some housework, such as cleaning the house, ironing the clothes, and wash the car. At the same time, have fun by acquiring some culinary skills from your parents. Start from cleaning and cutting the ingredients, and preparing them simultaneously with your parents until the food lands into the wok and finally into the plate and served. Voila! Your own dish is made! Of course, if you are interested in carpentry or needlework, you can learn from them. Helping your parents out is filial and can improve family bonds as well. It is an act of killing two birds with one stone.

That is one of my pencil drawing, by the way. 

Apart from that, have some rest by being involved in sports, recreation and hobbies. Remember that “a healthy body makes a healthy mind”. You can spend your vacation by jogging, aerobics, field sports, etc. This is the time for you to let off steam and be active while preparing your health and soul to get ready for future challenges. You can also utilize your holidays by indulging in your hobbies, such as gardening, painting and singing. Once again, you can keep yourself occupied while sharpening your skills as well. You can go creative by creating your own masterpiece from your hobbies, be it a song, a picture, a beautiful landscape or a big birthday cake- these are your accomplishments which can satisfy yourself.

Besides home life, think of a trip with your family and friends. It can be either local or abroad. Nevertheless, it is better to choose a calm and relaxing destination, especially travel hotspots which are based on Mother Nature. Such places can calm your soul and impress yourself on the beauty of the creation of God. Among them are the National Park, Taiping Lakegarden, and Langkawi Island. Yet, one man’s meat is another man’s poison. It is also alright to visit urban areas where you can hunt for desired goods and enjoy a wide array of food, and shop till you drop! You can also visit your relatives during this period to strengthen family bonds.

Some of you might choose to watch television or surf the Internet as your holiday pastime. Holiday is the perfect time to do them! For television lovers, consider a documentary or a soap opera without violence, but control the time used in front of the box to avoid from becoming a couch potato. As for internet freaks, holidays are the time for social networking, online gaming, video and music streaming, blogging, information searching, etc. Once again, take hold of the time used or you will get addicted. Remember that staring at those glaring boxes for an excessive period of time can jeopardize your health, especially your eyesight.

Besides having a fun-filled holiday, do not neglect your studies. Time management is important in this aspect. Therefore, spare some time to revision and have some good reads. Holiday is meant for proper reinforcement in your academics, too. Therefore, you should not escape from your studies or you will not be prepared for the upcoming examinations or schooling at all. What a silly waste of time!

In conclusion, holidays should be utilized completely to maximize its benefits. Holidays can be either enjoyable or a disaster-it depends on proper time management and logical conscience. In this way, you will love your holidays even more and be even well-prepared for the future. Have fun!