Does social media help or hinder peoples connection?

Over the past few years the social media has made a huge impact on our lives. Not long ago, information were given in very different ways. For example, back in the day we had to write letters and physically send them, land phones were used to make appointments and phone calls. Over the past five years or so, a new invention has been made to make social connections easier. Since Facebook launched, we have seen the social world majorly changed. 

Social media, such as Facebook, can help and hinder people’s connections. There are many positive and negative sides to Facebook.  Facebook has been a big impact to the young teenagers’ lives, right now they are one of the biggest consumers in the social industry. Teenagers are constantly on Facebook. They are exposed to social pressures as it is, and with the Facebook launching the media pressure is now at its peak point. For example, If a teenager has many friends on Facebook, he/she is considered cool and very popular with friends. At the same time, somebody with a little number of friends might not be popular, and that causes pressure. Even if the teenager has lots of friends, they might not know most of the people they are friends with. Social Media is not only pressuring teens, but also contributes to losing their social skills. Right now most teenagers rather chat at home than seeing their friends face to face.

People, who are usually shy in interpersonal relationships, sometimes find it easier to make friends via Facebook. They become a whole new person on the social network. It gives people a chance to create an image of themselves who they want to be. For example, they become more outgoing on Facebook than in real life. Some people might take it to the next level, where they would even put a picture of somebody else, just to make them look cooler. People sometimes photoshop themselves in photos, just to look pretty.

Even though you can set your privacy settings, it is still easy to spy on other people and find out information about them and their lives. That also gives a chance to manipulate people. People can pretend to be someone else, in order to meet other people, which can turn out to be dangerous.

Despite all the negatives, Facebook has brought positive changes in peoples’ social life. It helps people to stay in touch with their loved ones and friends. Facebook allows you to find your friends again, those that you may have not seen in a while, like friends from your childhood.

Facebook also allows you to help your business by advertising and promoting the company.

So, as we can see, Social media can really do help and hinder people’s relations. In my opinion, I’ll rather have real face-to-face friends than 500 strangers, that I never see. As long as you keep your privacy to yourself, you can have the positive sides of this social media.

Latitude Zero resort review

On my term break, I went to a surf trip in Sumatra. I went there with my brother, uncle, cousins and friends, total amount of people was about 24. The trip was a blast! Great surf, and we also stayed in a very nice resort in a remote island.

The resort Latitude Zero, where we stayed, is located in a remote island called Telo, The island is located off North Sumatra. The hotel got its name “Latitude Zero” due to its location, it lies on the Equator. The island itself is very lush and green, it has the clearest waters and the whitest sands. It has a peaceful atmosphere, you don’t think about time and dates on the island.

If you are looking for a huge selection of amazing waves, catering to all skills level, then this is truly the place to go.  The island offers a wide variety of waves,  from mellow waves to steep, huge waves. The resort offers a boat transportation to take you to the surf spots. The boat itself is quite luxurious for a speedboat, and makes the trip even better. In the boat you get professional surf guides from Australia, the guides are friendly, helpful and easy to talk to, especially if you are looking for a wave that suites your skills. There’s a professional photographer on the boat with you, he takes amazing pictures. Great lunch is also served on the boat, it’s especially delicious after you had an amazing surf.

The boutique resort offers you luxury accommodation. The rooms of the family complex are spacious, there’s a big living room. The living room has satellite tv, a Wii and very comfortable couches. The rooms are very simple yet luxurious, I shared a room with brother and we both got our own beds. All the rooms are air-conditioned, and very clean. If you’re up for some games, there is a games room available in the resort. The games room is open for anyone, it’s a great place to hang out and chat. In the games room you can find billiards, ping pong table, a fully functional gym and a 40 inch tv, which is used in the end of the day, for showing the slideshows of the pictures of you surfing from today. After a surf, everyone seems to go for a dip in a pool, the pool is a great place for the kids and friends.

The food in the resort is amazing, it’s always fresh and delicious. Every day I would be pleasantly surprised by the food I was served. The three meals you get a day, are simply amazing, can’t complain!

The staff in the resort are very welcoming, and very professional.  They always come to you with a smile when you need them. There’s also a golden retriever that lives on the island. The dog’s name is Larry and he sure does make the guest happy. I reckon Larry has the best life for a dog!

If you’re not a surfer, there’s still a lot for you to do. There are different activities on offer such as:

·      Local village tour

·      Island walk

·      Spear fishing

·      Gym

·      Fishing

·      Snorkeling

·      Stand up paddle boarding

My overall rating for this luxurious resort is a 10/10! This trip is worth every penny, definitely a once in a life time experience!

If you’re interested, then go to their website: http://resortlatitudezero.com/

My 5 year plan

In my next five long years, I will be experiencing a whole new world, I would go to places, that I have never been to, and meet new people. In the next five years I may also come across some problems, but it will be worth the experience. 

Next year I will move out of Bali to go to school overseas, I will probably go to a boarding school. My mum reckons that this is a good idea, because I will meet new people, and I will have a better education. My older sister and brother went to boarding schools in Sydney, Australia, for year 11 and 12. They said that it was an amazing experience; they got to meet new people and go to new places. Right now, they still have lots of friends in Australia. So, for the next two years I will be studying overseas, the places I will possibly go are Sydney, Australia, or Chiang Mai, Thailand.

After I graduate, I would like to go straight to University in Australia. I asked advice from my older brother and sister, if I should take a one-year break. They both said “no”, they said it’s a bad idea, because you won’t be used to studying.  They had friends that took a one-year break and found it hard to get back to studying again. I agreed with them. In University, I would like to study either Marketing, Design or Asian Studies. During my time in University, I’ll stay either at my grandma’s house or share an apartment with friends. To make money, I’ll try to get a job somewhere in the surf industry. My older brother has worked in many surf shops, and he said it’s a good job, it’s easy and you get paid fairly well. After I graduate, I would come straight back to Bali, and stay in my home island around a month or two. After that, I would go travelling to places, which I have never been to, like maybe America or Europe. I would be travelling around for two months and after all that travelling, I’ll start looking for a job. I’ll be looking for jobs either in Bali or Sydney. Right now, Bali is becoming a hotspot for tourism, and by the time I will be looking for a job, there will be lots of choices and opportunities for me. I would rather live in Bali though, it’s much easier and I just like it here.

How to put fins onto your surfboard

Hey guys for my blog post I will be teaching you guys how to put fins on your surfboard. This a very easy and simple thing to do, I believe anyone can do this. Fins is a curved object which is placed at the bottom of your board. Fins helps you to make maneuvers when you are on a wave. Without fins, your board would be out of control and there is no fun to that.

First of all, there are two types of fins, FCS fins and Futures Fin. They don’t have much difference at all, what makes it different is that they both have different docks.  The one that I use for surfing are Futures.

Step 1- Resource

These are the list of things you need to assemble your fins onto your surfboard. As you can see there’s not much things that you’ll need. You just need a:

-Surfboard

-Fins

-Fin key

-Sunscreen

Step 2

If you have finished prepping your surf gear, you can now start assembling your fins! First unscrew the bolts on the fins by using the fin key. Turn the key in a anti clockwise direction. Keep turning it until you see the bolts popping out.

                                                        

 Step 3

After unscrewing the bolts, you can start placing the fins! First get your fins out, you should have a total of 3 fins. Make sure you know where to put your fins. Before placing the fins into the dock, it is a tradition of mine to add a bit of sunscreen on the bottom of the fins. This will make the fins slippery and makes it easier to put the fins in the dock.  After you did that, you can now place the fins onto the dock. Make sure that the fins are in the right place, just like the picture down below.

Step 4

After placing your fins on the docks, you now have to make the fins locked and secure. You do that by screwing the bolts all the way in. Start screwing the bolts in an clockwise direction. You must screw the bolts all the way in, so the fins will be totally locked in. Once your done give your fin a little test by giving it a little pull, if its not moving it means its locked and secure.

                                                   

                                                                                                                           

Now you are ready for an amazing surf!

Bali Traffic

Bali’s traffic, the only thing that makes me hate this island paradise. The traffic in Bali drives me mad sometimes! Everyday I hear loud honks and loud engines up my road. In the future, Bali’s horrendous traffic will get even worse.

A few years back, Bali’s traffic wasn’t a big problem to me. I wouldn’t really notice that we stopped moving in a highway. I would never hear my mum complaining about the traffic or canceling plans due to traffic. Some years back, where I live in Seminyak, there wasn’t a big problem with traffic.

 One time, I was reading an article in The Beat Magazine that Seminyak was considered a ghost town. It was showing pictures of empty villas, green rice paddy and empty roads. I could still remember those old days, and I remember when it was safe enough to ride my bicycle to Batu Belig with a friend of mine, Made. But, that all changed now, right now Seminyak is the hotspot for tourist, famous artist, and celebrities performing and staying in Seminyak. Lots of new shops have opened, more restaurants and big hotels, which make the roads even smaller, making it harder to park.

The traffic in Seminyak is absolutely uncontrollable, anything can happen in that road now. This makes me sick! All the places where I’d hangout, when I was little, have now turned into 5 storey buildings.

This is why I hate the traffic in Bali, it can turn the places you loved into a total nightmare of dangerous cars and motorbikes going up your lane.

What makes me who I am today

Throughout the years, I have met memorable people along the way. I met people that have made me into who I am today. But for me, it is not only the people that can inspire you, I believe that anything you touch, see and hear can pretty much change you into a different and better person.

I guess my family is the main people that made me into who I am today. Since I was born, I have always looked up to my family.  Looking up to my family has made me to do stuff that I enjoy. For an example, my brother- he is the only person that made me fall in love with surfing. Everyday I would think about all the time and effort he has put in my surfing.  Without my brother, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy surfing.

All my friends have influenced me, too. I believe, that if you pick the right friends, you will become a better person.  Without my friends, I wouldn’t have experienced things that I have now today.

Like I said before, not only people can make you who you are today, it’s also your surroundings.  The island that I’m living my life in right now has made me who I am today. In Bali, everything inspires me, the culture, surroundings and the people.  Living in Bali, made me experience unforgettable moments and has inspired me to surf perfect waves everyday.

I am happy to be who I am, I don’t regret anything about it.  I’m sure that I’ll meet people and places that will add to shaping my character, but right now I am happy to be who I am.

TOP 3 MOVIES

For my third post topic will be about my 3 favorite movies of all time. Through out the years I have watched a variety of movies, Mostly action packed or horror and some comedy or documentaries. I consider my self as a big movie fan, I try to watch the latest movies and some times old movies. What I don’t like is re watching movies that I have seen recently. I like to watch movies at home, with my brother, friends but not my sister. She’s pretty annoying watch a movie with, If she has seen a movie she would spoil the ending while I’m watching it. Or when she hasn’t seen a movie she would ask me tons of question.

Hitting the third spot in my top three will have to go I am Legend, this movie is full of action and adventure. I’m a huge zombie movie fan and I really enjoy this movie. This movie features on of my favorite actor Will Smith! He plays a role as a man living in Manhattan New York and he is the only human being in Manhattan New York.

In the number two spot has to be District 9, this movie has an amazing story and to full of heart pumping action! This movie is about an Alien race which has lost their ride home. The government allows these aliens to stay in earth. There are a total of 4 million of them. The government decides to make a concentration center right in the heart of Johannesburg, South Africa.

Number 1 of the list will have to go to a classic movie, Point Break! This has to be my favorite movies of all time. When I was little, my older brother and I would always watch this! The reason why we watch this together is because it has surfing in it. This movie is about an FBI agent who goes to catch a gang of bank robbers, what he doesn’t know that the bank robbers are surfers. His job is to be close to them as possible, and the only way how is by learning how to surf!