Welcome into My World..: November 2009

November 30, 2009

Podcast, podcast, podcast...

I listened to my peer’s test podcast and the comments are:

-Sarah: Although her topic was quite interesting, the audio quality was very bad; therefore I had a hard time to figure what she was actually talking about.

-Kyu: The quality was pretty good and I could clearly hear what he was saying. His topic was interesting.

-Bindi and Enkhi: The audio quality was not that bad, but also not that good. It was sort of confusing when they were switching while reading out the script.

There are different ways to record a podcast: for example, if you want to record your podcast as a video file, all you need is a video camera or webcam. On the other hand, in order to record as an audio file, you have infinite opportunity starting from using cell phone, voice recorder, and microphone. You can then post them on websites such as www.mypodcast.com or even on iTunes, because first of all they are reliable and secondly you will be getting good feedbacks on your podcast (since you are a beginner).

3 podcast I listened to:

1^st podcast was found on www.mypodcast.com

1. Unique song (which is very catchy and makes the listener to continue listening)

2. Good quality of audio

3. On http://www.mypodcast.com/

4. The podcast is about the unique mix-song of a DJ from South Africa called “Black Coffee”

5. There is no information on the poster itself (Soulistic Music Radio), only that he joined as a member on November 2009

6. I don’t like this podcast, because although it introduces exotic songs etc, no one is actually talking, so it was kind of boring for me. I was expecting someone to speak, but no on did….

2^nd podcast was found when I typed in Google ‘k-pop podcast’ and I found http://popcast88.com/.

This podcast is about the latest Korean and Japanese pop songs, and the host is a woman called Christina Miguel. Although her main topic is music, she also talks about her personal life (what she has been doing recently etc), making the whole podcast a little bit relaxing and calm. She made several other episodes and the one I listened to is her 32^nd episode!

I really like her podcast, because she entertains us not only with good music, but also her sense of humor entertained me a lot ^^She publishes her episodes monthly bases, and it seems that there are a lot of listeners who are craving for her next episode.

3^rd podcast was found on http://www.stevepavlina.com/audio/

Steve Pavlina is a man who does podcasts on how to develop one’s self, and why it is important. To develop one’s self is very hard working and painful, however it will pay off for a long term in the future. He talks about his personal experience which he went to jail because of shop lifting, and he was very alone since every one avoided him. He was only 19 years old. He wanted to change from his condition, where he was a lazy, bad and depressed kid, however he suddenly recognized that if he didn’t change, his life was going to go down the toilet. The only thing he had was the hope, and belief that there would a chance to become stronger person and get out of this condition.

I like his podcast, because it is very clear to understand (not only his voice, but also the way he talks). His voice is very calm and deep, which makes me to listen to him more. By putting his personal experience, he could attract the listeners, where each of them could relate themselves to the story.

Steve Pavlina is well-known as one of the most successful personality who could manage blogs on the issue of personal developing. He wrote around 1000 articles and many audio programs on how to become a better person and develop furthermore etc.

Steve has been quoted as an expert by the New York Times, USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, the Los Angeles Daily News, Self Magazine, and The Guardian. He is also a frequent guest on radio and Internet radio shows.”

How I am going to test my podcast:

First of all, I am going to choose a topic that interests me a lot and also I could relate to. I would like to ask the viewers about my podcast on the content itself, how it was presented and whether they would like to continue listening to my podcasts.

The content should relate to the readers and somehow give them some understanding, and also inspiration on the chosen topic.

How it was presented should go with the clearness of my voice, humor, background music etc, so that people actually feel entertained.

Whether they would like to continue listening to my podcast is a question that will actually answer the whole project’s questions. If they enjoined listening, it means that my podcast was very entertaining and something that they would look forward too. Well, if they are not…oh well. Try next time ;)

I would like to post my actually podcast on internet (Facebook, hi5 etc) so that many people can comment on it and answer relating to the context etc. Since I am not familiar with podcasting, it will be a risk to actually post it on internet, however it will be a great help for me in the future.

Recording and Publishing

First thing you will need to even start with podcasting, you should be able to prepare your ‘materials’:

Since it is podcasting, you need something to record with, but most importantly a topic. If you don’t know what to talk about, then how are you supposed to create a podcast? So, first choose a topic that you really enjoy talking about and want to let other people know about your passion on that certain topic.

Then you need a device that can record your voice, such as voice recorder, your computer, cell phone etc. If you want to make a video podcast then you should have a video camera in order to tape you.

Now, you should be ready to record! First of all, relax and calm. Then read out loud your script many times until you get use to your voice, because many people don’t like their voice when they hear on it from a recording device etc.

Many computers have the software and program already installed in your computer, however if your computer is quite old, you need a headphone with a microphone in order to record your voice. You could use cell phone, but many cell phones record voices in not so good quality, and you want your listeners to hear what you are talking about.

If recording with video camera, you better sit somewhere where is enough light, because your viewers would not really appreciate if you were sitting in the darkness and only hearing your voice…its kind of strange, don’t you think so? According to your topic, you can be imaginative and creative with your backgrounds and other effects! For example if your topic was teenage love, then you could decorate your background with hearts, cupids etc…

After you are done with recording, it is good to add background music, so by using Windows Movie Maker or any other similar program; you can add music, and effects.

In order to publish your podcast, you can use websites like iTunes, www.mypodcast.com or you also can post on MySpace.com, Facebook.com or on your own blogs.

Investigation-Podcast

Podcast is made up of two words which are ‘broadcast’ and ‘iPod’= podcast! People often get confused with Podcast and radio, so the difference is first of all a podcast is available for free and can be downloaded legally on the internet. Secondly, it is up to the person itself when, where and how they are going to create their podcast, so it has more freedom to choose compared to radio broadcasts where they have to stick to daily schedule and mostly talk about music and news.

Since podcast is recorded as an audio file or a video, it can be easily published on websites, such as www.mypodcast.com or www.podomatic.com. These websites have different podcasts that were done for specific areas, such as PC games, Music, Movies etc, and the visitor of that website has the opportunity to listen to interesting topics related his/her own interests, hobbies etc. Furthermore, a person does not only have to go on the internet and search after interesting podcasts, many other music programs make it easier for the user to search after new, interesting podcasts that were posted online.

For example iTunes or Windows Media Player can directly connect to the internet (if there is any accessibility), and is able to show variety of podcasts to the viewer within a second; therefore, the person can download it to his/her computer. The most important and best thing is that once the music program has recognized what type of podcast s/he has downloaded, it can automatically download the next episode of that particular podcast, which means that the person does not have to search after the new published podcast ever again.

One of the advantage of creating a podcast is that EVERYONE and I mean any ordinary person can create his/her own podcast on ANY topic they are interested in, would like to talk about etc. A podcast gives a person the opportunity to speak out on certain topics they feel interested about and listen to what other people have to say about it. In my opinion, a podcast is a way of communicating with each other with humor and sympathy, yet be able to stress out our different opinions on several topics. Anyone can subscribe the podcast and listen to it, since it is free and legal. A podcast is a chance and tool to stress out each individual’s voice to the world.

In this unit, we are examining adolescence, especially here in Mongolia and we are going to create a podcast working alone or with a partner, talking about a topic that is related to the adolescence of the modern Mongolia. It is very important for me to get to know how teenagers are changing over the years and what are they needs, values and believes are nowadays, so that I can learn about the environment surrounding me and relate the topic to myself.

I also think it is important to listen to other people’s opinion in order to differ that there are variety of opinions, believes etc in the world and that we should respect and accept it without any violence and any other harassments.

Since one of my goals is to contribute help to my homeland, I think that this unit is also going to be an opportunity for me to understand how teenagers in Mongolia are and I believe that these researches will help me someday in the future in order to achieve my goal.

November 20, 2009

Final Script

Katie:

Two years ago, I would spend forever in the bathroom, ensuring that my hair and makeup was perfect before I spent another hour picking out the perfect out for the day. Then I would pick up my friends with my new Mercedes Benz and go to school. School was just a place where I could hang out with my clique and look after new, hot guys or even tease the students who took school too seriously. It was a very nice feeling to be in the centre of the attention and I just felt good about myself when all the guys starred at me and the girls giving me jealous looks. You know, I only cared about myself to be honest. I would not help my mom doing housework, because it will harm my fresh manicured nails. I only talked with my dad when the credit card bill arrived, haha. How stupid I was… (sigh)

I didn’t realize how much I needed my parents, until I came home… pregnant. The only I can remember I was partying donw town with my clique and I saw this really, really HOT guy and the next morning I woke up not knowing where I was and a stranger lay next to me.

I didn’t think anything happened before I begun throwing up in the mornings and my period didn’t come and I easily became emotional. Even my friends kept a distance from me because I wasn’t the person they used to know anymore. I was lonely… after 4 months I lost my social status at school, I felt there was no one who could understand what I went through. To be honest, I became the loner who I used to make fun of before in the past. How ironic is that.

My belly became bigger and I tried to hide it by wearing loose and big clothes I secretly borrowed from my dad. But it did not work. In next moth everyone found out the truth. The nightmare started. Whereas I used to feel good when everyone was staring at me, I felt as though my whole life had collapsed in only 5 months…

Getting an abortion never came into my mind, because although my whole life fall apart I could never live with myself knowing that I killed a life.

Now I am sitting with my little girl on my lap. She is one year old and she the cutest thing I ever seen in my entire life. I quit school; I could not take the pressure. I wanted a new life. A new start.

Through my parents support I got another chance to finish my education by being homeschooled. I have changed my major from wanting to be a make-up artist to work as a social worker.

I finally that there lots of people with the same problem I have experienced, therefore I want to be there to help them to go through that period of their life and that it is not the end.

Today I’m working on finishing high school, my baby is in day care from 9 till 3 everyday. When she’s away I miss her a lot, because she is the most important thing in my life and even though she wakes me up during the night or makes a mess when she eats I know that I’ll always love her.

Even though she might not know it yet, she is the reason why I wake up when the sun rises.

Former high school cheerleader gets pregnant...

Why: We chose this topic because it’s a big problem for teenagers around the world. The script is written after the experience teenage girls get when they suddenly have to face that they have a life is developing inside them.

We also wanted to show that a girl who was just so self-centered, who slowly turns into a better person by realizing her surroundings…

How would this teenager’s experience/ Outlook/ Desire be different from their parents’?

Experience:

· When her parents where young this would be shunned by the society and maybe even her parents.

· Medical care would be worse

· Mentally disturbed/depression (because the society is ignoring)

· Not support group

Outlook:

· Shameful of their daughter, these kinds of things are not acceptable

· No future, no help (in the past time)

· Nowadays opportunity is greater for the girls (she still can participate in social activities)

Desires:

· She would have more freedom to choose whether to keep the baby or not.

· In the past days, her parents would not have the right to keep the baby, furthermore they would be forced to get an abortion.

· In the past, they will desire for support and understanding (now it is more about continuing your normal life)

Before she gets pregnant

© Appearances: Black hair, blue eyes, tall(177) slim, fashionable – wears the newest clothes from Chanel, Gucci, Prada, Versage, Lacoste etc. especially those clothes which shows loads of skin. She knows that she attracts the opposite sex. Wears a lot of makeup. She’s very pretty.

© Other background: She was born in Mongolia, lived there for 10 years, moved to Norway for 4 years than moved to California. IN Mongolia she was really respectful to her parents, however, after moving to Norway she became friends with the wrong crowd, and then when she moved to California she started to become popular by doing certain things, which are not considered good things. (Most people would call her fake!)

After getting pregnant things changed for her

© Values and beliefs: Being understood and being understanding to others, stay strong, don’t give up, Having a comfortable life, don’t look or live in the past, live in the future, that her baby will have a good life, and learns from her mistakes, people should be able to get a second chance.

Before she didn’t care about anything else, but herself, however, after getting pregnant and going through everything that came with it she has realized that the world is not always good.

Defining the birth year...

I mostly interviewed people who were born in 1992, just like me and there are a lot of similar things between us such as we want to concentrate more on education rather than just going out and having fun. Mila says that she likes to stress out herself by listening to music, meeting with friends etc., but we all agree that education is very important nowadays.

- In my opinion, we think wider and deeper. We think, analyze and observe alot which gives pressure to ourselves. From my moms answers, she said that she was busy with school etc, that she very little time to sit down and thin about life, the worlds etc., therefore she was not depressed about anything (if yes, about minor problems that could be solved very easily in a short period of time)

-I am thinking that we are more mature and are ready to face challenges that can come whenever it want to. Since we have support from other people, besides parent, we feel very secure and powerful.

-Whereas teenagers in the past were marrying at the early age and having children, our generation doesnt want to. We want to explore the world (Mila)

From the interviews....

From the interview answers from my mom, I can easily define why the adolescence 30 years ago is different from nowadays. Since Mongolia had a different government system than nowadays, it had a big impact on the society life. Not only the government was strict about rules and laws, the society itself was also very ‘close minded’. The teenagers did not have that much of freedom as we do nowadays and they had sever limitation of access to needs, such as clothes, music etc. On the other hand, nowadays we have LOADS of clothes that cannot even fit into one single closet and which a second room is required to stuff all those unnecessary items…

Certain things were not allowed such as going out after 10 o’clock! Haha, but nowadays we can go out as many times as we want to! However, sometimes I think that these kind of strict rules are required because while kids go out and have fun, some inappropriate things happen…

My mom also mentioned about the clothing style, and what was cool at that time. Well, certain hairstyle and fashion were IN due to the fact that Mongolia was not open to other countries besides to Russia. Therefore, when students went to Russia and came back with such ‘cool stuff’ then the remaining teenagers was also crazy about it.

Not taking in account the government system we had in the past, technology also plays an important role. Due to the fact that technology changes rapidly, teenagers are most likely to follow them, which means that they set a trend (e.g. music, clothes etc) For example, in the past there were no iPods or MP3, so nowadays people who have those kind of things are considered to be ‘cool’.

In some countries, medical surgeries such as abortion were not developed well and since the society, culture, tradition didn’t accept this surgery, most girls/ women had to have the baby. Now, in most countries it is legal now. I might sound very ignorant, but the reason why the abortion rates among teenage girls are increasing is because they have more reliable methods to prevent pregnancies…

In my opinion, I would rather be a teenager from this time rather than from the past, because first of all I have so much of freedom so that I can have a chance to experience around, find myself and understand others. I think that I can have a better environment to develop myself; both mentally and physically.

I would also live in this period of time, because I would have more life expectancy than in the past ^^ I would also have a better quality of education, which would help me in the future.

To be honest, I like thinking creatively and if I lived in the past then I would be just “destroying” myself, because people didn’t have the freedom to speak out, do something DIFFERENTLY and think out of the box.

I would say our generation is defined as ‘opportunity’. In my opinion since we have so many chances and opportunities out there, (such as better quality of education, health care etc) we should use them. It is there, available. We only have to grab it and make a better life for ourselves and others.

November 13, 2009

Interview with Mila

How do you feel being a teenager? How would you define it anyway?
Being a teenager is part of everyone's growing up. I feel fine, I think its more the people around me that have/had a hard time adjusting to my teenage years.

Can you ‘recognize’ that you are turning a teenager?
I think that becoming a teenager is so important, especially to girls, these days, that it is hard to not recognize this period of your life. Maybe, you can, if you actually reflect on your thoughts and actions, realize how you are changing. You could also recognize it, by feeling uncomfortable with who you are or not really knowing who you are.

Of course there are ups and downs in a life of a teenager, so how do you deal with them?
Listen to good music, do stuff with friends.
What makes you feel down, upset etc?
There are days where you are just down, and there is no special reason for it. This happens a lot to teenagers. Then there are normal problems, which everyone from different age groups has, like breaking up, moving... which make you upset.

Fitting into a group is a big deal when you are a teenager. How does it make you feel when you are within a group or not in a group at all?
Being in a group is fun, especially if everyone gets along. There are many different people so it never gets boring. Not being in a group at all sometimes is good, because you have to learn about yourself as well.

How do you feel about stereotyping? Do you think you are ‘labeled’ as well?
Even though we think we dont stereotype, we do, unconsciously. Stereotyping is quick and important way of categorizing our world and the people in their, a way to process all the information we get about different people, so that we can access this information.

Sometimes do you wish to be someone else? Why? Why not?
Yes and No. I like being who I am,...I have changed and grown to be a different, hopefully better person. Sometimes I just wish to trade in all my troubles and my situation with an easier one.

How do you feel about ‘love’? Do you believe in love at first sight?
I believe in love at first sight. I think that there is someone who is the one for everyone, like soulmates.

When do you think it is important to have a relationship with the opposite sex?
I think that it is important that you are ready for it, when it comes along. And dont let yourself get pressured into a relationship because its cool or whatever.

At last, how would you describe your life at the moment?
Hmm... very busy, senior year is no fun haha. I try to make the most of it, and find time to do the things i love and hang out with my friends. I cant wait to graduate though and get out of here, and conquer the world.

Interview with Josephine

How do you feel being a teenager? How would you define it anyway?
Hmm. a tough question. lol. Well, as a teenager, i'm just living through life. I sometimes do have my ups and downs- but i think that's about it. Adolescence is just another phase that every human beings go through life; and here i am, going through mine ;) But to be specific, I think being a teenager is very important.. kk.

Can you ‘recognize’ that you are turning a teenager?

Hmm.. well not really. i mean, i am a teenager already.. and these days, i sometimes i feel that i am changing from adolescence stage to..haha an adult now? When i turned 13, i sorta felt that 'oooh. so i am a teenager now'.. haha but that was about it ;). nothing really special about turning into a teenager :P

Of course there are ups and downs in a life of a teenager, so how do you deal with them?

Hell yeah, teenagers always have ups and downs!!!! kkk well, i personally handle them by... well, by sharing it with my friends. Though it sometimes hurts to repeat what i said over again; or even to talk about it (since it brings back the memories all fresh and clear), I still share it .. in the end, it makes you feel much better :) All the comforts, soothing words, and those big warm hugs make me aware of the fact that "hey, youre not going through this alone" :)hmm. another way in which i deal with sad things is by, kk, eating lots of.. .chocolate!! :D it srsly DOES help. my god. there was actually this study that was carried out, and doctors did find that chocolates do help one to relieve stress ><>

Oh I forgot to talk about good things! :)hehe i obviously share them with my friends as well. oh and my sis ;)oh though i ♥ (times a million) my friends a lot, talking to my shitty sister really is the best,kkk i think it's cuz she's ALWAYS there, 24/7 with me. :P hahaI also... "run around the house" whenever i'm happy (haha just kidding sugar mama) shared sorrow is half sorrow; shared joy is double joy! ♥

What makes you feel down, upset etc?

WEll. obvious question there, :Pthings that make me upset: TUNNIE. (lol. just boys kk), school work. stress from school/ testsfamily problemswhenever there's fights with friendsworrying about the future, college life...oh and the idea of "i need to lose weight". :(I think that's pretty much it...

Fitting into a group is a big deal when you are a teenager. How does it make you feel when you are within a group or not in a group at all?

Well,,, hmm... i honestly dont have an answer for this question...oh. never mind, i do :Dwhen I was like,, hm... 13 (?) I was dying to "fit" into the crowd. Although i was quiet and shy at that time, I did try to be nice to those girls from the "clique", bla bla. LOL. I really wanted to be those girls who were really outgoing, had the looks, center of every attention, etc.. but I think it was in starting from 14/15 when I realized...it's not worth it. They dont have true feelings/ friendships. One of my good friends helped me to change my mind this way, and stop looking and running after what the world wants me to be like. Now, I just like being part of a 'community', not part of a 'clique' of some sort. The idea of having "you and your friends ONLY, nobody else can join' really bugs me. I love the idea of gettting to know new people, not just tightly holding onto your small circle of friends.

How do you feel about stereotyping? Do you think you are ‘labeled’ as well?
Hhhhmmm... well, as a student in International Schoool, i do feel that i am stereotype often.. like "oh Korean". "oh Asian". "oh that fat girl" kkkkwell, i definitely am labeled....i think this happens to every international schools- everyone's always labeled one way or another.

Sometimes do you wish to be someone else? Why? Why not?
Well... not really...... i do envy people that have the looks, the money, the life, the grades, the body, etc.. but in the end... i just feel like, pff whatever :D hehe sugi you helped me think this way ♥

How do you feel about ‘love’? Do you believe in love at first sight?
. lol. i think i read from a magazine or was it instructions of life? it said believe in love at first sight. i was like WOOAAAAA.. isnt that srota BAD??? kkkbut anwya,s i think it is written for a reason ;)though I had my crush at first sight, (tihihi), hm… well, yeah, I do believe in love at first sight :D Love- at the moment, it just doent seem to mean that much for me right now.. family love is the most important in my age- I mean.. kk I’m not old enough to be thinking about my future husband, what TRUE LOVE is, blabla.

When do you think it is important to have a relationship with the opposite sex?

Relationships with opposite sex is important, but it isn’t like the first priority for me at the moment. For NOW, I just want to focus on school. Getting into college. getting over with school. Focusing on school work and preparing myself for the future. THEN boyfriend issues comes next ;)Oh kk I didn’t answer ur question, lol.Well, I think it’d be important to get into a relationship..hm… during teenage years. Though girlfriend’s support and love is always necessary, a guy’s (opposite sex’s) love makes one learn more. There is no specific reason, that’s what I just think..heheI’ve seen many friends who actually changed a lot thanks to their boyfriends/ girlfriends (for guys). For example, while they couldn’t quit smoking when theyre around their girlfriends (best friends), they quit smoking thanks to their boyfriends (opposite sex). I’ve seen such things happen a lot; and I think the love, care and support of opposite sex does truly make one become a greater person! (Or maybe the influence is greater :D)

At last, how would you describe your life at the moment?

Life at the moment.. kk Well, for NOW (as in today, nov. 10), my life is stress-free :D kkkkTheres a lot of pressure from school/ college research/ studying bla bla kk but it’s okay.. as LONG AS there’s no stress of getting up at 7:30 every mornng,, I’m perfectly fit as a fiddle :D :D :D

Interview with Sungkyu

How do you feel being a teenager? How would you define it anyway?

As a teenager, due to hormones, or so I sincerly hope to believe, my emotions are much more unstable. However, in general terms, I'm happy as a teenager. I would define "being a teenager" as an age of time where you see the problems of the future under the supervision of your parents.

Of course there are ups and downs in a life of a teenager, so how do you deal with them?What makes you feel down, upset etc?

With the ups, I enjoy myself and try my best to reward myself, even if the efforts might be futile. With the downs, I think and meditate (not as in yoga meditation, but just deep quiet thinking time.) I also distract myself by making myself busy, as in studying, playing music, sports, chatting, etc. I rarely discuss my problems with my friends.

What makes you feel down, upset etc?

Ofcourse, there are the typical ones, such as earning a low grade in school, not "fitting into the group," conflicts with parents and siblings, rejection, and inconviniences where I have to make exceptions to my "routines."

Fitting into a group is a big deal when you are a teenager. How does it make you feel when you are within a group or not in a group at all?When I'm within a group, I feel sociable, I guess. I feel that the friendship might last forever. When I'm not I get, I guess I sometimes feel lonely. These lonely moments are exaggerated especially in my teenager years. However, even if I may be left out, I prefer to keep my values and morals or try to come to a consensus rather than leting them go.

How do you feel about stereotyping? Do you think you are ‘labeled’ as well?

I feel that there are both good and bad things about stereotyping. For example, I believe that stereotypes of age are usually accurate, but other things like gender, I completely disagree. I am obviously "labeled" too. I guess my surrounding environment including family, friends, teachers, etc label me as a "good student." It is in fact hard to live up to expectations, but i still like the label, so I try hard to keep up with it. But occasionall,y I get depressed over it, cause it constricts me and eradicates some freedoms. However, that was something that I was willing to pay as a consequence to this label, and I believe that regreting will do no help.

Sometimes do you wish to be someone else? Why? Why not?

Ofcourse I want to be someone else during times. As mentioned earlier, it's mostly because of the stereotype and image that I am put up to. Others include things such as dissatisfaction with my current life and status. However, as mentioned earlier, "Wishing" does not do any help.

Sometimes do you wish to be someone else? Why? Why not?

I do not believe that there is "true love," and therefore see love as conditional. Everyone says they "love," but I disagree with reserved antagonism and a bit of disdain because I believe that one "loves" another because of his or her conditions, which include but are not limited to financial conditions, personality (that's right, I see that as conditional too,) appearance, background, etc. Therefore, I do not believe in "love at first sight," but rather "attraction at first sight."

When do you think it is important to have a relationship with the opposite sex?

I think that high school should be fine, but nothing serious. College should be an appropriate time, especially in the junior and senior year.

At last, how would you describe your life at the moment?

My life is "set up to expectations throughout entirely," and I try to meet them while set my own expectations. 99% of the time, I meet those expectations with perfection. However, as mentioned earlier, my emotions are quite unstable, and I try to keep it under control. I am content with my life the way it is, and even though I want something more, as it is of human nature, I believe that it is impractical to "hope." Therefore, I try to "do" and "achieve."

Interview with Anuujin Elbegdorj

Interview With Anuujin

How do you feel being a teenager? How would you define it anyway?

I think being a teenager is very important because this time is the time when we truly find out who we really are. We leave our childhood behind and is on our way to adulthood. I think what we do during this time lead to who we become in the future. Its okay being a teenager.

Can you ‘recognize’ that you are turning a teenager?

I have more responsibilities that i have to fulfill. Sometimes the stress is a lot, getting good grades and stuff but I hope it will all be worth it.

Of course there are ups and downs in a life of a teenager, so how do you deal with them?

I try to deal with them head on, but sometimes of course there are certain boundaries in what we can and can not do. I try to do as much as i can with what i am given.

What makes you feel down, upset etc?

I feel upset in various things, sometimes even the smallest things seem huge. I think its all about how you view things so i think being optimistic is a great factor.

Fitting into a group is a big deal when you are a teenager. How does it make you feel when you are within a group or not in a group at all?

I like the feeling of belonging somewhere when you're in a group. Feeling like you have people that you can count on and they will be there for you.

How do you feel about stereotyping? Do you think you are ‘labeled’ as well?

I hate when people tend to judge people on who they hang out or the things you like. Just because someone listens to Carrie Underwood or Taylor Swift doesn't make them losers. People have the right to like whatever they want and people shouldn't judge them because of that.

Sometimes do you wish to be someone else? Why? Why not?

Of course there is a moment in my life where i envyed someone and wished i was that person, but then i realize that their life may not be perfect. We can't always judge a book by its cover.

How do you feel about ‘love’? Do you believe in love at first sight?

I don't believe in love at first sight. I think you can't fall in love with someone by just looking at them. When people actually talk with each other and get to know one another that's when you find who you really love and if that person loves you back.

When do you think it is important to have a relationship with the opposite sex?When ever the person feels their ready is the best way to have a relationship. Unless we're really really lucky we're not going to find the perfect spouse on our first date ever.

Teenage life during the Mongolian People’s Republic

Teenage life during the Mongolian People’s Republic

I interviewed my mom and it was quite interesting of how our lifestyle has changed so rapidly from the ones of my mom.

How was your teenage life?

Hm… it was very exciting for me, because I joined the volleyball team of my school when I was in the 5^th grade and since then I had been very busy participating in tournaments nationwide, but as well as internationally. So it was very fun :) We were always the 1^st or the 2^nd place and it was a happy moment for me to get my first golden medal.

What type of music, clothes etc were you interested in?

I was the type of girl who was very shy and reserved; therefore I was no that into fashion. Students all had to wear same uniforms at school and at home we had to dress very decent, so many teenagers tended to dress ‘appropriately’ during that time. However, college and university students who were sent to study in Russia came back with totally new fashion trend, such as crazy, curly hair or collar t-shirts with unique patterns on it.

Because Mongolia was not that open to any other foreign countries, besides Russia, we only listened to Russian popular songs. But during New Year’s holiday, ABBA or Boney M songs were aired on Russian channels, so we had quite an understanding of world-wide hit songs ;)

I wore PE clothes almost every day, because we all had trainings right after school etc, so no time to care about appearance.

What was defined as ‘cool’ during your teenage time?

Jeans! Kids who wore jeans were seen as very cool and everyone else wanted to have the same kind of thing. Because gums, sweets were rare during that time, a kid was seen cool as well when he was chewing gum or had pockets filled with sweets.

Students who were listed on the ‘Top 5’ were praised and were seen as role model to others. These types of kids were cool as well, because the society demanded kids that could later on help the country to develop; therefore it was an honor to be on the ‘Top 5’.

Overall, whoever possessed unique and expensive things, and were good at school, was seen as a cool kid.

·How strict were the rules about kids going out and partying hard?

Well, at that time there was no understanding about parties etc, so kids tended to come home no later than 10 pm. Rules were strict, however some kids sneaked out and drank, smoked etc during night time. If they were caught, the parents would have been responsible for their children’s behavior and would take the blame on them. The society was very close to each other, so gossips could spread around very quickly.

· Where there any reasons why you felt depressed when you were young? How did you deal with them?

I didn’t even know whether I was depressed or not, because I was too busy with my school and volleyball games so that I didn’t have free time for myself. I didn’t give myself too much stress on thinking and worrying about certain things. However, there was one thing that I was embarrassed of and it was my height. I was too tall for my age (I was the 2^nd tallest girl in the class) and everyone made fun of me, however it was not such a bid thing that could have led to depression. I gained more self-confidence after I joined the volleyball team at my school.

· The very last question: What did society expect from you? What did you have to do to reach these expectations?

It was expected from young people to study hard and later be a helpful contributor to the development of the country. Even when we were small children, we had to join groups and activities that could help the country in some ways, such as cleaning the streets or planting trees etc. We all had to be respectful to elders and always honor them.

Bandikuu, Bolormaa. Personal Interview. 09 November 2009.

November 3, 2009

NEW PROJECT, NEW START

Podcasts to examine Adolescence

On the 4^th of November, we started a new project in our Technology, which is called ‘Podcasts to examine adolescence’. As the title itself says, we are going to investigate and research on adolescence, and later on based on our choice, we are going to create a podcast (audio or video format) to talk about how it is to be ‘stuck’ in between childhood and adulthood.

In my opinion, teenage life is a very important phase for us to develop and grow as a person. I don’t mean as physically, but mentally. When we were children, we didn’t have any big problems to worry about, and we were all dependent on our parents/guardians. However, once we stepped into the world of ‘growing up’, we started seeing changes in us physically and mentally as well! We started to not only look at ourselves, but also our surroundings and environment. Friends became more important than parents, hence we experience peer pressure which might be able to lead us to the ‘wrong’ direction.

We will start having difficulty making decisions on what is wrong and what is right. We live in a world that is free and open, therefore we will experience even more problems on finding out what is our values, believes, what is the right/wrong thing to do etc. In other words, our lives are like a rollercoaster. Ups and downs, feel excited, however there are time when we feel like puking.

When our teacher introduced us the topic, we read articles about the lives of 17 year old teenagers living in New York, United States. All of them had different believes, points of views and life styles, although they were all at the same age. It is one of the evidences that the environment and society ‘shapes’ ones personality.

Several of those teenagers inspired me in certain ways or we had the same opinion on certain topics. So, my first inspiration was Adenika Thomas, who has such a busy life; she works, she prepares for several tests, she has soccer game, and dance and acting lessons. Still, she can manage herself to get good grades at school.

“I TAKE on so much and I have no time for myself. I do it on purpose. I love it and I hate it. If I’m not busy, I complain that I’m bored, but when I am busy, it’s like, oh, my God.”

- I really want to be busy so that I won’t have time for myself. I sometimes think that I create even more stress when I ‘analyze’ myself on my behaviors etc. Whenever something happens to me, I tend to analyze the whole situation, therefore giving me pressure to think through things etc. However, if I can keep myself busy and concentrate on one area, then I would be able to calm donw the tension I sometimes get from all those observations.

- People say that we should have enough free time for ourselves so that we can do whatever we enjoy doing, relax, and I also think that this type of free time is in need because it is a chance to get to know yourself better. On the other hand, I believe that too much of free time can destroy you as well ;)

The other girl I also found very interesting was Zy-Tasia Gaines, who is an ordinary 17 year old girl and who lives in Far Rockaway, Queens; however she is attracted to women and not to her opposite sex. She and her girlfriend have been together for about a year, and when their feelings towards each other got stronger and bigger, both families rebelled against their relationship. Zy-Tasia’s parents even argued about whose fault it was that their daughter turned out to be like this. The only person who was cool about the circumstance was her grandma.

“But my grandmother’s cool with it. She says, “As long as you’re not doing porno’s and doing anything crazy, getting tattoos on your forehead, I don’t care who you go out with.”

- I think that it is very important that at least one person in the family is ‘cool’ about the situation. They really are needed, because whenever the trouble gets bigger the more stress is on us, and it is scary for us. However, it is very comforting to know that at least one of the adults can understand and accept us and the problems we are facing.

- I also think that grandmothers should be more open-minded like the one of Zy-Tasia, because in my opinion, they are very good advice givers among adults due to their early experiences in their lives. Furthermore because they have been very close to their grandchildren, I think that they can understand them more than the parents do ^_^

” A lot of my friends stopped talking to me, and a lot of them still don’t talk to me. My girlfriend in Chicago, I’m her first girlfriend. So when we came out in school, as a couple, everybody said: “See what you did to her? Now you’re going to bring two people down to hell.” I’m like, “O.K.” And her parents really made me feel bad. They were like: “You’re ruining our family. She was fine before she met you.”

- I am just amazed how she has been defending herself against all those critics and misunderstandings! She does not care about what other people think of her anymore and it does not influence her at all, however she is hurt when adults criticize her. I think it has to do with ‘adults-still-know-better-than-kids’ and that Zy-Tasia feels insecure about how adults are looking at her. Maybe she is disappointed in herself, which I sometimes feel the same way too. I sometimes think that adults are the judge on my behaviors. Although I feel secure that what I am doing or saying is good, I sometimes tend to look upon adults and care about THEIR opinions, rather than on MINE or those of my FRIENDS.

Works Cited

Gaines, Zy-Tasia. “My Parents Had This Big Argument Over Whose Fault It Was, Why I Chose to Be

This Way.” New York Tmes. 16 Sep 2007. 03 Nov 09 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/nyregion/thecity/16gaines.html.

Thomas, Adenike. "If I'm Not Busy, I'll Complain That I'm Bored, But If I'm Busy, It's Like, Oh My

God." New York Times. 16 Sep 07. 03 Nov 09 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/09/16/nyregion/thecity/16over.html.