3 Monday 22nd March, 2010 Contribution and poems to this section should be sent to, <[email protected]>, <[email protected] > or by post to, “Yuphoria”, “The Island”, Upali Newspapers Ltd, 223, Bloemandhal Road, Colombo-13. by Bookworm F irst love is daunting and unde- niably frightening – even more so when you add homicidal faeries and strange gifts into the equation. Maggie Stiefvater’s Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception is a beautifully crafted piece of young-adult fiction, which will appeal to anyone with a love of the face as they appear in old leg- ends: dark, sinful, seductive, deceptive and, lest we forget, deadly. Heroine Deidre Monaghan, a painfully real 16-year-old, has uncanny music ability and psy- chic powers. Her sudden and intense romance with Luke, a boy with a terribly dark and abhor- rent past, creates the perfect bal- ance in this teen love story – with a supernatural twist, of course. Stiefvater carefully tackles fragile family issues in this fast-paced piece. I would highly recommend this book to fans of Holly Black, Melissa Mar and Charles De Lint. Maggie Stiefvater was born in November 18, 1981 in the USA. Most of Maggie Stiefvater's life decisions have been based around her inability to be gainfully employed. Talking to yourself, staring into space, and coming to work in your pajamas are frowned upon when you're a wait- ress, calligraphy instructor, or technical editor (all of which she's tried), but are highly prized traits in novelists and artists. She's made her living as one or the other since she was 22. for lazy monday... Lament: The Faerie Queen’s Deception by Maggie Stiefvater Anger is the emotion that seems to get people into the most trouble with teachers, par- ents, family, friends and police. Too much anger fuels huge problems. Ever see someone having "road rage?" It's scary to watch or experience and it's very dangerous. Someone who gets that angry is out of control, is showing terrible judgment and is placing his own and other's lives in great jeopardy. Anger occurs when frustration is high. In moderation it is fine. It warns us that something is wrong and needs to be addressed. It often arises from a sense of injustice, a feeling that something is very unfair. It is a great motiva- tor: sometimes for the good, as when a person uses anger to take constructive action and does not lose control; and sometimes it's bad, as when a driver loses control and acts with reckless hostility. We all live in a frustrating world. We all need to learn how to control or direct the frustra- tion, which can quickly turn into anger. Temper tantrums are only for very young chil- dren. When you feel yourself becoming too angry, or on the brink of acting on your anger, you might: Try the old "count to ten" technique: it often works by delaying action. Think about the fear or frustration that caused the other person to act in a way that upset you. Try to feel empathy for the person rather than anger. Sometimes compassion calms hostility. If you or someone (or something) you care about is being treated unfairly, try to offer a solution that makes the situa- tion more fair. Sometimes simply walking away is a great alternative to acting out your anger. That takes a lot of poise and matu- rity---and it shows a lot of poise and maturity, too. Anger doesn’t have to be a bad emotion. When kept in check, anger can inspire great writing, great athletic performance or great social progress. But restraint and good sense are the keys to having anger be con- structive rather than destructive. It can be either. Advice by Gretta F ronted by Kurt Cobain, Nirvana came out of Seattle and helped shape the fabric of alternative rock by introducing the new sub-genre of grunge. But it wasn't until the band's second album, “Nevermind,” that Nirvana gained enor- mous popular- ity and entered the mainstream with the help of singles like “Come as You Are,” “In Bloom,” “Lithium,” and of course “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Ultimately the album sold 10 million copies in the United States and 26 million worldwide. “Nevermind” starts with a bang with the hit single “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Combining Cobain's famous scratchy vocals and addictive guitar line, the song was the quintessential teen anthem and remains one of their most well-known. It was even crowned the number-one song by VH1. As the album contin- ues, the songs become darker. However, just as you begin to feel that “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is the only bullet in Nirvana's rock arsenal. Cobain's vocals become rougher and scratchier until he lets out a final squeal. Now that's dedication to your work. The songs continue to grow even darker, and the last track, “Something in the Way,” is no excep- tion. This dark, gritty track perfectly concludes the flawless album. Nirvana released one more CD before Cobain's untimely death. Instead of replacing him, the band members quietly left the spotlight to pursue other interests. Notoriously, Nirvana's drummer, Dave Grohl, went on to front the Foo Fighters and is still making music. Why does this album con- tinue to resonate with me, and so many others? Is it because of the teen anthem “Smell Like Teen Spirit”? Cobain being one of the greatest vocalists of all time? Actually,neither. “Nevermind” grabs me because I can see the images and messages it seeks to convey. In life, there's music you listen to but may not fully under- stand its significance, and then there's music that stands on its own; that's Nirvana. Many things can be said about Nirvana and the legacy they left, but one thing remains certain. Nirvana was and still is one of the greatest bands of the 20th centu- ry. Nirvana – Nevermind Music review T he 10th Annual Inter- International Schools’ Athletic Meet 2010, organized by Lyceum International School, Nugegoda, was held at the Sugathadasa Stadium recently. Lyceum International School, Wattala, emerged champions for the sec- ond consecutive year beating Gateway College, Colombo. The Best Female Athlete of the Meet and the Best Performance Trophy was won by Hansi Ekenayake of Lyceum International School, Wattala. Stop Anger from Taking Over Hansi shines with double trophies Maggie Steifvater by Ifham Nizam A mong the environment prob- lems confronting humanity in the 21st century is Global Warming, the destruction of the rain forests and overfishing of the oceans. A shortage of fresh water is at the top of the list, particularly in the developing world. Nearly 97 percent of the planet is covered with salt water in the sea and oceans. Close to two percent of earth’s water is frozen water in polar ice sheets and glaciaers and a fraction of one percent is available for drinking, irrigation and also for industries. Today, estimates of 1.2 billion people drink unclear water. To mark World Water Day (March 22) the Delegation of the European Union in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, in collaboration with the Sewa Lanka Foundation, Mannar Officeand the Zonal Education Department of Madhu, will carry out several activities, such as a drawing competition and an environmental awareness pro- gramme for students in the Manthai, West DS Division in the Mannar district. The aim of the project is to promote awareness among school children on the importance of the conservation of water. The project will target approxi- mately 1800 students from 11 schools in the Manthai West DS Division. The participating students are mainly children displaced by the conflict and have now been reset- tled. Earlier this month, school chil- dren from grades 6-13 (age group 11- 18 years), took part in an art compe- tition under the theme of water con- servation. A committee, comprising of education officers, will select 250 drawings for a final art exhibition to be held on 22nd March, 2010, at the Adampan M.M.V. Additionally, some 300 students will attend an environmental aware- ness programme on the 22nd of March, 2010, which will include a series of interactive lectures on con- servation, biodiversity while high- lighting the importance of water resources and conservation. This programme aims to increase aware- ness among school children with the assistance of their teachers and motivate students to initiate steps toward conserving water resources and imparting the knowledge received among their peers and fam- ily members. A special awards ceremony will be followed by the environmental awareness programme at the Adampan School after the opening of the art exhibition to award the win- ners of the drawing competition. The competition winners from three categories (age groups 11 – 13, 14 – 16 & 17 – 18 years) for first, second and third places will be selected and awarded prizes. This event will be attended by Mr Guy Platton, Counsellor, Delegation of the European Union to Sri Lanka and the Maldives, as chief guest, and graced by other dignitaries includ- ing the Government Agent, Mannar, and Zonal Director of Education –Madhu Zonal Education Officers. Celebrating World Water Day