About the London Eye

It is quite rare for a modern structure to quickly assert itself as one of the most prominent landmarks of a country – but that’s just what the London Eye has done. Considering it was constructed less than 20 years ago for the turn of the new millennium, it’s a surprise that it has quickly become one of the most iconic landmarks in the entire UK.

Modern TV programmes and films that are based in London will often feature a glimpse of Europe’s largest Ferris wheel. Not only that, but it’s a hot spot tourist attraction, and is in fact the most popular paid tourist attraction in the entire UK, with over 3.5 million visitors each year. Taking into account just how many rich and cultured tourist attractions that are spread the length and breadth of the British Isles, it is quite an impressive feat.

5 Quick London Eye Facts

•    135 metres (443ft) tall
•    120 metres (394ft) in diameter
•    Largest Ferris wheel in Europe
•    Fourth largest Ferris wheel in the world
•    Construction took seven years

The London Eye was commonly referred to as the Millennium Wheel when it first opened, as it was at the turn of the year 2000, and built as part of the celebrations for the new millennium. It has since featured many sponsored names, yet most Brits know it simply as the London Eye. Due to technical difficulties, it actually took until March 2000 to open as opposed to the planned date at the turn of the New Year.

The Ferris wheel is made up of 32 pods that represent the 32 boroughs of the city of London. Each pod can hold 25 passengers (so the Wheel can hold a total of 800), who can enjoy a 30 minute round journey as the London Eye makes it’s rotation and passengers have space to walk around or sit down in these spacious pods. Interestingly, there is no ‘13th’ pod, meaning that the numbered pods actually go up to 33. This is for people who have Triskaidekaphobia – a fear of the number 13.

The structure of the wheel is unique when compared to other Ferris wheels of greater or similar sizes. This is due to the fact that the wheel is supported by a single A-frame on one side. The frame weighs an impressive 300 tonnes, which is understandable when you think that it needs to hold a massive rotating wheel. It actually means that this type of structure is technically a cantilevered observation wheel and the tallest of its kind – although most people simply refer to it as a Ferris wheel.

It was formally the highest observation point in all of London for the public to view at 135 metres. However, this has since been dwarfed by the opening of the Shard, which has an observation deck on its 72nd floor, clocking in a monstrous 245 metres in height. The slow rotation of the London Eye gives a better view in general of the entire city, with a view stretching out for 25 miles.

As it has become one of the most iconic and popular tourist destinations in the entire UK, it continues to be featured prominently in the celebrations of the British people. The New Year’s fireworks display in London showcases the London Eye as its main focal point, and it has been used in other celebrations too. For instance when Prince William and Kate Middleton where married, the LED lights on the wheel were changed to red, white and blue (the colours that make up the Union Jack). It was also decorated to commemorate the 2012 London Olympics, signifying just how important this building is to the culture of the UK.

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About Hachiko

Hachiko: The true story of a loyal dog who from 1925 waited outside the train station every morning for 9 years after the death of his master

A dog’s love towards his family is unconditional, and a classic example of this is the story of Hachiko, an Akita dog who was born in 1923 in Japan. He was adopted by an agricultural professor who took him home and took on the role as his new owner. Both of them formed a very special bond.

During their time together, the professor would take a train ride home each working day and be greeted by Hachiko at the train station. Hachiko would sit and wait for the professor at the end of each working day, without fail. The pair continued this daily ritual until sadly one day the professor suffered from a cerebral hemorrhage (brain bleed), and passed away, never to return to the train station again where his beloved companion was waiting.

For the next nine years, Hachiko attracted the attention of many people far and wide as each day, without fail, he would visit the train station as normal and wait for his owner, hoping to see his best friend step off the train and greet him once again.

Hachiko passed away in 1935, aged 11 years.  A movie was released in 2009 based on the story of Hachiko and the professor, called Hachi.

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About Quirkyalone

Quirkyalone: someone who is single and does not feel the need to date for the sake of it.

More and more, millennials and the generations directly preceding them are turning away from what was once a culturally accepted phenomenon: pairing up from a young age, and staying with a partner – any partner – through high school, to college, to marriage, children, and death. For some reason, generations older than those born in the last twenty years find the concept of not wanting to do this to be something on the edge of taboo. To them, the idea of someone happily existing as a single entity – by choice, no less – is seen as unnatural. Because surely everyone wants to meet a partner and settle down. Surely being single is a sign that something is wrong with you; a sign that no one wants to be with you. That’s how it’s always been, after all, right?

At the start of the new millennium, writer and coach Sasha Cagen came up with a neologism for this new trend of singledom: Quirkyalone. Someone who is Quirkyalone, she said, was someone who enjoyed their own company, and enjoyed being single enough that they felt no need to seek out a partner simply for the sake of having a partner. Someone who is Quirkyalone relishes “equal doses of friendship and solitude, freedom and possibility”. But does this mean that those who identify this way simply do not want any romantic relationship, connection, or love, ever?
It is important to clarify that that is not the case.
 

Those who identify as Quirkyalone are not necessarily those that identify as aromantic (people who feel no romantic attraction towards others), asexual (people who feel no sexual attraction towards others, and can sometimes experience sexual repulsion), or antisocial (people who find no pleasure in the company of others); though, of course, they can. These are simply people who do not wish to date indiscriminately while waiting for the right person to come along – if they ever do – in their lives.
 

It is important to stress, too, that those who are Quirkyalone are not, in fact, alone. Many who remain single by choice do so because they feel no need to fall to societal pressure that claims that if you are without a partner you will be unhappy. These people have deep and lasting connections with friends and family and spend a great deal of time enjoying their hobbies, alone or with others. Alone, in this case, is a definition of strength, according to Cagen, not vulnerability or weakness, as generations born before the new millennium had been led to believe.
As society grows in its acceptance and diversity, terms like Quirkyalone allow people to feel comfortable and confident in their choices that may have once seemed completely inconceivable, let alone accessible.

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12 Signs of Depression

It’s normal for teenagers to experience bouts of sadness or mood swings. After all your teenage years are when your hormones are changing. You’re often in-between the stage of being too old to participate in certain activities and dialogue – yet too young to be considered an adult or mature enough to participate in other activities. Everything is pretty much changing and you feel the pressures of being in-between. However, when bouts of sadness turn into months of sadness and months of crankiness there could be a larger issue developing known as depression.
 

Okay, there are twelve sign of Depression.

1.    Long-lasting sadness.
2.    Constant crankiness and irritability.
3.    Inability to have fun during activities they typically enjoy.
4.    Acting immaturely or younger than their age.
5.    Constant fatigue.
6.    Trouble sleeping through the night.
7.    Changes in appetite, which could be an increase (overeating) or lack of an appetite.
8.    Drops in grades and disinterest in academia and or extra-curricular activity.
9.    Lack of empathy
10.    Lack of motivation.
11.    Low self-esteem
12.    Physical/emotional neglect.

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Musik dalam Proses Pembelajaran

    

    Apakah kalian suka belajar sambil mendengarkan musik? Jika iya, ini bisa jadi referensi untuk kalian tentang musik apa yang cocok dibunyikan saat belajar.

    Musik adalah bagian dari budaya dan ekspresi manusia. Di dalam musik terdapat tatanan ritmis yang berhubungan dengan otak kiri dan tekstur suara yang berhubungan dengan otak kanan. Musik memungkinkan kita mengalami keterhanyutan dan keterhubungan dengan sesuatu yang mempesona.

    Dalam berbagai eksperimen seperti yang dilakukan di Pusat Neurobiologi Pembelajaran dan Memori Universitas California, disimpulkan bahwa musik dapat membangkitkan pola-pola otak yang inheren dan meningkatkan penggunaan otak dalam menyelesaikan tugas-tugas penalaran yang kompleks. Musik yang dimaksud adalah musik yang memiliki karaktersitik sebagai berikut.

1.    Memiliki tempo sekitar enam puluh ketukan per menit, sama dengan panjang pola gelombang otak alfa yaitu saat otak berada dalam keadaan waspada yang relaks. Keadaan ini merupakan keadaan yang sangat reseptif/ kondusif (bagi otak) untuk proses pembelajaran.
2.    Tidak memiliki beat instrument yang mempertegas ritme seperti; drum, timpani dan perkusi lain) yang terus menerus. Volume musik lirih sehingga kehadirannya tanpa disadari.
3.    Memiliki unsur musik (warna suara, ritme, melodi, harmoni) yang komposisi (harmoni/ tekstur)nya sangat diperhitungkan (tidak asal asyik tapi berisik) sehingga tidak ada bagian yang tidak terarah. Dapat diintepretasikan tanpa bahasa lirik.
4.    Tidak menggunakan lirik karena dapat mengalihkan perhatian dari bahasa musik yang natural universal (perasaan) ke bahasa verbal.

      Musik yang sesuai dengan karakteristik tersebut adalah musik dari periode Barok, Klasik, dan Romantik. Musik seperti ini cocok dibunyikan pada saat proses pembelajaran berlangsung dengan volume suara lirih, terdengar tapi tidak mengganggu.
     

      Berikut ini adalah klasifikasi karya-karya musik yang dianjurkan karena telah diteliti memiliki pengaruh pada proses pembelajaran (Quantum  Learning). Karya-karya itu dibagi-bagi menurut pengaruhnya, yaitu untuk:

RELAKSASI
- Handel         : Concerto for Harp and Lute Larghetto, op. 4, no.6
: Cocerto for Harp in F Major Largheto, op. 4, no. 5
: Concerto Grosso in C Major (“Alexander’s Feast”)

MENINGKATKAN DAYA INGAT
-    Albinoni        : Concerto Oboe in D Minor, op.9
-    Handel        : Concerto for Harp and Lute in B-flat Major
-    J.S. Bach        : Concerto in F Minor, second movement
-    J.S. Bach        : Suite 3 (“Air on G String”)
-    Pachelbel        : Canon In D Major
-    Vivaldi        : “Four Season” Spring, Largo
-    Vivaldi        : Concerto Piccolo in C Major

MENUNJANG PEMIKIRAN
-    Beethoven        : Concerto for Piano no. 5 in E-flat
-    J.S. Bach        : Concerto in D Minor for 2 Violins
-    Mozart        : Clarinet Concerto in A Major
-    Mozart        : Concerto no. 21 in C Major, K. 467
-    Pachelbel        : “Canon” from Canon and Gigue
-    Vivaldi        : Flute Concerto no. 3 in D Major

MENINGKATKAN IMAJINASI
-    Beethoven        : Symphony no. 6 (“Pastorale)
-    Grieg        : Peer Gynt Suite Prelude, Act 4, Morning
-    Mahler        : Symphony no. 5
-    Schubert        : Octet in F Major, D. 803

PENGUAT IQ
-    Beethoven        : Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, op. 61
-    Beethoven        : Concerto for Piano and Orchestra no. 5 in B-flat Major
-    Beethoven        : Concerto no. 5 in E-flat Major for Piano and Orchestra, op. 73 (“Emperor”)
-    Brahms        : Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D Major, op. 77
-    Haydn        : Concerto no. 1 in C Major for Violin and Orchestra,
-    Haydn        : Concerto no. 2 in G Major for Violin and Orchestra
-    Mozart        : Concerto for Violin and Orchestra no. 7 in D Major
-    Mozart        : Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A Major no. 5
-    Tchaikovsky    : Concerto no. 1 in B-flat Minor for Piano and Orchestra

BELAJAR BAHASA
-    Corelli        : Concerti Grossi, op. 4, no. 10, 11, 12
-    Corelli        : Concerti Grossi, op. 4, no. 2, 8, 5, 9
-    Handel        : “Water Music”
-    J.S. Bach        : Prelude in G Major (“Dogmatic Chorales”)
-    Vivaldi        : Five Concertos for Flute and Chamber Orchestra

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TOP 10 THINGS TO DO AROUND SYDNEY

I love Sydney and I hope I will be there someday. Sydney has a fantastic mix of different cultures and communities, along with an absolutely beautiful geography. Sydney combines the downtown feel of a busy metropolis with a relaxed lifestyle. Framed by its famous harbour, sandy beaches and national parks, and suburbs with their own unique identity, the city is in easy reach of places to explore.
 

So, if you want to Sydney, these are top 10 things to do around Sydney.

1.    Cruise on Sydney Harbour – catch a ferry to Manly for fish and chips.
2.    Visit Sydney Opera House for a performance or just enjoy the spectaculer view.
3.    Enjoy the restaurant, activities and fabulous fireworks displays at Darling Harbour.
4.    Explore the buzzing markets in and around Sydney – from gourmet food to fashion.
5.    Wander through the Royal Botanic Gardens and marvel at the view from Mrs Macquarie’s Chair.
6.    Catch a wave at the famous Bondi Beach (remember to swim between the flags!) or walk along the coastal track from Bondi to Coogee.
7.    Walk across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and admire the breathtaking view for climb the pylon or the arch if dare!
8.    Encounter unique Australian animals, and enjoy the views from Sydney’s Taronga Zoo.
9.    Watch a game of cricket or tennis, rugby leadue, AFL or soccer – for the best atmosphere, go with a fan.
10.    Venture to the Blue Mountains for bushwalking and spectacular scenery.

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It was always you

You make me complete.
Never before have I smiled so much.
When life is difficult, I just call on you and you renew and refresh me.
You inspire me, leave me in awe and give me a reason to live.
I didn’t know what love meant until I met you.

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