*~..__[[vErLIebT]]__..~*..iN lOvE..

                                

TODAY 

Sandi walked into the kitchen and put the groceries and mail on the counter. Too tired from a long day’s work, she left them there and wearily made her way to the living room. She slumped down onto the couch and was about to close her eyes when an old picture sticking out of an album caught her eye… 

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In ‘77 and ‘69 revolution was in the air I was born too late, into a world that doesn’t care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair 

It was Sandi, when she was 17. It was a group photo of all her friends. She was wearing a white, shin-length, flowing skirt with a faded “Summer Lovin” rock t-shirt. Her hair was out. It used to be long back then. Her out-of-control, blonde hair was pulled back on one side with a lily. Sandi looked at herself in the mirror. The first thing that came to mind was; I look forty. She looked back at the picture, I looked beautiful, she thought to herself. She could remember that day like it was yesterday. It was the summer of ’72 and was the 4^th of July, she was out with her friends at the carnival. It was the carnival of the year and she wanted to look good, especially for Todd. She remembered being upset with her Mom for not letting her wear more make-up. Sandi smiled and started singing softly…

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In ‘77 and ‘69 revolution was in the air I was born too late, into a world that doesn’t care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

Sandi let herself go and closed her eyes, smiling softly and remembering the sounds and smells and feelings of that day… 

When the head of state didn’t play guitar
Not everybody drove a car
When music really mattered and when radio was king
When accountants didn’t have control
And the media couldn’t buy your soul
Computers were still scary and we didn’t know everything 

1972  I was laughing at a joke Todd made. He loved to make me laugh and I loved him. We were all debating whether to go on the Ferris-wheel or the haunted mansion ride. In the background, Abba was playing full swing and the mayor was getting ready to make his annual speech. We decided to go on the Ferris-wheel. I was having the time of my life! Even though Mom didn’t let me wear mascara, I felt beautiful and I liked the way Todd had his arm around me. After lunch we decided to walk down to the beach. We waved and yelled at the stray cars passing by. We didn’t get many waves back, just a few frowns from the mothers of the neighbourhood. We didn’t care. It was Independence Day! When it started getting dark, the boys made a campfire and took out the marshmallows. They also took out a few beers. Us girls gasped in horror and delight. What would Mom think if she knew! We started talking about our favourite songs and favourite singers. Oh boy, did Elvis make me swoon! Bobby had his hair Elvis style that day, just to impress Lisa. Bobby was like a brother to me and he was a really funny, good guy. We walked down to the Pizza Parlour after dinner to hang out, the guys were acting stupid (as usual!) and the girls and I were doing our best to act mature and cool. We walked around thinking we were “all that”, waving to our neighbours. We walked everywhere. Cars weren’t common and us youngsters weren’t even allowed to go near the family car unless we were helping Dad wash it down! Walking down the street with Todd, I suddenly thought of Dad. His hair slicked back in the style, which was the fashion. His smart bowler hat placed delicately on his head, as he kissed Mom good-bye in the morning on his way to work. He was an accountant. One of three in our neighbourhood and he was well-respected. Accounting was a rare and important job around these places. Todd swung me around in the middle of the street making me laugh. “You’re beautiful”, he said with a smile that made my heart melt! Beautiful, God my Mom is beautiful. She’s the prettiest lady in town and every one told her so. People said she should have been a model. Mom told them that she didn’t want media life taking over her and her kids. I’d love to be a model! TODAY

Sandi was in her living room again. She wondered where Bobby was after all these years. She laughed thinking about his hair and compared it to her son’s. What would her son say if he saw Bobby with his polished shoes and gelled hair. His hair is gelled though, Sandi thought. It’s gelled so that it’s all spiky. And he certainly thinks he’s “all that”, she thought with a smile. All of her son’s friends wore baggy jeans and t-shirts with logos on them. And her daughter! Goodness, her daughter! Wearing denim mini-skirts and tank tops! Sandi tried imagining herself as 17 in a mini-skirt. The thought made her blush! Wow, things have changed, Sandi thought to herself. My daughter would never call me beautiful the way I called Mom beautiful. She wondered if she had kept any of her Stevie Wonder records. Records she thought in amazement, I’ll be surprised if my kids even know what a record is! iPods and MP3s are what my kids call music. They’re plugged in 24/7 listening to music through headphones, shut off to the outside world. Back in ’72, music was a thing to be shared and played as loud as possible! 

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In ‘77 and ‘69 revolution was in the air I was born too late, into a world that doesn’t care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

When pop stars still remained a myth
And ignorance could still be bliss
When God saved the Queen she turned a whiter shade of pale
My mom and dad were in their teens
And anarchy was still a dream
The only way to stay in touch was a letter in the mail 

1972 

It was a week after the carnival and it was dinner time. Missy, my little sister was talking about her new “love”. His name was Michael. I had met him and I knew for a fact that he was a tool. I wondered what to do tomorrow. School was out and I wanted to have fun! After dinner I wrote to Granny, I told her about Todd, school, my new haircut and the summer dress I wanted. I told her about how Dad wanted to buy a computer and how Mom was going to a ‘Women’s Rights’ dinner tomorrow. I told her about how we laughed when we saw the Queen and how pale she was on telly when we were watching the news one night. I told her about Mr. Jones leaving his wife for his secretary and Fred the barber closing down. Wow, that is a long letter! Granny will be happy, reading about the happenings of the neighbourhood. She’s like that; Granny always wants to know the gossip! Granny always wrote a letter to me and a separate one to Missy. She said that she knew it made us feel special and she was right! I loved Granny’s cursive handwriting, so delicate and loving. I loved getting mail; I loved reading and looking at different peoples’ handwriting. 

TODAY 

Sandi opened her eyes and saw a framed photograph of her late Granny. She smiled and thought of how excited she was when Mom handed her a letter from Granny. They used to get lots of mail back then. It was the only way to stay in touch. We get a lot of mail even now; I guess, she thought, junk mail and bills! She walked past the study and glanced inside. There, on the screen of her computer was a flashing sign reading “you’ve got mail!” In the back of her mind, she could see her Granny’s beautiful hand-writing. She suddenly realized the only time she ever really wrote was when signing a credit card slip. She didn’t remember what her own hand-writing looked like! It had been so long since she had written instead of typed! She thought of how her kids never walked down the road to tell one of their friends something like she used to. They just get on the computer and log onto MSN or Instant Messenger. That is how they communicate now, she thought a little sadly…
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In ‘77 and ‘69 revolution was in the airI was born too late, into a world that doesn’t care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair

When record shops were still on top
And vinyl was all that they stocked
And the super info highway was still drifting out in space
Kids were wearing hand-me-downs
And playing games meant kick around
Footballers still had long hair and dirt across their face 

1972 

I stood in front of ‘Mr. Mac’s Whiz Record Shop’. I loved going in there and brushing my hand across the surface of the records,  knowing that I was literally touching sound and wondering what it would be like to be a famous singer. Mom always called me a dreamer and so did my teachers. I loved dreaming though! Oh Gosh, I’m late! Mom was waiting for me at the furniture shop. She said it was time to re-decorate the house and she wanted a new couch. I crossed the street, waving to Madame Florence through the window of her ice-cream parlour. Mom kissed me quickly and asked me where I had been. I said “just around”. That was our typical answer to everything. We looked around and Mom asked me what I thought of the light blue couch. It was vinyl, of course and would look really nice with the coffee table. I told her I loved it and said I had to go. I was baby-sitting Bobby’s little brother, Dave Morrison that day. He came running up to me as soon as I walked into the house. He was wearing Bobby’s old jeans and t-shirt. I asked him what he wanted to do and he said “play games”. I suggested we go to the park and so we walked down. He immediately ran off to join the very-serious game of soccer being played by the other 12 year olds, not even listening to my “be careful!” Football! What is the fascination with Football?! I thought of Dad and all the men and boys pumped up at the beginning of each season. “
Liverpool this year!” “Don’t be ridiculous man! It’s Arsenal all the way!” “Pfff!
Chelsea, I tell you, Chelsea!” “You’re all wrong! My Manchester United is going to crush you all!” 

TODAY 

Sandi got up and walked to her son’s room. The walls were covered in pictures of Thierry Henry and David Beckham. His desk was surrounded by wires connecting his ‘Play Station’ and “Nintendo’. Gone are the days when footballers had long hair and dirt across their face. All you see now is company sponsorships in fancy clothes. Gone are the days when playing games meant kick-arounds. She continued down the hall to her daughter’s room. She spotted her daughter’s mobile phone lying on the bed. She remembered how Missy and she would run to the big, black, monstrous, precious phone every time it rang! Sandi saw lip-gloss and clothes scattered around, shoes and bags littering her bed. Hand-me-downs, she thought to herself, they were in every young kid’s wardrobe back in ‘72. Missy had all Sandi’s old tops back when they were young. She never wore them though and Sandi wondered why. She trudged back to the living room wondering when she had last received hand-written mail. She looked at her living room and saw the expensive, cream coloured, Italian leather couch and the plasma TV. She suddenly wished she was 17 again, lying on the light-blue vinyl couch with Missy laughing and listening to Dad play his records, dancing with Mom as she made dinner.

Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair
In ‘77 and ‘69 revolution was in the airI was born too late, into a world that doesn’t care
Oh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hairOh I wish I was a punk rocker with flowers in my hair… 

TODAY 

Oh, she did wish she was a punk-rocker with flowers in her hair! She loved being 17 and care-free. She loved the feeling of grass beneath her feet and the smell of a new couch. She loved the thrill she got when opening up a letter and the smoothness of a Jimmy Barnes record. She wondered what happened to Todd. He was her first love. He took her to the prom and kissed her in the back of his Dad’s Chevy. She wanted to see Bobby whom she loved as a brother. She wanted to have a slumber party with Lisa and Marie with no slumber at all! She had kept in touch with Lisa and Marie. She had grown up with them and they talked often but she hadn’t seen them in a long while. She sighed and walked back into the kitchen. She picked up a piece of mail and opened it without really looking at it.
REUNION OF CLASS ’72! 4^TH OF JULY AT THE CARNIVAL! She gasped. A reunion! She could see them all again! She smiled at the coincidence. She headed out the door without a second thought, bag in hand. She was finding herself a white, peasant skirt and a lily clip for her hair. She was going to be 17 and a punk rocker again…

 

                     

August 6^th, 1945:

            The United States Air Force dropped ‘Little Boy’ over
Hiroshima.

August 9^th, 1945:

            The United States Air Force dropped ‘Fat Man’ over
Nagasaki.

            Those two dates are marked in history forever as the days, the world changed forever. ‘Little Boy’ and ‘fat Man’ were the names of the two atomic bombs that were dropped in
Japan during World War II.

            On August 6^th, 1945, a B-29 plane called ‘Enola Gay’ launched and set its course for
Hiroshima. At approximately 8:15am, the ‘Enola Gay’ dropped the atomic bomb on
Hiroshima. The bomb exploded about 600 meters above the city with an explosion equivalent to about 13 kiloton’s of TNT. The blast instantly killed an estimated 70,000-80,000 people (mainly civilians). The radius of destruction was about 1.6km and the damage to
Hiroshima’s infrastructure was 90%, its buildings either damaged or completely destroyed. Approximately 3 hours after the attack, a Japanese service officer flew to the damage site to witness a great mushroom cloud covering what used to be
Hiroshima. By Christmas of 1945, the death toll had escalated to 140,000. To this day it is statistically estimated, the many deaths are the results of radiation exposure from the areas of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki.

            The second nuclear attack was scheduled for Kokura. However on the morning of 9^th August, 1945, visual clarity was unavailable, so, the pilots of the B-29 ‘Bockscar’ re-routed to their secondary target;
Nagasaki. At exactly 11:01am visual clarity was obtained and the ‘Fat Man’ was dropped. It exploded approximately 470 meters above ground. The explosion took place nearly 3km north-west from the hypocenter and was restricted mainly to the Urakami
Valley. An estimated 70,000 of 240,000 residents were killed instantly with up to 60,000 injured. The radius of destruction was 1.6km. Thousands of people died during the following months due to radiation exposure.

            There were many effects from the atomic bombs, both physical and mental. People suffered from severe burns and loss of eyesight, radiation induced cancer was found in many people and millions of homes were destroyed from the blast. Families and lives were ruined and physical and mental disabilities passed through generations, to be found in people many years later.

            The atomic bombs changed the world as we know it. It brought with it, the dawn of the nuclear age and more than just the loss of lives. To many Americans, weary from war, such a drastic measure was a necessity. It seemed an end to the madness of the war. Truth be told, the madness has just begun.

            The world’s population now lives in the fear of total annihilation. We all live in a fear that is indeed, very real. I personally, am in awe at the ease, at which a nuclear bomb can be dropped. A bomb which has the ability to destroy an entire city. I feel a certain unease when I think about the atomic bombs. I feel a little scared when I think of the number of who died.

            It is obvious that after dropping the atomic bombs, the
United States possessed the scariest and most destructive technology imaginable. But now, in today’s 21^st Century society, almost every country possesses some sort of nuclear technology. Is the answer to our problems the dropping of an atomic bomb? If the world is thrown into war, will we drop an atomic bomb to attack or defend ourselves? We can see what the atomic bomb did to our society, but has it changed our way of thinking? The answer is yes. We now think on a larger scale and thanks to the atomic bomb, who knows what we will do in the future…

                     

          

Lost in time

With no-where to go

I drift…

Alone…

But for my old leather suitcase

Filled with memoirs of my life

My memories

Bitter - sweet

My passions

A raging fire

My love

A forgotten story

Me

A wanderer

Lost in time

 

Do you remember the 50’s?

The war just gone

Elvis was king

Rock & Roll, our soul

Drive - in movies

Were all the rage

Choc’ sundaes

Topped with whipped cream

Made our day

Lost in time

 

Do you remember the 60’s?

We all learned the twist

Mini - skirts

And bell - bottoms

Was what we wore

Our boots were made for walking

And Ray Charles had ‘Georgia on his Mind’

Lost in time

 

Do you remember the 70’s?

My big sister

started hugging trees

The peace sign

Was our new ‘hello’

Our guys

Grew afros

And we were all ‘Dancing Queens’

Lost in time

 

Do you remember the 80’s?

The computer

Was invented

We didn’t know a thing

Radio ruled us all

And the girls and me

Wished and hoped

Stevie Wonder would ring to say

‘I just called to say I love you’

Lost in time

 

Do you remember 90’s?

Not long ago

White stood with black

We all stood tall

TV was our new king

No longer did playing games

Mean kick arounds

No longer was vinyl all they stocked

And what we heard was Pearl Jam

And all about his ‘Last Kiss’

Lost in time

 

Anew millennium

A whole new world

I stand back

And see

Time pass me by

Now I sing along to

R&B

As I write my memoirs

Me

A wanderer

Lost in time

      

CULTURAL DIVERSITY HITS LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL!!

  

On the 19^th July 2006, Carlingford High School came together in a whirlwind of nationalities to celebrate their very own International Day.  Carlo High celebrated its cultural diversity with numerous outstanding performances by our very own students in a concert of musical items as well as through the sale of heaps yummy food from all over the world.  The day started off as normal for most students while the performers and stage crew practised and set up the hall for the concert. Come the end of recess, all the students filed into the hall awaiting a spectacle of performances. They were completely blown away!  The audience was entertained by a Japanese play, Indian dancers and tablar players in gorgeous traditional costumes, Korean and Taiwanese Love songs, musical items, drama, a yr12 German slap dance, the all-American cheerleading squad and 2 fabulous fashion parades depicting clothes from different countries! A special cheer must be given to Miss. Chan, Ms. Anand & Ms. Wright for their fabulous modelling!  After the concert, the students celebrated on delicious food like cake, gelato, pasta and noodles from over 13 different countries. The party was further enhanced by Korean senior band students throwing everyone “into the groove” with some music. Other entertainment was provided by a Chinese Lion Dance, games and activities like pie eating contests, face painting, basketball shoot-outs, karaoke singing and a mini Football (soccer) World Cup. (Congratulations to Ghana for their win!)  Despite the rain, everyone enjoyed the day immensely and had loads of fun! After so much hard work out in by teachers and students alike the day was well worth the trouble! The international harmony visible within Carlingford High School is definitely something to be proud of!    

 Take the Lead is based on a true story about ‘Pierre Dulaine’ who was teaching underprivileged inner city teenagers to ballroom dance!

Antonio Banderas plays Pierre Dulaine, an inspirational Manhattan dancer and competitor who volunteers to teach a group of African-American teenagers serving detention how to dance…ballroom!

Dulaine witnesses an act of vandalism by one the students and decides to take it to the school. While there he offers his abilities as a ballroom dancer in an attempt to help the kids of this school. The principal puts the “detention school rejects” in his care.

Dulaine and the students suffer from initial conflict over the styles of dance and behaviour. These in-detention kids are masters of hip hop dancing whereas Dulaine is trying to teach poise and grace. However, after perseverance on Dulaine’s part and pure curiosity and a feeling of nothing better do to on the students’ part; a beautiful mixture of the two types of dancing is formed. During this process, these students not only learn how to waltz and tango but learn a few Lessons About Life.

A Pierre Dulaine slowly but steadily becomes a mentor for kids who never had anything to strive for, he encourages them to enter a prestigious ballroom competition entered by only the “rich, white folk”.

Among all the dancing, the audience gets a good look at the lives of underprivileged children in the back of New York City. It shows us just how powerful hard work and determination can be!

(Without giving away the ending!), the competition starts off slightly problematic but smoothes out in the end with a fast paced free fusion of hip-hop and ballroom!

Take the lead is a great movie and has a lot of life lessons which are easy to grasp in this vibrant mix of colour, dance and life. I would recommend it for anybody over 13-ish. This movie will have u tapping your feet and thinking…’in a few lessons, maybe I’ll be able to dance like that’.

Enjoy! And have a go at those ballroom lessons!!                           

                                  

                                         

AHHHHH!!! Speech time! Again! Oh no! What am I going to do!! Ms. Raynor’s voice slows down and morphed into one of those crazy horror movie voiceovers. I think Lex is trying to talk to me…wait…let me get myself together and focus on what people are saying. (I can’t seem completely lost!)

 

            OK, now I’m at home, breathing normally again and looking at the speech assessment task sheet our English teacher gave to us. Write a speech! Write a speech! I do not think our teachers understand that we already have 2 assignments to do and now a speech as well! Great! Not.

 

            Hmmm, I think I’ll do my speech this year on “My vision for the Future”. That sounds good. I can talk about things that really mean a lot to me. I can talk about World Peace, equality around the world, fairness to children and how multiculturalism is affecting our lives today. Who cares if people think I’m a nerd. This stuff means a lot to me. I like that idea. “My Vision for the Future”. Well, that’s sorted. I have a topic. Now, I have to write the actual speech.

 

            Dad!!!!! Dad!!! Gosh, where is my dad when you need him!!! Dad!!! I need help with my speech!!!!!!!

 

            “Do you think that’s a good ending?” Yes, I like that ending. ‘Leave this planet a better place than what we inherited’. Thx Dad!!! Phew! Speech written (with a little help from dad). Time to memorise it now.

 

            I’ve never really been nervous of public speaking. I started entering Public Speaking competitions since I was in year 3 so I’m used to the nerves and standing up there in front of a lot of people. I’m also used to the whole eye contact - clear voice – posture thing as well. I did well in last year’s public speaking competition. I came first in my division and I was pretty proud of myself

 

            Butterflies. I have butterflies in my stomach. I always get butterflies and let me tell you, it does not help me one bit. I need to go to the toilet. “Would anyone like to volunteer to go first’, Ms. Raynor asks us. Go first! No way! I’m confident…but not that confident! Better to wait a while and let a few other students go before me. I need to calm down!

 

            Should I volunteer? Or should I just wait for my name to be called? Oh, what the heck…”I’d like to go next Miss.” Wait…did I just volunteer! Oh, nice one Sach, real good move there! No, it’s better to get it over and done with. I hate these wars that go on inside my head! OK, my go. I stand up, straighten my skirt (got to look presentable!) and walk up to the front of the classroom.

 

            “Good morning, the main news headlines…”

 

I walk away. To my desk in the back of the classroom. I smile to Lex who’s sitting next to me. “Well done sweetie”, she says to me. I smile even more and breathe a sigh of relief. Yeh, that wasn’t too bad. Nobody fell asleep, I didn’t stack it, I didn’t stutter in my speech. All in all I think I did OK.

[[ha ha ha!!! brodz..I still love u man!!! even though I beat u!! he he!!next time brodz..itz game on!!!]]

           

Good Morning, the main news headlines brought to you by Sairachna Trikha.

 -         Today, the world leaders meet to lay down all weapons and work on the economic development of all nations.

 -         Corporate and industrial leaders meet to work on providing opportunities for poorer nations and a cleaner environment.

 -         On this day of Christmas, millions of Christians visit the birthplace of Christ; Jerusalem, and were greeted by Israelis and Palestinians.

-         An Id greeting from Mecca sent to the world communities.

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is not the news we hear today on the television and radios. But, this is “My Vision for the Future”.

Today, I stand in front of you in our free country, but I also stand here in fear, for myself as well for as for the innocent people who could be victims of terrorism.

It is possible to have only one vision for the future in a world that is constantly threatened by terrorism, war and violence. It is a vision that allows us to include everyone to live and work together - Australians, Americans, Chinese, Palestinians, Israelis, Afghanis - no one will be left out.

Just as we saw a couple of years ago at the Athens Olympics - where the world came together as a harmonious whole to compete as equals.

Multiculturalism ensures that all citizens can keep their identities, take pride in their ancestry and yet have a sense of belonging. All citizens are equal. Multiculturalism gives us Australians a feeling of pride, security and self confidence making us open to and accepting diverse cultures.

Our diversity is a national asset. Recent advances in technology have opened the world to us making international communication more important than ever. We Australians who speak many languages and understand may cultures, makes it easier for Australia to participate globally in areas of trade, education and diplomacy.

My vision for the future goes beyond the peaceful existence of this world but extends to a world where all people live in fairness; children get the opportunities to a good education and enjoyment, today’s medical and technological advances should be made available to all. This vision is only possible when rich nations support poorer countries.

Through the journey of life; from preparation to preparedness, as I stand at the gates of the future, I can only see dark clouds of inhumanity which can only be cleared with equal opportunity for all, best secured by free people working together towards a better tomorrow.

We must acknowledge challenges and make our choices. A spark of possibility burns deep within every child; that ordinary people can do extraordinary things. My vision for the future can be achieved if we all work towards it from today. Let us resolve to leave this planet a better place than what we inherited.

                              

I think we have all heard about the courageous and unbelievable story of the Beaconsfield miners! The past 14 days for Tasmanian miners Todd Russell and Brant Webb have never been worse. Their story is now known to us all after an interview they had with Channel 9 discussing life 1000 metres underground.

            This piece of news has been reported on every television channel, every radio station and has made the paper every day since Anzac day. Reporters from all over the country flew down to Tasmania’s Beaconsfield Gold Mine to investigate this shocking story! The relief and happiness felt by everyone when the church bells rang was evident from the newspaper reports the next day and on the television.

            Todd Russell and Brant Webb went down in the mine lift on 5^th April 2006 for a regular day of work with another colleague and mate – Larry Knight. It seemed like a regular day mining the gold when all of sudden a terrible earth tremor brought down tones of rock onto the miners in the mining cage. Unknown to Todd and Brant, Larry Knight was killed in the downfall of the rocks. For 14 days Todd and Brant tried to figure out a plan of escape (to no avail), shared stories and memories of their families, sang songs! They encouraged and helped each other overcome the pressure and fear of being stuck in cage. Todd was injured in the knee from the blows of the rock and using rescue course guidelines he had learnt and with the help of Brant; he managed to sustain enough energy to survive.

            After a fortnight of isolation form the rest of the world, after many days blasting and many hours of chiselling and drilling through the rock rescuers finally managed to get in contact and release the miners from their underground hell. They walked out of the same lift that took them down there and walked out of the mine to their awaiting family and friends while the whole of Australia sat glued to their couches breathing a sigh of relief for these ordinary men who had just undergone an extraordinary ordeal.

            To hear the full story of these men on the Sunday night on Channel 9 filled me with awe and wonder as to how two men managed to survive a kilometre underground for 14 days! Even though I had never met or heard about these men before Anzac day I felt such a relief to hear that they had survived to see their families and to live another day!

                           

           

Here’s the big question everyone (especially women!!) ask themselves – Is chocolate bad for you?! We all know that it can be addictive and absolutely delicious which leads us to believe that anything that good has to be bad for you, right? Or wrong?

Here are a few facts which might help solve the unexplained mystery!

Chocolate has a good side and a bad side. Chocolate contains high levels of sugar and unfortunately, due to its great taste is also known as “comfort food”, which we all love to eat when under stress. These two facts are known to cause obesity and 2 types of diabetes. However, chocolate is also known to contain antioxidants which can prevent cancer and heart disease! It also contains something called flavonoids which can help maintain a healthy heart because of circulation of the blood and reduced blood clotting.

 The amount of sugar contained in chocolate can cause major tooth decay which may result in mood swings because of endorphin levels being too high. Then again, chocolate provides us with our daily intake of “stable sugar” providing high energy levels for the day.

Chocolate also contains “xanthine”, which is like caffeine and can make a person jittery. But, it also contains “theophylline”, this stimulates the nervous system and relaxes the “bronchi” in the lungs and relaxes the blood vessels.

But, best of all, chocolate has “phenylethylamine” which is similar to the neurotransmitter that moves around at a higher level when people fall in love, so chocolate can help soothe a broken heart!

As you can see, there are so many arguments for both sides of our chocolate theory so I’m afraid this is one mystery we are not going to be able to solve! However, you can feel a little better when you eat chocolate, just think; I’m preventing myself from having cancer!