5 Christmas gift ideas for your boyfriend

by Zameen Datta | Dec 14, 2016 | Culture

5 Christmas gift ideas for your boyfriend

Well, it’s that time of year again. Holiday songs are playing, jingle bells are ringing, and shopping malls all across the world are breaking out the tinsel and Christmas trees.

Finding a good present can be hard, especially if you’re trying to impress someone. Guys in particular can be difficult to buy presents for, which is why we’ve made a list of gift ideas for your boyfriend or boy “friend” this Christmas.

1. Gadgets

Men love their technological toys.

Whether it’s the latest iPhone, a big screen tablet or even that shiny new X-box system, there’s bound to be some kind of gadget that they’d secretly love to own.

2. Let them make something

You know what guys like? Making stuff.

Look around and see what your man might be interested in. Give him the chance to unleash his inner child and create his own toys this Christmas.

3. Something stylish

Girls aren’t the only ones who like looking good.

A fancy suit can make a guy feel like a classy gentleman even if his bank account doesn’t have a dozen zeroes at the end.

4. A unique experience

Nowadays, everyone seems to be rushing around everywhere.

Whether it’s relaxing on the beach, visiting a museum or even playing a game of paintball, he’ll remember the experience long after he’s forgotten about that sweater at the back of his closet that his aunt gave him.

5. Cash

If all else fails and you truly have no idea what to get him…

Remember that everyone likes free money. Men are usually more practical than you think.

Do you agree? Share this with your friends and see what they think.

5 Christmas gift ideas for your girlfriend

Zameen Datta, Intern, Malaysiakini

14 December 2016

5 Christmas gift ideas for your girlfriend

by Zameen Datta | Dec 14, 2016 | Culture

5 Christmas gift ideas for your girlfriend

We all know how hard it can be to find that perfect gift for someone you like, so this year we thought we’d ask our female friends and colleagues what they’d like to receive for Christmas.

Hopefully, this will help you to find the perfect gift for your loved ones.

1. Fashionable

Cliche or not, most girls do like the idea of new clothes, jewellery and makeup.

However, what your girlfriend thinks is fashionable may not be obvious at first glance. Pay attention to the things she wears and buys and try to get something similar. If you’re still unsure, just get her a gift voucher from a clothing store that she likes.

2. Romantic

Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

Flowers and chocolate may be a little old fashioned nowadays, but many girls do enjoy being wooed. Just don’t be too cheap or you’ll look lazy.

3. Practical

Believe it or not, some of them prefer a gift that’s a little more practical.

Coffee machines, study planners, comfy new bedsheets and other useful items may not be as sexy as gold and jewels, but she’ll appreciate it nevertheless.

4. Made with love

On a budget? Why not try making a gift?

Don’t be afraid to get a little creative – a handmade gift may not be fancy, but it comes from the heart.

5. Spending time together

Still unsure what to get her?

Well, why not spend a little extra time with her this festive season? Take a few days off to go on a romantic date or an adventurous outing. As long as the two of you enjoy yourselves, it’ll be an experience she will remember for many years to come.

If you agree, share this with your clueless boyfriend now.

5 Christmas gift ideas for your boyfriend

Zameen Datta, Intern, Malaysiakini

14 December 2016

The Travel Bug Nightmare

by Hiba Hammoud | Dec 6, 2016 | travel

The Travel Bug Nightmare

If you have not travelled yet, and when I say travel I don’t mean leaving your house to the nearest Sephora. No, I mean hopping on a plane and travelling to a place that is outside your country and your comfort zone. So if you haven’t travelled yet, firstly it is never too late, and secondly I’m about to warn you about the insane nightmare you get when you do travel, I like to call the travel bug.

Hiba Hammoud

Student, Deakin University

A little background about me, I’ve hopped on a plane 15 times in the last 6 months, visited about 8 different cities and experienced 3 different cultures. What I have witnessed in terms of scenic views and all the ‘insta-worthy’ sites you can think of, is nothing you can imagine and would never be able to experience the same thing by sitting in a classroom, or in front of laptop watching Netflix (guilty!). So yes, this year I majorly caught the travel bug… and no it’s not an ebola or Zika virus (too soon?), it is simply this pestering bug you get when you have travelled way too much, more described like an addiction.

Symptoms of the Travel Bug

The symptoms are:

Before your holiday is even over, you’re already thinking about “where next!?”
You begin to suffer from post-travel depression when you get back home and you’ll start comparing everything at home to your holiday.
Your conversations with people (until you leave again) will consist of “when I was in New York I did this” “yeah when I was in Dubai we saw this” “it’s so different in Lebanon compared to here”. Your friends won’t tell you, but trust me they will want to stop holding conversations with you because they’re sick of your travel talks… purely because they’re jealous.
You’ll randomly sit in bed and just look at all your Instagram travel photos and your Facebook albums.
While you’re completing an assignment you’ll procrastinate by hopping on to travel website to see how much it is to get to Paris, and then plan a whole itinerary that may never happen.
You’ll constantly do throwbacks of photos you took overseas over a year ago.
The major symptom is being broke every time you come back but still planning trips that aren’t feasible.

Having said that, I would much rather have the travel bug than the flu…I mean who wouldn’t!

In all seriousness, travelling is the best thing you could do, and I have learnt more while travelling than I ever learnt in school or in my regular social life at home.

“Kids on bicycle” mural by Ernest Zacharevic, George Town, Penang

“

Travelling gives you culture,
it creates long life memories

”

It creates friendships, it brings families closer together, it teaches you to be grateful everyday and more importantly it teaches you that there is more to life than the box you were built in. I’m not saying that the way you’re living is wrong, it’s just us humans do not cope with change well and we like to stick to things that we know. However, trust me when I say once you break that wall and leave your comfort zone you’re going to appreciate life a whole lot more, and value things more than you can imagine.

Love Lane, George Town, Penang

Times Square, New York

As much as the travel bug is an expensive curse, it is also a cure to a lot of issues. For example, if I never pressured my parents to let me travel alone:

I would have never learnt what it means to make your own decisions and place trust in myself.
I would not know what it means to be responsible over yourself and those around you.
I wouldn’t have met the amazing people I call friends today.
It would have taken me a long time before I could call myself independent if I never travelled.
I would have never learnt how to adapt quickly to different environments, cultures and more importantly extreme climates.
I would have missed out on a lot of opportunities if I never took the initiative and worked as hard as I did to afford to travel.
I would have never gained the confidence and independence I have today at such a young age.
More importantly, I would have never been able to come across the most beautiful views and landmarks if I remained in my tiny Melbourne box.

The travel bug is the only nightmare you want to have

Yes, travelling is expensive but it is also experience and memories you will never regret. I am not saying, go travel if you have $5 sitting in your bank account. Travelling is the complete opposite, it is hard work, whether you’d be travelling for school, for work or just a holiday, the opportunity will only come if you are constantly working hard for it.

I recommend everyone to go travel, see the world, meet new people, taste new food, experience different cultures, because trust me you will come back as a changed individual every time… for the better.

5 signs that you’re an accidental hipster

by Lachie Durling | Dec 3, 2016 | Culture

5 signs that you're an accidental hipster

It’s one of the most hated modern trends around the globe.

Something that’s as old and tired as the felt jacket that you’d find in your local vintage store marked at an outrageous price. These inner-city individuals are all about ‘upcycling’ and artisanal foodstores, two words that make any sane person cringe.

But what can they offer to us? Or how have we adopted what the culture had to offer?

And most importantly, how are you a hipster without even realising it?

1. You take coffee seriously.

When does coffee move from a morning pick me up to an artisanal obsession?

It’s not just about finding the right brew, it’s all about the up-and-coming little cafe down a back alley that has the best cold press soy decaf latte with no froth and a shot of caramel. But you prefer it; mainly because that cafe has no people in it to annoy you, but also it’s good coffee.

2. Your coffee order is longer than five words.

If anything else comes out past 'take away cappuccino with one', that's a major sign.

Sorry, but you’re a bit of a hipster. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, just as long as you’re comfortable with everyone rolling their eyes at you and cursing you under their breath.

3. All of your clothes at the back of your closet are in style.

The original 80's designed Adidas top is a treasure now

Time to get it out of the pyjama drawer and into the streets. You’ll be the envy of all your friends. People are paying good money for the retro look, think how much you’ve saved by being so lazy.

4. That single-speed bicycle you had as a kid?

Yep, it's back too. Get it out of the shed and onto the road

The more rust the better. Because bicycles with more than one speed are just too much of a hassle for your active inner city lifestyle.

5. It's not just an Instagram account!

It's a matter of life or death, as are all of your social media accounts.

You live by the words ‘prime time’ and abide by the unspoken rules of posting and captioning. Because everyone knows a good caption helps make the pic, and bring the likes.

The first step is acknowledging you have a problem, and making sure you have a supportive group of friends to stop you as you try to run back to that cold brew, or stop you thinking everything is Insta-worthy. You may not mean it, however, there’re worse things than branding yourself a hipster.

Lachie Durling, Student, Deakin University

3 December 2016

I graduated. What now?

by VOIZ asia | Dec 2, 2016 | learn

Millennials vs. Gen X

So… what now?

Zameen Datta, Intern, Malaysiakini

2 December 2016

Congratulations, you’ve finally gotten your degree.

Finishing your final year involves a great deal of stress, with exams and assignments and internships that all suddenly need to be completed and handed in yesterday. It requires many late nights pouring over textbooks and frantic study sessions in the library. At the end of it all, being handed your degree can feel like a sweet, sweet victory.

But once you’ve taken the pictures and tossed the hats in the air, things suddenly become complicated. The real world is very different from the structured, organized life you got used to in university, and it can be confusing or disheartening to many recent graduates taking their first steps alone.

So what do you do once the party’s over and the realities of adult life begin hammering on your door?

For a recent graduate, there are three basic paths available:

1. Continue studying

The most straightforward option: more university!

Many graduates choose to continue studying in order to receive a Masters or even PhD qualification. While this can increase your work value and allow you to learn more about a subject you love, it is important to consider whether or not this is the right path for you.

Going for a Masters means sacrificing short term profits in the hopes of a long term pay off. While having more qualifications can be good, the path of research and academia may not be suited for everyone. In addition to the highly competitive nature of the field, getting a higher qualification can actually lower your job prospects by making you too specialized in a certain subject.

2. Get a job

The “sensible” choice: start working, earn a salary and pay off your debts as soon as possible.

A lot of people decide to go straight into the working world once they graduate. This gives them the chance to immediately start earning money as well as learn new skills and make valuable contacts that will serve them well in the future.

However, while getting a job was once considered the ‘safe and stable’ option, the economic problems of the past few years has led to many companies downsizing and made it harder for new graduates to find work. While the economy is recovering in many places, the idea of staying in one job until you retire is considered outdated and inflexible. Be prepared to switch jobs or even careers several times throughout your lifetime.

3. Do something else

The third and final option represents a lot of things, including: building a business, taking a gap year, becoming a housewife, volunteering to work for an NGO, and many, many more.

This option is available to you because right now you are at what is possibly the most free period of your life. You have all the freedoms and responsibilities of an adult without needing to worry about having to take care of a house or children. In short, this is possibly the best time for you to take a risk because you can afford to make a big gamble.

Whichever path you want to take, make sure you think carefully before deciding. These next few years will possibly be the most important in your lifetime. You should plan your next steps ahead of time in order to ensure that the path you pick is the right one for you.

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