Feature

FRIENDSHIP ANYTIME

Alida Binte Saqi

WE often think about a friend whenever we want to share our joys and sorrows. Sometimes we want a friend just to have a good time. It is impossible to have a perfect day without the presence of friends. We don't need a special day to tell our friends how much we cherish having them by our side. Still it's been a trend to wish a friend all the happiness of this world on a particular day - the first sunday of August. National Friendship Day was first declared in U.S.A. After its immense popularity, it did not take long for other countries around the globe to catch up with the trend.

You can wish your friend by giving a friendship band or a friendship card, available in any gift shop. But it is always more special if the wristband or card is made by yourself. The word friendship is used quite freely these days but it takes time and experience to discover and differentiate true friends from the fair weather birds. I have always believed that if you have what it takes to be a true friend, you are bound to find a true friend. Trust of friends is something too special to break or put at risk, because it is your friends who will always stand beside you at times of need. As I have said before, there is no specific time to tell a friend how special he or she is. If you have forgotten to wish a friend on this friendship day, pick up the phone and do it. Because friends never mind about you being forgetful!

Us through the years

Idishta Nabi

I remember when we were in 3rd grade. Boys watched Pokémon and Digimon, while girls were expected to watch Barbie. Then in grade 4; girls would be found sitting somewhere playing those hand-clapping games, while the guys' tried out for football or cricket. Grade 5 went pretty much the same way. Girls were friends with girls and guys were friends with guys. That was the strict rule!

It was in grade 6 that changes were seen. Guys realised that girls didn't actually have 'Cooties' and girls began to think guys weren't totally disgusting. Playtimes suddenly became more fun; playing basketball together or sitting and chatting. E-mails began to be exchanged, most of them being those stupid chain-mails.

Seventh grade friendship started to bloom. Our parents' phone bills started sky-rocketing. We talked on the phone for hours, jumping from topic to topic. Then along came Facebook sometime during grade 8. Pictures were uploaded as fast as Bangladesh internet would allow us. But for these pictures to be taken we needed parties, and thus started gatherings which for once weren't arranged by our parents. MSN kicked off too.

But then the pressure from the workload increased. We were busy with tests about stuff that will never help us in life, presentations that no one paid attention to and reports that we would have failed if Google hadn't existed. Along with the workload, drama was mounting, hearts were 'broken', parents got on our nerves, things never seemed to go as we wanted them to. And who did we whine about all this to? To each other; friendship flourished and bonds became stronger. As 2010 summer approached, so did the World Cup. It surprised us all, when we found ourselves calling or texting a friend at 2 in the morning to offer them our sympathy because their team had lost. It surprised us even more when we realised that the only reason we had watched this match was because one of our friends supported a particular team yet, a team we never cared about! We watched the match, nevertheless, to congratulate or cheer up our friends. It made us realise how strong our bonds had really become.

And now we're moving into 10th Grade. Some of us are leaving, new people are coming (and new people always mean trouble), as work will pile and temper will run high 24 hours in a day won't seem enough. I guess this is the ultimate test, to see whether through all of this, our friendship will remain unbreakable or not.

(Grade 10, Australian International School)