may and april issue

EDITOR’S NOTE

Welcome to A Silent Voice,

During my time at Taylors College, I have witnessed remarkable stories that deserve our attention to see how beautiful the world is. In that world I see humans are complicated, and yet that is also our blessing. The crucial part is how we carry our complexities through sorrows and joy. But also, that tells us we would never be able to understand ourselves in such a short time fully, nor did I mention the others. Our life revolves, but the feelings live silently. We may not realise it, or we may deny its existence.

Through this issue, A Silent Voice, I want to bring you the stories hidden in our dayto-day life from our surroundings, our friends, family, or those we walk past without noticing how tight the bond we have gained with them is. So that one day, when you look back at your time here, the memories will remain present

Enjoy your reading!

Cat Tuong Chu

Table of contents

Editor’s Note

12

A silent voice

37

13

Yarning circle

The silent struggle

Silent dedication

25

Word search

15

Confession box

172123

About Taylors Chronicles

Silent spirit

Fictional story prompt

2729

Where’s TC?

Myfather,whonormallydoesn’tsay much,oncetoldme:“Youcan’tcontrol thewaves,butyoucancontrolthesails.”

| Demberel Enkhbayasgalan (Andy) (Alumni)

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Words by Ha An Do

The silent

Phone in hand, aimlessly scrolling through Tiktok, not a single thought in my mind Three weeks have passed since my visa submission, all of my friends were on holiday flying to different destinations exploring other worldly wonders, whilst I sat at home waiting for the one single piece of paper that might change the trajectory of life, forever. With every hour ticking by, my fingers continued to flood my agents’ emails and messages asking whether they have received the visa papers yet, but with each and every message I have sent, every reply I received were either “no” or “NO”, sprinkled in a few words telling me to be more patient. Not only have I yearned for a change of environment for quite some time, but a change in culture and scenery would be new and refreshing.The waiting game became quite tiresome as I had to do chores at home to make me feel less bored. Loading the last plate into the dishwasher, my phone dinged with a sharp sound, feelings of dread and agony rushed upon me. Glancing at my phone I was prepared for my agent’s rejection spiel, only to discover written in bold, dark letters contrasting my pink background, was my visa forwarded to me by my agent. Frantically sprinting to my mum’s room, I shoved my visa approval letter in her face and immediately after that, my plane ticket was booked,

struggle

my luggage was loaded onto the car then we headed our way to the airport, marking the end of my life in Vietnam

Touching down in Sydney, my first thought was this city seemed peaceful and quiet, the weather was nicer compared to other parts of the world, and the overall energy of the city did not overwhelm me However, after a month living in Sydney I have started to notice quite a lot of passive aggressive remarks made to asian people from the scrunching of the face when mentioning asian food to verbal phrases directly suggesting that asian food is “disgusting” and “unhealthy”, which completely bursted my bubble. Entering a new city is not only lonely but also frustrating as problems arise, and when these problems occur then it is really important to have a support system by your side. Unfortunately, it may not be as simple as I thought. Homesickness became a common occurrence, and low morale became another problem, these both although did not have an impact on my studies, it did indeed affect my mental health I was constantly gaslighting myself into believing that if I can pass this stage of my life, then the rest shall be smooth sailing .

Australian culture constantly confuses me on several occasions, from the classic Vegemite on toast to closing down coffee shops, restaurants and stores at six pm. The streets of Sydney are empty, vacant and not as vibrant as compared to back home, leaving a cold feeling in the pit of my stomach. Even though this is not a defining factor, a touch of liveliness gives a city its character and soul, I have yet to discover the fascinating hidden gems in Sydney, it’s probably because I have only been here for several months, hopefully it will get better soon

Moving to a whole new continent shifted my perspective and added numerous complex emotions to my emotional capacity, making me become a stronger person than before, by facing adversities at a young age, it makes me become a stronger person than I am before and even though Sydney was not what I expected, at the end of the day I am still very privileged to be able to go abroad and gain a variety of knowledge people may not have access too.

“Ifyourlife wasamovie,how wouldyouwant yourcharacter tobeportrayed as?“

| Abdulrahman Ameen (Then Student President)

The conscience of the mind is amongst the most important tools of the human kind Molded into different variations and forms in each person’s head, each and every conscience all plays similar roles and all perform the same task. Feelings of warnings and sometimes comfort may be evoked depending on the situations and scenarios the person is in. Heading down a dark alleyway at night, the mind ensures to stay alert and look out for those behind. Meanwhile in situations filled with sorrow and sadness, it tells them to look for happiness by treating themselves with nice treats and seeking out comfort. This conscience, to others, can not be heard, yet only

A Silent Voice

those in possession of it can understand and comprehend the meanings Depending on how people treat themselves, determines the attitude of the mind The lower the self-esteem the worse the mind puts them down, not only does this have negative effects on the overall health of people, but also has an impact on how hard they will commit to a common goal, or how much effort will be put in On the other hand, if one

thinks of happy thoughts, their mind and soul will be able to develop resilience and maintain that optimism throughout life, training the conscience to uplift them and push their limits to become better than before. Although it is kind of funny to have the conscience be the voice of reasons for many, always ensuring the smartest or maybe the dumbest decisions to be made. Internal dialogue, when one speaks and answers themselves, is not a made up concept, in truth this allows the people to rethink logical decisions, however sometimes that may not be the case, the brain may say no, but the heart always follows. Sometimes, feelings of courage and curiosity may arise, this is when our conscience tells us to live a little, loosen up a bit more, and have some fun with our lives and because of that, they opt for thrilling adventures and unforgettable experiences such as parachuting, rock climbing, maybe cave diving, or holiday trips to beautiful tropical paradises like Bora

with striking blue water and cute sea animals At the end of the day, the human conscience is a silent voice to many, but the loudest to themselves, will tread through the toughest time of our lives and follow us till death

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Words by Ha An Do

Prior to European Invasion, Australia was inhabited by the aboriginals with more than 250 tribes spanning across the continent, and with an overall population of over 750,000 people, their history rich and unique in its own way. Last Wednesday (20th of March), we had the opportunity to learn about the Aboriginals with Donna Ingram, the cultural representative for the local Aboriginal community in Sydney We participated in the yarning circle, a cultural practice of the Aboriginals where knowledge and respect is shared, allowing those who are not familiar with the history and culture to learn and acknowledge these cultures Donna began introducing herself and her tribe as well as their history, she also showed us the beautiful indigenous designs on her earrings, as she wore it with pride Donna briefly covered the tragedies the Aboriginals had to endure such as the lack of access to education and mistreatments when it comes to authoritative figures ( police) as well as the misconceptions some people have about the indigenous people , such as them having a free car and a free house, to which Donna

Yarning Circle:

An activityof acknowledgement

joked saying that she would have gotten married earlier if she was entitled to these benefits Donna clarified that the Aboriginals had to work hard to earn their cars and houses and that they do not have extra perks or benefits. When in reality, they lack quite a lot in certain areas, from legal services to healthcare , which are the essential needs of everybody In addition, Donna also mentioned the cultural significance of Redfern and how the Aboriginals have come together to build the community, only for people from other areas to taint its name, through illegal activities Towards the end there was a question and answer segment, in which the participants can ask Donna any questions regarding the Indigenous community, wrapping up the yarning cirlce, which helped students like us become more aware of the various cultures in Sydney. .

| Words by Ha An Do

Confession box

From us, the minorities…

CommonRoom

Teddy Bear

I used to be everyone ’ s favourite Now they are all spreading rumours about me. Everyone wanted to hug me, but ever since the hearsay was up against me, I am forbidden You may ask where I am now So I am here to cry my heart out. I am locked in this dark place. Please let me out….

Library Printer

Guess what? I am just here, playing hard to get I am highly demanded, you know? Students need me. I don’t care if

they hate me, because I don’t work most of the time But, I know that they need me I am their favourite, by force.

Ping Pong table

Ouch!! Why do they hit me even when they lose or win? Some of them even use their tablets to play ping pong, that’s an innovative idea. But don’t hit me too hard… I am your source of entertainment in this school I witnessed newbies to masters. I am your favourite, so treat me nicely please…..

Charging station

I guess I am not just your favourite but also your life saviour. That’s it. Short and simple. Straight to the point Because nothing else needs to be explained. I am your fav, periodt

Vending machine

Here I am, bestie of your empty stomach. You students forget your breakfast or lunch, then you’ll come to me. But, you sometimes even kick me when you are those who need me, just because I don’t work most of the time. Why? People, why?

Silent dedication

A tribute to Ameen

Our school has been running Students Representative Committees (SRC) for the past three semesters and successfully built their recognition among students since last semester, under the leadership of Abdulrahman Ameen Not only did he creatively hold different events helping to enhance the school engagement with students, but also ensured students’ voices are heard within the college and the managers As for Abdulrahman ( or we also know him by Ameen), events were not the only focus of the team vision, but also to represent students and address the issues, then foresee the potential solutions Not a single detail walked past him without being undone. He always worked in his best self. Besides being a great President among the students, he was

also a dedicated and caring leader to his team as he left no one behind. During his time of presidency, the environment was filled with laughter and positivity, most importantly safety. Once again, a tribute to his effort, devotion and caring for the school progression.

New SRC team

This year, the new SRC team has been announced and the format has been updated with more specialised positions and more members. Sports Officer, Fundraising Officer and Cultural Officer are the ones that haven’t happened before

| Words by Cat Tuong Chu

Meet Shamma

Shamma Alkindi is the new head of SRC with her aim for building new tradition and perspective Going to Taylors College is a new experience to be immersed in a culturally diverse community yet that excites her to learn more. Saying so, she added a slogan to the team “Leading with passion, Serving with pride” With the understanding of what international students are going through, mental and social life, as well as the language barriers. She targets to tackle these problems. Also for Shamma, as the leader of the team, she is not there to lead the team but rather serve the team Once at the leadership camp, Shamma found out the meaning behind the Arabic sign language for leadership is to support the team. How to: right hand folded and leave the thumb to support the left hand palms. That moment was magical and brought Shamma closer to her definition of how to lead and what a leader is. As a person in a whole, she is also here to learn how to efficiently use her time as well as to utilise the resources available to develop herself. It is exciting to stay tuned for their upcoming plans.

Tobeconsistentandcommittedtoyour goalswillalwaysresultinthebest outcomes.”

| An (Taylors Chronicles Writer)

The endless what ifs… spent on us. Although it is undeniably true that having a child is a financial burden, having a lot of children multiplies that financial burden by how many additional children parents may have, thus, it is by assumption that our parents made the choice to have, and defeats the notion of us as “happy little accidents'' However, realistically it may not apply to all parents, which begs the question, what were our parents' lives before they had us? Was it all sunshine and rainbows or adversities and burdens?

Growing up, our parents made sure we were fed, our clothes fitted nicely, international education was the main priority, and a sturdy roof reinforced above our little heads Investing not only their time but also their money into us, in hopes of us making “it” in life The term “it” is used loosely by parents, which leaves a hint of subjectiveness on whether “it’ may mean our parents want us to be happy in life and are happy with the decisions we make, or they might want us to build an empire and take them around the world, giving back the money they have

Fiction al pro mpt

such as sweatshops to earn a living Considering other possibilities, our grandparents could have been well off and given our mums the best upbringing, from having the best childhood to various job opportunities when she graduated from school

story

Whatifyour parentsdidn'thave youandweren’t married,what jobswill theyhave?

Prior to having us, our mums could have had several accolades, certifications and was on the dean’s list of her university. A bright young scholar with unrealistic ambitions, a young woman who never wanted to have children or even wanted to get married till she was “successful”. In another parallel universe, it may be possible that she did not have the chance to finish school, and had to quit at an early age to help the family’s business, but due to limited job opportunities, she had to move to a bigger city to find jobs and had no choice but be involved in exploitative work environments

On the other hand, our dads could have had the opportunity to study abroad in several continents, sponsored by the government after the war, or maybe he was a child of a farmer and had to tend to livestock, raising them well so he could earn a profit for his family, as well as fishing in polluted ponds in hopes of bringing some food back for his parents Not only that but our dads could have been drafted to war, and still have not recovered from the trauma that carries with being in the battlefield at a young age Such instances have left him scarred and in constant fear of loud noises, a minute fraction of war engraved in his conscious mind as he fought for his nation and his children’s future Furthermore, he could have worked odd jobs such as a janitor, or tuk tuk driver, forcing himself to study English to gain foreign customers so they could tip him more as opposed to local citizens, and to just imagine the hardships he must have gone through to the point where he even starved himself because he could not afford a 10 cent meal, baffles us, as their child, completely. Now, they spend a hundred times more than that on their child, hoping that their children and grandchildren will not have to suffer like them, deprived of basic necessities and irrevocable trauma haunting them till this day

The endless what ifs…

The parallel lives of our parents remains a mystery and infinite, some of us may have heard retellings of our parents’ lives to us, but will never know the exact details as we simply were not present, and sometimes it may make us feel better to not know that we were the burden of our parents, however if we acknowledge the sacrifices our parents have made, then we will learn to strive for the most and achieve what we put our minds too.

Silent Spirit

Hearing this term, the first images that would come to my mind are plants and flowers. They are alive but live silently. But never would we say they are worthless. They generate our source of life, oxygen. They calm us down. They remind us of our presence.

Our best life

The age of flowers is too short that we might only be able to appreciate its beauty in a week. Yes, we get them from flower shops and they live with us for just a glimpse of time, then that’s it, farewell. Out of that one week, they will be blooming and be as beautiful as they could, until they die. Then for us, our lifespan is longer than that and what are we doing? I started to realise, we sometimes forget how short of life we actually have and waste them, passively waiting for “the best life” ahead of us. The best life I have is in this moment. That makes me appreciate every single instance, not knowing how far left I have

Cut off, add in

Also, the process of growing plants is not as simple as we thought, different species have different ways to take care of and different farmers may also use different methods. One plant may carry tonnes of chemicals and different types of soils, just for it to be healthy and green Not just that, we will also have to cut off the rotten piece for the healthy part to grow even better. Growing plants is the process of adding and cutting. The weather is unpredictable, so no method is the best and the only one We have to adjust accordingly Likewise the life we are living in, fun and unpredictable. No one has control over what is given to us. It is then up to us on how to respond to them, the surprises, the rewards and also the mistakes We then will have to leave the rotten part of us behind and add in the goodies. But also not to forget, we are all different. Our complexes are our blessings, so that we have to be in control of how we adapt and live with them.

I used to stand against giving or receiving flowers, not to mention decorating flowers in my living space They will not last forever I used to stand against giving or receiving flowers, not to mention decorating flowers in my living space. They will not last forever with me, so why bother having them? That was what I thought before Although I have always appreciated nature, it was never for me to take care of them. I would prefer to leave this responsibility to someone else. Not until the matter of living started to become alive in my mind. What are we here for? I believe we might all go through that phase in life, sooner or later.

Words by Cat Tuong Chu

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ABOUT TAYLOR’S CHRONICLES

We are the school magazine. With our aim to capture and

Editor in Chief: Cat Tuong

Art Director: Mia

Marketing Director: Stacy

Editorial Assistant: Nina Writer: An Web Developer: Ning

Where's TC?

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Art by Rylee Yang

Taylor’s Chronicles A silent voice

A silent voice