Universal Magazine - Edition 55 by Universal Magazine

EDITION 55

FREE

GROWING UP

UNIVERSAL

From The Editor Growing up isn’t always an easy thing, but it’s something we all must do. For some it comes quickly and easily, for others it’s difficult and takes a long time. Trees over 100-years-old face many challenges over the course of their lifetimes, and still stand tall. Us, too, will go through ups, downs and roundabouts throughout our own journeys – and each experience will shape us as we grow to become the beautiful people we’re meant to be. For this edition, we’ve shared some amazing stories and anecdotes about growing up, as well as ways to live longer! There are some beautifully curated quotes and words of wisdom, and a few mentions of ageing trees to be found too.

The Universal Team

The City of Kingston proudly acknowledges the Bunurong People of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of this land, and we pay our respect to their Elders, past and present and emerging. Council acknowledges the Bunurong’s continuing relationship to the land and waterways and respects that their connection and spiritual identity is maintained through ancient ceremonies, songlines, dance, art and living culture. Council pays tribute to the invaluable contributions of the Bunurong and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island elders who have guided and continue to guide the work we do.

UNIVERSAL

EDITION 55

FREE

GROWING UP

Edition 55: Growing Up is an homage to the experiences we’ve all had growing up, and the many more that are yet to come. This edition also marks the final volume with our diligent designer, Naketra. It’s been a pleasure to see her grow alongside the magazine and we’re sad to say goodbye. But, after all, goodbyes are a part of growing up. Thank you for joining us.

Acknowledgement of Country

Until next time,

Interested in joining the team? Or looking to submit some work? Please contact Kingston Youth Services on P: 1300 369 436 E: youth.services@kingston.vic.gov.au Info: kingstonyouth.org.au/universal

Read previous editions:

Available for your reading pleasure at any time! Read online at issuu.com/universal_kingston

Cover Design by Naketra Mendes The views and opinions expressed in these articles are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect or represent the views, values and official position of the City of Kingston or any of its officials, representatives or employees Kingston Youth Services and the Universal team acknowledge the support of the Victorian Government

Contents

Looking for Alibrandi Quote

Scenes from a Park Words by Caitlin Keele and design by Harley Lorenzo Wood

Word Wheel

Puzzle by Harley Lorenzo Wood

Design by Naketra Mendes

The History of the World is Held in Trees Words by Sofia Nikitina and design by Harley Lorenzo Wood

Older But Not Wiser

Bugs Life Quote

Design by Harley Lorenzo Wood

Design by Naketra Mendes

Graduation Word Search Design by Harley Lorenzo Wood

Harry Potter Quote

I’m Finally Graduating, Here’s what I Learnt Words and design by Harley Lorenzo Wood

Design by Naketra Mendes

Anne of Avonlea Quote

Haircuts

Words by Elle Keele and design by Harley Lorenzo Wood

Design by Naketra Mendes

Matilda Quote

Design by Naketra Mendes

Universal: Join The Team! Kingston Youth Services

Living to One Hundred

Words and Design by Sofia Nikitina

SCENES FROM A Park

Short story by Caitlin Keele Design by Harley Lorenzo Wood

You didn’t grow up the same way all the people you watch do. That is, in fact, why you watch them. Rather than making memories of your own – this is your place in the great interconnected system of life. Over the approximate duration of your twodecade-long tenure in this position, you have seen many, many people come and go. You have seen people of all ages, leading all kinds of lives. You have witnessed lifechanging moments, as well as those that might be forgotten in less than a year. You have watched people doing so many things and each utilising the space that is this park in their own way. Yet, even despite all you see, you think perhaps the most gratifying is watching someone grow up.

It is not long at all before a child crying in protest – presumably to their being brought to the park – becomes audible and soon visible, and you see they are protected (and dragged along) by a number of adult carers of varying ages. You hear various reassurances put to the child by these adults. None of them seem to be helping. The child is eventually picked up, thrashing, but still more easily transportable now. As the lot of them come to settle on a picnic blanket spread atop the grass, you learn a few things: • The child seems to be a girl named Lizzy. • She is at the park with her mother, father, aunt and both parents’ mothers. • She is quite an ill-tempered child who exhausts her parents.

Today is a generally ordinary, uninteresting day. But, it is also exactly the kind of day (and time) that a visit to the park is considered a very good idea by everyone sitting around at home with nothing better to do. It is a warm, still afternoon, and you watch everyone at the park quietly enjoying the heat of the sun, which is flung high in the sky at its peak. You wonder if the sun can see all the people the same way you can.

You also hear plenty about the adults from their conversation, but you’re more interested in a new face arriving at the park: another child of roughly the same age (two or three?) but this one with a beaming face and surrounded by people who are likely their parents and one of their grandparents. These adults possess (you think) kinder faces than the other group.

You know better than to expect the current peace of the park to last, though. You are extremely used to the cries of noisy children in afternoons such as this one. Whether they are engaged in some sort of game like children often are, or simply incapable of controlling their volume, too young to understand the ways of everyone older than they are.

The adults with the second child point out the first group, but this new child is quite disinterested in making a new friend, instead choosing to run towards you and the shade of your branches, running up to touch the bark of your trunk – you feel the pressure of the little hands very close to your roots, considering the smallness of the child. Before you can properly process it, though,

the child is pulled away, as what must be their family lay down a picnic blanket close to you, utilising the shade you provide. From the words of this group, you learn: • The child is another girl named Ellie. • She is here with her parents and grandmother, who wanted to see her. • She is a very happy child who her family enjoy spending time with very much. This is all you learn before the family is distracted by one of your leaves falling, not too far from the child – Ellie – who picks it up. She beams up at you, and for a moment, you wonder if she really sees you. It’s unlikely – humans never see you. But you think you’re beginning to realise that this little girl might be a bit different from other kids you’ve seen. Especially when, for reasons neither you nor her family seems to understand, she decides to put her arms around your trunk before she leaves. You are not quite sure what to feel about this development, but you watch the girl go with a sense of bewilderment. It is only after both she and the other child – Lizzy – are gone that you realise that you forgot about Lizzy completely once Ellie arrived.

Then, a clamour that sounds like a group of primary school-aged children reaches you and you are no longer filled with unease. You quickly learn from their conversation that it is a group of friends; girls, who seem to gravitate around a certain girl with long, shiny brown hair whose name you haven’t yet heard. A young, dark-haired child comes to mind, and when the name “Lizzy” is finally mentioned, the now six-or-seven-year-old girl is unmistakable.

Years pass, and still people come and go, but you still sometimes think back to the day when you met Ellie and Lizzy, the two young girls who contrasted each other so well. You have mostly given up hope of the two of them returning to the park, but some days you still wonder. They just stood out among the millions of mundane things you see. You often think about it. You wonder where those girls are now.

Lizzy is obviously very different from the last time you saw her – just as every child grows up, so has Lizzy. She smiles now instead of crying about her trip to the park. She is surrounded by a group of friends who are supporting her smile. Lizzy has grown up to be happy and healthy so far, you think. And if you were asked to give your thoughts on her development (not such a realistic scenario, since people don’t talk to you, and you can’t answer), you would perhaps say that you were happy for her. But, it also leads you to think about how Ellie is doing. You wonder if she is sadder than she was before, if Lizzy can be so happy now. You watch Lizzy and her friends talk to each other about the trivial kinds of things kids of their age are always speaking about. All of them so naive to the world it somewhat makes you reflect on your own vast knowledge. However, you are soon distracted by a new pair of voices approaching your park, and you soon see a small blonde head and a woman, slightly older than the last time you saw her, but still recognisable as Ellie’s mother. Which must mean the child is Ellie.

It is autumn now, and your leaves are changing colour and falling freely. The weather is cold on some days. The wind sometimes whistles in your branches. It is an ordinary day again, just like the one when you first saw Ellie and Lizzy, only the season is different. You know that it may just be an ordinary day, and you try to make yourself accept it.

“Mummy, I don’t want to go to the park,” she complains. “It’s cold outside.” Her mum sighs. “You need some fresh air, Ellie, and you might meet some kids your age at the park. You can’t just spend all your time reading.” “Books are my friends, Mummy! They’ve got more interesting things to say than other kids.” 5

You notice that there’s a book clutched in Ellie’s hand, so she really mustn’t be interested in playing with other children at the park. Still, you hear her mother’s concern for the child’s wellbeing and hope that perhaps the girls already at the park might become friends with Ellie (although, from the contrast you still see in Ellie and Lizzy, you’re slightly doubtful). But as Ellie and her mother spot the other girls, you hear Ellie say, “that’s Lizzy and her friends, from school.” Her mother asks, “Why don’t you go and talk to them?” Ellie replies, “Well, we don’t talk to each other at school. I don’t really like that group.” Her mother frowns. “You say that about everyone.” Ellie ignores her mother. She heads in your direction instead. You get a very strange feeling as she touches your trunk, just like she did years ago, when she was little. “This is a good tree,” she comments. She and her mother are both looking up at you, and you’re still feeling something you haven’t felt before. Self-conscious, maybe? Ellie sits down with her back resting against your trunk and opens her book. Her mother gives up and goes over to a woman you recognise as Lizzy’s mother – you hadn’t really noticed her supervising the group of girls before. Then you catch something from the conversation of said group:

before you finally see the girls again as a pair of high schoolers, presumably year sevens, this time without parental supervision. Lizzy is still surrounded by a group of friends and Ellie is still alone (although you presume, she has some friends by this point), but some things have changed. Neither of the girls look like little kids anymore; Lizzy’s hair is now bouncier, perhaps has more volume, and looks as though it’s been curled. Ellie’s hair is longer and worn in a simple, low ponytail with some strands flying out. Both girls wear the same school uniform too – but Ellie wears hers more neatly, Lizzy more like others you’ve seen in the same uniform, with her shirt hanging out and top buttons undone. Also, Lizzy and her friends wear makeup, despite what you see as the apparent pointlessness of wearing makeup to school. Finally, there are the phones in everyone’s hands – apparently, they use those now too.

“Ellie’s a bit weird, isn’t she?” You inexplicably find you don’t really want to hear any more of this discussion and go back to focusing on Ellie’s reading until sometime later, when she finally leaves.

When Ellie first enters the park, she looks at the group of girls and you can’t read her expression, but you notice her eyes at one point catch on Lizzy’s before she returns her glance to the ground and scurries with a new urgency towards you, once again. You watch as she pulls a book from the bag she has slung over her shoulder. You wonder what else it contains as she puts it down on the grass. The book she has is a popular one you’ve seen adults reading, probably not exactly a common choice for a teenager. Once again, you’re amazed by how unusual this girl is. However, you can also see that like anyone else, Ellie wants to fit in with her peers, and seems unhappy about being alone at the park today.

Years pass (again), a slightly longer stretch this time, but you still don’t give up hope of seeing the two girls once again, because it happened before – and for some strange, baffling reason, you really want to know how their story plays out. So, you wait, neutrally observing many things for several years

You observe her as she reads for a bit, but then she turns her face to look up at your branches, which are almost sheltering her, you think. At least you can give her the gift of shade, or even company if she knows that you’re there. You don’t think she does, though. Or maybe she wants company so

much that she’ll believe or pretend that a tree has some level of consciousness, but always with a hint of scepticism. You don’t really mind, though, you’re just an observer. Besides, all you have to do is remember that growing up for humans can be hard, and people you’ve seen tend to find peace eventually – it’s just a matter of time. When you next see the girls, they once again interrupt a peaceful scene – this time blossoms falling from your branches as well as other trees and bushes in the middle of spring – with something you can’t help but focus on, tuning out all other action in the park. Ellie, looking just slightly older than the last time you saw her, seems to be sprinting frantically towards you wearing her school bag and uniform, but discards the bag once she reaches your shade.

Once she eventually does, surprise registers on her face before she gently approaches Ellie. And when she eventually reaches her, you listen to her quietly ask Ellie if she’s okay and if there’s anything she (Lizzy) can do. The girls end up sitting together in an almost content silence until they both must leave. You think you feel happy for them; but you’re mostly glad you’ve gotten to watch them for so long. You’re pleased that you got to watch them grow up. Ellie and Lizzy visit the park more frequently after that and you know they’re becoming friends. Now they both almost seem to know you’re there. What really matters to you, though, is seeing two humans overcome their differences – it gives you hope for all the people you see. You think perhaps you understand them a little better now.

She brings her knees to her chest and rests her head there, seeming to take up as little space as possible. You guess she has had a bad day and hope at least that your blossoms make her feel a little better – after all, they often make people smile. You worry this won’t be enough, though. You guess she must have had a very bad day. The people around you ignore Ellie, and it seems as though only you see her, you who cannot do anything about how she is feeling. You think, though, that the people might be feeling like you, only not physically incapable of doing anything as you are. You lose focus of this, though, as Lizzy enters the park far more casually than Ellie did, her school bag slung over one shoulder and her eyes glancing around the generally peaceful scene as she breathes in the spring air. You guess she has come here to be quiet and calm for a while and you wait for her to spot the visibly distressed Ellie. 7

WORD WHEEL Puzzle by Harley Lorenzo Wood

Create as many words as possible with the letters in the wordwheel. You can only use each letter once and every word must contain the letter in the centre of the wheel.

U N

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The 9 letter word is: Hint: the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction.

THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD IS HELD INSIDE TREES Words by Sofia Nikitina and Design by Harley Lorenzo Wood

Everyone has seen a tree stump before. We’ve all seen the weird, dark rings that whirl around inside the tree trunk. Yet not everyone will know what those rings really mean. Believe it or not, what might seem like useless aesthetic lines circling a tree can actually depict the history of our earth, retell what natural disasters occurred in the past, and even prove the impact of climate change over thousands of years. The study of tree ring dating – known as dendrochronology (‘dendro’ meaning trees, and ‘chronology’ meaning time) – can help us uncover things about the past that would’ve otherwise been left unknown. The older a tree, the more information it holds. A combination of one dark ring (that grows during late summer and autumn) and one light ring (that grows in spring and early summer) totals to a whole tree year, with these rings growing outwards from the centre of the tree over the years. Since trees are sensitive to their surrounding environment, their growth is affected by many factors. Such as precipitation, fires, temperatures, insect outbreaks and natural disasters, which cause a variety of different shaped rings as the years pass. The resulting ring shapes are what help dendrochronologists determine whether there was a drought or a flood that year, a forest fire or a termite infestation, or even an increase or decrease in average temperature.

Outer ring Most recent year of tree growth. Black blotch/line Scarring, developed from forest fire. Dark centre rings The heartwood, early years of a tree’s growth. Thin rings Little growth, in a cold/dry season (usually darker).

Thick rings A lot of growth, in a wet/warm season (usually lighter).

Along with tree stumps, dead wood discovered in the ancient world can tell us a story. Houses, furniture, ships, weaponry and even violins can help date archaeological finds to thousands of years ago. As you may have been able to tell, trees hold an incredible record of the climate, which can then be studied by scientists. The study of reconstructing past climates through tree rings is known as dendroclimatology, which is a close relative to dendrochronology. Through the growth of these annual tree rings, dendroclimatologists can determine changes in environmental temperature. This means that we can figure out what the temperature of the earth was like years before we even started recording it. Scientists have been able to use the data of the thickness and density of tree rings as evidence of climate change over a long period of time in an area. By staring down at a tree stump, we can discover many things. We can figure out how many centuries it lived, how susceptible it was to bug infestation and what this tree species may have looked like in the past – and what its future holds. Yet still, many of us overlook these detailed rings, and completely disregard the amazing library of information that trees hold, about the history of our climate or the forgotten past of our trees.

I’M GRADUATING C

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STUDY INTERN LEARN

SLEEP COMPOST QUIT

WORK PLAY REST

PLAN UNIVERSITY HOBBIES

Words and Design by Harley Lorenzo Wood

I’m finally graduating! Here’s what I’ve learnt. As of December 2023 – after five years at university – I’m finally graduating. Like many recent graduates, I don’t really know what’s going to happen next. Will I finally hear back about the jobs I’ve applied for? Will I hate this career path and want to return to study within a year? Will I become a millionaire and retire by 30? Who knows. One thing I do know, however, is that I learned a lot of life lessons at university. Let me share some of that wisdom with you.

Everything is compost. My favourite lecturer imparted this wisdom upon me during my final semester. It’s that everything is compost. No work is ever wasted – it goes on the compost heap and becomes fertiliser for you to use in the future. It was at a particularly low point of my senior capstone project. Nothing was working like we wanted and our team felt like we’d wasted the first half of the year doing pointless work. Then, David came along and helped us reframe our thinking. We realised that all that work wasn’t a waste, because it taught us what didn’t work, and what did. What we needed to do was use that information to make our future work better, and we did! I think that viewing your ‘mistakes’, ‘wasted time’, and ‘failed attempts’ as compost is the best way to acknowledge, move past and learn from them. It’s something I’ll never forget and something I’ll apply to my life and creative practices until the end of time. Because he’s right! All work is indeed compost.

Go to sleep! I know it’s hard sometimes when you’re deep in the sauce, it’s 2am and you have deadlines to meet – BUT YOU NEED TO GO TO SLEEP! Only 1-3% of the world’s population can operate on 4-6 hours of sleep and be fine. YOU ARE NOT ONE OF THEM! I promise you, going to sleep and leaving the work for tomorrow will help you feel and work better (and faster) than if you pushed through tiredness into the early hours. You’re only human after all, go to sleep! Comparison is the thief of joy. It’s an old saying, but it’s definitely something I’ve come to appreciate more over the years. Your path is never going to be a straight line, nor will it be the same as others. It will split, do U-turns and make you go in circles. What’s important to note, is that it’ll eventually take you to where you need to be. It might not be at the same time or place as those around you, but your time will come. Have faith in yourself.

It’s okay to quit sometimes. I extended the duration of my degree three times, and I don’t regret any of it. When I first started at university, I was doing a course in something I thought I was passionate about. Fast forward a year and a half (and a few terrible grades) I realised I was neither passionate about, nor motivated to chase that dream anymore. And I also realised that that’s okay! I think that knowing when to quit and when to move onto something new is a great skill to have. I realised after 1.5 years that my first choice wasn’t right for me, and I decided to transfer into something else. I was happier with my course content, my grades were better (not that that really matters), and I was far more motivated to actually show up to uni. It brought on new challenges along the way that I had to deal with regardless, but everything worked out in the end. I’ve learned that knowing when something is no longer right for you and doing something about it is far better than pushing on for the sake of pushing on. We know from constipation, that sometimes the harder you push, the more it’ll hurt. And maybe it’s good to know when to let go and try something else.

Iced coffee is NOT breakfast. During my first year of uni, I lived almost entirely on iced coffee and bubble tea. Which was delicious, I won’t lie, but also terrible for my mood and my brain function. I also spent more money than I needed to while on campus, my expenses spreadsheet was almost entirely iced drinks and bubble tea orders for a few months – and at that point I realised that maybe I needed to wind back. Eating a good breakfast will set you up for success. I can honestly say that since I’ve started eating proper meals I’ve felt so much better. Of course, I still drink iced coffee – it’s just that now I eat something with it too. I’m more motivated to do whatever I need to do, be it work, study, hobbies or chores. Don’t be like me from first year – eat something substantial! Your mind will thank you for it.

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Two heads of long, chocolate brown hair sat side by side, glittery tiaras atop them. “We are the most beautiful princesses in the world!” stated Abigail, the eldest of the two sisters. Aged five, she was quite self-centred already. “I think Mummy is the prettiest,” responded Olivia, who, being barely three, admired her mother very much. “Well, yes,” Abigail agreed, “but she is the queen! So, we are the most beautiful princesses.” Every morning, Abby and Olivia would get up and ask their mother to dress them in matching outfits. It helped Olivia feel less lonely when Abby was at kinder and she wasn’t. On the weekends, however, the two girls would still wear matching clothes and spend the entire day playing, dancing, and painting together. They were the best of friends and thought they would be forever.

Soon after her seventh birthday, Abby cut her hair shorter. Olivia was inconsolable. “We’re not the same anymoooore!” she cried, sobbing. Abby thought Olivia was being quite immature – though, of course, she was only five. Their mother, who always had a solution to everything, pulled out two butterfly hair clips. “Here,” she said, handing the clips to her daughters, “you can wear these. Then you’ll still match.” Olivia wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand. “Okay.” She let her mum place the clip in her hair. Later that week, Abby had her friend over. They played all sorts of games, smiling and laughing. Olivia tried to join in, but Abby either didn’t notice her, or was ignoring her, so she sat alone on the floor of her bedroom instead. Her mum came in. “Is Abby not letting you play with her?” Olivia nodded. “Why doesn’t she want to be my sister anymore? She cut her hair, and now she won’t play with me.” “Now that Abby is getting older,” answered her wise mother, “she is going to want to play different games with her new friends, and those might not include you. It doesn’t mean she loves you any less, or doesn’t want to be your big sister anymore.” “I suppose.” It made Olivia feel a little better, but not a lot.

When Olivia turned eight, her hair looked the same as it had for years. She brushed and brushed it, excited about the party she was having with her friends – she’d been looking forward to having her own celebration after Abby’s big tenth birthday party. Olivia clipped her hair back using the butterfly clip her mother had given her when she was five. Abby hurried into their shared bedroom, her hair in two plaits.

“Happy birthday again, Olivia! This is going to be such a fun party!” Olivia nodded. “Do you mind wearing this clip?” she asked, holding up the butterfly that matched her own. Abby took the clip and placed it in her hair. “I remember Mum giving us these! They’re a little childish…but it is your birthday.” Olivia felt slightly upset that something so precious to her had been called childish. The Monday after Olivia’s party, she brushed her hair as normal, Abby next to her plaiting her own. “Do you want me to do your hair, Olivia?” Abby asked as her sister struggled through a particularly stubborn knot. “Abby, I’m eight now. I don’t need you to do my hair.” “Yet you still wear that silly butterfly clip…” “It’s really special to me! Don’t you remember getting them?” “Yes…you were quite bratty back then.” “That’s all you remember? Nothing about the clips that brought us closer together?” “I think you’re remembering wrong, Olivia.” Abby got up and walked away.

Soon after she started year 7, Abby made new friends. They all called her Gail, and had lots of followers on Instagram. One Friday night at dinner, Abby asked her parents if she could get an Instagram account. “I’m thirteen, which means I am the right age. And all my friends have it! It would help me connect with them.” “I just don’t know if it’s safe…” said her father sceptically. “I’ll get a private account if I have to!” “I think it’s a no. Sorry, Abby.” “That’s so unfair! I’m not a child anymore!” Abby stood up, her chair screeching. “Abby, please sit down,” requested her mother. But Abby didn’t listen. She just ran to her bedroom. Olivia sat, confused as to why her sister was acting so horribly to her parents. “She’s just being a teenager,” sighed her father. “She’ll grow out of it.” Olivia hoped she would soon! The next morning, Abby burned her hand trying to curl her hair. She tried to hide it from her parents, but Olivia noticed immediately. “How did you do that?” she asked. Abby explained what had happened and Olivia shook her head. “I’m going to tell Mum. I don’t know what to do about a burn.” “Please don’t…I wasn’t supposed to be using the hair curler.” “If we don’t do anything about it, your hand will hurt all day long.” Without letting Abby respond, Olivia ran to their mum, who was less angry than Abby had suspected. She ran cold water on Abby’s hand. “I can curl your hair for you if you want! You only have to ask.”

Abby, or Gail, now, went out shopping with her friends with a bandaged hand, but lovely curls.

Olivia hated change. Year 7 was very different from primary school, which was just perfect. The only thing that stayed the same in her life was her – she had different friends, different teachers, a different schedule, and Abby was more rebellious than ever. Olivia had kept her hair the same for her entire life – as a very sentimental person, it brought her comfort. She sat on her bed and picked up her butterfly clip. It reminded her of being a little kid, wanting to be just like her sister, wanting to grow up. Now all she wanted to be was three years old again. Olivia’s thoughts were abruptly interrupted by her mother screaming. Olivia bolted out of her bedroom to see a girl with bright purple hair standing near the door. She wasn’t Abby anymore…she was Gail, a fifteen-year-old who dyed her hair without her mother’s permission and had grown so much, her little sister barely recognised her. Olivia walked to her mother and clutched her hand. “What do you think?” Gail asked. “I thought you were just trimming your hair! I did not consent to you dying your hair purple! I can’t believe you’ve done this, Abby!” “Don’t call me Abby! It’s Gail now, Mum.” “That’s against the school rules. You’ll get in so much trouble!” said Olivia to her sister. Gail only laughed. That night, Olivia sat with Gail. She still didn’t understand why her sister had dyed her hair. Sure, it looked cool, but her teachers would immediately notice and give her detention. “Ab-” “Gail,” Gail corrected. “Gail, why did you dye your hair?” “I just felt like I needed a change.” “But change is scary. Change isn’t a good thing.” “It can be! Doesn’t my hair look nice?” “I guess…” “You need to embrace change. You’ve been the same our whole lives.” The next day, Olivia had most of her hair cut off. Everyone said she looked like she had grown up, and she felt like it too. Meanwhile, Gail spent the next three weeks in lunchtime detention.

Words and Design by Sofia Nikitina

LIVING TO ONE HUNDRED

Japan has one of (if not the highest) life expectancies in the world. There are over 2.3 million people living over the age of 90 in just Japan, which is staggering compared to Australia’s measly 200,000. The province of Okinawa in particular is one of the only five blue zones in the entire world, with over 1,400 people over the age of 100. What’s their secret? What’s their diet? And what can WE do to ensure our own longevity? A simple look into the lifestyle of these centenarians can tell us loads about how to stay healthy for such a long time.

There are a few key things that separate the longer living from the shorter. These key factors are diet, physical activity, surroundings, and emotional wellbeing.

DIET The long-term diet of a centenarian is very important to maintain a healthy immune system and heart. Okinawa is known to produce the most seaweed in all Japan, with an abundance of farms producing fresh fruit and vegetables for the locals who work on these farms daily, keeping the cuisine fresh and healthy for the whole town. Some common vegetables in the Okinawan diet are sponge cucumbers, mushrooms, purple sweet potato, bitter melon, seaweed, bamboo shoots and cabbage. Along with vegetables, soy products are also very popular and helpful to improving bone health, preventing cardiovascular disease, stroke and some cancers. Some soy variants are tofu, natto (fermented soybeans) miso, edamame, and soy milk – all of which are beneficial for lowering blood pressure. Finally, another significant factor to this diet is tea. A lot of the locals of Okinawa and Japan in general prefer to drink tea over water. Green tea is a popular drink in both vending machines and homes that increases heart rate, boosts metabolism, helps the brain with ageing and maintains blood sugar.

The Japanese government used to give out silver sake cups to any citizens that turned 100 years old. This tradition has been adjusted due to financial reasons.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY In Okinawa, a lot of elderly people wake up in the early morning and do some simple exercise. Even throughout the regular day, many of the elders are actively doing physical labour on farms, or riding bikes, doing housework or even community chores like sweeping. A common practice of many elders is Rajio Taiso – a simple 3-minute morning exercise popular all over Japan that energises and stretches your muscles. It is in fact, this active lifestyle of simple exercise, working all day and running, that sets up a healthy mind and body, builds up muscles and delays health problems that come with age. This can make you more energetic, fast, and less reliant on others as you age, which will overall boost your health and keep you motivated and happy.

For us however, there are several daily habits we can pick up from Okinawan residents to ensure our own healthy future: TIPS FOR FOOD

Remember, as much as the type of food you eat, it’s the quality of the food that really matters.

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Tofu Cooked soybeans Miso Broccoli Cauliflower Cabbage Mushrooms Edamame Beans Tea (Oolong, Black or Green) Plenty of water

TIPS FOR ACTIVITY SURROUNDINGS Finally, another key factor to living a long, healthy life would be your surrounding environment. Your mental wellbeing is among the most important things if you want to live to 100. The Okinawans maintain good relationships with people through small groups called Moai. These Moai are small, tight knit communities of around five people who get together and do things like sport, eat, go out or even shop. In Okinawa, along with other longliving towns in Japan and worldwide, there are an abundance of trees, mountains and forests. Studies discovered that living around nature lowers risk of kidney disease, cancer, and lung disease. The increase in vegetation means fresher air with less pollution. Being surrounded by nature is known to lower anxiety, reduce stress, lower obesity, improve eyesight and lower blood pressure. In summary, living a happy life surrounded by friends, family and nature is by far among the most important aspects to living a healthy, happy life. Afterall, what is life without happiness and friends to support you along the way?

Of course, there are a lot more factors to longevity. These, however, are amongst the most life changing aspects for a healthy road to 100. Naturally, Okinawa isn’t alone in these life-extending practices. Other blue zones, along with many towns and cities worldwide have their own tricks to life that we may never know.

Take note that everyone has different exercises and activities that suit their own lifestyle and body. Try these out and see how you go.

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Hike on mountains and nature trails Physical labour (just don’t overdo it!) Take a walk around a park Try out Rajio Taiso in the morning (find it on YouTube) Walk to school/work Find a sport you like Work out at the gym Do more active chores around the house

TIPS FOR SURROUNDINGS

Your environment and your physical activity are quite connected; a lot of these suggestions are quite active. Keep in mind that some people don’t enjoy human company as much, but you should still try and get together with friends.

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Plant a few flowers, vegetables or even trees around your house Frequently take nature walks Try camping Go out with friends more often (this is harder for some than others) Discover a hobby Try to limit your screen time when it’s not necessary Eat out (try eating the foods previously mentioned)