I remember the scene perfectly: classical music playing softly in the air, the clanking of spoons and forks and knives, waiters passing here and there. We were having dinner at Marco Polo, enjoying each other’s company.

I was busy cutting up my salad while talking about the latest book I read---Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (forgive me for being so late). I knew in the back of my head he had no idea what I was talking about, nor was he remotely interested in what I’m talking about, but I knew he had no choice but to listen. I still hadn’t forgiven him for letting me wait for an eternity to get a taxi because his Civic was under repair and I wouldn’t dare take Camry (CHICKEN).

After my ramblings, he looked at me straight in the eye and told me, ‘You know, I think I’m interested in this whole reading thing.’

That statement nearly choked me.

HUH? Did chickens learn to fly, too?
My boyfriend is not the ‘reading’ type. It’s like saying you got 1.0 in Layout or you don’t have a Friendster account or something. He must’ve read my expression and said, ‘I’m serious! Give me a book to read, I dare!’

I started screening all the books I have in my head, thinking of the perfect book for him. Crime and Punishment? Catcher in the Rye? Pride and Prejudice? Animal Farm? I finally decided on The Da Vinci Code, a book neither too beginners or too complex, and would be able to sustain interest, with an attention span as short as his.

Before I forget, NO, I am not underestimating my boyfriend whatsoever. I think he’s the sweetest, nicest, most understanding guy I’ve met, and remarkably smart too. He just HATES to show his wit. I suspect he thinks intelligence is tantamount to arrogance, and fears being called a know-it-all.

The following day, I dragged him to National Book Store to look around for good books. He couldn’t refuse; he got himself into this mess anyway. As we reached into the ‘General Knowledge’ section, and took out a Trivia book (Yes, I am a trivia buff. Problems?) I started shooting him trivia questions but he went back a few steps, refusing to look at me in the eye (this is another habit of him. He hates to admit that he doesn’t know the answer.)

‘Well? Do you know?’

‘No.’

‘The answers quite obvious. Neither! You don’t bury survivors, they’re still alive!”

‘Okay whatever.’

‘I got another question, Who is neither your brother or sister, but is the child of your mom and dad?’

‘Hey, look at this. Tongue Twisters!’ He picked up a book and opened it, then said out loud some stupid tongue twister about a photographer photographing a photograph whatever. ‘HAHAHA!’

‘That’s boring and plain rubbish. Why would someone buy a book about tongue twisters?

‘If it’s rubbish YOU try saying it. HA!’

Despite our six year difference, he is still such a kid.

There is a saying ‘The opposite of love is not hate. It’s indifference.’ Personally, we think that from indifference spawns injustice, poverty & war. Take the 1994 Rwanda mass murder for example; 800,000 Rwandans were killed in the Rwanda genocide because of the ethical animosity between the Hutus and Tutsis. But where was the UN when this happened? They had no feeling of concern towards Rwanda because she is just a small, third-world country. Ergo, apathy murders.

Nowadays, the youth is seen as shallow and small-minded. Their world surrounds themselves, their friends, and MTV. They do not care about the world; albeit their hairstyle means the world to them. At least, this is how the media portrays us. We need to break the stereotype and step up. We must ask ourselves: Can we, the youth, be heroes? How?

The key answer is to get involved. Do whatever to help and contribute for the benefit of the society. Get involved in an issue you really believe in. May it be promoting gay rights, volunteering, donating to charity, or writing this very essay, we are changing people’s lives. That is the marking of a true hero: taking action and making a difference.

And yet we still can’t get our asses of the couch. Young people of the world, lend me your ears: Nothing happens when it’s all talk and no action. We need to translate our words into action! Get rid of these fatal words in your vocabulary: ‘I can’t’. That is a big lie. Prove to the world that the youth are neither insignificant nor superficial. We can make a difference. We the youth are today’s heroes and the world’s only hope.

My first week of school is destructive. I’ve been reading a lot, watching too much LOST episode re-runs, staying up all night to watch Conan O’Brien or Jay Leno or David Letterman, listening to music, going out here and there, driving, surfing the net, and lazing the whole day away to the point of saturation. Everything mentally unhealthy, I dare say. I feel like my brain is shrinking by the second. I was never a fan of idleness, but equally tormented to get my ass off the couch.

PLEASE, GIVE ME SOMETHING INTELLECTUALLY STIMULATING TO DO!