As the term goes to an end, I realised it has been the most news-consuming seven months of my life. Now looking back this news journey, there are two people that just stayed in my head.
First–Greta Thunberg
This may be the first Swedish name that I have ever known. From the first day I saw her in the news to today, she keeps amazing the world.
At the beginning I only knew her as the girl who sat outside the Swedish Parliament by herself holding a protest sign, then the news of her being nominated by Nobel Peace Prize came into our sights (which I still cannot believe), but what really made her a hero to me is a Ted talk .
How could I imagine that she had fallen into depression, had stopped eating and talking for a period of time, and later being diagnosed with Asperger syndrome, OCD, and selective mutism, which means “I only speak when I think it’s necessary, now is one of those moments,” she said in the talk.
She has autism and yet she led a global strike.
She has been awarded the Prix Liberte with €25000 and yet she donated the full amount of money to Care, Adaptation Fund, Greenpeace and 350.
She is 16 and yet in her mind there is the whole humankind.
She is 16 and yet she is concerned about the future of her children and grandchildren.
She has turned vegan and stopped flying.
She is not doing everything for fame or glamour.
Talking is a hard practice for her and yet she forces herself to speak to the world.
How much courage and strength is inside her? I will never know.
Second–Jacinda Ardern
She has a warming smile and she greets the world with that. But then we saw the smile on her face wearing off and sorrow took over.
I actually didn’t know her much before the breakout of the massacre in New Zealand. But now to me, she is the Prime Minister who would choke up because her country did not make sure the safety of a young girl.
When the unfortunate incident in Christchurch happened, I saw the grief in her eyes.
You can see how much she sympathises with the people who lost their loved ones as well as how much she loves her country.
She hugged them one after one; she put on their clothes, she looked at those people with eyes filled with tears.
It is the first time I associate the word ‘love’ with a country leader.
Politics is a complicated game, these days when every politician in the world is facing criticise on a daily basis, Jacinda Ardern manages to gain overwhelming approval and compliments amid this chaos.
The news-following journey is an endless one, but one of the excitements is I will always have the chance to get to learn some remarkable individuals like them, and I hope one day, I will be the one who is so blessed to be able to interview them.
