What is it like being growing up in a place notorious for conflict?

Sara, 16

I was born and brought up in Belfast. I have lived here for 16 years and I really enjoy it. I would say that the area I live in is very quiet; not a lot of trouble ever occurs near me.

Many people from other counties in the world may think that every time we walk outside ourfront door we are going to get shot at, but this is not true at all. I am not saying that Belfast is a trouble-free city, but it is not as bad as the way it is often represented on the TV and in the American press.

Yes, we do have the occasional bomb scare in the town center or at a local shopping mall. This can be very frightening, especially if you are inside the building at the time. But this has not really happened in Belfast city for sometime now - though you still never know when you could be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

I experienced a bomb scare when I was 10 years old, and it is something you always remember. Alarms go off while people run around and shout as children scream. When this happens the first thing that enters your head is, "Where is the nearest exit?" The atmosphere changes instantly. You feel your heart beat faster and faster until you finally get outside.

Coming from an all-Protestant area I did not have any Catholic friends when I was young. It was not until I left school and went to college that I met a lot of Catholic teenagers. I was not sure how to act at first - I thought, "If I tell these people that I am Protestant, will they still speak to me?" But I decided just to be myself and I spoke to everyone.

In fact we all get along so well, it does not matter that we are from different backgrounds and are of different religions. We accept each other for who we are and we respect each other's beliefs. We all go out places together and do not think about the "Catholic and Protestant" side of things.

Yes, there is a fun side to Belfast. We have many good shopping centers, fantastic nightclubs, ice rinks, sports centers and many other activities. Belfast has just opened a new major attraction for teenagers called the Odyssey Arena.

I enjoy living in Belfast but like all teenagers I want to see the world also. It will just be a matter of time before I will want to leave. However, no matter how far I travel, Belfast will always be home.