Dear Liz，

    My stay in Thailand has certainly been the experience of my life．

    Life is busy and exciting．Bangkok is just like any other big city with a population of 10  million and heavy traffic．I'm very lucky because my host family is in a nice quiet area outside the city．There are Mr. and Mrs. Phairat, their son Sanan, who is 18, the daughter Chinda, who is 16, and Grandpa and Grandma．

    I go to an international school with Sanan and Chinda．The school teaches about 70 percent in English，and 30 percent in Thai. I've learned some spoken language，but Thai writing is very difficult．The cooking lesson is my favourite．I'm learning all about Thai food and culture People don't use chopsticks here，but spoons and forks．When I come back，I'm going to cook you a real Thai meal．

    Last weekend we visited some temples．We also drove to Pattaya beach near Bangkok．I thought it was great，but Sanan and Chinda say that next month they're taking me to Phuket  Island，where the beaches are even more beautiful．The month after next，we're going to travel to Mr．Phairat's hometown in the north of Thailand．The Phairats own land there，and they have two elephants．I'm going to ride those elephants — and even wash them．Sanan and  Chinda say it's really fun．I'm amazed by everything in this country，especially by the elephants．Elephants are an  important pan of Thai culture and way of life．They have been a traditional symbol(象征)of Thailand for many years in times of war and peace．In the seventh century，a Thai king trained 20,000 elephants for battle．

    I'll tell you all about my Thai boxing(拳击)lessons next time I write．

Love,

Mandy

    A young man worked very hard at his lessons. He was too busy to have a rest. At last, he became ill, so he couldn't go to sleep. Every night, when he went to bed, he closed his eyes and tried to sleep. But he always stayed awake and couldn't fall asleep.

    After some days, he decided to see a doctor.” I just can't go to sleep at night. What should I do? Could you please help me?”

    “I have a suggestion(建议)，”said the doctor. “Try counting numbers. By the time you reach one thousand, you'll be asleep. I'm sure of it.”

    The next day the man returned to the doctor's office. “Well,” said the doctor, how are you today? Did you try my suggestion?”

    The man still looked tired. “Yes,” he said, “I tried counting one, two, three-up to one thousand. But when I reached five hundred and sixty-nine, I began to feel sleepy. I had to get up and drink some tea so that I could go on counting up to one thousand. But then I still couldn't fall asleep.”

    He was a single（单一的）father, only living with a 5-year-old son. He was often worried about his son growing up without a mother to look after him.

    One day he went away to work, leaving the child at home. He was worried about the child all the way, not knowing if he was hungry. But his child always told him not to worry. He went home quickly after finishing his work.

    When he got home, the child was already deep asleep. When he took off his hat and was about to sleep himself, he was surprised to find a bowl of noodles under the quilt. He spanked（打屁股） his sleeping son heavily. "Why are you so naughty（淘气的）, making the quilt dirty? Who will wash it?" It was the first time that he hit his boy after his wife died.

    "I don't," the child replied with tears in his eyes. "This is your supper, Daddy." In order to let his father eat dinner as soon as he got home, the child cooked two bowls of noodles: One for himself, the other one for his father. He was afraid his father's noodles would get cold, so he put them under the quilt to keep them hot. Hearing this, the father hugged his boy without saying a word.

    It is very cold outside. There comes a black car and it stops in front of a supermarket. A young woman is in the car. She is very hungry and wants to buy a hamburger to eat, but she doesn't want to go out on a so cold morning. At that time she finds a little boy playing in the street

    "Come on, boy!" she says to the boy. "Do you know how much a hamburger is in the supermarket?"

    "Two dollars each," the boy answers.

    She gives the boy four dollars and asks him to buy two hamburgers. "One is for you and the other is for me," she says.

    Some minutes later, the boy comes back. He is eating a hamburger. He gives the young woman two dollars and says, "Sorry, there is only one hamburger left."

The Basket

    Two things changed my life; my mother and a white, pretty bike basket. My mother is a strict parent and I had to earn my pocket money by doing housework around the house.

    One day, my mother drove me to the bike shop to get a tire fixed, and there it was in the window; white, shiny, and decorated with beautiful flowers. It was so special and I knew I had to have the basket. "It's beautiful," my mother said when I pointed it out to her.

    "Mom, please, can I get it? I'll do more housework for as long as you say, but I need that basket. I really love it……"

    "You know," she said gently, "If you save up, you could buy this yourself." "By the time I make enough, it'll be gone!"

    "I'll buy the basket for you, but you have to work for it," she said.

    My mother bought the beautiful basket and put it safely in some secret place I couldn't find. Each week I eagerly counted my growing income. And then, weeks later, I jumped for joy. Oh, happy day! I made it! I finally had the exact amount we'd agreed upon.

    Days later, the unthinkable thing happened. A neighbor girl appeared with the exact same basket on her shiny, new bike. The eight-year-old me cried and ran fast back home to tell my mother about this terrible news.

    And then came the lesson I've taken with me through my life; "Honey, it doesn't matter that the baskets look the same. Your basket is extra-special," Mom said, gently drying my hot tears. "Your basket is special because you got the basket through your hard work."