It was when I was walking to my office, trailed by three young people whose ages ranged from 16 to 25, flowing down the corridor behind me like the tail of a kite, that I thought of it for the first time.

    This could be because I am not actually a mother. Until recently, I was not a "real" stepmother either. But I have been living with the man who is now my husband, Bernardo for 10 years and in those 10 years, not only have his younger daughters spent every other weekend and half of their school holiday with us but also his son has lived with us full-time. In fact, when Bernardo asked me to move in, he asked his son for permission first.

    Being a step mum is hard enough but being a sort-of-step-mother is about the most awkward position a mature woman can find herself in. With my sort-of-steppies, I have occupied a place of influence, power and sometimes extreme anger by turns. I have stepped on a delicate path between being a grown-up friend, a bridge of influence with their father, the woman of the house, and a figure of authority – but not too much.

    Love the kids or hate them, you must always remember that no matter how much you cook, clean, hug, comfort and discipline, you will never actually count.

    To survive, I trained myself to love the stepkids as hard as I could, but not to care. It's a handy piece of good mental health trickery I recommend to anyone in my position. I can help with homework, yes, but not bother about the results of that homework. I can teach them good manners, but not care about the bad habits they learn at home. Semi-detached is the position.

    Nelson Mandela is respected and admired around the world. To South Africa he is a superstar. He is a hero who shocked the world by fighting for peace between races, even though he spent 27 years in the prison of the South Africa's white, racist regime(政权).

    Mandela, who won the nation's first all­race elections after the fall of apartheid (种族隔离) in 1994, retired in 1999. But even now, he is as popular as ever.

    His popularity has inspired an entire national industry. His portrait (肖像) has appeared at many places, including on some goods. His face has appeared on a South African coin, a district of a city was named in his honor and some business leaders hope to build a giant statue that looks like him—the Statue of Freedom in celebration of his birthday. It would stand taller than New York's Statue of Liberty.

    His popularity is similar to that of John F. Kennedy in the US or Winston Churchill in Britain, but few politicians today have achieved his level of admiration, said Tom Lodge, head of the Political Science Department of the University of the Witwatersrand.

    "Sometimes it isn't completely appreciated what a skilled performer Mandela has been throughout his political career. He's a very, very clever man."

    However, he is far from perfect.

    Most articles about his birthday, which appeared in every major South African newspaper on the day, briefly mentioned that Mandela did have shortcomings.

    Then they returned to their following praises.

    "Through the ages, the human race has had its icons(偶像)—men and women who rose above ordinary people to inspire their generations," The Mail and Guardian Weekly said, "In our generation, the god brought us Nelson Mandela."

    Did you know that badminton is also a fast-paced competitive sport? Badminton has been a Summer Olympic sport since 1992. Para-badminton will be included in the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. Here's what you need to know if your child is interested in badminton.

    Badminton is played on a 44-foot-long rectangular (矩形的) court that is 17 feet wide for singles and 20 feet wide for doubles. It is divided in the middle by a net placed 5 feet off the ground, like volleyball, not at ground level like tennis.

    In competition, each match is a set of three games played to 21 points. There is a one-minute break when a player or team reaches 11 points, and a two-minute break in between the first and second games and the second and third games.

    Age kids can start: About 6 years old.

    Best for kids who: Have good skills, are patient and hardworking, and can handle the pressure of one-on-one or two-on-two competition.

    Team or individual: Matches can be singles (one-on-one) or doubles (two-on-two).

    Fun fact: Badminton is the only sport that has mixed doubles event in the Olympic Games.

    Costs: Beginners are expected to pay $30 to $40 for an entry-level racket (球拍). Badminton shoes are similar in price to other athletic shoes. Join a club or team for lessons and court time. A one-hour group lesson for beginners should cost $20 to $25, with costs increasing as your child moves up the ranks. You will also pay entry fees for competitions.

    Time commitment required: Beginners will play for just an hour or two per week.

Potential for injury: Players have a very low risk of injury. Players who wear glasses should use eye protection.

    We work with Cambridge County Council's Participation Team to create opportunities for young people to visit the University and learn more about it. The following events are scheduled for the 2019/2020 academic year.

    Superstar workshops

    12 engaging workshops are planned for young people aged 7 to 11. These half-day visits will be held throughout the year, at times when young people are not at school. If participants complete 8 of the 12 workshops, they will be awarded the nationally recognized Superstar Crest Award.

Please note, workshops will only run if we have a sufficient number of attendees (usually around 3+ participants).

    Explore University Days

    Explore University Days are for young people aged 12-15. Participants visit the University for two days and engage with a range of university-related workshops, and other fun activities.

Previous participants have engaged with the following:

    Visited the Sports Centre

    Took part in a Neuroscience workshop

    Enjoyed a two-course meal at a University College

    Dates will be confirmed in early December 2019, and a schedule for event will follow in the New Year.

    Events for post-16 students

    If you are studying for your post-16 qualifications and are considering applying for Cambridge or would like to find out more about a specific subject, the following events might be for you:

    University and College Open Days

    Subject Master classes

    Cambridge Science Festival

    Arthur Dubois isn't your typical grandfather. That's because at 72 years old, the Chicago resident is a newly discovered hip-hop artist.

    This week, Dubois walked into Haven Studios, a music program on the South Side of Chicago that supports young ambitious artists. The owner of Haven Studios, Andre "Add-2" Daniels, said Dubois claimed he was "young at heart." So, Daniels decided to listen to Dubois' music. He was completely floored. Daniels quickly took videos showcasing Dubois' talents and posted them to Twitter. His tweet went viral, receiving thousands of reactions within a matter of days. Now, Dubois' talents have even caught the attention of some famous hip-hop producers.

    "It's not what you would expect, right?" Daniels says in one of the videos. Dubois music is playing in the background, giving a steady beat that easily invites listeners to dance.

    Dubois said his style was entirely self-taught. He first started teaching himself to produce hip-hop beats about six years ago, after he retired. "I found something to do," he told NPR's Scott Simon. "I had to learn how to do the computer and music at the same time." Dubois taught himself by using the audio editing software. Now he's learning another new skill-social media. Dubois' newfound social media fame has been a little overwhelming for him. "I was shocked," he said. "I broke down and cried because I didn't know that many people liked me." Daniels has helped Dubois set up accounts on Twitter and Instagram for his fans to follow, "I'd never used Instargram, Twitter and all that other stuff," Dubois said. "Because I didn't believe in that stuff myself. But now I've got to have it." The attention doesn't seem to have gone to Dubois' head though-he doesn't really care about getting famous or making money. "I just want to put it out there and let other people hear my music."

In summer holiday, the kids are out of school, so it is a good time to plan for a family travel. However, it's not easy to prepare for a family travel. Here are four travel apps(应用程序) to make your trip more relaxing.

Yuggler

Search nearby for family-friendly activities, from free events to worthwhile attractions. Use Yuggler to plan for what to do each day, based on the weather or the type of entertainment your kids want or need, and look through reviews written by parents who've been there. So instead of paying $20 per person for entrance to the big museum, you can locate just-as-fun spots with zero admission, saving a family of $80.

Sit or Squat

Held by Charmin, this app uses your phone's built-in location finder to find out the closest public restrooms. Perhaps more importantly, Sit or Squat provides the restrooms'cleanliness scores, which are made by the users who have been there. It is quite convenient.

My Disney Experience

The official Walt Disney World app's interactive map(互动地图), which uses your tool's GPS, helps you find restaurants, restrooms, and attractions nearby. You can also access real-time wait times for popular rides and character appearances, meaning you're making the most of your time.

Wi-Fi Finder

Find free Internet near your current location in a minute. Wi-Fi Finder works offline too. Before you head out, download the offline database(数据库) to your phone, so you won't waste data while searching for a hotspot, which is key during an international trip. You'll save as much as $15 off the hotel Wi-Fi cost.