Meeting people from another culture can be difficult. From the beginning, people may send the wrong signal. Or they may pay no attention to signals from another person who is trying to develop a relationship.

    Different cultures emphasize the importance of relationship building to a greater or lesser degree. For example, business in some countries is not possible until there is a relationship of trust. Even with people at work, it is necessary to spend a lot of time in "small talk", usually over a glass of tea, before they do any job. In many European countries, like the UK or France, people find it easier to build up a lasting working relationship at restaurants or cafe rather than at the office.

    Talk and silence may also be different in some cultures. I once made a speech in Thailand. I had expected my speech to be a success and start a lively discussion, instead there was an uncomfortable silence. The people present just stared at me and smiled. After getting to know their ways better, I realized that they thought I was talking too much. In my own culture, we express meaning mainly through words, but people there sometimes feel too many words are unnecessary.

    Even within Northern Europe, cultural differences can cause serious problems. Certainly, English and German cultures share similar values, however, Germans prefer to get down to business more quickly. We think that they are rude. In fact, this is just because one culture starts discussions and makes decisions more quickly.

    People from different parts of the world have different values, and sometimes these values are quite against each other. However, if we can understand them better, a multicultural environment will offer a wonderful chance for us to learn from each other.

    Whether in the home or the workplace, social robots are going to become a lot more common in the next few years. Social robots are about to bring technology to the everyday world in a more humanized way, said Cynthia Breazeal, chief scientist at the robot company Jibo.

    While household robots today do the normal housework, social robots will be much more like companions(同伴) than mere tools. For example, these robots will be able to distinguish when someone is happy or sad. This allows them to respond more appropriately to the user.

    The Jibo robot, arranged to ship later this year, is designed to be a personalized assistant. You can talk to the robot, ask it questions, and make requests for it to perform different tasks. The robot doesn't just deliver general answers to questions; it responds based on what it learns about each individual in the household. It can do things such as reminding an elderly family member to take medicine or taking family photos.

    Social robots are not just finding their way into the home. They have potential applications in everything from education to health care and are already finding their way into some of these spaces.

    Fellow Robots is one company bringing social robots to the market. The company's “Oshbot” robot is built to assist customers in a store, which can help the customers find items and help guide them to the product's location in the store. It can also speak different languages and make recommendations for different items based on what the customer is shopping for.

    The more interaction the robot has with humans, the more it learns. But Oshbot, like other social robots, is not intended to replace workers, but to work alongside other employees. “We have technologies to train social robots to do things not for us, but with us,” said Breazeal.

    Valentine's Day, a day traditionally reserved for expressing romantic love, is observed practically all around the world. However, not many people are familiar with Sweetest Day. Actually it is a holiday, especially designed to express love and care for those who were routinely neglected（忽视）by society.

Sweetest Day was the idea of Herbert Birch Kingston, who worked for a company in Cleveland, Ohio. He felt that there were plenty of children, especially orphans and poor kids, who didn't necessarily get the attention they deserved. Thus in 1922, he launched the first Sweetest Day to give out boxes of candy to mainly poor children.

    Since the day picked was the third Saturday in October, this became the traditional time to celebrate Sweetest Day. The tradition was so enjoyed that people often looked beyond kindness to treating their own friends or family to treats on Sweetest Day.

    In the US, Sweetest Day is celebrated primarily in the Northeastern region of the US, still on the third Saturday of October. Yet news of the tradition, which began nearly 100 years ago, has spread to other parts of the country, especially as people who lived in those areas moved elsewhere. People may distribute candy or small gifts to those in patient homes, hospitals, foster homes, or mental institutions, and they may also treat friends and family to little gifts from the heart.

    In keeping with the original tradition, celebrating Sweetest Day should really be most focused on people who ordinarily don't have the good fortune of attention from friends or family, either due to difficult family circumstances or to poverty. This can be a great tradition to start if your community doesn't routinely celebrate the day, and there are many candy manufacturers that are willing to help donate or reduce costs on gifts intended for people in unfortunate circumstances.

TaIL Spin

    Two dolphins race around in a big pool in the Ocean Park. The smaller dolphin Grace, shown off a few of her tricks, turning around and waving hello to the crowd. The most amazing thing about her, however, is that she's even swimming at all. She doesn't have a tail.

Grace lost her tail as a baby when she got caught up in a fish trap. When the dolphin arrived at the Ocean Park in December 2005, she was fighting for her life. “Is she going to make it?” Her trainer, Abbey Stone, feared the worst. Grace did make it — but her tail didn't. She ended up losing her flukes and the lower part of her peduncle.

Over the past six years, she has learned to swim without her tail. Dolphins swim by moving their flukes and peduncle up and down. Grace taught herself to move another way—like a fish! She pushed herself forward through the water by moving her peduncles from side to side.

    The movement put harmful pressure on Grace's backbone. So a company offered to create a man-made tail for her. The tail had to be strong enough to stay on Grace as she swam but soft enough that it wouldn't hurt her.

    The first time Grace wore the artificial tail. She soon shook it off and let it sink in the bottom of the pool. Now, she is still learning to use the tail. Some days she wears it for an hour at a time, others not at all. “The tail isn't

necessary for her to feel comfortable,” says Stone, “but it helps to keep that range of motion(动作) and build muscles(肌肉).”

    Now, the dolphin is about to get an even happier ending. This month, Grace will star in Dolphin Tale, a film that focus on her rescue and recovery. Her progress has inspired more than just a new movie. Many people travel from near and far to meet her. Seeing Grace swim with her man-made tail gives people so much courage.

    Winter is for working hard, summer is for playing hard. From the Bahamas to Amsterdam, we have several most appealing summer vacation spots for you to choose from.

    The Bahamas

    While there is a risk of getting rained on during hurricane season, June generally sees mild weather, fewer crowds and significantly lower prices. While some resorts (度假胜地) in the Out Islands may close, New Providence and Paradise Island remain open year-round. It's a good choice for families looking for a taste of relaxing island living.

    Mackinac Island, MI

    Mackinac Island, 20 minutes by boat from either the Upper or Lower Peninsula of Michigan, comes alive on summer weekends. Most of its roughly 4 square miles is parkland, suitable for hiking and cycling. Be sure to take in the beautiful architecture―Victorian cottages that date back to just after the Civil War. You can have a taste of times gone by; cars were banned more than a hundred years ago, and horse-drawn carriages are still used to get around today.

    Ocean City, MD

    This East Coast beach town is best known for its boardwalk, which is known for old-school amusement rides. Cycling in the town is also a great pleasure. Grab your wallets and feast on hard-shelled crabs at Hooper's crab house or drink in the sunset with a local beer in hand from Fager's Island Restaurant & Bar's large bayfront decks. Parking is free with your consuming receipt. You can't miss a classic walk along the boardwalk and the taste of Thrasher's vinegar and Old Bay French fries.

    Amsterdam

    Summer is the ideal time to visit this city. The gray skies have lifted, festivals abound and events to enjoy include the Open Garden Days, when visitors can peek (窥视) into the private gardens behind the beautiful Houses that line the famous canals. You can experience urban adventure, crossing Amsterdam's thousands of bridges and waterways by bike and by boat in search of the perfect brown cafe.

    In films, dads change from cruel men to loving souls. Here is a list of good and bad movies dads.

    Atticus Finch in To kill a Mockingbird(知更鸟)

    GOOD DAD : A man whose wife has died with a young family and a busy job as a lawyer, Gregory Peck's character in the 1962 film is one of the great heroes of American cinema Firm but fair he teaches his children respect and human decency(正派). Harper Lee's novel gets a respectable transposition(转变)to film, thanks to Gregory Peck's perfect performance.

    Jack Torrance in The Shining

    BAD DAD: When Jack Torrance, his wife, Wendy, and son, Danny, escaped from the cold winter to the Overlook Hotel we know that Jack has hardly been a model father. But when Jack becomes extremely angry and tries to murder his family with an axe, Danny used his intelligence to defeat him and left him to freeze to death.

    George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life

    GOOD DAD: James Stewart's character is a father-of-four who is saved from the edge of suicide (自杀)and realizes his positive effect on others' lives. Much of the film is unpleasant, with George shouting at his children as he faces financial problems. But finally the lovable father realizes the worth of his own life, the value of friendship and the importance of being a loving dad.

    Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back(帝国大厦)

    BAD DAD: When the unfriendly cyborg(半机器人)told Luke Skywalker that he was his father ,the son's reaction says it all: “No! No!” It's hardly a joyful welcome to the family. For most of his son's life, Darth Vader has been an absent dad—and he has just cut off Luke's hand. You can understand why Father's Day cards might not be available.