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      The meaning of silence varies among cultural groups. Silences may be thoughtful, or they may be empty when a person has nothing to say. A silence in a conversation may also show stubbornness, or worry. Silence may be viewed by some cultural groups as extremely uncomfortable; therefore attempts may be made to fill every gap(间隙)with conversation. Persons in other cultural groups value silence and view it as necessary for understanding a person's needs.

        Many Native Americans value silence and feel it is a basic part of communicating among people, just as some traditional Chinese and Thai persons do. Therefore, when a person from one of these cultures is speaking and suddenly stops, what maybe implied(暗示) is that the person wants the listener to consider what has been said before continuing. In these cultures, silence is a call for reflection.

        Other cultures may use silence in other ways, particularly when dealing with conflicts among people or in relationships of people with different amounts of power. For example, Russian, French, and Spanish persons may use silence to show agreement between parties about the topic under discussion. However, Mexicans may use silence when instructions are given by a person in authority rather than be rude to that person by arguing with him or her. In still another use, persons in Asian cultures may view silence as a sign of respect, particularly to an elder or a person in authority.

Nurses and other care-givers need to be aware of the possible meanings of silence when they come across the personal anxiety their patients may be experiencing. Nurses should recognize their own personal and cultural construction of silence so that a patient's silence is not interrupted too early or allowed to go on unnecessarily. A nurse who understands the healing(治愈) value of silence can use this understanding to assist in the care of patients from their own and from other cultures.

    Global English Center

    General English in all four skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing.

    3-month (700 yuan), 6-month (1,200 yuan) and one-year (2,000 yuan) courses.

    Choice of morning or evening classes, 3 hours per day, Mon.--Fri.

    Experienced college English teachers.

    Close to the city center and bus stops

    Add: 105 Zhongshan Road Tel: 6760000

    Modern Language School

    Special courses in English for business, travel, banking, hotel management and office skills.

    Small classes (2~16 students) on Saturday and Sunday from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m..

    English teachers from Canada and the USA.

    3-month (1,000 yuan), 6-month (1,800 yuan).

    Add: 675 Park Road Tel: 6777777

    The 21st Century English Training Center

    We offer morning or afternoon classes. Both of which last three months and a half at a cost of 800 yuan. Entrance exams: June 1 and December 1.

    We also have a six-week TOEFL preparation class during winter and summer holidays

    Only 15-minute walk from city center.

    Call 6016666 for more information.

    The International House of English

    3-or 6-month English course for students of all levels at very low cost: 60 yuan for 12 hours per week; convenient class hours: 9:00~12:00 a.m. and 2:00~5:00 p.m.

    4~month evening classes for developing speaking skills (same cost as day classes)

    Well- trained foreign teachers

    Free sightseeing tours and social activities

    Very close to the Central Park.

    Call 6886666 for further information.

    The best tool needed for survival in the event you get lost when you travel is your skill of advanced planning. You must expect the unexpected and plan accordingly. Even if you are going out for just a few hours, pack enough essentials that you can stay hydrated (体内水分), fueled and prepared for any type of weather. Your essentials should include at least:

    More than enough food and water for the activity you plan.

    A compass that you know how to use. You may want a GPS device, but those sometimes do not receive a signal or the battery fails. Cell phones also likely will not work because of a lack of signal.

    Appropriate maps. Study the terrain (地形) and your planned route. Know where you are going and how you will return.

    Comfortable hiking boots, clothes that you can wear depending on the weather conditions and additional socks in case the ones you arc wearing get wet.

    A blanket, flashlight, matches kept in a water-resistant container, and other items that will help you survive overnight if necessary.

    Cheek with the local forest office for special warnings, such as fires in the area, bear sightings, flooding, trail or road closures, etc.

It's also important that once you have planned your outing, tell someone. Give them exact details of where you are going, the trail you plan to follow, when you will return, the vehicle you are driving (and where you plan to park) and how many people will go with you—do not go alone.

    If you do become lost, your most important tool is keeping a positive mental attitude.

    Here are some must-know festivals from a handbook which you cannot miss in some Asia countries.

    Singapore Night Festival

    Aug. 17-25 The annual Singapore Night Festival is a celebration of the island nation's arts and cultural heritage (遗产). A highlight of the festival is the interactive light show that transforms the front of surrounding buildings into artistic wonders. http://www.nightfestival.com

    Royal Floria

    Aug. 25-Sep. 2 This year's event marks the 10th anniversary of the Royal Floria in Putrajaya, with more than 400,000 floral displays. Floral designers and landscape architects from 10 countries are set to show their talent with their arts and cultural creations. http://www.floriaputrajaya.com

    Tet Trung Nguyen

    Aug. 25 It is believed that during Tet Trung Nguyen (Ghost Festival), spirits of the dead return home in search of their loved ones. Vietnamese pay homage(敬意) to their ancestors during the festivals by preparing feasts as prayer offerings. http://www.vietnamtourism.com

    George Town Festival

    Aug. 4-Sep. 2 The George Town Festival was inaugurated(创立) in 2010 in conjunction with the city's designation as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It has become one of the region's important cultural festivals, showing myriad events that include musical performances, art exhibitions and film screenings taking place across multiple venues. http://www.georgetownfestival.com

Smart Cameras to Help You Take Better Photos

    Google Clips

    One of the latest to launch is Google Clips. It is designed to be put somewhere in a room to take pictures by itself. It can also be attached to an object or a person's clothing.

    Google says machine learning helps the camera choose the best times and situations for taking pictures and videos. Interested buyers can join a waiting list to be informed when it is on the market.

    GoPro Hero

    GoPro also uses machine learning to power its QuikStories characteristic. This tool takes existing photos and videos and automatically creates a finished video piece, complete with music and effects.

    Snap Spectacles

    Messaging app Snapchat sells a pair of sunglasses with a built-in camera that can record short videos with the push of a button. Snap Inc. says the product, called Spectacles, is designed to "catch the moment, without taking you out of it."

    The glasses can record short video clips that can be shared with Snapchat users. Snap Inc. has started selling its Spectacles sunglasses online in the United States.

    Apple iPhone X

    Apple's new iPhone X is being launched with its new Face ID system that it says will unlock the phone just by having the user look at it. This replaces the Touch ID on previous ones that used a fingerprint to unlock the phone.

    Apple says the system works by projecting more than 30,000 dots on the face to create a kind of map. Apple says its facial recognition is even secure enough to allow payments through its Apple Pay service.

    In a room at Texas Children Cancer Center in Houston, eight-year-old Simran Jatar lay in bed with a drip(点滴)above her to fight her bone cancer. Over her bald(秃的)head, she wore a pink hat that matched her clothes. But the third grader's cheery dressing didn't mask her pain and weary eyes.

    Then a visitor showed up. "Do you want to write a song?" asked Anita Kruse, 49, rolling a cart equipped with an electronic keyboard, a microphone and speakers. Simran stared. "Have you ever written a poem?" Anita Kruse continued. "Well, yes," Simran said.

    Within minutes, Simran was reading her poem into the microphone. "Some bird soaring through the sky," she said softly. "Imagination in its head…" Anita Kruse added piano music, a few warbling (鸣,唱)birds, and finally the girl's voice. Thirty minutes later, she presented Simran with a CD of her first recorded song.

    That was the beginning of Anita Kruse's project, Purple Songs Can Fly, one that has helped more than 125 young patients write and record songs. As a composer and pianist who had performed at the hospital, Kruse said that the idea of how she could help "came in one flash".

    The effect on the kids has been great. One teenage girl, curling(蜷缩)in pain in her wheelchair, stood unaided to dance to a hip-hop song she had written. A 12-year-old boy with Hodgkin's disease who rarely spoke surprised his doctors with a song he called I Can Make It.

    "My time with the kids is heartbreaking because of the severity of their illnesses," says Anita Kruse. "But they also make you happy, when the children are smiling, excited to share their CD with their families."

    Simran is now an active sixth grader and cancer-free. From time to time, she and her mother listen to her song, Always Remembering, and they always remember the "really sweet and nice and loving" lady who gave them a shining moment in the dark hour.