There are many reasons why I encourage people to travel, and I know that the experience will make one a better person.

    I remember when I was travelling I began to know the world better. The world is not just about me, my small town and home. Although you will meet different people from all over the world, you will realize that people are similar in their dreams, hopes and feelings. Enjoy exploring the different cultures, and you will also find that people are different in some of the things they do and how they live. Once you understand their ways, it need not be strange or scary. Often we read stories about other cultures in books. Only when we visit their areas do we find that those stories are something wrong.

    One thing you may find out is that there are problems all over the world. We can't just get money to send to these areas and hope that will work them out. The world should get involved（干预）and help wherever there are problems. People everywhere should be given a chance. It is so easy to ignore this if one does not travel and explore. One can look around and see that so many people have many challenges worse than ours. One can realize that sometimes our biggest problems are not that big after all.

    On your journey you will meet lots of new friends. Talking to strangers and finding about their lives is a great way to spend your time. you will certainly be more confident after having to cope with problems and make many decisions along the way.

    When you travel, you have to be on your own in some situations. You will surprise yourself by how well you can do that. All your special experiences could make an interesting book to read. It would be filled with all your adventures and special memories.

    Traveling around and seeing so much happening in the world around us is a wonderful experience. If we could all just travel a little more and share our experiences, we would all be better people and the world would be a better place.

    Ray Tokuda, a 54-year-old Japanese American, is proud of the title his school has given him. He is a Shifu, a Chinese word literally meaning a master, mentor or senior practioner of martial arts.

    Tokuda has reason to be proud. He has been involved with Chinese martial arts for almost four decades. After learning them at the martial arts school in New Mexico State, today he is among the most experienced kung fu teachers of the school.

    Practicing martial arts two to three hours and helping students improve their skills have become Tokuda's daily routine. He expects to practice and teach martial arts for the rest of his life. "I'm still learning. It's worth more than a lifetime to learn Chinese martial arts," he said. "Once I started, I just couldn't stop. I think it's also the magic of Chinese culture."

    Tokuda was sent to the martial arts school when he was 10. He still remembers how unwilling he was when starting out. "My father had always wanted to learn Chinese martial arts but never got the chance, so he put his kid in," he said. "I was so afraid at that time because I thought kung fu was all about fighting."

    But things changed after he learned that martial arts were more than punching and kicking.

    "One of the things martial arts teach me is overcoming adversity," Tokuda said. "As a little kid, my first lesson was like, oh, look, this is a thing that I can get through by diligence, perseverance（毅力）and dedication, and that was priceless for my life."

    Learning Chinese martial arts opened a gateway for him to better understand Chinese culture because he could hear a lot of ancient Chinese kung fu-related stories. "It is like in America, where we hear stories about knights in shining armor and King Arthur and noble deeds done," he said. "I feel martial arts preserve something of ancient China that can't be found in books. They are sort of an oral history."

    Tokuda has also been invited to various events in his home state to showcase traditional Chinese culture, including the dragon dance and lion dance, which he also learnt at the martial arts school. Because of this, he is now considered a cultural envoy (使者) in the eyes of the public.

    The opening times of Vienna's museums, shops, Tourist Info Vienna, etc

    Tourist Info

    1st district, city centre

    Albertinaplatz, corner of Maysedergasse

    Daily from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm

    Vienna International Airport Arrival Hall

    Daily from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm

    Museums

    Most of Vienna's museums are open daily. Some are closed once a week, often either on Monday or Tuesday. The daily opening times vary from museum to museum, but you can generally assume that a museum will be open between 10:00 am and 5:00 pm. Some of the large museums offer art lovers one late evening per week and stay open until 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm.

    Shops

    In Vienna, shops are usually open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 6:30 pm and on Saturday until 5:00 pm or 6:00 pm. Some shopping centers are open until 8:00 pm or 9:00 pm from Monday to Friday.

    Banks

    Most banks in Vienna are open from Monday to Friday from 8:00 am to 12:30 pm and from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm, and until 5:30 pm on Thursdays. In the city center almost all banks are open over lunchtime.

    Restaurants and hot food

    Most restaurants in the city center are open daily. Hot food is generally offered from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm. Some restaurants, often outside the city center, are closed on one day each week, sometimes on Sundays as well.

    A Harvard study of their graduates over thirty years found that there were only a small percentage (3%) of them who actually wrote down their goals-and these were the most successful! You can be certain that every one of those students had repeatedly heard the value of goal setting. Yet only 3% actually wrote down their goals consistently. Imagine what you can do if you both write down your goals and, then, focus on them consistently, until they are accomplished!

    What is it that causes the "New Year's Resolution Syndrome"? People make resolutions, work hard at them for a few weeks, maybe even a few months, and then forget them. Next year, they make the same New Year's resolutions. That is the syndrome. So why do so many people do it?

    They may be making goals that are too global, and too unrealistic. The elephant analogy (比喻) is still the best one I know of to illustrate good goal setting. "How do you eat an elephant? One spoonful at a time." So it is with goals. Make spoon size goals and accomplish them easily. Once you've mastered this, get a bigger spoon!

    You may have too many people in your life who consciously or subconsciously are unwilling or unable to support you to reach your goals. Surround yourself with people who want you to have what you want for yourself. Support each other and you'll all achieve your highest goals.

    We must be careful not to confuse busyness with progress. Be selective about how you use your time and what you focus on. Success often comes when you know what to leave out, rather than what to include in your life.

    Goal setting is like the pig and chicken who were out for a walk in town early one morning. The chicken became really excited when she saw a sign that said "Ham & Eggs, $2. 99". She said to the pig, "Look, we've got double billing again." The pig grunted and said, "That's all right for you to say. For you, it's all in a day's work. For me, it's total commitment." Goal setting is all in a day's work. Goal achievement is total commitment.

    As the international demand for narrative films （纪录片）continues to increase with popular streaming services like Netflix and others, the two questions then come： Will the coming generations receive most of their entertainment through visual means rather than through the written word? Will such an increase of narrative film reduce the importance of reading?

    Growing examples of this trend include the dimishment(减少)of fiction lovers, the ever­rising culture of computer games, the wave of streaming services of wide international reach, and movies filled with special effects made for children and teenagers. Nor must we ignore the economic dangers that lie ahead for the written word. The narrative film industry is a moneymaker that surpasses the publishing industry.

    The other underlying question, of course, is "does it really matter if the written word bows to the world of narrative films?" From my point of view, any diminishment of fiction delivered by words is a loss for mankind.

    There is no greater human feature than the imagination. It lies at the very soul of the human species. It is the brain's most powerful engine. It is the essential muscle of life and like all muscles it must be exercised and strengthened.

    Writing and reading are the principal tools that inspire and create our imagination. Anything that diminishes that power is the enemy of mankind.

    It should be known that I am not opposed to new media and technological advances. Instead, I have always felt it necessary to adapt to advancing technology. In fact, a number of my novels are in various stages of development for film, TV and live stage productions. My hope is that the written word will only stand to be complemented(补充) by technology, not pushed to the edge of extinction.

    Of course, there are those who will present arguments for the superiority of the moving image over the written word. Each has its place. My argument is for finding the right balance between it and the moving image.

The huge billboard at the side of the highway is no joke; transporting firewood in certain areas is a crime, punishable by a four-thousand-dollar fine. The reason? Emerald Ash Borer disease, or EAB disease, a new addition to the long list of dangerous foreign pest infestations（虫害）on American soil. It was in 2002 when the Emerald Ash Borer beetle（甲虫）was first discovered in Michigan. Not long after, the pest was found in Ohio. Originally from Asia, this green beetle probably found its way to North America through a wooden box made of ash wood and immediately settled into a local ash tree. In little time, the species managed to kill millions of ash trees. 

To date, much work is underway to stop ash trees ending up in the same group as elm and chestnut trees, which are all dying out in many areas. Ash Borer Infestations are particularly troublesome because they are difficult to identify until the ash tree is heavily infested. In addition, other ash trees in the area surrounding the source will probably also be infested, making control a hard task. 

Researchers are working on many issues related to the control and removal of this harmful beetle. For example, it has been discovered that Asian ash trees are not destroyed by this native borer. It may be that, Asian ash trees have developed genes（基因）to protect them from the insect; therein, perhaps, lies the secret to controlling this pest. Insecticide（杀虫剂）treatment is also being explored on several fronts. Research is underway to determine which insecticides are proving to be the most successful. The proper application of the insecticides is being debated. 

However, all possible solutions require a great deal of study and research. In the meantime, careful steps must be taken. Methodical identification of infested trees is taking place. Identified trees are being cut down and destroyed to get rid of the beetle colonies（群）. In the end, this puts a huge drain（消耗）on city budgets, as tree removal can be extremely expensive. 

Even though it will be expensive to deal with this problem in the short term, the costs of doing nothing could be far higher, since we could lose an entire species of tree.