Growing up in Wyoming,everyday life was an adventure—I spent my time camping,and exploring mountains. When I was little,my mom became the state's first female U.S. Marshall.I'll never forget how the local newspaper praised her for her success in a field that's traditionally run by men.Under her influence,I made up my mind to achieve something great.Now,I've become famous for sailing,a sport often considered "a man's world".

    Sailing is considered a hard-to-break-into sport.And,generally,there are only two ways to get into it—either through a strict sailing education that leads to experience or by growing up on the water and racing in the Olympics. Most of my teammates became professional sailors in one of these two ways but I skipped both.

    In the summer of 2008,I went to St.Croix through a college internship（实习）program focusing on educating locals about HIV and AIDs.There,I discovered my love for sailing.Then,SCA,a global hygiene（卫生保健）company, made the decision to support an all-female team,and when they began accepting applications,I knew it was the chance of a lifetime.I made it my task to become a part of the team.Even when it seemed like there were no positions left,I never gave up.

    After a stressful,two-year application process,I finally got the call.I moved to Lanzarote in the Canary Islands and began training with the team immediately.The process was physically,mentally and emotionally exhausting,but I finally achieved my goal.I sailed in the "Everest of sailing" with only six years' experience.Later,there was an all-female team competing,and I was lucky enough to be a part of it.

    As women,we need to approach our dreams as if we deserve to achieve them as much as men,because we do. There are plenty of professions,including sailing,in which women are absent or have a minor presence—but that's not because they shouldn't be there.We need to push the boundaries and focus on obtaining our goals and passions,no matter how unobtainable and challenging they may seem.

    I travel a lot, and I find out different “styles”(风格) of directions every time I ask “How can I get to the post office?”

    Foreign tourists are often confused(困惑) in Japan because most streets there don't have names; In Japan, people use landmarks(地标) in their directions instead of street names. For example, the Japanese will say to travelers, “Go straight down to the corner. Turn left at the big hotel and go past a fruit market. The post office is across from the bus stop.”

    In the countryside of the American Midwest, there are not usually many landmarks. There are no mountains, so the land is very flat; in many places there are no towns or buildings within miles. Instead of landmarks, people will tell you directions and distances. In Kansas or Iowa, for example, people will say, “Go north two miles. Turn east, and then go another mile.”

    People in Los Angeles, California, have no idea of distance on the map; they measure distance in time, not miles. “How far away is the post office?” you ask. “Oh,” they answer, “it's about five minutes from here.” You say, “Yes, but how many miles away is it?” They don't know.

    It's true that a person doesn't know the answer to your question sometimes. What happens in such a situation? A New Yorker might say, “Sorry, I have no idea.” But in Yucatan, Mexico, no one answers “I don't know.” People in Yucatan believe that “I don't know” is impolite. They usually give an answer, often a wrong one. A tourist can get very, very lost in Yucatan!

    You can tell a lot about a country by what's on its television sets. Britain's TV screens are completely steeped in class, and have long been so.

    From laughing at poor people in reality shows to laughing at posh people in Downton Abbey, this is how Britain likes to unwind in the evening: by laughing at other classes, and laughing at people for laughing about class.

    Like it or loathe it, many see the class system as a quite essential element of British life, together with our obsession for tea and cake and talking about the weather.

    Whether you are a lord, a lady, or just the king of your own middle class kingdom, everyone in the UK fits into the class system. How the class system works is a hard question even for a British person to answer.

    There are four main groups in the British class system: lower, working, middle and upper class. Although recently the BBC has tried to confuse everyone even more by adding three more categories.

    The British are very aware of class; it is often said that we have an in-built 'class radar'; we pick up on subtle social clues which indicate which class a person comes from. Class is not just about your job, where you live and how much you earn. It's about who you are.

The Trip to Alishan in Taiwan

    It was the fourth day of our trip to Taiwan, bright but cold. After a good breakfast we put on our jackets and gloves, pulled on our hats and got into a car. We travelled for about two hours, up, and up, and up the mountain road.

    We finally arrived at the top of the mountain. It was Christmas Day. So imagine my joy to see icicles(冰柱)hanging form branches and the whiteness of the scenery. Indeed, it was my first Christmas in the northern hemisphere(半球)and, guess what? It even started snowing too. How amazingly exciting for me to have Christmas in my grandmother's hometown, and to experience icicles and snow. Alishan is really beautiful, especially seen form this dizzy height. After Sun parked the car, we got out and looked down through the trees. It hadn't snowed hard enough so there was no snow on the ground, just loads of pine needles. There was a most wonderful smell of pine sap(松液)drifting up to us form the ground. It was very quiet, except for the twittering of birds, and the odd car passing along the road. Quietness in Taiwan is something to treasure.

    Over the road was a small stall so we went over to it. They were selling some drink steaming hot in paper cups, too hot to hold immediately. We jumped around to get warm. There was a cool wind blowing up the side of the mountain, and the clouds above us were moving along quickly. I could imagine there was quite a strong wind blowing up there, so I was glad we were down on the ground! The drink cooled down fairly rapidly. I picked up my share and, wow, what a lovely smell was coming from it. It was the smell of ginger(姜).I took a sip. How delicious, and so this was ginger tea, which I had never tried before. It warmed my body so quickly that I could feel the heat travel right down to my fingers and to my toes. This was very good stuff. And then it was time to leave as we were going down to Hualian to attend a Buddha bi-bi, eat hot pot, and drink some Shaoxing rice wine.

    Central Park

    Explore Central Park, one of the largest city parks in the world and one of the most famous symbols of New York. Let's have a look at its main sights.

    Central Park is New York's largest city park and one of the biggest in the world, with an area of 843 acres (about 3.4km²). This park is home to man-made lakes, waterfalls, grass and wooded areas. You will also find the Central Park Zoo, among other attractions in this greenspace of New York.

    Besides being the city's primary green lungs, Central Park is also a favorite spot for many New Yorkers. It is perfect for sunbathing, going for walks, or doing any outdoor sports. Something that we found curious is seeing so many people running with their babies in prams (婴儿车).

    On Foot or by Bicycle

    To get to know some of the wildest parts of Central Park we suggest walking. However, to get a general feel for the whole park, the best thing to do is hire a bicycle and enjoy the scenery.

    If you decide to hire a bike, you will find lots of bike rental stores around Central Park that are not very expensive.

    Open Time

    From 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends.

    From 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. on weekdays.

    Price

    Entry to the Park is free. But if you visit some parts like Central Park Zoo, you need to buy a ticket.

    Transport

    Subway: Line 5, 6, 7, A, B, C and D.

    Bus: Line M1, M2, M3, M4 and M10.

    Nearby places

    Metropolitan Museum of Art (447 m)

    Guggenheim Museum (564 m)

    American Museum of Natural History (688 m)

    Whitney Museum of American Art (1 km)

    The Frick Collection (1.3 km)

Dear Mr. Whitacre,

I fell in love with a "flying Dutchman"…literally. In the summer of 2011, I moved to the Netherlands not knowing anyone except my husband, not knowing how to speak the language, and leaving behind my friends, family, and everything I knew that represented me. But as they say, "Love is blind."

In the beginning, I spent many months "alone in my head." My mother-in-law didn't speak English (or Italian). This, however, didn't stop her from trying to communicate with me. At first, sounds of vague meanings coupled with hand gestures was our way of having a conversation.

It wasn't until I discovered she was a choral (合唱的) director for a women's group in the community that we then began communicating on a whole different level. From my early days in school, I was always part of a school choir for over a decade.

We shared a love of music! Dien (my mother-in-law's name) taught me many beautiful Dutch songs. I sang in her choir throughout the years that followed. And then by chance, I came across a TED-Talk featuring you, Mr. Whitacre discussing your music and the virtual (虚拟合唱团) choir. Within minutes, I researched when the next project would start and to my surprise, it was Virtual Choir4" Fly To Paradise." I couldn't wait to tell my mother-in-law!

The next 2 weeks we spent practicing our parts and perfecting our video submissions. It was pure joy for us. Something we shared a love for, encouraging each other, spending hours together, and making a permanent bond as a mother and daughter-in-law.

Music has always been a part of my life. Its significance is greater than anything most people are aware of. Our participation in your virtual choir is one I will never forget. And it goes without saying, I am grateful for you, your music, and its ability to connect us all.