Six years ago at the age of 35,I suddenly decided I wanted to learn the cello（大提琴）.Straight away I rented an instrument and appeared before Wendell Margrave,professor of musical instruction.

    "You can be as good as you want to be,"Margrave said rather mysteriously.On a piece of paper he drew the notes E and F.He showed me where to put my fingers on the neck of the cello and how to draw the bow.Then he entered my name in his book: 10 am,Tuesday.Tuesday followed Tuesday,and soon it was spring.

Thus began my voyage out of ignorance and into the dream.E-F,E-F,we played together—and moved on to G.It was a happy time.I was again becoming something new,and no longer trapped as the same person.Surely the most terrible recognition of middle life is that we are past changing.We do what we can already do.The cello was something I couldn't do.Yet each Tuesday this became less and less true.Riding home on the bus one snowy night and learning the score of Mozart's C-Major Quintet(莫扎特的C大调五重奏),I felt the page burst into music in my hands.I could by then more or less read a score,and was humming（哼唱）the cello line,when suddenly all five parts came together harmonically（和谐地） in my head.The fellow sitting opposite stared.I met his glance with tears,actually hearing the music in my head for the first time.Could he hear it too, perhaps?No,he got off at the next stop.

    As the years slipped by,my daughter grew up,playing the piano well.My goal was that she and I would one day perform together.I also wanted to perform in public with and for my peers,and to be secretly envied.I continued to play,to perform,but it is not the same.Before,when I heard a cello,it was all beauty and light.Now,as the TV camera gets close to Rostropovich's face,I recognize that his smile shows his incredible determination.Even for him,the cello is a difficult instrument that doesn't respect your ambitions.I picked up my cello and practiced.As good as I wanted to be,I am as good as I'm going to get.It is good enough.

    If you have the opportunity to visit some places in New Zealand, then the list below is our recommendation.

    Fiordland National Park

    This park is part of the South Westland World Heritage Area and is New Zealand's largest national park and one of the largest in the world. The scenery in Fiordland is nothing short of extremely beautiful, with steep mountains, wild waterfalls, and abundant rain forests. Being able to come back and forth in its deep bay attracts most of the visitors.

    The area has some of the world's greatest walks including the world famous Milford Track, which was described as the finest walk in the world in the early twentieth century.

    Abel Tasman National Park

    Abel Tasman may be New Zealand's smallest national park, but the attractions are huge. Located in one of New Zealand's sunniest spots, the area also has the best beaches in the country.

    The popular Abel Tasman Walk is a great way to see this park. It takes 3-5 days to complete. Sea taxis are also available and can drop you off at any number of beaches within the park.

    Rotorua

    Accessible from New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland, Rotorua is famous for its volcanic activities. Rotorua is also famous for its plentiful lakes which are great for swimming and fishing. The surrounding area contains plenty of native bushes and some famous walks.

    Rotorua is also the best area in the country to experience and learn about Maori culture.

    Mt Cook National Park

    Mt Cook as well as the surrounding area is an alpine( 高山的) park within the World Heritage listed in South Westland. The biggest peaks in all of Australasia are here. The park doesn't contain many trees or plants due to the altitude. Walks range from a two-hour walk to difficult tracks suitable for experienced mountaineers only.

    A helicopter or plane ride gives visitors excellent views of the mountains with the option of landing at the top of Tasman Glacier, a true permanent snow-covered alpine environment.

    Most of us might only begin to think about dinner in the late afternoon: What should I make today? But Jelena Petrovic begins to think about her big meal early each morning. After morning tea, she and her husband, Milan, begin their plans for a traditional Serbian dish. The cooking method they use probably comes from Jelena's mother or grandmother. Each recipe uses local foods found in Serbian markets.

    Milan goes to the market to get the food they need. And the 69-year-old Jelena makes plans for how she will explain the cooking process to her 150, 000 followers on YouTube. Once she is ready, Jelena films her cooking show from a small kitchen table. Milan holds the camera.

    Jelena has many years of cooking experience at home. Ten years ago, she started an online program, where she shared recipes and cooking suggestions for meat, soup, bread, sweet treats and more.

    Her number of followers grew over time. She decided to start a blog and began also making videos she filmed with her mobile phone. Today, her videos on YouTube have over 50 million views. Last year, "Granny's Kitchen" was named one of the Top 50 YouTube channels in Serbia.

    Now her YouTube channel takes up much of her day. She works from her small kitchen and home office. Colorful plants and flowers fill the room. A bright cloth covers the table where she works. She says she gets tired from cooking long hours each day. But, she said, "My viewers wait for a new recipe every morning. If I am late, they will ask if I am well or what is happening."

    Often, her viewers write that the recipes bring back happy memories of their childhood. "My recipes are all local, traditional home-food recipes," Jelena said. "I make things my mother or grandmother used to make."

    The Japanese have always been at the forefront at deploying (利用) robots to perform jobs that are traditionally done by humans. Over the past year, humanoid robots have been seen helping customers at the Mitsubishi Bank and even filling in for human science communicators at museums. Therefore, it is not surprising to hear that the country has the worlds first hotel that is staffed almost entirely by the Androids!

    The aptly (巧妙地) named Henn-na ("strange" in Japanese) Hotel which opened its doors on July 17 is located at Nagasaki's Huis Ten Bosch theme park. It is the idea of Hideo Sawada, a Japanese businessman who is fascinated by the possibility of replacing humans with robots. His aim is to have this futuristic hotel be run mainly by the intelligent humanoids.

    Guests checking-in are welcomed by a family friendly English-speaking robot wearing a bow tie and bell-hop (侍者) hat. Though experienced at his job, he does request guests not to ask him "a difficult question" since he is after all, "just a robot!" Those seeking a more "regular" experience, can approach the human-like Japanese-speaking robot.

    When ready, visitors can request the robot "porters" to help carry belongings to their room. Those that need to stow away valuables can hand them to a helpful robot who will place them inside an individual safe box in exchange for a small fee. A one-foot-high concierge (管理人) is available to provide information about the hotel's amenities (便利设施), nearby attractions, and even order a taxi if needed.

    So how much does it cost to live in this crazy cool hotel? It depends on when you decide to go. During the low season, guests can get away with paying as little $60 a night for a basic room. However, during the peak season when rates, are determined by an online auction, the price can get as high as $153.

Half a Day

    I walked alongside my father, holding his right hand. All my clothes were new: the black shoes, the green school uniform, and the red cap. They did not make me happy, however, as this was the day I was to be thrown into school for the first time.

    "Why school?" I asked my father. "What have I done?"

    "I'm not punishing you," he said, laughing. "School's not a punishment. It's a place that makes useful men out of boys. Don't you want to be useful like your brothers?"

    I was not convinced. I did not believe there was really any good to be had in tearing me away from my home and throwing me into the huge, high-walled building.

    When we arrived at the gate we could see the courtyard, vast and full of boys and girls. "Go in by you," said my father, "and join them. Put a smile on your face and be a good example to others."

    I hesitated and squeezed his hand firmly, but he gently pushed me from him. "Be a man", he said. "Today you truly begin life. You will find me waiting for you when it's time to leave."

    I took a few steps. Then the faces of the boys and girls came into view. I did not know a single one of them, and none of them knew me. I felt I was a stranger who had lost his way. But then some boys began to glance at me in curiosity, and one of them came over and asked, "Who brought you?"

    "My father," I whispered.

    "My father's dead," he said simply.

    I did not know what to say. The gate was now closed. Some of the children burst into tears. The bell rang. A lady came along and said, "This is your new home. There are mothers and fathers here, too. Everything that is enjoyable and beneficial is here. So dry your tears and face life joyfully."

    Well, it seemed that my misgivings had had no basis. From the first moments I made many friends. I had never imagined school would have this rich variety of experiences.

During one of the earliest performances of "Peter Pan," the much-loved fantasy play for children, a small boy was invited to watch the production from the balcony. Afterwards he was asked what he liked best about the play. The pirates? The crocodile? Peter Pan flying through the air? The child's response was surprising: "What I think I liked best was tearing up the program and dropping the bits on people's heads".

The audience who left the theater with bits of paper in their hair probably wouldn't agree with the boy on the best part of the play. Neither would the caretakers in charge of cleaning the theater afterward. But when J. M. Barrie, the creator of "Peter Pan," heard the boy's comment, he was delighted. He wasn't offended that the boy hadn't paid closer attention to the play. Instead, he considered it one of his favorite reactions to his work.

All of us have to deal with decisions made by others – their words, actions and attitudes – that could be considered offensive. This can be particularly difficult when we feel that the values and traditions we hold dear are being rejected or even laughed at.

But just as someone might choose whether or not to do something offensive, we can choose whether or not to be insulted (侮辱). We can choose to give others the benefit of the doubt and not assume mean intent behind their actions. We can love people even if we do not love their choices. After all, isn't it more important – though perhaps more challenging – to love a person than to love words or actions?

Accepting people does not mean approving of or forgiving their decisions. It does not mean giving up our own rights to think and act differently. Nor does it mean we will never feel sad or hurt or disappointed. But at a deeper level, we can be at peace if we focus on love – for love has the power to overcome our disappointment, frustration and pain. And who knows? Our love may even soften a heart. But even if it doesn't, the best approach is still to let love, peace, patience and kindness rule the day.