I believe it is in my nature to dance by virtue of the beat of my heart, the pulse of my blood and the music in my mind. So I dance1.

    My dining room is now a2ballroom. Each morning when I3the house on the way to make coffee, I turn on the 4and it's dance time! I dance alone to whatever is playing.

    Tango(探戈)is a recent enthusiasm. It's a complex and5dance. The first time I went tango dancing I was too6to get out on the floor7 I stayed on edge of the dance floor when the dancing began. The fancy footwork8me. “Don't make a fool of yourself. Just9it. ” I thought10my mind, an older woman dropped out of the11sat down beside me, and said she had a secret for me. She12“If you do not join the dancing, we will know you are a fool. But if you dance, we will think well of you fo13 Inspired by her14words, I took up the15of tango.

    A friend asked me if I was a little too16“Tango? At your age? You must be out of your mind!" On the contrary, it's a deeply considered17I seek the sharp, scary18that comes from beginning something new, which19all my resources and challenges my body and mind. So, when people say, “Tango? At your age?” I20answer, “Yes!”

    I was hungry, so I took my 8-year-old Shih Tzu, ”Jack”, on a walk to my favorite cafe, about a quarter-mile from my home. They have a nice outside patio（天井）area which* in the late afternoon, is usually1 I ordered a burger and iced tea and went outside to await my 2.

    While waiting for my meal, a homeless man on a bicycle 3 to ask if there was a grocery store in the neighborhood. After I gave him 4 he asked if I had graduated from Santa Clara University. I was wearing a SCU T-shirt at the time. I told him that I graduated from the university some time ago5 did I know that this simple response would 6a 90-minute conversation.

    The man, Michael, told me he was 50 years old. He was intelligent and very intelligent.7 drug use had derailed （使出轨）both his formal 8 and his pursuit of success in the world of work. He drifted from one topic to another,9 the fact that my lunch had been brought to me. He10 had more of a need to11than I did. I made every effort to give him my full attention, never expecting that our conversation would go on and on and on……

    Eventually, I did eat my meal, bite by bite 12 responses in our conversation. Michael was a bit “out there” in terms of his interests and 13. We had little in common, but he was14 talking with, as he 15 it, “intelligent people. “I consider myself fairly well-educated, but I don't think of myself as being overly 16. Rather, my “gift" is common sense.

    I have to admit that I wished our conversation had been17 ten or fifteen minutes, but 18 Michael finally rode off on his bike, he thanked me for listening so attentively to him and for my 19 to talk with him for so long. It was then that I realized that, just maybe, that was my20 in life for today—to be there, in that place, at that time, to engage in that conversation.

    How can I forget the day? On 14 July 1974 I travelled in an overcrowded bus to an unheard town called Shendurni. The next day, I was to join the faculty of a junior college there.1 about my new job, but anxious and fearful too, I was out of my2zone. Around 7 p.m. it started pouring with rain. Wondering about my new career in an unknown land, I had 3 in my seat. I woke up with a(n)4 to the sound of the conductor announcing the name of my bus stop. I looked out. It was pitch-dark. Ah, a power cut5 unusual during heavy rains. “Conductor Sahab, can I get a6 for myself here? I'm new to the place,” I heard myself ask 7“Arre bhai, get off my bus and let us go. We8 to reach the next station on time. Where will you get a place to stay in this goddamned town?” he shouted back. Amid mounting panic, I felt a9 tap on my shoulder. As I looked back, a warm smile 10me. “I'm Sawant, from the next town. The bus 11 there for the night and returns tomorrow morning. Why don't you buy a ticket for the next stop? You can spend the night at my place, and join work tomorrow.” I thanked him from my heart and accepted his 12 By the time the bus reached the final stop, it was 8:30 p.m. The kind soul led me to his house. He and his wife took great 13 to make my stay comfortable. I was 14 with warm water for a bath, followed by a hot15 and a comfortable bed. All this took place in semi-darkness. No lights yet. I was up early the next morning and my benefactor (恩人) came to 16 me off. I could not see his face clearly, as it was17 dark. I made it 18the college in time and taught there for almost 11 years. All this while I 19 him, even asking my new friends and students to help find the kind soul. But Mr Sawant remained 20 Perhaps I had got his name wrong. My only regret: I could not thank him again.

    Jumping into the cold sea from 25 meters above the sea level. This was my short journey in year seven, well known as 1 education in Australia.

    I have weak memory of the place,2 when it was just last year. From the following day of our arrival, we were told that we were3 to jump off the platform next to where we lived. Yet I didn't have the4 to do it.5 we came, we had swimming lessons to learn how to dive from a platform. Now, I wanted to be 6. So I got up there and looked down ... I did not want to go down there. Then I 7 back down. Everyone 8 me.

    The next day, I went up again. This time, I jumped. I 9my eyes. I had my hands on the 10side's shoulders in a cross formation, standing straight and waiting for the 11, just like we were taught in school. There was a 12 second or two before I 13 the water. My thighs (大腿) were burning. My heart was 14 fast.

    I kept 15 under my breath. It was hard not to. Soon enough, I climbed up onto the platform to find everyone 16 me. My teacher came up to me and 17my hands. “You did it, mate! You jumped off. It's the18 of the year!”

    The next day, we were leaving. One of my roommates came over to me. “Remember yesterday? You landed with a 'POW' into the water!” he had a little 19 “You were saying the bad words over and over again and the teacher didn't even mind!” I laughed with him. But the 20 was indeed, an interesting one.

    It happened when I was in Grade 4. My teacher Ms. Orange asked us to bring cards, candy and other 1to class. She wanted us to celebrate Thanksgiving Day as a class. I 2this activity and thought it would be fun, 3I asked my mom to help me make some nice cookies. I 4bought some Thanksgiving cards. I couldn't wait to give them to my classmates.

    When the day finally5, things went very well. People gave each other cards and candy. Everyone seemed very6. I gave out all of the things I took to school to my classmates. However, I received7. I was surprised at what was happening. Ms. Orange then asked us to8 what we received and say whom it came9. When my name was called, I couldn't hold back my10because I didn't get anything from anyone. I was 11 by the people who said that they were my 12.

    It was surely a 13Thanksgiving Day for me. I was angry. But I didn't want to 14 my classmates. I kept being kind to them and 15hard. And what I did paid off. I became one of the 16 students in my class. My teachers and classmates were proud of me. Now I have many good friends by my side. The_17from them alone will always be the best gift I will value forever. I 18that the best gifts in life don't come from stores. It's the things that we value in our 19that count. I'm glad that I made the right decision and 20 my classmates' friendship in the end.

    I was a single parent of four small children, working at a low-paid job. Money was always tight, but I 1 to make ends meet (收支平衡), and if not a lot, 2 we had enough. Not knowing we were poor, my kids just thought I was 3. I've always been glad about that.

    It was Christmas time, and although there wasn't 4 for a lot of gifts, we planned to celebrate with a family party. But the big 5 for the kids was the fun of Christmas 6. They planned weeks ahead of time, asking 7 what they wanted for Christmas. 8, I had saved $ 120 for gifts to be shared by all five of us.

    The big day 9. I gave each kid a twenty-dollar bill and 10 them to look for 11 of about four dollars each. Then everyone went away excitedly. We had two hours to shop and 12 back at the “Santa's Workshop”.

    Driving home, everyone was in high Christmas spirits, 13 my youngest daughter, Ginger, who was unusually 14. She had only one small, flat bag with a few candies—fifty-cent candies! I was very doubtful but I didn't say anything 15 we got home. I called her into my bedroom and closed the door. This is what she told me:

    “I was looking 16 thinking of what to buy when I 17 to read the little cards on the “Giving Trees”. One was for a little girl, four years old, and all she 18 for Christmas was a doll. So I took the card off the tree and 19 the doll for her. We have so much and she doesn't have anything.”

    I never felt so 20 as I did that day.