Films at the Museum

Two European films will be shown on Saturday afternoon at the Museum Theatre. See Broken Window at 1:30. The workers will be at 3:45. For further information, call 4987898.

Captain Good Fellow

Do your children enjoy interesting stories, funny games, and exciting dances? Captain Good Fellow will be ready to teach all these things to children at the City Theatre on Saturday morning at 10:00, free.

International Picnic

Are you tired of eating the same food every day? Come to Central Park on Saturday and enjoy food from all over the world. Delicious and not expensive. Noon to 5:00 p.m.

Take me out to the Ballgame

It's October, and Saturday night (7:00～9:00) is your last chance to see the Red Birds this year. Get your tickets at the gate. It might be cold. Don't forget sweaters and jackets.

Do you want to hear "The Zoo"

"The Zoo", a popular rock group from Australia, will give their first U. S. concert this Saturday night, at 8, at Rose Hall, City College.

People love walking through a giant puzzle. In a corn maze(玉米迷宫), they can follow miles of paths and run into lots of dead ends before they finally find their way out. The corn maze has been growing for almost 30 years. 

Simple corn mazes began appearing in the 1980s. In 1993, the first big corn maze created for the public to enjoy was made in Annville Pennsylvania, by Don Frantz and Adrian Fischer. Then, in a corntield as big as two and a half football fields, Mr. Frantz created "The Amazing Maize Maze"with the help of his family and friends. When it was done, almost two miles of pathways snaked through the cornfield. Since then, thousands of corn mazes have been created around the world.

For many farmers, a corn maze means a boost(激增) of extra income. During the opening weekend, about 6, 000 visitors came to get lost in Mr. Frantz's maze. Charging only $5 per person, he earned almost $32, 000in two weeks.

Brett Herbst is also a maze designer. In 1999 he set a world record for the world's largest corn maze, an image of the solar system with nine planets in it. He now has a business called The Maize, which has designed more than 4, 000 mazes around the world. "Corn mazes help people connectwith their roots, "he says. "People are so far removed from farm life that they are drawn to something real, something organic. "

Today, a great number of people enjoy seeking fun in a corn maze. Mr. Herbst says, "When we see families on the farm having fun, we know that they are making memories that will last a lifetime. "

Weeks before Tomb-Sweeping Day on April 4 this year, hundreds of qingtuan were sold each day. The snack was still a must-have for many people. 

In the southern part of China, eating qingtuan at the beginning of spring is a kind of tradition. Chinese people started to eat it more than 2, 000 years ago. It is made of sticky rice(糯米) and red bean paste(红豆沙), and is famous for its softness, freshness and sweetness. The secret behind its mouth-watering taste is one of its materials—mugwort leaves (艾蒿叶). The plant is mainly found in the Yangtze RiverDelta(长江三角洲) where it has perfect conditions to grow. 

People in this area usually put qingtuan on the tombs(墓) of their dead family members to cherish the past memory. Making qingtuan is also a chance for family members to get together at home. It really takes time and effort to make the snack. 

Now, qingtuan has already spread its special taste to the northern part of China. Li Yuan, a 30-year-old engineer who grew up in Zhejiang Province, brought qingtuan back to Beijing where he works. "It tastes different in and out of my hometown, "he said. "There's no place like home. "

Qingtuan has many different tastes inside it, such as apples and bean milk, to meet customers' tastes. The difference of the taste shows that it's getting more and more popular across the whole country. 

Even though there is warm weather and green leaves in spring, the season wouldn't be complete without a taste of qingtuan. 

The following is a discussion from Mr. Knowall's BBS. The topic of the discussion is about the ways of students' keeping their private (秘密的) things.

Do you know any famous museums in the world？Here are three famous museums in different countries.

You want to live a happier life? Try laughing for no reason. That's how many people start their day at Laughter Yoga (瑜伽) Clubs around the world, and many doctors now think that having a good laugh might be one of the best ways to stay healthy.

The first Laughter Yoga Club was started in Mumbai, India, in 1995 by Dr. Madan Kataria. "Young children laugh about 300 times a day. Adults laugh between 7 and 15 times a day," says Dr. Kataria."Everyone is naturally good at laughing. We want people to feel happy with their lives."

A study at the UCLA School of Medicine in California shows that laughter reduces stress (减缓压力) and is very good for the heart. Laughter Yoga is used in many hospitals for the illness treatment and it is also practiced in schools, factories and old people's homes.

So what is Laughter Yoga? I went to my nearest Laughter Yoga Club to find out. I was quite nervous about it, I didn't like the idea of laughing with others. First, our laughter teacher told us to clap our hands and say, "Ho ho ho, ha ha ha." He said our bodies can't tell the difference between fake laughter and real laughter, so they both work. After ten minutes everybody in the room was laughing for real! We did different kinds of laughter exercises and finally I was surprised by how relaxed I felt.

So if you're sad about something, just start laughing. As Dr. Kataria says, "When you laugh, you change, and when you change, the world around you changes."