Yesterday I work up to the sound of music on my couch in my fifth floor apartment downtown. I couldn't possibly tell you what song was playing because my monologue of things to do that day had already begun. My thoughts ranged from what deals needed my attention today to what is the meaning of life. I felt as if it was going to be one of “those days”.

    After taking my son to school and glancing at my calendar, I noticed I was meeting my 85-year-old friend Harry. I remembered that we first met at a glass shop. I needed a new window and he was talking to the store clerk about his glass fireplace insert needing replacement. As I stood behind him in line, I found not how this old man funny and compassionate at the same time. By the end of his discussion I was so entertained that I decided to drum up a conversation with him. That was how our friendship began. I later learned this gentleman was originally from the mid-west and grew up on a farm. At 17, he joined the army and travelled the world until his late 40's. After the retirement, his wife passed away and now he lives alone in his three-bedroom home.

    We met at the appointed time. I promised to take him to lunch anywhere he wanted to go and he said, “I am a simple man; let's go to Taco Bell. Furthermore I don't need a pat on the back because it is only 18 inches away from a kick in the rear.” We both laughed as we got into the car.

    As we pulled into the parking lot of Taco Bell, Harry jumped out of the car and told me, “I have to go into the donut(甜甜圈) shop next door before going to Taco Bell.” Of course I agreed and in we went. He immediately walked in and began having a joke with the owner of the shop in his fashion. They bantered as she gave him a dozen donuts and off we went. I couldn't help but ask him, “What are the donuts for?” He quickly replied, “You will soon see.”

    As we opened the door to Taco Bell, the line was very long. It was lunch time. People were on their cell phones. Babies were crying and the waiters looked stressed and burnt out. Harry and I were waiting in line chatting about nothing until we reached the front of the line. As he walked to the counter, all the waiters began smiling. He placed the box of donuts on the counter and said, “These are for you and other staff.” Instantly, the mood in the restaurant changed. This single act of kindness made the customers, the waiters, the kids and even me take a look internally and ask: when was the last time we did something nice for a stranger?

    What was most amazing to me was earlier that morning I wasn't thrilled with my life. It felt like it was just another day. Watching this gentleman spend 6 dollars on donuts and provide them for the staff in a packed restaurant at the lunch rush hour changed my outlook on life. If you don't believe me, try it yourself. Take the approach in life that you make an effort to do the little things in order to make people feel appreciated on a daily basis. You will see that your life will be better and you will have less of “those days” I was talking about earlier in this article.

    You're happy to let your best friend borrow your mountain bike, but would you be willing to loan it out to a total stranger if you could make some money from the arrangement?

    That's the idea behind peer-to-peer (P2P) renting, a new model concluded by sites such as eBay and Craigslist. Instead of selling an idle (闲置) thing, you loan it to people in your town, get paid a small rental fee and gel it back when the borrower's done with it. In the past few years, almost a dozen websites have popped up promising to connect lenders and borrowers. For example, you can use GetAround to rent out your car or motorcycle, SnapGoods to rent out electronics and gadgets, ToolSpinner to rent electric drills and lawnmowers, Zaarly and Knb to rent out a little bit of everything else.

    Old as it may sound, P2P renting is more high-tech than before, with websites that avoid cash for credit cards. A user creates an online listing for the item she wants to rent out, choosing her own rental fee. When someone wants the item, he keeps it on an online calendar, and the two arrange a time and place for pickup. Each site operates a little differently, but all use technology to make renting easy, safe and relatively inexpensive.

    Why rent your idle things? You may not make a ton of money, but it is a good way to get some use out of idle things. The people who rent those goods are able to save thousands of dollars by renting instead of buying new.

    There may be other benefits. "It brings convenience, security and adventure," says Ali Hart, JustSharclt's spokesperson. “But, more importantly, we're really connecting people and building community, too."

    Get to know your neighbors and make a few dollars in the process? Sounds like a good deal.

    People often ask which is the most difficult language to learn, and it is not easy to answer because there are many factors to take into consideration. Firstly, in a first language the differences are unimportant as people learn their mother tongue naturally, so the question of how hard a language is to learn is only relevant when learning a second language.

    A native speaker of Spanish, for example, will find Portuguese much easier to learn than a native speaker of Chinese, for example, because Portuguese is very similar to Spanish, while Chinese is very different, so first language can affect learning a second language. The greater the differences between the second language and our first, the harder it will be for most people to learn.

    Many people answer that Chinese is the hardest language to learn, possibly influenced by the thought of learning the Chinese writing system, and the pronunciation of Chinese does appear to be very difficult for many foreign learners. However, for Japanese speakers, who already use Chinese characters in their own language, learning writing will be less difficult than for speakers of languages using the Roman alphabet.

    Different cultures and individuals will find different languages more difficult. In the case of Hungarian for British learners, it is not a question of the writing system, which uses a similar alphabet, but the grammatical complexity, though native speakers may find it easier, struggling with languages that the British find relatively hard.

    No language is easy to learn well, though languages which are related to our first language are easier. Learning a completely different writing system is a huge challenge, but that does not necessarily make a language more difficult than another. In the end, it is impossible to say that one language that is the most difficult language in the world.

    The ocean is filled with eight million tons of rubbish—enough to fill five carrier bags for every foot of coastline on the planet. But a new invention could deal with this problem, one port at a time.

    A pair of surfers from Perth, Australia, has invented a "floating bin" that automatically draws rubbish floating on the water into it like a vacuum (真空) cleaner. While the invention may do little to battle against five giant "garbage islands" that flow around the world's  major ocean gyres (环流), it could stop waste from leaving harbours and marinas, for example. Peter Ceglinski and Andrew Turton said their device could spell the end of polluted seas.

    The concept is simple: A bucket connects to a water pump, drawing in any floating trash inside a removable net bag. There is also an optional oil-water separator system inside the pump. It can remove oil from the seawater before spitting it back into the ocean — pollution-free — through the other side of the pump.

    The water filtration (过滤) system is much like what you'd find in a fish tank, but it has the potential to clean up an entire ocean. The seabin can run 24/7, according to its website. And, amazingly, Peter and Andrew say they have never caught a fish or sea animal in their pumps in four years of testing.

    The Seabin Project aims to improve on the traditional and sometimes expensive — harbor cleaning methods of having a person physically remove trash from the water or sending boats equipped with nets to collect it. While it's not as extensive as 21-year-old Boyan Slat's plan to clean the entire Pacific Ocean in 10 years, starting in 2020, the seabin's creators said their device is something that harbors can start using to clean our oceans now.

    They're starting "close to the source of the problem in a controlled environment," Seabin's website states. "It's a big mission, but it can be done. In fact, we're doing it right now."

Riding clubs

    You can start horse-riding at any age. Choose private or group lessons any weekday between 9 am and 8:30 pm (3:30 pm on Saturdays). There are 10 kilometres of tracks and paths for leisurely rides across farmland and open country. You will need a riding hat.

    Opening Hours: Monday through Friday: 9:00 am—8:30 pm

    Phone: (412)396—6754 Fax: (412)396—6752

Sailing Club

    Our Young Sailor's Course leads to the Stage 1 Sailing qualification. You'll learn how to sail safely and the course also covers sailing theory and first aid. Have fun with other course members afterwards in the clubroom. There are 10 weekly two—hour lessons (Tuesdays 6 pm—8 pm).

    Opening Hours: Tuesdays: 6:00 pm-8:00 pm

    Phone: (412)396—6644 Fax: (412)396—6644

Diving Centre

    Our experienced instructors offer one-month courses in deep-sea diving for beginners. There are two evening lessons a week, in which you learn to breathe underwater and use the equipment safely. You only need a swimming costume and towel. Reduced rates for couples.

    Opening Hours: Monday and Friday: 6:30 pm—8:30 pm

    Phone: (412)396—6312 Fax: (412)396—6706

Medical Center

    The staff of the Medical Center aim to provide convenient and comprehensive medical care to students and staff of the university. The center is well equipped and the staff here are trained to deal with a broad range of medical problems. Both female and male doctors as well as nursing staff are available for consultation. Also, all kinds of medicines are sold here and are cheaper for students than other drugstores.

    Opening Hours: 24 hour from Monday to Sunday

    Phone: (412)396—6649 Fax: (412)396—6648

Watersports Club

    We use a two-kilometre length of river for speedboat racing, and water-skiing. A beginners, course consists of ten 20-minute lessons. You will learn to handle boats safely and confidently, but must be able to swim. The club is in a convenient central position and is open daily from 9a.m to 4p.m, with lessons all through the day.

    Opening Hours: Monday through Friday: 9 am—4 pm

    Phone: (412)396—6899 Fax: (412)396—6890

    Each year Canada Chocolate Town, St. Stephen, New Brunswick, celebrates our community's rich and delicious heritage with our annual Chocolate Fest. Now in its 30^th year, this week-long, family-oriented festival is "choc-full" of activities, fun events, and all things chocolate-related. Our beloved mascot, the Great Chocolate Mousse, and his lovely wife Tiffany, invite you to join us this August for the sweetest festival of the year—Chocolate Fest!

    Ball Hockey Tournament

    8:30 am to 11:30 am

    Location: Garcelon Civic

    Center Game on! Dust off your hockey sticks, turn back the clock, enjoy the great game of Ball Hockey and be the first team to claim the "Chicken Bone Cup". We encourage sportsmanship and equal opportunity for all players. For details call Heather, 465-5616. Sponsored by SUBWAY Restaurants and Chocolate Fest. Cost: $ 100/team.

    Ca-r-ma Charlotte County Coffee Morning

    9: 30 am to 12 noon

    Location: St. Stephen Town Square

    Come out and join us for a Starbucks coffee, cup of tea or juice and scrumptious (美味的) home-baked goods, many featuring chocolate. Sponsored by Ca-r-ma Charlotte County and adoption programs-caring for homeless and feral cats.

    Dot's Delecto Birthday Party

    11 am to 2 pm

    Location: Boys and Girls Club of Charlotte County, 54 Disher Lane, Oak Bay, NB

    Who does St. Stephen love? Dot Larsen! Please join us for chocolate cake and chocolate milk and help celebrate Dot's birthday. Come and play in our indoor/outdoor playground, have your face painted and enjoy a barbecue to help raise funds for the Barracuda Swim Team. For details call BGCCC, 466-4300.

Lucy the Lady Bug's 1st Birthday Party

    12 noon to 3 pm

    Location: Kingsbrae Garden, St. Andrews, NB

    Come to celebrate with Lucy and her friends for a picnic on our front lawn-bring your own picnic, or grab lunch at our Garden Cafe. At 2 pm, join Lucy and her friends for an amazing race adventure through the big maze, obstacle course on the main lawn, find treasure in the fantasy garden and much, much more! Cost: $ 38/Family Day Pass, $ 16/Adult, $ 12/Students and Seniors, Free/Children 6 and younger.