I wandered into the small store where I usually buy milk, when the store owner received a call from a customer. The customer and his wife had shopped there several months earlier. He noticed that his wife really liked one thing in the store, so he wanted to buy it as a surprise.

    But the customer was in Tennessee, far away from the store which was in Maine. What was more, he had been to the store several months earlier, and it was difficult to believe that the store owner would remember him, or what he was looking for.

    The store owner took a few close-up photos with her camera, and e-mailed them to the customer on the computer. The customer looked at the photos, and decided which one he wanted. They talked and discussed a price over the phone. She took care of the credit card transaction (交易) online, and promised the gift would be shipped out that afternoon.

    The store owner was really smart. She was willing to push herself to find new ways to make the transaction actually happen. And it did work. However, it was the first time she had ever done it.

    I was amazed that the store owner discovered a creative solution that could lead to a new way of doing business. I was impressed by what she did—so easily, but how difficult it is for many of us to make that leap(飞跃). I'm not just talking about technology, but about learning how to adapt to change. Most people hate or fear change unless they get to know exactly what change needs to be made. However, we should realize that challenge and opportunity go hand in hand.

    For more than fifty years, a worker was forced to sit on the back of a truck and slowly drop plastic barriers（障碍） to set out lanes（车道）on the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Every day, their direction changes to control the traffic, meaning an employee had to go through the difficult task every twenty-four hours.

    But a new piece of machinery means the work can be completed in a matter of minutes. A new “zipper truck” has been introduced. The vehicle lays and moves a lane barrier as it drives over the bridge. Last weekend, the bridge was closed so the new safety barrier, designed to reduce the dangers of head-on crashes, could be set up.

    For the longest period in its nearly eighty-year history, the bridge was closed early Saturday to all but walkers, cyclists and buses to set up the barriers on the 1.7-mile bridge. A survivor of a 2008 head-on crash on the bridge spoke Sunday from a wheelchair to help introduce the new barrier, made of steel-clad concrete（铜包混凝土）blocks that can move across the bridge's six lanes to meet traffic needs.

    Gr. Grace Dammann pushed for a safer barrier since becoming unable to walk after the accident. She said she decided to drive near the middle of the bridge, which was called the “suicide（自杀）lane”, because she and her daughter were running late. Brian Clark, who was driving in the opposite direction, had just learned his father had cancer. “He suddenly lost control of the wheel, crossed over and hit my car,” Dammann said.

    She said she and Clark became friends as they persuaded（说服）the government to use the MYM30 million barrier. “I am so thankful,” said Dammann, who came to the ceremony with Clark.

    “Clark and I thank you.”

    Before the coming of the first settlers from Europe, Canada's local people had discovered a new kind of food—maple sap(汁液)，which they gathered every spring. According to many historians, the maple leaf began to serve as a Canadian symbol as early as 1700.

    In 1834, the first St. Jean Baptise Society in North America made the maple leaf its sign. In 1836, Le Canadian, a newspaper, referred to it as a suitable symbol for Canada. In 1860, the maple leaf was used widely in decorations for the visit of the Prince of Wales. Alexander Muir wrote The Maple Leaf Forever in 1867; it was regarded as the national song for several decades. The army uniforms created the next year for Ontario and Quebec both included the maple leaf. Later the maple leaf appeared on coins. Between 1876 and 1901, it appeared on all Canadian coins. The modern one-cent piece has two maple leaves on a common twig(细枝)，a design that has gone almost unchanged since 1937.

    During the First World War, the maple leaf was included on the badge(徽章) of the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Since 1921, the Royal Arms of Canada have included three maple leaves as a special Canadian symbol. In 1939, at the time of World War Ⅱ, many Canadian troops used the maple leaf as a special sign.

    With the announcement of Canada's new flag in 1965, the maple leaf has become the Canadian symbol. On February 15 of that year, the red maple leaf flag first appeared as the National Flag of Canada.

    We Brits love the idea of a real Christmas tree but not so many of us like the realities of dragging (拖拽) a 7ft Norway Spruce through the house and leaving needles all over the place.

    If you count yourself among the reluctant group, then it may be time to go fake (假的) . After all, buying an artificial Christmas tree needn't mean accepting defeat. There's a huge range of choices and sizes, including pre-lit trees, which will save you the frustration of trying to string your own lights.

    Another big advantage of choosing an artificial Christmas tree is cost: artificial trees can last for decades, so they work out cheaper than paying for a real tree every year. Like now retailers (零售商) are offering great deals at the moment: at Tesco, there's 25 percent off artificial Christmas trees. Meanwhile, you can take advantage of the current 3 for 2 offer at Argos to fill your house with not one, not two, but three. You may perhaps partner up with friends who are also looking to invest.

    Of course, keep your tree for years and years and it will start to pay you back in terms of carbon footprint; however, a “real” one will always have to be transported, used and dealt with every year.

    Are there any downsides? Yes. You might think you're saving the planet, but a fake tree is actually not an environmentally friendly option. Most are made in factories in Asia, resulting in some serious air miles to reach the UK. They're made from metal and plastic, and many end their lives in landfill (垃圾填埋).

    Another problem with a fake tree is that they don't look very natural and of course you won't get that lovely pine smell either. You'll also need to find space for storage.

    If you're living in or visiting New York, take a few hours to visit one of these places to ice skate during your time in New York City.

    Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park

    The free rink in Manhattan's Bryant Park first opened in 2005 At 17,000 square feet, it is about half the size of the Wollman Rink in Central Park and twice as big as the rink at Rockefeller Center.

    As Manhattan's only free skating rink, and centrally located at that, it tends to be mobbed(闱聚) with waits up to 2 hours on weekend days.

    Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers

    Manhattan's only year-round skating rink is a delight that's been around since 1965 It's large, indoors, and has few lines, and courteous staff It's also, amazingly, open 24 hours a day In the winter it sometimes gets so cold that the ice cracks, but at least they fix it!

    Prices for skating admission is $11 and skate rental $6.

    Riverbank Stile Park Ice Skating Rink

    This sizeable outdoor rink is open to the public Friday through Sunday, and has a root to prevent December snows and April rain .And since Riverbank Stale Park overlooks the Hudson, you'll have nice views of the river and the George Washington Bridge as a backdrop.

    Admission is S5 for adults, children S3 Skate rental is $6 The Ice Kink at Rockefeller Center Ice skating at Rockefeller Center is a truly unique New York holiday staple(重要内容). It is the most sumptuous(豪华的)getting for skating Since opening on Christmas Day back in 1936 this skating rink has been an institution at the Rockefeller.

    Admission is $25—$32 for adults, children up to 12 years S15, skate retual $12.

I am asked repeatedly why anyone would want to keep an "'ugly" building or a building that is dirty and clearly in need of work, I guess you could say we preservationists (文物保护者)look at buildings through a different angle - an angle that can see the swan in the ugly duck the story in the simple lines, and the book behind the cover.

The Queen Emma Building is remembered by many as one of the ugliest buildings in town. Yet the angle from which a preservationist views the building is that it is uniquely constructed with an artistical sun shield to block the sunlight, a decorative wall designers used concrete bricks to form. Unfortunately, it was removed in 20il, making the building one of many contemporary buildings in town.

Other times, when a beautiful site is replaced by a "horrible" building, people hate it and can't get over their anger, even when that: "horrible" building becomes an important part of our story. This is particularly true in San Francisco with many Victorian buildings, which are many preservationists' favorite. Yes, it was a tragedy, that many Victorian buildings got torn down several decades ago, but those losses also tell another important story. It tells the story of the1950s and 1960s when there was hope for a more equal society with in expensive housing for the working class. Should that history be wiped from our memories? 

Preservation is not just about keeping pretty, well-kept buildings, but about holding on to parts of our history - not just the history of huge events, but the story of how everyone used to go to a certain corner market. Our history cannot be told only in buildings that meet someone's criteria of beauty, sometimes our history is, painful, but no less important.