I am sorry that I haven't written this letter before now. It has taken me three years to gather the courage. I have started it so many times in my head, but was afraid that you would think it disrespectful of me to write to you. It does seem strange writing to someone I have never met, but part of me feels that I know you very, very well.

    We read your file one morning in September. We knew the contents would be difficult. Later that afternoon, we received the call from our social worker to tell us that you had passed away. Suddenly, we knew what we had to do.

    There was never any doubt. All I remember was a desire to protect this little boy, to give him the love and care he deserved. And really that was that; as far as we were concerned, David was now our son. There were further meetings, questions, paperwork, decisions, arrangements and preparations. Then, two months later, we met him for the first time. I hope the fact that I call him “our son” does not offend you. Sarah, you will always be his birth mother. But I make no apology in referring to him as our son.

    For the past three years, we have loved and cared for David. We have dealt with his anger, his confusion and his anxieties. David was taken away from you soon after his second birthday. I cannot imagine the pain that must have caused you. We know that you really wanted to be a good mother to David, but you could not cope when his father left.

    It is tragic that your life ended so early. I don't know how I will explain all these things to David as he grows up, or how he will explain his story and what happened to him during his early years. I hope that it does not cast a shadow over his life as his understanding deepens. I hope you can find comfort in the fact that, from all this pain, Sarah, you have given us the most wonderful gift – an amazing little boy who is completely fearless.

    It is so unfair that you did not receive the love and the warmth in your childhood that David now takes for granted. And although you never chose to hand your beautiful baby over, I can only feel gratitude towards you for this wonderful little boy who has made our lives complete.

    National Coal Mining Museum

    Wacky Wednesdays—the perfect way to entertain the kids under 5!

    Each week during term-time from 10:15-l1:00 we combine storytelling, singing and craft（工艺）activities—the perfect opportunity to drop in and have a good time with your under-5s.

    Designed for children from 9 months.

    Doors open early at 9:30, so come and enjoy a coffee, juice and cake before the event starts!

    Sign in from 10 for a 10:15 start.

    Only 20 children are expected to take part in the event (we prepare crafts for 20). This makes it enjoyable for all. On very few occasions when too many kids want to join in there are always plenty of other things to do at the Museum.

    Why not make a day of it?

    ▲Stay for lunch in our family-friendly cafe

    ▲Explore the Nature Trail

    ▲Discover our indoor soft play area for under-5s

    ▲Play in the wonderful NEW Adventure Playground

    ▲Visit the small horses and our Clydesdale Finn

    ▲Download the iSPY Explore App and explore the Museum together

    Each event starts at 10:15 and finishes at 11:00.

    2017

    Sept 13th-Oct 18th                        Nov 1st-Dec 6th

    Wacky Wednesday Christmas Special 13th Dec (Payment & Booking Required)

    2018

    Jan 10th-Feb 14th                        Feb 28th-Mar 28th

    Apr 18th-May 23rd                        Jun 6th-July 18th

    Free entry, but we welcome donations to cover the cost of materials.

    Youth football team members rescued more than two weeks after sudden flooding trapped them in a cave in Thailand are now being well looked after at a hospital in the northern city of Chiang Rai. In addition to treating the boys for potential body fluid loss, inadequate nutrition and lack of oxygen, their doctors also plan to closely monitor them for symptoms of diseases that may have been infected by animals living in the cave.

    "The next step is to make sure those kids and their families are safe, because living in a cave provides a different environment, which might contain animals that could transmit…disease," said the local hospital. The boys and their family members have been told to watch for symptoms such as headache, nausea(反胃), muscle pain or difficulty breathing, the reports added.

    Yet based on the location where the boys were trapped—more than four kilometers from the cave complex's main entrance, past some fully submerged passages—and the fact they have been swimming out wearing full scuba face masks, it seems unlikely that they were living with bats in the cave or breathed in bat-associated bacteria during their rescue, several infectious disease experts said. "It's hard to imagine bats got that deep into the cave because of all those narrow passageways, but it is possible," says Ian Lipkin, an animal expert and professor at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. "It's unlikely that there would be many animals in there," notes Jonathan Epstein, a doctor at EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit organization that studies diseases and how to prevent them. Bats typically like to rest in areas they can easily enter and exit, not in places that fully flood, he adds.

    Bats in Thailand have been linked with a wide range of viruses that are similar to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)—Lipkin says. But it seems more likely the boys would have been exposed to infection-causing bacteria when they swam through the dirty water with cuts and scrapes. "If you are trying to prioritize issues with respect to health care for these kids, number one would be psychological damage and second will be bacterial infections from the cuts and scrapes they may have encountered." Lipkin says.

    Flying for a long time, you finally arrive at the place where you can relax—your hotel room. Now you throw your bag on the bed, turn on the TV and watch an international news programme on a satellite channel probably from UK or the USA.

    The main international broadcasters are BBC World and CNN. With an audience of over 1.5 billion people, these are popular channels that offer good-quality news programmes. In both companies, the journalists are experienced writers that produce journalism of a high standard.

    However, there are alternative news channels which people watch because they want a less traditional or non-Western view on world events. Russia Today and Al Jazeera International, an Arabic company, are international channels that broadcast in English. Both companies say they give a fresh view on big stories, and their experienced journalists often report from places where Western journalists do not work, and so they give us stories that we don't normally see.

    The Internet offers more variety. OneWorldTV is an Internet site where you can find stories about the developing world and human rights, rather than the usual stories about US politics and business. The writers for this company are often local people who write the stories for free. This non-professional journalism is increasing, and it certainly offers more choices.

    This increase in citizen journalism means that you can write the news, too. Main news broadcasters often use photographs and stories that members of the general public send to them, especially when there is a dramatic breaking news story. Besides this, some blogs are popular sources of news, and the website NowPublic lets you write stories using information you can get from anywhere, including sites like Youtube, Flickr and Twitter.

    Long Beach, a 28-mile stretch of beach, lies in southwestern Washington, and it is generally called Long Beach Peninsula (半岛). Communities there take you back to old days of a simple and slow-paced life style. Here, visitors can relax and enjoy the good of total rest.

    Bird Watching

    There are different kinds of birds in Long Beach. It is best if you observe them from a distance and do not try to frighten them. The Southwest Loop Trail Map can be gotten through the Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau Office by calling 1-800-451-2542.

    Horses

    A popular activity in Long Beach is horseback riding. Two businesses in the city of Long Beach offer guided horseback tours along the beach: Back Country Wilderness Outfitters and Skipper's Equestrian Center. You may also bring your own horse. Among the adventures offered with horses is a wagon (四轮马车) ride along the beach, a carriage ride through Sea view or Long Beach, a back country (偏远乡村) packing trip, or a sunset ride by horseback on the beach.

    Camping

    RV (娱乐车) and tent camping aren't allowed on the beach, but there are private camp­ grounds and RV parks in the area, as well as Cape Disappointment State Park. Camp fires are allowed within 100 feet of the beach, but must be away from the dry grass.

    Swimming and Other Activities

    Swimming is allowed, but you must be careful. The waters are very cold and dangerous. Surfing is advised only for experienced surfers. Beach driving is allowed at certain spots on the beach. The speed limit is 25 mph. Building sand castles, digging sand to find something, bicycle riding, and flying kites are also popular activities in the area.

    You can find right hotels easily in the area. Enjoy your trip to Long Beach, Washington!

    I read somewhere that we spend a full third of our lives waiting. But where are we doing all of this waiting, and what does it mean to an impatient society like ours? To understand the issue, let's take a look at three types of "waits".

    The very purest form of waiting is the Watched-Pot Wait. It is without doubt the most annoying of all. Take filling up the kitchen sink(洗碗池) as an example. There is absolutely nothing you can do while this is going on but keep both eyes fixed on the sink until it's full. During these waits, the brain slips away from the body and wanders about until the water runs over the edge of the counter and onto your socks. This kind of wait makes the waiter helpless and mindless.

    A cousin to the Watched-Pot Wait is the Forced Wait. This one requires a bit of self-control. Properly preparing packaged noodle soup required a Forced Wait. Directions are very specific. "Bring three cups of water to boil, add mix, simmer(用文火炖）three minutes, remove from heat, let stand five minutes." I have my doubts that anyone has actually followed the procedures strictly. After all, Forced Waiting requires patience.

    Perhaps the most powerful type of waiting is the Lucky-Break Wait. This type of wait is unusual in that it is for the most part voluntary. Unlike the Forced Wait, which is also voluntary, waiting for your lucky break does not necessarily mean that it will happen.

    Turning one's life into a waiting game requires faith and hope, and is strictly for the optimists among us. On the surface it seems as ridiculous as following the directions on soup mixes, but the Lucky-Break Wait well serves those who are willing to do it. As long as one doesn't come to rely on it, wishing for a few good things to happen never hurts anybody.

    We certainly do spend a good deal of our time waiting. The next time you're standing at the sink waiting for it to fill while cooking noodle soup that you'll have to eat until a large bag of cash falls out of the sky, don't be desperate. You're probably just as busy as the next guy.