Inside the Rain Room

    The Rain Room has arrived and local art lovers are taking notice. Is it worth the wait? Yes, I assure you it is. Once inside, visitors find a long, dark room with a high ceiling. A single bright light shines through heavy rain falling around visitors. The mist. The damp air. The noise. It feels like a mighty storm is pouring down. But the storm is inside. And visitors aren't getting wet. Instead, visitors wander in awe, admiring the rain and the artists who created it.

    The Rain Room was created to highlight the connection between humans, nature and technology. With a tracking system that senses movement and stops the rain wherever visitors move, it does just that. Light and sound produce an experience that feels both natural and foreign. The exhibit is moving on to Atlanta next month. I urge you to visit before then. It's time to experience the Rain Room for yourself!

Welcome to the Rain Room

• The Rain Room features falling water. Please be aware you may get slightly wet. However, visitors wearing raincoats will be turned away.

• This exhibit features advanced technology. To ensure its effectiveness, please avoid wearing dark or reflective clothing.

• Visitors are welcome to take photographs of the exhibit.

• Children must be accompanied by an adult.

• For the convenience of all guests, visits are limited to 10 minutes.

    In the latter part of the 20th century, child labor remains a serious problem in many parts of the world. Studies carried out in 1979, the International Year of the Children, showed that more than 50 million children below the age of 15 were working in various jobs often under dangerous conditions. Many of these children live in underdeveloped countries in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Their living conditions are crude and their chances for education small. The poor income they bring in, however, is necessary for the survival of their families. Frequently, these families lack the basic necessities of life—adequate food, decent（得体的、合适的）clothing and shelter, and even water for bathing.

    In some countries industrialization has created working conditions for children that are comparable to the worst features of the 19th-century factories and mines. In India, for example, some 20,000 children work 16-hour days in match factories.

    Child-labor problems are not, of course, limited to developing nations. They occur wherever poverty exists in Europe and the United States. The most important efforts to eliminate（根除）child-labor abuses throughout the world come from the International Labor Organization (ILO), founded in 1919 and now a special agency of the United Nations. The organization has introduced several child-labor conventions（规定）among its members, including a minimum（最低）age of 16 years for admission to all work, a higher minimum age of specific types of employment, compulsory（强制的）medical examinations, and It depends on voluntary obedience（服从）of member nations.

    Do you want to go abroad to make money? If you've decided to invest（投资）overseas, you may be wondering which countries are the best, and which countries will give you the biggest returns. In some locations, investment is easier than others. Here are the top 4 best countries to invest in housing:

    Italy

    A charming hillside area, Abruzzo makes for a great investment. This beautiful place has lots of local housing resources, and you can buy a home that needs just $45,000. With proper repair, selling for at least four times that much, you can easily make money.

    Argentina

    Central America's Argentina's tourism is popular, so it has a lot to offer locals and tourists alike. This coastal country is affordable, too, especially in the busy city of Buenos Aires. As the city is rapidly expanding, now it's time to get this hot investing opportunity.

    Mexico

    In the south of the border, you can find unbelievable investment. Playa del Carmen will give you the most for your money. Plus its tourism is popular and it's a nice place to visit and easily accessible from the United States.

    Panama

    Historic and lively, Panama is a safe place for shopping. You'll enjoy great tax（税金）benefits in Panama. Panama does not charge income tax for the first 10 years of your investment.

        No matter where you choose to buy, these four countries will provide you with a great location and return on investment.

    Big Messaging Apps Abroad

    While WeChat is China's biggest mobile messaging app, there are many similar apps in other countries that offer similar features.

    WhatsApp (US)

    Users: more than 300 million

    Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry

    Features: Text chat, push-to-talk, file sharing, location sharing

    With more than 300 million active users, WhatsApp is one of We Chat's biggest competitors.

    Developed by two ex-Yahoo employees in 2009, WhatsApp originally focused on text chat, but on Aug. 6 it also started push - to - talk service. It's noted for its accessibility, ease of use and the absence of advertisements. The service is free for the first year, after which $ 0.99 (6. 06 yuan) is charged for a one –year subscription.

    Kakao Talk (South Korea)

    Users: more than 100 million

    Platform: Android, iOS, windows Phone, BlackBerry and Bada (an operate system developed by Samsung)

    Features: Text chat, group chat, push–to–talk, group calls, file sharing

    With more than 100 million users in more than 230 countries, Kakao Talk is a multi - platform (多平台) texting application that allows users to send and receive messages for tree. With Kakao Talk, users can message each other one-on-one or in group chats with unlimited numbers of friends. You can also choose from more than 250 animated emoticons and share them with friends.

    Line (Japan)

    Users: more than 200 million

    Platforms: Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and PC

    Features: Text chat, group chat, push–to–talk, file sharing, location sharing, gaming, stickers

    Line tops the list of the most downloaded free apps in 52 countries. Apart from text and voice messaging, Line provides its users with more than 250 original stickers and emoticons to buy from its own shop. In the first quarter of 2013 alone, it made $ 17 million just from stickers. The popular app also allows friends to battle each other in the Line games.

    To personal trainer Sammy Callari, 13-year-old Parker Seward is more than a client(客户). He's his "little brother". Over the past year, the pair have bonded. They play basketball together, share meals and dance to hip-hop like no one's watching.

    The trainer was asked to work with the 13-year-old boy, who has Down syndrome(唐氏症), because his coworker who dealt with the boy was out of town last spring. Callari had never worked with someone with a disability before. He was anxious the first day he met Parker. But Parker's big smile and cheery introduction immediately put him at ease. He reminded Callari of himself when he was a teenager. Like Parker, Callari has also faced his fair share of challenges over the years.

    As a high schooler, Callari described himself as being the weak kid. When it came to sports, he was always overlooked. His dream of playing baseball in college quickly faded away. When he went to college, Callari turned to a new sport. His younger brother trained him to become a boxer. Callari participated in five matches. Out of four of those fights he was the underdog, and he won three times. "I know how it feels," Callari said. "Society tells you that you can't do this, you can't do that." When it comes to Parker, Callari refuses to accept the word "can't".

    The friends meet twice a week to train. They bike, box, run and work on their core with push-ups. Parker has a short attention span, so it's Callari's job to keep him focused. "If Parker can do it, if he's having fun, even with his frustration, then people will ask, "Why can't I do that?" Callari said. "That's the whole task right now."

    Callari recalls Parker's mom once thanking him for taking a "chance" on her son. Callari told her he never viewed it that way. Parker may be the student, but Callari says he's also the one who's learning.

    Of all the things we eat and drink, water is the most important. Not all people realize this, but it is quite true. The human body can live without food for a long time, but two or three days without water usually result in death.

    Many people do not understand how much water the human body needs, but many people do not drink enough, especially in the hot weather. Most people drink when they are thirsty but often need more water after exercises.

    65 to 70 percent of the human body is water. Water is important in several different ways. Most people need five to seven litres of water every day, but we need not drink this amount because a lot comes from the food we have. If we don't have enough water, however, we will feel tired and many become ill. Do you know what the best drink is? Yes, you are right. Cold water!