Why not write in a foreign language? If people feel free to choose their profession, their religion, and even their sex, why not just decide which language you want to write? Ever since Jhumpa published In Other Words in Italian, people have been asking me, “Why don't you write in Italian, Tim? After all, you've been in the country 35 years. What keeps you tied to English?” Is it just a question of economic convenience?

    Certainly economics can be important. It was the factor that pushed Conrad to abandon his Polish mother tongue. If it is not possible to publish at home, or to publish there as one would wish to publish, then one is likely to go elsewhere. And if to publish elsewhere one has to change language, then some authors are willing to take that step.

    Something of the same logic has driven many writers from Africa, Asia to write in French and English in recent years. There is also the fact that people in Europe and the West are interested in the countries they grew up in. Just as in the nineteenth century, novelists like Thomas Hardy could “sell” their familiarity with peasant life to a middle-class metropolitan public, so these writers have interested us with stories that might seem common in their home countries.

    There is also a real internationalism in the decision to change language. If you have “a message” and if English is the language that offers maximum spread, then it would seem appropriate to use it.

    All these make sense. Critics tend to pay attention only to those who have made a success of writing in a new language. In April 2014, a New York Times article essentially listed young literary stars who had switched to writing in the main Western languages. At this point, the native English speaker almost begins to feel at a disadvantage for having been born into the dominant culture. Should we perhaps head for Paris, like Beckett or Jonathan Littell, just to be between two worlds? Or look for something more exotic(异国的) and have ourselves translated back into English afterward? However, one fact is that changing languages doesn't always work.

    I did write a novel in Italian. But after rereading it, I decided against it. My work lost power with the switch of language. My real subject matter still had to do with England and it was to my home culture that my books were addressed. The second language never seems to mean quite as much as the first. In any event, after my early experiment, I never went back to write in Italian. Changing language is not the only way to bring energy to your writing.

Grandparents Answer a Call

    As a third generation native of Brownsville, Texas, Mildred Garza never planned to move away. Even when her daughter and son asked her to move to San Antonio to help their children, she politely refused. Only after a year of friendly discussion did Ms Garza finally say yes. That was four years ago. Today all three generations regard the move as a success, giving them a closer relationship than they would have had in separate cities.

    No statistics show the number of grandparents like Garza who are moving closer to the children and grandchildren. Yet there is evidence suggesting that the trend（趋势）is growing. Even President Obama's mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, has agreed to leave Chicago and into the White House to help care for her granddaughters. According to a study grandparents com., 83 percent of the people said Mrs. Robinson's decision will influence the grandparents in the American family. Two-thirds believe more families will follow the example of Obama's family.

    “In the 1960s, we were all a little wild and couldn't get away from home far enough or fast enough to prove we could do it on our own,” says Christine Crosby, publisher of Grand a magazine for grandparents. “We now realize how important family is and how important it is to be near them, especially when you're raising children.”

    Moving is not for everyone. Almost every grandparent wants to be with his or her grandchildren and is willing to make sacrifices, but sometimes it is wiser to say no and visit frequently instead. Having your grandchildren far away is hard, especially knowing your adult child is struggling, but giving up the life you know may be harder.

    Sambodromo Samba Parade tickets for Rio carnival

    Order on this page your Rio Carnival tickets for the Samba Parade in Rio's Sambodromo.

    Benefit from our unique advantages. Read the Sambodromo ticket and order description first.

Covered Grand Tier Boxes—Yellow on the map

    The boxes in Sector 7 have been covered to offer an enjoyable Parade experience even in the rain. These boxes are more comfortable than the other boxes since the 12 seats are cushioned（带坐垫的）and they also have a coffee table.

    Price for per seat is $ 70.

    Luxury Suite Lounge Carioca—Purple on the map

    The goal of Lounge Carioca in Sector 5 is to reach those who look for a new product to attract, conquer and make new business. It has privileged location -the center of the Avenue! In our cabin we will have ample and comfortable space for our guests to watch the parades in a unique structure.

    Price for per seat is $ 90.

    Luxury Suite Lounge Folia -Red on the map

    This leisure area between Open Front Boxes of Sector 6 and 8 is for 1,000 rather-party-minded people and contains a beauty salon, a dance floor with DJs and has some space also to relax and watch the Parade on a giant screen.

    Price for per seat is $ 100.

    Luxury Suites -Blue on the map

    These covered boxes in Sector 9 are the best places. They are at the right height to offer the perfect view of the Parade, being above the front boxes. You can buy individual seats in the desired suite or rent a whole suite for a particular night.

    Price for per seat is $ 120 and $ 260 for a whole suite.

    83-year-old Antonio Vicente has spent the last four decades of his life fighting against the current. As Brazilian landowners cut down rainforests to make room for profitable (盈利的) plantations and cattle grazing grounds, he struggled to bring the thick jungles of his childhood back to life.

    In 1973 Antonio took up the challenge of restoring the forest on a 31-hectare piece of land that had been destroyed for cattle grazing. Ironically enough, he bought the land in Brazil's Sao Paulo region, using credits（贷款）that the military government was giving out to promote deforestation(砍伐森林) and agricultural technology. But Antonio didn't use the money to promote the national agriculture but wanted to revive the forest.

    "You are stupid. Planting trees is a waste of land. You won't have income. If it's full of trees, you won't have room for cows or crops," Antonio's neighbors told him. But he knew the damage caused by deforestation was far greater than financial profit. Antonio had grown up on a rural farm, and watched his father and the other villagers cut down forests at the owners' orders, either for charcoal production or to clear land for grazing cattle. He had watched the ancient water sources dry up and people struggling to survive.

    With only some donkeys and a few hired workers Antonio brought back the forest to his land. What started out as a weekend hobby soon became a permanent way of life. Antonio often recalls spending days and nights in his young jungle, surrounded by rats and foxes, and eating banana for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

    As the forest grew, the water returned, and Antonio says that there are now over 20 water sources on his land that were no longer there when he bought it. Then the animals started making a home there. Today, the forest is alive with sounds of birds and insects living there, and more species are settling in every year.

    July 16th was a bad day for Mr. Arthur Johnson. In the morning, he set out from his home in Santa Barbara, California. It was the start of his summer holidays and he decided to visit Wends at Las Vegas, then he hoped to go fishing in Lake Mead, 40 km from Las Vegas.

    Johnson's troubles started while he was driving happily across the Mojave Desert. His car went wrong and he tried to repair it. Then, to make matters worse, his attempts to start the car used up the battery (电池) and left it useless. After Johnson had waited an hour in the hot sun, a Canadian driver, John Williams, stopped and tried to help him. When both men failed, Williams promised to telephone a workshop to ask it to send a truck to pull the car away and repair its fuel pump.

    Johnson left the keys in his car and sat in the shade of a large tree. Soon he fell asleep. While he was sleeping, a repair truck arrived from San Pedro (the nearest town) and pulled his car away. Later on, Johnson woke up and thought that somebody had stolen his car. He started to walk back towards San Pedro but a police car stopped him to find out why he was walking in the desert.

    Johnson looked like a man wanted in Los Angels for robbery, so the police detained him at San Pedro for the night. The next day, Johnson telephoned his friends in Los Angeles. They drove to San Pedro and made the police believe that Johnson was a harmless salesman, so they set him free.

    No matter where you are, knowing how to protect yourself and your family during an earthquake is necessary. Here are some tips for you.

    Duck, Drop, Cover and Hold

    Duck under a strong piece of furniture, if possible. Most earthquake injuries are the result of being hit by something falling on you. Drop to the floor to avoid falling or being thrown down. And protect you from flying glass. Use clothes, blankets, cushions or furniture for covering. Hold on to whatever you're using, as the ground motion may be violent. Get away from glass, bookcases or anything heavy that could fall over on you.

    Stay away from the doors

    Doorways used to be recommended but most experts now say: stay away from them. Doors can suddenly shut with bone crushing force. Anyway, the experts say that in modern construction a doorway is no stronger than any other location along the wall.

    Try to run outside

    While the ground is moving, the greatest danger is of being injured by taking a fall or being hit by a falling piece of building as you exit. If you smell gas or when the shaking stops, calmly, carefully make your way out and get clear of the building. Before you leave, get shoes on because you will be walking on broken glass. If you're in a crowd, stay calm, and take what can cover you and find where you are. In a crowd the greatest dangers are panic and the rush for an exit.