2013-09-02

        上世纪八九十年代，我们这批走出国门的年轻人，大多拥有理科或医学背景——“学好数理化，走遍天下都不怕”是我们信奉的箴言。可若追本溯源，我们小时候并未像下一代那样全方位接触“科学”实践，它更像一座虚幻的空中楼阁，看不见摸不着。但口号蛊惑人心，我们仍坚定不移地追求它，将它提升到人生志向的高度。若非如此，我们怎能毫不犹豫地爱上“科学”？

        如今的年轻一代却大不相同：他们在博物馆启蒙，在旅游中实践，在课堂上强化—

2013-09-01

        距离开学还有最后一个周末，孩子们丝毫未放缓脚步，反而抓紧时间与暑假赛跑。放假是玩，上学也是玩，只是玩的范围受限、级别从全职转为业余，心中难免失落。迎接新学年之际，信步“三万里河东入海”，跋涉“五千仞岳上摩天”，游山玩水显得别有意义。闺蜜家的蒙蒙、浩浩继续深入科罗拉多“红色”州阿斯彭“大齿杨”腹地——落基“磐石”山脉峻岭林立，置身奇峰异石间，人随镜换，景随步移。过去10余载，兄弟俩年年随父母徒步闯荡深山，“举头红日近，回首白云低”，在旅途中健身养性，领

2013-08-24

        在美国，无论加利福尼亚“火炉”州都市还是宾夕法尼亚“山林”州乡间，亲朋好友对身外世界的眼光与向往总是惊人地相似。每逢暑假，大家不约而同分头行动——或送孩子进夏令营，或带他们出国旅行，或奔赴名山大川探险，相信丰富的校外活动能助孩子增长见识。仲夏八月，夏令营接近尾声，忙碌了一年的父母便借此为自己找出休假的理由——备车加油，携老带少，深入北美野性腹地，欣赏原生态中的真善美。

        蒙蒙、浩浩兄弟从洛杉矶出发，东驱

2013-08-13 七夕节

        我第一次听说“骊靬村”，源于儿时读的香港武侠小说——热血少年独闯西汉塞外名城，试图发掘2,000年前古罗马“力量”第一军团失踪之谜。相传公元前53年，罗马将军克拉苏“坚固”(Crassus)东征帕提亚“安息”(Parthia Empire)，战死卡莱“十字路口”；其长子率第一军团突围，辗转流落至中国骊靬，从此定居繁衍。1984年暑假，我从北京赴新疆考察，途经永昌县者来寨，亲眼见过那些酷似高加索人种的当地人——金发、蓝眼、浅肤、高鼻，难道真是古罗马与匈奴的后裔？近30年过去，

2013-08-04

        特拉华“好战者”海滨州立公园如一道细长的石堤，沿海岸将里霍博斯“阔地”河与印第安河两个海湾紧紧环抱。北部里霍博斯湾是障壁坝型河口，淡水河流顺势注入；南部印第安河湾属水淹河谷，海洋潮汐缓缓渗入。里霍博斯湾素有“国家避暑胜地”之称——扬帆、滑翔、皮艇、摩托、风筝、挖蛤、钓鱼、晒太阳，水温温和，风浪平静，盐度适宜，齐腰深的水几乎不受潮汐影响，波纹轻柔，令人惬意。这让前不见洋后不靠海的邻州宾夕法尼亚“山林”人，打心眼里羡慕不已。

    &nbs

2013-08-03

【Aiden in English/红霞译】

Mon. July 29, 2013

        Today was my first day of Lavner Video Game Design at Germantown Academy Summer Camp, following my participation in Belfry Theater Camp over the past five weeks. But I was only able to catch up with it for a week. After this week, I had no more camps planned to attend.

        Initially, we introduced ourselves to one another. There were 19 kids and three counselors named Dav

2013-07-31

        每年夏季，费城“兄弟之爱”管弦乐团都会在曼恩“人类”艺术中心邀请世界各地青年新秀同台献艺——中国的郎朗、王羽佳都曾在此一鸣惊人。今晚登台的是旅美钢琴新秀吴迪，来自我的家乡南京。她演奏拉赫玛尼诺夫的《帕格尼尼主题狂想曲》——70多年前，正是费城管弦乐团与拉赫玛尼诺夫本人首演了这部充满“俄罗斯忧郁”的A小调变奏曲。吴迪以精湛的技巧与激情的节奏，带我深入大师笔下的民族精神。相隔万里，竟在地球另一端听见故乡的声音，真是“有缘千里来相会”。

2013-07-27

        法国溪流州立公园位于斯库尔基尔“暗河”高原，森林覆盖广袤，湖泊纵横，湿地牧场交织，是一处远离都市喧嚣的世外桃源。六年前初次造访，我们便被栗树、橡树、枫树、胡桃树等高大乔木的密林所吸引；草木葱茏，枝蔓盘错，小径深不见底。这回哥哥轻车熟路，主动领路；妹妹初来乍到，脚下打滑，走路都成了问题。哥哥见状，使出全身力气拦腰抱起她踉跄前行，惊动了山鸡、松鼠、火鸡、白尾鹿——它们四散逃窜，躲进人不知鬼不觉的角落窥视。

2013-07-26

【Aiden in English/红霞译】

Mon. July 22, 2013

        Today was the first rehearsal with MICs, which made the voice much louder. So now, we sounded tiny, weak, and especially quiet. The people who wore MICs were Millie, Jimmy, Miss Dorothy, Trevor Graydon, Ching Ho, Bun Foo, Mrs Meers, and Miss Flannery. They all looked very unusual wearing them. We were asked to be careful. If we touch the face, we might damage or break the MICs. I couldn't b

2013-07-24

        费城“兄弟之爱”管弦乐团已逾百余年历史，与纽约“新紫衫树之地”爱乐、波士顿“小村庄”交响、芝加哥“野洋葱”交响、克利夫兰“悬崖之地”管弦并称美国五大。其演奏技艺精湛，素有“费城之声”之誉。每年七八月间，乐团在曼恩“人类”中心、长木花园、海军基地等地举办大型户外演出，让民众不必走进金梅尔大厅，也能聆听一流天籁。

        费城有橄榄球老鹰、棒球费城人、篮球76人、冰球飞人、足球联队等顶级球队，无论长辈钟情哪项运动，今晚我

2013-07-21

        美东七月，热浪如蒸笼般铺天盖地，“旱云飞火燎长空，白日浑如坐甑中”。惹不起，便躲——有人南下北卡外滩，投入大西洋怀抱，晒太阳、洗海澡，凉快闲适，儿孙嬉笑；有人包船出海，花两千美金租一艘快艇，清晨六点出发，深入暖流交汇处，80磅/73斤的金枪鱼便是盘中餐；云光、红丽夫妇随小女儿出征全美花样游泳锦标赛，顺便踏遍优胜美地与西海岸；加州瑞奇林海一家四口如期飞回北京，从“满汉全席”转向京郊商务饭局；香妹儿随夫君北上阿拉斯加“大陆地”——海明威说得不假，七月湾

2013-07-20

【Aiden in English/红霞译】

Mon. July 15, 2013

        This morning, I tested my costume designed for a mugger. But it had nothing in common with what I thought of. It was selected from one of the many racks in the costume room. I expected it to be a plain shirt and pants with holes. What I didn't anticipate was one like this. A pair of light-brown pants with a sky-colored shirt and a tan vest. It looked shocking. My mouth was open as if I was

2013-07-14

        开心触摸博物馆坐落在费城“兄弟之爱”费尔蒙“美山”公园内，是全美第一家专为七岁以下儿童设计的教育机构——通过肢体直接与展品互动，在游戏中了解常识、接受熏陶、刺激智力发育。8年前娃儿首次涉猎时，它先后与自然博物馆和富兰克林“自由人”科学博物馆翘首相望，面积不大，人山人海，热闹得像农贸市场。2008年迁入费城纪念堂——这座1876年建国百年博览会的举办地、新古典派艺术建筑——重新开放后不仅保留了经典格局，宽敞的空间更激励孩子们活跃思维、放飞想象。我家俩娃儿

2013-07-13

【Aiden in English/红霞译】

Mon. July 8, 2013

        We did our first run of the show, Thoroughly Modern Millie Jr., on the first day of the week. Let's say that the teachers didn't accept it.

        First, Tommy almost lost his tap dance shoe when it flicked off his foot into the theater seats. Next, a council took his place while he picked it up. Then, Raymond fell into the laundry basket when Tommy pushed too hard. Finally, when alcohol

2013-07-07

        费城“兄弟之爱”因地理之便成为美国诞生地，英才辈出，其中本杰明·富兰克林“右手之子·自由人”最为突出。他白手起家，以“诚实与勤勉”为终生伴侣，涉足政治、外交、新闻、邮政、医学、教育——起草《独立宣言》，出版报纸，发明避雷针与双焦距眼镜，创办公共图书馆与宾夕法尼亚“山林”州大学，与费城结下不解之缘。以他命名的富兰克林科学博物馆，久负盛名，是宾州最受欢迎的科普机构。馆内分门别类展示他在静电、气象、海洋等领域的贡献，模型与图解并存，既激励文教，又启迪后世

2013-07-06

【Aiden in English/红霞译】

Mon. July 1, 2013

        The music teacher made us sing Thoroughly Modern Millie for the kick-off of the Gym. I didn't do anything much other than half of the song. That's 'cause the youngest group in Junior Theater Camp didn't memorize the lyrics. Half an hour later, we were assigned to memorize The Speed Test, Thoroughly Modern Millie, and Sweet Mystery of Life. Gym, the music teacher, must&#

2013-07-04 美国独立节

        独立节高温，美国各地亲友无论多忙，都会放下手头事务，或携家远游，或结伴野炊，热闹堪比中国黄金周。洛杉矶“天使城”的蒙蒙和浩浩是娃儿儿时的发小，如今哥俩立足加利福尼亚“火炉”州，每逢节日必同游名山大川。今年他们深入内华达“多雪”山脉，考察狐尾松——这种长寿之树活过5,000年，即使死去，石化的树干仍屹立不倒。湾区瑞与华兄弟则是国际象棋少年高手，每逢节日便南征北战，去年华仔拿下加州亚军；但独立节一到，他们便随母亲飞回北京，父亲也从旧金山

2013-06-30

        这年头，网络娱乐渗透千家万户，娃儿对传统电视的需求日渐式微——若非追踪体育实况，家中影院配置几乎休眠。不看电视不代表不看电影，但凡好莱坞、迪士尼、皮克斯出新片，他必在第一时间抢鲜。周末他带上从未进过影院的妹妹，去美国多厅影院看《怪兽大学》，票价每人7.99美元，三岁以下免费。10年前他便迷上了毛怪苏利与大眼仔麦克，如今续集登场，自然不肯错过；两岁的妹妹则只专心啃黄油玉米花、灌精灵饮料，画面如过眼云烟。

       &nbs

2013-06-29

【Aiden in English/红霞译】

Mon. June 24, 2013

        Today was the first day of Belfry Theatre Camp at Germantown Academy, and I saw many new faces. My mind couldn't keep up with all the names. One was Benjamin or Benjamin. It sounded kind of like a tomato and a tomato.

        Like last year, 25 girls outnumbered 7 boys by a ratio of 3.6 to 1. So, if we wanted a revolution, it didn't sound good at o

2013-06-23

        探险水族馆位于新泽西“草”卡姆登“蜿蜒的山谷”，与费城“兄弟之爱”隔河相望，是附近规模最大的州级海洋博物馆。周末驱车过富兰克林“自由民”大桥，不出个把钟头便能抵达。馆内设计极适合婴幼儿童智力发育，尤其在漫长冬日里，是户外活动受限时的绝佳去处——既科普海洋生物，又启蒙环保意识。我们早已购下家庭会员证，随时出入，既经济又尽兴。

        哥哥一岁半初来时，偏偏怕水，反倒热衷隔壁公园的木马蜗牛。一年后才开始追随“海底总

2013-06-20 暑假第一天

        每年夏至前后，北宾夕法尼亚“山林”学区才宣告放假，开启近三个月的暑期生活。按照惯例，中日韩后裔多趁此远渡重洋，寻根访祖；而大多数留守的美国学生则成了“季节性闲散人员”——无作业、无返校，近乎完全脱离正规教育。他们便是夏令营商家的巨大客源。对于双职工家庭，夏令营既是安置幼童的去处，也是全家太平的保障。国税局明文规定：凡有未满13岁子女的家庭，最多可享5,000美元免税额度——虽不足以覆盖每天200美元的高昂支出，家长们仍视其为教育投资

2013-06-18

        四月春雨引来五月初夏繁花。蛰居一冬的左邻右舍纷纷敞开家门，端午一过，娃儿便步入四年级结业的最后时刻。北宾夕法尼亚“山林”公立小学虽分春秋两季，却按三学期制评估，每期各科老师齐上阵，就德智体写出书面报告。所有科目都把“进取意识”列为核心标准——听话、好学、互动，少不了优良品质。

        班主任帕尔玛“采草人”(Permar)堪称权威，能从阅读理解到卫生健康逐项细述优缺点，又把“进取意识”拆成自我约束、注重质量、合作精神

2013-06-01 国际儿童节

        要不是周六参加双胞胎扎克“上帝记得”(Zach)和约书亚“耶和华拯救”(Joshua)的贺岁派对，娃儿怎么也想不到今天竟是“六·一”国际儿童节。在美国蜜罐里泡大的孩子，物质丰足，课外被计算机、智能机、游戏机包围；精神上除身边趣闻外，偶尔关注“两伊”战争，甚少远大抱负；生活上无课业牵挂，放学便扎堆游泳、打篮球、骑单车，天天开心如过节。国际儿童节对他们而言，添一个不多，缺一个不少。今年的“六·一”恰好与生日聚会重合，两位寿星便趁机把它打造成告别

2013-05-08

        在美国，若家有小学生，定不会对“算术24点”游戏陌生——据说它上世纪60年代起源于中国上海。规则简单：卡片上四个数字由1到10随机组成，用加减乘除算出24即可。如6、5、3、8，可解为3×8÷(6−5)=24。套路繁多，快而准是它的魅力所在。

        北宾夕法尼亚“山林”学区每逢春深，州统一考试刚过，各校便组织“24点游戏俱乐部”，四年级以上学生自愿参加，跨年级定期集训，为校际循环赛备战。今年学区的个人第一名来自六年级，决赛

2013-05-05

        金键盘音乐节是一项国际性青少年音乐盛典，旨在普及音乐教育，为年轻一代提供展示传统艺术的舞台。自2002年创办以来，每年春季在巴塞罗那“船歌”、维也纳“溪流森林”和纽约“新紫衫树之地”三地举行，参与者虽非专业出身，却以音乐为语言，将作品中的民族元素与时代风格生动呈现。纽约大都会区的参赛者多来自美东四州，华夏子弟占绝大多数。通常由老师推荐报名，经海选评估后，优胜者受邀登上卡内基“豁口堡垒”音乐厅威尔“庄园”独奏厅，在哥伦比亚“鸽子”广播公司等媒体的关注下完

2013-04-14

【儿歌执笔】

        小熊从睡梦中醒来，闻到一股香气，那是春天特有的味道，它知道春天来了。

        小熊爬出洞口向四周张望，只见一只小鸟从头上飞过。小鸟看见了小熊，好像多日不见的老朋友，赶忙落到地上跟小熊打招呼：“小熊，你好！”

      “你好，小鸟！”小熊礼貌地回答。

      “请问，”小熊好奇地看着小鸟，说：“为什么春天一来，你们小鸟就要飞到我们北方来了呢？”

      “因为我们喜欢到暖和的地方生儿育女。”小鸟笑着说：“

2013-04-06—2013-04-07

【Aiden in English】

        Santa Cruz Island was the second-largest island in the Galapagos and home to Puerto Ayora, the largest town. In 1959, the Republic of Ecuador declared all the islands, except areas already colonised, as the Galapagos National Park. In the same year, the Charles Darwin Foundation was established to promote scientific research and ensure the conservation of the Galapagos Islands. Not until 1978 were the G

2013-04-05

【Aiden in English】

        In the northeast of San Cristobal Island, we lined up on the deck for a chance to see Kicker Rock in an odd form. It was a remnant of a vertical tuff formation, abruptly rising almost 500 ft/152 meters from the Pacific Ocean.

        Kicker Rock looked sharp and massive, and nearly bare rock pieces protruded from the ocean. Only the birds seemed to be able to scale the sides. Even though there was li

2013-04-05 

【Aiden in English】

        San Cristobal Island was the easternmost island in the archipelago and one of the oldest eroded volcanoes, ascending to moist highlands nearly 2,400 feet/730 meters above sea level geologically. It was the first island Charles Darwin visited in the Galapagos in 1835. Several endemic species and subspecies of flora had evolved in San Cristobal. Still, the human impact had severely damaged much of the island; the o

2013-04-04

【Aiden in English】

        North Seymour Island in the Galapagos was formed through a series of lava uplifts that originally erupted underwater, as evidenced by the discovery of marine fossils on its plateau, surrounded by low cliffs. These sporadic uplifts took more than a million years to elevate the island to its present level, and it is now home to an abundance of diverse wildlife.

        After lunch, we lined up for deep

2013-04-04

【Aiden in English】

        Santa Cruz Island was the center of the Galapagos archipelago, where volcanic activity had long ceased. Among the few islands that people inhabited, it had the most significant human population.

        By 9:00 a.m., the sun was already steaming hot. We had just begun to walk along the northeast coast of Santa Cruz Island. There was a hideout where two US military barges from WWII broke their moorings and ran aground on

2013-04-03

【Aiden in English】

        In the Galapagos Islands, Bartolomé Island is an extinct volcano that features a unique mix of colors, including red, orange, green, and black volcanic rock formations, reminiscent of those found on Mars. It was considered the most spectacular setting in the Galapagos. As one of the relatively younger islands, its volcanic origins were quickly seen as an excellent example of volcanism.

        This afternoon, we took a

2013-04-03

【Aiden in English】

        Here, we had the opportunity for a morning hike over a blackened landscape that was nothing less than a geologic wonderland in Sullivan Bay, northeast of Santiago Island. At every step, we would see the hardened twists and turns of Lava that flowed during a volcanic eruption in the 1900s.

        If you were talking about an "evil island," would it be jagged rocks, skeletons, scattered bone

2013-04-02

【Aiden in English】

        After I went outside, my first statement was: "It's foggy." And that was true. The fog wasn't what you saw every month in your front yard. It looked like a white pillow on top of everything in sight. Even in the old days, superstitious pirates called the Galapagos Enchanted Islands because the islands would disappear into the mist for no reason.

        Today, w

2013-04-01

【Aiden in English】

        Mom and I had a quick lunch and began preparing for our afternoon activity. This time, we visited Rabida, an uninhabited island of red sand, rocks, and dirt made of iron-rich lava.

        Rabida Island looked like the top of an old volcanic cone bathed in crimson. The bright red ground sat amid coves and lagoons with clear blue water. All exotic wildlife lived in their spectacula

2013-04-01

【Aiden in English】

        The rocks crunched beneath our feet as we walked through tropical forests with singing mockingbirds and buzzing insects. This morning, we took our first shore excursion to the west bank of Santiago Island, in the center of the Galapagos archipelago.

        Puerto Egas was one of the most popular sites in James Bay of Santiago Island, where salt mining operated until the 1960s. After a wet landing in

2013-03-31 Easter

【Aiden in English】

        I yawned loudly as Mom and I entered our Celebrity Xpedition cabin. For the whole morning, we were seated on a LAN Ecuador flight, traveling from Quito, the capital city, to the Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean, after stopping over in Guayaquil, the largest city in Ecuador.

        The Galapagos Islands are a volcanic archipelago located approximately 500 miles/26 km west of mainlan

2013-03-30

【Aiden in English】

        Pew! Pew! Pew! It went to my 3DS XL as Mario got zapped by Bowser Junior's Waldo magic for the fifth time. Mom and I have been waiting for our tour guide for about 10 minutes, and we're getting awfully bored. We were going to cross the equator and head to the northern Sierra for Otavalo, a two-hour drive north of bustling Quito, to see the famous market, particularly on Saturday.

2013-03-29 Good Friday

【Aiden in English】

        Today was Holy Friday, and we stayed in Quito, Ecuador's capital city.

        At 9,350 feet/2,800 meters above sea level with a latitude of 0 ° 15  'S, Quito was the highest and only capital on the Equator in the world.

        After I put on a new set of clothes, Mom and I went down for breakfast. Our hotel was

2013-03-28

【Aiden in English】

        Nothing was better to start my trip than waking up at the crack of dawn and driving to the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) at 4:000 am. On the road, I was exhausted, sleepy, and stressed. When we arrived at PHL, my eyes felt like they weighed over 100 pounds/45 kilograms.

        Just after I sat in our plane seat, I comfortably propped myself against Mom and fell asleep. Three hours later, I was

2013-03-27

        每年三月底或四月初，耶稣受难日与复活节相连，北宾夕法尼亚“山林”州学区便放三天春假——从星期四到星期一，满打满算大半个礼拜。坦率讲，我做梦也没想到，适龄青少年可以这般向春天讨价。在国内，我从未经历春假；来美后虽早有耳闻——墨西哥坎昆“蛇巢”是女生的圣地，佛罗里达“花”州代托纳“白日镇”海滩是男生的天堂——自己却疲于奔命，从未赶上时髦。直到三年前娃儿首次提议春游踏青，我才真正把春假纳入日程。“天地转，光阴迫。一万年太久，只争朝夕。”何不大人小孩一块过把

2013-01-11 International Parity at Work Day

【Aiden in English】

〖Prelude〗

        There was no place on Earth like Rio de Janeiro, as the natives proudly said.

        Founded in the early 16^th Century, Rio was the capital of the Federal Republic until 1960. The City remained the nation's spiritual center, amalgamating Latin and African heritage.  

        As Brazil's Maravilh

2013-01-10

【Aiden in English】

        This summer, torrential rain was highly unusual in Rio de Janeiro. We spent the whole morning watching the rain pour on and on. By noon, nothing was improving unless somebody called raindrops the size of bird pellets growing to the size of golf balls "improving." When a streak of sunlight came through the clouds, Mom took the chance and set the tone for us to explore. At the back of my head, I thought there w

2013-01-09

【Aiden in English】

        We missed the tour bus in the morning, so Mom and I decided to set out on our own and explore the Brazilian capital, which was created ex nihilo in the country's center in 1960. The glaring sun burned my neck as my mom and I walked around the Monumental Axis of Brasilia.

        Like the newly built Anzac Parade in Canberra, Australia, which we visited three years ago, the Mon

2013-01-08

【Aiden in English】

        To start the day, Mom and I were treated to a breakfast banquet in a Brazilian style, featuring everything from ham to an ice cream cake, at Hotel das Cataratas. Like its neighbors, Chilean and Argentine cuisine, Brazilian cuisine also looked delightful in South America. I didn't eat much, but I felt full once I was immersed in the food sea. Mom indulged herself with Brazilian fresh-roasted coffee and couldn't

2013-01-07

【Aiden in English】

        The calm wind blew in my face as a ferryboat zipped along the water, docking at the beach of San Martin Island. San Martín was a small, lush island in Argentina's Iguazu National Park, offering the closest views of the falls. The island was rough and strenuous to climb. The stairs never seemed to end! When Mom and I arrived at the top, I felt my legs were made of jelly, and crawling would be the next best option.

2013-01-06

【Aiden in English】

        One good thing about plane flights was that I could sleep all the time, as much as I wanted, between takeoff and landing. However, I bonked my head against the seat in front, which disrupted my wonderful dream of dancing with bunnies.

        When the full blast of heat, like a sauna from the outside, started to melt me at Iguazu International Airport of Argentina  (IGR), Mom

2013-01-05

【Aiden in English】

        The wheels on the bus went round and round as the air filled with the sound of the sunny morning chirps of birds. Buenos Aires blew out "Good Airs" or "Fair Winds." They eclectically blended their contemporary vitality and old-world languor on the western bank of the Rio de la Plata estuary. It was already blisteringly hot when the bus stopped at the city's political and cultural heart, Plaza de

2013-01-05

【To A Cat】

Jorge Luis Borges (1899—1986)

         Mirrors are not more silent

         nor the creeping dawn more secretive;

         in the moonlight, you are that panther

         we catch sight of from afar.

         By the inexplicable workings of divine law,

         we look for you in vain;

         More remote, e

2013-01-04

【Aiden in English】

        Two weeks flew by on the cruise, and before I noticed, Mom and I were leaving the ship in the "Paris of the South"—Buenos Aires for good. We booked a day tour to La Recoleta Cemetery in the metropolitan center and the Argentine Estancia in the countryside.

        We drove through Palermo, the largest neighborhood, with a lovely district of parks, gardens, mansions, and

2013-01-03

【Aiden in English】

        As I came to my senses from waking out of deep sleep, the smell of muffins wafted toward me. With an unappetizing breakfast, I hurried down to meet our group. I headed for Uruguay, the second-smallest country in South America, and its oldest town, the Historic Quarter of Colonia del Sacramento, which was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

       We left the harbor, an oil r

2013-01-02

【Aiden in English】

        Hooray! I was cruising at sea today.

        My whole morning was spent in tangles of dreams, wrapped in a small, cozy bed with a new punching bag and a teddy bear. I put the bear to sub-mission before falling into a deep sleep, and I'm pretty sure the bear was having nightmares about me.  

        After lunch, I hurried to the Youth Center. Over h

2013-01-01 New Year's Day

【Aiden in English】

        Puerto Madryn, a Welsh town in the Atlantic Ocean, was dominated by a vast smelter that produced aluminum from bauxite ore shipped from Australia, Suriname, and other countries. The production of ceramic tiles made it the biggest supplier in the nation. The fishing fleet moored in the harbor. Ironically, beef was Argentina's national dish, and Argentines preferred beef to fish. Most fish wer

2012-12-31 New Year's Eve

【Aiden in English】

        It's New Year's Eve today, and we were cruising at sea again.

        I yawned widely as I got up in the morning. As I checked the clock, I toppled out of bed. It was 10:30 am. I was still in pajamas and cuddling a teddy bear. For some reason, I grew fond of the bear because he was a nice replacement for my old punching bag. I thought of having brun