6.5 Meeting Someone New

Maybe you’ve heard it before: When meeting someone new, the first few seconds are crucial. This is because people often make character judgments at first sight.  Here are some tips to help you make a good first impression. 

First, hold eye contact a second or two longer than you normally would. By doing this, your eyes show that you are interested in the other person. Second, your arms shouldn’t be crossed and your shoulders should be relaxed. This shows the other person that you are not defensive. Rather, you are open and friendly. Third, remember that people who appear calm and confident are more likely to make a good impression on others. Therefore, avoid looking nervous or uncomfortable. Check any bad habits that you might have, such as playing with your hair, biting your nails, etc. and try not to do them. Finally, while it’s true that others cannot read your mind, they can read your feelings; so fake smiles are never a good idea. People can quickly tell the difference between true and false smiles. So before you walk up to someone new, put a real smile on your face!

6.4 Miss Advice

Dear Miss Advice,

I have a friend who sticks to me like glue! She never leaves me alone.  She texts me several times a day and keeps asking me what I’m doing. If I tell her my plans, she turns up wherever I go. I don’t want to be mean to her, but I hate this situation. It’s very annoying! What should I do?

From Lynne

Dear Lynne,

Take a deep breath, Lynne. You need to give yourself some breathing room. But it doesn’t mean that you have to end your friendship.

Just tell your friend how you feel. Honesty is the best policy. Start by telling her how important her friendship is. Then, explain that you sometimes need time alone.

Another idea is to encourage your friend to find new hobbies of her own. Suggest that she join a club or do activities that she is interested in but you are not. Then you can do your own things while she is enjoying something else.

Oh, and one more thing: Do not feel too sorry for her. Your friend might get upset at first if you limit time with her. But after a while, she’ll probably understand. In the end, it might even make your friendship stronger!

From Miss Advice

6.3 Proustian memory

Have you ever been reminded of an event from the past after smelling a certain scent? This phenomenon is called “Proustian memory.”  It’s named after Marcel Proust, whose novel In Search of Lost Time describes a character who recalls childhood memories when he smells the scent of madeleine in tea. 

The power of Proustian memory has been proven by a scientific experiment. A researcher, Dr. Hertz, showed subjects some pictures with different scents. Later, he only allowed them to smell the scents. After smelling them, the subjects were better able to remember the pictures than when they were given nothing to smell.

Dr. Hertz conducted his experiment using hearing and touch, in addition to smell. These senses, however, did not produce the same results. This suggests that sense of smell must be linked to the part of the brain that controls memories.

6.2 Harp to heal animals

Maybe you’ve heard that music helps people recover from illness. Now a young harpist is using music to heal animals!  Alianna Boone, from Oregon, USA, plays her harp for sick pets. 

A few years ago, she went to a clinic for sick dogs and played her harp for the animals there. Before long, the dogs were resting peacefully and showed fewer signs of pain and illness. Dogs aren’t the only animals that like music. Cassie, a black and white cow, lives on a farm near Alianna’s house. One day Cassie seemed very nervous and wouldn’t let anyone come close to her. Alianna wasn’t sure what was wrong with Cassie, but she decided to play a CD of her harp songs. The cow quickly fell asleep! “The harp is one of the most healing instruments after the human voice,” says Alianna.

6.1 Stendhal’s Syndrome

How do you feel when you see a beautiful painting? Happy?  Impressed? Surprisingly, some people might answer that it makes them feel sick. They have an illness called “Stendhal’s Syndrome.” 

The syndrome is named after a French writer called Stendhal who was overwhelmed when he visited Florence in 1817. The city was so rich in art and history that he couldn’t control his emotions. Later, he wrote about his feelings in a book: “Everything spoke so vividly to my soul. I walked with the fear of falling.”

An Italian doctor later noticed strange behavior in some of the tourists who visited Florence. They felt dizzy and confused when they looked at great artwork. Also, they experienced panic attacks that would last for a few days. The doctor named the syndrome after Stendhal.

5.5 Fisherman

One afternoon, a businessman was sitting on a beach. He saw a fisherman and asked, “How long did it take you to catch these fish?”

 “Not very long,” the fisherman replied. 

The businessman was surprised. “Then why don’t you stay longer and catch even more fish?”

“This is all I need for my family,” the fisherman said.

Then the businessman asked, “How do you spend the rest of your day?”

“I go home to rest and spend time with my family. Then in the evening, I hang out with my friends.” the fisherman explained.

So, the businessman gave him some advice: “If you want to become a successful businessman like me, you should start staying out longer at sea. That way, you can catch more fish to sell, save money, and then buy a bigger boat. After a few successful years, you can move to the city and manage your business from there.”

“And then what would I do?” asked the fisherman.

“You make enough money to buy a big house and live like a king.” the businessman replied.

“And then what?” asked the fisherman.

“After that, you can retire and spend time with your family at home. In the evenings, you can hang out with your friends.”

The fisherman was confused, “Isn’t that what I do now?”

5.4 Strange Farts

An old woman went to see her doctor, and told him her embarrassing medical problem. “I have strange farts.  I fart all the time, but my farts don’t make any sound or smell. I’m sure you haven’t noticed, but I’ve actually farted ten times while we’ve been talking. What should I do?” 

The doctor looked serious, and frowned at her. “Here are some pills. Take these pills twice a day for one week, and then come see me again,” said the doctor.

The next week the old woman came back, but this time she was really upset. “Doctor!”she said. “What was in those pills? They made my problem worse! I’m still farting all the time, but now my farts smell terrible!”

The doctor said “Calm down. You’re actually much better.” The old woman shouted, “What? That’s impossible!” The doctor replied, “I fixed your nose. Now I need to fix your ears.”

5.3 Easter egg Hunt

Last year we took our daughter Jessica to an Easter egg hunt. Jessica is 9 years old and blind.  I wasn't  sure this was a good idea, but Jessica really wanted to participate. As soon as the hunt began, the children ran out to look for eggs. They quickly picked up the eggs and put them in their baskets. Jessica walked forward slowly, moving her cane back and forth over the grass. But it was not easy to find eggs in the grass with a cane. Before long, there were no eggs left for her. Then something happened that I will never forget. One small boy reached into his basket, took out an egg, and placed it near Jessica. She felt around with her cane and found the egg. Her face lit up as she put it in her basket. Other children saw what was going on, and they also put some of their eggs near Jessica. Soon her basket was full. Jessica was so happy, but I could see that the other children were even happier. That day, those children learned something very special.

5.2 Rolls Royce

Before going overseas on business, a rich man drove his Rolls-Royce to a New York City bank and went in to ask for an immediate loan of $5,000. The loan officer insisted on a guarantee, so the man handed over the keys to his Rolls-Royce.  The loan officer had the car driven into the bank’s underground parking lot for safekeeping, and gave him $5,000. Two weeks later, the man returned to pay his loan and get his car back. “That will be $5,000, and $15.40 in interest,” the loan officer said. The man wrote out a check and started to walk away. “Wait, sir,” the loan officer said. “Why would a rich man like you need to borrow $5,000?” The man smiled. “Where else could I park my Rolls-Royce in New York for two weeks and pay only $15.40?”

5.1 Pennsylvania’s Duquesne University

At Pennsylvania’s Duquesne University, when a professor arrives more than ten minutes late, the class is canceled. One  day a professor made sure to arrive 15 minutes early for his 9 a.m. class.  He placed his hat on his desk and quickly ran over to the faculty room to greet the other professors. Before he knew it, it was already 9:10. By the time he got back to his classroom, it was empty. The next day, he really let his students have it. “When my hat is here,” he shouted, “it means that I’m here!” The following day, the professor arrived at 9 a.m. He was met by the sight of 28 hats on 28 desks — and no students.

4.5 Plastic Bills

If you say you’re paying with plastic, most people will think you mean a credit card. But to Australians, it might mean cash.  That’s because Australia is the world’s first country to create plastic bills. Of course, plastic money is more expensive to make than paper money. However, it’s worth making for several reasons. 

For one thing, plastic money is more durable. Paper money generally lasts for 18 to 24 months. But plastic money lasts four times longer. Besides being harder to tear, it’s also waterproof! Another benefit is that plastic money is hard to counterfeit. Each Australian bill has a transparent window, which is nearly impossible to copy. Another safety feature is an image of the country’s symbol that can only be seen when held up to the light. Perhaps most importantly, Australia’s plastic money is environmentally friendly. When it is no longer usable, it can be recycled. The government takes old bills, melts them down, and uses them to make plastic garbage cans. Soon other countries may follow Australia’s example and also start making plastic money.

4.4 SNS (Social Network Services)

Social Networking Services (SNS) like Twitter, Cyworld and Facebook have become very trendy in the last few years. But SNS can also give people stress.  When do you feel affected in this way?

Anne: On Twitter, I now have lots of followers who read my tweets. It’s like I have a large audience, and that makes me feel anxious. There’s a lot of pressure to write something funny or interesting. 

Yoobin: My problem is the opposite. I don’t have a lot of friends on Cyworld or Facebook. I feel very sad that when people visit my site and see this, they think I’m unpopular.

Chris: I hate the way other people expect me to constantly stay in touch. For someone like me, who hardly uses SNS, that is annoying. A friend of mine gets upset because I rarely leave messages on her wall or reply to her comments.

Dan: I think I’m addicted to Facebook — I’m constantly on there. I feel like if I go offline, I’ll miss the latest news. Sometimes I waste so much time that I can’t even get my homework finished.

4.3 Ugg Boots

Ugg boots are popular with women all around the world. This brand is such a hit that it is worth nearly $1 billion a year.

 The idea originated in Australia in 1973, where Shane Stedman made them from sheepskin. The first pairs often still had bits of meat attached, and they would smell and look awful when wet. No wonder they were called “Ugg” — they looked ugly! At that time, the boots were worth only a few dollars each. 

10 years later, a US manufacturer saw some promise in the boots and bought the rights. In return, Stedman got some free boots each year and just enough money to pay for his children’s education. But, nowadays, the shoes sell for around $200 a pair!

Nevertheless, Stedman is not angry about it. In fact, he still wears the boots most days: “I’m not upset. I’m proud that my invention is so popular and it has become an Australian icon!”

4.2 Sardines

After being caught in fishing nets, sardines usually die quickly. It used to be a big problem for fishermen.  But a fisherman solved the problem! He placed the sardines in a container with a catfish. To avoid the bigger fish, the sardines had to keep swimming around and around. This kept them alive longer.  

This situation is usually called the “catfish effect.” It can also be applied to many other To avoid the bigger fish, the sardines had to keep swimming around and around. fields. In sports, for example, coaches know that bringing a new, talented player onto a team makes the other players better. This is because they start trying harder to avoid losing their position on the team. And in economics, companies without any competition often become lazy and nonreactive  When strong competitors enter the market, however, they respond by becoming more dynamic. This makes the entire economy stronger. In short, the pressure from opponents can make people and businesses work harder.

4.1 Father Childcare Qualification Exam

The bell in the university lecture hall rings, and 400 men begin the exam. They’re taking the Father Childcare Qualification Exam.  A total of 1,030 fathers took this first exam, which was held in seven cities nationwide, including Tokyo and Osaka. 

The test has 50 questions on how to care for children up to age 6. Topics include pregnancy, infant vaccinations, nutrition, and even popular cartoon characters. Each test taker will receive a certificate with his exam results, but the purpose is to get men interested in childcare, not to give grades.

In Japan, people are realizing that fathers need to help raise their children. This is partly because more mothers have jobs. But there is another reason /— fathers have started focusing more on their families instead of only on their jobs. It’s another example of how Japanese society is changing in the modern world.

3.5 Alarm Clocks

Do you have a hard time waking up in the morning?

Here are some items that can help you out.

(A)  Get rid of your loud alarm clock! Now, you can wake up gently with light. Our new Sunrise Pillow has several soft LED lights. When you need to wake up, they slowly get brighter and brighter. It’s just like the rising sun! 

(B) Here’s an alarm clock designed to wake up even the deepest sleepers. The Dumbbell Alarm works like any other alarm clock. But when you want to turn it off, you can’t just press a button. You have to lift it 30 times, like a weightlifter.

(C) Here’s another alarm clock that wakes you up without any noise. The Quiet Alarm comes with a special ring. Put it on your finger before you go to bed; when it’s time to wake up, the ring will vibrate. To turn it off, you have to shake your hand back and forth.

(D) The Rug Alarm makes sure you get out of bed in the morning. The clock looks like a small rug. In order to turn it off, you have to stand on it. Unless it feels your full weight on it, it will keep ringing and ringing.

3.4 Popeye's spinach

Only one cartoon character eats vegetables before fighting bad guys — Popeye. Whenever he needs some quick muscles, he just eats some spinach.  However, Popeye’s love of spinach was based on a mistake! 

In 1870, a German doctor said that spinach had lots of iron, even more than red meat. But he had made a mathematical mistake, and put a decimal point in the wrong place. This made spinach seem ten times richer in iron than it really is. In 1937 someone finally corrected this mistake. But Popeye couldn’t stop. By then he had been eating spinach for ten years!

Spinach doesn’t really have more iron than other green vegetables, like broccoli for example. And actually the iron in spinach is a little difficult to digest. Although spinach is healthy, since it has lots of Vitamin C, it’s not the best food for building big muscles.

3.3 Food Handling

Useful Tips for Food Handling

This is worth reading whether you cook or not.

What if I put too much salt in my soup?

 Don’t add water, this will only make the soup taste bad. You can add some cooked potatoes for a few minutes. They will absorb all the salt; then take them out. 

 

How can I make kiwi fruit get ripe faster?

Put them in a plastic bag with an apple, a pear, or a banana. These fruits will release ethylene gases that cause kiwis to get ripe.

How can I keep my biscuits crispy?

Usually we store biscuits in a box, and they often get soggy. Adding a few sugar cubes or some salt will work magic. They will absorb moisture and keep the biscuits crispy and delicious.

What can I do to keep my soda pop from going flat?

No one likes soda pop without the bubbles! Turn the bottle upside down. The bubbles always go to the top, and that way they can’t get out.

How can I make watermelon taste sweet?

This may sound strange, but you can put a little salt on it. The salty taste will make the sweet taste stronger. But only add a little!

3.2 Kopi Luwak

Would you pay for cat poo? It may sound strange, but there are people who will pay $50 for a cup of cat poo.

 In fact, the cat poo is a kind of coffee. This coffee, called kopi luwak, comes from Sumatra, Indonesia. There, kopi means coffee and luwak means civet cat. These wild cats eat coffee berries, which go through chemical changes in the cat’s stomach. Later, when the cats go to the bathroom, the coffee beans come back out. People on the island collect and clean these beans, and then roast them just like any other coffee. This unique process makes kopi luwak the world’s most expensive coffee.

So, how does it taste? It tastes like chocolate with caramel and has no sour taste. Now, would you like to have a cup of cat poo coffee?

3.1 Odd Colored Eyes

Sometimes animals are born with two different colored eyes. These eyes are called “odd eyes.”  Odd eyes can occur when animals inherit a different eye color from each parent. In cats and dogs, odd eyes are most common among Turkish Angoras and Siberian Huskies. Many people like to own odd-eyed pets because they seem more mysterious and charming.

It is quite rare for human beings to be odd-eyed. Actress Kate Bosworth is one of these rare people. She has one brown eye and one blue eye. Odd-eyed people are even rarer among Asians, since the parents on both sides almost always have dark-colored eyes. Still, don’t be surprised if you happen to see an odd-eyed person on the street someday.

2.5 Kishi Station

Most train stations are run by a station master. But Kishi Station in Japan has a very special station master.  All of the passengers love her. In fact, she might be the most popular station master in the entire country. But when people ask her questions, she always gives the same answer: “Meow!” 

Her name is Tama and she’s a cat. She became Kishi Station’s station master in 2007. Before that time, the railroad company was thinking about firing all of the station’s workers to save money. But then the company’s president had a surprising idea — he decided to make Tama the station master.

Tama’s job is pretty simple. She walks around the station in her special railway cap. She greets passengers and poses for photos for tourists. Since Tama became station master, the station’s number of passengers rose by more than 50,000 in a year. Because of this, Tama became an executive officer of the railroad company in 2009.

Tama is paid with cat food, and she can keep her job for the rest of her life. But if you want to meet her, don’t come on a Sunday. Tama works from 9 to 5 the rest of the week, but she takes Sundays off!

2.4 Chopsticks

China, Japan, and Korea are quite different, but they do have something in common — they all eat with chopsticks! However, all three countries have different styles of chopsticks because of different meal traditions.

 In China chopsticks are square at the top with round tips. They are usually wooden and very long. Food is often fried in China, and long chopsticks are best for eating greasy food. 

Japanese chopsticks are a bit shorter than Chinese chopsticks because Japanese people raise their bowls up to their mouths while eating. They are usually made of lacquered wood and they are  ointed at the end. There is lots of fish in Japanese food and the pointed ends help to separate the fish bones.

What about in Korea? Korean chopsticks are different from other types of chopsticks. They are medium length and made of metal. Koreans usually move their arms a lot when they eat, so medium length chopsticks are best. Then, why metal? It’s because many Korean meals include soup. Using metal chopsticks is considered cleaner than using wooden chopsticks.

2.3 Dia Los Muertos (Day of the Dead)

There is a special time in Mexico from November 1st to November 2nd: Day of the Dead, or Dia de los Muertos.

On these days, families create special altars in their homes.  They’re decorated with flowers, photos of the dead, candles, and food. One special kind of food is calavera. It’s a sugar skull that represents dead ancestors. Another is pan de muerto (souls’ bread). It symbolizes the bones of the dead and the tears of the living. Some people ring a bell 12 times to bring their ancestors’ spirits into the altar. Others burn incense as a welcome. They also walk down the streets wearing skeleton masks or clothes painted with bones.

It is believed that dead spirits can return home only once a year during this holiday. So all of these celebrations are held to encourage them on their way with a joyful atmosphere.

2.2 Kawi, Bawi, Bo

In Korea, we play a game called Kawi, Bawi, Bo. Children, and even adults, play it to decide who gets the first turn.  The same game is played almost everywhere in the world, with some differences. I found out something interesting about this game in Indonesia. My Indonesian friend told me how it is played in her country.Showing a closed hand with a thumb up is “elephant.” 

Showing an index finger is “person.”

Showing just the little finger is “ant.”

Since the elephant is big and strong, it beats the person. The person beats the much smaller ant. However, the ant beats the much bigger elephant. Why? When an ant gets into an elephant’s ear, the feeling bothers the elephant so much that it goes crazy and there’s nothing that the elephant can do about it!

2.1 Dubai

Dubai is one of the hottest and driest places on earth. In the past, there was no air-conditioning, or even electricity.  How did people in Dubai survive in severe weather? 

They invented a type of air conditioning without electricity: the wind tower. A wind tower stands tall above a house. It catches the wind and moves it inside. The air is cooled down by meeting with cold water in the building. This air cools the inside of the building. The buildings are made of thick walls and have small windows; these help keep cool air in and heat out. Most houses are built very close together with high walls and ceilings. This also helps create more shade and reduce heat.

Modern buildings in Dubai are air conditioned and no longer use wind towers for cooling. However, they still remain in Dubai as an important architectural symbol.

1.5 Sports: Uniform Numbers

On sports teams, numbers are worn on uniforms so that players can easily be distinguished from one another. But when popular or successful athletes end their career, their uniform number is often “retired” by their team.  This means that no other player on that team may wear that number ever again. 

The first professional sports team to retire a number was the Toronto Maple Leafs, a Canadian hockey team. They retired Ace Bailey’s number six in 1934, in honor of his achievements as a player. In 1997, Jackie Robinson, the first African American player in Major League Baseball, received a very special honor. His number 42 was retired on every MLB team! Players who were wearing that number were allowed to keep it. As of the 2011 season, only one player still wears the number — Mariano Rivera, a pitcher for the New York Yankees. But in the future, no new MLB players will ever wear number 42 again.

And in another interesting case, the University of Michigan football team retired number 48 in honor of a player named Gerald Ford. But they did so because of his accomplishment after he graduated. Why? Ford became the 38th president of the United States!

1.4 Nora Lee

Interview with

Stuntwoman Nora Lee

This month, Movie Maker(MM) interviewed Nora Lee, a professional stuntwoman. Her latest movie, Kung Fu Warrior, will be coming up later this year. 

MM:  How did you get started?

Nora: At first, I took part-time jobs on movie sets to gain experience. I was very interested in the stunts, so I learned martial arts. And I kept telling people I wanted to be a stuntwoman. Eventually, I was given a chance.

MM: How do directors choose the stunt people for their movies?

Nora: If the job requires a skill, such as martial arts, there’s usually an audition. But if the job only involves general stunts like falling down or jumping out of a car, they just choose someone who looks like the actor or actress.

MM: Do stunt people often get hurt while filming a movie?

Nora: Yes! And it’s worse for stuntwomen, because we often have to wear tight shirts or short skirts. It’s impossible to hide protective pads easily under those kinds of clothes!

MM: Tell me about Kung Fu Warrior.

Nora: The fighting style in this movie is totally new. We combined various martial arts all around the world. I truly believe it will be an epic blockbuster. I’m sure people will love it.

1.3 K-pop

Anchor: In the past, Korean music fans listened mostly to American pop music and admired the American pop stars. These days, however, the picture seems to have changed. In fact, K-pop stars are now not only popular in Korea but all over the world. Boa and Rain were the first to get some attention in America. Now, other K-pop stars are gaining fans overseas. In 2009, the Wonder Girls became the first K-pop stars to reach the Billboard Hot 100 chart with their song “Nobody.” So, what’s the key to the international popularity of K-pop?

Patrick (American teenager): I’m American, but I love listening to K-pop. It has a stronger rhythm than American pop, so it’s easier to dance to.

Music critic: K-pop has catchy tunes that have international appeal. People everywhere can enjoy listening to this kind of music. Also, many K-pop singers have well-trained and amazing voices.

Music industry insider: The Internet has played a large role in the popularity of K-pop. YouTube and social networking sites have helped K-pop stars reach fans overseas.

Anchor: K-pop continues to gain new fans every day. As time goes on, we  can expect to see more K-pop stars on the world stage. I’m Maria Kang, and this is Asian Music Today.

1.2 The Olympics

The Olympics are held every four years. Soon after they finish, the *Paralympics are held. The Paralympics are Olympics for disabled people. They include common sports events such as basketball and track and field. But there are also some unique games, such as goalball. Goalball is a sport that is played by blind people. There are three players on a team. Each team tries to score points by rolling the ball past the other team’s goal line. How do the blind players know where the ball is? They listen to the sound of bells inside the ball. When they hear the bells, they run towards the ball and try to stop it with their body. Since the players cannot see and they have to listen to the sounds, the people who are watching should not make any noise. That’s why cheering is only permitted after a goal is scored.

1.1 To Be A Star

Do you want to be a star? These days, there are more chances than ever before. Audition TV shows like Superstar K are big hits in Korea. But why are people so crazy about these shows? Viewers love these shows because they can watch the whole process of the competition. They can also join in by voting for their favorite contestants. This keeps viewers watching week after week. And finally, these competitions have the power to turn ordinary people with unusual talent into stars. Viewers enjoy watching them triumph in the end. Of course, not everyone likes audition TV shows. Some people think they might not be fair. Others don’t like that most of the contestants lose in the end. But most people agree that these shows are exciting to watch and a lot of fun to talk about!