Nowadays, most people do not believe in magic. We know for a fact that magic only happens by a trick. However, there are still some “miracles” that some people happen to believe.

In 1917, Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright took photographs of which they claimed to be fairies. During that time, photography was still a new thing, so many people believed that it was true. However, years later, they admitted that it was fake and the fairies were just paper dolls. If something similar to this happens again, concluding that it must be a supernatural should never be an option as it might stop people from seeking the truth.

Meanwhile, science thrives to find answers to people’s questions by creating possible hypotheses and testing them until they unlock the truth. Learning about miracles, magic, and myths can be fun and exciting. But the truth is more magical because it is the reality. And science has its own magic because it finds its way to bring people to reality.

Dear brothers and sisters, __ we must not forget __ that millions of people are suffering __ from poverty, __ injustice __ and ignorance. We must not forget __ that millions of children __ are out of their schools. We must not forget __ that our sisters and brothers are waiting __ for a bright, __ peaceful future.

So let us wage, __ so let us wage a global struggle __ against __ illiteracy, __ poverty __ and terrorism, __ let us pick up, __ let us pick up our books and our pens.

They are the most powerful weapons. One child, __ one teacher, __ one book __ and one pen __ can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first.

Dear brothers and sisters, we must not forget that millions of people are suffering from poverty, injustice and ignorance. We must not forget that millions of children are out of their schools. We must not forget that our sisters and brothers are waiting for a bright, peaceful future.

So let us wage, so let us wage a global struggle against illiteracy, poverty and terrorism, let us pick up, let us pick up our books and our pens.

They are the most powerful weapons. One child, one teacher, one book and one pen can change the world. Education is the only solution. Education first.

You must come to know the poor. Maybe __ our people here have material things, __ everything, __ but I think that if we all look into our own homes, __ how difficult we find it sometimes to smile at each other, __ and that the smile __ is the beginning of love.

And so __ let us always meet each other with a smile, __ for the smile is the beginning of love, __ and once we begin to love each other __ naturally we want to do something. So __ you pray for our sisters __ and for me __ and for our brothers, __ and for our co-workers __ that are around the world.

You must come to know the poor. Maybe our people here have material things, everything, but I think that if we all look into our own homes, how difficult we find it sometimes to smile at each other, and that the smile is the beginning of love.

And so let us always meet each other with a smile, for the smile is the beginning of love, and once we begin to love each other naturally we want to do something. So you pray for our sisters and for me and for our brothers, and for our co-workers that are around the world.

A Japanese woman who lives and works in the U.S. shared her experiences and observations with the communication style used in an American and a Japanese company.

Some people have been debating whether the Japanese government should allow power companies to do over their operations of the nuclear power plants.

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All living things on Earth, such as humans, animals, and plants are supported by the environment. It provides food, water, shelter, and everything that is essential for daily survival. Humans’ choices and actions affect the health of the environment which also affects humans’ health, economies, and communities.

The environment can greatly affect humans’ health. Research about human health proves that being in a clean environment can affect humans’ health by improving their attention, boosting their moods, and making their bodies fight against different diseases. That is the reason why it is important for humans to maintain a clean environment, especially in the places where they live in. However, due to activities in the modern world, the environment is getting damaged day by day. Air and water pollution have become major problems in most parts of the world. Toxic pollutants affect the quality of air and water through man-made chemicals from households and factories. Exposure to these pollutants could make humans at risk for diseases and weaken their body defenses. In addition to that, unborn babies could also be at risk for physical abnormalities that could affect their lives in the long run. Nowadays, there are many ways in which everyone could join in cleaning the environment. One of the most popular ways is recycling. By recycling materials, the amount of waste that causes pollution could be lessened. Another way is reusing materials such as plastic bags and water bottles to lessen the use of fossil fuel that is required to make plastic materials.

Looking after the environment is every human’s responsibility. It is important to make Earth a better place for future generations.

Walter Elias Disney, also known as Walt Disney, pioneered animated cartoon films. He is famous for creating cartoons such as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck.

Disney wanted to become a cartoonist for a newspaper ever since he was in high school. So, he worked as a photographer and made drawings for their school paper while studying cartooning on the side.

In 1919, Disney worked in a commercial art studio where he met Ub Iwerks, a young artist who significantly contributed to his success. They started their own small studio in 1922 where they created one and two-minute animated films and produced a series of animated films. Unfortunately, Disney was forced to file for bankruptcy in 1923 after a New York film distributor took advantage of their works.

The unexpected success of one of his first animated films forced Disney to reopen his business in Hollywood together with his brother Roy. Walt was also able to convince Iwerks to work with them.

Over the years, they produced full length animated films that became popular all over the world. They did not limit their business to making animated films. Walt’s creative mind enabled them to build a huge amusement park that captured the hearts of many people; the children and the young at heart.

Ban Shigeru, a Japanese architect, started the Voluntary Architect’s Network (VAN) in the year 1995. It is an NGO that aims to help the victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes. Although relief houses are only temporary, he believes that they should be beautiful as they would be very significant for displaced people because they are also damaged spiritually so it is important for them to see something beautiful.

A survivor of 3/11 was so happy upon moving into Ban’s housing in Miyagi. He said that it was his first time to feel a real sense of relief since the disaster. Many people wanted to stay in Miyagi housing for good.

In 2014, Ban won the Pritzker Architecture Prize which some people call the Nobel Prize of architecture. One of the judges said that it is nice to see a first-rate architect put an effort to help disaster victims. This award encourages him to keep on helping people. Ban promises that he will continuously look for ways to grow both in disaster relief and designing new buildings.

Growing up in America with Japanese parents made a Japanese girl realize the differences in parenting styles between Japanese and American parents. She mentioned that American parents encourage their children by giving praises. They like to give compliments every day by recognizing even their smallest efforts. While Japanese parents praise their children lesser than the Americans. For instance, her American classmate would get a big hug from her parents even if she only got B’s on her report card. Meanwhile, her parents would often say that she should have studied better despite getting an A+. Because of that, it made her realize that she must work harder to achieve greater things in life. But on the other hand, it made her less confident and became reluctant in trying new things.

She believes that constructive criticism is an important tool for children to learn things, however, she could not help but notice how Japanese and American parents give encouragement. Her parent’s way of motivating is by telling her that she will end up jobless if she does not study harder. Meanwhile, her best friend’s mother would motivate her by saying things positively which made her look forward to it.

In the end, she realized that Americans prefer that style to ensure that they establish smooth communication with their children. While the Japanese prefer to praise their children less to make sure that they would not become conceited. In parenting, it is a matter of preference, there is no right or wrong.