Thousands of years ago, maps were rare and difficult to find. The first known map was found on Babylonian clay tablets around 600 B.C. Babylonians grew agricultural products to trade and export to neighboring areas. As a result of their success in trading, they wanted to know more about their surroundings. During that time, people believed that the Earth was flat. In Babylonian’s map, Babylon was placed in the center of the map. It also had circles which showed the major cities. Around 330 B.C., Aristotle started to accept that the Earth is round. This idea influenced the process of mapmaking.

As people gained more knowledge of geography, maps become more detailed. The development of maps over the years was related to the history of human civilization. It revealed the knowledge of a group of people in a specific area during that time.

Today, maps are readily available. People of different ages and statuses can see the world by just looking at them. Many people hope that this will serve as an inspiration for them to see the beauty of the world not just by looking at maps, but also through traveling.

The history of making maps is linked to human knowledge and civilization. Maps reveal a group of people’s perspective and knowledge about a specific area.

The first maps of the world were from the Babylonians. They believed that the world was flat, and their lands were circular, so in their maps, Babylon was placed in the center with the major cities around it drawn as circles. By accepting the idea that the Earth was a sphere, Aristotle and Ptolemy helped the creation of detailed maps.

However, Christianity’s strong influence on Europe led back the belief that the Earth was flat. Maps were drawn in a large circle divided into three sections with a T-shape in the middle. Jerusalem was placed in the middle as the center of civilization while paradise was on the uppermost part.

As sea-based trades develop, more accurate maps were made by European traders such as Marco Polo whose trips encouraged more explorations and development. The first major development was the age of discovery when European explorers traveled the world and contacted all the continents. Second is the invention of the printing press which let people share more accurate maps. Also, Gerardus Mercator made a map of a round Earth in relation to a flat surface. It helped sailors navigate easier across the sea.

Dr. Kanto Tomoko was the first Japanese to join the non-government organization “Doctors Without Borders”, which was established in France in 1971. Since then, it has been helping injured and sick people all over the world.

Dr. Tomoko wanted to help people and experience various cultures in other places. She read about “Doctors Without Borders” and she found out that some of her friends had been helping people through the organization. So, she sent a letter to the organization to show that she was willing to join them. They approved her request and she was sent to Sri Lanka at the Madhu refugee camp where fighting was going on. There was only one small hospital with old equipment and little staff which was not enough for the refugees. Every day, they treated almost 150 people who spoke Tamil and could just answer simple questions. Sometimes, they also worked in a small camp which is eight kilometers away from Madhu. They even treated soldiers but only without their weapons. Most people recovered but many children were lost due to diseases. Not having enough food and water was also part of the problem. At night, they were sometimes not allowed to go out so, they had to listen to the radio to know if it was safe to go out or not.

The first umbrella was created three thousand years ago in ancient Egypt. They were called parasols which were used as protection from the heat of the sun. During those years, only rich people used umbrellas because they were being sold at a very high price.

The first umbrella that could also be used for rain came from China. During the 16th century, this also became popular in western countries because of the rainy weather. However, only rich women used umbrellas because most men believed that it was a product created only for women. Instead, men used hats and coats to protect themselves from the sun and the rain.

In the middle of the 18th century, Jonas Hanway started carrying an umbrella that was more suitable for men. Years later, people accepted the idea that umbrellas can be used by anyone regardless of gender.

As the years go by, different kinds of umbrellas were invented. One of the most famous kinds of umbrella is the foldable pocket umbrella that was created by Hans Haupt in 1928. It is usually small and light that can be easily carried anywhere. However, they are not good to be used during heavy rains as they may break easily.

Tsujii Nobuyuki is a blind pianist from Japan. He is blind from birth but his illness did not stop him from reaching his dream. His mother first discovered his special talent when he was 2 years old. Nobu heard his mom singing a song and a few minutes later, he was already playing the song on his toy piano.

Nobu started taking piano lessons when he was 4 years old. He learns by his ear and reads music by touch. At the age of 20, he joined a famous international piano competition in Texas, so he and his mother flew all the way there. They were warmly welcomed by the Davidsons, their host family. The Davidsons did their best to make Nobu and his mother feel at home. A few weeks before the competition, Nobu has been practicing so hard. His neighbors loved his music so they requested to keep their doors and windows open so they could hear Nobu practicing.

Nobu wants people to listen to him as just like any other pianists who happens to be blind.