【推荐2】Over 30 years ago, I stood in the front row of a kindergarten performance, singing to all the parents of the elementary school. At the end of the performance, Mrs. Summers, whom I always tried to impress, made a statement that would impact me for nearly a lifetime. She walked up to my mom and stated, “She certainly was the most excited and eager student I had this year, but she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket.”

From that day on, I was always insecure about my singing. Singing became an embarrassment for me and I didn’t want anyone to hear me. When I was home alone, I would belt out (大声唱) songs as if I was singing on the stage. Though I felt insecure, it made my heart dance and my soul get free.

When I started attending church regularly, a woman came up to me and asked why I didn’t join the choir. She stated that I had a beautiful singing voice and appeared to greatly enjoy singing. I laughed and said she must have been joking. With a look of surprise, she simply suggested that I should think about it because I would be a nice addition to the choir.

Why did I have such a hard time allowing others to hear me sing? It was because I had believed some words that came out of my teacher’s mouth as a child. Mrs. Summers was probably trying to be humorous, but as a child, her comment truly hurt me. So I made a decision to stop believing the words I held on to for so many years. The following week, I joined the choir, and I began to feel better. Now I sing in the streets, and I sing in the gym. It doesn’t matter if I can carry a tune in a basket; I carry it on my heart.

【推荐3】Over the past 25 years, dozens of cats have appeared in my yard, silently begging for food. Most cats come and go, but Minnie stayed for 11 years.

When I first spotted her, Minnie was young and weak. She would creep up to eat the leftovers after I fed my cats. Pretty soon, she was regularly appearing at dinnertime. I would provide cat’s food just for her, but she would hide behind until I went back inside. Then, with no human near, she would wolf down her meals.

Minnie stuck around our house, and she was scrawny no more. Actually, she kept gaining weight —especially around her middle. Yes, she was pregnant. We prepared a small shelter in the garage, where Minnie would give birth and care for her kittens.

Once the kittens had been adopted, I began to spend hours in the yard, sitting as still as possible with a bowl of cat food next to me. She would sit a few feet from me, examining my every move. I, in turn, ignored her, reading my book, silently begging for her to come closer. She never did. I finally accepted that she was never going to let me pet her, but she still became my constant companion. Whenever I’d go outside, she’d meow hello then follow me around the house. This went on for three years.

Then one morning, Minnie just wasn’t there. I searched and searched around the neighborhood, but no Minnie. It always hurts to lose an animal you love. But I wouldn’t give anything in the world for the time we had with our Minnie. Untouchable as she was, she taught me friendship and love can be shared just by being present and accepting. No physical or verbal interaction needed. Just be there.

【推荐1】I wore a rubber Arnold face for months in Terminator 2. Without prosthetics (假体), I’d say the resemblance between me and Arnold is pretty close.

But it wasn’t close enough for the studio. So when I did Terminator 2, I wore prosthetics to look more like him. Applying it took three or four hours every day, which added some money to my pocket, but it was extremely uncomfortable. If the skin was cut up, they’d simply glue right over it. I wore this thing for 66 continuous days. When we did the fight scene in the steel mill, I had to cut a hole near my eye because a cup of sweat ballooned out between the rubber and my face, and it was burning my eyes so I couldn’t see.

If you watch the tanker chase, you’ll see me with the Arnold mask, climbing from the pickup to the tanker. But only in the original cut. In the remastering (重新灌录), released to theaters this year, Jim went over and put Arnold’s face in digitally.

That jump from one truck to the other is a big step, and that throws your balance off — also, you’re going 60 mph with no wires holding you. So I took a wooden box and screwed it into the floor of the pickup to guide me. I took a bunch of finishing nails and hammered them up from the underside so the points went up. I was wearing big motorcycle boots with a thick bottom, so my first step onto the nails gave me a good solid grip.

Right before shooting this, Jim said, “We’re going to have lunch and then do this.” It was 4:00 in the morning, I obviously wasn’t hungry, so I said I’d really like to do it right now. So Jim just grabbed his bullhorn and said, “OK, we’re calling grace for lunch,” which means they push lunch back and the crew of 300 gets paid extra.

Jim said, “Peter, if you pull this off, I’ll give you the brass balls award.” Later on, he said he’d never do that stunt (特技) today. It was much too dangerous.

【推荐2】The biggest risk I’ve ever taken was quitting my job and biking alone across western China.     1     So it was a huge physical challenge but I got stronger every day, and eventually, I could easily bike for eight hours each day.

One of the best parts of the whole experience was the people. I met people from across China and once got to attend a Tibetan wedding-something I never thought I would do.     2     One time I even met a group of Chinese men traveling by motorcycle, who invited me to cook fish that they caught in the lake over a fire with wood. Another instance was when I met a group of cyclists. They were in their 60s and 70s and still cycling better than I was.     3    

The people were some of the best parts of the trip, but mostly each day, I was alone with nature. Throughout the rolling hills and the flowing streams, western China is home to some of the most amazing scenery in the world.       4     With thick forests, icy glaciers, and peaceful lakes, there is so much to see in China.

    5     I got to taste local snacks in every place I went. There are so many different options! My favorite was the cooking of Sichuan, a province known for its hot flavors and interesting dishes. No matter how much I ate, I never got sick of having different Chinese foods.

It was indeed an experience I will never forget. If anyone has an interest in traveling, I would highly recommend going by bicycle!