【推荐1】On July 24, 2020, Mike Stout launched his kayak（皮筏艇）just before 8：30 a.m. About 56 miles and 16.5 hours later, he landed on the sandy Michigan shore. It was his second time crossing Lake Michigan.

By chance, Stout said, he gave kayaking a try in 2016. Already in good physical condition, he considered kayaking a weekend escape. Then he was challenged by a client of his firm to think bigger. He did go big quickly. Weekend kayak trips were 40, 50 and 60 miles long over the next few months. Then his goal was to cross Lake Michigan that year. On August 3, Stout completed his first crossing of Lake Michigan in 15.5 hours. Since then, he’s finished countless long-distance trips on Minnesota rivers and lakes.

In heading back to Lake Michigan last summer, Stout thought he could become the first kayaker to make a round-trip crossing of the Great Lake. He felt capable. He’d put in 800 miles since March 1, 2020-when ice was still on the Minnesota River.

Stout wanted to do with manageable winds. Possibilities rose, only to become worse, the lake showing its mercurial nature. Stout realized a single crossing was his best hope. With local police informed of his plans and plenty of food aboard, Stout launched. His plan was to land on the Michigan shore 12.5 hours later. The lake thought otherwise. The winds and waves were working against him, too. Still, he was resolute. Finally he could hear waves crashing on shore.

“Never did I have a sense of doubt or fear or worry,” Stout said. Despite the constant, forceful wind, he said the crossing was easier than his others because of his experience. But no less meaningful. The stars, the chance to speak to the heavens, and the hope that his adventure would inspire others-all were fuel to finish.

【推荐2】Located in the picturesque Goulburn Valley in country Victoria is the Kialla Central Primary School, attended by just 77 students, four teachers and one excellent principal (校长). After experiencing epidemic lockdown period (疫情封闭期) that forced them into remote learning for months, the boys and girls of Kialla have just one message — THANK YOU!

“We never expected such a wonderful outpouring of thanks,” principal Debbie Humphries tells Woman’s Day from the school’s playground where the students have gathered to praisethe devoted (有献身精神的) staff who supported them during these recent tough times.

“Spending time with these amazing children, we found one unique quality really shines through their exceptional kindness. From Foundation One through to Year 6, all 77 come together as one, each adding their little bit of magic to the mix,” says Debbie, 52. “Our school motto, ‘A small school doing big school things!’, summarized what we aim to do every day—to go beyond the normal course of duty, to schedule their education according to their individual strengths, and weaknesses, and give them a chance to shine and be their best.”

“I’ve been here at Kialla Central since its foundation,” Harry, 11, explains confidently, “Thanks to the best teachers in Australia, actually the universe, lockdown and remote learning was like being in the classroom—only more fun! Now I’m in Grade 6 and a school captain, and it’s my job to help teach the little ones that we must always look out for each other,” he says.

Annika, who is honored to captain the school with her good mate Harry, is convinced Miss H and the Kialla staff are real-life angels, without the wings! “During lockdown, they changed everything to make learning more interesting. We made Mother’s Day cards as part of our art lesson, and they organized flowers from a local community garden to gift to our mums. If one of us was having a birthday, they all got in their cars and drove by our houses singing Happy Birthday!” she says.

“We’re very proud to know our hard work has paid off — just look at those smiles!” says principal Debbie.

【推荐1】Born in Paris on June 16, 1914, Colette started playing the piano at the age of five. Incredibly, Colette has been at the piano everyday since 1921! Even now, over a century on, she still sits at her piano every day to practise for several hours. In the 1930s, Colette studied in the class of Alfred Cortot, one of the foremost piano virtuosos(演奏家) in France at the time. Subsequently, Colette followed a life-long career as a piano teacher and accompanist.

Between the 1930s and 1940s, war spread through Europe and across globe, changing countless lives dramatically. In this case,Colette was employed as a nurse in a hospital. You might expect this part of her story to be all about loss and express sadness but Colette always kept hope in her heart even in the worst adversity.

It perhaps will come as little surprise to hear that Colette is a fan of the Romantic era and especially composers such as Debussy and Schumann. What you might be surprised to hear, though, is that Colette began her career as a recording artist at the late age of 85!

Colette’s son often slept in the room where she kept her piano and for this reason heard his mother playing on a daily basis. Comparing her performances with that he heard on the radio, he was convinced his mother was the equal, if not the superior, of those he heard being broadcast. Several years ago, her son persuaded her to pursue a recording career—aged 85.

In 2021, Colette released her latest and 6th album “Un Siecle avec Debussy”. At the time of writing, Colette is 107 years old, so what does she attribute to her long life? Yoga, three eggs and a glass of wine are part of her daily routine. Without a doubt, however, the key ingredient(因素)is her love and passion for the piano.It’s an enduring and comforting relationship.

【推荐2】We’re going to take a moment now to remember a man who lived a long life. Johan van Hulst was known for his great efforts during World War II, saving hundreds of Jewish children, but he was haunted (忧心忡忡的) by not being able to do more.

In 1940, the year Nazi Germany invaded (入侵) the Netherlands, Van Hulst headed a college in Amsterdam. The school he was running was next to a Jewish daycare center. When the Nazis took children from their parents, it was where the kids under the age of 12 went. When space ran out there, the Germans asked Johan van Hulst to house children in his school. He came up with an idea along with two people at the daycare center. If, for example, 20 children were transferred to his school, he’d only list 10 or 15, and the unregistered kids were then taken to safety. More than 600 children were saved.

Israel’s Yad Vashem, The World Holocaust Remembrance Center, in 1973 recognized Van Hulst as a “Righteous Among the Nations” — a title for non-Jews who risked their lives to save Jews from the Holocaust. In 2012, Israeli Prime Minister (总理) Benjamin Netanyahu honored Van Hulst during a state visit to the Netherlands. That year, Van Hulst’s heroism was adapted into a film titled “Sussman.”

Johan van Hulst died at the age of 107. Today, Amsterdam’s National Holocaust Museum stands at the site of the college. Emile Schrijver, who directs the museum, says Johan van Hulst always spoke of what he couldn’t do. “I was never a hero. I had to live the rest of my life with the knowledge that I’d only been able to save around 600 children rather than 700, 800, 900, or 1,000 children.”

Schrijver says Johan van Hulst’s long life allowed many generations to learn by his example — that even under the worst conditions, there’s always an option to choose right over wrong.

【推荐3】Wen Xiaodong is the only product designer from the Chinese mainland on the 500-strong creative team at the headquarters of the Lego Group, the world renowned toymaker, in Billund, Denmark.

Being part of such an illustrious team would be an accomplishment for any young art is, but Wen stands out for being one of the senior designers behind the beloved Lego Monkie Kid collection, and the four animation series of the same name.

It is the first Lego series inspired by Chinese legends and has proved to be a hit. The Monkie Kid has been turned into more than 70 products so far, and is one of the best-sellers on the Chinese market. Along with the Monkie Kid, traditional Chinese festival themed toys, which Wen has also had a hand in designing, have also proved popular on the international market.

It was Wens natural creativity that brought him to the innovative company. He has no professional qualifications in drawing or painting, and graduated with a major in English translation from Xi’an International Studies University in 2010 before working in a gaming company in Beijing as a graphic designer for a year.

In 2012, he was recruited by the Lego Group and was sent to Denmark in 2016. At the headquarters, he met the design team, which is composed of people with different expertise and of various backgrounds and nationalities. Some were architects, engineers, painters and even circus performers. The fact that Wen speaks fluent English and works with a multicultural perspective has helped him get along with his international peers.

The candid (坦率的) and soft-spoken Wen has a sense of pride in his job, and in bringing one of the most renowned Chinese fictional characters to life. There are so many Western superhero Lego products, he says. The Monkie Kid, released in 2020, is about a Chinese superhero and is based on the Journey to the West.