Picture this – it is a cool misty afternoon. There is a sea breeze blowing in from the Puget Sound with a hint of ocean scent upon it. The day smacks of pirates, mermaids and other nautical beings. But the cool moisture upon the air also creates a longing for a hot cup of tea. Bring along an English tea service for a picnic on the beach and you’ve got the idea behind Treasures and Teas.

Trying to determine which language will be dominant in the global economy of the future is like trying to predict which athlete will win gold in the Olympics. Sure, there are those favored to win, but there are those dramatic historical upsets too. With over 7 billion people on Earth with approximately 6,500 spoken languages, huge possibilities exist, although a few are considered the most likely.

Anything Else: If you like the outdoors AND amazing history, this is the place. “Your mission – to find the Pacific Ocean” was the directive given to Lewis and Clark by Thomas Jefferson. The day we set off to explore the southwestern-est corner of Washington was a dreary, late December day. It was drizzling, breezy and in the low 40s.

Low tide peels back the water to reveal an ochre sea star upon the sand. A gull alights beside it to inspect a would-be lunch but decides otherwise and takes flight. Not far away, a moon snail shuts itself tightly into its shell, sealing in safety and water, hoping to ride out another of the two daily low tides.

Although they sound as threatening as the antagonistic Decepticons of the popular Transformer Series, emoticons (commonly known as “smiley faces”), are rather benign, friendly, and at times, very helpful. Symbols such as :) or :/ or :D and >:( are growing more prevalent in our texts, emails, and handwritten notes, and are becoming a widely accepted form of communication.

Who would have ever associated Jack Black as the voice of an overweight, clumsy, slacker panda named Po, with a healthy lifestyle of exercise, confidence and discipline? Can you say Dragon Warrior? When Kung Fu Panda, a CG animated movie with all the sticky feel of bubble gum stuck to your shoe came onto the screen, it was pure entertainment.

Many believe writing in a journal to be equivalent to starting off with “Dear Diary.”. Yes, a diary is another name for a journal, but it doesn’t mean that you have to have one per se. That is unless, of course, you want to. A journal or diary is essentially a written record. Typically, a diary has daily entries in it, whereas journal entries may be less frequent.

Feature story of Megan Wildes, a nurse intern studying in the city of Kathmandu in Nepal. This story details a few of her challenges and poignant moments of her experiences abroad. wc: 1352

We wrack our brains trying to recall the correct word or phrase. We twist our tongues to form the unfamiliar sounds. We put ourselves out on a limb, hoping that what we say is going to be understood. Learning a foreign language is not an easy task for most of us. Why then, do we do it? While it is hard to determine just how many people on our planet are bilingual, some expert estimates suggest that half of the world’s population speak at least two languages.