Interact! Time 100

Answer by Saif Al-Khaili, UAE

Thomas Edison in one of the most famous inventors in the 20th century. The most known inventions he has made were the phonograph and the prototype of the electric bulb. He built his own company for distributing electric power from central generating stations. Then his company merged with another one and became General Electric Co. By the time he died he had accumulated an impressive list of 1093 inventions (motion picture inventions; electricity applications; light bulb; electric typewriter development; dictaphone; mimeograph; etc.), but Thomas Edison's most important contribution was that he organized a system of research of hundreds of people working together. Nowadays, all people have many things in their lives which use electricity. This is a big change from the past and will be even bigger in the future. Thomas Edison helped to make that possible.

Interact! Tell Us Your Story: A Discussion Forum on Disabilities - Saeed Al-Dhaheri, UAE

First of all, as you know, you can find disabled in every country in the world. In these paragraphs I want to talk about the similarities and differences between disabled people in my country and the U.S.

The similarities are that most of the people respect disabled people, for example, by opening the door for them and giving them help at any time. Also, the government made for them special parking , anywhere they need, for example at school or work. In addition, in the schools, they built for them elevators for easy transfer between floors.

The differences are just a few because most of the countries help the disabled, but in the U.S. there are even more services for them because I think there are more disabled in the U.S. than in the U.A.E. Also, there are many special things the disabled can use, for example lifts on the buses, special restrooms for wheelchairs as well as parking.

In my opinion, I think there are only a few differences between the U.A.E and the U.S. about disabled because the people and the government have ensured many things for those people.

 Interact! Tales of Wonder

Story by Chai-Tsun Li (Ken) Taiwan, Level 200

A long time ago, there was a boy named Tung. His mother was sick and she was going to die. One day, she just said, "If I can eat fish soup that's wonderful," but there was no fish in winter because the river near where they live was frozen, but Tung still laid on the frozen river for a long time. People told him it's not work in this way, and you will be frozen to death. But he still want let his mother taste the fish soup. Finally, God was touched by his good mind. The frozen river melted and three fish jumped from a hole. He got the fish and cooked them for his mother. In a miracle, his mother was cured by the soup.

Interact! Tales of Wonder

Abdulaziz Alusaimi, Kuwait, Level 200

The story is about Black Duck. In a small family of ducks there was one black duck, three yellow ducks, and no one loved the black duck. And his mother was in her friend's house. When all the ducks were in their house, there was a fox outside who wanted to eat all the ducks. The black duck was in the garden. The fox came into the house and ate the three yellow ducks. After that, mother came to her home and she didn't find any ducks. The black duck told the mother, "Fox ate all three ducks and I know where the fox sleeps." Then mother went to the fox with black duck, and they cut the fox's stomach and got out the ducks and put rocks in his stomach. Finally, all the ducks loved each other because the black duck helped them.

Interact! Stories to Grow By

Daisuke Jin, Level 200, Japan

Once upon a time, there was an old couple. Husband was woodcutter and wife was housewife. One day, when wife was washing clothes at the river, a very huge peach cam down the river. She was very surprised by it. And she picked it up. Then she brought it and went back home. After husband cam home, they cut it. Just then, a boy was there in the peach. They didn't have a child. So they decided to bring him up. He was called "Peach Boy." He grew up a good boy. He was kind and brave.

One day, many ogres came to his village from the island of ogres, and they robbed treasures from the villagers. Peach Boy was brave, so he decided to take back the treasure that the ogres took. He got a companion on the way to go to the island of ogres. These were a dog, a monkey and a pheasant.

Why did they become companions? Because Peach Boy had delicious millet dumplings. They were made by his mother (the person who picked up the peach). He gave some to each animal, and they became companions. Then they fought the ogres and won. The could take back the treasure. After he came back home, he became a hero. He could live happily with his animal companions.

Interact! Castaway

Here are some ways students tried to escape from the island. Some were successful and some were not! Daisuke Jin - Level 300, Japan; Ken Li, Taiwan, Level 300; Suhail Al-Khaili, Level 300, UAE; Atsumi Terasaki, Japan, Level 300

Daisuke Jin - Level 300, Japan

It was hard to save my life by myself. It was very long way. When I scrambled up the beach on to the island, there was no sign of anyone. First, I went in to the jungle which was on my right. After I set off in the jungle, I heard the sound of large animal. I moved away from the noise; however, it was getting closer. I climbed a tree to get out of the animal's way. Then, an animal came under the tree. It was a lizard. He was pacing for 15 minutes. After that he gave up and moved away into the jungle. So, I continued on my way through the jungle. Soon, I reached a stream emerging from a cave. I went into the cave. There were two tunnels into the cave. I chose the left fork and went down it. I could hardly see anything in the dark, but I continued into the cave. After that, I stumbled and fell, and I touched something hard. I picked it up and carried on. It was a compass. Meanwhile, the tunnel went round in a circle. I found myself back at the mouth of the cave. I was beginning to lose heart. However, I didn't give up. I went into the jungle again and I heard the animal noise. I went towards it, so I met the lizard. I picked up a large stick and hit the lizard. He turned and shuffled away into the bushes. After that, I went to the stream. I waded across the stream; however, the water was running very fast, so I was swept off my feet and carried away but I relaxed and let the water take me where it wanted to go. Then, I reached a little bay and I found a row boat there, so I sailed the boat out to sea. I knew that there was a shipping lane to the north west. That's why I steered north west using the compass. Finally, I reached shipping lane and a boat picked me up and took me up directly to the West Coast of Canada.

Ken (Chai tsun) Li, Taiwan, Level 300

At the very first, a terrible storm happens to your ship and you are the only survivor in this accident.You just have a rescue flare, a pistol, and three bullets with you in this desert island. You want to leave this island, so you look for the way out. You find a jungle and enter the jungle. Suddenly you hear a noise from animals; therefore, you go towards the sound of noise and find out the animal is a lizard. You feel not so nervous after you know that is a lizard and pick up a large stick to hit it. You keep on going on your way. You find a stream flowing from a cave. Your choose to enter the cave and it is too dark for you to see anything. Your foot hit something and you pick it up from your right hand side. When you go out of this cave, you find this thing you picked up is a compass. Then you follow the stream (or let the flow take you) and you reach a coast which has a row boat there. You use the compass to the north-west direction. You did it you reached the West Coast of Canada!!

Suhail Al-Khaili, UAE, Level 300

This is a difficult puzzle for me. I scrambled up the beach onto the island. I went to the jungle. I moved away from the animal noises. I climbed a tree to get out of the animal's way, and then I continued on my way through the jungle. After that, I went into the cave and I took the left fork. Then I continued into the cave. I picked up a compasss and carry it on. Next, I waded into a stream. I relaxed and let the water take me where it wanted to go. I was sailing on a boat out to sea. Finally, I steered north-west using the compass. I was lucky because I found a ship.

Atsumi Terasaki, Japan, Level 300

I was going into the jungle to find way of escape. I noticed sound of some animal. I moved away from it. But, it followed me! I climbed a tree. It was a lizard. He looked hungrily. I stayed on top of the tree, then he moved away--.Hyuuuuu! When I went through the jungle, I saw a stream. I went into the stream. Running water took me to a little bay. I found a boat there!! I sailed to ocean and guessed which way is north-west. I was steering,steering,and steering. I never gave up, but I couldn't steer after a few days....I wanted to eat Japanese food....Then, I died. :-(

Once Upon a Time by Kulraj from Nepal

In the big jungle near a village,there was a man named Rawana. He was dishonest and cruel man, nobody like him. One day, a man came to him and ask why you became bad man. He answered,well once up on a time, there were many friends of mine, every body were good to me. One day, they called me for dinner. I had a very nice delicious dinner with them. While I was returning home, I met one big evil. He taught me bad thing for so that how to make money. By then I learnt lots of tricks which in fact made me worst. This is how I became a bad man. So, you don't see money, but see honesty and behave nice.

Basil Onions and Gresham Garlic by Izzy Cohen from Israel

Long ago and far away (in the Old Country), there lived a very successful onion merchant named Basil. Sad to say, there came a time when a Great Depression gripped the Land. No one bought anything they didn't absolutely have to buy. And no one, but no one, was buying Basil's onions.

Basil had a large stock of fresh onions. He realized that if he did not take some decisive action, he would soon have a large stock of rotten onions that could not be sold at any price. Basil had heard that in another Land far away, there were no onions. The people who lived there had never seen or tasted onions. So Basil made a decision that was destined to change his life. He decided to go to that far away Land with all of his onions.

Basil loaded his entire stock of onions on his wagon and set out for that far away Land. He drove his horse and wagon for four days and four nights, day and night, night and day, until finally, on the fifth day, he arrived at the fabled land where no one had ever seen an onion.

The Fates were good to Basil. Scheduled for that very evening was a Banquet to commemorate the engagement of the Prince to marry a Princess from a nearby land. Basil obtained permission from the King's advisors to show the King's cooks how to prepare the Banquet meal using onions. And what a meal it was. Never before had the People tasted such fabulous cuisine.

The next morning, the King and his Advisors sat around the Round Table and discussed how they should reward the man who brought them so many onions, taught them how to cook with onions, how to plant and harvest onions, how to enjoy onions. Finally they reached a decision. They emptied the remaining bags of onions and sent Basil home after filling all of his bags with ... gold. Basil arrived home a wealthy man, a man who never had to buy or sell another onion in his life.

Now Basil had a friend named Gresham who was a garlic merchant. Needless to say, the same Great Depression that prevented anyone from buying onions also prevented everyone from buying garlic. And Gresham realized that his large stock of fresh garlic would soon become a large stock of rotten garlic that could not be sold at any price.

Basil told his friend Gresham about the journey to that far away Land. And when Basil told Gresham that the People who had never before seen or tasted onions had also never seen or tasted garlic, Gresham decided immediately that he, too, must make the same journey. Gresham loaded his entire stock of garlic on his wagon and set out for that far away Land. He drove his horse and wagon for four days and four nights, day and night, night and day, until finally, on the fifth day, he arrived at the fabled land where no one had ever seen garlic.

The Fates were also good to Gresham. Scheduled for that very evening was a Banquet to commemorate the engagement of the Princess to marry a Prince from a nearby land. Gresham easily obtained permission from the King's advisors to show the King's cooks how to prepare the Banquet meal using garlic. And what a meal it was. It was even better than the Banquet meal that had been prepared with onions. Never before had the People tasted such fabulous cuisine.

The next morning, the King and his Advisors sat around the Round Table and discussed how they should reward the man who brought them so much garlic, taught them how to cook with garlic, how to plant and harvest garlic, how to enjoy garlic. Finally they reached a decision. They emptied the remaining bags of garlic and sent Gresham home after filling all of his bags with ... onions.

izzy (retelling an old Folk Tale from memory)

izzy_cohen@bmc.com

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