Blood on the station floor. Mine! Yes, another fall on the escalator as I hurried to catch the high-speed German ICE (Inter City Express) train in Amsterdam’s Centraal Station. Heavy bag deciding to go south, me following. A bang on the head and a cut finger. Police there in an instant, tissues materialised to stem the dripping, wanting me to sit and calm down … and the train to leave in two minutes. And you know how German trains leave as the second hand hits the Twelve. No, not dizzy, shaken but okay ..

The World Festival of Children's Theatre, coming to Stratford this summer, offers a pivotal opportunity for those who care about childhood creativity to share their inspiration and best practices. Experts in children's theatre and creative play will gather concurrently in Stratford for PLAY! A Symposium, a key educational exchange presented in the context of the world festival at the University of Waterloo's Stratford campus. Local, Canadian and international participants are welcome and encouraged to participate.

Tera Sabatino is a senior at the University of Pittsburgh. She is a History major with a concentration in 20th century history and will be starting nursing school in the fall. She notes, "after studying abroad, I caught the travel bug and would love to spend time being a travelling nurse." 

I suppose that if you are “going Dutch,” and you are lulled by the lure of Amsterdam Gouda, Haarlem, or even The Hague, all gables and canals, then Rotterdam may come as a bit of a disappointment.

Well, fooled be you.

Like going to see the Mona Lisa and walking past the Pissarro, without much of a glance.

Kirsten Maxwell runs Kids Are A Trip, which is a family travel resource sharing tips and advice about travel with children in hopes of helping other families plan their vacations. She notes, "We are a Chicago-based family with three boys who love to explore the world around us. We believe travel in itself is an education and we hope to educate ourselves and others as we share our experiences and adventures around the world."

Teachers! Writers! New speakers of English—or any other language! For three days only—February 13, 14, and 15—the Kindle version of Accidental Poetry: Improve Your English Through Creative Writing by Lisa Lieberman Doctor can be downloaded for free on Amazon.com.

Katarina Klett is a third-year chemical engineering student at the University of Pittsburgh. At school, she works as a calculus tutor in the Math Assistance Center (MAC) and as a Peer Advisor for the Swanson School of Engineering. When not at the MAC or in the engineering building, she can be found in the Adipose Stem Cell Center, where Katarina worked as a Student Researcher since the summer following her freshman year.

Looking for a global gift for someone you love? Perhaps for an upcoming holiday? I've got the perfect thing for you. Eleni's Cookies, located in NYC, is well-known for their custom, hand-iced Conversation Cookies. With the Language of Love cookie set, you'll discover 10 heart-shaped cookies, with I Love You in ten different languages! Isn't this genius?

Maria Haase is an Online Marketing Consultant during the day and Travel Writer at night. Born and raised in Germany, she decided to move to the US, first as a High School Exchange Student and later to study Business in San Diego. Between degrees, Maria also spent 6 months doing an internship in Beijing, China, where she discovered her passion for Blogging and Online Marketing.