Nafis's Posts (112)

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Promote Arts on Drawing Day

On June 6th, all artists around the world deliver their paintings and videos to this website:http://www.drawingday.orgIt is supposed to deliver one million paintings from artists around the globe so please join this great event in order to promote arts. You can send your paintings, oil paitings, water colors and etc. The number of painting is countless. You can send how many works you would like. There is no limit but promoting arts.
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“The use of traveling is to regulate imagination by reality, and instead of thinking how things may be, to see them as they are.” - Samuel JohnsonHeathrow Airport in London is tremendously vast. It is consisted of four separate terminals. Each of which has various duty-free shops, restaurants, airline representatives and so on.I just had thirty minutes to find Air Canada Gate because the Iranian airplane was delayed for an hour. As soon as I got off the plane, I asked a police officer:”Where can I find flight number 557?” He pointed out to the yellow line on the wall and said: “Just follow the yellow line; you will get there very soon.”I did not have much time to make mistakes, so I was carefully looking at all signs and boards. Fortunately, there was no need to change the terminal. Air Canada was in the same building that I entered.Heathrow Airport was really elegant and little strange for me. All shops were decorated with heart shapes chocolates, boxes tied with red ribbon, fancy mannequins wore tailored clothes and etc. I really wanted to stop to window-shop but time was flying and I had to find my Gate. More interestingly, cars and buses were in the left side of the roads and drivers were on the right. That gave me the strange and interesting feeling.Eventually, I reached the counter that gave gate’s number. A busy blond lady told me: “Run! Run! You just have ten minutes left!” By hearing that, I ran immediately. However, I was relatively sure that the plane would stay for me since I had my boarding card.Running with a heavy back-pack and two bags in hand was exhausting and annoying. My back was aching and my hands were red because of holding too much weight. But, I was running as fast as I could. In some areas, I took escalators to be faster. I did not know that some small cars inside the building took special people to the gate and I could ask them to help me as well.My feet were weak and I could not stand on them. I was thirsty and hungry. My stomach was singing a song like a frog in swamp: I am hungry! Hungry! Hungry!Lastly, I found the gate. I could not see anyone in front of the gate. I was the last person to board. An old kind lady asked me: “Where have you been? We waited for you for so long.” “I am so sorry. The plane had delay and I arrived right now.” I said sadly. She seriously looked at me and said: “OK, You can go this way.” And pointed out to the gate number six. Finally, the last person boarded on the Canadian Airplane.By the plane’s door, a tall slim smiley flight-attendant welcomed me and I found my seat near a window.
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One of my favorite characters is humorous Haji-firuz. Weeks before the end of the year and even shortly after the announcement of the Persian New Year, he comes telling all that spring is in the air.He wears fiery red satin costume, dark-make up and plays his tambourine and trumpets. He wanders all streets and people give him a gift or money for bringing such a good news.He dances like a snake, up and down with wavy movements. As he dances, he sings a very funny song. He is jokey because his mission is to make people delighted. He thinks if one is blissful in the spring, happiness will be continued for the rest of the year.His fiery red satin outfit which symbolizes the fire encourages people to burn their old habits and old stuff in the fire and to revive themselves. http://www.labkhand.com/createcard1.asp?PostCardID=436
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How do you control exam stress?

Napolean Bonaparte and I have something in common. As it is said, Napolean was afraid of taking an exam and so do I. I am scared of any kinds of exams no matter what I am prepared or not. I am full of stress at the exam day and the night before.I can not sleep very well at night. During the day, I try not to think of the exam and its results. More interestingly, I always try not to think of the result and just enjoy what I am doing. However, I still have the stress.I can not eat breakfast. That is really harmful both for the test and my body. But, automatically, I do not have appetite.I always try to calm myself by breathing deeply and meditation. Consequently, I become more relaxed but it is not ideal.I would like to ask you what you do to control the exam pressure. Please share your ideas here. Thanks.
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The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page. ~St. AugustineMy first trip to Canada was unforgettable. First of all, I was sad and happy at the same time. I had to leave my parents and that made me so sad. At the same time, I was grateful to experience a new lifestyle and new adventures. I wanted to learn more about other people; how they live, how they think, what traditions and customs they have and so on. As a result, my first trip to Canada was thrilling.My departure time was at six o’clock in the morning on a cold day. I was so sleepy at four o’clock in the morning. The airport was extremely crowded, even at that time in the morning.I had two suitcases and a heavy back-pack, full of personal documents and books. My hands were full with two bags of books too. Moving was torture with all that stuff. I moved like a robot.The night before, I had weighed my luggage three times, to make sure that they did not weigh too much. But, when I was in the line to check-in, the bad-temper clerk stated that my bags were too heavy and I had to leave some of my personal belongings there. But, how could I do that?I was alone and could not even move my luggage. Moreover, I had two problems. First, I had to find someone to help me move the bags and then, taking the stuff out of them and put them in a bag. I desperately looked around. Other travellers were looking at me, expecting me to move very quickly and let them to check-in.Finally, among the crowds, I found a cleaner. He helped me remove some stuff and put it in a bag. At the end, after two hours, the airport clerk accepted my luggages and allowed me to enter the transit area. I felt like a blissful fighter who defeated the enemy in the battle field.Two weeks before the flight, I had to pay a toll for leaving my home country, Iran. It is a rule. I did that. But, once again, I had another problem. When I reached customs where they give you permission to enter the airplane, he declared that the money paid was not enough and I had to pay more. I had to go back to the main building where the airport bank was. I was about to miss my flight.I thought if I go there, I will have to do the entire procedure from the beginning. Oh, my God! Why are you doing this to me? I was exhausted and sleepy. Leaving the airport was like a mirage in the distance. So, I suddenly said that I promised to pay the money next time. He looked at me suspiciously and said: “OK, you can go.” That was the best thing I heard that day!Lastly, the bus took the passengers to the airplane. Most of the travellers looked very tired and sleepy. I looked at the capital city, Tehran where I grew up. Mount. Damavand was hidden in the gray sky because of the pollution. But, the sun was generous as usual. I never knew how much I loved the city. At that time, I realized that leaving your homeland can really show you how much you value it.In the airplane, I had a seat near the window. I was delighted because I could see everywhere from above. An old Television on the wall was showing the travelling routes, from Tehran to Istanbul, Frankfort, Amsterdam and then London.London airport was my next destination. I had to change my flight in London and took Air Canada. I did not want to sleep even though I needed.I wanted to see all the countries from above. The planet earth had a different view from there. Mountains, deserts, seas and cities were tiny. The hue of the Black Sea was actually black. I did not know that! Austria was cloudy and green. The sun was shining but dense clouds blocked the sunlight in some cities like Frankfurt and Vienna. Winding River Thames was flowing smoothly through London. Eventually, after thirty minutes, turning around the sky, the airplane landed in London airport, Heathrow.To be continued...
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I would like to tell you about my experiences while living abroad. First of all, it is really amusing to read and laugh at funny moments. Second, my friends can know what kind of life they will have while living overseas. Here is one of my stories.One sunny morning in Vancouver, Canada, I decided to dye my hair. In fact, the weather made me do so. A sunny day in Vancouver is so nice because all the streets are decorated with various colorful flowers. The sunlight reflects in shiny store windows and blinds pedestrians’ eyes.Everything is in the right location. A winding road can be hardly found in this city. All the roads and highways are constructed in parallel. Everything is in order and shaped into a perfect design. Birds are tweeting. I can smell the scent of the rain from last night. I can feel the freshness of the air. To enjoy the beauty of this day, it would be great to dye my hair.On the 14th floor of the university high-rise apartment, neighborhood is silent. At this time of the day, 10o’clock, most students are not in the building but maybe some housewives.I am enjoying this peaceful environment with a view of the city. I can see high green-covered mountains with dark blue-colored Ocean at the bottom. I can hear the noise of white pelican struggling to search for food in the ocean. What a nice day!I begin putting some brown-colored paste on my hair and then warp it with plastic. In just twenty minutes, my hair will be very nice. I was about to finish all the paste that I heard a loud constant noise: fire alarm.It was so loud that I jumped, at least a one meter. My ears were about to explode. I could hardly hear my own voice. I was not sure what I should do. I had two options, staying in or going out looking like this. I look like an alien that comes from another planet.Making a decision in this situation was a disaster because I spent a lot of time putting the paste on my hair and then, washing it out was torture. I could not persuade myself to go out looking like this.So, I had to stay in and burn in the fire. This is not reasonable, dying for beauty? It is not fair! Finally, I decided to call the apartment manager to inform them about the fire.The apartment manager picked up the phone and said something with an English accent which was not very clear . However, it was not very important. I started talking but I forgot the English word for “extinguisher”. I described the situation with different words. Suddenly, she interrupted me and said that they had called the Fire Department and they would be there in two minutes.A Few housewives with their kids had gathered in front of the building waiting for the firefighters. I felt like they were looking at me and thinking about how I was going to burn in the fire. However, no one could see that happen. I abruptly jumped into the bathroom to wash out my dear paste. I finished washing it all out and sighed deeply. I got dressed quickly and was ready to go out. But realized that I could not hear the fire alarm anymore!What a NICE dayyyyy?!
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Every year at this time, I have very unique feelings because the Iranian New Year is coming. We, the Iranians, prepare ourselves for the New Year by celebrating Chaharshanbe-Suri.Last Tuesday of the year, people get together in order to celebrate Chaharshanbe-suri. Chaharshanbe means Wednesday and Suri means red. In fact, They gather to celebrate one of the significant elements of the nature, "Fire". Moreover, people do not want the sun set so the festival begin from the evening until midnight or even morning.Chaharshanbe-suri is an ancient festival in Iran and dates back to 1700 BCE of the early Zoroasterian era. This celebration marks the arrival of the spring and the revival of the nature.In this day, people make bonfires on the street and jump over them. While jumping, they sing a traditional song: Your fiery red color is mine and my sickly yellow paleness is yours. In the other words, they want the fire take all the sickness, paleness and delimmas and instead give them redness, warmth and energy. After that, people and specially children cover their body in order to be unknown and go door-to-door to ask nuts, candies, chocolates and etc. Poeple most eat mixed nuts and berries and dance.I, as usual, am looking forward to the coming of this day. I am thinking how Chaharshanbe-suri can be held exceptionally and what I can do. All the childhood memories come to me in this day and make me a very special person, full of energy and dreams for the New Year- which comes with the spring. I deeply wish for the world that all the sicknesses, delimmas and paleness disappear and we all live in peace and bliss.
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A LITTLE mouse once caught in its paws a camel's head-rope and in a spirit of emulation went off with it. Because of the nimbleness with which the camel set off along with him the mouse was duped into thinking himself a champion. The flash of his thought struck the camel.'Go on, enjoy yourself,' he grunted. 'I will show you!'Presently the mouse came to the margin of a great river, such as would have cast down any lion or wolf. There the mouse halted, struck all of a heap.'Comrade over mountain and plain,' said the camel, 'why this standing still? Why are you dismayed? Step on like a man! Into the river with you! You are my guide and leader; do not halt half-way, paralysed!''But this a vast and deep river,' said the mouse. 'I am afraid of being drowned, comrade.''Let me see how deep the water is,' said the camel, and quickly set foot in it.The water only comes up to my knee,' he went on, 'Blind mouse, why were you dismayed? Why did you lose your head?''To you it is an ant, but to me it is a dragon,' said the mouse. 'There are great differences between one knee and another. If it only reaches your nee, clever camel, it passes a hundred cubits over my head.''Be not so arrogant another time,' said the camel, 'lest you are consumed body and soul by the sparks of my wrath. Emulate mice like yourself; a mouse has no business to hobnob with camels.''I repent,' said the mouse. 'For God's sake get me across this deadly water!''Listen,' said the camel, taking compassion on the mouse. 'Jump up and sit on my hump. This passage has been entrusted to me; I would take across hundreds of thousands like you.'Since you are not the ruler, be a simple subject; since you are not captain, do not steer the ship.
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I Am Nothing

Before I came to Canada, I thought that I was born in the best place in the world with the best culture, history, tradition and custom. That was my first immature self-image. Right now, I feel I am nothing and belong to the whole world." I suffered during these thirty years, but I have revived the Iranians with the Persian language; I shall not die since I am alive again, as I have spread the seeds of this language." This poem is from Ferdowsi, one of the most influential poets in Iran with his masterpiece called Shahnameh. Whenever I read his epic book, I felt the Iranian blood was flowing strongly through my body and then was proud of being an Iranian. This feeling intensified when I visited Persepolis, ancient mounument in the southern part of Iran with 2500 years of history. I was baffled by the sheer beauty in Iranian landscape from the Caspian Sea to the Persian Gulf, from the west mountains to the east arid plains.When I came to Canada which is a multicultural country, I became familiar with different cultures including Greek, Italian, Russian, Mexican, Polish, Danish, Chinese, Thai, Vietnamease, Pakistani, Indians and so on. Briefly, I call Canada " a country consisted of the whole world." Reading about these cultures with amazing traditions, musics, litrature, history made me think about the first self-image. Atlantis city in Greece, intriguing site with more than 3000 years of history surprised me. Strong poems of Longfelow, beautiful photos of Grand Canyon National Park, the richness of Tchikofsky's Swan Lake music, the origin of Halloween and Christmas, Greek dance and cuisines all are examples of the beauty of other cultures.Right now, I think these whole precious cultures belong to me and I am not just an Iranian. I do not belong to special place or culture. I am also a Greek, an Italian, a Danish, a Chineses, an Indian, an Egyptian and so on. I am the whole world with colorful tradition, custome and history.To sum up, I am nothing and the universe is my family.
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My father told me that he had left three things for me, his good reputation, books and his cassettes. He gave me a notebook filled with famous poems from reknown poets. He gathered this collection since his childhood. This notebook accompanied him in life hardship and now he gave it to me. My father said he did not have huge money or property to leave, except these cultural products and he emphasized that nothing is important than righteousness and good reputation in life.These are his legacy for me.It has been more than seven hundred years that Genghis Khan has died-the cruelest Chinese emperor. Recalling his name even today brings fear into minds. Adolf Hitler does not exist any more. But, people hate him and curse him because of slaughtering innocent people, spreading agony, poverty, horror and genecide around the globe. Nobody wants to name children by their first name. I do not like to be remembered with such a bad reputation at the end of my life. I do not want my name bring horror and sadness into minds.Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was an Indian spiritual guru. He turned traditional meditation into scientific meditation called Transcendental Meditation. By doing this, he saved thousands of people around the world. This kind of meditation benefits body and mind causing relaxation, self-confidence, socialization, crime reduction and etc. When he died, all people from different continents suffered from the terrible loss. I want to serve public in order to be remembered even after my death. I want people remember me by works I had done for them.In the notebook that my father gave me is a memorable poem. The poet narrates when we come to this world, we cry but people laugh. They are happy because of our birth. When we die, people cry and we laugh. They are sad because we left them. So, I want to live my life in such a way that after my death , people cry and I laugh.What do you think? At the end of your life, how would you most like to be remembered?
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By The Associated Press Text of President Barack Obama's inaugural address Tuesday, as prepared for delivery and released by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.OBAMA: My fellow citizens:I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our ancestors. I thank President Bush for his service to our nation, as well as the generosity and co-operation he has shown throughout this transition.Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because we the people have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears, and true to our founding documents.So it has been. So it must be with this generation of Americans.That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land - a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America - they will be met.On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.We remain a young nation, but in the words of scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of shortcuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted - for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things - some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labour, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and travelled across oceans in search of a new life.For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction.This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions - that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act - not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions - who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them - that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works - whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account - to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day - because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control - and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favours only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our gross domestic product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart - not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.As for our common defence, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our founding fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more.Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort - even greater co-operation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the spectre of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defence, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace.To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honour them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment - a moment that will define a generation - it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate.Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends - hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism - these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility - a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.This is the price and the promise of citizenship.This is the source of our confidence - the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed - why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.So let us mark this day with remembrance, of who we are and how far we have travelled. In the year of America's birth, in the coldest of months, a small band of patriots huddled by dying campfires on the shores of an icy river. The capital was abandoned. The enemy was advancing. The snow was stained with blood. At a moment when the outcome of our revolution was most in doubt, the father of our nation ordered these words be read to the people:"Let it be told to the future world ... that in the depth of winter, when nothing but hope and virtue could survive...that the city and the country, alarmed at one common danger, came forth to meet (it)."America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations.The original source:http://ca.news.yahoo.com/indepth/us_elections/s/capress/090120/world/20090120_inauguration_obama_text_tab_1
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