My favorite book is "Lord of the Rings" by Tolkien. The last book I read is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. If you are looking for semi-complicated plots and easier English, try juvenile fiction (books for teenagers).

Restructure the sentence this way in your head: When anyone thinks of "culture and values", they think of a world view, and a lifestyle.

I learned people gather too many trinkets over the years. It's easy to lose small things. I bought my boyfriend's father (in the Netherlands) a t-shirt with my hometown name across it. Small items of food are usually appreciated. When I returned home to the United States, I brought home a huge box of s stroopwafel (waffle cookie thing) from the Netherlands to my office. It was gone in two hours.

I think of bike filled canals and high tourists jumping into the crowded walkways. I had a decent time in the city since I went with my boyfriend. He used to work in Amsterdam, so he knew a lot of places. I developed a decent impression of Amsterdam, but I would not want to work or live there. Too busy for my tastes.

One company returned to the United States because of rising production costs. This coincides with rising oil prices, which add to the price of shipping items overseas. When I ordered a computer from HP, they literally assembled it in China and routed it down through Alaska to my house. Ridiculous.