When news came that the UK actor Idris Elba,46, was named People magazine’s “Sexiest Man Alive” for 2018, Elba showed an interesting response to it. “I was like, ‘Come on, no way. Really?’’’ he told People. “It was nice - an ego (自我) boost for sure.”

The reason that Elba needed an “ego boost” is probably that even though he’s famous now, having starred (主演) in many famous films, Elba hasn’t always been a confident person. He went through an awkward phase growing up, not feeling good about his look. And living in London as a child of an African immigrant (移民) family wasn’t easy for him either. “I was very tall and skinny. And my name was Idrissa Akuna Elba, okay? I got picked on a little bit,” he said. However, for the rest of us, the news of his award for being the “Sexiest Man Alive” was no surprise at all.

Elba is far more than just an actor. He is the voice behind the versatile (多才多艺的) chief of police in Disney’s Zootopia. He is the director of crime drama film Yardie. He designs clothes, DJs and produces his own music. He also learned to fly a stunt (特技) plane. It was probably all these experiences that gave Elba the confidence that he has today. But still, Elba managed to keep a humble (谦逊的) attitude toward life and people around him. “I love being confident, but also I know when to contain it and just stay humble and rational,” Elba told Entertainment Weekly.

These “complicated contradictions” in Elba, as US movie producer Amy Pascal told The New York Times, “make every character he plays fascinating”. And it is this ability to fascinate that got Elba an Officer of the British Empire medal in 2016, for his “services to drama”. And it’s perhaps also these “complicated contradictions” that makes Elba charming.

Growing up in the Philippines,construction worker Johnny Manlugay combs the beaches each night for the eggs of sea turtles. He knows exactly what to look for,as he was trained as a child by his grandfather on how to locate the animals and their eggs. Back then,his family traded or ate them. It wasn’t about getting rich as much as it was just a part of life.

Manlugay has since turned over a new leaf. Instead,he uses his tracking skills to protect the sea turtles that visit the beaches he lives by.

“I’ve learned to love this work,”Manlugay acknowledged in an interview.“We didn’t know poaching(偷猎)was illegal and that we should not eat turtle eggs and meat.”

Manlugay delicately transferred each egg into a bucket he brought with him,as well as some sand from the turtle nests,to be handed over to Coastal Underwater Resource Management Actions(CURMA)，the group leading the conservation program on the beaches.

Established in 2009,the CURMA conservation effort has gradually transformed sea turtle poachers into valuable allies(盟友). They manage this by offering training to ultimately save thousands of turtles and keep their eggs from ending up everywhere but their nests.

“We talked to the poachers,and it turned out poaching was just another means for them to earn a living,”explained Carlos Tamayo,the director of operations.“They had no choice.”

On average,sea turtles lay 100 eggs in a nest. The number of nests in the area ranges between 35and 40 each season,which runs from October to February. Tamayo noted that the figures had doubled during the first year of the COVID pandemic.“Last season alone,for example,we had 75 nests and we released close to 9,000 hatching,”he shared.

Once collected,the eggs are then transferred to CURMA’s hatchery(孵化场)to be reburied in protected areas. Another former poacher,Jessie Cabagbag,grew up eating turtle meat and eggs like many people there.“I stopped poaching when we underwent training and were taught that what we have been doing was illegal and that these species of turtles are endangered,”he explained. Now,he admits,“I am truly proud. I am happy that I get to contribute to the conservation of the turtles.”

Hongbai Primary School was completely destroyed in the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. The school was located just 10 kilometers away from Yingxiu, Sichuan province, the tremor’s epicenter (震中).

All of the school buildings fell down. Nearly 160 students and seven teachers were buried under the fallen buildings.

After the quake, Beijing worked together with Shifang, a city 40 km from Hongbai town, to rebuild the school. By the end of 2009, construction of the new school was finished. They named it Bo’ai Primary School, which means universal love to show their gratitude to those who helped bring things back to normal.

The school’s headmaster, Wu Chenglin, said new equipment in the school and help of teachers from Beijing and Hongbai are contributing to the students’ education.

From the looks on the children’s faces and the sounds of their laughter, it would be nearly impossible to tell that just a few years ago this land and their school was destroyed by a terrible earthquake.

Bo’ai Primary School is not just a replacement building to cover up past disaster. It is a symbol of hope happiness and the determination of the residents of Hongbai.