CPR (心肺复苏术) saves lives. It can really change someone’s life, as I found out for myself three years ago.

On October 14, 2009, my mom had an accident while playing soccer and was taken to hospital. The next morning, I was told that my mom had had a cardiac arrest (心脏停搏). I later learned that two players on the opposing team kept breathing air into my mother’s mouth and pressing her chest for seven minutes, as they waited for the ambulance to arrive. My mom stayed in the hospital for only ten days. I know that I am very lucky to have my mom here, because most people who have cardiac arrests and do not receive CPR within the first six minutes die.

My mom has used this experience to spread the word about CPR. She joined the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Support Group, which was set up to help survivors and their families through a difficult experience. The support group also takes part in the Heart Walk every year, raising money for the American Heart Association. And she attends Lobby Day each year, convincing the New York State Legislature to pass a law that would make basic CPR and first-aid training a graduation requirement for high school students.

This task is not as difficult as it may first appear to be. Every student in New York State must take health class in order to graduate. Just one or two days of health class each year will ensure that every student in the state will learn this important skill. This training is also nearly free. There is no need for a professional CPR instructor because the American Heart Association has online videos that show the newest techniques in CPR. Also, most local EMS services will lend training models to schools.

My mom and her fellow survivors go to a high school each year to talk to the students about the importance of learning CPR. This training will not get you the official CPR certification (证书), but as my mom says, “You don’t need a little card to save someone’s life.”

It was the day after Christmas 33 years ago. My wife gave birth to our first child. We were full of gratitude to have Joseph John Mazzella II, also called JJ, sleeping peacefully in the cradle (摇篮)next to our bed.

We had been on the road showing off our little baby to all of the grandparents and great-grandparents. It had been a busy Christmas and hard on my wife who was still recovering from her operation, Now we were back in our tiny flat trying to get a few extra hours of sleep before starting the day.

Just then I heard JJ stirring in his cradle. I leaned over and picked him up before he started to cry and then carefully stole out into the living room so that my wife could keep sleeping. I picked up a bottle and sat in our rocking chair with JJ in my arms. I rocked quietly and fed him in the living room while he looked up at me with his loving eyes. I spoke softly to him but also felt a little nervous and scared as I watched him. How was I going to take care of him I was a new father and had no idea what the future had in store for us. I rocked and rocked. But luckily, I had so many elders to help me.

After a few minutes I saw the sun slowly rising in the sky outside my window. The bright light was shining down from the heavens making the freshly fallen snow shine with beauty that touched my soul. As I watched it, my fear escaped and I felt such a sense of peace, harmony, love and joy. The Christmas spirit had entered my heart and I smiled. I knew then that whatever the future would hold, it would be smooth as long as I kept love in my heart. New life is precious and I believed my child would be grateful, too and bring us new sunshine in the future.

In Macau’s Coloane Village, the delicious smell of butter gently wafts through the air,attracting customers into a small,unassuming(不张扬的)shop. It is Lord Stow’s Bakery, famed for its Portuguese egg tarts.They have a flaky(酥脆的)texture,while the custard(牛奶蛋糊)is not too sweet.

The bakery was started by Andrew Stow 32 years ago.Originally from Essex in eastern England,Andrew worked for British drugstore chain Boots as an industrial pharmacist(工业药剂师)He moved to Macau in 1979 to work for Anglo French Laboratories.When the company left a few years later,Andrew decided to stay and set up his own business selling health foods,which was of course 20 years ahead of its time.

The business did not do well. To make ends meet, Andrew took a side job managing Alfonso’s Restaurant at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. He got the name “Lord Stow” from his Portuguese friends, who laughed at him for lording it over them.

Although his health food business never took off,Andrew found a niche importing flour for expatriates(侨)who wanted to make their own bread.When he went to Portugal,Andrew saw the roadside bakeries selling pasteis de nata (Portuguese egg tarts).He thought about introducing it to Macau.

The only problem was that Andrew did not have a recipe for pesteis de nata,but he was not discouraged.He started experimenting.With the help of a chef friend at the Hyatt Regency,he developed his own version of pasties de nata.It featured a Portuguese pastry(油酥面皮)case filled with a British custard that is slightly burned on the top.

After Andrew died suddenly of asthma(哮喘)in October2006,his sister Eileen continued managing the business. “I can’t believe the business has grown this much in 32 years. And I doubt whether Andrew expected that it would have a long history,” she says.

The Macau government honored Andrew with a gold medal for his services to tourism.They recognized that he had created an iconic(标志性的)pastry that would be forever linked with Macau.