Neftalie Williams: Skateboarding Is a 'Tool for Cultural Diplomacy'

  Skateboarding involves riding and performing tricks on a small oval board attached to four wheels. It can be considered a recreational activity, an art form or a method of transportation. Neftalie Williams says skateboarding is his passion. “When I'm skateboarding I feel free. It gives me the space to do what I want to do and sort of tune out the rest of the world. All I do is what feels good to me, what feels great under my feet and it lets me belong to a larger community. So I feel it all, all at the same time.” As a young adult, Williams gained a larger view on skateboarding. “Right when I got to be about 20 years old, that's when I decided that not only was skateboarding important but it's something that I should really, really be involved in --- not just working on being an amateur sponsor skater, but that skateboarding meant more to more people and it was a way to sort of connect communities everywhere. "So, for me, I started thinking about skating in a broader context. I ended up putting together my own skateboarding camp for kids in New England because that was me wanting to give back to the sport that gave me so much life. And a lot of my good friends have now become pro skaters and they were counselors at my camp at that time. So, that was my first foray into making things bigger for skateboarding as a whole.” Neftalie Williams is a researcher and lecturer with the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California (USC). He teaches a course called “Skateboarding and Action Sports in Business Media and Culture.” Williams studied skateboarding in college and received a master’s degree in Public Diplomacy from USC. He is first professor in the United States to teach the sport. “I am the first professor of skateboarding and action sports here in the U.S.,especially at a major university, USC. I've been looking at how skateboarding can be used as a tool for cultural diplomacy. So, when it came time to bring the class together, they knew that I'd been working out in the field in Cuba and Brazil and South Africa and that we were trying to find new ways to engage youth all over the world. "So, when it came time to propose having a class that talked about it, they looked at the fact that I had the experience, that I also had all the ties within the skateboarding network to bring in great people -- leaders in the field -- and that we were really also looking at the role of gender in new sports and how to actually make inroads and communicate with our youth. They thought it was a really great idea and we went forward.” The course has proven to be popular among students. But, Williams has kept the class size small, permitting just 25 students to officially register for the course. Examining skating as a tool for cultural diplomacy worldwide, Williams joined forces with the U.S. State Department, becoming the first skateboarding and academic sports envoy in U.S. history. “One of the things I'm the most proud of is being the first skateboarding envoy for the U.S. government. We worked with the embassy in the Netherlands to engage the Syrian refugees who'd been granted asylum in the Netherlands. It was an amazing project and not only was it engaging the Syrian refugees, but it was also engaging the youth of the Netherlands. Both of those groups are going to be the future of the Netherlands populace. "So, by having them both together they got to know one another, be totally engaged with each other and to spend time knowing what the future of the Netherlands was going to look like.  And it wasn't just, 'this is a project for those kids or this is just something for the elite.' For some of those kids it was the first time they ever got to see skateboarding up close. And they all became immediate parts of the skateboarding community.” Because the skateboarding diplomacy project was so successful in the Netherlands, the State Department has asked for Williams’s help in creating skateboarding projects in other countries. “So we're creating a plan right now to take skateboarding globally as an envoy. Some of the other countries that the U.S. government would like to engage using skateboarding as a tool for cultural diplomacy are Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan, Cambodia and Ethiopia.” In addition to his work empowering and uniting skateboarding communities, Neftalie Williams is chairman of Cuba Skate, designed to create people-to-people exchange between communities in Cuba and the U.S. “Cuba Skate is our nonprofit that's based in D.C. and here in L.A. and what we do is we bring boards back and forth to the kids that are in Cuba and we also promote educational exchange between the skaters that are here, skaters globally and the skaters that are in Cuba. "So one of the main things that are important with our working with Cuba Skate is that there are no skate shops on the island. So, what we want to do is foster entrepreneurship in the youth so that they can create their own skate shops, their own cooperatives, give them a blueprint to look at how businesses are run here in skateboarding, [and] how they can run their own educational facilities there in Cuba.” A major issue in the Cuban skateboarding community is its growing female membership. “Cuba has a very large skate populous, and it's growing all the time. With skateboarding being moved to the Olympics, hopefully in the future, it's nice to see that so many women are starting to take up skateboarding there and that there is no disparity between the men and women on the island.” However, Williams says there are a few barriers Cuba Skate faces. "The biggest obstacles that we face in Cuba skate is that we still have travel restrictions. There's still an embargo in place and that makes our work a little difficult. The good thing, though, is that we have our hearts in a light place because we know that progress is being made on both sides.” Neftalie Williams believe skateboarding teaches self-expression, among other things. “One of the most amazing thing that skateboarding teaches you is how to re-imagine yourself and the world around you. That’s very important because we have skaters all over the world who particularly in Cuba don't have access to resources. So, they've got to now look at themselves and figure out, 'how do I exist in this space?' "Skateboarding also teaches you how to persevere, because there aren't people to teach you how to do tricks or having large teams involved in the skate. You learn how to do it on your own. The other thing is skateboarding teaches you is to build a family and to build a community. That's amazing because most sports don't do that. This is something that's just inherent in skateboarding.” Neftalie started in skateboarding as a teenager. He says he, and other neighborhood kids, chose skateboarding because bicycles were too costly. “Skateboarding was something that all the kids in my building started doing after we looked at how expensive it was to get bikes and so it was really something great to be involved in. So it didn’t matter what part of town you were from; skateboarding was something that everyone got into.” Williams says the sport has given him so much. He says he hopes his work in skateboarding and the community will help ensure that the next generation of leaders is smarter and more culturally aware. “Skateboarding to me is freedom. It's family. It’s education. It's transportation. It's really the most amazing thing in the whole wide world. It gives us the freedom to do whatever we want anywhere. And that's something that...that's the most important thing to me. That freedom and that ability to communicate globally.” I’m Marsha James. Marsha James wrote this story for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page. Next time on People in America, meet Melody Bales, the Lady from Haiti. Listening Quiz See how well you understand this story by taking a listening quiz. Play each video, then answer the question. Words in This Story      tune out – phrasal verb to stop paying attention to what other people are doing or saying amateur sponsor - n. the provision of merchandise nad equipment and sometimes monetary payments to a skateboarder who has made specific time and effort commitments to a sponsor context – n. the words that are used with a certain word or phrase and that help to explain its meaning counselor – n. a person who provides advice as a job lecturer – n. someone who teaches at a college or university on a temporary basis engage – v. to get and keep someone’s attention, interest gender – n. the state of being male or female foray - n. an attempt to do something especially for the first time  inroad – n. used to describe a situation in which someone or something becomes more successful or important academic – n. a person who is a teach in a college or university granted – v. to agree to do, give or allow something asked for or hoped for amazing – adj. causing great surprise or wonder populace - n. the people who live in a country or area elite – n. the people who have the most wealth and status in society envoy – n. a person who is sent by the government to represent it in dealing with another government people-to-people - adj. having or showing strong emotions or beliefs blueprint - n. a detail plan of how to do something foster – n. to help something grow or develop facility – n. something such as a building or large piece of equipment that is built for a specific purpose disparity- n. a noticeable and often unfair difference between people or things embargo – n.  a government order that limits trade in some way obstacles – n. something that makes it difficult to do something access – n. a way of getting near, at or to something or someone persevere – v. to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult inherent – adj. belonging to the basic nature of someone or something expensive – adj. costing a lot of money ensure – v. to make something sure, certain or safe

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2jbijV7
via IFTTT

Trump's Nominee's to Face Senate Confirmation Hearings

In this Dec. 6, 2016, photo, President-elect Donald Trump introduces retired Marine Corps Gen. James Mattis as his nominee for Secretary of Defense while speaking to supporters during a rally in Fayetteville, N.C.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2hSsMEy
via IFTTT

Ford to Expand American Car Factory, Cancels Plans to Build in Mexico

  Ford Motor Company says it has cancelled plans to build a car factory in Mexico. Ford said this week it will not move forward with plans to build a factory in the central Mexican state of San Luis Potosi. The American company had planned to spend $1.6 billion to build the manufacturing center. It would have produced compact cars. Instead, Ford officials announced plans to expand the company’s factory in Flat Rock, Michigan, adding 700 jobs. Officials said the Flat Rock plant will be used to develop fully electric vehicles and hybrid models, ones that use both gasoline and electricity. The plant also will build a self-driving vehicle. Mark Fields, Ford’s chief executive officer, announced the decision on Tuesday. He said the company would invest $700 million to build several different models at the Flat Rock plant. "A new hybrid autonomous vehicle; a long-range battery electric SUV; a Mustang hybrid; an F-150 hybrid; a Transit custom plug-in hybrid; two new hybrid police vehicles; wireless charging; a $700 million investment and 700 new U.S. jobs." Labor representatives praised Ford’s move. United Auto Workers Vice President Jimmy Settles spoke at the announcement. He said the decision would have a big effect. "I don't know if you really can understand the impact of this investment. This is equivalent to a new assembly plant, $700 million." Ford’s decision comes as preparations continue in Washington for the swearing-in of Donald Trump as president of the United States. He will take office on January 20. During the 2016 election campaign, Trump was highly critical of American companies that close factories in the country, but operate overseas. Mark Fields said Ford is making the move, in part, because of what he called “pro-growth policies” discussed by Trump and the U.S. Congress. Ford says demand for compact cars is falling in North America. The carmaker says it will build a smaller model at another factory in Mexico. On Tuesday, Trump criticized the largest U.S. carmaker, General Motors. He said its cars sold across the country should also be made in the United States. Trump suggested what he called a “border tax.” General Motors reacted by saying the cars it makes in Mexico are not sold in the U.S. Experts say many companies are considering what to do if Trump and his administration press for U.S.-made products. James Nolt is with the World Policy Institute. "I've already read that Apple, for example, has done a contingency study to see how much it would cost if they moved manufacturing back from China to the United States. Other companies are probably doing the same sort of thing. They're making contingency plans. What if Trump is really serious about this?" Critics say political pressure adds to the complexity of decisions companies must make about how best to produce their products. They say the result could reduce choices for American consumers. I’m Mario Ritter. Zlatica Hoke wrote this report for VOANews.com. Mario Ritter adapted her report for Learning English with additional material from AP. George Grow was the editor. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   hybrid – adj. something that is the result of combining two or more things SUV –acronym a sports utility vehicle autonomous – adj. able to operate by itself battery – n. a device that chemically stores electricity assembly – n. the process of manufacturing something contingency – adj. a plan to be put into effect if there is an emergency or if the best plan cannot be carried out consumer – n. people who buy goods or services compact – adj. small

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2iJBWD0
via IFTTT

The Most-Searched Terms on Google in 2016

  How many times did you search for terms on the Internet last year? Google’s search engine performed 1.2 trillion searches in 2016. Google Trends, part of the American company, kept records of the most popular search terms. From the Summer Olympic Games to terrorist attacks to the presidential election in the United States, 2016 was filled with news. Many of us turned to search engines for more information about the news or about fun subjects, such as ice cream, popular culture and television programs. But have you ever wondered what everyone else was searching for online? Google Trends has developed a list of Breakout Trends. It shows the most popular online searches. You can see which terms people searched for most on Google by month, Overall Most Popular, and by area. Click on a listed search term to learn more about the term, such as trending over time, interest by city or state, and related subjects or queries. You can compare one search term to another to see the number of hits for both terms. You can also add a third search term for comparison. Google Trends offers charts, maps and other images so you can compare the search results for each term. In addition, you can see the results for 2016 or change the dates to study trends over time. Overall Most Popular Search Terms on Google in 2016 On Google, the most popular search terms worldwide were: Donald Trump Powerball Prince David Bowie Pokémon Hillary Clinton France Ramadan Orlando Academy Awards Chicago Cubs You can amend the results by People, Places, Things and Ideas to see the most popular term for each grouping. By Region According to Google Trends, these are the most searched terms on Google by region in 2016:                                         Click the picture of a globe in Google Trends to see a world map of regions represented by gray bars. Click on a bar to see the most searched term for that country in 2016.   You can also find top 2016 searches for each country on Google Trends or see a list of most popular searches worldwide.   Google Trends also shows the most popular searches by subject, including: Global news People Consumer Tech Global Sporting Events Losses Movies Musicians TV Shows   This video from Google has images of many news events from 2016.     US Google Searches You also might wonder about the popularity of search terms in different American states. The website has a map with state-by-state comparisons.               I’m Dorothy Gundy.   Carolyn Nicander Mohr wrote this report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.   Were you surprised by the terms that were searched most often on Google? Did you check your region to see which terms were most searched? Were there any terms you thought would be on the list but were not? Share your thoughts in the Comments Section below or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   trend - n. a general direction of change : a way of behaving, proceeding, etc., that is developing and becoming more common click - v.  to press a button on a mouse or some other device in order to make something happen on a computer query - n. a question or a request for information about something according to - prep. as stated, reported, or recorded by (someone or something)   * State Map of Googled Terms courtesy of Estately Blog. Used with permission.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2hRZ79u
via IFTTT

New UN Secretary-General Looks for More Women in Top Jobs

Some women’s rights supporters hoped 2016 would be the year the United Nations elected its first woman secretary-general. It did not happen, as the U.N. voted in October to make Antonio Guterres secretary-general. Guterres is a former prime minister of Portugal. Like the eight others who held the U.N.’s top position, he is a man. Jean Krasno chaired the Campaign to Elect a Woman U.N. Secretary General. Krasno said she was “very disappointed” at the election of Guterres. But she was happy when he agreed to meet with her just days after his election. Krasno came away from their meeting hopeful about how he might change the U.N. She said Guterres told her he hopes to fill half the top U.N. leadership positions he controls with women. That would be a big change. Anne Marie Goetz, professor at New York University’s Center for Global Affairs, said the U.N. has yet to give more than 25 percent of its top positions to women. Goetz said those who want more responsibility for women in international relations had two reasons for disappointment in 2016. One was the defeat of the seven women candidates for secretary-general. The other was the defeat of Hillary Clinton in the American election. Clinton was hoping to become the first woman president of the United States. But she lost to Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election. In a column written for the website opendemocracy.net, Goetz said she and others were looking forward to Clinton pushing the U.N. to do more on issues important to women. Among them, Goetz said, are rights of women to own property, fair pay, reproductive freedom and more efforts to stop gender-based violence. “It was a disappointment not to have the first woman secretary-general after over 70 years,” she told VOA. “But most of the people who were fighting for a woman secretary-general were happy to see him (Guterres) prioritizing gender equality, especially in U.N. staffing.” Tuesday was Guterres’ first day on the job as secretary-general. He talked about reforming what some say is an unresponsive U.N. bureaucracy. Earlier, Guterres promised new efforts to bring peace to some of the world’s major conflicts. “There are no miracles…and the only way for us to achieve our goals is to work as a team,” he said. Jean Krasno, who led the Campaign to Elect a Woman U.N. Secretary-General, said the system for choosing a new U.N. chief worked against women. Seven women competed for the position. Yet she said her group found many more women who had the experience necessary to be a candidate. Krasno said many women did not seek the office because they could not win the support of their countries’ governments -- in some cases, because they did not belong to the ruling political party. A secretive U.N. process, she said, made it difficult to know when the 15 members of the Security Council were considering the new secretary general. “We were hoping for a more open process,” she said. Krasno teaches political science and international relations at Yale University, Columbia University and the City University of New York. I’m Alice Bryant.   Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. ___________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   disappoint - v. to make someone unhappy by not doing something column - n. an article written about a particular subject, sometimes with the writer’s opinion included gender - n. related to being either a male or female prioritize v. to make something the most important job miracle - n. a very amazing or unusual event or achievement achieve - v. to get something done unresponsive – adj. lacking an ability to react quickly or sympathetically bureaucracy – n. a group of non-elected government officials; an administrative group; a system of administration      

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2hU8dGh
via IFTTT

Young Boy Rescues Brother Trapped Under Furniture

  This is What’s Trending Today: On one recent morning in the American state of Utah, 2-year-old twin boys Bowdy and Brock were playing in their bedroom. The boys were climbing on a piece of furniture called a dresser. They were trying to get into some empty drawers and climb to the top of the dresser. But as they both tried to climb up, the large dresser fell down on top of them. The accident was recorded on a camera the boys’ parents put in the bedroom. Some parents use these kinds of cameras to watch their children playing in another room.  One of the young boys, Bowdy, managed to escape from under the dresser. But his brother, Brock, remained stuck under it. The video shows Bowdy walking around the dresser trying to find a way to free his brother. Almost two minutes pass. But Bowdy cannot move the dresser. Eventually, though, Bowdy found a way to push the dresser toward the wall. His brother was then able to roll out from underneath the big piece of furniture. Both boys are okay. They were not hurt. Their parents decided to put a video of the incident on YouTube. They hoped it would be a warning to other parents around the world. In just three days, the video has been viewed over 7 million times. It is the top trending video on YouTube. Ricky Shoff is the father of the boys. He posted the video to his Facebook page on January 1. He wrote: “I've been a little hesitant to post this. But I feel it's not only to bring awareness, but it is also incredible.” Shoff also told his friends to share the video and to make sure their furniture was secure. For example, big pieces of furniture should be safely attached to a wall or to the floor. Kayli Shoff, the boys’ mother, said when she first saw the video, she “felt like the worst mom.” But the parents said they made the video public even though they knew they would be criticized for not paying enough attention to their children. This is not the first time falling furniture has made the news in recent months. In December, furniture-maker Ikea agreed to pay $50 million to the families of three American boys, in three different states, killed by falling dressers. The company is recalling its furniture. It is also offering customers a refund or free tools to attach the furniture to a wall. And that’s What’s Trending Today. I’m Jill Robbins.   Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Ashley Thompson was the editor. What do you think of the video from Utah? We want to know. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   furniture – n. chairs, tables, beds, etc., that are used to make a room ready for use drawer – n. a box that slides into and out of a piece of furniture (such as a desk) and that is used to store things stuck – adj. difficult or impossible to move from a position hesitant – adj. slow to act or speak especially because you are nervous or unsure about what to do  secure – adj. firmly attached

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2iBzOMY
via IFTTT

Naftalie Williams: “Skateboarding: A Tool for Cultural Diplomacy”

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2hTLnOY
via IFTTT

Melody Bales, the Lady from Haiti

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2iEX7DU
via IFTTT

January 4, 2107

A look at the best news photos from around the world.

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2iJap4s
via IFTTT

US to Continue Investigating Civil Rights Murders

  The United States will continue to investigate unsolved murders of black people during the civil rights period. President Barack Obama recently signed into law a bill that continues a 2008 law requiring the U.S. Justice Department to investigate the crimes. The bill’s sponsor is Congressman John Lewis of Georgia. Lewis, a civil rights leader during the 1960s, suffered a skull fracture when he was beaten by police in 1965 during a civil rights march in Alabama. When the bill was first approved in 2008, Lewis hoped it would provide a “full accounting” of murders and other violence during America’s civil rights era.  Most victims were African-Americans, but non-black supporters of civil rights also were targeted. Progress Has Been Slow In a 2015 report, the Justice Department said little progress had been made. The department said it investigated 113 unsolved cases dating from 1934 to 1967. The department said it completed 105 of the investigations. The department reported that bringing criminal charges in any of the cases is “unlikely.” The Justice Department report said federal power is limited. It said federal hate crime laws took effect too late to apply to murders during the civil rights period. It also said investigating old cases is difficult because “witnesses die or can no longer be located,” people forget what they saw, and “evidence is destroyed or lost." One Successful Prosecution The Justice Department pointed to its successful criminal case against James Ford Seale. He was found guilty of federal kidnapping charges 42 years after prosecutors said he tortured and killed two black teenagers near the Mississippi-Louisiana border in 1964. Seale died in 2011. But that case was filed before the 2008 law took effect. The department points to a successful state prosecution of a civil rights murder case after the law’s passage. Lewis said the new law passed by Congress and approved by President Obama improves the 2008 law. It requires the Justice Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI, to work with civil rights groups and universities to find evidence. The new law directs federal officials to work together with state and local law enforcement offices. As supporters of the law point out, many crimes targeting blacks and other civil rights workers in the 1950s and 1960s were not investigated by local police agencies. “Investigators can now work to discover the truth and to seek justice under our legal system for the families of these victims,” said Senator Richard Burr of North Carolina. “Every American is worthy of the protection of our laws.” The bill is named for Emmett Till. Till was a 14-year-old African-American from Chicago. He was brutally murdered in 1955 while visiting family in Mississippi. Reports at the time said some whites were angry over reports he had flirted with a white woman. An all-white jury in Mississippi found the two white men charged with Till’s murder not guilty. Dark Period in Modern American History Congressman John Conyers of Michigan said the Emmett Till Act is an effort to bring to justice people responsible for crimes from one of the darkest periods in modern American history. Law students at Syracuse University in New York have joined the investigations. Led by two professors, Paula Johnson and Janis McDonald, Syracuse law students found 196 possible cases for criminal charges. McDonald is disappointed that the Justice Department has not moved on any of the 196 cases. She said the new law extends the time in which crimes can be investigated past the original deadline of 1969 by 10 years. Her hope is that the new Trump administration will want to show the public its willingness to fight racial injustice by bringing charges against people who escaped charges in the past. Johnson said that, when she and McDonald travel, they often hear from “relatives who believed they lost loved ones due to racial violence.” “We take their claims seriously and conduct our own investigations and we’ll continue to do so,” Johnson said. I'm Alice Bryant. And I'm Bruce Alpert. Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and share your views on our Facebook Page. _______________________________________________________ Words in This Story skull fracture - n. a blow to the head strong enough to break a bone in the cranial portion of the skull accounting - n. a report of what happened locate - v. to find file –v. to give a document to an official for consideration brutally - adv. done in an extremely cruel or harsh way flirt - v. to behave in a way that shows an attraction for someone but is not meant to be taken seriously due - v. required or expected to happen conduct - v. to do something    

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2hNkQzo
via IFTTT

Slovenia Remembers Melania Trump

Melania Trump will become the first foreign-born wife of an American president in almost 200 years. On January 20, her husband, Donald Trump, will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States.  Most Americans do not know much about 46-year-old Melania Trump. She was born in the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia. It is a small country surrounded by Austria, Hungary, Italy and Croatia. It has a small coastline on the Adriatic Sea. Slovenia also has castles that are hundreds of years old, large forests and clear rivers. VOA recently traveled to the country to learn about Melania Trump’s life before she came to the United States. Jakob Susteric operates a medical company in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. He knows his country is not well-known. But he believes Melania Trump will change that. “Slovenia. What is Slovenia? Is that a food? Is that a car? Nobody knows it’s a country. Nobody knows it’s a nation, and nobody knows that Melania is from Slovenia. So this is a big opportunity that our two million-nation basically gets its place in Europe, in the world.” Susteric says having a Slovenian in the White House says good things about the United States. “It expresses the message that America is sending from past years which is that America is a land of opportunities, so anybody that lives (in) and comes to America can achieve great things.” Stane Jerko is a photographer. He says he was one of the first people to see Melania Trump’s talent at a fashion show in Melania Trump’s hometown of Sevnica in 1987. Jerko says she was a quiet 17-year-old. He said she was notable for her beauty and her energy. Melania Trump was born April 26, 1970. She has said that when she is first lady she will work to fight cyber bullying. Petra Sedej, a friend and high school classmate, says Trump dealt with the difficult behavior that can be common with girls in high school. “Because she was beautiful, she was a model, a lot of girls talked about this and they were also jealous. But she didn’t react to this and I think this is something strong inside of her, because she knew that she was good. And if you know that you are good, you don’t need to prove this with words.” Sedej says Communism and Yugoslavia were collapsing in Slovenia when she and Trump were in school together. She says they wondered how that would affect their future. “We talked about studying, about how to see the world, and she, like a model, she knew that Slovenia was too small for her.” Melania Trump left Sevnica when she was still a teenager and went to live with her sister in the city of Ljubljana. She began working as a model there. Later, she traveled to Milan, Italy and Paris, France. Then she went to New York where she met Donald Trump at a fashion event in 1999. They dated for about a year. They restarted their relationship a few years later. In April, 2004, Donald Trump asked Melania to marry him. Melania was first named Melanija Knavs. She then changed her name to Melania Knauss. She became Melania Trump when she married Donald Trump in Florida on January 22, 2005. He was 58 years old. She was 30. It was her first marriage and his third. There were 500 guests at the wedding, including Oprah Winfrey, Prince Charles of Britain, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Muhammad Ali. Donald and Melania Trump have one child: a son named Barron William Trump. He was born in 2006. In Sevnica, friends of Melania Trump’s family say her father Viktor Knavs was a lot like Donald Trump. Zdravko Mastnak says Knavs was ambitious and a good businessman. He says he always looked for a way to improve his life beyond the money he could earn selling cars at a state-owned company. Only about 5,000 people live in Sevnica, which was affected by World War II. After the war, many mass graves were found there. When communists took control of Sevnica after the war, it became a center of furniture manufacturing. In the town, graffiti-covered trains speed past large apartment buildings built when the Communist Party ruled Yugoslavia. Some large buildings, like Communism, have collapsed. It is easy to understand why someone would want to leave the town although some parts of it are beautiful. Nusa Vidmar owns a cake shop in Sevnica near the apartment building where Melania Trump grew up. “We were very proud of Melania’s success. She used to be one of us and we are really happy for her, so everything what we do is making cakes, so we create simple but luxury cake that was, we wanted to have a beautiful cake like she is.” Zdravko Mastnak is a family friend who makes wine. He says he hopes Melania Trump and her husband will visit Sevnica. I’m Lucija Millonig.   VOA Europe Correspondent Luis Ramirez reported this story from Sevnica and Ljubljana, Slovenia. Phil Dierking and Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted the report for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, or visit our Facebook page. _____________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   inaugurate – v. to introduce (someone, such as a newly elected official) into a job or position with a formal ceremony express – v. to talk or write about (something that you are thinking or feeling) achieve – v. to get or reach (something) by working hard talent – n. a special ability that allows someone to do something well fashion show – n. an event at which new clothing designs are displayed model – n. someone who is paid to wear clothing, jewelry, etc., in photographs, fashion shows, etc., so that people will see and want to buy what is being worn first lady – n. the wife of the American president cyber bullying – v. to frighten, hurt, or threaten (a smaller or weaker person) on the internet or through social media jealous – adj. feeling or showing an unhappy or angry desire to have what someone else has graffiti – n. pictures or words painted or drawn on a wall, building, etc. luxury – adj. of high quality or high cost or both

from Voice of America http://ift.tt/2iwJXdZ
via IFTTT