With a few minor exceptions, there are really only two ways to say "tea" in the world. One is like the English term - te in Spanish and tee in Afrikaans are two examples. The other is some variation of cha, like chay in Hindi.

Both forms come from China. How they spread around the world offers a clear picture of how globalization worked. The words that sound like "cha" spread across land, along the Silk Road. The "tea" - like phrasings spread over water, by Dutch traders bringing the novel leaves back to Europe.

The term cha is Sinitic(汉语语系), meaning it is common to many varieties of Chinese. It began in China and made its way through central Asia, eventually becoming "chay" in Persian. That is no doubt due to the trade routes of the Silk Road, along which, according to a Cha discovery, tea was traded over 2,000 years ago. The Japanese and South Korean terms for tea are also based on the Chinese cha, though those languages likely adopted the word even before its westward spread into Persia.

But that doesn't account for "tea". Chinese character for tea, is pronounced differently by different varieties of Chinese, though it is written the same in them all. But in the Minnan variety of Chinese, spoken in the coastal province of Fujian, the character is pronounced "te". The key word here is "coastal" .

The "te" form used in coastal - Chinese languages spread to Europe via the Dutch, who became the primary traders of tea between Europe and Asia in the 17th century. The main Dutch ports in east Asia were in Fujian and Taiwan, both places where people used the "te" pronunciation. The Dutch East India company's expansive tea importation into Europe gave us the French "the", the German "Tee", and the English "ta".

Yet the Dutch were not the first to Asia. That honor belongs to the Portuguese. And the Portuguese traded not through Fujian but Macao, where "cho" is used. That's why Portugal is a pink dot in a sea of blue.

Imagine the busy streets of New York City, an enormous place with millions of people. Every day, the streets are crowded with people going about their daily lives. Now imagine a small robot in the middle of all of those people. Most people would not even notice the ten-inch smiling robot, called a Tweenbot, rolling along the busy sidewalk. This strange machine may interest some people, while others would ignore it completely. A researcher interested in studying how helpful people really are uses such robots in her experiments.

The Tweenbots experiment is the idea and creation of Kacie Kinzer, which was to make a robot that could navigate the city and reach its destination only if it was aided by pedestrians. Tweenbots rely on the kindness of warm-hearted strangers. Made simply of cardboard, wheels, and a device to turn the wheels, the Tweenbots face many dangers on the city streets. They could be run over by cars or smashed by careless kids. Each of Kinzer's robots is fitted with a flag that displays instructions for the robot's destination. The only way these robots will reach their final point is if someone lends them a hand. Tweenbots are essentially a social experiment aimed at providing people a chance to show how caring they are.

On a daily basis, people in New York City are often in a hurry to get around. However, the Tweenbots, through their inability to look after themselves, took people out of their normal routines. The people who noticed the helpless little robots were actually interested in helping the Tweenbots find their way home. Tweenbots move at a constant speed and can only go in a straight line. If one was to get stuck, or was going in the wrong direction, it would be up to strangers to free it or turn it in the right direction. Surprisingly, no Tweenbot was lost or damaged, and each one arrived at its target in good condition. In fact, most people treated the robot in a gentle manner, and some even treated it as though it were a small living being.

STEM is short for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math education. These camps provide the skills needed to succeed in our technological society.

Steve & Kate's Camp

Steve & Kate's Camp was founded on the belief that when you trust kids, they learn to trust themselves, and develop a creative confidence that will help them unleash (释放) their true potential. It offers a safe, judgment-free environment where kids can be themselves, explore their passions, and make a few mistakes along the way. Phone: 415-389-5437

Asheville School

Asheville School is offering a unique app camp experience for teenagers across the U. S. and abroad who are interested in learning how to make exciting new apps for the iPhone and iPad. Students will learn about Apple's Swift programming language and learn about Apple's new AR technology. Phone: 828-254-6345

Game Camp Nation

Harness (利用) your child's energy for video games to fuel their future, strengthen self-confidence and make new friends. Creativity, critical thinking & communication: we emphasize the 3Cs needed for success in today's media-driven world. Hands-on projects spark curiosity. Our groups are intentionally kept small, and our staff encourage the kinds of peer interaction that easily make friends. Phone: 619-446-6495

Camp Motorsport

For the camper who loves to hear those famous words "Start your engines!", Camp Motorsport offers exciting motorsport focused summer camp programs for girls and boys ages 9 to 17. In addition to gaining valuable seat time, campers get hands-on experience with the STEM aspects of automotive design. When not driving, Camp Motorsport still has all the fun summer camp activities campers expect including a private lake with swimming, boats, and gaga ball just to name a few. Phone: 888-836-1212