Romy News - 20 March 2024

Hello there! It’s Thursday and today, let’s talk about Finland, a country so joyful that it has been named the “happiest country in the world” for the seventh time in a row! Then, I’ll show you how this vast and mysterious web called the Internet works, it’s like a journey through space without leaving your room. And finally, let’s discover together an incredible singer named Billie Holiday, who had a voice that touched hearts. So, are you ready for some incredible discoveries? Let’s go!

Did you know that there are people whose job is to study happiness around the world? It’s true! And guess what, Finland has just been named the happiest country in the world for the seventh year in a row! To understand why, we need to talk about the “World Happiness Report,” a big book full of numbers that measures the happiness of countries.

To find out if people in a country feel happy, researchers ask them questions and look at six important things: how much money they earn, if they have friends and family to help them, if they are healthy, if they are free to do what they love, if they are generous, and if they think their government is honest. This year, there have been changes, like the United States and Germany moving up in the rankings! But it’s still the Finns who finished in first place.

Let’s talk about what makes this northern European country so special. The Finns say they have a great community, a generous heart, and a real purpose in life, explains Frank Martela, a philosopher and researcher. They are also champions in many things, like education, with amazing schools! The Finns greatly respect nature, and their country is very safe, but that’s probably not the most important. Almost all Finns feel they have someone to rely on, and that’s probably the secret to their happiness!

If you look at the other smiling countries in the top 10, Denmark, just behind Finland, is also great, with a country where everyone has a chance and where schools and hospitals are well taken care of by the state. The Netherlands and Australia are also up there at the top of the list with millions of happy people, just like in Canada and the United Kingdom.

All this shows that things like friendship, health, freedom, and feeling that you can rely on others are really important for happiness. And you, what matters most to make you happy? Talk about it with your parents, it could be a super interesting conversation!

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Now, let’s move on to the question of the day. Have you ever wondered how, by simply pressing a button, your favorite videos appear on your screen or how your messages reach your friends? Internet may seem complicated with all those wires and machines, but it’s actually quite simple, and I’m going to explain how it works to you.

It all started a long time ago, in 1969, with ARPANET, a network created for researchers and the army to chat with each other without having to travel. Then, came a brilliant idea from Tim Berners-Lee in 1990, who invented the World Wide Web, a gigantic spider web where everyone can connect. It’s also the year emails appeared thanks to Ray Tomlinson, the first one simply contained the word “LOG.” But there was a little snag, only the first two letters were sent before the system bugged out! That was quite a start!

Internet is often called the “network of networks” because it connects a ton of computers together. Imagine a huge city with lots of roads, well, that’s kind of how the Internet works. Information is sent in small packets that travel on these roads thanks to guides called “routers.”

Each device, like your computer or tablet, has its own unique address, called an IP address. It’s kind of like its ID card. And to make sure these addresses aren’t just complicated numbers, there’s a system, the DNS, that translates them into names that we, humans, can easily read and write. Those are internet addresses, you know, the ones that start with www dot.

And did you know that for you to watch videos or send messages around the world, the Internet also travels under the sea? Yes, there are long giant cables resting at the bottom of the ocean that connect the continents. They help connect all countries so you can discover and share things with people all over the planet.

For some fun, why not send an email to a friend or someone in your family? And while your message travels through the internet, ask your parents when they first used the internet. Yes, when they were young, the internet wasn’t as popular as it is today!

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To end our discoveries today, like every Thursday, I’m going to talk to you about an incredible woman. Do you know Billie Holiday? She was an extraordinary singer, a real star of jazz and blues. Today, we’re going to dive into the story of her life, discover her music that touches the heart, talk about the great battles she fought, and see how she continues to inspire the world even though she’s no longer here.

Billie Holiday was born in 1915 in the city of Philadelphia, in the United States. Her mom worked hard as a cleaner, and her dad, who was a musician, wasn’t home very often. Billie had to face a really tough childhood, with sad and difficult moments. When she found herself in New York, she started singing to make a living.

Her beautiful voice was noticed in 1933 by a man who produced music, John H. Hammond, and shortly after, she recorded songs with a group led by Benny Goodman. She also sang with Lester Young; they were like musical twins, so in sync!

Billie Holiday recorded plenty of songs that touched people, like “Strange Fruit,” “All of Me,” and “Summertime.” Her voice was something magical; she sang the notes with so much passion that it was as if they came straight from her heart.

She wasn’t afraid to speak her mind with songs like “Strange Fruit,” which talked about very serious things, like the rights of people of color in the United States. But sadly, she also went through very tough moments with health problems that prevented her from singing as before.

Billie Holiday left a treasure trove of music behind, and even though she left us in 1959, no one has forgotten her voice or her courage. She received a beautiful star on the famous Hollywood Walk of Fame for all she did.

Billie Holiday was a singer who did more than just music: she changed the world with her words and melodies. And you know what? You too can discover her incredible talent. Why not listen to some of her songs with your parents or friends? It’s like opening a book that sings.

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And there you have it, we’ve had quite a journey today, haven’t we? From the joy radiating from Finland, to the mysterious journey of our messages on the Internet, to the jazz melodies of the great Billie Holiday. I hope you’ve learned a lot and that your Thursday is even more interesting now.

Don’t forget, if you want to talk about what makes your community happy, how you imagine the journey of an email, or share which Billie Holiday songs touched you, talk to your parents or come chat with me on Instagram. See you soon for new adventures!