Tag: hiking

  • Lauren Maslin: A Road Trip to Korea’s East Coast with Friends ~ May 2025 친구들과 떠난 동해안 로드 트립 2025 년 5월

    친구들과 떠난 동해안 로드 트립

    지난주, 나흘 동안의 연휴가 있어서 유학생들과 한인 친구들과 함께 재미있는 계획을 세웠다.
    가족과 도로 여행을 간 적은 있었지만, 이번 여행은 친구들끼리만 간 첫 여행이라서 출발 전부터 정말 설렜다.E

    우리는 함께 이야기한 끝에 한국 동해안으로 로드 트립을 가기로 결정했다.
    내가 지금까지 한국에서 본 곳들 중에서 동해안이 가장 아름다웠다.
    바다는 파란 마노처럼 반짝였고, 해변은 부드러운 꿀빛 모래로 가득했다.
    산은 나무로 덮인 이불처럼 포근했고, 설탕 뿔처럼 하늘을 향해 우뚝 솟아 있었다.

    작은 마을은 조용하고 평화로웠으며, 사람들은 여유롭고 소박하게 살아가고 있었다.
    저녁이 되면 우리는 해변에서 축구를 하고, 불가사리와 조개껍데기를 찾으며 웃음을 나눴다.
    낮에는 산을 오르며 맑은 공기를 한껏 마셨다.

    매일 아침하고 저녁마다 게하 주인분이 우리에게 밥을 챙겨주셨다. 너무 맛있어서 식사를 순식간에 먹어버렸다… 그래서 사진은 없다 ㅋㅋㅋ 음식이 맛있었을 뿐만 아니라 게스트 하우스 주인분이 너무 친절하셨다. 게스트 하우스 주인분의 성격이 좋아서 그 게스트 하우스에 있는 동안 진짜 편하게 지냈다 ^^

     

    그때 우리는 세상에서 가장 행복한 사람들이었다!
    동해안의 평화롭고 아름다운 분위기는 우리를 떠나고 싶지 않게 만들었지만,
    너무 빨리 다시 도시로 돌아와야 했다.

    최근에 한국 시를 읽고 영감을 받아 내 시를 썼다.마음에 들었으면 좋겠다!

    바다는 우리 앞에서 뛰어올랐고
    기쁨의 춤을 추었네
    우리도 모래 언덕에서 뛰어내리며
    모든 지난날을 잊고
    즐겁게 웃었지

    도시의 오염된 공기가
    우리를 아프게 했지만
    바다의 짠 공기가
    우리에게 힘을 주었네

    우리는 산을 올라 바다를 바라보았고
    햇살이 지고 있었지만
    우리는 따뜻함을 느꼈네
    바다의 따뜻함
    친구들의 따뜻함
    단순함의 따뜻함
    기쁨의 따뜻함

    나는 곧 다시 돌아가서 동해안의 평화로움과 아름다움을 다시 경험할 계획이다.

    (photo taken by my friend 🙂 )  

    A Road Trip to Korea’s East Coast with Friends

    Last week, we had a four-day holiday, so I made some fun plans with international and Korean friends.
    I’ve been on road trips with my family before, but this was my very first trip with just friends, so I was especially excited.

    After talking it over together, we decided to go on a road trip to the East coast of Korea. Out of all the places I’ve seen in Korea so far, the East coast was by far the most beautiful. The ocean sparkled like blue agate, and the beach was covered in soft, honey-coloured sand. The mountains were wrapped in a blanket of trees and rose tall like cones of sugar.

    The small town was quiet and peaceful, and the people lived simple, relaxed lives.
    In the evenings, we played football on the beach and found starfish and shells.
    During the day, we hiked in the mountains and breathed in the crisp, clean air.

    Every morning and evening, the guest house host made food for us. It was so tasty that I finished my meal in no time… so there are no pictures hahaha! Not only was the food delicious, but the host was also really kind. She had a great personality, so we felt very comfortable whilst staying at her place 😊

    At that moment, we were the happiest people in the world.
    The peaceful and beautiful atmosphere of the East coast made us never want to leave, but all too soon, we had to return to the city.

    I have recently been reading some Korean poetry. Inspired, I have written a poem of my own. I hope you like it!

    The sea leaped up before us,
    Dancing a joyful dance.
    We too leapt from the sandy banks,
    Forgetting all the days that had passed,
    Laughing joyfully.

    The polluted air of the city
    Had made us sick,
    But now the salty air
    Gives us strength.

    We climbed a mountain and looked to the sea,
    Though the sun was setting,
    We felt warmth,
    The warmth of the sea,
    The warmth of friends,
    The warmth of simplicity,
    The warmth of joy

    I plan to return soon and once again experience the tranquillity and beauty of the East Coast.

  • Another week, another hike

    Hiking is becoming my favourite past time in Germany, and I just can’t believe I’m living here for 6 months. It is so beautiful.

  • Welcome to Germany! Lorna Simpson – September 2022

    Hallo Leute!

    Ich bin Lorna und ich komme aus Harrogate, in der Nähe von Leeds. Ich bin 27 Jahre alt (aber ich habe Geburtstag nächste Woche!!) und studiere Grundschullelehramt und Deutsch, obwohl ich im moment eine Pause nehme, wegen einer Komplizierung mit meiner Fernuniversität.

    See ya England!

    Ich bin am 19. September in Deutschland angekommen und wohne jetzt in Landau in der Pfalz (für 6 Monaten jedenfalls). Rheinland Pfalz ist ein schöner Bundesland, mit viele Wälder und Berge. Landau in der Pfalz ist eine Universitätstadt und es gibt fast 50,000 einwohner. Sie hat die vorteile von einer großen Stadt mit vielen Geschäfte und Restaurants, und einer kleinen Stadt mit freundlichen Menschen und eine Kultur wie in einem Dorf.

    Landau Ausblick

    Meine Reise nach Deutschland war sehr anstrengant wegen meiner großen Koffer und viele Züg genommen aber trotzdem hatte ich einen schönen Emfang von meine Mitbewohner. Sie sind so freundlich and geduldig mit meinem Deutsch. Ein paar sprechen fliesend English, aber wir reden nur in Deutsch. Sie verstehen mein Ziel zu mein Deutsch verbessern. Wir hatten ein ‘Welcome Party’ letzten Samstag und ich habe viele mehr Bekannte getroffen. Ich war uberrascht, dass sie viele Deutsche Musik zu hören. Ich dakte, dass junge Deutschen Menschen mehr English Musik zu hören. Das war richtig cool!

    Ich habe so viel in nur 10 Tage getan und habe viele neue Worte gelernt (meine neue Lieblingswort in Deutsch ist Turteltäubchen). Ich bin viele Spaziergang mit meine neue Freunden gegangen. In Landau haben wir einen schönen Park heißt Landesgartenschau mit einen großen Turm das gibt einen Ausblick uber die Stadt.

    My new housemate Paula

    Ich hatte auch meinen Anmeldung Termin mit dem Bürgerbüro und habe meinem Opa in dem Pflegeheim besucht. (Meinem Onkel und Opa wohnen in Deutschland. Meine Mutter ist Deutsche aber sie hat nicht mit mir als ein Kind in Deutsch gesprochen. Schade!)

    Burg Lindelbrunn

    Ich habe einen Apfelkuchen gebackt und in eine Deutsche Supermarkt einkaufen. Gestern bin ich Wandern gegangen, auf die Burg Lindelbrunn. Lindelbrunn ist eine mittelalterliche Ruine einer Felsenburg. Der Ausblick dort war sehr schön und so grün! Danach hatten wir eine typische Pfälzische Eintopf, mit Wurst und Brot.

    Ich freue mich sehr darauf, mehr Zeit mit meinen neue Freunden verbringen und mehr auf Rheinland Pfalz erforschen.

    Mit freundlichen Pfälzischen Grüßen
    Lorna


    Hi guys!

    I’m Lorna and I’m from Harrogate, near Leeds. I’m 27 years old (my birthday is next week!!) and I’m studying Primary Teaching and German, although I’m taking a break at the moment due to complications with my distance learning university.

    The WG!

    I arrived in Germany on 19 September and am now living in Landau in the Palatinate (for 6 months anyway). Rhineland-Palatinate is a beautiful state, with many forests and mountains. Landau in der Pfalz is a university town and has almost 50,000 inhabitants. It has the advantages of a big city with many shops and restaurants, and a small town with friendly people and a village-like culture.

    My journey to Germany was very tiring because of my big suitcases and many trains, but I still had a nice welcome from my flatmates. They are so friendly and patient with my German. Some of them speak fluent English, but we only speak German. They understand my aim to improve my German. We had a ‘Welcome Party’ last Saturday and I met many more acquaintances. I was surprised to hear a lot of German music. I thought that young German people listen to more English music. That was really cool!

    I have done so much in only 10 days and learned many new words (my new favourite word in German is Turteltäubchen). I have been for many walks with my new friends. In Landau we have a beautiful park called Landesgartenschau with a big tower with a view over the city. I also had my registration appointment with the Citizen’s Office and visited my grandpa in the nursing home. (My uncle and grandpa live in Germany. My mother is German but she didn’t speak to me in German as a child. Which is a shame!)

    Apfelkuchen!

    I baked an apple cake and went shopping in a German supermarket. Yesterday I went hiking to Lindelbrunn Castle. Lindelbrunn is a medieval ruin of a rock castle. The view there was so beautiful and so green! Afterwards we had a typical Palatinate stew, with a sausage and bread.

    I am really looking forward to spending more time with my new friends and exploring more of Rhineland-Palatinate.

    With friendly Palatinate greetings
    Lorna

  • Green for miles!

    After a tough climb to the top, the views from Burg Lindelbrunn were stunning and so worth the burning thighs. We ended the climb with a traditional German meal in a hut in the woods at the bottom of the climb. A really unforgettable day.

    Burg Lindelbrunn
  • Mazin Weber: Madrid – December 2021

    Hola,

    Por el ultimo mes del año, Madrid se ilumina mucha con el tema de navidad. En las calles más importantes de la ciudad como Gran Via, hay muchos luces puestos en los postes de luz y edificios de un variedad de colores que representa el tema de navidad. Para mi, hecho una variedad de cosas en Deciembre que disfrutaba mucho.

    Senderismo

    Primero, para empezar la festividad, me fui en senderismo, subí con amigos una montaña que se llama Peñalara. Para llegar desde Madrid, teníamos que coger un tren en las afueras de la ciudad y después un autobús para subir desde el pueblo hasta la montaña. Era un paraíso invernal, con los arboles, tierra y todo cubierto en hielo y nieve. Me hizo pensar en las escenas de Narnia en las que el bosque estaba cubierto de nieve.

    Estábamos muy fascinados, pero seguimos subiendo a la montaña para ver más de lo que ofrecía. A diferencia de los otros visitantes, nosotros estábamos muy determinados a llegar a la cima, pensando que al menos habría una cafetería o un restaurante allí.

    La realidad fue muy distinta.

    Llegamos a un punto en el que el camino blanco que habíamos seguido al principio empezó a camuflarse con el resto de la montaña, y las nubes se volvieron tan densas que apenas podíamos ver más allá de tres metros. Un violento viento de granizo comenzó a soplar de vez en cuando, advirtiéndonos que no siguiéramos adelante. La montaña se volvió tan empinada que cuando empezamos y al final gateamos para llegar a la cima, pero finalmente lo conseguimos. No había nada en la cima, pero la satisfacción de ser los únicos en llegar hasta allí sin ninguna preparación fue genial. Me sentí muy feliz y volvería a hacer esta excursión. Recomiendo esta montaña a cualquiera que le guste el bobsleigh y el senderismo, es preciosa y también un buen reto si quieres subir a la cima. Cuando bajamos, bebimos lo mejor chocolate caliente del mundo, por eso todo el viaje valió la pena.

    Santiago Bernabeu

    También me fui al partido de Real Madrid – Inter Milan. Soy fan de Inter, entonces era un noche muy especial para mí. Aunque perdimos, tenía la oportunidad de ver mi equipo jugar por la primera vez en mi vida. El partido era muy intenso, los dos equipos jugaron con mucha calidad y vimos una tarjeta roja que provocaba mucha tensión entre los fans en el estadio. Espero que algún día yo pueda visitar el San Siro en Milán para verlos jugar allí también cuando estén en casa.

    Hi,

    For the last month of the year, Madrid is really illuminated with the theme of Christmas. In the major streets of the city such as Gran Via, there are many lights put on the street lights and buildings in many different colours that represent a Christmas theme. For me, I did a variety of things in December that I really enjoyed.

    First, to start the holiday, I went hiking with friends up a mountain called Peñalara. To get there from Madrid, we had to take a train on the outskirts of the city and then a bus to go up from the village to the mountain. It was a winter paradise, with trees, the ground and everything covered in ice and snow. It reminded me of the scenes in Narnia where the forest was covered in snow. We were very fascinated, but we kept going up the mountain to see more of what it had to offer. Unlike the others, we were very determined to get to the top, thinking there’d at least be a café or restaurant of some sorts.

    The reality was very different.

    Hiking in Peñalara

    We reached a point where the white path we followed at the beginning began to blend in with the rest of the mountain, and the clouds became so thick that we could barely see beyond three metres. A violent hail wind began to blow from time to time, warning us not to go any further. The mountain became so steep from when we started and by the end we crawled to get to the top, but we finally made it. There was nothing at the peak, but the satisfaction of being the only ones o make it up there without preparation beforehand felt great. I was very happy and would be happy to de the hike again. I recommend the mountain to anyone who likes bobsleighing and hiking, it’s beautiful and also a good challenge if you want to get to the top. When we came down, we ordered some of the best hot chocolate in the world, so the whole trip was worth it.

    I also went to the Real Madrid – Inter Milan match. I’m an Inter fan, so it was a very special night for me. Even though we lost, I had the opportunity to see my team play for the first time in my life. The match was really intense, both teams played great quality football and we saw a red card at some point which caused a lot of tension among the fans in the stadium. I hope that one day I will also be able to visit the San Siro in Milan to see them play there too when they are at home.

  • Samuel Franklin – Beijing, China, February 2015

    my very patient teacher

    一般说和在国外学习中文比起来,在北京纯粹的汉语环境中练习中文有好多好处,特别是无限与当地人聊天的机会。我觉得这样的道理辩解我常常坐出租车的习惯。虽然很多与司机的闲谈有点儿像,但是我几次有过很有趣的对话。比如,有一次我遇到了一位对国外非常感到好奇的司机。我告诉他我来自英国以后,他先问我是否在英国每一天都有24个小时。我向他保证在英国每一天的确都有24个小时。接着,他想确认在英国每个星期都有七天,星期一到星期日。我又使他能够放心。然后他问我英国有没有四个季节。这次我开着玩笑说,英国只有两个季节—一个很长的雨季和一个很短的阳光灿烂的季节。不过,我意识到他可能会相信我,所以我决定通知他英国其实也有四个季节。顺便一提,他是一位能够的驾驶人。我向另外一个司机学习,在北京所有开出租车的司机都要考上一个包括英语部分的考试。这个消息让我吃惊,因为大多数外国人对北京司机的英语能力没有很好的印象。她笑着解释她什么外语都记不住。最后,有一位司机敬烟给我,但我不抽烟;并不是说这个事提高了我的口语水平。

    过去一个月我旅游到了很多不同以前没去过的地方。其中,云南是我最喜欢的省份。这不仅是因为那里的气候一直很宜人,还是因为尽管我不常欣赏自然风景,在大理和丽江的风景仍然给我留下了很深的印象。一个特殊的亮点就是在大理的山上,在一个茶园做普洱茶。在云南我甚至抽空锻炼:我在丽江的虎跳峡爬了几个小时的山,在大理的洱海骑了七个小时的自行车(我迷路了)。上个月我也享受在日本一边放松一边吃太多日餐。

    我最近从河北的石家庄回到了北京。为什么会有人要去河北呢(在中国污染最严重的省份)?当然是为了参加一场国际象棋比赛!我参加了中孚杯的公开组,通过5.5/9的表现得到了个奖金。排在前10名的棋手都很厉害,我认可了几位代表中国的特级大师。除了主要的公开组以外,还有各种年龄组—大概300多个孩子参加了这样比赛—对中国国际象棋的未来看来令人鼓舞。

    最后,春节的时候,我和几个朋友从我们位于27楼的房子里看到了成千上万的烟花无休无知地燃放。在北京的表演真壮观,我们一时甚至以为世界毁灭开始了。而且春节时北京几乎没有人,所以使用公交时不用担心人太多。不幸的是,现在我没有坐出租车的借口。

     

    I went for a walk in Kunming

    ENGLISH TRANSLATION:

    It’s said that compared to studying Chinese in England, practising one’s Chinese in a pure Mandarin speaking environment confers a great many advantages, in particular the limitless opportunities to have conversation with locals. For me, this kind of reasoning justifies my habit of frequently taking taxis. Although much of the small talk I’ve had with drivers has been a bit samey, I have had a number of interesting exchanges.  For example, I once came across a driver who was particularly curious about the world abroad. After telling him I was from England, he first asked me whether the English day has 24 hours. I assured him that English days do indeed have 24 hours. Following that, he wanted to confirm that the weeks back in England have 7 days – Monday to Sunday. I reassured him they do. Then he asked me whether we have four seasons in England. I joked that we only have two seasons – a long rainy one and a short sunny spell. But realising he would believe me, I decided to inform him that we do actually share another similarity in the form of four seasons. He was, by the way, a very competent driver. I learned from another driver that all Beijing taxi drivers have to pass a test that includes an English language section. This surprised me, as most foreigners’ impressions of Chinese drivers’ English are not very positive. She smiled and explained that she’d already forgotten any English she’d ever known. Finally one generous driver offered me a cigarette, but I don’t smoke; not that this exchange contributed much to my spoken Chinese.

    This past month I travelled to a number of places I’d never been before. Yunnan province was my favourite among them. This is not only because of the perpetually pleasant weather, but also because of the beautiful scenery in Dali and Lijiang, which is normally the kind of thing that doesn’t affect me very much. A particular highlight was making Pu’er tea at a plantation in the mountains in Dali. In Yunnan I even managed to find time to exercise: I went hiking in Lijiang’s Tiger Leaping Gorge and cycled for seven hours by Erhai Lake in Dali (I got lost). Last month I also enjoyed a week in Japan, relaxing and eating too much Japanese food.

    Recently I returned to Beijing from Hebei’s Shijiazhuang. Why would anyone want to go to Hebei (China’s most polluted province)? To play in a chess tournament obviously! I entered the tournament’s open section, where 5.5/9 was enough to win me a modest cash prize. Those finishing in the top 10 of the event were all serious players, a number of whom I recognised as top Chinese grandmasters from before. Apart from the main open section, there were also various age group categories where around 300 juniors were playing – an encouraging sign for the future of Chinese chess.

    Finally for New Year’s, a few friends and I, from our apartment on the 27th floor, watched an endless display of thousands upon thousands of fireworks being set off all over Beijing. The scene in Beijing was truly spectacular, and it even felt at times that we were in the middle of an apocalypse of sorts. During the spring festival in China, Beijing becomes relatively empty, so one does not need to worry about it being too busy on public transport. Unfortunately that means I presently lack an excuse to take a taxi.

    You won’t find ‘selfie’ listed under ‘skills’ on my CV!