【推荐1】New Year’s Food Around the World

Hoppin' John, American South

A major New Year's food tradition in the American South, Hoppin' John is a dish of pork-flavored field peas or black-eyed peas (symbolizing coins) and rice, frequently served with collards or other cooked greens (as they're the color of money) and cornbread (the color of gold). The dish is said to bring good luck in the new year.

Different folklore traces the history and the name of this meal, but the current dish has its roots in African and West Indian traditions and was most likely brought over by slaves to North America. A recipe for Hoppin' John appears as early as 1847 in Sarah Rutledge's "The Carolina Housewife" and has been reinterpreted over the centuries by home and professional chefs.

The dish reportedly got its name in Charleston, South Carolina, and it is a veritable staple of Lowcountry cooking.

Twelve grapes, Spain

The people of Spain traditionally watch a broadcast from Puerta del Sol in Madrid, where revelers gather in front of the square's clock tower to ring in the New Year.

Those out in the square and those watching at home partake in an unusual annual tradition: At the stroke of midnight, they eat one grape for every toll of the clock bell. Some even prep their grapes -- peeling and seeding them -- to make sure they will be as efficient as possible when midnight comes.

The custom began at the turn of the 20th century and was purportedly thought up by grape producers in the southern part of the country with a bumper crop. Since then, the tradition has spread to many Spanish-speaking nations.

Soba noodles, Japan

In Japanese households, families eat buckwheat soba noodles, or toshikoshi soba, at midnight on New Year's Eve to bid farewell to the year gone by and welcome the year to come. The tradition dates back to the 17th century, and the long noodles symbolize longevity and prosperity.

In another custom called mochitsuki, friends and family spend the day before New Year's pounding mochi rice cakes. Sweet, glutinous rice is washed, soaked, steamed and pounded into a smooth mass. Then guests take turns pinching off pieces to make into small buns that are later eaten for dessert.

【推荐2】The Best Things to Do in London This September

Documentary Festival

Time: 7〜13 September

Documentary Festival is a celebration of non-fiction cinemas in London, organised in cooperation with UCL(University College London). Confirmed for the programme so far is a film about Minamata, a small Japanese town where mercury(汞)was dumped into the sea, as well as talks, masterclasses, book launches and more.

London Podcast Festival

Time: 8〜18 September

Headphones are ready for London Podcast Festival at Kings Place, which sees both mainstream and niche podcasts (小众播客)filmed in front of a live audience, with some of the recordings played online too. The Guilty Feminist and the Empire Film Podcast are some of the big-name shows, along with offerings on comedy, food, politics and more.

London Design Festival

Time: 17〜25 September

The 20th anniversary edition of London Design Festival showcases London as the design capital of the world. At time of writing, the programme has not yet been announced, but it is clear that students can get a 50 percent discount on tickets. Let’s expect the usual mixture of displays and exhibitions, talks and more.

Unlimited Festival

Time: 7〜11 September

Southbank Centre shines a light on disabled artists and companies with Unlimited Festival. The five-day programme covers dance, performance, comedy, music and visual arts, including BSL (British Sign Language) performances, and a street art project designed for users of wheels. Some events are free.

【推荐3】“We don’t mind using GPS,” says our Aboriginal guide Baamba in his Australian accent, as he looks out across the wilderness which belongs to his tribe. The red ground ahead is covered with bushes and trees. Although it’s early, it’s already 30 degrees in the shade. It’s a difficult hike, but Baamba is a sensible guide: he always carries a satellite phone in his backpack in case of emergencies. His ancestors, however, relied on songs.

The early Australian Aborigines made the land navigable (可航行的) through songs, dance and paintings. The songs described pathways or “songlines”, which provided an oral “map” of the land. They showed people where to find a water hole, where there was a river and where they could hunt. Generations of Aboriginals followed these pathways, leaving clear marks and carvings on rocks and trees to help future travelers. “But the songs describe more than a pathway,” explains Baamba. “They also tell stories about how the world was created.” According to Aboriginal stories, the world was created, when giant beings, part human, part animal, came down from the sky. From across the sea and from deep in the earth.

One of the many sacred sites called Arkaroo Rock was mentioned in the songs and stories about the land. These songs and stories show the close relationship between the native people and their environment, how they saw themselves as part of nature rather than master of it, and how their way of life resulted in a valuable knowledge of their land. It was a way of life with more than 2,000 generations. It was a way of life that was safe from invasion and influence until 1788.

____________ Sadly, this destroyed their ancient way of life, and many Aboriginal songlines were lost. Today, people like Baamba are trying to restore this heritage and preserve it.

It’s late now and Baamba is waiting outside Arkaroo Rock. Inside, we’re admiring the beautiful cave paintings, but as soon as we have taken some photos, we leave. Dark clouds are visible on the horizon—there are already flashes of lightning and thunder in the distance. As we drive away, the wind blows through the trees, and we can almost hear the voices of those first Australians, singing the songs of their ancestors, and following the songlines.