【推荐1】One Man’s Meat Is Another Man’s Poison

People become quite illogical when they try to decide what can be eaten and what cannot be eaten. If you lived in the Mediterranean, for instance, you would consider octopus a great delicacy. You would not be able to understand why some people find it repulsive. On the other hand, your stomach would turn at the idea of frying potatoes in animal fat — the normally accepted practice in many northern countries.     1    

No creature has received more praise and abuse than the common garden snail.     2     There are countless people who, ever since their early years, have learned to associate snails with food. My friend, Robert, lives in a country where snails are despised. As his flat is in a large town, he has no garden of his own. For years he has been asking me to collect snails from my garden and take them to him.     3    But one day, after heavy shower, I happened to be walking in my garden when I noticed a huge number of snails taking a stroll on some of my prize plants.

    4    Robert was delighted to see me and equally pleased with my little gift. I left the bag in the hall and Robert and I went into the living room where we talked for a couple of hours. I had forgotten all about the snails when Robert suddenly said that I must stay to dinner. Snails would, of course, be the main dish. I did not fancy the idea and I reluctantly followed Robert out of the room.

To our dismay, we saw that there were snails everywhere: they had escaped from the paper bag and had taken complete possession of the hall! I have never been able to look at a snail since then.

【推荐2】Dining in a completely dark room, unaware what’s on your plate while sitting next to a complete stranger may not sound like an ideal restaurant experience but it’s certainly an intriguing way to spend a rainy night in London.

Dans le Noir, close to London’s financial district, is a restaurant full of blind waiters and waitresses who become your eyes around the restaurant, whose original Paris branch opened in 2004.

In the bar with the light, you choose whether you want the fish, meat or vegetable, but the dishes themselves remain a secret, as do the ingredients of the “surprise” cocktails. Bags, coats and devices(设备) that light up, including watches and mobile phones, are kept in the bar. Placing your hand on the shoulder of your guide, you are led to a table in a black dining room that sets up to 60 people. And it is dark.

The waiters tell you when the food is being placed down in front of you, then the fun begins, trying to get food into your mouth, then identifying just what it is that’s on your plate, and finally whether you have missed any of it.

It’s also a great chance to break social convention and eat using your fingers. Those same fingers are also the only way you can tell how much wine you’re pouring into your glass.

The happy atmosphere in the dining room also made the night memorable. You can’t really avoid talking to the person next to you at the long tables and guessing what the dishes are certainly provides adequate fuel for the conversations.

All will be revealed at the end of the meal when you are led back out into the lit bar. Not only do you finally get to see what you’ve just been eating but also who you’ve been talking to for the last 90 minutes.

【推荐3】Tea time is first thing in the morning at Buckingham Palace! Even queens need a morning pick-me-up, and Queen Elizabeth II is no exception to having an early morning necessity. The Queen eats breakfast every day at 8: 30 a.m. with her husband, Prince Philip. But she doesn’t arrive on an empty stomach. In fact, Elizabeth treats herself with something before her morning bath every morning at 7:30.

Once she’s up, Queen Elizabeth II enjoys a pot of hot Earl Grey, alongside some tea biscuits. Like most United Kingdom residents, she takes her tea without sugar, but doesn’t mind adding a little milk. You can, in fact, drink your tea like a royal, because Her Majesty’s favorite brand of Earl Grey is available around the world.

Her tea is piping hot and poured from silver pots into a bone china cup for her to sip while she listens to the radio. If you can also enjoy a cup of tea in the morning, follow the example of the Queen and try making these tea cookies to eat before the most important meal of the day.

Once she’s digested her pre-meal treats, Queen Elizabeth II loves to enjoy Special K grain food and fruit for her morning food and drinks. Yes, the Queen really does love the same brands that we “commoners” every day! You can check out other diets she loves.

This sounds like the perfect start to any day to us! And we’re glad that the United Kingdom’s longest-serving ruler is taking a little bit of time for herself. Can’t you get enough other foods Queen Elizabeth II eats regularly? Ordinary people usually worship the members of the royal family and take great interest in their way of life.

【推荐2】It’s not easy to step out of your comfort zone. In fact, it’s scary. But at the same time, you’ll experience and learn amazing things. So you need to step out of your comfort zone and experience new cultures abroad.     1     You’re exposed to different languages, smells, colors, sights, sounds, and people. If you’re not convinced yet, read on.

It’s a big world out there.     2     When you live in another country, you can open your eyes to the beliefs and values of other people. You will discover new social norms (规范) and lifestyles. It will not only change your perspective(观点), but it will reshape your personality as well.

    3     Who doesn’t want to have a second language under their belt? Learning a second language will give you the ability to step inside the mind of a culture and see things from a whole new perspective. It’ll also give you an advantage in the job market. Being in a foreign country helps you learn a new language much faster.

Don’t you want to greatly improve your development as a person? Traveling to a different country and experiencing a new culture allows that. Exposure to multi-cultures or diversity will lead to a better judgment.     4     You will also learn fun skills such as cooking among others.

    5     This is the most fun part of traveling. You meet people with different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. You will learn valuable lessons and hear stories from each person you meet, which will make the trip even more memorable.

【推荐3】“The arrow shot is so straight that it hits the bull’s eye. The young people will have good luck…” Dargye sang as he worked on his handmade bag.

Dargye, 56, an artist who excels at traditional craftsmanship (技艺) and Tibetan folk music in Drinba village in Dragyib district, Nyingchi, Tibet autonomous region, remembers many folk songs he learned from his father and uncle. Now, it’s his turn to pass them on.

“I have liked traditional songs and dances since I was a child,” said Dargye, who has four apprentices (学徒). “The songs tell the histories of our ancestors and carry our unique culture, and it’s always a lot of fun to perform these traditional songs and dances at various gatherings.” The song topics vary from archery, love, to labor and praise for the land. In addition to teaching these songs to his family members and apprentices, he also uses social media platforms such as WeChat to teach songs.

His daughter, Chok Butri, also admires the folk culture. After posting a video of her daughter, Tsering Kyi, dancing on Douyin, she gained a lot of new fans on the popular short-video platform. “We are modern people living in a modern era, so it’s important and our responsibility that we use modern tools to pass on our traditional culture to make it last forever.” said Chok Butri, adding that she often posts songs and dances on WeChat and Douyin.

Dargye and his fellow villagers also recreate songs, adding modern elements such as aircraft and trains to the lyrics. Besides singing and dancing, Dargye makes handicrafts decorated with Tibetan cultural elements, including various hide and hair ropes, bags made of leather and cloth, and knife sheaths.

The local government encourages villagers to inherit (继承) and develop folk songs and other forms of traditional culture. Dargye’s efforts to preserve folk culture have been acknowledged by the government. In 2014, he was chosen as a county-level intangible (无形的) cultural inheritor and receives funds every year.