1 . Ten years ago, I went on a vacation in Italy. After climbing up a hill for a panoramic (全景的) view of the blue sea, white buildings and green olive trees, I paused to catch my breath and then positioned myself to take the best photo of this panorama.

Unfortunately, just as I took out my camera, a woman approached from behind, and planted herself right in front of my view. Like me, this woman was here to stop, sigh and appreciate the view.

Patient as I was, after about 15 minutes, I grew frustrated. Was it too much to ask her to move so I could take just one picture of the landscape? Sure, I could have asked her, but something prevented me from doing so. She seemed so content in her observation. I didn't want to mess with that. Another 15 minutes passed and I grew bored. The woman was still there. I decided to take the photo anyway.

Now when I look at the photo, I think her presence in the photo is what makes the image interesting. The landscape, beautiful on its own, somehow comes to life and breathes because this woman is engaging with it.

This photo, with the unique beauty that unfolded before me and that woman who "ruined" it, now hangs on a wall in my bedroom. What would she think if she knew that her figure is captured and frozen on some strangers bedroom wall? A bedroom, after all, is a very private space, in which some woman I don't even know has been immortalized (使永存). In some ways, she lives in my house.

Perhaps we all live in each other's spaces. Perhaps this is what photos are for: to remind us that we all appreciate beauty, that we all share a common desire for pleasure, for connection, for something that is greater than us. That photo is a reminder, a captured moment, an unspoken conversation between two women, separated only by a thin square of glass.

2 . At the foot of the Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang, a homestay (民宿) is attracting travelers from far and wide, which has won architectural medal at the 2021 German iF Design Awards.

The owners of the homestay are a couple in their late 30s who decided to return to their hometown three years ago. Li Xiumei used to be in charge of a division at a company in Hangzhou, and her husband was a sales director. It was an ordinary situation where Li’s husband was on business trips a lot and Li still worked on weekends. City life sometimes is not easy.

In 2018, they quit jobs and went back to Dongtianmu village, which lies in a forest of bamboo. The first time they drove into the village was one late afternoon. The cooking smoke was rising from the foot of the mountain, which gave them a very different feeling from the city.

The homestay was built beside her husband’s old countryside house. The old house is preserved (保留), while a brand-new building was built on its side and the whole site is made up of four courtyards. It has been updated to have a hall, a tea room, a kitchen, a dining room. Japanese cherry trees are planted in the east courtyard. A swimming pool is placed in the west courtyard, with a bar located on one side.

Li and her husband love gardening and music, and their new home gives them enough space to continue their interests and relax in the heart of nature. Li wants to share the quiet country life, so she makes her new home a homestay. In 2019, the homestay became an online hit after guests shared their experiences on social media. “The longer I stay here, the more I feel it was the right choice to come back, and this is more meaningful than making money,” Li says.

4 . Planning a visit to the UK? Here are some useful methods to cut down your budget.

AVOID BIG EVENTS

During big sporting games, concerts and exhibitions, the cost of accommodation is more likely to increase. A standard double room at the Thistle Brighton on the final Friday of the Brighton Comedy(喜剧)Festival (19th Oct.) cost £169.15 at Booking. com while just a week later, the same room cost £118.15. If you want to know which dates to a void-or you've looking for a big event to pass your time-check out sites such as Whatsonwhen.com, which allow you to search for events in the UK by city, date and category.

STAYAWAY FROM THE STATION

If traveling to your destination by train, you may want to find a good hotel close to the station, but you are expected to pay more because of convenience at the start of your holiday. Don't put too much attention on the part of town you stay in. Booking two months ahead of schedule, the cheapest single room at Travelodge's Central Euston in London for Saturday 22th September was £95.95. A room just an underground journey away at its Covent Garden hotel was £75.75. While at Farringdon, a double room costs just £62.95.

LOOK AFTER YOURSELF

Really central hotels in cities like London, Edinburgh and Cardiff can cost a fortune, especially at weekends and during big events. So it will be a good choice to consider checking into a self-cooking flat with its own kitchen. Often these flats are hidden away on the top floors of city center buildings. An example is the historic O'Neill Flat on Edinburgh's Royal Mile, available for £420 for five days in September, with room for four adults.

TAKE A BIKE

London's "Boris bikes" have aroused the most attention from home and overseas tourists, but other cities also have similar programs that let you rent a bicycle and explore at your own pace, saving you on public transport or car parking costs. Among the smaller cities with their own programs are Newcastle (approximately £1.50 for two hours) and Cardiff (free for up to 30 minutes).

5 . Kompong Phhluk Private Tour

Depart the city for an unspoiled(没破坏的) floating community called Kompong Phhluk which is astonishing for its stilted-house villages and flooded forest.

Stop on the way for the Rolous Market tour. This is a great chance for you to take the photos of locals selling vegetables，different fish species and other local produce.

After this market tour we'll all have a boat trip to the floating community of Kompong Phhluk，visit an island pagoda，school and houses standing on 8 or 10m high stilts，fish farms and learn about the village life.

Stop and have lunch in a family's house before getting into a row boat and venturing into the flooded forest，the habitat to some famous water-bird species.

Eventually we jump back into the big boat and set off for the largest fresh water lake in SE Asia，Tonle Sap.

Tour Details

•Departs 8.30am

•Returns around 2pm

•A picnic lunch with sandwiches and drinks is provided. We cannot provide local food from the area due to poor sanitation，lack of hygiene standards and refrigeration.

•No passes required

Rates

•These rates are based on an English speaking guide.

•Rates include all transport，water and a picnic lunch.

•Children 11 years and under are 50%.

•Children 4 years and below are free.

•If your group is larger than 5 people please email us for the best rate.

Number of People       Price Per Person

1 Person               $65；2 People               $45；3 People               $40；4 People               $35；5 People               $32

What to Wear

•Please be mindful of your clothing and try to avoid anything too revealing.

•We strongly recommend a sunglasses，hat and sunscreen.

General Information

•This is a poor rural village，please be mindful of the environment.

•Please do not hand things out to villagers，for this contributes to creating a begging cycle

and can create jealousy.

•We recommend heading to the toilet before you go on this trip as facilities are very basic.

7 . A Service Trips for High School Students

Are you a high school student who loves to be outdoors and is eager to experience new challenges, learn new skills and meet new people? WTA offers first-time participants country trips and returning students have the option to go on trips in the back country (边远地区). 

Front Country Trips

Our front country trips provide opportunities for people to experience projects near the ocean, in the scenic Cascade Mountains and in northeast Washington. Our trips also provide you with experienced leaders, a great project, some camping tents, sleeping bags and all your meals for the week.

Advanced Back Country Trips 

On these trips you will be backpacking to the work site and will have a chance to advance your trail and leadership skills under the supervision(监护) of a WTA leader. 

Trip Details

In 2015, trip fees for WTA members will be $195 for the first trip and $145 for each additional trip. Non-members will pay an additional $40 for their first trip and can be qualified to be members in the second trip. Due to the popularity of our trips, please submit your payment and application within two weeks. If a trip is full and you would like to be added to the waiting list, please call us at 206/625-1367 or email trail-teams@wta.org. 

Scholarships

We believe no student should have to stay at home this summer because he or she can’t afford to go outside. Thanks to donations from members and supporters, WTA is proud to announce that we are able to offer a limited number of scholarships. Application Deadline: May 1, 2016.