My summer break: My favourite outdoor activity and the snack that goes best with it
- This space is dedicated to your wacky ideas, thoughtful reflections and whatever kind of inspiration you have about our weekly prompt
- This week students discuss the best thing to do outside and which food perfectly complements their activity
Do you like to be outside in the summer, or do you prefer to hide indoors?This is My Summer Break, a page where readers will share their wacky ideas, thoughtful reflections or dramatic inspirations in response to a weekly prompt. Our question for next week is: If your parents allowed you to have one “Yes Day” (in which they must say yes to anything you want to do – within reason), what would you do?
If you would like to participate, please send 100-200 words to [email protected] with “My Summer Break” in the subject line, and please include your full name, age and school. The deadline is Wednesday, July 7.
This week’s question: What is your favourite outdoor activity? And what snack would you pair with it?
Summer has come, and with it, the rainy season. For most people, rain means squelchy shoes, forgotten umbrellas, and soaked bodies huddled tightly in air-conditioned buses. But when my brother and I were younger, the pitter-patter of raindrops was a bell, beckoning us to go outside and play.
We would pull on our rain boots, take umbrellas, and run outside to pretend we were in the film Singin’ in the Rain. Raindrops would splatter onto our coats and socks as we hopped from one puddle to another. We would stare in wonder at the tiny snails which seemed to appear magically on the streets, summoned by the rain as we were.
Now, I am a little less childish. After hurrying home from school through the rain, I will immediately make myself a matcha latte: vibrant matcha powder, a cup of milk, a handful of ice, and a drop of honey. The matcha swirls through the milk, curving around the ice cubes before dispersing into a soft sage green. The condensation on the round edge of the cup looks just like the raindrops that land on the window, which I watch from the dry comfort of the indoors.
Jade Chen, 14, Chinese International School
Essential tips for hiking in the hot Hong Kong summer
The summer holiday is finally here, and I can run outdoors to my heart’s content! Distance running is gruelling, especially at the 6km mark in an 8km run up a mountain trail. While I’m making my ascent, each stride gets a little shorter but feels a lot harder. My thighs start burning. My knees wobble. My throat feels as dry as the desert sand.
At last, when I reach the peak, the cool breeze blows against my face, as I embrace the warmth of the golden sun descending below the horizon. I relish the sweetness of success while the initial sourness of the climb fades.
The symphony of flavours in a lemon meringue tart epitomises my feelings towards this sport. The discomfort of running under the blazing hot sun is the initial taste of sourness from the lemon. But as I hold on, I can eventually savour the sweetness of the meringue, which resembles the satisfaction of reaching the mountain’s peak.
Nicole Chung Mong-joo, 16, Diocesan Girls’ School
Hiking with my family. It usually takes us five to six hours to get to the top of a mountain and enjoy the scenery along the trail. It is tiring but beautiful, as we usually wait until sunset before we end the hike. We normally bring along juicy fruit as snacks to keep us hydrated.
Alvin Fung Cheuk-nam, 15, Catholic Ming Yuen Secondary School
The best hikes on Lantau Island
Especially on days with pleasant weather, a relaxing picnic with a friend is the best outdoor activity. To fuel our time there, I usually bring along a scrumptious pack of chocolate protein balls. While I’m there, I enjoy confiding my thoughts and feelings to my friend, as we take a breath of fresh air and experience the natural environment.
William Shakespeare wrote in his play As You Like It, “This our life, exempt from public haunt, finds tongues in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in stones, and good in everything”. Once you take a break from the stress of city life, there is so much to learn and experience in the outdoors.
Quintus Luk, 18, Hong Kong Baptist University College of International Education
Dangerous animals you could encounter on HK’s hiking trails
I love camping with friends in a tent without being bothered by my parents. Although it can get very hot, the night breeze is quite soothing. I usually bring along a lot of candy to snack on. Imagine how exciting it feels to eat sweets without any parents watching over you – or shouting at you about how unhealthy your snacks are.
Matthew So Hiu-laam, 15, Catholic Ming Yuen Secondary School
There is nothing better than playing basketball on the court – even under the scorching sun. Chips and bottled water taste better than usual after a game of basketball with family members all soaked in sweat. The salt on the chips make us feel energetic again even if it doesn’t sound very healthy.
Dicky Leung Hiu-fung, 15, Catholic Ming Yuen Secondary School