Level 4 students write about their favorite places

my favorite place poem

Written by Miriam H. from Mexico

The singing of the birds harmonizes my thoughts.

The colors reflect the splendor of the landscape and the trees give me energy.

The  perfect place for thinking about everything and taking my relaxing time.

I contemplated what happened at that time in my favorite place!

The weather is rainy, sunny or cloudy. That is perfect for me but my favorite is a sunny day!

The chirping of birds, the friendly game of the squirrels going up and down through  the tallest trees.

I saw my dog Lily when she paid attention to the different sounds coming from around her, she started running to my favorite place!

When I feel the fresh air dancing around me, I remember why this is my favorite place.

MY BACKYARD.

Yosemite National Park

Written by S.Y from South Korea

My favorite place is Yosemite National Park.  When I first came to America after abandoning all my friends, family, and work, everything was strange and hard. 'Will I ever be able to live in America? Will I ever like America?'  It wasn't homesickness. It was a matter of adjustment. 

In June 2019, when I visited Yosemite National Park, I thought, 'Now I can continue to live in America!' There I met hope!  The vast nature, beautiful greenery, pleasant weather, and kindness of people. I tasted heaven there for a few days. And since then, my life in America has changed from despair to hope. 

And I promise to visit here every year! 

Of course, I've been visiting different places every year, so my resolution hasn't been made. America is huge and there are many places to visit! But, Yosemite National Park is the most beautiful place that I would like to recommend to everyone.

MULTNOMAH FALLS

Written by Hien Le from Vietnam

I came from Vietnam, and I currently live in Portland, Oregon. Oregon has many beautiful sceneries. The weather is quite cool and rainy, the water environment is fresh and clean. There are many trees, and the natural environment is very well protected. 

One of the beautiful scenes is the waterfall. The Multnomah Falls is a very famous waterfall in Oregon. It is high and huge. People often come here when they visit Oregon. There are many activities that we can do at Multnomah Falls. We can go hiking and enjoy the beautiful scenery from above. To the north of Multnomah Falls, there is a beautiful Columbia River. We can enjoy the fresh air here while drinking a cup of coffee. In the summer, my family and I sometimes go here to hike, jog and relax.

HEARTH OF THE HOUSE

Written by AS from Mexico

My favorite place in the world is the kitchen of my parents' house in Mexico. Like almost all homes in the world, my parents' kitchen is the heart of the house. This place is special to me because on Saturdays, my whole family gathers around the table, first to cook and then to enjoy long and happy meals. We always start by preparing the food. Because I have a big family, it takes several hours to prepare enough food for everyone. My mom, my sisters, my sister-in-law, and the grandchildren start in the middle of the day, getting everything ready. We play music, tell jokes, and gossip a little while we cook. I really enjoy this part because I feel connected with my family. My mom always chooses to make very elaborate dishes, such as tamales, mole with handmade tortillas, or seafood. As a result, we spend around four hours or more working in the kitchen.

Once everything is prepared, my father, my husband, and my brothers come home from work and join us in the kitchen to eat. All together, we are seventeen people, so every meal is loud and a little messy. Everyone laughs and has fun. At the end of the meal, we usually have cake for dessert. The meal finishes around nine or ten o'clock. My family still does this every week, and I miss this part of my life in Mexico so much.

I have many memories of fantastic places I have visited. I would love to see them again with great pleasure!

These places are connected with my home country, Russia. But I’m not talking about cities. Although I really like Moscow and Saint Petersburg—both are beautiful and interesting cities with old architecture, parks, squares, theaters, rivers, and seas—I find nature even more fascinating.

I want to talk about the Altai Mountains.

The Altai Mountains are a region in Russia, located in the south of Western Siberia, near the border with Mongolia. The capital city is Gorno-Altaisk. This area has over 7,000 lakes, fast rivers, forests, waterfalls, and green valleys filled with many kinds of herbs! The highest mountain in Siberia is located here, and so is one of the most beautiful roads in the world—the Chuysky Tract. Archaeologists have found ancient relics in burial mounds, and shamans still perform their rituals in this land.

In 1993, archaeologists dug up a burial mound and found a well-preserved woman from over 2,500 years ago. They called her the “Altai Princess.” Many local people believe she should be returned to her original resting place to prevent bad luck.

The highest mountain in Siberia is called Belukha. It got its name from the white snowcaps that never melt. The famous artist Nicholas Roerich painted it. This mountain is clearly visible from a small lake called Akkem Lake, which shines with an emerald green color. It is fantastic!

Another popular place is Lake Teletskoye. It is a large lake and one of the biggest freshwater reservoirs in Russia—second only to Lake Baikal. It was formed by tectonic activity and looks like a huge crack in the mountains. The lake is very deep (up to 350 meters), about 3 kilometers wide, and 80 kilometers long. The water is cold, even in hot weather—only around 10°C. It is so clear that you can see the bottom up to 15 meters deep. Once, I saw a baby bear on the shore! I can’t describe all the beauty of these places—you have to see them yourself.

There are also mountain rivers like the Katun, more waterfalls, more lakes, and the Uimon Valley, where Old Believers live. It’s all so incredible!

I have been lucky to visit most of these places. Even the great Russian Queen Catherine II visited Lake Teletskoye in the 18th century.

All of this is amazing—but in the end, I believe that the most important place on Earth for me (and for many people) is my parents’ home. Nothing compares to it. A parental home is the beginning of everything. Wherever I go, I always knew my parents were waiting for me with love and care. That home gives comfort, warmth, peace, and confidence. There, I can still see traces of my childhood and youth. That house teaches us to appreciate the present and remember the past.

Family dinners, holidays, quiet evenings, and deep conversations—all of this is in my heart and soul.

A parental home is a memory and an inspiration for life!

Also very important to me is the place where I live now—Oregon! I really love it for its magnificent nature. I was amazed that all the houses here are surrounded by huge trees and beautiful flowers. The cities look like parks! And the ocean—it's magnificent! My favorite place here is Cape Meares, near Tillamook. I can walk there for hours, just looking at the ocean. It is full of power and strength!

America is a great and beautiful country!

INSIDE THE CAR

Written by YI. from Japan

My Favorite place is an inside of my car during driving alone where I can listen my favorite music with good sound and loud volume (of course it within doesn't interfere safety) without anyone disturb me in that place. 

Sometimes, I sing a song loudly. Sometimes, I feel like I'm playing the instruments (of course it within doesn't interfere safety). Yes, it almost like as Karaoke! I feel good a view is passing by with listening my favorite songs.  I choose a song to play match with various situation such as my feeling at that moment, the weather and  so on. Recently, I use to listen English pod cast to improve my listening skills.

For me, the inside car during I drive what is good place to listen to something with concentration (of course it within doesn't interfere safety).

silence from the noisy world

Written by CW 

I like to seek some silence from the noisy world, so reading books is a great way to do that. However, I am an environment-dependent person when I read, so I enjoy reading in the library rather than at home or anywhere else.

Several months ago, I applied for a membership at the Multnomah Library, and there was one good thing and one bad thing. The good part was that I found a lot of Chinese-language books that I can’t find anywhere else, especially some martial arts fiction. The bad part was that there were a lot of homeless people staying there, and they spread an awful smell and made a lot of noise. They didn’t read books; instead, they slept or played on the computer. Sometimes, the librarian had to wake them when they fell asleep.

Even though this situation exists, I still prefer to read in the library rather than at home. I always feel sleepy or can’t focus on the books at home. Sometimes I take snacks or drinks, and sometimes I just stand up and walk around. However, despite the relatively poor environment, I can focus on reading the books more easily in the library.

A famous author once said, "If there’s heaven, it should be like the library." I half-agree with this. The library is a really awesome place to concentrate and forget about everything else. I can find peace in my mind there.