Ready for Hiking

Nowadays, traveling has become the most popular form of relaxation. Armed with cameras and cash, many people just grab their backpacks and go hiking.

对话 Dialogue:

     nǐ hé lǘ yǒu men shén me shí hòu chū fā
A: 你和驴友们什么时候出发？
     When are you going to start your trip with your friends?

     wǒ men zhè gè yuè de bā hào zǒu
B: 我们这个月的8号走。
    We will set off on the eighth this month.

     nà hái děi děng hǎo jǐ tiān ne 
A: 那还得等好几天呢。
    That’s still a few days away.

     shì ā ，wǒ duì rì qī hěn jiǎng jiū
B: 是啊，我对日期很讲究。
    Yeah, I am very picky about the date.

语言文化点 Language & Culture Points:

驴友 lǘ yǒu
The word literally means "donkey friends", but it actually refers to "tour pals" or friends to travel with. It is a play on the word "旅游"(lǚ yóu )，which has a similar pronunciation.
Eg. 酒店为驴友们推荐最经典的旅行线路。
    The hotel recommends the most classic travel routes to the travelers.

讲究 jiǎng jiū 
be particular about/be picky about/stress
Eg. v. 公司讲究实际效果。
     The company stresses practical results.

   adj. 讲究的早餐/服装
       fine breakfast/elegant dress

对 duì
When using "对 (duì)" as a preposition, it means "to" or "towards" an object or target. The structure is basically:
对 + Object + Verbal Phrase

Eg. 她对我很客气。
   She was very polite to me.

"对" is also used in such structures: 
对……来说 ("as far as ... is concerned") 
对……感兴趣 ("to be interested in...")
对……的印象("the impression of …").

Eg.
川菜对我来说太辣了。
To me, Sichuan cuisine is too spicy.

我对中文很感兴趣。
I am very interested in Chinese.

我对她的印象很好。
She left me a good impression.

Cultural background: Chinese Lucky Numbers

Some Chinese people are superstitious and desire what they consider “good numbers”, thus they would pick a lucky date when it comes to wedding, traveling, laying the foundation of a new house, opening a business, or holding a funeral. The so-called lucky date refers to one that can bring happiness and avoid disasters. Nowadays, Chinese people tend to like dates that end with 1, 6, 8 and 9, as 1 stands for the best, 6 indicates luck, 8 means fortunes, and 9 sounds the same as the word “longevity”.