At a young age, Ecuadorian Patricia Cobena decided that she would make traveling her permanent job. She completed a degree in Tourism Management then worked as a logistics coordinator at Zoco tour operators. In 2007, she moved to China to study Mandarin at Beijing Language and Culture University (BLCU). The following year, she became a regional sales manager in Beijing for the Hong Kong travel agency Variarts. Among planning trips and coordinating events, she has worked with Beijing Olympic sponsors. Speaking Spanish, English, and Mandarin, she currently works as a private tour guide in Beijing and across China. Over the past two years, she has guided tourists hailingfrom the US, Ecuador, Columbia and Peru. In just three years, she has explored those countries herself, in addition to South Africa, Israel, Thailand, Costa Rica and Panama. Before her next travel adventure, she spoke to Beijing Playhouse, telling tales of the most exciting corners of the Earth and sharing her personal journey.
William Maxwell Bernell, 13, USA
What made you choose this career?
In high school, I told my dad that I want to travel for the rest of my life. Then, I started looking into tourism. This job is fun and gives me the most freedom.
Jerilyn Zheng, 8, USA
Is being a tour guide fun?
Yes. You get tired a lot, because you’re taking care of other people and you have to know everything. And maybe you work 12-13 hours a day, but it’s a lot of fun.
Juliette Smith, 10, Australia
Do you think traveling is something you will ever get sick of one day?
No. Traveling for me is a kaleidoscope. It’s a bunch of images of one single place and everything looks different. If you go to the same place ten times, it’s never the same. Guess how many times I have been to the Great Wall: more than 100 times in two years.
Nick Pan, 11, Taiwan
What kind of job did you want before you became a tour guide?
It was always about traveling. Before, I wanted to be a flight attendant, so I could travel.
Ida Rynning, 10, Norway
Where is the most amazing place you’ve been?
There’s so many. Right now, I can say Kruger Park in South Africa. You have giraffes crossing in front of you and elephants walking around. You can see everything you see on the Discovery Channel, but it’s right in front of you.
Juliette Smith, 10, Australia
Why did you decide to come to China?
Learning is very important. And if you want to get into something like traveling, you have to know a few languages. Almost everyone speaks English, so I decided to learn another language. So I first came to China to study Chinese.
William Maxwell Bernell, 13, USA
Of all the historical places in Beijing, which is your favorite?
I really like the Marco Polo Bridge. It’s really pretty.
Nick Pan, 11, Taiwan
How many languages did you learn in your travels?
In all my travels, I always try to learn the language of the country I’m in. I know a few words in Thai and Sulu (the language in South Africa) and more than a few words in Hebrew.
Edward Lin, 8, Hong Kong
What is your favorite language?
I think it is between Spanish and Chinese. I have been here for three years and I still go to Chinese school, because I really like the language.
Jerilyn Zheng, 8, USA
Has being a tour guide helped you in any way?
In many ways. It helps you to be tolerant with everything around you. It helps you understand that the world is big, but at the same time, everything is connected.
Emily Boon, 6, Belgium
Are the countries you go to, clean or dirty?
They’re all different. For example, the main cities in South Africa are very clean. But if you went outside the city, it is not as clean. Israel was clean everywhere, no exceptions. And there was no noise. In Peru, the streets can be quite dirty. It’s different from one place to another.
Ida Rynning, 10, Norway
What is the worst bug that you’ve ever heard of?
In the Amazon, I was swimming in a lake with piranhas. Actually, they were vegetarian. If you pee in this place, they like your pee and bite you all over. It didn’t happen to me, but I’ve heard about it.
