AUDIO SCRIPTS
180
LESSON 11.1 RECORDING 11.1
1
When I’m outside Bahrain, travelling for my
job, I miss the smell of strong Arabic coffee, and
the smell of the food. I really miss our typical
Bahraini breakfast of bread, eggs, beans and
tomatoes. I think also of the sunshine in my
home town, and holidays where my family and
relatives come together. I miss the prayers we
hear five times a day from the mosques. I also
think Bahraini hospitality is wonderful. I miss
visiting friends, relatives and neighbours and the
way that Bahraini people really try hard to make
their guests feel comfortable. Another thing I
miss about Bahraini culture is the respect for
older people.
2
When I lived abroad, I missed cycling to places.
I didn’t see many people on bikes, everyone
used cars all the time, even for short distances.
Children were taken to school by their parents,
and my host father drove to a nearby petrol
station to get his newspaper. I thought about
getting a bike, but there were no cycle paths in
my area, and I felt I’d be a kind of ‘outsider’ if I
cycled to work in the morning.
I also missed small local supermarkets where
you can walk to do your shopping. In Germany,
we have many small supermarkets in all parts of
cities or towns, and you can get everything you
need there. They are not huge and anonymous,
like the big supermarkets in some other
countries.
Talking of food, I missed German bread and
German rolls. Bread tastes a lot better in my
country, I can tell you.
3
When I worked abroad what I missed most
was certain emotional aspects of our culture,
not material ones. I certainly missed the
Russian style of friendship. In my country,
people will discuss all kinds of very personal
problems, even intimate problems with you.
And they expect friends to forget their own
problems and do everything to help you out.
But outside Russia, I noticed people are more
individualistic, and even with good friends, the
conversations are more superficial, they take
less time, and people tend to be more focused
on their own problems.
Also, I miss Russian jokes and loud laughter.
Russians often organise parties at someone’s
home, old friends come together and spend
hours eating and drinking around a big table,
discussing things, singing, dancing. One final
thing. I missed our traditional Russian winter,
going down snow covered hills on a toboggan
with my young son, skiing and skating, playing
snowballs and making snow maidens with our
fluffy snow.
4
What did I miss when I was abroad?
Definitely the food. In Cameroon, everything
we eat is fresh, no processing, artificial stuff
or colouring. I remember we had to literally
chase the chicken, kill it, and then cook it. It
took almost the whole afternoon. And then
I missed the spices. We took the tomatoes,
basil and peanuts straight out of the field, it
was wonderful! When we wanted a treat, all
we had to do was go to the mango or guava
or avocado tree and pick it. And if we wanted
a snack, we would go to the cornfield to
get some corn. I tell you, I had no problem
keeping slim.
The weather, I missed that too. Cameroon is a
tropical country, so we have some very good
weather. Believe it or not, what I missed most
was the sun of course, but also the tropical rain.
I tell you, when it beats down on top of a tin
roof, it produces a sound that’s like a lullaby, it
makes you feel sleepy.
5
I feel comfortable living in foreign countries,
especially in Europe. I like the variety of
cultures you meet just travelling a few hundred
kilometres. But I miss something that just isn’t
there. It’s the sound of my typically Italian
language where I grew up. It took me a long
time to realise its effect on me. When I hear
people speaking my Italian dialect, then I let
myself dive into a very private comfort zone.
It’s a blend of feelings consisting of love,
trust, comfort and being ‘home’. For me, I’ve
lived and worked in various places around
the world, but I’ve never experienced that
anywhere else, except in my home country.
I’m studying in England now and I definitely
miss not being able to express my ideas as
soon as they come into my mind. I just can’t
communicate easily and precisely what I think
in English, and that frustrates me.
Of course, I miss knowing where to go to find
what I need. Being Italian, it means I miss good
food, the sun and friendly people. I miss so
much, but I’m really enjoying being in England.
6
I’ve travelled all over the world. What do
I miss? Well, the first thing that comes to
mind is the more relaxed atmosphere we
have in the streets, you know, socialising
and meeting friends for coffee or dinner.
It’s a very spontaneous culture. You don’t
need to make arrangements a long time in
advance. You just phone a friend, and then
meet them at home or outside only a few
minutes after your phone call.
I should mention our drink, I miss it a lot when
I’m overseas. It’s called
mate
, it’s a traditional
drink in a special container. You pour a kind
of green tea herb (called
yerba mate
) into
the container, you add boiling hot water and
then sip the tea. It’s a kind of ritual. You pass
the container around with a group when you
get together at someone’s home – it’s a bit
like the Indian tribes used to pass round the
‘pipes of peace’. You chat, have fun and talk
philosophically about life, the state of the
world and so on. Friendship and bonding are
very important in Argentina. I missed all that
socialising when I was in England and the
United States.
LESSON 11.2 RECORDING 11.2
I = Interviewer, K = Khalid, S = Steve, H = Hugo
I:
Thanks for all coming today. Who’s come the
furthest? Khalid?
K:
Well, I’ve just finished studying at Hokkaido
University but I’m now working for a bank
in Tokyo – so it’s not me.
H:
It can’t be me, either. I’m teaching English here
in Tokyo.
I:
Steve, how about you?
S:
Yep, must be me. I’ve come from
Fukuoka, which for your listeners, is on the
Southern island of Kyushu.
I:
Well, thanks for coming all this way Steve. Can
you tell us about your experience of living in
Japan and culture shock?
S:
Well, I arrived here one month ago, and I’m
studying Japanese on a scholarship from Nihon
Keizai University. I’m staying in a dormitory
provided by the university.
I:
And are you enjoying it?
S:
I’m having such a good time. People have been
incredibly welcoming. I’ve been invited back
to peoples’ homes and they’ve cooked for me.
I’ve met up with people for language exchange
– where we’ve had lunch together and then
gone shopping. I’ve met a lot of people –
Japanese and foreigners – through the Fukuoka
Now website. I just love Japanese food,
especially sushi. It’s all so different from home,
but it’s fantastic. The only problem I’ve had is
that I’ve got quite big feet and I just can’t buy
shoes here that fit me.
I:
Hahaha. It sounds like you’re having a great
time. Hugo, I know your experience has
been slightly different.
H:
Yes, you’re right. I’ve been here three months
now and, as I said, I’m teaching English here in
Tokyo. I have a very small room and I feel a bit
lonely. Also I get frustrated by the giggling and
whispered comments when schoolchildren
pass me. I’ve stopped going out into the
countryside because when I went out into the
countryside children would stare at me. I’m
just not fitting in at the moment. Sometimes the
Japanese are quite indirect with their requests
and suggestions, and I don’t know what they
are really trying to get at.
I:
Sorry to hear that Hugo. How about you
Khalid?
K:
Well, as I said, I’ve just finished studying at
Hokkaido University in Sapporo in the north
of Japan. I studied economics and I’m now
working for a bank in Tokyo. So I’ve been
in Japan for five years. Hokkaido is really
beautiful. The winter landscapes are stunning
and the people in Hokkaido are wonderful. If
you go there, look out for the volcanoes, the
frozen sea and the famous ice sculptures. And I
really recommend going cross country skiing to
appreciate the scenery.
I:
And what has been your experience of culture
shock, Khalid?
K:
Well, apart from the weather, which is
very different to Bahrain, I think I can now
appreciate all the strengths of both Japanese
culture and my own culture. I think you don’t
have to worry too much about obeying rules.
It’s more important to remember your manners,
behave and speak with respect and realise that
humour crosses all barriers. Your stay in this
wonderful country is so much more relaxing if
you just have a sense of humour.
I:
And finally, for those planning to come to
Japan, is it safe?
H:
Definitely.
K:
Yes. S: Obviously, crime does happen, but it’s
been a really great experience to live in a place
that feels so safe.
LESSON 11.3 RECORDING 11.3
1
When my wife and I were on holiday in
Istanbul, Turkey, we decided to visit a
market. My wife persuaded me to travel
there by
dolmus
– one of the small minibuses
which hold about 20 passengers. We sat in
the middle of the bus, and after about ten
minutes, an old woman came from the back
seats, tapped me on the shoulder and put
two coins in my hand, muttering something
in Turkish. I didn’t understand, but thanked
her and put the coins in my pocket. A few
minutes later, the bus driver stopped and
spoke to the old woman. She pointed at me,
and didn’t look very pleased. The bus driver
started waving his arms about and shouting at
me in broken English, ‘You bad person. You
get off my bus, you don’t give me money.’ I
suddenly realised that the woman had given
me the coins to pass on to the driver to pay for
the journey. I was so embarrassed.
I admitted taking the money and apologised
for not giving it to him. He just wouldn’t listen.
He warned me not to get on his bus again. I
regretted travelling by
dolmus
and we never
did it again. During the rest of our holiday, we
travelled by taxi and ferry-boat!
