Welcome to your first class. We will start class with a casual conversation. Next, we will have a speaking exercise. Our reading this week is about spicy Korean food. For our listening material, I have added a dialogue with an audio recording. Please just listen and I will ask you questions about it in class.
Click HERE for the reading
Mike and Maria are meeting for the first time. Today is their first date.
Stranger: Excuse me, sir? Can you please lend a hand?
Mike: What can I do for you?
Stranger: Do you know where the nearest payphone is at?
Mike: No, I'm sorry. I'm not so familiar with the area.
Stranger: I need to make an important phone call, but I just lost my cell phone.
Mike: Why don't you use my cell phone to make the call. Here.
(Mike hands the stranger his cell phone)
Stranger: Thank you so much, sir.
(The stranger makes his call and soon hangs up. He hands it back to Mike)
Stranger: Thank you again sir. I really appreciate the favor.
(The stranger walks away, while Maria walks out of her apartment. She notices the stranger thank Mike and walk away)
Maria: What was that all about?
Mike: The man needed to make a phone call so I lent him my cell phone.
Maria: You really trusted a total stranger with your personal cell phone? Your either really naïve or really kind.
Mike: I would say both.
(Mike and Maria share a good laugh of the matter. They both enter the car and drive to the restaurant. They enter the restaurant and are seated by the waitress)
Waitress: What can I get for you guys this evening?
Mike: I'll have the Kung Pao Chicken please
Waitress: Good choice. That's our specialty dish. And for you ma'am?
Maria: I'll have what he's having.
Waitress: Two Kung Pao Chickens coming right up.
(The waitress smiles and walks away)
Mike: I hope you brought an appetite with you.
Maria: I sure did!
Mike: Tell me more about yourself.
Maria: I'm a student at a university. I'm originally from Colorado. My dream is to be a librarian one day.
Mike: Wow, that's interesting.
Maria: How about you? What do you do?
Mike: I work at an office building in downtown. I graduated from UCLA three years ago. My family is from Pasadena, California.
Maria: You went to UCLA? That's impressive. Tell me more.
(Mike and Maria continued to get to know each other over dinner. They had such a great time, and decided to continue seeing each other after. One year later, they both share an apartment together in California where they plan to eventually get engaged and buy a house.)