Small Talk (English with Lucy) Flashcards
https://youtu.be/KWmi_v6XgAo
Do you know of any ‘hidden gems’ around here?
Do you mean some bistros or restaurants? Yes, I’ve tried one called Buongiorno which is an Italian bistro. Their pasta, pizza and fish are delicious. It’s in Woodthorpe and it’s quite near from here. You may give a try!
Is there anywhere I should know about?
I’m not sure if you like pub. I’m not a big fan of pub but I’ve tried one nearby which is quite good. They serve hot food and quite a lot of people are going there. It’s called Cross Keys and it’s at Tadcaster Road in Dringhouses. I went there with my family sometimes.
Have you got any trips planned?
Oh, yeah. I’m going to be in London and a seaside town in the North of France for a few days in August. It’s my first road trip here and I’m excited about it. How about you? Have you got any trips planned?
Tell me about your trip to ______. Would you recommend it?
Oh yeah, definitely. It’s been a long time since I went there last time. But the impression I got was really nice! The places were super clean, people were polite and helpful, though they’re not very good English speakers. The food was just fantastic and I think it cannot be any nicer!
I love trying new cuisines - have you been anywhere with really great food?
I think you really need to try Buongiorno! I’d say it’s the best one I’ve ever tried here. It’s Italian and it serves pasta, pizza and some fresh food like sea bream. They’re just delicious and Buongiorno is always busy at night. So you better make a booking before going there.
Have you got any tips for jetlag?
No, not really. I just tried to give myself a bit of time to get used to the time difference. Tried not to be too busy after flight for 1 or 2 days. Why ask? Are you going to somewhere?
Let me know if you need any help or recommendations! I know this area pretty well.
Oh, that’ll be great. Thank you! Though I’ve been living here for 2 years but I think I still have a lot of places here to explore. Do you think of any good cycling or walking path here?
Do you prefer a ‘fly-and-flop’ holiday, or an adventure?
Both are good to me. I’d prefer to have a mix of both in my trip. It’d be best for me if it allows me to do some exploring and I still can chill between the activities. I’m quite a laid-back person but I still like to see something new. What about you? How do you want your trip to be?
Has the pandemic affected your travel plans at all?
Yes, I think so. I was in Hong Kong before coming to England and I used to go to Macau every year to visit my relatives. During pandemic I could not go to Macau and I was just stuck in Hong Kong. How about you? How did the pandemic affect you?
When are you heading back? What do you want to do before you go back?
Will be in this week. And it would be nice if I can go to a pub with you once more before I go.
How did you get into (career)?
I’ve been in IT for more than 20 years and I got my first IT job after my Uni study. My degree was in Computer Science and I’ve been interested in computer things since I was about 15. I like my current job because it gives me flexibility. Most of time I can work anywhere and at any hour.
What is the best career advice you ever received?
I remember someone told me to stop reading or studying or thinking about something new too much and just start getting my hands dirty and trying it. It’s really a good advice because trying or experimenting with the thing will actually boost your understanding. It’s quite an effective way to study indeed.
What is the worst career advice you ever received?
I can’t think of a specific one actually. But usually you will get some useless advice when the person giving you advice is not listening or understanding the situation well enough. It’s really a shame if you get one of those advices.
If you were guaranteed to be successful, what job would you want?
I’d want to be a Formula 1 driver because I really like to watch the races and sometimes I will dream about racing with a Formula 1 car. It must be an amazing experience and I’m sure I would love to do it.
What is the craziest thing a boss has ever asked you to do?
I’d say overtime work. Of course I understand that sometimes it’s an inevitable thing to happen at work, but in some cases it’s not. Sometimes I hate it when there’s easy solution to avoid this kind of overtime work but your boss won’t fight for you and simply ask you to do it. For me, it’s the craziest thing I was asked to do.
I was just talking to a colleague about our first jobs. What was yours?
My first ever job was being an assistant in the office when I was about 16 and I was in summer holiday. It’s a job arranged by someone who knew my mum and it’s a fabulous chance to get some easy extra money when I was still a student. All I needed to do was typing Chinese on a computer!
How long have you been working at (company)?
I started working at Resolve in 2019 but in 2021 I quitted because I moved to England. At the end of the year I rejoined the company and worked from remotely from England. I’m glad to have this job because I could still develop my career even though I left Hong Kong. I could work with the colleagues whom I’m familiar with and I could still keep the network that I’ve had for many years.
What do you think of a 4-day work week?
It’s a brilliant idea! As an employee of course it would be a good news to me. But actually I think it’s a complicated matter because we still need to balance people’s lives and productivity. Not every job is the same I’d say.
Have you had to work from home recently? How did you find working from home?
I’m working from home full-time now! I found that it’s a good fit to me. Because I’m working in IT and most of time I need to sit quietly and think about the things I’m working on. And besides, I need to handle customers quite often, it’s actually quite a good thing to keep some distance between myself and the customers.
Have you got any plans for the weekend?
Oh, not really. I’m very busy this week and I still haven’t got time to think about what to do at the weekend. What about you? Have you got any plans?
