Mark: Ok so. You. So. Misun. You were born in Japan. Is that right? Misun: Mm. (Yes) Mark: Where were you born? Misun: I was born in Osaka. Mark: In Osaka. In Osaka City? Misun: Yes. Mark: How old are you now? Misun: I am twenty. Mark: And your mother and father; were they born in Japan? Misun: Yes, they were. Mark: In Osaka? Misun: My father was born in Osaka but my mother was born in Hyogo. Mark: Uh-huh and excuse me.
(Interruption from third person) Mark: (to another person) Can you talk to me later? I am doing something now.
(to Misun) ahm so your father was born in Osaka but your mother was born in Hyogo. Where were your mother’s parents born? Misun: My mother’s father was born in Korea and my grandfather was born in Korea. Mark: Where in Korea? Misun: Is it “Cheju-do“? Mark: Ah the island. Misun: Yeah. Mark: Ok ok. How about your mothers parents; where were they born? Misun: Ah no my fathers parents were born in Cheju-do. But my mother’s father was also born in Cheju-do. But my mother’s father was born in Japan. Mark: In Hyogo? Misun: I don’t know. Mark: Are your grandparents alive? Misun: (Japanese pause word) Only two grandmothers. Mark: Right Ok. Do you have a Japanese passport? Misun: No, I don’t. I don’t have. Mark: Do you have a Japanese name? Misun: Family name; I have. Mark: Can you get a Japanese passport? Misun: I can(t?). (can? cannot?) Mark: So you have a Korean passport. Misun: I have. Mark: If you …if you change your Korean name and make (a) total(ly) Japanese name, can you get a Japanese passport? Is it possible? Do you know? Misun: I don’t know. Mark: Ok. Good. Thanks.
Mark: Okay. So. I have just finished my lunch. I have had a delicious piece of quiche lorraine and salad and a nice glass of red wine and I don’t feel like coffee. I am going to go outside and go for a walk and have a look at Mosquito City. And yeah. (to the waiter) Thanks for the meal. That was delicious. Bye. Ok. I am going to get a newspaper.
Outside
(to a man in the street) Excuse me. The Man in the Street: Yeah. Can I help you? Mark: Do you know where I can buy a newspaper by any chance? The Man in the Street: Yeah sure. I will give you directions. It is a little bit complicated. If you follow my hand… Mark: Yes. The Man in the Street: You go straight along this road as far as you can until you come to a palm tree. Like several palm trees. Mark: Uh-huh. The Man in the Street: Coconut trees. Mark: Coconut trees. The Man in the Street: Go straight until you come to a very big traditional house. A dark wooden house. And then you turn left and immediately right and then you follow the island…around… Mark: To get a newspaper. Isn’t there somewhere in the city where I can get a newspaper? The Man in the Street: Well, it is not as difficult as it seems actually. Ok. Yeah. I am sorry. I forgot. There is one just over there!
Mark: You were born in Lahore? Indian Lady: Lahore. It is now Pakistan. Mark: At that time it was India. Indian Lady: It was India. Mark: Ok. And your whole family moved over here? Indian Lady: No. My maternal grandparents were there so my mother must have gone there for having me. (to have me) Mark: To Pakistan? Indian Lady: To India. At that time it was India. That is how I was born there. Mark: Ok. So when did you come here to Delhi? Indian Woman: We were never in Pakistan as such. My family, my father was raised in Delhi. Mark: Ok. Ok. Indian Lady: My maternal grandfather was in Lahore. Mark: I see. I see. Indian Woman: So that is how mother used to go there. Mark: So you have always lived here? Indian Lady: Yes. Mark: And you said you grew up in this book shop. Indian Woman: Exactly this place this shop. My father owned it and I spent my childhood playing in this shop. (laughs) Mark: But also you lived in Japan? Indian Woman: Yes. My husband was posted there so that took me to Japan for four years. Mark: In Tokyo? Indian Lady: In Tokyo. Mark: What was your impression of Japan? Indian Woman: They are over-polite. Mark: Over-polite? Indian Woman: You seldom get to see (the inside of) their houses. They will stand in the roadside and talk to you. Mark: Uh-hm. Indian Woman: And, well, you couldn’t make friends that easily. Mark: Mm. Indian Woman: I was playing tennis so tennis made me make many friends there. You know when you are playing tennis whether you knew the language or not … Mark: It doesn’t matter. Indian Lady: You were making friends all right. I played a lot of tennis in Japan…. And then the food was a problem for me. I am a vegetarian. Mark: Right ok. Indian Lady: So there was hardly anything you could get there; I could get there. Even if I went out for dinners and all, I used to have my food kept at home for me because I would come back hungry. Mark: They eat a lot of seafood too. Indian Woman: I don’t eat seafood either. Mark: Me either. I don’t eat seafood either . It is difficult. Indian Lady: That was difficult. Mark: Did you live in any other countries? Indian Woman: Singapore. Mark: For very long? Indian Woman: For five years. Mark: You said your husband was posted. He was working for a company? Indian Woman: He was working for the Trade Development Authority of India. He was working here and he was posted there. Mark: Ah. For the government. Indian Woman: Looking after the trade promotion. Like their Jetro. Mark: I see. Oh their Jetro ok…..I have to catch a bus to Manali so I have to run. Thanks for talking to me. Indian Woman: You are welcome. Mark: Bye-bye.
Indian Woman: Bye-bye.
Mark: Gee! The people are friendly here in Mosquito City. This is a really nice place. Well. I am hungry. Here we are. I am in the restaurant now. Excuse me. Could I see the menu please? The Waiter: Certainly Sir. Here you are. Mark: Thank you very much. The Waiter: Take your time. Mark: Thank you. Ok. They have got a lot of different food here. This looks good. The Waiter: Can I recommend today’s special, Sir? Mark: Yes, please. What is it? The Waiter: Well it is vegetarian. Quiche Lorraine. Mark: Quiche Lorraine? The Waiter: Vegetarian style. Mark: Ok. I will have that. The Waiter: Locally grown vegetables. Organic vegetables, Sir. Mark: (It) sounds great. (It) sounds great. And do you have any wine? The Waiter: Certainly Sir. We have locally grown…I mean locally made wine. (embarrassed laugh) Mark: Could I have a glass of red wine and a piece of quiche? Does that come with salad? The Waiter: Yeah. That’ll come with salad. It all comes together. Mark: And bread? The Waiter: In fact you don’t have to pay because you are staying at the hotel over the road. Mark: Oh, it is free? The Waiter: It certainly is. Mark: Well, I will have salad and quiche and wine. The Waiter: Certainly, Sir. Mark: Thank you.
Luis: So It is like you see it and it is like on a stage. Something is not working here. I mean an English village should be cloudy, should be foggy, should be… not this starkly blue sky. Mark: This is Gibraltar? Luis: This is Gibraltar. Mark: What is the situation there? Luis: It is a British colony in south Spain.. It is a British colony in Europe. It is a colony of a European country in another European country. Mark: And the people in Gibraltar; they don’t want to be Spanish and they don’t want to be British? They want to be independent? Luis: They want to be independent. Mark: Right. And they speak English? Luis: They speak English with a very strong Andalucian accent. A very strong south Spanish accent and the slang they use is Spanish. Mark: How many people? Luis: A few thousand. Mark: A few thousand. Wow! What an interesting place. Luis: A weird place. Kind of surrealistic actually. Mark: Right. An English village with the wrong-coloured sky. Luis: (laughs) To me this is the most surrealistic part of the place because one doesn’t match the other. It is not working. You are missing the clouds, the fog, the…
Use this post to learn English and Spanish at the same time.
He is French.
(Spanish)
He is French too.
(Spanish)
She is French.
(Spanish)
She is not French.
(Spanish)
She is Korean.
(Spanish)
She comes from Korea.
(Spanish)
Have you been to Korea?
(Spanish)
Yes, I have.
(Spanish)
Have you been to Japan?
(Spanish)
No, I have not.
(Spanish)
See you later.
(Spanish)
Bye.
(Spanish)
Ok.
(Spanish)
Australian Guy: So Mao’s wife was married to Chiang Kai Shek’s wife? American Guy: No. Australian Guy: Mao’s wife and Chiang Kai-Shek’s wife were sisters. American Guy: Chiang Kai-Shek’s wife and Mao’s wife were sisters. Australian Guy: Right. American Guy: And the females in that family were spread throughout both sides of that battle.
Australian Guy: Right ok. American Guy: The females were on both sides. It is really interesting Australian Guy: They came from the Shanghai area? American Guy: Yeah. Australian Guy: And Chiang Kai-Shek came from the Shanghai area? American Guy: Yeah. So did Mao. Australian Guy: Mao came…? Did he come from…? American Guy: Oh yeah. His power base was Shanghai. Shanghai produced all the …Sun Yat-Sen ..When Sun Yat-Sen overthrew the emperor .. what was it…nineteen twelve or nineteen thirteen…whenever it was? He came from the same area. Australian Guy: Nineteen nineteen was when they… American Guy: Twelve or thirteen. Nineteen twelve. Nineteen thirteen. Something like that… Australian Guy: Nineteen nineteen something happened. American Guy: Yeah. But it all came from the same area. Australian Guy: Shanghai is the real capital of China. Like in terms of… American Guy: Oh yeah. Sun Yat-Sen. Sun Yat-Sen was related to Chiang Kai-Shek’s wife. That is where Chiang Kai-Shek…But Mao also married into the same family. Australian Guy: Right. American Guy: My feeling is that the history of the last hundred and something; hundred and twenty years of China, was on the female side. Nothing to do with the guys. Because they were so diverse. Sun Yat Sen, who was probably the most enlightened leader… Australian Guy: Everybody loves him on both sides. American Guy: Oh Yeah. He was a most enlightened leader. Australian Guy: I do not know much about him but everybody loves him in China and Taiwan. American Guy: Well he overthrew the imperial dynasty but… Australian Guy: Sun Yi-Sen. American Guy: He was a republican.
