Episode 01

Writing home episode 01

Welcome to our audio fiction series, Writing home! In this first episode Milton meets his new neighbour Mei. What do you think he asks her?

Do the preparation task first. Then listen to the audio and do the exercises.

Preparation

Transcript

Milton: Hi, Mum. I'm sorry I haven't written for a while, but your baby boy is still alive so you can stop worrying. It's all OK here. Benedita and Paulo are away, so I'm alone in the flat. The problem is now I have to remember my keys when I go out. I got home yesterday, no keys, so I'm standing there in the hall like an idiot when ...

Mei: Hello.

Milton: Hello.

Mei: Who are you? Do you live here?

Milton: Um, yes, I am, I do, I mean, yes, I live in this flat here, with Benedita and Paulo. Are you our new neighbour?

Mei: I live in this flat here – number 4A.

Milton: My name is Milton. And you're ...?

Mei: Mei.

Milton: Mei. OK, nice to meet you, Mei.

Mei: Nice to meet you.

Mei: Goodbye then.

Milton: Bye.

Mei: Are you not going into your flat?

Milton: Ah, well, that's a bit of a problem. I haven't got the key.

Mei: You haven't got the key? Are you sure you live there?

Milton: Of course I live here – I told you – but I left my keys in the kitchen this morning.

Mei: So what are you going to do?

Milton: I don't know. I used to leave a key with my old friend Carolina on the ground floor, but she's gone away.

Mei: Hmm. 

Milton: Um, you know you've got a small balcony outside your kitchen?

Mei: Yes ...

Milton: Well, so have we.

Mei: Yes ...

Milton: Well, I could climb from your balcony over to our balcony and get in through the kitchen window.

Mei: I am not ... I don't ...

Milton: I'll be careful. Don't worry.

Mei: But I don't know you! How do I know you're not a criminal?

Milton: You mean a burglar? No! I told you – my name is Milton da Silva. I studied here in the UK. I can show you some ... Ha! My old student card. Here.

Mei: OK, so you are Milton da Silva. Newcastle University, School of Theatre Studies. You could be a burglar now.

Milton: Really? Look, you can hold my bag with all my money and everything.

Mei: OK, come in. Go straight to the kitchen. That way.

 

Milton: There you are! Job done!

Mei: OK.

Milton: So, thanks for your help – really.

Mei: That's OK.

Milton: Hey, Mei.

Mei: Yes?

Milton: Well – if we're neighbours now ... I'm Milton, I'm from Brazil, I'm an actor. What about you?

Mei: My name is Mei and I'm from China.

Milton: And are you studying here?

Mei: No, I'm working. I have a job here. In IT.

Milton: Do you like it?

Mei: I don't know. I haven't started yet. I only left China last week.

Milton: Well – good luck. I'm sure it'll all go well.

Mei: I hope so.

Milton: OK. Bye. Thanks again.

Mei: Bye.

Milton: So, we've got a new neighbour from China who thinks I might be a burglar, but she seems nice and I think she quite liked me. And now I want to hear all your news. How's life in Florida? Give my love to Henry. And tell Alfredo to text me sometime. Lots of love, Milton.

Discussion

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Average: 4.1 (23 votes)

Submitted by Alaaseada on Tue, 17/01/2023 - 18:54

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Unfortunately, our neighbors and us are not close; may be because we live in a condominium, and the chance to meet someone is such a large building is quite small. However, we have one neighbor who is very nice and helpful. Although we do not contact her frequently, she always offers to buy us things from the supermarket when she is in there, and she called my mom every now and then to check on her.

Submitted by SelfMaster on Mon, 12/12/2022 - 21:16

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Very pleasant episode!
Many thanks for english team!

Hi SelfMaster,

We're glad you enjoyed it and hope you enjoy the rest of the episodes as well, as the story develops :)

Jonathan

The LearnEnglish Team

Submitted by Ibrahimyousef on Thu, 27/10/2022 - 16:49

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How well do you know your neighbours?
I own my home in neighborhood , it's my neighbour lovely.
Very quiet his neighbour and always help me some problem.

Submitted by giovaneferreira7 on Sun, 09/10/2022 - 10:22

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I always lived in a house my whole life, so I always know my neighboors. We know each other for at least 20 years or more. Today I don't live in my country of birth, I live in an apartment and the people here are a bit of strange. I prefer to don't make contact.

Submitted by jyoti Chaudhary on Wed, 25/05/2022 - 11:48

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How well do you know your neighbors?
I live in my own house and in my flat, there are two neighbors for the last two years but I don't like to talk with them. I feel uncomfortable with strangers and I can't trust easily.

Submitted by mariakhar343465 on Mon, 07/03/2022 - 12:36

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I know my neighbors but we don`t speak. We can speak about news, a routine you know "small talks", that`s all.
Once when I cooked cookies I forgot to buy some flour so I went to my neighbors and they helped me. After that, I gave them cookies for helping me.

Submitted by cassia_1982 on Sun, 14/11/2021 - 20:44

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Hi everybody .
When i heard this episode I remembered that it’s happened with me. I forgot the key in the department and I went to my neighbor’s apartment, so i asked to access my balcony from the balcony of his department . He save me

Submitted by jmajo on Tue, 19/10/2021 - 12:56

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I used to know the previous neighbours very well, but I don't really know the knew ones, we use to chat some times but we speak about random things, nothing important really, they seem to be nice people but they all have annoying dogs barking all day, that's a bit of a problem when I need to study or work from home. Nowadays in general in the cities, we don't use to know the neighbours very well and get close each other, this only happens in towns or in the countryside.

Thanks for the episode!
Great site!

Submitted by clauvera2016 on Mon, 04/10/2021 - 08:39

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Thank you very much for this recent series ! I have liked the tasks too !
Thank you all English team !
I have lived in a block of flats for about 20 years. The neighbours have changed all this time. I just say "Hello!" to some of them and talk a bit with other of them. We usually talk about the topics like: weather, school, market etc. It's strange, but it's a reality...