Views #964 | Low Intermediate 4

Vietnam Visit

Tu asks Todd about his recent trip to her country.

Tu: Hey, Todd, I heard you went to Vietnam. Tell me about it?

Todd: Yeah, it was a really good trip. I went during the break, and I was only there for seven days.

Tu: Oh.

Todd: Yeah, kind of too short. But I went to Ho Chi Min, and Mui Ne, and Nha Trang, so I saw three cities in seven days.

Tu: Ho Chi Min - where did you go in Ho Chi Min?

Todd: Ho Chi Min ... I just stayed downtown, and I didn't know anything really about the city so I just kind of walked around or I went jogging around the city.

Tu: How did you feel about it? The city I mean.

Todd: Well, it was amazing cause there's just so much energy, so much going on, you know. We'd say it's a bustling city, so you know, there's those motorbikes everywhere.

Tu: Yeah, that's foreigner talk. Motorbikes.

Todd: Yeah. 24 hours, too, it seems like ther're always going, and there's lots of nice shops, and the food was really good.

Tu: Really.

Todd: Yeah, it was really good and really cheap.

Tu: Was it cheaper?

Todd: Oh, it was incredibly cheap. It was incredibly cheap. I couldn't believe the first night I had this really good dish with the shrimp and vegetables and it only cost about three or four US dollars, so it was really cheap.

Tu: Two dollars.

Todd: Yeah, so good.

Tu: Did you go to Mui Ne?

Todd: Yeah, I did. I went to Mui Ne and ...

Tu: How was it?

Todd: It was good. I mean, I went there actually to surf. I heard it had really good waves but I was there during the wrong season, I guess, so I didn't surf, but they had this ...

Tu: Why?

Todd: Well, the waves were just ... there were no waves.

Tu: Oh, really?

Todd: Yeah, there were none.

Tu: OK.

Todd: But I saw the sandunes, and I was quite impressed.

Tu: The sand dunes. Yes, it is Mui Ne famous for.

Todd: I mean, it looks like you're in the Sahara Desert or in Africa.

Tu: Really?

Todd: Yeah, they're so big, and some places, when you stand, all you can see is the sand, like, you can't see anything else. It's pretty amazing.

Tu: Mm! It looks so beautiful.

Todd: It is. It is really beautiful.

Tu: I love it too.

Todd: And then the last day, I went to Nha Trang. Am I saying that right? Nha Trang.

Tu: Nha Trang.

Todd: Nha Trang.

Tu: Oh , yeah. The famous beach.

Todd: Yes, and that actually surprised me because Ho Chi Min was very old and very gritty and crowded and Mui Ne was kind of a very small traditional beach village, and then, Nha Trang was like this big city. It's like Waikiki in Hawaii. It was like a resort.

Tu: Yeah, yeah, it's very beautiful and like high quality.

Todd: Right, exactly.

Tu: High quality.

Todd: Exactly. I couldn't believe it. And I got a really great hotel, right on the beach, over-looking the ocean, third floor for only ten dollars a night.

Tu: Ten dollars?

Todd: Yeah.

Tu: Nice price.

Todd: So, I was very impressed. And you know, the food was good, and it was nice.

Tu: Did you get to go to Hanoi?

Todd: I didn't because I only had seven days, so you're from Hanoi right?

Tu: Yes, I'm from Hanoi.

Todd: Yeah, I should go there. I did like Vietnam a lot. I do want to go back, so hopefully, I can go back and go to Hanoi next time.

Tu: Next time I will be your tour guide.

Todd: Oh, thanks Tu. That would be great.

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

the break

notes

I went to Nice during the break.

Here. 'The break' talks about school vacation. Notice the following.

  1. I spent a month in Europe. I went during the summer break.
  2. Kate went abroad during the break.

I mean

notes

How did you like it? The city I mean.

'I mean' talks about one part of a topic. Here are two samples.

  1. What did you think of the movie? The acting I mean.
  2. How do you feel about him? His personality I mean.

bustling city

notes

Hong Kong is a bustling city.

A bustling city is very busy and crowded. Notice the samples.

  1. I prefer a bustling city to a quiet town.
  2. The bustling city was noisy crowded and dirty.

foreigner talk

notes

Foreigner talk about my country sometimes makes me laugh.

'Foreigner talk' is what foreigners say about places they visit. Here are some samples.

  1. Complaining about the traffic; that's foreigner talk.
  2. Hot weather, spicy food, beautiful temples; yeah, that's foreigner talk.

24 hours

notes

It's open 24 hours.

Something that is '24 hours' never closes. Notice the sample sentences.

  1. Most convenience stores are open 24 hours.
  2. There's a 24 hour coffee shop near my apartment.

Vocabulary Quiz

the break • I mean • bustling
 foreigner talk • 24 hour
  1. The mall was because everyone was buying presents for the holiday.
  2. Is there a pharmacy here?
  3. She likes to go to the coffee shops and listen to the from all of the short-term travelers.
  4. How was the country?  The people .
  5. Did you go anywhere during ?
Answer the following questions about the interview.

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