★ Little Sunshine's Wonderland ★

: Hello. Sunnyside Inn. May I help you?

Man: Yes, I'd like to reserve a room for two on the 21st of March.

Hotel Clerk: Okay. Let me check our books here for a moment. The 21st of May, right?

Man: No. March, not May.

Hotel Clerk: Oh, sorry. Let me see here. Hmmm.

Man: Are you all booked that night?

Hotel Clerk: Well, we do have one suite available, complete with a kitchenette and a sauna bath. And the view of the city is great, too.

Man: How much is that?

Hotel Clerk: It's only $200 dollars, plus a 10% room tax.

Man: Oh, that's a little too expensive for me. Do you have a cheaper room available either on the 20th or the 22nd?

Hotel Clerk: Well, would you like a smoking or a non-smoking room?

Man: Non-smoking, please.

Hotel Clerk: Okay, we do have a few rooms available on the 20th; we're full on the 22nd, unless you want a smoking room.

Man: Well, how much is the non-smoking room on the 20th?

Hotel Clerk: $80 dollars, plus the 10% room tax.

Man: Okay, that'll be fine.

Hotel Clerk: All right. Could I have your name, please?

Man: Yes. Bob Maexner.

Hotel Clerk: How do you spell your last name, Mr. Maexner?

Man: M-A-E-X-N-E-R.

Hotel Clerk: Okay, Mr. Maexner, we look forward to seeing you on March 20th.

Man: Okay. Goodbye.

• suite (noun): a group of connected rooms at a hotel
  - I decided to reserve a suite for our honeymoon.

• kitchenette (noun): a very small kitchen
  - My first apartment was very small and only had a kitchenette.

• "roll out the red carpet" = give very special treatment to welcome guests

• "The nice thing about the hotel is that they always roll out the red carpet for their guests."

• "24-7" = twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week

• "The front desk is open 24-7 in case you need assistance."

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Topic 2: Immigration and Customs

Conversation,

Customs Officer: Next. Uh, your passport please.

Woman: Okay.

Customs Officer: Uh, what is the purpose of your visit?

Woman: I'm here to attend a teaching convention for the first part of my trip, and then I plan on touring the capital for a few days.

Customs Officer: And where will you be staying?

Woman: I'll be staying in a room at a hotel downtown for the entire week.

Customs Officer: And uh, what do you have in your luggage?

Woman: Uh, well, just, just my personal belongings um, . . . clothes, a few books, and a CD player.

Customs Officer: Okay. Uh, please open your bag.

Woman: Sure.

Customs Officer: Okay . . . Everything's fine. [Great]. Uh, by the way, is this your first visit to the country?

Woman: Well, yes and no. Actually, I was born here when my parents were working in the capital many years ago, but this is my first trip back since then.

Customs Officer: Well, enjoy your trip.

Woman: Thanks.

Note: We do not know exactly how many days she will be in the country, but she says she will be there for the entire, or full, week. We could then infer that this means at least five days. She also says she will be attending a conference and then "touring the capital for a few days." A "few days" would indicate a small number (3 or more) verses the word "couple" which would mean two or perhaps three.

Vocabulary,

• attend (verb): to be at or go to
  - I'm planning on attending a language class before I go to China.

• book (verb): to make arrangements in advance
  - You ought to book a room at least a month in advance.

• luggage (noun): bags used during traveling to carry your things
  - You are only allowed two pieces of luggage on this flight.

• belongings (noun): your personal property or possessions
  - Be sure to collect your belongings before you leave the plane.

• "roll with the punches" = adjust to difficult situations

• "Living in a new country can be hard, but sometimes you just have to roll with the punches."

• "go to pieces" = lose emotional control

• "She went to pieces at the airport when couldn't understand what the immigration officer was saying."