Hello Emma, welcome to Speed Dating. I'm Ryan, your first date.

Hi, great to meet you.

We only have 5 minutes, so let's get to know each other a bit.

By all means. So, how old are you?

I'm 25. How about you?

I'm 27. Not too far apart.

Where are you from?

I'm from Portland, Oregon.

It's a beautiful city.

What about you?

I'm from Denver, Colorado.

I love the mountains there.

That sounds amazing!

What do you do for a living?

I'm a software engineer. I work on developing apps.

How about you?

I'm a graphic designer. I create visuals for marketing campaigns.

It's fun!

That sounds creative.

What hobbies do you have outside of work?

I love painting and traveling.

I try to visit a new country every year.

How about you?

I'm really into hiking and cooking.

I often hike on weekends and try out new recipes.

That's awesome!

Do you have a favorite dish you like to cook?

Yes, lasagna.

What about you? Any favorite art form?

I love watercolor painting.

It's relaxing and allows for so much creativity.

Nice! Maybe we could do a cooking night or an art day together sometime.

I'd love that.

We should exchange numbers before the timer goes off.

Great idea!

It was lovely meeting you, Ryan.

You too, Emma. Looking forward to our art or cooking day.

Bye!

Introducing my family.

Alright, everyone. I think it's time for some introductions.

This is my amazing family.

My parents, Linda and Mark, and my little sister, Sarah.

Hi, everyone.

So wonderful to meet you all.

Yes, it's great to finally meet the wonderful family of my future daughter-in-law.

And these are my parents, Mary and John, who've come all the way from Charleston, Washington.

Hello, everyone. So happy to be here.

Yes, it's great to finally put faces to the names.

My mom is a teacher and my dad is a retired engineer.

They've been so supportive of us.

That's awesome! What do you teach, Mrs. Harker?

I teach middle school English.

I love inspiring young minds.

So, Jessica, how did you and Thomas meet?

Oh, that's a story for another time.

But let's just say it was a beautiful Boston day.

To family and new beginnings!

Cheers!

Introducing my country.

So, Olivia, where are you from?

I'm from Denmark. It's a small but beautiful country in Northern Europe.

Denmark? That sounds interesting. What's it like there?

Oh, it's amazing!

We have stunning landscapes from sandy beaches to picturesque countryside.

Cool. What's the capital?

It's Copenhagen. You have to see it.

There are canals, colorful buildings, and the famous Nyhavn waterfront.

That sounds incredible.

What about the food? What do you guys eat?

Oh, Danish food is delicious.

We have smørrebrød, which is an open-faced sandwich with all sorts of toppings.

And don't get me started on pastries. Danish pastries are world-famous.

I've heard of those.

What about the culture? Are there any unique traditions?

Yes! We have a tradition called hygge.

It's all about coziness and enjoying the simple things in life.

Like candles, warm blankets, and spending time with friends.

That sounds wonderful.

It really is.

Introducing my school.

So, Jack, you keep mentioning how awesome your school is.

What makes it so special?

Oh, man. Where do I even start?

First of all, we have this amazing science lab. It's like a mini-NASA.

Really? What do you do there?

We get to do all sorts of cool experiments.

Last week, we built our own rockets and launched them outside.

Today, we're going to build our own rocket.

We built our own rockets and launched them outside.

Mine went the highest.

That sounds epic. What else?

And the art program.

We have a gallery where students can showcase their work.

Last month, I had my painting displayed. It got a lot of compliments.

That's amazing, Jack. What about sports?

Oh, we have the best basketball team.

We even won the championship last year.

The whole school came out to support us.

It felt like a rock concert.

Wow, that sounds like so much fun.

And you know what else?

We have this awesome library filled with every book you can imagine.

It's like a treasure chest.

It's like a treasure chest.

You're making me want to transfer.

Introducing my job.

So, Alex, what do you do for a living?

Oh, I'm an architect.

Really? That sounds exciting. What does that involve?

As an architect, I get to design buildings and spaces.

I love creating environments that people can live, work, and play in.

Wow, that sounds fulfilling. Do you work on big projects?

Yes, I do. Right now, I'm working on a community center.

It's going to have a gym, a library, and even a small theater.

I'm really excited about it.

That sounds incredible.

Do you have a favorite project you've worked on?

Oh, definitely. I designed a small park in the city.

It has a beautiful fountain and lots of trees.

Seeing families enjoy the space was the best feeling.

How to express your appreciation.

Mom, happy birthday.

Thank you, sweetie. I can't believe it's my birthday again.

I have something for you.

Oh, you didn't have to.

I wanted to. Just open it.

Okay, okay.

Oh, wow. It's beautiful. You painted this?

Yeah, I wanted to create something special for you.

It's perfect. Thank you, sweetheart.

Mom, I just want to say, I really appreciate everything you do for me.

You're always there, supporting me no matter what.

Oh, honey.

I don't know what I would do without you. You're my rock.

That means the world to me, Emma. I'm always here for you, and I always will be.

I know. And I love you so much.

I love you, too, my beautiful girl.

My beautiful girl.

How to encourage someone.

Hey, Ben. How was your first day at the new job?

It was tough, Dad.

I feel like I'm drowning in all the tasks.

Every new job has its challenges.

I know, but I just feel so overwhelmed.

What if I can't keep up?

You can do it.

Remember, everyone feels this way when they start.

It takes time to adjust.

But I feel like I'm the only one who doesn't know what to do.

Ask questions when you need to.

What if they think I'm incompetent?

What if they think I'm incompetent?

If you don't ask, you'll never learn.

I guess that makes sense.

Hang in there. You'll get there. Every expert was once a beginner.

I just don't want to disappoint anyone.

You won't. Keep pushing. They hired you for a reason. They see potential in you.

You really think so?

Absolutely. Just keep at it. With each day, you'll gain confidence and skills.

Alright. I'll try to stay positive.

That's the spirit. Remember, I'm always here if you need to talk.

Thanks, Dad. I appreciate it.

Anytime, son.

Excuse me. Can I get someone over here?

Yes, sir. How can I help you?

I'd like to speak to the manager, please.

Of course. I'll get the manager right away.

Good evening. I'm Lisa, the manager. How can I assist you?

Hi, Lisa. I'm David. And this is my wife, Sarah. We're really disappointed with our experience tonight.

I'm sorry to hear that. What seems to be the problem?

Well, first, we waited over 40 minutes for our food to arrive. That's way too long.

Yes, and it wasn't even busy when we got here.

I apologize for the wait. That's not typical for us. What else has bothered you?

The food was cold when it finally came out. I ordered the steak medium, and it was well done.

And my pasta was undercooked. It was chewy and not enjoyable at all.

I'm really sorry about that. That's unacceptable. Anything else?

Yes. The waiter forgot to bring our drinks. We had to remind him twice.

I'm really sorry for the trouble you've had.

I appreciate you listening. We just wanted a nice evening out, and it's been frustrating.

I completely understand. I would like to offer you a discount on your meal tonight.

That would be nice. Thank you.

And I'll make sure to speak to the staff about this. We want to improve.

Thank you, Lisa. We appreciate your help.

What I am good or not good at.

Hey, Mary! That garden of yours looks amazing. You're so good at this.

Thanks, Lucia. I just love gardening. It's my happy place.

What about you? What are you good at?

I'm really good at cooking. I can make many dishes.

That's awesome. I wish I could cook like you. I'm not good at it at all.

Really? But you're so good at gardening.

Yes. But when it comes to cooking, I burn toast.

I can help you. I can teach you some easy recipes.

That would be great. And I can help you with your garden if you want.

That sounds terrific. My plants always die.

Don't worry. I can show you how to take care of them.

That sounds like a fun trade. Cooking lessons for gardening lessons.

Yes. It's a deal. We'll help each other.

I'm excited. Let's start this weekend.

Perfect. I can't wait.

How to express your feelings and emotions.

Hey, Gabriel. Guess what?

What's up, Philip?

I just passed my driving test.

No way. That's amazing. Congrats.

Thanks. I feel so happy. I can't believe I did it.

That's awesome. You must be so proud of yourself.

I really am. I was really stressed before the test.

I've been feeling nervous for days and I haven't been sleeping well.

Anyway, once I started driving, it felt great.

I can imagine. What was the hardest part for you?

Honestly, parallel parking. I thought I would mess it up for sure.

Yeah, that can be tricky. But you did it.

What are you going to do now that you have your license?

I want to go for a drive right away.

Maybe to the beach or grab some ice cream.

Sounds fun. You have to drive me too.

Okay, let's go then. Let's celebrate my new freedom.

How to express your apologies

Oh, no. I'm so sorry.

Wow. That's one way to start the day.

I can't believe I did that. I'm really sorry.

Well, at least it's just coffee. I've had worse things spilled on me.

No, seriously. I feel terrible. Let me buy you a new shirt or something.

That's very generous, but I think I'll survive.

No, I insist. I owe you at least a coffee, right?

Okay, okay. How about this? You buy me a coffee and I'll call it even.

Deal. What do you want? I can get you anything.

Just a black coffee, please.

Alright. I'll make sure to pay extra attention this time.

Good plan. And maybe I should pay more attention too.

Breaking the ice

Ugh. This place is packed.

Yeah. It feels like everyone decided to travel today.

Right? Where are you headed?

I'm off to San Francisco. How about you?

No way. Me too.

Really? That's awesome. What's taking you there?

I'm visiting some friends. We have a little reunion planned. What about you?

I'm going for work. Just a short business trip.

Oh, nice. Work in San Francisco must be fun.

It can be. But I wish I had more time to explore.