Just look at you!

You don`t look very happy, my friend. I`m not surprised.
Look at you life.
Awful! You`re forty-three years old. Your wife is dead. You live here with your son and your Mum.
And doesn`t like school.
Mum says she feels lonely and wants to meet people.
She`s got her new computer now and she wants to surf and chat on the internet.

Dad!

And do you have time for your interests?
No - it`s just work, work, work.
Have you got time? No, you haven`t.
Can you go out? No, you can`t.
You hardly ever meet friends, and they don`t ever phone you ...

Dad! Dad! Phone for you. Sounds foreign! Are you upstairs?

Yes, I am. Coming! ... Hello?

Hello, Philip. It`s Paula here.

Hi, Paula. How are you?

Well, not too good, to be honest.

Really? What`s wrong?

I don`t know. Everything. I can`t understand my landlady here int this B&B - she`s from Scotland.
I feel uncomfortable here in this little room.

The landlady`s cooking is terrible. Baked beans with every meal.
I can`t find a flat. They`re all too expensive. And I don`t know anyone.
I feel depressed.

Paula, I`ve got an idea. Have you got time to go out this evening?

Yes, I have. That`s a great idea.

Coffee, Paula?
Yes, please.
With mild?
Please.
Here you are.
Thank you. But why have you got coffee? Why not tea? English people always drink tea!
Not always. I drink tea at home and coffee at work. Don`t ask me why! Where`s the suger?
Here you are.
Thanks. No suger for you?
No, thanks. Not for me.
What`s your worke like, Paula?
Well, it`s like your work here. You know I work für InterSoft in Stuttgart and I plan new projects. I usually work in a team. We have meetings every week.
Ah, thos meeting! We have them every day!
Wo sometimes talk for hours about one little think!
I know! What`s a typical day in the life of Paula Schneider?
What can I say? I always do the same things in the morning. I always check my e-mails first and answer them. It usually takes me two or three hours, but the phone often rings and rings. Then it takes me longer. I have lunch on our canteen. After that I sometimes talk to my colleagues (ko·leegz) or my boss. Sometimes it`s very boring! And I never get home before six.

Good morning, John. How are you today?
Fine, thanks. Evertthing`s OK.
This ist Paula Schneider. She`s from Germany.
Hello, Paula. Nice to have you with us. Where are you from in Germany?
I`m from Stuttgart - in the south of Germany.
Oh, yes. I know Munich, but I don`t know Stuttgart.
Paula can talk to the boss. And I can show Paula the offices.
Hi, Hazel. Paula, this is Hazel.
Hello, Paula. Nice to meet you.
Nice to meet you, too.
And this is Joyce Marlow, our Head of Marketing.
Hello, Mrs Marlow.
You can just call me Joyce, Paula.
Mr Butler`s got a problem with his new computer, Hazel.
You`re the expert.
Ok, I can help him.
come and meet Mr Butler. And then we can go round the offices.
OK, that`s a good idea.
Oh, here`s Mr Butler now. Good morning, Mr Butler.
This is Paul Schneider from Germany.
Nice to meet you, Paula. Welcome to England.

Hi, Kevin.
We are OK. I am fine, and Hazel ist OK, too.
She is here! Jenny is not here, but she is fine.
Hazel has got a computer, too. It is new. Computers!
They are a problem, and I am not an expert.
Oh, you are a computer expert - you can help!