Learning English

In Jagtar's story, he told us how he changed his life, and the things he had to do differently in order to achieve this.

He included:

• An introduction to himself and his life
• Changes he had to make when he became vegan
• Advice for people who want to become vegan
• Things you mustn't do if you're vegan

ነቲ ጽሑፍ ብምንባብ ነቲ ስራሕ ዕመምዎ

To do

Now it's your turn. Write about something you changed in your life. Perhaps it was a change of job, or changes you made to your life because of illness. Maybe you want to give advice to others making the same change, like Jagtar did in his interview.

Try to use the same structure as in Jagtar's interview, using this unit's language as much as you can:

1. Introduction (who you are and basic information about you…)
2. What was the change you had to make and why? (I had to…)
3. What advice would you give people who want to make the same change? (You must…)
4. Any advice for things you mustn't do? (You mustn't…)

Thank you for emailing your stories to us. We enjoyed reading them. This task is now closed.

Here are a few of the stories that we received.

Your stories

Javier, Bolivia

Hey, I'€™m Javier from Bolivia, I'€™m electronic engineer and I work in telecommunication field. When I was at University I used to drink a lot, you know I was a young and crazy person, but the years passed and my health got bad because of alcohol, I began to have some heart and kidney problems. So, I had to stop drinking all weekends, in Bolivia people drink a lot specially on weekends, I had to leave to meet my friends, because most of them love drinking. I had to stop my nocturnal life. Bit by bit my weekends got better, I became more productive in my life and happier. Sometime I fell alone but I must find new friends.

If you have problems with alcohol, I have to notice that it is a vice and you will have to make some efforts in order to get better your life. And don'€™t forget, you mustn't be at places where people drink. When you can control it, you don't have to forbid yourself a beer.

Life is beautiful, bye.

Ariane, France

Hi, my name is Ariane. l'm a conservator. I work in museums restoring scuptures, contemporary objet as archeological marbles.

My doctor said to me that I've got to stop the gluten, milk products and sugar because I had many health problems.

It was 3 months before christmas, I decided to try until the festive season and to decide after what to do... Because it was e real challenge. Firts one I had to find something to eat for the breafast, because in France we eat bread, croissants, butter and marmelade, exactly what I have got to stop! I began to eat salt food in the morning, it was difficult but tasty. I choose food I like very much like almonds, rice, fruits.

If you have to do this diet be sure you're life will change in a better way. Your skin will be sweeter, your hair brighter and you'll feel much more better.

The biggest difficulty is to see others eating what you musn't. Sometimes I eat a cake or cheese because I adore that but my health problems come back soon. Now it's few years I change my diet and I know what I can eat, how much and how often.

It's very important to indulge yourself, very important. So sometimes, once a week for example eat what you want with your friends or your family.

Pest's story

Hi I'm Pest. I'm a medical student at university. I've been studying there for two years. Apart from that I also study at the British council of my country.

My story is also a bit similar to Jagtar's story. I became vegetarian since last year. But I'm still not vegan as I'm using some animal products. But I completely stopped eating meat and poultry. Chicken is the most common poultry in my country and almost all the people consume it. But the day I realized that the process of making chicken is not as nice as what we see displayed in the freezer at the supper market, I stopped eating it.

It was my birthday, last year, and I was walking accompanied by my father to a shop in order to buy me a tablet as my birthday gift. On the way to that we had to go passing a meat shop. It was around eight in the morning and the fowls were still outside in cages to be taken in to the process of making chicken. There I was chanced to peep in to the meat shop to satisfy my curiosity about that process. I'm not going to talk about how it was happening. I can only say that it brought me to the end of eating meat. I thought that it would be the best birthday gift if I could release some of those fowls and I did it. I gave them to a countryside person to be looked after.

So because of this change in my life my mother had to stop buying and cooking meat for me. And because of that they also automatically had to become vegetarian. So if somebody would like to do the same change, you must first understand why you should be vegetarian. Like in my story because I felt sorry for those animals. And also I'd like to advise that if you want to become vegetarian or vegan, Don't try to fully become vegetarian or vegan at once. First you must try to minimise your consumption of meat. Then step by step you can reach up-to who you want to be.

Good luck! , Pest

Floch Jean-Yves's story

I'm a Frenchman retired,who was workaholic,probably unable to find the balance between family life and job.So,as you can imagine,stop working for someone who knew hardly doing anything else was a great challenge.

I had to find a way of keeping my mind busy and I choe learning English.

People who are longing to rest after a life of labour must be very cautious about the huge changes that means,and on the means to fight boredom.

They certainly mustn't spend their whole day in front of the tv,and maybe take advantage of this opportunity to give an impetus at some dreams they haven't had time to achieve yet.

Fabrizio's story

Hello,

I’m Fabrizio, I'm a camera operator, I work at 2CRP, a house of production based in Milan. I have been doing this for about 5 years. I mainly film concerts, precisely some classical music concerts. Two years ago, I got maried and then my live changed a lot. At home, in the evening, I had to use slipper! I also had to throw my video games and to finish I had to watch classical french movies (I’m married with a French girl). If you plan to get married soon, one or two things you must be aware. First, you have to tell your wife the truth about you and the way you want live before the wedding , secondly, you must often invite your friends to watch a football match and thirdly you must go to dance with your wife at least once a week. You must tell her every day (or better, every hour) "I love you my honey" - but careful, you mustn’t see to much her mother, you mustn’t drink with her father and you mustn’t glance other girls in the street. Anyway got married was the best thing I did in my life.

Roland's story

I am Roland. I live in Germany and married . I have two children. The biggest change in my life was the loss from my job two years ago. I works in this company twenty years. Suddenly I was unemployed. All my experience about the year were useless. I had a very specially job.

What must I do in this difficult situation? My advice for people in the same situation:

I think you must learn. independent of age. I am going to learn English. I have to improve my qualification.

I don’t give up the hope.

Francisca Sol's story

Hello !

I am a Spanish teacher, I live in France and I have always worked in this country.

When I was 32 I decided to learn how to sail and I signed up in a sailing school for a course in Brittany. The trip from Paris to Brittany was long and I had to change trains several times. I felt like an explorer. When finally I arrived, I waited for other people registered in the course. We had an appointment in the harbour in front of our yacht. When the captain came, he told us that something was wrong with the yacht and we had to go to another place to take another yacht. I don’t remember exactly what was wrong because it happened 30 years ago. Well, we were three people plus the captain and we went to another harbour. But when we arrived, it was already dark and the yacht was 4 meters down the quay because the low tide. I’m from Barcelona, from the Mediterranean sea and I’d never seen a so low tide before ! I was impressed. But how to board in ? The only possibility was going down by a rope. At that moment I was really horrified. The rope was attached to a ring on the quay and the yacht 4 meters down ! The captain explained how to go down, how to put our hands and our feet and how to begin and…I did it. This sailing week was a great experience and afterwards I sailed every year. Sailing is an activity that makes you to see the real worth of things, you learn to share a little room, to respect other people, to manage teamwork and it is really rewarding. So, I recommend to everyone to do an activity, this one or another one with similar conditions for example trekking. You will see the world with different eyes.

Olga's story

Hello,

my name is Olga. I work at home and I do a lot of artistic manually things. In last year I changed my job. I had to finish my last project. I closed my desk. I had to goodbye colleagues and unfortunately return car key. If you want change the job you have to do for yourself or your family. You must search in yourself, ask and give answer what do you want to do really. You need to be honest with each other. You mustn’t forgot about money, but it is not the most important things in life. You have to remember it.

Of course it is not truth. It is only my imagination.

Marco's story

Hi my new and very useful friends.

My name is Marco Martinelli and i live in Pesaro (in the middle of Italy). I work as a driver and i am single so I live alone in my flat. Since 2010 I had to leave my very beautiful little village, called Apecchio, because of my job so I had to leave my family too.

My habits are changed a lot because, living alone, I have to do every housework: I have to iron, I have to clean up the house and I have cook too. Sometimes I fell tired because I have to do everything by myself.

For the people who want to make the same changes I suggest not to worry about housework, step by step everyone can do everything (ironing too!!!).

And, in my opinion, the thing that you mustn't do is...don't forget your origin! You mustn't forget where you are grown up, where you saw the ray of sunshine for the first time, where you picked up the first drop leaf, where you kissed your first girlfriend and where you cried secretely too.

Phil's story

Hello everyone,

Here is how I gave up smoking.

My name is Phil and I had worked as a house painter since I was 18 year old. At this time I used to smoke a lot, despite it was really not good at all for my health.

So I had to stop smoking and I made up my mind to do it when I was 28. I attended a 5-day meeting with others people to give up this bad habit. The coach gave us some tips to help us to stop smoking.

Well, I succeded, but if you also want to stop smoking, you must first do it for yourself. Then you will have to change some habits in your own everydaylife.

For example, you will have to have two showers every day, and have an one-hour walk in the countryside in order to take a deep breath. You can also chew nicotine-chewing-gum.

At least, you must avoid all the places where people usually smoke, of course. Try to pratice a physical activity and speak about your good décision to your relatives and acquaintances.

Good luck for those who want to stop smoking.

Lisa's story

Hallo, I am Lisa and I study in secondary school in Czech republic. I am 18. I decided change all my life to better. I ate only fast food, was very fat, didn´t do any sports and was very lazy one year ago. One day a looked at myself in the mirror and I told that I hate myself. I lold that I am fat, ugly and unnecessary and I wanted to do something wit it. Since then, I have started riding a horse, playing voleyball, eating healthy, studing more and help with houseworks. Now I am very happy, busy and quite nice person. It is easy but u must want. If you want do this change too , u won´t have to be lazy! You have to change your lifestyle and live healthy. Eat lots of fruit and vegetables, dairy products, health meat and pasty but never eat fast food. U have to do lot of sports and go out every day. You must be determind because it is decision for all life no for one week. If u decide for this change u will be happier. I hope to you try it.

Naoko's story

I am a full-time worker as a personal assistant of a small company.

I've been living with cats for ages. At the beginning of living with them I had to get some stuff such as cat food, a litter box, a bed, toys etc.

If you want to live with cats, you must be their perfect servant! You absolutely have to offer a comfortable bed, dreamy massages and wonderful meals that they just want to eat at the time. And you occasionally have to take them to the vet.

You mustn't pet them when they give a grumpy look to you or pat their tails nervously.

That's the cats.

And, last but not least your life might be changed nocturnal...

Lucielma, Brazil

I decided do gym, so every morning I wake up 6 o'clock, but I might get up early morning 5 o'clock, because here the weather is very hot, I live in northeastern of Brazil, here the sunrise early, sometimes got lazy, I have to win it.

I started one year ago, I do physical activities in the square near the my house. I often walk and run, I got to me felt better. I like get up with the birds, see the sunrise and have a willingness to work, study and dating.

Rennan, Brazil

Over the last years I had to change my meal. Before I started my studies at University, I just worked however I had enough time to do exercises e got healthy meals. I had to do exercises for get muscles my at workout and it was very good for me cause I had a free time to talk with my friends. I had meals three hours by day. However when I started my studies, I dont had a enough time to work out, and I had a change in my meals, because I ate fatty foods at University.
If you are in this situation. take my advice, you've got to make your healthy lunch and get it in your bag in free time at university. You have to joined on soccer, basketball or volleball time. You must forget fast food. You mustn't eat fatty food and soft drink, you must have liquids such as juice and water.

Anna, Poland

I'€™m a chemist and I work in Institute of Organic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Science. Ten years ago, I decided to become vegan. It was very difficult, because my family is omnivorous.

I agree with Jagtar, veganism it'€™s change of mind and not only change of our diet. Anyway, I had to read a lot of books about veganism and first of all, I had to talk with another vegans. I couldn'€™t eat of eggs and it was awful. I loved eggs, but now it isn'€™t problem for me. I'€™m very happy and proud.

So if you want become vegan you must change your life and you must be consistent and persistent in your beliefs. You mustn'€™t go to with trends and be vegans on special occasions.

Good luck! Anna

Next

Do you put on weight during the holidays? Is there an easy way to get rid of those extra kilos? Listen to this unit's News Report and hear some more examples of must and have to.