I went ahead and pursued my dream.
Where are you from, Chunyu?
I'm from Taiwan.
Wow, that's very far from here.
What have you been studying here in New York?
I took arts and new media classes and some general education classes to prepare for my major in fashion design.
What made you want to study abroad to pursue your degree?
I wanted to experience different educational systems and to learn more about the world.
I wanted to study abroad since I was in high school, but at that time, my parents didn't allow me to travel that far.
After graduating from high school, I thought it was time, so I started preparing for TOEFL.
But when I decided I wanted to study fashion design in New York, both my parents thought it was a complete waste of my time.
So they were strongly against it.
I tried to convince them, but in the end, they told me they wouldn't help me financially.
So I decided I would pay for it myself.
I was able to get a job at a local cafe.
And for one year before my trip, all I did was work and study.
But I did it.
I managed to save enough money and study in New York like I wanted.
That experience taught me that I could do anything I wanted if I worked hard enough.
That is definitely a great accomplishment.
Yes, an accomplishment that I am very proud of.
I just went ahead and pursued my dream.
Why did you choose to study in New York?
Well, New York City is a top city for fashion.
The study environment is great and the Faculty of Arts is top notch.
There is a lot to explore in the city, such as visiting museums and galleries and shopping.
So it's an amazing lifestyle that I enjoy very much.
Have you ever second-guessed your decision?
No.
Overall, I am very happy with it.
I am doing what I always wanted to do.
Have your parents finally accepted your career choice?
Yes, they have.
Though, they wanted a different life from me.
They refused to talk to me for a couple of months, but came around after a while because I was adamant that this is what I wanted.
Knew when to walk away.
Hey, Tim!
I heard you won the gold medal in athletics.
Congratulations!
Thanks, Nathan.
I was taken aback by the news.
I thought you were a soccer player.
When did you take up athletics?
Oh, it was two years ago, actually.
I decided to give up soccer.
How come?
You used to be so enthusiastic about soccer.
Yeah, I spent quite a few years of my life playing soccer, and my dream was to become a great soccer player.
But I had no talent at all, and I had to finally accept that.
I was always frustrated, and I had a low self-esteem because of my failure in soccer.
My teammates made fun of me because of the mistakes I made during the games.
And my coach constantly humiliated me.
Then, one day, an athletic coach saw me during a game and was impressed by how fast I could run.
He suggested that I should take up athletics.
I decided to give it a go, and I discovered I was really good at it.
That's impressive.
So now you won the gold medal at the Olympics.
Yes, that was unexpected.
I won the gold medal in the men's 400 meters race.
So your failure in soccer turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
Exactly.
You know, we all tend to hang on to things which serve no benefit to us moving forward.
Although we may not see it this way at the time.
I learned that you should give it your best shot, but know when to walk away.
Walking away doesn't mean giving up, but rather accepting that there are things that just cannot be.
I wasn't meant to be a soccer player.
You were meant to be a great athlete.
You proved that just because you don't succeed at one thing doesn't mean you will not succeed at something else.
How are you adjusting to the life here?
So how are you adjusting to the life here, Sophia?
Well, it's really tiring, I guess, because I'm not fully used to it yet.
But I enjoy living here anyway.
The morning rush hours can be really difficult to get by, since the trains are always crowded.
But I'll manage, I think.
Adjusting to a new city can be difficult indeed.
Have you made any friends yet?
Well, the thing is, I'm having trouble meeting people here in the city.
Any ideas?
Why don't you join a gym?
This is a great way to get social.
Or maybe you can join a cultural club or take a foreign language class.
Learning in a group setting makes it easy to form new connections.
These are all great suggestions.
There is a gym in my neighborhood.
It's only a six-minute drive from my home.
I could go there after work once in a while, and I could always use the exercise.
I might also enroll in a Spanish course because I'd like to travel to Spain one day, and it would be so wonderful to be able to speak this language.
See?
There are many ways to make friends.
Don't stress about it.
There will be people out there who will enjoy the same interests as you.
A perfect match.
Have you met Dylan?
The guy that Pam is going to marry?
Actually, Dylan is an old friend of mine.
We've known each other since we were kids.
Really?
I had no idea.
So what kind of person is he?
He's very active, a sporty type, involved in hiking and mountain biking, a bit of an adrenaline junkie.
He also loves skydiving.
Oh, he seems to have lots of energy, as far as I can see.
Yeah, he loves putting himself in danger.
He's also a very determined person.
When he gets into something, he gives 100%.
Hmm, do you think he and Pam are made for each other?
Yes, they seem to be a perfect match for each other, despite their differences in personality.
I think they share a lot of interests.
But they're also very different in many respects.
They complement each other.
I mean, they have opposite traits.
And it seems like these traits will bring out the best of both.
You think so?
Yes.
Partners who are very similar will finally get bored of each other.
There must be differences too that will make the relationship more interesting.
Yes, but not too many differences.
My last girlfriend was someone I had nothing in common with.
She wasn't the kind of girl I could talk to easily because of that.
Well, you could talk to me easily.
Better fix it instead of throwing it away.
James, are you avoiding me by any chance?
Why would I do that, Sam?
You haven't answered my calls lately.
Oh, it's not what you think.
I'm having problems with my phone.
It keeps freezing after a few minutes of use and even after charging.
It's very annoying to see this happen.
It seems that today's consumer products are not made to last as long compared to the past.
You're right.
I think I'll just throw this one away and buy a new phone.
Though money is a bit tight right now.
Why don't you just fix it instead of buying a new one?
It's much cheaper this way.
You shouldn't throw electronics away if you can fix them.
It's terrible for the environment.
That's a good idea.
Do you know any good repair technician?
Yes, I know someone.
My phone kept restarting and this guy only charged me $50 to fix it.
And my phone has worked perfectly ever since.
He is really professional.
That sounds good.
He seems like a reliable person.
Yes, he is.
We can stop by a shop this afternoon.
Great.
Thanks for the help, Sam.
I owe you one.
Can you do me a favor?
Hello?
Hi, Martha.
This is Olivia.
Oh, hi.
How are things with you?
Pretty good.
Listen, the reason I'm calling is I have a really big favor to ask you.
Sure.
What is it?
I have to go to a wedding this weekend, and it's out in the country, about three hours drive from here.
And I was wondering if you could look after my cat while I'm away.
Oh, I didn't even know you had a cat, Olivia.
Well, I found her in a dumpster not far from home and decided to adopt her.
She is very beautiful and clever.
Her name is Luna.
She's really clean and loving.
It's impossible not to love her.
Well, I would love to help you out, but I'm afraid my roommate is allergic to cats.
Oh, that's too bad.
Um, you can stay at my place over the weekend.
What do you say about that?
Uh, I guess that would work.
You do live close by.
Great.
I really appreciate it.
Why don't you come over tonight so I can show you where everything is?
I can also give you detailed instructions on what you should do.
Okay, sounds good.
What shall we do tonight?
What shall we do tonight, guys?
What do you want to do?
Well, I haven't been on a dance floor for weeks now.
Let's go dancing.
I've read about this place called Fun City Club, where they play great music.
We could go there.
I don't quite feel like dancing tonight.
How about going bowling?
We can have so much fun.
I already went bowling yesterday.
I'd rather do something else today.
Let's better go to the movies.
There's a great horror movie tonight.
Are you kidding?
I hate horror movies.
I don't like getting scared.
Then how about coming over to my place at 6 p.m.
and watching a movie on Netflix?
I can also invite Tom.
The more the merrier.
Oh, let's not spoil our evening by staying in and watching a movie.
Going out is way more fun, don't you agree?
Who's that?
It's a text from Noah.
Noah who?
Noah Miller.
He and his band are singing live tonight at the Sunset Beach Club at 7.30.
Oh, Noah Miller?
I've seen him play live.
He's cool.
His style is a mix of jazz, blues, and soul.
I was pleasantly surprised with what I heard.
Yeah, he has impressive vocal skills.
Noah isn't just a great vocalist.
He also writes his own music and does this quite well.
He's really talented.
I couldn't agree more.
So, shall we go there?
I think it will be an evening to remember.
You bet.
What do you say, Ryan?
I think it's a great idea.
Let's go and have fun.
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