Summer Break
Sven:“hi Wendy”
Wendy:“hi Sven”
Sven:“only 2 more weeks of classes,8 schooldays actually then exams start”
Wendy:“yes.I will be glad when exams are over.I get panicky and very stressed at
exam time.I find myself eating constantly and I don’t seem to find any time to
exercise”
Sven:“exams don’t bother me that much.This year most of the marks for my courses
were based on assignments and research projects.I only have 2 exams”
Wendy:“you’re lucky.I have 5.I also need to get good marks over 80% or I wont be
able to keep my scholarship”
Sven:“what are you doing for summer break?’
Wendy:“I would like to go to Italy and work at a restaurant in Florence.My uncle
owns a restaurant specializing in seafood and he has offered me a job for the summer.
In Italy there are lots of English speaking tourists so he would like to have someone
fluent in English.It would also be an excellent opportunity for me to practice my
Italian.I hope to be a translator one day so I need to be fluent in several languages”
Sven:“that would be a wonderful summer!”
Wendy:“yes I know.I really want to go.The problem is my father had a heart attack 3
weeks ago.He’s out of the hospital now and not in too much danger but he cannot do
much around the house.My brother is overseas with the air force so I am the only one
to help my mother around the house.It is such a dilemma.I don’t know what to do”
Sven:“yes I could see that would be a very difficult decision.You are only young once
though and a chance to go to Florence for the summer sounds like the opportunity of
a lifetime”
Wendy:“I’m leaning towards going to Italy but I just feel so guilty.What about u Sven.
What are your plans for the summer?”
Sven:“well I have a dilemma too.I would love to go to Nepal and volunteer with an
NGO that could use me to instruct local residents in engineering skills.It would be a
chance to share what I already know and I think it would be really interesting to
spend 4 months in Nepal.However,I don’t find out until next week whether or not I
have been accepted into the program.If I do get accepted I won’t be making any
money and I need money to return to university for my final year in September”
Wendy:“if you don’t go to Nepal where would you work?”
Sven:“I don’t know.I have had some interviews with some construction companies.
There are a lot of new high rises and hotels going up in the south side of the city.
There were 3 companies that thought they would have a place for me to do manual
labor and the pay is good.None of the 3 companies are unionized but they all pay
union wages.I would prefer an office job where I could use the engineering skills I
have already acquired.I have applied to several companies for inside work but only 2
have responded to my applications and neither seems very promising.It would look
much better on my resume after I graduate if I had work experience in my field.Also
many engineering students get hired after they graduate by the company they worked
for the previous summer”
Wendy:“I can see your problem.If I get the opportunity to go to Nepal I would
probably go.Cant u borrow money from financial aid for your final year?”
Sven:“probably,but I hate to start out with a lot of debt.Engineering fees are rising
by 10% next year.It is not an inexpensive faculty to be in”
Wendy:“no.but if u have the opportunity to go to an interesting job in Nepal and be
of service I think that would be wonderful”
Sven:“you are probably right.I appreciate your advice.”