Most of us dreamt about a happy family and many friends when we were children. For some reason we thought that we would hang out with our friends all the time, do only what we want, deal with people we like. But it seems that our life is on a collision course with our desires. We work a lot. I mean REALLY A LOT. It is sometimes so difficult to find time even to have a chat over a cup of coffee. Our work more often steps in our personal time with all the gadgets which give us the possibility to stay in contact constantly. Now we have to strike a balance between what we want to do and what requires our job.

Holly in Moscow Hi, Holly. It's nice to hear that you decided to spend your vacation in Russia. There are so many things to see. You've asked about better time for the travel. It is all up to you, but I shouldn't choose late autumn and early spring. It rainy and windy that time. I would say May or June are the best options. You shouldn't try to visit as many towns as you can, 2 weeks is still not enough for exploring Russia. Just relax and enjoy your time here. You can always come here again to see towns which you wasn't able to visit this time. And don't forget about Russian cuisine, you should try borsh, vareniki, bliny. What about your route? I should spend 3 days in Moscow, then go to Saint Petersburg by train called "Sapsan". You'll definitely like this town. There are two main things you should do in Saint Petersburg: to eat "пышки" and to see how bridges open. You should decide by yourself how much time you want to spend there, but at least 3 days. You should also find time to visit Petergof - it's located near by and sometimes called "Russian Varsailles". Later you can go to Velikiy Novgorod. It's a very old and beautiful town worth of the visiting. Vladimir, Suzdal, Tula, Yaroslavl are pretty close to Moscow, you should google them. What do you think? Best regards, Valentina.

Thursday evening Hi Alice! I've got your email recently. And yes, I'm absolutely free at this weekend and will be happy to hang out together. Do you have any suggestions? I have a couple. For example, we could meet in the city center at 8 am on Saturday. I know it's early for the weekend, but it is worth the effort. The city will be sleepy. We could have a coffee at "Cofeemania", walk along the old and empty streets and take photos without any strangers at them. Later we could go shopping. I will have a date next week but I don't know what to put on. You could stay in my flat for a night - we will definitely have a good evening with a bottle of vine and a good movie. I don't have any ideas for Sunday, so I'm waiting for your suggestions. Have a nice evening! I hope to hear from you soon. Sincerely, Valentina.

A list of polite requests you could make on the phone from different parts of an hotel 1. Could I have a meal in my room? 2. Could you please call me a taxi? 3. Could I have a wake-up call at 7 am, please? 4. Could you please change the sheets? 5. Could I have a personal training in the hotel gym? 6. Could I have an extra towel please? 7. Could you please make a reservation of the conference hall at 11 am?

Applying for a post Dear Dave Spurling! I would like to apply for the post of Student Assistant. My name is Valentina. I can swim and play sports. I can not sing and dance, but I like listen to music and I have a big collection of music of different styles and genres. I definitely can help young people to learn new skills in the countryside because I was born and grew up in a village. I can teach how to do gardening and care of domestic animals. I can also cook. Unfortunately, I can not attach to the job in July because I need to finish a university project. Can I start on 1 August? I can also to work an extra week at the end of the camp if you need me. Best regards, Valentina.

Practice of questions Where do you usually drink coffee? When did you kiss for the first time? Why do people like to live in a village? How many years have you spent at university? What color is your favourite? Which music do you like more - jazz or classic? What are you going to do this weekend? Who makes you smile?

Plans to go out - Hey Mary! It's Alex here. How are you? - Hey Alex! I'm good, thanks. I was waiting for your call. What about our plans for tonight? - Do you want to walk around or shall we go to a pub? - I definitely choose a pub! I've heard that "O'Hara" had invited some Irish musicians to play for today. I'm sure it will be a great evening with good beer and funny live music. - Sounds interesting! Do you think there are unoccupied tables? - I will call to check. Shall I reserve a table near by scene? - Yes, if it's available. Look, I need to do some housework, so I'll meet you in 2 hours. OK? - Yeah. See you! - Bye!