Giving Advice

New York, December 2008.

Dear My Friend,
Living in New York and getting a scholarship from a university have been my dream. Now, I am
here and so far away from my parents because I have to live in a dormitory. This is my first week in
my study and it is so hard for me. I always miss my parents and I am always homesick. I cannot
sleep at night and even worse, I think I get insomnia. I feel tired everyday because the subjects are
difficult. I get so many assignments to do with a limited dateline. I really want to go home but
studying in this university is once in a lifetime opportunity. I do not want to make my parents worry
about me. They are very proud of me. What should I do, friend?
Dear Someone,
My fiancé cheated on me and got his ex-girlfriend pregnant. I have called off the engagement, but I
have so much pain that it seems unbearable. Is there someone out there that can help me get
through this? I vowed to be celibate until marriage, but I broke my vow of 5 years 5 months into this
relationship. I feel so bad…please someone help me.
Dear Someone,
I had an affair with someone else’s fiancé and we have been together for about 2 years. He left his
fiancé for me and had proposed to me but I’m terrified that he would cheat on me like what he did
to his fiancé. I finally had the courage to put the relationship to an end but it’s hurting me so badly…
am i doing the right thing? Please help me..
Okay, for like 2 years now, me and my mom have had a really bad relationship. I want to be nice to
her, but there is something that seems to be holding me back. She is always treating me kind of
mean and my only way of defense is to fight back. It's starting to get so bad that I can't even look at
her, and she just keeps telling me how disappointed she is in me. I feel really bad about some of
the things I do, and I say that I will be better. Things always turn out the same though. Part of my
anger towards her is because of her lifestyle. She doesn't watch what she eats and she was told to
eat healthier by a doctor. I am worried about her, and whenever I tell her what she's doing wrong,
she totally yells at me when I'm just trying to help her.
It is getting so hard to talk to my mom and I really don't know what to do. I don't want this
relationship to carry on forever..:(
My daughter is 5 and a friend has started bringing his little girl around when he visits, she is 7. She
has been physically and mentally abused by her mother, in just a few short visits she has brought
out the worst in my daughter, should I stop the visits, or see how it ends up? I hate to deny a little
girl our friendship because of what someone else has done. But she my say things to my innocent
daughter, and traumatize her by it???

I am a slightly disabled female single parent, who split from her partner recently. My son is 5 years
old. I say that I am slightly disabled in that I am not disabled enough to get registered as a disabled
person!!
Anyway, because of this, I have problems doing general DIY around the house, even simple things
like changing a light bulb, changing a plug, screwing/unscrewing screws etc.
Can you recommend how I can overcome this? Would it be a good idea to employ a general
'handyman' who could do these things for me. If so, are they expensive to employ?
I've been thinking that, perhaps, I could be a single parent since my marriage is nearly over and
God knows if I would ever meet anyone else. I am not sure if being a single parent is great, but I
am curious to get an insight of what it's like? Did it make you happier (having a baby)?
For example, how difficult is it to take care of your child(ren)?
What major responsibilities and difficulties do you go through as a single parent?
Exercise

1. The doctor made the patient _____________ in bed.

2. Ms. Etik had her house ______________.
3. I always make my daughter ______________ the window before she could go to play.
4. I went to the bank to have a check ___________________.
5. Peeling onions always makes me ______________.
6. My mother made the food ______________.
7. My husband stopped at the gas station to have the tank ______________.
8. My friends’ joke always make me ____________________
9. Teacher sometimes have their students ____________________
10. I have my servant _________________ my dirty clothes

Teenage Problems - Giving Advice

Read your situation and then answer the following questions
 What might the relationship be between the person and his / her parents?
 How must he / she feel?
 What can't have happened?
 Where might he / she live?
 Why might he / she have this problem?
 What should he / she do? (Give at least 5 suggestions)

Should I Marry Him?

I have been with my Fiance for almost four years, We are going to get married next year but, there are a
couple of concerns I have: one is the fact that he never talks about his feelings, he keeps everything inside of
him. He sometimes has trouble with expressing his excitement about things also. He never buys me flowers or
takes me out to dinner. He says that he doesn't know why, but he never thinks of things like that.
I don't know if this is a side affect of depression or, maybe, he is sick of me. He says that he loves me and that
he wants to marry me. If this is true, what is his problem?
Female, 19

For Friendship or Love?

I'm one of those guys who have "the quite normal" problem: I'm in love with a girl, but I don't know what to do. I
have already had a crush on some girls, never with any success, but this is something different. My problem is
actually that I'm too cowardly to tell her anything. I know that she likes me and we're very, very good friends.
We've known each other for about three years, and our friendship has constantly become better. We often get
into quarrels, but we always make up. Another problem is that we often talk about problems with each other,
and so I know she is having problems with her boyfriend (who I think is no good for her). We meet almost
every day. We always have very much fun together, but is it really so difficult to love someone who has been a
good chum to you until now?
Male, 15

Please Help me and My Family

My family don't get along. It's like we all hate each other. It's my mom, me, my two brothers and a sister. I am
the oldest. We all have certain problems: My mom wants to quit smoking so she is really stressed out. I am
really selfish (I just can't help it). One of my brothers is too bossy. He thinks he is better than the rest of us and
that he is the only one who helps my mom. My other brother is kind of abusive and depressed. He always
starts fights and he's really spoiled (my mom doesn't yell at him for doing things wrong and when she does, he
laughs at her); My sister (who's 7) makes messes and doesn't clean them up. I really want to help because I
don't like being upset all of the time and having everyone hate everyone else. Even when we start to get along,
someone will say something to upset someone else. Please help me and my family.
Female, 15

Hates School
I hate school. I cannot stand my school so I skip it almost every day. Luckily, I am a smart person and I'm in all
of the advanced classes and don't have reputation as a rebel. Only the people who really know me know about
my strange feelings. My parents don't care - they don't even mention it if I don't go to school. What I end up
doing is sleeping all day and then staying up all night talking to my girlfriend. I get behind in my work and when
I try to go back to school I get a bunch of crap from my teachers and friends. I just get so depressed when I
think about it. I have given up on trying to go back and now am considering dropping out altogether, but I really
don't want to do that because I realize it would ruin my life. I don't want to go back at all but I also don't want it
to ruin my life. I am so confused and I have really tried to go back and just can't take it. What should I do?
Please help.
Male, 16

Dear Someone,
I would like to study abroad at any cost because I would like to have a job related to English. In order to have a
job like this, I must come to speak English very well. But I can't go abroad to study. It is very difficult. And the
competition is stiff, since most students in Kansai University of Foreign Studies want to study abroad.
Besides, I would like to enjoy myself four years because it is these four years that I can have fun. Yet I would
like to be serious about my studies. What I should do? Please tell me.
From Wendy

Dear Someone,
I like sweets. I eat chocolate, cookies or kinds of sweets every day. I want to eat sweets even if I'm not hungry!
After I had a meal, I often eat something sweet. Every time I find something sweet, I want to eat it. I can't stand
it without sweets!
But I don't want to put on weight. I put on 4 kg already. I don't want to put on weight any more. But I can't stop
eating. What should I do?
From Candy

Dear Someone,
I have a friend who returned to Japan from Canada. She went there last summer as an exchange student. I
went to see her as soon as she came back. She showed me many pictures and talked about her life in
Canada.
She and I were the same junior high school. Though we weren't the same high school, we always met or called
each other. She is my best friend.
When she was in Canada, in her letter, she said she want to enter Kansai Gaidai when she comes back. So I
gave her some information of this college. And I thought if she can enter this school, how happy I am.
But she came back and said to me that she went to go back to Canada. If she goes back and enter high school
from September, she can graduate from the school in Canada. She also said she wants to come to Kansai
Gaidai but it is difficult for her to pass the examination. I think it is her problem which ways she chooses, but I
want her to stay in Japan. There are many chances to go abroad as an exchange student in Kansai Gaidai.
Which do you think? Should she go back to Canada which is better for her, or make an effort to pass the
examination of this school?
Please give her (and me) much advice.
I think it is not a serious problem.
Candy, Candy

Dear Someone,
I want to know how to use my time effectively. I have no TV in my room, and I don't read any magazines and
comic books. But I have no time to use freely. Furthermore, the time when I decided to start studying, I want to
sleep. I came to Osaka to study, but I cannot study enough. If this condition continues, I am thinking I will quit
this university, and I will go back to my hometown. What shall I do? Please advice me.
Troubling Carol
I have a big problem because I'm too anxious about everything. So I'm uneasy. I'm full of pessimism. It's not
good, I think. I try to think of better things every day, but I can't. And I'm too timid. Even when I talk with my
friends, I'm uneasy. Sometimes I wanna to be optimistic because I'm always uneasy, so I'm very tired. I'm very
tired. I'm emotionally unstable.
A little problem which everybody don't think much about, makes me uneasy and sad. I hate such a feeling. I
hate myself for being this way. I'm confused about everything. I wanna be full of optimism, and I wanna make
things better for me.
Now I wanna be relaxed, and I wanna talk with someone who can help me.
Thank you for reading this paper.

Timid girl