Going to the doctor is never particularly pleasant for me. But I couldn't put it off any longer. It was time for my annual physical, and there was no getting around it. So I picked up the phone and called for an appointment. "I'd like to see Dr. Shimoya next week, please, if that's possible," I said. Of course, it wasn't possible. The doctor was booked until next month, the receptionist told me. "Okay," I said, "let's schedule it for next month.‚" When the day arrives, I drive over to the doctor and check-in at the receptionist desk. I have to present my HMO card and pay the co-pay of $15.00. The receptionist instructs me to go to waiting room B, down the hall, first door on the right. So I go there and take a seat to wait. And wait. And wait. Finally, my name is called and I go into see the doctor. The nurse weighs me, takes my temperature and blood pressure, and asks me why I'm there. I tell her it's time for my yearly check- up. She tells me to follow her to the examination room, and then to strip down to my underwear. Now I'm sitting on the exam table, half- freezing, waiting for the doctor to show up . Finally, he walks in, looks at my chart, and begins his examination. "Breathe," he says, as he places the stethoscope on my chest. "Breathe in and out slowly," he says. I do so. Then he checks my throat and has me lay down to check my abdomen. Finally, he orders a blood test and says, "Well, you're good for another year, Mr. McQuillan." Thank goodness, I think to myself, and get dressed to leave. Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

I've finally landed my first interview. Well, actually, that's not really true. I have been on many interviews for part-time jobs. This was my first interview for a full-time job. In less than two months, I will graduate from Arizona University. After a lot of back and forth trying to decide on a major, I finally decided to double major. I would study both political science and marketing. These are not majors that usually go together. In fact, most people thought I was crazy. But, after a lot of soul searching, I decided to combine my two main interests: 1. politics and 2. getting a job! Those are my two priorities. I thought that if I get degrees in these two fields, I could cast a wide net when going job hunting. And, that's what I'm trying to do now. Since I don't know if I want to work in the public or private sector, I've applied for jobs in both. In the public sector, I could work for the government. Maybe one day, I could even be a speech writer for the President! Okay, maybe I should shoot a little lower. In the private sector, I could work for private organizations such as museums, schools, or programs. Some of those are non-profit. Or, I could work for a company. Everybody tells me that that's where the money is. I haven't decided yet. I'm planning to apply for a lot of jobs and will see what happens. What I want now is just to get some job offers. Then, I can start being picky. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

Dear Dr. Lee: I don't know if you'll remember me, but I introduced myself to you after your keynote at last week's conference. As I mentioned to you, I have read all of your journal papers and I am a great admirer of your research. Your article in the top journal Language Learning was groundbreaking. The reason I am contacting you is that I would like to come to your university to study with you. I met some of your students at the conference and they couldn't stop singing your praises as a professor and as an advisor. I don't know if you are accepting any new students for the next year, but if so, I hope you will consider me. I have included two attachments to this email. I am sending a copy of my CV , and I am also including a research paper I completed this year. I hope that these will give you an idea of my qualifications and experience. Please let me know if you need more information or more samples of my academic work. It was a pleasure and a privilege to meet you at the conference and I hope to hear more about your research at a future conference. Sincerely, Lucy Hocevar Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

I'm not what you would call the world's best negotiator, but sometimes it's necessary to engage in a tough negotiation. Take, for instance, the time I had to renew the lease on my apartment. This was back in college, when I was renting a small studio in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles. When my lease was up , the landlord and I sat down to hammer out the terms of a new lease. "I'll tell you what I'm going to do," he said. "I'm going to give you a break on rent if you sign a two-year lease instead of just a one-year lease." "Well," I said, "I don't know. What sort of break are we talking about here?‚" "I'll give you a 5% rent increase instead of a 10% increase in exchange for you signing a two-year lease. It's win-win situation: you get a cut in rent, and I get the security of a two-year lease.‚" At this point, I decided to make a counter-proposal . "How about this," I said, "You give me a one year lease with a six percent increase.‚" "No, I can't make that sort of deal," he said. "But here's what I can do, and it's my final offer: I'll pay for your electricity for the first 6 months of the lease, along with the other terms I mentioned before.‚" "You drive a hard bargain okay, it's a deal," I said. I guess I could have tried to bargain him down a bit more, but I was happy with our agreement. Now all I had to do was sign on the dotted line . Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

Fall is once again upon us, and that means that homecoming celebrations are just around the corner. Homecoming is an American tradition each September and October for high schools and colleges where they celebrate their school spirit with a football game and other celebrations. I remember the homecoming events when I was in school. First, there was the election of a homecoming king and queen. Each class had its own representative, one boy and one girl, usually the most popular jock and the cutest cheerleader . Needless to say, I was neither, so I never stood a chance of being elected! The king and queen, though, were always from the senior class. All the events led up to the big game, played on a Friday night or Saturday afternoon, always a home game for the school celebrating their homecoming. In my school, we had a pep rally the day before the game, where the cheerleaders and dance team would do their thing on the stage. We also had a small parade before the game, where all the homecoming royalty and the marching band would go around the track of the stadium where the game was held, cheered on by alumni, parents, and students. Then we would watch the football game, which at my school, we usually lost. Script by Dr. Jeff McQuillan

It's hard to watch TV these days without seeing reality shows. Some nights, it's hard to find a scripted drama to watch. There are so many different kinds of reality shows, too. The most popular one in the U.S. has been the "American Idol" show. This is a singing competition where amateurs try to impress the judges and the audience calls in to vote off a contestant each week. The last person left standing gets a recording contract. I think many countries now have a reality show like this. This show starts its fourth season this year and I think it'll be more popular then ever. Another popular reality show is "Big Brother." In this show, a group of people live together in the same house for about 15 weeks. They're not allowed to leave and they can't have visitors. The people chosen to live in the house are usually very different. This way, there is sure to be a lot of conflict. Some people form alliances and other people try to go it alone. The contestants compete in games and each week, the other contestants vote off one person from the show. Why would anyone want to be on "Big Brother?" The answer is easy: money. The last person remaining gets a huge prize-in the U.S. show, a half a million dollars. Even I'd live in a house full of strangers for that kind of cash . Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

I moved into the new apartment last month and decided to invite a few friends over for a house-warming party. I didn't want to spend the day cooking, so I decided to have a barbeque. The food would be easy to prepare and I could cook it when my friends got here. But first, I had to go get a few things at the supermarket. I got to the store and got a cart. I started out in the meat department. It wouldn't be a barbeque without hamburgers so I bought some ground beef. I also picked up some chicken breasts and hot dogs. I skipped the seafood counter since I didn't want to bother with fish. Then, I was off to the produce department. I got some corn on the cob and a lot of vegetables for grilling for my friends who are vegetarians. Then, I was off to the bakery section. I needed buns for the hamburgers and hot dogs, and I also bought some cookies for dessert. Then, I was almost done. I went down each aisle looking for the condiments-- the ketchup, mustard, and mayonnaise. And, just before wrapping things up, I went to the liquor department and got some beer, wine, and soda. Nearly everyone I invited asked if they could bring something for the party and but I told them no. I would have plenty of food and drink. That was it. I stood in line at the check-out stand, staring at the magazine rack full of tabloids, until the cashier rang me up. The shopping went off without a hitch. Now, all I have to do is clean my messy apartment. That's the hard part. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse

My niece is turning 8 next week and I decided to buy her a new pet. She had been asking her parents for a pet for a long time. But, they were worried about taking care of a pet. I told them I would go to the pet store to see if I could find a pet that wouldn't be too much of a bother. I walked into a big pet store and looked around. I saw cages with dogs and cats. There were also bird cages with birds of every color. I even saw some snakes! I saw a sales clerk and asked him for help. I told him that I was looking for a pet that was easy to take care of. He suggested a cat or a kitten. But, I told him that my niece was allergic to cats. Then, he suggested a puppy. I walked over to the rows of dog kennels and asked the clerk how often they needed to be walked. He said that usually, they needed to be taken out three to five times a day. That was much too much work, I told him. He then showed me some birds, including a parrot. Then, I asked him how often the cages had to be cleaned, and when he told me, I nixed that idea. Finally, he took me to the back of the store. I have the perfect pet for you, he said. I looked around and saw acquariums full of fish. There were about 20 different kinds. The clerk said that they were very easy to take care of. With the right equipment, you don't have to clean the tank regulary and all you have to do is feed the fish. That was it! The perfect solution. The next time I visited my niece, she told me she loved her fish. She had named them all. She even named one after me. It was called "Jeffish." Get it? Now, she's happy and so are her parents. Just before I left, my niece asked me: When can we go to Disneyland ? Ah, the work of an uncle is never done. Script by Dr. Lucy Tse