José Cruz: Did you find anything weird or really different that was difficult to adjust to?

Karen Ban: Mm actually I didn’t uh feel any differences. Like there are some differences, but I didn’t feel any difficulty in the UK. For me it was much easier to live in thereKaren didn’t to use the preposition “in”, (0:18) than live in Japan.

José: Why is that?

Karen: Because it’s- um many people don’t care what I wear. Like in here if I wear, like um smart dress. People find it like…

José: Smart like you mean um like um like a-a a fitting- (A formal) A-a, form fitting dress? You mean like a tight dress? What do you mean a smart dress?

Karen: Or like a formal dress. (A formal dress) Not a casual one. Like more like suit“suit” requires the singular article “a” (0:46)…

José: Ah OK! Oh I see what you mean. So like um, formal sounds like you’re going to um uh uh a dance (Ah) or you’re wearing um, an evening- evening wear. I know what you mean so (Like yeah) like um… formal, no I wouldn’t say (It’s not) formal wear, (It’s not formal) I know what you mean. I know what you mean. Yeah, (But) it’s not formal. Go on. So OK you’re wea- you’re wearing a nice dress

Karen: Yeah and in Ja- if I was in Japan, many people would say that, “why are you wearing it? (Mm hmm) Is there any important meeting?” or something (Mm hmm) like that but when I was in the UK, nobody asked me like, kind of question, so it was free. um people doesn’t, don’t care what I wear so it what was good for me. (Mm hmm) and…In Cardiff (Yeah) people were really lovely so I re- I liked it. But when I went to Oxford or London (Mm hmm) people were a bit ru- not rude- but co- (Cold) cold I think.

José: Can you- (Yeah) wh-uh, Do you have a story to tell about that? (Like) What what makes you- what reminds you that London people are different from people in Cardiff?

Karen: When I was walking with my suitcase in Cardiff, (Yeah. Mm hmm) almost every time many people helpsKaren still makes occasional grammar mistakes in speaking. Here she says “helps” instead of “help” (2:04) me to carry it but in London nobody helps me, of course. But it’s- like, in Japan, I think not many people help the other, but in Cardiff they are so lovely.