Uma Gunasilan

BBC Learning English
People and Places
Sun Hai Nin SIG

Sun Hai Nin: Well, hello everybody I’m Hai Nin, I’m from

China and now I’m in London.

William: And I’m William Kremer – welcome to

People and Places.

You just heard a young Chinese Woman, Sun Hai Nin.

Recently, Hai Nin was lucky enough to win a competition –

congratulations! - and the prize was a
two-week study trip to London.

She isn’t in London anymore, but while she was here she

kept an audio diary for BBC Learning English, and you just

heard a little bit of it:

In today’s programme we’re going to experience some of

London’s most famous sights together with Hai Nin. Let’s

start off with somewhere that Hai Nin describes as scary…

but is it really scary? See if you can guess where Hai Nin

is.

Hai Nin: It’s kind of scary because I, I, you can’

t imagine, it is so high really, so tall, and when you look

at it, erm, it’s, it’s really strange to think it’s, it

’s a real clock rather than a picture, really. It’s the

first time I see it from, from such a close look.

William: Did you work out where Hai Nin is? She’s

standing 1 in front of London’s famous clock tower, Big Ben.

She says it’s kind of scary because it’s so tall. She

also says it’s strange to think of it as a real clock

rather than just a picture.

Hai Nin: We’re waiting for the Big Ben to ring,

ring the bell - famous bell really. I think

it’s 12 o’clock. Ah!

[Clock strikes]

Hai Nin: Yeah! Though… Ah yeah! It’s striking.

William: So there you go – one of London’s most

famous sounds. No – I’m not talking about the police

sirens! Now let’s listen to the next clip. Where is Hai

Nin now and how does she describe what she can see?

Hai Nin: We are in front of Buckingham Palace. We

are just outside the great gate of the Palace. It was a

magnificent sight – they have, they have like fountains,

they have statues and they have people…. People all over

the place… they are waiting for, maybe for the changing

guards, I think...

William: Hai Nin is in front of Buckingham Palace.

She can see the fountains, the

statues and the people and she describes it as a

‘magnificent sight’, magnificent sight. Everyone is

waiting for ‘the Changing of the Guard’. This is an

impressive display by soldiers outside Buckingham Palace –

and it’s very popular with tourists.

After she watches the Changing of the Guard, Hai Nin

describes one thing that surprises her…

Hai Nin: I’ve seen, I’ve seen the guards marching

in and marching out. I’ve seen the… I’ve seen the…. I

think it’s … kind of the Royal Orchestra? – they are

playing, they’re playing music, yeah. They are very, very

good. I think the first, the first piece they played – I

don’t know, it was like… Star Wars? Yeah, I was, I was
 
very surprised… they were, they were playing Star Wars in

the, in the forecourt of Buckingham Palace. I was very very

surprised to hear that.

William: Hai Nin was very surprised to hear the

guards’ marching band play the theme music from Star Wars.

Now there’s one place that I think everyone who visits the

UK has to go to – at least once. That’s the local pub –

the classic British drinking house. Hai Nin goes into a

pub. How does she describe the pub she’s in?

Hai Nin: It, it … it’s more like a small

restaurant … and I… I think that it’s quite casual, it’

s quite cosy 2 anyway…. I think it’s good.

William: Hai Nin describes the pub as ‘casual’ and

‘cosy’. If a place is ‘cosy’ it’s usually small and

warm – and very comfortable. Hai Nin is about to tuck into

that famous British dish, ‘fish and chips’.

Hai Nin: Now I, now I have my fish and chips. They

look, they look nice and smell nice.

Wow, it’s nicer than I expected, really. And I… I’m

already ready to eat… Yeah… it’s really nice. Next time

when you’re in London, try it, definitely try it.

William: The fish and chips is better than Hai Nin

expected. Next time you’re in London, she says, try it –

definitely try it.

Well, thank you to Sun Hai Nin for recording 3 that audio

diary for us. And if you’re listening and you’ve never

been to London – well, you don’t need to come anymore.

You’ve already seen all the sights! Goodbye.