Diabetes

Good morning, Mr Dean. Please take a seat.
Thanks, Dr Smith.
Well, I’ve asked you to do two blood tests and I can tell you that it doesn’t look as good as I was hoping for.
What’s wrong, doctor?
You told me last week that you felt thirsty and tired. You also told me that you woke up a few times at night  to go to the toilet to wee.  After looking at the blood tests results, I’m sorry to tell you that you are diabetic, Mr Dean. Your pancreas does not produce enough insulin.
Oh, dear. I felt there was something wrong with me for some time and I thought about it. Now what do I have to do?
Well, there are many things you can do. I will give you a booklet to read about diabetes and it’s very important to follow the instructions in the book regarding eating.
I still don't understand how I got it.
It is very hard to explain how people normally get diabetes. This may be due to the gene that they get from their parents. It may also be because of the immune system in the body. Some obese people are at risk of getting diabetes more than others. Even young children can suffer from diabetes.
Can I get rid or diabetes, doctor?
No, I’m afraid you can’t. There is no cure for diabetes but you can control it with medicine and going on a special diet. You are not allowed to eat any food that has plenty of sugar in it. If you do, it will make you really sick.
Will I need to take any medicine, doctor?
Yes, I will write a prescription for you to take to the pharmacy. I just don’t want you to panic. There are millions of people who have diabetes. They just learn how to change their life style.
I see, doctor.
You will also need to take injections to control your insulin level.
When do I need to take these injections?
Around meal times. I need you to learn how to measure the blood sugar level every day. Maybe more than once a day. I will show you how to give yourself insulin injections using a special insulin pen.
How do I measure my blood sugar level?
There is a small machine that you’ll have to buy from the pharmacy. The instructions are very easy to follow. You need to get only one drop of your blood and put it on a strip. The machine will then give you a reading of your blood sugar level. You may then need an injection or not depending on the reading from the machine.
Is this machine expensive to buy?
No, it’s about $70. The most important thing is to watch what you eat from now on. You may feel thirsty or have a headache. This is all because of diabetes. Now tell me, Mr Dean. Do you exercise at all?
No, I don’t. I haven’t done any exercises for a long time.
Well, it’s about time you started. Exercising helps you keep healthy and in shape. You need to use canola oil or olive oil in your cooking. A good diet that contains whole grains is good for you.
Are there any foods that I need to cut back on?
Yes, you need to cut back on sugary drinks like Coca Cola and Pepsi. Don’t eat a lot of rice or pasta.
Is there any medical check that I need to have? 
Yes, you need to have your eyes checked regularly because diabetes can affect vision as people get older.

How Do People Study?

People from different countries have different learning styles. There are some students who learn by reading every word in the book. They don't feel confident if they don't do so before an important exam. 

Other students like to study by listening to what the teacher says. They don't need to read every work in the book. 

Still others like to study by doing things. This is how we teach our students in Australia. 

Students in Australia study by doing activities in class and working with each other. They do many things which other people may think are a waste of time. 

In Australia all schools have internet access and there are schools where each student has a lab top. 

In other countries like Burma students sit down in rows inside a classroom and listen to what the teacher says at all times. They don't ask the teacher questions and they believe that the teacher knows every thing. 

In Australia we believe that there are some students who are smarter than their teachers. This is true. 

Choosing a certain learning style depends greatly on what country you come from. 

Picture by my previous student Naseem Ali from Saudi Arabia

Activities for Children

Summer holidays can be fun for kids because they don’t have to go to school and get to relax at home. The problem is that kids become bored easily and get sick of watching TV all the time. They start making trouble at home and fighting with each other. They can spend countless hours in front using video games but this is not good for learning new skills. Children don’t like going shopping with their parents. Paying for them to go and watch a movie in the cinema seems to be a good idea but it comes at a price. There are different things for parents to do to keep their children quiet during the school holidays. Here are some ideas you may like if you have children who are still at school.

A visit to the library. A library is a good place for parents and children alike. Visiting a library helps children come up with ideas and they can take part in different programs that the library has to offer. Most of these programs are free but some of them cost little money. All libraries have internet computer access so children can visit their favorite web sites and have fun. It is a good idea for parents to help young children choose books to read, help them improve their reading skill and also get a chance to bond with them.

Water Games: On a hot day you can get your children to put on their bathers and have a water fight in the garden. All you need is a long hose that the children can connect to a tap. Don’t tell them what to do – they will be soaked in a few minutes. All you have to do is to get some towels and make sure they don’t make the carpet dirty when they enter the house after the water fight.

Children can also use water bombs. Water bombs are small balloons that they fill in with water and throw at each other. They have a lot of fun when they throw the water bombs in the air and they explode on touching the ground. Parents can also fill a bucket with water and put some ice cubes in it. They can ask the children to pick the ice cubes up with their toes. This can be fun for a while.

Go to the beach: On a hot day you can take the kids to the beach. Get some food ready and take an umbrella with you to protect the family from the sun. Take enough towels and extra clothes in case the kids want to stay on at the beach after the dark.

Have a friend over for a sleepover. Your child can choose a special friend to come and stay in your house overnight. Let your child decide who will come, what to eat, what games to play inside the house and at the backyard and what DVD movies to watch. Inviting a friend to come for a sleepover takes a lot of planning. Children always help parents in cleaning the house before that special friend comes for a sleepover. 

Take the kids to the city: The city has a lot to offer for everyone. There is a web site that tells you about different activities that take place in the city. It is called www.thatsmelbourne.com.au. Going to the city on Sunday is cheaper if you go by public transport. You can buy a Sunday Saver Ticket from a train station and use it all day in zones one and two. 

Wedding

Last week I went to my friend’s wedding in Melbourne. I went to the wedding at 11 o’clock in the morning. It was at a hotel in Elizabeth Street in the city. After five minutes the bride and the groom arrived with friends and family. They arrived by a wedding car. It was a white car. The bride was wearing a white wedding gown. She had some flowers in her hand. The bridegroom was wearing a nice black suit. They looked very nice. The guests drank and talked together. At the wedding there were some famous singers. The wedding was very exciting. Everyone felt very happy. The wedding ended at 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

A Second Wedding

Ashraf and Manal have been married for more than 22 years. Ashraf comes from a very wealthy family that owns different private schools in the city of Alexandria in Egypt. Manal helps her husband run the family’s business. They live at a luxury apartment in one of the most expensive suburbs in Alexandria. Their children study at the University of Alexandria. The family likes to have a holiday when there is not much work to be done.
Last year Ashraf and Manal had a crazy idea. They decided to have a second wedding ceremony. They invited a big number of their friends and family members. More that 500 people attended the huge party. The wedding cost a lot of money because they got famous singers to perform for them. Their parents and children attended the wedding too.
Ashraf says that the second wedding made him happier. He says that he was not old enough at the first one and he was embarrassed. The only difference was that at the second wedding there was no marriage document to sign.
Will they have a third wedding ceremony? They are not sure yet. They will have plenty of time before they decide to do something like that again. Perhaps by that time they will become grandparents and it will not be a good decision to make. 

Important Notice for Cert III Students

This post is only for my certivicate III students who come to AMES in my evening class. You will have to do a second writing test this week. You will have to write 300 words. 299 words are not enough. You will write a narrative. A narrative is an even that happened to you or a situation you have been in. It is like a simple story that you tell.

There are different things you can write about. I will give you some ideas to think about:

• an exciting/unusual event at work (The day you got your driving licence)
• a dangerous encounter (The day when a robber entered your house)
• a difficult experience (When you lost your train ticket and got a fine)
• a natural disaster (The day when the river water flooded your city)
• a difficult childhood experience (An annoying boy in your class)
• an imaginary event (The day you became a film star at Holywood)

I want you to tell me when and where the event took place. I also want you to use the past simple tense in your writing. I want you to use adjectives like (nice - beautiful - sunny - wonderful - dangerous). I also expect you to produce good handwriting so I don't need to go and get my eyes tested after reading your test. You will have to write more than one paragraph. Of course I expect you to make some small grammar mistakes. Very big grammar mistakes will affect your test of course.

There are many transitional words and phrases you can use.

First of all ...................
in addition to that, .............
after that .................
later on ................
From my point of view ............
I would have thought that = I think that ........
in the end ..................

You will have to use at least one of these words:
because, so, hence

This test will tell you how good your English is and if you need to do some extra work on your own at home. It is a good idea to ask some "Wh" questions to get more ideas of things to write about.
Think of a bank robbery that you witnessed one day.

What is the title of your text?   (A Robbery at a Bank )
Whre did the event take place?
What was the weather like?
Why were you there?
What time of the day?
What were you doing?
What were you wearing?
What other people were involved?
What were the people doing at the place?
How did you react to the situation? What did you do?
How did you feel when the event was taking place?
How did the event end?
What did you learn from the experience?

Here is a sample of the writing:

The Day I Witnessed a Bank Robbery

Last October I went to the Commonwealth Bank in Box Hill to withdraw some money. I needed the money to buy some food for my family. It was a sunny day and there was no rain at all. I felt happy because I had three days off work and wanted to spend them with my family.   ............

==========

I want you to write simple sentences. If you need any help in class, ask me before you start. Go to Google and search "Writing a narrative" and see how much reading you can do. Good luck.  

Back From the Dead

A few years ago there was a story in different newspapers in Egypt about a young man called Ayman. He didn't have much education and lived in a small village. There was not much work around and he often had to go to big cities to find work. Every time he went to work he used to stay away for a few months. One day he went to a new place at a sea resort to work. 
One day an ambulance came to the village and some police officers. They went to Ayman's family house and told them that their son had drowned. The police told them that people had found his clothes at the beach. They found his personal ID card and that is why they could identify the body. The family were shocked by the sudden death of the young man. They started to cry and quickly buried the body.
Hundreds of people attended the funeral for the young man and some came from as far as 400 kilometres away to pay respect to the dead young man.
After one month Ayman came back to his village. Young boys and girls who were playing in the streets ran away when they saw him and thought he was a ghost.
He went to his house and his mother fainted on seeing him. Then people came quickly and made sure he was not dead.
He explained that his personal ID card was stolen from him. The person who stole the ID card must have gone swimming and he drowned.
After one month of mourning in the village, there were big celebrations in the village to celebrate Ayman's return from the dead. Ayman appeared on different TV channels to tell his story.
Answer These Questions:
Why didn't Ayman get a job in his village?
How long did he use to be away from his village?
Why did an ambulance and police officers come to the village one day?
What did the people at the beach find?
How could the police identify the body?
What happened after the family received the body?
Why did some people come from as far as 400 kilometres to the village?
Why were the young boys and girls who were playing in the streets frightened?
How could Ayman explain the situation?
Why did many people take part in celebrations in the village?
Why did he appear on different TV channels?