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Marni's Dilemma

Date: May 13 2008

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

In any online relationship, there’s a very critical step: When are you going to meet face to face? You have to decide if you’re ready and then you have to pick a safe and neutral location for the first meeting.

Zeus and Kinski picked a public street, but Marni’s online boyfriend wants to meet somewhere a little more high profile. Watch her talk about it with Beren.

3. Watch - Watch the video without reading the dialog.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Marni

Beren

Marni: I have a dilemma.

Beren: Uh oh.

Marni: I’m, well you know about my online…

Beren: Uh-huh. Online romance…

Marni: So, he recently emailed me and said he wants to meet.

Beren: OK. What’s wrong with that? You want to meet him, right?

Marni: I do, but he wants to meet in Vegas.

Beren: In Las Vegas?

Marni: In Las Vegas, Nevada. That’s not just casual…I can’t just, you know…if it doesn’t work out...

Beren: No no no. I mean, is he going to buy your plane ticket? Is he gonna pay for the hotel? Buffet tickets? Like…

Marni: We haven’t worked out all the details, but he has offered to pay for the plane ticket.

Beren: Are you gonna bring a friend?

Marni: Um, I don’t know, should I?

Beren: Yeah, definitely. Like, I’ll go with you…

Marni: Do you want to go?

Beren: Yeah. I’ll totally go to Vegas! Is he bringing a friend though?

Marni: I don’t know.

Beren: Because this is a strange situation. You show up with me and he shows up by himself…I don’t want to be the third wheel. I also don’t want to be witness to a murder…

Marni: I don’t want that either. But I think that is something to think about. I mean, is it safe to go by myself to Vegas and meet this guy that I only…I feel like we have this connection and I trust him, but…

Beren: We should do a background check.

Marni: Really?

Beren: Yeah.

Marni: It seems like…

Beren: No no no. I think we can find one of those websites that’s like $50 and you find everything like credit history, rental history, everything. We should do it.

Marni: OK. Alright.

Beren: Do you know his last name?

Marni: I do, yeah.

Beren: Have you Googled him yet?

Marni: I have Googled him and nothing, you know…

Beren: Nothing strange.

Marni: Yeah, nothing. No red flags.

Beren: Alright.

Marni: OK.

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Discussion

Marni’s boyfriend wants to meet her for the first time. This is good news! Except for that her boyfriend lives in another city, so they’ll have to fly to meet one another. And if they’re already taking a trip, why not go to Vegas?

Well, because that would be a little scary.

Marni feels like she knows and trusts her boyfriend, but how can she know for sure if she’s never met him? Beren offers to come to Vegas with her, but then they think of a better idea. Why not get a background check?

What do you think Marni should do? Have you ever met someone online and then met up later in person? Was it scary?

Comments

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madelineming89

Malaysia

Yeah.. Bring along a friend. Marni have never met this guy and she has no idea what kind of guy he is. Chatting is just chatting. One can make up anything, creating a perfect person image. So be careful because one have no idea what kind of danger you are getting yourself into. Open your eyes wider. So what if there is a third wheel?? You have a backup in case you got yourself into trouble.

cybergore

Venezuela

I personally think that meeting someone on line is a little bit risky. Marni should talk to him before taking a trip to Vegas. By the way, I met my actual wife last year.

ebrulii

Turkey

i have met with a Greek boy.. we are really good friends now, i've never imagined it.. you know, to be a good friend with a Greek..it's a little hard situation for a Turk in these days.. and we promised to each other that we will meet.. if i will be able to join a university and find money i will go to Athens next year.. in fact i trust him but you know, you can't understand a person if you don't see him/her.. i hope he is as i expected

Ahshan

China

NICE LESSON! i do not trust the person online except for i have met each other before!

the lesson have involved a hot topic in real world ,nice

julywidiawati

Indonesia

maybe her boyfriend should have a trip to Marni's, you know man can take more risks than woman, yes I have met someone online and met up, it was not scary at all, cause I met him in a neutral location and public place.

_enigma_

Germany

Think all risk! and Suspect till you make sure everything.

Bonifaciy

Russian Federation

As for me… it sounds careless but I never mad background checks meeting withmy "online boyfriends". And luckily I haven't met a killer yet)) I just met in some public place, usually alone. I've never been afraid of that. But coming to another city.. yeah, it would be more challenging. Though I did it once (but not on my own) and wedidn't like each other)) So really these virtual romences are always risky)

miffoo

Slovakia

really cool lesson :)

rayson

China

everything could be happened….because you are gril…so be careful …

juama

Panama

is beren the main characther of the soap opera?

land scope

Maldives

Hi Marni,You can go alone if you have confidence on him but don’t depend on him.bye

tdwlx123

China

haha,i think you would imagine the friend online is perfect when you chat well with him/her.but when you meet him/her in reality,you maybe found something is different and disappionted.just i think…......

land scope

Maldives

I like more quiz it helps me

Nanaisa

Colombia

Wow! I had a similar situation, but we haven't met yet face to face. Do you think it really works?

jucapema

Mexico

I think the man should be the one who goes to the lady´s place first along with her friend of course . Beren hasn't got to be the third wheel, she can give them the space needed, keep an eye on them and bring someone with her too, so she doesn´t get bored soon.

As a man i would go where my woman is, that way she can trust me and I gain some land. Later we can go to Las Vegas and who knows, maybe get married there.

I've known of some relationships that have worked out through online dating. Just gotta be careful

anai estrada

Mexico

It is a dificult dilemma, because I don’t like meet the person by chat, less travel another city for meet this person.I will be scary too.

andrew xia

China

I think marni should go Vegas with her friend Beren.Because you can meet someone's figure but you don't know his mind. I once met a online friend face to face in our school.She dated me with her three girl friend , but at last she recognized that I am a nice boy and now she is my girlfriend