Interviewee: Kristina Lam

Hey y’all….As they would say in Texas. My name is Kristina Lam. They have asked me to speak to you about my love for Texas today. Here it goes…

First question, What was it like growing up in Texas?
Growing up in Texas was a wonderful memory. Texas has many big cities such as Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas. What is nice about this is that each big city takes about 3 to 5 hours to reach so to visit by car was nice. A downside was that there aren’t any underground or trains to take. I grew up outside of the big city called Houston in a suburban town called “Sugar Land” and it was quite an organized community. Each city in Texas stands out with something particular. For example, Houston would be the NASA Space center. Texas is by the ocean and during summers we would take a quick drive for a swim. Great memories!

Second question, What do you miss most about Texas?
Oh the list can go on and on….but what I miss most would have to be the diverse culture in Texas. I miss being able to walk around the city and seeing diverse groups of people and hearing different languages. I loved making new conversations at random times in restaurants with diverse people! I miss this the most now while living in Italy. I also miss that good ole BBQ.

Last but not least, What are your top 3 things not to miss when visiting Texas?
Oh forget the straightener for your hair- The first would have to be definitely the humid weather. That is something I don’t miss in Texas. The second would have to be the crazy traffic! We have a 5 to 6 lane highway and even during rush hour, we could be stuck there for over an hour! This was the norm for us. Lastly, I would have to say less walking and more driving! I don’t miss the fact that even to cross the road to go to a restaurant, instead of walking, us Texans would just take a car for a 1 minute drive.

But visiting Texas is a must. The good things outweigh the bad! It’s a beautiful and diverse state to see and has much to offer.

This is Kristina Lam for Learning English Matters.

Words in this story:

Downside: The negative aspect of something otherwise regarded as good .

Suburban: A smaller area where people live outside of a city.

Stands out: Being easily noticed

Diverse: Different

Straightener: A tool for straightening (example: hair)

Highway: A major road that connects towns or cities

Rush hour: A time during each day when traffic is heaviest

To be stuck: Being jammed and cannot move

Norm: Something that is the usual

Outweigh: To be more significant than the other

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