village one
The Village, one
Milena talks about her weekends and summers.
Vocabulary
| handy | cottage | countryside |
| hardly | meadow | foreigner |
| fresh | stream | permanent |
| flock | residents | consequence |
| empty | team (2) | migration |
| rural | consume | abandoned |
| shrub | apricot | draw to a close |
| plum | stress | encounter |
| feast | surround | occasional |
| jar | especially | produce (2) |
| pickle | eggplant | cucumber |
| triple | orchard | time to time |
The Countryside
On holidays and summers, I often visit my grandfather and grandmother. They live in a village about a hundred kilometres from the city where I live.
It’s great to be in the countryside: no traffic. No noise. No pollution. No stress.
Here, we are surrounded by hills, forests, and meadows. A steam flows through the village centre. We can hear birds singing. And the air is fresh and clean.
We were hardly alone.
Weekend Getaway
About three hundred people live in the village, most of them are retired. On weekends, holidays and summers, the population triples as young and middle-aged people from the city come to visit their parents and grandparents.
Everyone can buy what they need in three small stores, a bakery. The village also has a library, post office and clinic.
And of course, the INTERNET!
The stores also serve as cafes for people to drink and socialize.
Out Migration
A school building stands between the mayor’s office and the church. In the old days, it served as an elementary and high school.
But it has closed because there aren’t many children in the village (they take a bus to a school in another, bigger town).
This is because most families and young people have moved from this village to larger cities, leaving only retired people behind. Now, perhaps 20% of all houses here are empty.
Horticulture
During the day, I walk around the village square and forests with other teenagers.
I also help my grandparents tend their gardens. In the front yard they grow flowers and shrubs. In the back is a vegetable garden, along with cherry, apple, pear, mulberry, apricot and plum trees.
English and Math
Other times, my sister and I also study math and English from our course books. We have actually used English when speaking to foreigners. This summer we’ve met an Italian, a French couple, and a German.
Feasting
In the evening we feast on fresh garden produce: cucumbers, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, cantaloupes, watermelons, along with eggs and homemade cheese.
Grandma is a great cook!
What we don’t eat now, we pickle and preserve in jars for winter.
As summer ends, my family and I return to the city — and school.
Though I love visiting the country, I wouldn’t want to live here, permanently. I still prefer city life.
But I still need to get away from time to time.
* * * * * *
Questions
1. Milena lives in a village. True or false?
2. What does she like about the countryside?
3. Describe the people of this village.
4. Is her village completely cut off from “civilization” or the outside world?
5. People only shop in the stores. Yes or no?
6. Has the village always remained the same; or has it changed over the years?
7. Do people only rest and relax in the village?
8. Why does she return to the city?
A. Do you live in the city or the country?
B. If you live in a city, do you visit relatives or friends in a village?
C. Do you prefer living in the city or in the countryside?
D. Do you think you will change as you get “older”?
E. In my country many villagers are moving into the city. Yes or no? Why or why not?
F. Do city people ever move to the countryside?
G. Do Westerners or other foreigners move into the villages of your country?
