Repeat After Me! Improve your IELTS Speaking score through speech shadowing!

Author: Ryan

  • Lesson 76: Photos🖼️

    This week’s lesson examines a Part 1 response that asks the candidate about their studies and the topic of ‘photos’.

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below):

    Part 1 Questions
    Do you work or study?
    Do you enjoy studying this?
    How will your studies help you in the future?
    Let’s talk about photos. Do you enjoy taking photos?
    Do you like to take photos of yourself?
    Would you consider getting a professional photo taken of yourself?
    Do you have a special family photo?
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    At the risk of sounding (adjective), …
    -awareness that saying something may cause a certain perception

    “At the risk of sounding narcissistic, yes, I do enjoy taking my own photo.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full ‘repeat after me’ exercise.

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “Yes, it has been my dream since childhood to study psychology. The different theories that attempt to explain human behaviour never cease to amaze me.”
    Chat on WhatsApp

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

    Transcript

    Do you work or study?

    I study psychology at the university here.

    Do you enjoy studying this?

    Yes, it has been my dream since childhood to study psychology. The different theories that attempt to explain human behaviour never cease to amaze me.

    How will your studies help you in the future?

    I hope to attend a graduate programme to get a specialisation in family and child psychology, so my undergraduate degree is a necessary first step.

    Let’s talk about photos. Do you enjoy taking photos?

    Photography is one of my hobbies, so yes, I can often be found with my camera taking pictures of beautiful scenery.

    Do you like to take photos of yourself?

    At the risk of sounding narcissistic, yes, I do enjoy taking my own photo. Essentially though, it’s because I am never happy with the photos others take of me. So, if I don’t take a decent photo of myself once in a while, none would exist.

    Would you consider getting a professional photo taken of yourself?

    I was somewhat forced to do this last year. My brother and his wife arranged for a series of family portraits for my parents’ wedding anniversary. It was a lovely, albeit awkward, experience.

    Do you have a special family photo?

    Interestingly, even though a professional took our photos, I don’t consider these “special.” For me, I consider a photograph from my brother’s graduation special. The whole family is there, even my grandmother who is no longer with us. We are happy and just beaming with pride.

    Thank you.

  • Lesson 75: Spontaneity and unexpected situations🧩

    This week’s lesson examines Part 3 questions that ask the candidate to talk about spontaneous situations.

    Part 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below):

    Do you like surprises?
    Do you think doing things spontaneously is a good idea?
    How do unexpected situations make people feel?
    Why do some people feel stressed when things don’t go as planned?
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    on a whim (phrase)
    -Something done without careful planning

    “A house or car purchased on a whim can spell financial disaster.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “If they are pleasant surprises, yes, of course I enjoy a good surprise.”
    Chat on WhatsApp

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

    Transcript

    Do you like surprises?

    If they are pleasant surprises, yes, of course I enjoy a good surprise. 

    Do you think doing things spontaneously is a good idea?

    It depends on what the things are. A trip taken spontaneously can be wonderfully adventurous and rejuvenating. However, a house or car purchased on a whim can spell financial disaster. So spontaneity can be a great way to bring some excitement to a person’s life but it has to be done in moderation.  

    How do unexpected situations make people feel?

    Generally, I think people are uncomfortable with the unknown. We say that we like excitement and novelty, but in reality we are creatures of habit and are uncomfortable in unfamiliar circumstances. People get anxious and if this feeling is prolonged or happens repeatedly, their well-being suffers. 

    Why do some people feel stressed when things don’t go as planned?

    People like a sense of control. Or rather, I should say they like the illusion of control. They like to feel like they are masters of their own destiny – although if you ask me, this is ridiculous. I think people get stressed because they are insecure about their ability to handle something unexpected, and it’s a little childish quite frankly.

    Thank you.

  • Lesson 74: Something that surprised you😲

    This week you will train to speak about a situation that surprised you.

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below):

    Describe something that surprised you. You should say
    -what it was
    -how you found out about it
    -what you did
    -and explain how it made you feel
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    vast (adjective)
    -of great extent

    “My tutor had seen vast improvement in my listening”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “Well, unfortunately, I am about to describe an event that surprised me in a negative way and it is a little embarrassing but here goes. What surprised me recently was the result of my last IELTS exam when I got 6.5 in listening!”
    Chat on WhatsApp

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

    Transcript

    Describe something that surprised you. You should say
    -what it was
    -how you found out about it
    -what you did
    -and explain how it made you feel

    Well, unfortunately, I am about to describe an event that surprised me in a negative way and it is a little embarrassing but here goes. What surprised me recently was the result of my last IELTS exam when I got 6.5 in listening!

    I had been preparing for IELTS for several months with a tutor and had completed at least 10 listening tests, so I felt very well prepared. My tutor had seen vast improvement in my listening and gave me glowing words of praise so my confidence was soaring. Even after I left the exam, I was certain I had achieved my required score.

    Several days later, the notification that my results were available arrived. When I logged on to see the score, I was aghast. I told no one – I simply left the office and went for a walk. I don’t even remember where I went! I called my tutor and let her know what had happened. I believe she tried to console me but to no avail.

    Shortly afterwards, when I had calmed down, I realised where I had gone wrong in my exam and now I am certain I won’t repeat the same mistake again.

    Thank you.

  • Lesson 73: Sharing details about your workplace👨‍💼

    This is one of the most common topics in IELTS Speaking Part 1: your workplace! Use this week’s lesson to train for this critical exam topic.

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

    Where are you from?
    Do you work or study?
    How do you feel at work?
    What do you usually do at your workplace?
    Would you change anything about your workplace?
    Do you prefer to call a colleague on the phone or send them an email?
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    when it rains it pours
    -something that happens in small amounts and then unexpectedly in large amounts

    “I would change the pace of the work. For some reason, when it rains it pours.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “I am from a lovely seaside town about two hours from here.”
    Chat on WhatsApp

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

    Transcript

    Where are you from?

    I am from a lovely seaside town about two hours from here.

    Do you work or study?

    I work as a lawyer in a large law firm.

    How do you feel at work?

    Usually, I feel very stressed. It’s a demanding job and when you know that someone’s freedom is at stake it can be very overwhelming.

    What do you usually do at your workplace?

    I spend a considerable amount of time on the computer, writing briefs, researching laws, precedents – anything that is relevant to the case I am representing. I also have meetings with clients and other lawyers. 

    Would you change anything about your workplace?

    I would change the pace of the work. For some reason, when it rains it pours. By that I mean that some periods are very slow and during other periods the workload seems insurmountable. 

    Do you prefer to call a colleague on the phone or send them an email?

    For work-related issues, I do both. I call the colleague to discuss and then I follow up with an email so that there is written documentation of our conversation. It is a bit tedious but absolutely necessary in my line of work.

  • Lesson 72: Sources of information📰

    This week’s IELTS Speaking Part 3 lesson examines information sources. Use this lesson as a form of speech therapy to help correct any deeply engrained speech habits you might have when speaking English.

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

    Part 3 Questions

    Will you continue to follow this person on social media?
    Is social media important?
    Where do people get most of their information from nowadays? 
    Do older people get information from different sources?
    Do you think you will continue to get information from the same sources in the future?
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    You’d be hard pressed to find
    -a phrase used to talk about something very difficult to find

    “You’d be hard pressed to find a young adult reading a newspaper unless it was for the novelty value of it.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “Yes, I think I will continue to follow her as her content is interesting, informative and appealing.”
    Chat on WhatsApp

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

    Transcript

    Will you continue to follow this person on social media?

    Yes, I think I will continue to follow her as her content is interesting, informative and appealing. 

    Is social media important?

    If you had asked me fifteen years ago I would have said no, that it’s just a way to keep in touch with friends but now social media is unavoidable. It has become something far greater than a means to keep in touch with loved ones and has expanded to become a source of all information. For companies, it is a whole new vehicle for them – to be seen and to communicate with customers and potential customers. So much so, in fact, that companies hire staff that focus just on their social media presence. 

    Where do people get most of their information from nowadays?

    I think many people still use the TV and radio for information but the importance of the internet as a source of news cannot be overstated. Personally speaking, I use the internet exclusively for information because I can learn about events from multiple sources instantaneously. I would say that I am not alone in this and the sheer number of news websites or publications that have a web presence can attest to that. 

    Do older people get information from different sources?

    I think older people feel more comfortable with more traditional sources of information like the TV, radio or newspaper. You’d be hard pressed to find a young adult reading a newspaper unless it was for the novelty value of it. 

    Do you think you will continue to get information from the same sources in the future?

    I hesitate to say yes because I fear that one day soon those of us that get news from the internet will be deemed dinosaurs. I think just like with the TV, something new will eventually come up to replace the internet as a source of information and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone then said to me quote unquote “keep up with the times”.

    Thank you.

  • Lesson 71: Someone you follow on social media📱

    This week

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    distilled it
    -break something down into its basic parts

    “She has taken the best of our cuisine and distilled it.”
    Talk about someone you follow on social media. Please say
    -who the person is
    -why you follow him/her
    -what content he/she posts on social media
    -and explain why you find him/her interesting

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “I have only recently started following celebrities and other public figures on social media. Up until now I reserved ‘following’ and ‘friending’ only for people I actually knew.”
    Chat on WhatsApp

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

    Transcript

    Talk about someone you follow on social media. Please say
    -who the person is
    -why you follow him/her
    -what content he/she posts on social media
    -and explain why you find him/her interesting

    I have only recently started following celebrities and other public figures on social media. Up until now I reserved “following” and “friending” only for people I actually knew. However, I learned of an American woman who moved to this country some years ago and I have begun following her. Her name is Mary and she is a chef. I have been told she has a cooking show in the US which features cuisine from this country, Greece. I have never seen the show, but on social media she posts dishes she prepares with fresh, local produce, delicious cheeses, fish and meat. It intrigues me that a woman from across the pond has learned everything she can about our cuisine here and then presents it to her audience thousands of miles away. She generally advocates a healthy diet and lifestyle and through her foods, takes us back to simpler times when people prepared and enjoyed traditional food together. 

    She also features various small, high-quality producers from Greece, which is both informative and helpful to me as a customer but also a great service to the producer since their products get known to a much wider audience. I find her and her social media presence interesting because she has taken the best of our cuisine and distilled it, keeping it pure and genuine while introducing it to the world.

    Thank you.

  • Lesson 70: A favourite area in your home🏡

    This week focuses on a very common topic in IELTS: your home! (For more training about common topics like this, this English shadowing website lets you view lessons by category. Click here to try it out!)

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

    Part 1 Questions

    Where are you from?
    Describe the house or apartment you are living in now.
    Do you have a favourite room?
    Is there anything you would change about your home?
    Let’s talk about your hometown. Are there any old buildings in your hometown?
    Can you describe any old buildings in your hometown?
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    near and dear to my heart
    -something you treasure and consider very important

    “It also houses my collection of vinyl records which is near and dear to my heart.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “I live in a relatively small flat. It has two bedrooms, a bath, a living area and a kitchen. There is a park in front of the building, so I get to enjoy the view of trees and flowers from the window.”
    Chat on WhatsApp

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

    Transcript

    Where are you from?

    I am originally from a city two hours away from here, but for the last 20 years I have called this city home.

    Describe the house or apartment you are living in now.

    I live in a relatively small flat. It has two bedrooms, a bath, a living area and a kitchen. There is a park in front of the building, so I get to enjoy the view of trees and flowers from the window.

    Do you have a favourite room?

    I would say the second bedroom is my favourite because that is where my computer is and where I play video games, listen to music – it is where I go to unwind. It also houses my collection of vinyl records which is near and dear to my heart.

    Is there anything you would change about your home?

    I do enjoy my view but I have always wanted a house along the sea, so I would probably change the location of my home, if anything. Fortunately, the sea is only a few minutes away from my flat, so I’ve managed to make do.

    Let’s talk about your hometown. Are there any old buildings in your hometown?

    There are quite a few actually, and they are recognised by UNESCO as having historical significance. Some of these buildings date back to Roman times. I guess you could say my hometown is an open museum and tourists from all over the world flock to the city to see its sites.

    Can you describe any old buildings in your hometown?

    Well, the famous walls of the city are some of the oldest structures where I live. There used to be seven kilometers of stone wall, but now only four remain. Soldiers would watch from the fortresses to warn of any invaders coming from either land or sea. Nowadays, locals and tourists visit the walls to see the site but also to enjoy breathtaking views of the city and the sea below.

    Thank you.

  • Lesson 69: New places and travel trends🚆

    This week, you will train to speak about new places and the subject of ‘travel’. Use the shadow technique in the below exercises to practise speaking about these topics.

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (video version available below).

    Part 3 Questions

    What part of the festival did you most enjoy?
    What is another new place you would like to visit?
    Is there anything that would discourage you from visiting a new place?
    Do people travel differently now compared to the past?
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    chum around
    -hang out with; do friendly things with

    “We chum around together regularly, and yet I never grow tired of her company.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson.

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “I liked the foods and the relaxed atmosphere of the festival, but I think what I enjoyed most of all was being able to experience it with my friend. We chum around together regularly, and yet I never grow tired of her company. At the festival, we shared a few good laughs and talked about the foods that were on offer. We also reminisced about old times.”
    Chat on WhatsApp

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

    Transcript

    We’ve been talking about visiting a new place, and I would like to ask you a few more questions about this topic. What part of the festival did you most enjoy?

    I liked the foods and the relaxed atmosphere of the festival, but I think what I enjoyed most of all was being able to experience it with my friend. We chum around together regularly, and yet I never grow tired of her company. At the festival, we shared a few good laughs and talked about the foods that were on offer. We also reminisced about old times.

    What is another new place you would like to visit?

    There are many new places I would like to visit. I suppose I would most like to see old historical sites in the UK, such as Hadrian’s Wall or Stonehenge. We have ancient sites like these in Vietnam too, but the past few years I have been especially interested in learning about British history and culture, and I’d really appreciate the opportunity to see such historic places first hand.

    Is there anything that would discourage you from visiting a new place?

    I suppose if I read online reviews that questioned the safety of an area…or its accessibility I might think twice about going. I’m pretty adventurous, but I would never sacrifice my sense of security for a new experience. Some things are just not worth the risk.

    I’m also not interested in visiting places that are known for being excessively pricey. I don’t feel that expensive travel plans necessarily mean you’re going to have a more rewarding trip. In fact, some of my greatest memories are from times when I travelled on a shoestring and had to eat locally, try to interact in a foreign language, and walk instead of taking a taxi.

    Do people travel differently now compared to the past?

    Yes, there are many differences. International travel infrastructure has spread to even the most remote corners of the planet, and this means more people are travelling and they are travelling further than ever before. Airports have grown to phenomenal sizes too, and with this has come ‘duty free’ commercial culture, where people associate international travel with the opportunity to pick up goods that aren’t taxed. These characteristics are a relatively recent phenomenon and not part of travel experiences of the past.

    Thank you.

  • Episode 68: Talking about photography and cars🚗

    This week’s topics jump around quite a bit – from photos to cars to car trips. Repeat after me in English to practise speaking about these topics.

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio version available below).

    Part 1 Questions

    Where are you from?
    Do you like taking photos?
    What do you like to photograph, people or nature?
    Let’s talk about cars. Do you think the colour of a car is important?
    What kind of car would you like to have in the future?
    Do you enjoy car trips?
    Do you prefer being a driver or a passenger?
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    relive
    -remember something vividly

    “It also helps me remember what we were doing or how we were feeling when the picture was taken, which is a pleasant way to relive the experience.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson. (If you do not yet have access, click here to sign up for full lessons.)

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “I love taking photos. I don’t have any professional photography equipment, but I have a few apps on my phone that allow me to capture colours and movement accurately and without blurriness.”
    Chat on WhatsApp

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

    Transcript

    Where are you from?

    I am from a suburb of Hanoi. It’s in the north of the city.

    Do you like taking photos?

    I love taking photos. I don’t have any professional photography equipment, but I have a few apps on my phone that allow me to capture colours and movement accurately and without blurriness.

    What do you like to photograph, people or nature?

    I would say people. When I’m travelling, I like to take pictures of interesting places and objects, but I find these photos are more personal when they include my friends or people I care about. It also helps me remember what we were doing or how we were feeling when the picture was taken, which is a pleasant way to relive the experience.

    Let’s talk about cars. Do you think the colour of a car is important?

    I’m not super interested in cars, so to me personally the colour is not that important. However, certain colours, like mustard yellow or gold, look awful in my opinion, and I would imagine these colours would make reselling the car difficult. That’s about the extent to which I worry about the colour of a car.

    What kind of car would you like to have in the future?

    I’m mostly concerned with reliability – how long can I use the car before it starts breaking down? My brother bought a Mitsubishi Pajero a few years ago and has had no trouble with it, so were I to buy a new car I think I would probably follow suit. I like camping, so the larger frame of this model would make it easy for me to pack in all my things.

    Do you enjoy car trips?

    As I mentioned, I like camping but I’m not crazy about the long drive to get to the campground. I’m quite tall, so my legs often don’t fit comfortably in a car. Also, I sometimes find the motion of the car can make me feel a bit queasy.

    Do you prefer being a driver or a passenger?

    Neither I guess! But if I had to choose I would say the driver only because being in control of the car can help me with my motion sickness. It’s nice to have something to do on a long journey as well. If I’m the passenger, I’m more likely to get bored.

    Thank you.

  • Lesson 67: A new place🌁

    This week, you will train to speak about a new place you visited.

    Note: Some of you were asking for synonyms for ‘very’ last week. At one point in today’s model, the speaker uses ‘rather’ as a synonym for ‘very’. Listen closely to the sample to pinpoint where this is!

    Step 1: Tune in to this week’s podcast episode (audio and video version available below).

    Part 2 Cue Card

    Talk about a time when you visited a new place. Please say
    -where you were
    -why you went there
    -what you did
    -and explain how you felt in that place
    🧑‍🎓Target language:

    busker
    -a person who performs in the street for monetary donations

    “There were a few buskers performing funny skits.”

    Step 2: Listen to the sample a few times to get more familiar with the language.

    Step 3: Engage this week’s full speech shadowing lesson. (If you do not yet have access, click here to sign up for full lessons.)

    Step 4: Below is Monday’s speech exercise. Post yourself saying this excerpt to your Whatsapp group. Exercises for Tuesday to Friday will be posted in the group by your instructor.

    Post yourself saying this into your Whatsapp group!🗣️📲

    “About a year ago, my friend and I took a train across our city to visit a public park we had never been to before. We were a bit on the fence about going because the weather forecast called for rain, but the park was hosting a ‘food festival’ on that day only so we decided to chance it.”
    Chat on WhatsApp

    Step 5: It’s very important that you note any new language items or pronunciation points from this week’s lesson in your journal to help you chronicle your improvement.📝

    Transcript

    Talk about a time when you visited a new place. Please say
    -where you were
    -why you went there
    -what you did
    -and explain how you felt in that place

    About a year ago, my friend and I took a train across our city to visit a public park we had never been to before. We were a bit on the fence about going because the weather forecast called for rain, but the park was hosting a ‘food festival’ on that day only so we decided to chance it. Luckily, not only did the rain stay away but it actually turned out to be a rather pleasant afternoon and we even got some sunshine!

    The festival featured numerous stalls where people from across the country cooked traditional foods from their region. My friend and I are both from Hanoi, so we were already familiar with most dishes, but it was nevertheless enjoyable to find grilled items and sauces that we hadn’t eaten in a long time. I remember having some traditional pastries with spicy dipping sauce and a little later in the day we both enjoyed a selection of barbecued seafood and meats. Some of the flavours brought me right back to my childhood. I think we both found it hard not to feel a little nostalgic!

    The park is really beautiful and has many scenic walkways, and this gave us the opportunity to stroll around leisurely and stop at times to admire the pond or just watch what other people were doing. We didn’t really do much aside from this, but I found the whole experience calming and refreshing. There were a few buskers performing funny skits and I recall some people practising softly on musical instruments, which gave the afternoon an even more relaxing aura.

    Thank you.