#Person1#: Excuse me.
#Person2#: Yeah?
#Person1#: I've never used this place before. Can you give me some idea what I need to do?
#Person2#: You just put quarters in the machines. It's easy.
#Person1#: Yes, but. . . well. . .
#Person2#: What?
#Person1#: How do I use the machines?
#Person2#: What do you mean? These are the washing machines. Those big things over there are the dryers.
#Person1#: I see. Do the machines have soap in them?
#Person2#: No, of course not. You have to put soap in. Did you bring your soap?
#Person1#: No. I don't have soap.
#Person2#: Well, you can buy some from that vending machine over there.
#Person1#: Thanks. Okay. I have my soap.
#Person2#: My God! You really bought a lot. Why do you need so much?
#Person1#: I don't know. I want my clothes to be clean.
#Person2#: But you can't use so much. The machine won't be able to rinse the soap out.
#Person1#: Oh. I guess I didn't know. I have never washed clothes before.
#Person2#: What? Did you say you never washed clothes before?
#Person1#: Yes.
#Person2#: In your life? Are you kidding? Never?
#Person1#: No. Never.
#Person2#: I can't believe it. How can that be? How old are you?
#Person1#: I'm nineteen.
#Person2#: But how can you live nineteen years without ever washing clothes?
#Person1#: My mother always did it.
#Person2#: Yes, my mother washed my clothes too. But when I was twelve, I started to wash clothes myself.
#Person1#: I know about this fact. American children are more independent. They do more for themselves. But I am from Taiwan. In Taiwan, children must study very hard. So the mother does everything for the kids. The mother wants her kids to get very good grades at school. So I've never washed clothes before. You shouldn't laugh at me for it.
#Person2#: I'm not laughing at you. But let me ask you something?
#Person1#: What?
#Person2#: How are you going to survive here? I mean, if you can't do anything for yourself. If you can't cook, if you can't wash clothes, if you can't clean house. How can you live on your own?
#Person1#: I don't know. It's hard. But I have to learn.
#Person2#: Well, I'll help you learn how to use these machines.
#Person1#: Thanks. My name's Nick.
#Person2#: I'm Alice. I guess I'll have to be your mother for today.
#Person1#: Thanks, Mom. Thanks.
life skills