Writing

The man who lives in uncertainty

Reading B2, Writing B2

written in May 2020 by K. Dhungana,  Katmandu, Nepal / edited by Rose N. Travers

The COVID-19 lockdown has changed our normal lives in Kathmandu. If the situation were normal right now, I would be attending a class at the American Language Center. But I, instead, have been confined to my apartment for the past 70 days, doing nothing worth mentioning. I had been editing and writing news before May 14 from home. On May 15, I found myself editing a long feature written by my colleague, Laxmi, which ended my 28-month long “NepalKhabar’s” editorship journey.

I went to market this morning for grocery shopping. The grocery stores open in the morning only at 10AM now. I bought a mango, about a kilo of apricots, 3.5kgs of watermelon and a liter of yoghurt. I was searching for some mushrooms but couldn’t find any today. I’m not the only person who’s facing this type of difficulty. It is a similar story for over 4 million lives in Kathmandu.

This lockdown story began in Nepal on March 24. Yet my personal experience during the lockdown, though, is a little bit different. In fact, lockdown started for me on October 10, 2019 when I was seriously injured in a road accident in the middle of a pedestrian crossing.

When I awoke 15 days later from a coma, my wife, doctors and nurses say that I spoke with them.  But to be honest, I can’t remember saying a thing.  I think my some of my memory files may have been deleted, so to say.

Altogether, I spent 1 month in hospital and 3 months of bed rest at home to recover. It was definitely the most traumatic experience in my life. I was feeling so low at that time that ruminations of death began roaming around in my head.

Despite my previous recall difficulties, January 13th is the day that will remain indelibly imprinted on my mind for a very long time. That was the day doctors successfully completed my second brain surgery within 4 months. Yes,. that fine day was January 13, 2020. I had been gradually resuming my normal daily life activities. I began eating, walking and talking  Yet, mysteriously, the outside world seemed to be going in reverse and very rapidly so.  I could witness abnormal scenarios playing out in this outer world. The diagnosis was clear. It had contracted an illness:  COVID-19.

I remember that when I had gone to hospital for my follow up health check 3 months before, I wore everyday clothes like a pair of pants, a shirt, smart watch, and shoes. Checking myself in the mirror, I looked okay. But my doctor didn’t allow to me go outside. He instead recommended wearing a mask, gloves and goggles to protect myself from COVID-19. I followed his medical advice.

I live in a historical town called Kiritipur in Kathmandu. There is a Buddhist monastery, meditation center and also a temple situated here. A hospital and meditation center is nearby and I can look out at them every day from my rooftop.

I love visiting the nonsectarian meditation center but it is closed now due to the lockdown.

The government solution to the problem seems to be using lockdown as a “Corona Vaccine without a Roadmap”. I believe that when they experience the side effects of this substitute vaccine, defiantly they will change the Nepal lockdown. I have clearly seen that health, education, business, and economy are all sectors facing uncertainty.

A soft voice inside of me finds a way to offer encouragement to my disturbing thoughts. It says to me: ‘Don’t worry. This, too, shall change.’

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Essay Writing and Grocery Shopping – What have they got in common?

Leave a Comment / Writing, Writing C1, Writing C2

For any essay with a given time and word limit, the preparation stage I believe is truly like writing a shopping list before you get to the supermarket, which saves you time, money and a lot of nerves. 

If you have always had essays assigned for homework without any word limits and with plenty of time to complete them, this doesn’t necessarily apply to you. 

You have days to work on it, rewrite it, ask for feedback and proofread it.  But in an exam situation, when you are under the pressure of time and word limits,

I’m afraid you don’t have this luxury. So how can you adapt to such conditions?

Photo by Mohammad Sanaei on Unsplash

Let us go back to the comparison to grocery shopping.

Certainly, if you had just 15 minutes to shop and only CHF 150.00 to buy all that you need to feed a family of four in a week, you just might think of sitting down to write a grocery list first before heading out the door. 

You would ask yourself, so what meals can I cook that are healthy but inexpensive enough to cover all our needs?

If you wrote a few meals down first and chose those which require items that fit within your budget, you would have much better chances of making your money stretch and avoid purchasing items that really may not serve your purpose.

You keep to the list and pass the ice cream and chocolate rows without any problems. 

You’re on a mission!

Think of preparing your essay in the same way.

  1. Concentrate on the essay question. 
  2. Write the ideas that come to mind.
  3. Choose what is most effective and eliminate the extras before you even begin.

Putting this in specific terms, if you have only 250 words to explain two sides of an argument, be sure you think of 2 solid arguments for both with convincing examples.

The hardest part of the essay writing planning job is done. 

What’s left? 

A carefully written introduction and conclusion that includes references to your ideas is all that’s left. 

Stay tuned for a future blog entry for this!  My mission for this blog entry is now complete.

Learn more about The Boston School and about how we can help you to learn brilliantly ( British English ) or in an awesome way ( American English). 

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Sample Cover Letter: Supply Chain Manager

Leave a Comment / Writing, Writing B2, Writing C1, Writing C2, Writing For Business

Have you seen our writing tips and sample cover letter for an Account Executive?  Here comes one for a Supply Chain Manager.  We used the same cover letter template for the Account Executive and Supply Chain Manager cover letter.

Maybe you’d like to give the template a try yourself?

Or if you prefer a more personalized service, we offer cover letter support starting at Euros 20.00.  Just get in touch with us on via e-mail : info@thebostonschool.com.  A short phone call can also be arranged via Skype.

Sample Supply Chain Manager Cover Letter

Note: the list of 22 prompts used for the text in bold can be found on page 2 of the document.  All you need to do to find the prompts is to place your mouse at the bottom of the document and the page numbers will appear to click on.

Free tips for job seekers

Tips to write a good cover letter and an example for your next job application

3 Comments / Writing

You see the advertisement and you instantly think – the job description is you!

You apply and the team at HR respond by saying “Thank you, but we’ve decided to choose another candidate.”

You are shocked. You think: How many people are there like me? Who has the same experience? What did I get wrong?

You may have got nothing wrong. It is just that you may not have answered the following three questions very well.

The person reading your application and covering letter did not feel really well connected to you. It happens. 

This is why when you write a cover letter for your CV / resume, you must be able to say:

1. I can do this job because:

I am “qualified” because of my education and experience. This would be the most basic level answer.

You need to remember that more than one person will read your documentation. Each person reading the job application cover letter will have their idea of what is important in the role and how you qualify.

That is why you need to be clear about your match to the advertised key requirements. Be sure to expand on a few points so you do not sell yourself short.

2. I have interpersonal skills and do not create conflict in the team because:

When you get your interview, you need to come across to those looking to hire you in a positive light.

You can be yourself – shy or outgoing and conversational. Make eye contact and behave as you described yourself – not as someone who cannot be employed because they are a little bit weird.

Make sure your cover letter and any e-mails to HR or during the interview process show that you are good-natured and stable, not a grouch someone regrets employing after a month.

3. I can fit into the company culture because:

This is difficult to guess so research first on websites like Glassdoor and others, some people even telephone the company and pretend to have a customer service question or for other reasons.

It then helps you to know a little more about the company and how to suggest you may be a good culture fit. Not just for the company,but for you as well.

This is important because you want to be thinking of a career move, not just a short term job placement and be looking for another job again soon.

Having to answer points 1, 2 and 3 is not easy, especially if you need to do this in English.

It does take time. The Boston School has helped many seeking last-minute help over the years and we have been happy to celebrate with them after getting the job interview and later the job itself.

So ,if you might need some support, why not contact us?

Free sample cover letter for telecom job

Your choice of words and how you sell or position yourself is important.

We both want to make sure that any hiring team looks at your  resume and cover letter and thinks yes to points 1,2 and 3. I must interview this person!

Then at interview, it is up to you. The well-written cover letter and your resume / CV did its job.

It got you through the door and to the next stage of the hiring process.

Do you want to arrange some time to discuss your CV or to have a online lesson practising an interview?

If so, email us to arrange a call