Winter is the most exciting, most enchanting of the seasons and we all look forward to it. The sparkling white snow makes even the dullest and plainest neighbourhood spectacular and beautiful to look at. There is nothing like sitting in the warm room near the fireplace, with a cup of tea or hot chocolate looking out of the window and watching the whirling snowflakes in the crisp and cold winter air. If you like winter sports it’s fun to go out and enjoy the snow. You can build a snowman, make snow angels in the snow or have a snowball fight. You don’t even need any equipment for that. If you are more into sports and like travelling in winter, you can try skiing or snowboarding in the mountains. Skating rinks are easy to find in bigger cities and if you are lucky enough to have freezing cold for weeks you might as well try creating your own skating rink. You only need a relatively big and flat concrete area, a lot of water and some expertise of how to make a nice smooth layer of ice which is suitable for skating.

Winter holidays are another attraction of the season. Santa Claus, Christmas, New Year’s Eve – just to mention the three most important ones. Preparations for the celebrations usually start early. You don’t have to wait until December to start the Christmas shopping. It seems that the Christmas season begins earlier and earlier each year. Shops start to sell presents, decorations and seasonal goods at the end of October already. Whether you like it or not one thing is for sure nobody can escape the craze of trying to find some suitable present for their loved ones. Some people like giving expensive store-bought presents, others prefer giving and receiving handmade ones. Obviously the season is the most exciting for children. Santa Claus brings presents to well-behaved children if they put their clean boots or shoes on the windowsill. Not so well-behaved or naughty children cannot be sure of getting sweets so probably they don’t sleep very well at night on 6^th December when Santa Claus comes.

After the magic of Christmas time you have to wait only a few days for the next celebration to come. New Year’s Eve is a noisy celebration, with parties, crackers and fireworks. People go out to the squares in bigger cities they dance, drink champagne and wait for midnight to come. They usually count the last few seconds of the year in unison and sing the national anthem to welcome the new year. And on the 1^st of January it’s time to make some New Year’s resolutions. 

Susan: Bob and I looked at several flats last week.
Bob: We looked nearly everywhere: in the city, in the suburbs … and we can’t decide. If we rent a house in the suburbs we’ll have to drive, which is quite expensive nowadays with these petrol prices.
Susan: We looked at every kind of flats: one bedroom, two bedrooms. I can’t even remember all the places we saw. I’m also quite confused, I don’t really understand terms like security deposit, leases, and utilities.
Tim: Wait a minute! Before you start looking at flats, you should decide what kind of property you’d like to rent, and where you’d like to live. If you know what you want, it’ll be much easier to find a place!
Susan: I’d like a small house in the suburbs, three bedrooms, with a dishwasher, air-conditioning, and a swimming pool nearby.
Bob: Sure! And I would like a villa by the seaside. Susan you know that we can’t afford such a big house.
Tim: Did you make a budget? Do you know how much you can afford?
Bob: Well, actually, we didn’t.
Tim: First of all, you have to decide how much you can afford. The rent of a flat and the utilities should cost less than one third of your monthly budget. Then you should decide what kind of flat you want, how many rooms you want, you want it furnished or unfurnished. After you decided everything, you can start looking at places.
Bob: Do you have any idea where we can find out about properties for rent?
Tim: First you should decide where you want to live – in the city or in the suburbs, which neighbourhood you like. Then surf the internet as there are plenty of websites that deal with property rentals and sales. Susan: Is the internet the only way to get information about flats for rent?
Eve: There are other ways to find out about properties. Drive or walk around the neighbourhood you like and look for ’rent signs’. Pop in the local estate agent’s, they generally have a bulletin board with notices about flats for rent. But be careful, if you use rental services, the agency may charge a fee!
Peter: At last, but not least talk to your friends and people at work. They may know about places for rent.

CHECKING IN AT A HOTEL

Guest: Hello. We have a reservation for tonight.
Receptionist: Can I have your name, please?
Guest: Maria and Luigi Rossi.
Receptionist: Right, Maria and Luigi Rossi. I’m sorry, but I can’t find it. When did you book the room?
Guest: I booked it 2 weeks ago via Internet.
Receptionist: Let me check it again…. Yes, I found it. A double room for 3 nights.
Guest: Yes, that’s right. The price includes breakfast as well, doesn’t it?
Receptionist: Of course. The restaurant is open from 7 am to 10 am for breakfast. And here is your key, room 147.
Guest: Is it on the first floor?
Receptionist: Yes. The elevator is over there, next to the entrance.
Guest: Thank you.
Receptionist: I need your documents.
Guest: Are the passports all right?
Receptionist: Certainly.
Guest: … and we’d like a wake-up call tomorrow morning at 7.15.

USEFUL PHRASES

We have a reservation for tonight. – Van ma éjszakára egy foglalásunk.
Can I have your name, please? – Megkaphatnám a nevét kérem?
When did you book the room? – Mikor foglalta/foglalták le a szobát?
Let me check it again. – Hadd nézzem meg még egyszer.
A … room for … nights. – A … szoba … éjszakára.
The price includes …, doesn’t it? – Az ár tartalmazza a/az …, ugye?
Of course. – Természetesen.
Is it on the … floor? – A … emeleten van?
The elevator is over there. – Ott van a lift.
I need your documents. – Szükségem van az irataira/irataikra.
Are the … all right? – A/Az … jó lesz?
I’d like a wake-up call. – Szeretnék ébresztést kérni.
Enjoy your stay! – Kellemes itt tartózkodást!

USEFUL WORDS

reservation – foglalás
to book – lefoglal
via Internet – interneten keresztül
to check – ellenőriz, megnéz
single/double/twin/triple room – egyágyas/franciaágyas/kétágyas/háromágyas szoba
apartment/suite – apartman/lakosztály
to include – magában foglal, beleért
over there – (am)ott
next to … – … mellett
wake-up call – ébresztés
to enjoy – élvez

CHECKING OUT OF A HOTEL

Receptionist: Good morning, Sir!
Mr Goodmann: Good morning!
Receptionist: May I help you?
Mr Goodmann: Yes. I’d like to check out.       
Receptionist: Certainly. Can I have your name and room number, please?
Mr Goodmann: My name is Peter Goodmann, and my room number is 404. Here is the key.
Receptionist: Did you have anything from the minibar?
Mr Goodmann: Just a mineral water.
Receptionist: Here is your bill. Would you like to check it?
Mr Goodmann: Yes. What’s the 9 pounds for?
Receptionist: That’s for the phone calls you made from the room.
Mr Goodmann: Can I pay by traveller’s cheques?
Receptionist: Of course. Can I have your passport, please?
Mr Goodmann: Here it is.
Receptionist: Could you sign the cheques for me?
Mr Goodmann: Sure.
Receptionist: Here is your receipt.
Mr Mann: Thank you. Good bye.
Receptionist: Good bye.

USEFUL PHRASES

May I help you? – Segíthetek?
I’d like to check out. – Szeretnék kijelentkezni.
Certainly. – Természetesen.
Can I have your name and room number? – Megmondaná a nevét és a szobaszámát?
Here is the key. – Itt van a kulcs.
Did you have anything from the minibar? – Fogyasztott valamit a minibárból?
Here is your bill. –Itt a számlája.
What’s the 9 pounds for? – Mi került 9 fontba?
How would you like to pay? – Hogyan szeretne fizetni?
Here is your receipt. – Itt a számlája/blokkja.

USEFUL WORDS

to check out – kijelentkezni
to check in – bejelentkezni
room number – szobaszám
bill – számla
to make a phone call – telefonálni
to pay in cash – készpénzzel fizetni
to pay by credit card – bankkártyával fizetni
receipt – blokk, számla