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Presenter: Good evening everyone. We are happy to welcome you to our weekly program “Animal world”. Today is a very special day as we have a great opportunity to hear from an amazing woman who knows a lot about wild life and wild animals. Sarah Thomas, it is very good to see you today. Thank you so much for coming.

Sarah: Hello, it is good to be here, thank you for inviting me.

Presenter: So, before we start talking about your experiences with the animals, let me ask you how it all started. Where were you born and were you interested in animals from childhood? How did it all start?

Sarah: Well, I was born in London and my fascination with animal behavior began in early childhood when we moved to York. We lived in a cozy thatched cottage in the most picturesque part of the city and in my leisure time, I observed native birds and animals, making lots of notes and sketches, and I also read a lot in the area of zoology. From an early age, I dreamed of traveling to Africa: I was eager to observe exotic animals in their natural habitats.

Presenter: We know that your dream came true and that you spent quite a bit of time in Africa.

Sarah: Yes, when I was 18 I left school and got a job as a secretary at Oxford University. In my spare time, I worked at a London-based documentary film company because I wanted to make some money for my trip to Africa. One day, completely out of the blue, my childhood friend invited me to visit Kenya, and so I did. There I met an anthropologist Thomas Wild who wanted to perform a study about chimpanzees to see if it would throw more light on evolution. You know,
some of my friends and relatives thought that was a crazy idea because I had no college education to do these studies but Thomas believed I had the right kind of character to be able to live in the wild for a long time. Since it was actually my childhood dream, I agreed. That was my very first attempt to study the monkeys. Unfortunately, it wasn’t successful.

Presenter: Did you try again, then? I know you have written several books and filmed a few documentary films about your experience with the chimpanzees.

Sarah: That’s true. I started all over. In 1960 I went to Africa again together with my mum and an African cook. We established a camp on a lake shore. Can you imagine: crystal clear water, sand banks … Anyway, it took me two long years to get close to the monkeys, to the point when they allowed me to be a part of their group.

Presenter: Two years! You’ve got more patience than I have! How did you make them like you in the end?

Sarah: Bananas! For two years I offered them bananas until they actually began to accept me as their own. I came to the same spot every day at the same time and fed them bananas. After one year they stopped running away, after the second year they allowed me to climb trees with them and eat their food.

Presenter: What? Are you serious? You climbed trees with the chimps? That was probably lots of fun!

Sarah: You bet! I had to learn to use my arms and legs like never before. It only looks easy when you observe the animals. We as people are very limited in our abilities to use our limbs: our legs and arms aren’t designed to hang onto tree branches and plant leaves. The monkeys, on the other hand, don’t even have to think about what they are doing when they move. So, there was a lot I had to learn
not to fall off those tall trees. That was a real challenge!

Presenter: Was it all worth it, though?

Sarah: Definitely, I still think of that time as one of the best periods of my life. I got so close to these animals that I was able to understand them. I was able to experience what it is like to be inside an animal world.

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Now we are ready to start.

Presenter: Good afternoon, and here we are with our special program for teens where we explore advantages and disadvantages of all sorts of professions. Today we have Carl Fox, a travel agent. Hello, Carl!

Carl Fox: Good afternoon.

Presenter: So Carl, tell us a little bit about yourself.

Carl Fox: Well, as you already know, I’m a travel agent, and I work for one of the major chains on High Street. I’ve been with them for about 10 years and while I’ve been working I’ve studied for a number of qualifications.

Presenter: What inspired you to become a travel agent?

Carl Fox: People often ask me why I decided to become a travel agent. As a young adult I loved travelling and worked for a while as a rep in Spain. When I came back to the UK I decided to stay within the travel industry, and my experience of working in resorts abroad helped me to get a job as a travel agent. I have to admit that one of the main reasons I wanted to be a travel agent was that we get cheap flights and holidays. It’s a great perk!

Presenter: I see. What are your responsibilities at your job?

Carl Fox: Basically, I’m a sales person. I advise people on the holiday options available to them, you know, different destinations, types of holiday, ways to get there, and so on. When customers have decided what they want, I book it for them and make any other arrangements they might need, such as car hire or tours. My responsibility doesn’t end there, though. I have to make sure that clients know if any visas are necessary, or if they will need vaccinations, and how to get them. If
they are flying, I need to tell them what time they have to check in, and make sure they know what time they will be arriving. I also give information on likely weather conditions and anything else I think will be useful for them.

Presenter: That’s a lot to do! And I bet it’s getting more and more difficult to work in your sphere because of the rivalry.

Carl Fox: Well, not because the rivalry is too high, it’s the same everywhere. The point is that more and more customers want a tailor-made holiday, not just a package from a brochure. However, I love the challenge! It’s a lot more interesting for me if I can organize the whole thing – make out an itinerary, book flights, ferries, trains, accommodation and everything. I love providing a personalized
service, especially if it’s to places that I know. I can really help customers get a great holiday that will be ideal for them.

Presenter: People who are going on holiday must be relaxed and easy to deal with, right?

Carl Fox: Generally yes, but not always. Sometimes I get difficult customers. One man came in wanting a flight to Venice the next day. I checked out times and fares on the computer, and found a very reasonable flight at a suitable time, so we booked it there and then. A week later he came in and he was absolutely furious. He wanted to know why I had flown him to Venice, in Italy, when he had had an
important meeting in Vienna, which is in Austria. I didn’t know what to say, but since then I’ve always been careful to check that people really know where they want to go.

Presenter: That’s a case which is funny and sad at the same time and it’s hard to believe it after all.

Carl Fox: Don’t I know!

Presenter: Any downsides to your job?

Carl Fox: There must be some but I love my job so I simply don’t notice them.

Presenter: I see. Thank you very much, Carl.

Carl Fox: My pleasure.

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Presenter: Welcome to “Amazing people” show. Today we are joined by Mary Jamison who’s been leading a truly adventurous life.
Mary: Hello. It is good to be here, thank you for inviting me.
Presenter: So, Mary, how did you get the idea of cycling to the South Pole?
Mary: I’d been looking at Antarctica for years, thinking I’d love to ski to the South Pole. I found out that no one had ever cycled there and I wondered if it was possible. I researched the idea, and in March 2012 I cycled across Siberia’s Lake Baikal as a test. I then trained in Norway and Iceland. I think that pedal power is one of the most efficient means of human power, and so I wanted to see if this was
true even on snow and ice where historically skis have always been favoured. About six months before I set off, in June 2013, I found out that there were two other cyclists, a guy from Spain and an American man, attempting to do the same thing as me, so I kept my plans very quiet.
Presenter: So, it wasn’t you plan to compete against them, was it?
Mary: Not at all. In fact, they left three or four weeks before me and finished a couple of weeks after me. I was reading their blogs before I left and I could see that they were not having a good time. They went on normal mountain bikes with thicker tires.
Presenter: You helped design the horizontal bike you used. Did your background in math and science give you an advantage over your competitors?
Mary: I’m good at working out complex problems. I fell off my bike at least 50 times while cycling Lake Baikal because of the extreme wind, so a lot of the bike design came from experience. I also took a different route than my competitors. I don’t like following others. My route was much steeper but also shorter. Their route was around 1,000 km and mine was 638 km.
Presenter: Were you concerned that one of them was going to beat you to the South Pole?
Mary: I was, but I knew my preparation was spot on. It’s a very expensive adventure, so I needed major sponsors. I saved a lot of money and borrowed from family members so it was a very stressful time. Now I’m in debt. I have another 23 years to pay this loan off. There is no profit in these kinds of expeditions.
Presenter: You faced temperatures of –29°C without wind chill. How do you prepare for that kind of bitter cold?
Mary: When I was cycling I wore a light coat with three layers underneath, and I didn’t have any skin showing. When I stopped, I’d put on an extra warm jacket. I did get a bit of frostbite one day. Every night I’d take a photo of myself and look at it to make sure I still had all my body parts. My feet suffered the most. I had to stop and jump up and down to keep them going. It didn’t matter how many layers of socks I put on, my feet were cold all the time.
Presenter: How did you cope being alone in extreme cold for 10 days?
Mary: The first few days I could see some mountains on my right, and that was spectacular and dramatic. Once I got closer to the South Pole, it was just a blanket of white. The endless monotony was hypnotizing. I loved just looking at nothing.
Presenter: Where did you rest and eat during your journey?
Mary: I had a solo tent that was just about big enough for me plus two of my bags. I did all my cooking in there. I’d sleep for five hours or so at night and cycle for up to 17 hours.
Presenter: What did you do when you crossed the finish line?
Mary: First, I took a photo at the ceremonial South Pole, a big ball on a post where everyone takes a picture. The actual South Pole is about 150m away. I cycled over to that as well. I was delighted to have become the first person in the world to cycle to the South Pole!