california florida, illinois. and new york. and by the united states departme oeducation... and the united states immigration and naturalization serce.

- can i put up this banner now ? - yes, but hurry. they'll be here any minute. henry, what are u doing tohat floor ? mr. brashov said before he lt the airpt that he wants this place to shine. you'd think the queen of england was coming if that's all this fuss was about, you wouldt be working this hard. he'll probably be hung. i should warm up some soup. so, je who you think ? i think he'll know he's come to the right pce.

ctor it is like a palace ! - a ve cle palace. - this is crossroads cafe. and the are my very good friends make it at it is. yes, yes recognize alof you. from the pictures victor sent me katarina. rosa. jal. and henry. - and jess - jess must've r o of film. jess whington. meet crossroads cafe's best customer. w do you do ? in fact, he is here so much, we are thinking of putting him on the payroll. now that's aob i'd come out of retement for. my friends this is my brother and new business partner nicolae brasho - hello, mr. brashov - oh, please, please call me nicolae. - nicolae. - that way you can tell e younger brashov...

from the older brashov. you must be starving after your flight. how about a bowl of rosa's famous vegetable soup ? that sounds wonderl. everything here is just the way you said it would be. of course it is. i would never li to my new partner. maybe i shld be only a half partneuntil i know more about the busiss. nonsense. you have hamore experience than i have ha - nicolae is the manager-- - s the manager. was the manager of a large hotel rest on the black sea coast i was wondering why his english was so goo - maybe he should give lessons to rosa. - i hearthat. all ght, everyone. step aside. it is time for nicolae to have hifirst taste of crossroads cafe. here you are.

well ? it's wonderful ! thank you. thank you for everhing. vior. [ speaking romanian ] nicolae, please. my romanian is not what it used to be. how can you forget your own language ? with e gone, i have no e to talk to. you should have ought me over before you beca samerican. ohbless you. i must be coming down th something do you remember what mama used to do when we were sick ? of cours she would make a bowl of the bt stew. - chorba. - chor that reminds me. i have aurprise for you. surprise ? yeah. these are more recipes fm home now we can give these americans real taste of romania.

yes, perhaps. oh, i'm sorry, victor. it was a stupid idea no, not at a. it's just that things are a little diffent here. and once you get used to the cafe it will all make sense. of cours i want tlearn everything about what you've done. let me show u the bookkeeping system i have been using. that can wait, victo you should get some re. maybe you are right. you have had a long day. my first day in amera. let's go home. ay.

that'sreat i ner would ha thghof that. perfect that would make it just uer $3,000. now we can buy the supplies before the end of the month and save 20 percent. - eckmate ! - well, victor, i think wean safely say... that nicolae has learned everything about crossroads cafe. bless you. he har ! maybe you could let me make a delivery sometime. have you lost your mind ? in case you haven't noticed, you are not a boy anymore. we useto ride bicycles all time why

stop now ? i cat agine mrbrashov riding a bicle. perhaps you would be surprised to know that i was the one who taught nicolae how to ride. - no way ! - it itrue. victor used to catch meve time... it looked like i might fall. you see ? i still have a scar on my knee from the time you didn't catch me. you know, victor we should take a ride together somtime. my bycle riding days are over. besides, who has time for such things ? oh ! your life cannot always be work, wowork. right, jess ? i keep telling victor toake a break from this place for a few days. when crossroads cafe takes a eak, will take a break. right this way. - od morning. - finally. we we artingo woy. - where's vict ? - he took your advice and he is taking a break from the cafe. don't tell me he's finally taking a vacation. no. he is sick bed withhe flu.

we st came back from the doctor. this is the week he has all those appointments. - nicolae, do you think we should cancel the? - of course not. i am vtor's partner. i want him to ow he can rely on me to manage the cafe. hi, katherine. mr. brashov here ? you' looking at him. very fny. - charlie, i'd like you to meet... mr. brasv's brother and partner, nicolae brashov. no kidding ? i didn't even know he had family around he. actually, am a cent arrival. well, i guess you better take a look at this supply list for the next couple of weeks. does ts look okay to you ? i'm sure it is fine. it's just the typical things mr. brashov ways orders. you can sign at thbottom. excuse me, but is it too late toake a fechanges ? , go ahead. od. [ nicolae ] yes, vtor, everything is fine. you just get well. no. don't worry about a thi.

no. everything is fine. victor, you've been away ss than a week. how much damage couli possibly do ? all right, victor. oh, that's wonderful ! of course. everyone misses you. yes, victo good-bye so, how's the patient doing ? patient harecovered. hes planning on coming in tomorrow - oh, that's wondeul ! - yes, i better make sur everything is all set. when people get together th often talk about what's happened since they last met.

that is the focus of this episode: sharing past experiences.

and we have finished "word play" for this episode. let's get back to the story. i can't it for victor to see this. do you think he will surprised ? oh, he'll be surprised all right. well, i hope it will make him el cser toome. maestro. maestro. [ speaking romanian ] hey, victor, welcome back ! well, isn't this wondeul ? make them stop ! t, victor, i don't derstand stop the music ! this ia staurant. not a cheap romanian cabar

are you all right, mr. brashov ? i don't understand ! i am gone less thaa week d look what hahappened to my restnt. - i thought we we paners. - i better be going. well, don'you all have work to do ? yes, mr. brashov. i told you he'd be surprised. victor, i was trying to make it me like home. i thought it would please you. my home is here... in this country !

livi here doesn't mean destroying who you are ! i am the same person i always was ! no, you' not. you arashamed of whe you come from. you are ashamed of our customs of our language. you are ashamed of me. i will not talk about this anymore ! i don't knhat has happed to you, victor. but it breaks my heart. it breaks my heart ! i don't want it to happen to me.

my candy candy ! that's him ! right there ! where'd you get that box cdy ? let me see some ideation. any change ? you got y change ?

[ naator ] the experience moving to a new country can be very exciting. at least at first. t of things were going o i remember getng off the plane... and llboards everywhere d traffiand a lot of horns honking. and one thing happened to me is iooked around me, i saw everybody speeding around. i actuallytopped a perso and said, "excuse me, where is everybody ing ?"

i was blown away whei first got here. i thought i was abt, you kw, a hundreyears into the future. there was a lot cultural shock. just h big life is in the united states. [ naator ] when thexcitement of the journey begins to fade, newcomers may find thescuural diffences disturbing. separated fromhe homeland, from thawhich famiar, they feel homesick. it's great tlearn about othecountries and live in other countries, t to severe your ties with one country and move on to ather.. definitely it's culture shock and it's not fun. it's not fun. the people here seem to be so much more tied up in themselves. and ck home, you know, people are re prered to give you their time. you can co so loly and i ha kwn of pele who have even contemplat icide because...

they we in suaon where theyoun't en now and buy eir way ck home. [ naator ] as newcome begin to learn more about the customs and traditions... of their adoptedand and thlauage skills imove, th often begino feel moomfortable. set my mind to be here. and, younow, i just made an efft to adjust to life. en mosof. thneti feeling i haitially, i veow outgrow and accepted the fact at i am ia melting pot he and i'beer be part of it toe happy.

well, that's that. - aryou all ght ? - yes, i'm fine. noam not fine. is t anything we can do ? there isn't anythi anyone can in another 12 hours, nicolae will be back in rania. he wldn't even let mwait until the plane took off. heaid he need be alon maybe it's for the best. how can that be possible ? this ithe united states of ameca this could have be his ho. mr. brashov, i've been here for five years and it never feels like me. - but i thought you were happy here ? - mostf the time i am happy. but sometimes it hurts so much to be away fm my family... and my friends a my langua. anges not for everyone. perhaps not.

wh's in the bag, . brashov ? somethg colae wanted me to have. well, aren't you going to open it ? here, you open it. it's beautiful ! he said was something to remember him - hi. - m sorry, we're closed. is there a nicholas bshov here ? you mean nicolae brashov ? - is that you ? - no, i amictobrashov. nicolae is my brothe looki founthis or at the shopping mall. there was a ecof paper iit th this address ont, so i figured i'dake a chan. anyou. you are ry kind. i hope you will come back he for lunch y guest.

all right,'ll do tt. thanks. thank you. good-bye so long. poor nicolae tug it wasn. money, credit cards. pictures may i look ? look athem tre. he scute. this must be m brashov. who are these childr ? colae d when we were boys growing up. - is that him sitting on t bicycle ? - yes. and i am holding the handlers. it loo like he's going to fall off has flight 1745 le yet oh, good coulyou page sebody for me pleas? nicolae brashov.

maybwehould finish cleaning up the back. i finished already back there. well, let'finish again it's an excellent idea. hello, nicolae. , everything is l right. someone has even found your wallet. yes, we were all surprised. know you need to go. i just called to say... i want to visit you soon. and if you can find a very strong bicycle, peap.. we could go for a ride together. like the old days. except, this time... you have to promise to catch m i love you, nicu.

closed-captioned by captio, inc. los angeles crossroads cafe is a series that teaches english... to speakers of other languages. for more information call toll-ee:

funding for this program was provided by... hendrick: communication skills are so important to a growing child. teacher: yeah. can you say hi in hungarian? oh, you're gonna say hi wave your hand hi. hendrick: there's more and more evidence suggesting that having a good command of language goes hand-in-hand with the ability to imagine and to think up new ideas. teacher: what do you think would happen if you had pigs in your room? girl: i would kick them out. you would kick them out?