A Memoir: A Visit to Mustang / A Diary Entry

Unit 4 is about writing down your own experiences. Reading I is a memoir by a traveller from Hong Kong, Phoenix Yu, about a winter trip to Mustang. Reading II is a diary entry by Neil, a visitor from the Western world, about a day in a village in Dhading. Both are personal, first-person and mostly in the past tense. The grammar is the difference between the present perfect (I have visited) and the past simple (I visited last year). In writing you describe a memorable event and write your own diary entry.

4.1 Reading I: A Visit to Mustang (memoir)

A memoir is a true account of the writer's own experiences, written in the first person (I, we), usually in the past tense, with personal feelings.

Summary

The writer knew little about Mustang before visiting it in early 2020. She wanted to see a place untouched by tourists, far from busy Hong Kong. Mustang has been open to tourists only since 1992, and foreigners need a special permit to enter Upper Mustang.

Stage	What happened
Pokhara (first night)	She met her tour group. Hotel staff gave her cushions and blankets so that she would not get cold. Pokhara is the starting point of many Himalayan treks.
By jeep with guide Reena	January in the Himalayas is about 0 °C to −15 °C, so few tourists come in winter. She was not lonely, because locals got on and off the jeep.
Tatopani (after 7 hours)	Tatopani means "hot spring": a small, charming natural pool. Reena told her about rustic village life.
Tatopani → Kagbeni	along the Kali Gandaki River: mountains, cliffs, eroded land and canyons.
Muktinath Temple (about 3,710 m)	sacred to both Hindus and Buddhists; colourful flags; panoramic views.
Marpha	a historical village famous for apple trees and unique architecture: flat-roofed houses built close together with narrow alleyways, making a close-knit community. She enjoyed a hot shower after three days.

The five flag colours (as the Buddhists explain in the text): blue = sky, white = air, red = fire, green = water, yellow = earth. Together they represent balance.

The memoir ends: "My time in Mustang was truly unforgettable!"

Vocabulary (Exercise A)

a. architecture b. alleyways c. pilgrims d. charming e. panoramic

Correct order (Exercise B)

f → d → a → b → e → c: she spent a night in Pokhara and met her group; she appreciated the hotel staff; it took seven hours to reach Tatopani; the guide shared her life; they visited Marpha; she took a hot shower.

Comprehension (Exercise C) — model answers

a. Is it easy for non-Nepalis to enter Upper Mustang? Why? No. Foreign tourists need a special travel permit to enter Upper Mustang.

b. Why was the writer given cushions and blankets in Pokhara? So that she would not get cold during the night.

c. Why do only a few tourists visit Nepal in January? Because it is very cold in the Himalayas then, usually between 0 °C and −15 °C.

d. What was the Tatopani spring like? It was a small but charming natural pool of warm water.

e. Where does Kagbeni lie? It lies along the Kali Gandaki River, on the route from Tatopani towards Muktinath.

f. What, according to the Buddhists, are the five elements of life? Sky, air, fire, water and earth (shown by blue, white, red, green and yellow flags).

g. What is Marpha village known for? For its apple trees and its unique architecture of closely built, flat-roofed houses with narrow alleyways.

h. Was the writer happy with her journey in the end? How do you know? Yes. She felt refreshed and warm on the last day and says her time in Mustang was "truly unforgettable".

4.2 Reading II: A Diary Entry

A diary is a private daily record of events and feelings. A diary entry has the day, date (and time), the greeting Dear Diary, the events of the day in order, the writer's feelings, and a reflection; it may end with the name.

Summary of Neil's entry (Saturday, 5 March 2022, 10 p.m.)

• Neil grew up in the Western world and knew nothing of Nepal; when he heard of it, he had to visit. The long-awaited day came in 2022.
• He travelled from Kathmandu to a village in Dhading with his Nepali friend on an old, colourfully decorated bus at 7 a.m. The road was bumpy and winding; he nearly fell off his seat.
• Two boys played Nepali songs on the bus; he gave them fifty rupees because they made him feel close to the Nepali community.
• They walked up a steep hillside to his friend's extended family, who served rice and curry in a traditional kitchen. He played football with the youngest child, ate popcorn and daal, stroked a baby goat and enjoyed the view.
• They left at 3 p.m. The return was tiring; buses were crowded. He slept for ten minutes and bought bread and eggs on the way home.
• He writes every night but is always too tired, so he plans to write during the day. He admires the friendliness and support of Nepali people.

Vocabulary (Exercise A)

a–iii (bumpy: uneven), b–iv (rural: of the countryside), c–i (charming: very pleasant), d–vi (tiring: making you need rest), e–ii (steep: rising quickly), f–v (admirable: deserving respect).

True / False / Not Given (Exercise B)

a. True — he did not know Nepal before, and the "long-awaited day" came in 2022. b. False — he went with his Nepali friend. c. False — the music made him feel close to the community. d. True. e. False — he fell asleep for ten minutes. f. Not given.

Comprehension (Exercise C) — model answers

a. When did the writer visit a village in Dhading? On Saturday, 5 March 2022.

b. Why did he give money to the boys on the bus? Because their Nepali songs made him feel close to the Nepali community.

c. Was the journey to the village comfortable? Why? No. The bus was old and the road was bumpy and winding, so he nearly fell off his seat several times; he also had to walk up a steep hill.

d. Why does he feel he needs to write his diary during the day? Because he is always too tired to write at night.

e. What did the writer like most about Nepal? The friendliness and support of the Nepali people.

4.3 Grammar: Present perfect and past simple

	Present perfect	Past simple
Form	has/have + past participle	verb-ed / 2nd form
Use	past action with a link to now: experience, result, unfinished period	action finished at a known past time
Time words	ever, never, already, yet, just, recently, so far, since, for, this week/today (still going on)	yesterday, last week/year, ago, in 2020, just now, when…?
Example	I have lost my keys. (I still can't find them.)	I lost my keys yesterday.
Question	Have* you brushed* your teeth yet?	Did* you post* the letter last Sunday?

since + point of time (since 2019); for + length of time (for fifteen years).

Textbook answers

Grammar I A: a. has (only) been b. stayed c. continued d. have been symbolised e. felt. (a and d: present perfect; b, c, e: past simple.)

Grammar I B (tenses in the paragraph): Have … had, have had – present perfect; was heading – past continuous; was, occurred, said, felt, started, landed, sighed – past simple; 're having, are heading – present continuous; is (no need) – present simple; keep – imperative; have decided – present perfect.

Grammar I C: a. set b. has already risen c. has eaten d. ate e. have been f. Did you post g. have spent (recently; spent is also accepted) h. ran i. lost j. has lost

Grammar I D: a. played b. have washed c. went d. have finished e. called f. have not visited g. bought h. have forgotten i. haven't eaten j. planted

Grammar II A: a. have never watched b. visited c. have known d. has already written e. went … didn't f. Did … play g. Have … brushed h. hasn't arrived i. have lost

Grammar II B: a. We have known each other since 2019. b. Mohammad bought a house in July last year. c. The Nepali Cricket Team has already won several matches. d. I have never visited a museum. e. Did people grow a lot of rice last year? f. Phurba sang a song just now. g. Did Diana leave for England last week? h. My parents have lived in Stockholm for several years. i. Did it rain a lot last winter?

4.4 Writing I: An account of a memorable event

Answer the three textbook questions in two or three paragraphs: what the event was, when it happened, and what lesson you learnt. Use the past simple for events and the present perfect for how it affects you now.

Model answer — My first stage performance

Last year, on Children's Day, I sang a Nepali folk song on stage for the first time. It happened on 29 Bhadra in our school ground in front of more than five hundred students, teachers and parents.

When my name was announced, my legs were shaking and my mouth was dry. For a moment I forgot the first line. Then I saw my music teacher smiling and nodding at me. I took a deep breath and started again. By the second verse, the audience was clapping along, and when I finished, everyone cheered.

I learnt that fear becomes smaller when we face it. Since that day I have taken part in every school programme, and I have never been so frightened again.

4.5 Writing II: A diary entry

Format: day and date (time) → Dear Diary, → what you did, in order → how you felt → what you would have done differently → a closing thought → your name.

4.6 Speaking, pronunciation and project work

Talking about personal experiences. Use the present perfect for the question, the past simple for details: Have you ever gone on a picnic? — Yes, I have. I went to Godawari last winter. We cooked rice and played games.

Diphthongs. A diphthong is a vowel sound that glides from one vowel to another inside one syllable.

Diphthong	Words from the unit
/aɪ/	behind, island, night, side
/aʊ/	allowance, shower
/ʊə/ (often /ɔː/ today)	tour, ensure, manure

Other English diphthongs: /eɪ/ day, /ɔɪ/ boy, /əʊ/ go, /ɪə/ here, /eə/ hair.

Compound words (Extra bit): open (post office, washing machine), closed (airport, weekend) and hyphenated (check-in, up-to-date, runner-up).

Project work: read each other's diary entries in groups and vote for the best one.

Chapter summary

• A memoir and a diary are first-person, true, mostly past-tense records with feelings; a diary has date, Dear Diary, events, feelings, reflection.
• Mustang memoir: Pokhara → Tatopani (hot spring, 7 hours) → Kagbeni (Kali Gandaki) → Muktinath (Hindu and Buddhist; five-colour flags) → Marpha (apples, flat roofs, alleyways).
• Neil's diary: Dhading village with a Nepali friend; bumpy bus, songs, family lunch; admires Nepali friendliness.
• Present perfect = has/have + pp, linked to now (ever, never, yet, since, for). Past simple = finished time (yesterday, ago, last…).
• since + point of time; for + length of time.

Practice questions

Reading

1. Answer from A Visit to Mustang. [5]aWhere was the writer from?bWho was her guide?cWhich river did they follow to Kagbeni?dWhich colour stands for fire?eWhat luxury did she enjoy in Marpha?
2. Write True or False. [3]aNeil ate lunch in a hotel.bNeil bought chocolate on the way home.cNeil left the village at 3 p.m.

Answers — Reading

1. (a) Hong Kong. (b) Reena. (c) The Kali Gandaki. (d) Red. (e) A hot shower.

2. (a) False — in his friend's family's traditional kitchen. (b) False — he bought bread and eggs (he only wishes he had bought chocolate). (c) True.

Grammar

3. Choose the correct form. [5]aI (have seen / saw) a tiger in Chitwan last year.bShe (has lived / lived) here since 2018.c(Have you ever been / Did you ever go) to Lumbini?dWe (have finished / finished) the work two hours ago.eHe (hasn't come / didn't come) yet.

Answers — Grammar

3. (a) saw (b) has lived (c) Have you ever been (d) finished (e) hasn't come

Writing

4. Write a diary entry about a day you spent with your grandparents. [5]

Answer — Writing

4. Day/date/time, Dear Diary, 2–3 short paragraphs of events in order in the past simple, feelings (I felt…, I was delighted…), one thing you would do differently, a closing thought and your name.