Talking About Your Likes & Dislikes - C2

Good afternoon, everyone. I'm Ali — a twenty-six-year-old primary school teacher who grew up in London and has lived in Manchester for the past two years. I really like quiet mornings before the school day starts, and, perhaps less obviously, I enjoy cooking new recipes even when they go wrong. Beyond the immediately apparent, I dislike rushing, especially when marking homework. At the same time, I can't stand loud open-plan offices, one reason I like teaching, if only because the alternative rarely serves anyone well. What I find myself returning to, more than anything else, is that I love long train journeys because they give me time to think. If nothing else, I hope this makes clear that what defines me is less any isolated fact than how likes and dislikes usually come down to needing a certain kind of pace.