Paul: Hi, Betty. How are things?
Betty: Oh, hi, Paul. It's good to see you. I'm OK. What about you?
Paul: Well, I guess I'm fine. Are you up to anything interesting?
Betty: Not much. I'm going to the mall. I need to buy a present for my little brother. It's his birthday next week. He's going to be six years old already. It's unbelievable!
Paul: Yes, time flies. What do you want to buy as a present for him? It must be something special. Does he have any Lego? Boys love such toys.
Betty: He's got several Lego sets already. He loves the Lego City series.nI don't think a new Lego set will be a very memorable present, though. Our granny gives him a Lego set every time she comes to visit which is not very often, of course, as she lives in Scotland. But still….
Paul: I see what you mean. Well, why don't you ask him what he wants for his birthday?
Betty: I've asked him. He wants a smartphone.
Paul: That's an expensive present for a boy of his age.
Betty: I don't know. You can buy a simple smartphone at about the same price as a good Lego set these days. Anyway, I have enough money to buy him a phone, as I've been saving money for quite a while. You know, I babysit two evenings a week.
Paul: Well, if you can afford it, why not?
Betty: It's because I think he's too young for a smartphone. He'll play mobile games all day long and spoil his eyesight. It's not safe for children to use their mobiles a lot.
Paul: You're right, I haven't thought about it. Besides, he can easily lose it while playing outdoors. However, your mum may feel much better knowing that she can phone him any time.
Betty: Exactly. If he goes to play with his friends to their places, it's much more convenient for my mum to call him on his mobile.
Paul: Do his friends have mobile phones? You see, if they do, it's going to be very difficult to talk him out of getting a mobile. A monkey sees it, a monkey wants it!
Betty: Yes, most of his friends have mobile phones already. I guess I will just buy it. We'll see what will happen. Paul, why don't you go to the mall with me? Are you free now?
Paul: Yes, I am. In fact, I need to do some shopping too. Why don't we have a coffee and a cake in one of the cafes in the mall afterwards? We can catch up with each other's news.
Betty: So, what are we waiting for? Let's go!