To be used with How I Met Myself Module by Curriculum Development Division. Ministry of Education Malaysia 2011

1. Chapter 1: A Strange Meeting Chapter 2: Getting to Know Me
John Taylor is walking home from his office as usual. It is a cold dark and snowy evening and
there are not many people walking on the narrow streets in the Thirteenth District of John Taylor is a 34-year-old Englishman who is presently working in Budapest as a computer
Budapest at that moment. Suddenly, in a very dark part of one street, John hears the loud programmer. He learns to speak Hungarian from a pretty teacher named Andrea whom he
sound of a door shutting from inside a building and a person running. The street door opens falls in love with and later marries. They live in the Thirteenth District on the Pest side of
abruptly and a man runs into him. John falls down and shouts at the man. The man apologises Budapest. Andrea teaches Hungarian to foreigners in a number of schools and companies as
in Hungarian and then quickly walks away. John finds it strange as the man looks exactly like well as to some students at home.
him.
Exercise : Complete the following descriptions
Exercise :
There are 8 events that occur in chapter 1. Arrange the sequence of events correctly.
He saw a man who looked exactly like him He heard someone running.
He heard a door shutting loudly inside a A man ran straight into him.
building.
Thought about the argument with one of He was walking home from his office.
the Hungarians at work.
Started to snow heavily. He hoped that Andrea would prepare him one
of her nice hot soups.
From the eight events that occur, which one do you think is the most important? Give a
reason for your answer.
EVENT:
REASON:

2. Chapter 3: A Search Chapter 4: FelkaUtca
John Taylor wonders where the man who looks like him has gone. He notices just in time as The next day after work, John goes back to the same place where the strange encounter
the man turns right at the next corner. John runs after him and sees him entering the doorway occurred. The door is number 7 Felkautca. The street is flanked with blocks of flats that had
of a wine cellar under a block of flats. Upon reaching the door, John is confused when he does been built in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. They still display gunshot holes
not see any of the man’s footprints in the snow. He decides to go into the wine cellar to look that were made during the fights in either World War II or the 1956 revolution. However, John
for the man. John asks the barman whether he has seen anyone entering the cellar but there waits in vain and is unable to gather any enlightening information. John then walks along
is no such a person. John then checks the toilet but to no avail. When he gets home, he lies to Felkautca and goes into the bar of the previous night in Gergelyutca. The barman says that he
Andrea about what he has been doing and does not tell her about his strange encounter. does not see anyone who looks like John. That night, John has a strange dream about the man
and that frightens him.
Exercise A: Read the statements below and answer the following questions
Exercise A: Based on Chapter 4, determine whether the statements are true or false
1.
I went out for some coffee with Peter NO STATEMENTS TRUE/FALSE
1. John met Peter to discuss about a difficulty he had on that day.
a. Who was the speaker? 2. John had lunch at a restaurant.
________________________________________________________________ 3. People were telling that John looked ill.
b. To whom were these words spoken? 4. John left the office at six o’clock.
________________________________________________________________ 5.
th th
The blocks of flat were built between 19 and 20 century.
c. Where did this conversation take place? 6. The holes made by the gunshots were visible on the door.
________________________________________________________________ 7. The blocks were 4 storeys high.
d. Who is Peter? 8. The weather was sunny and warm.
________________________________________________________________ 9. Felkautca and Gergelyutca are opposite of one another.
e. Was this statement true? Explain your answer? 10. The owner bought the bar six years ago.
________________________________________________________________ 11. John watched the beginning of the news.
________________________________________________________________
12. The note from Andrea was found on the refrigerator.
2. 13. The door was shutting very slowly inside John’s dream.
He wasn’t someone who looked like me…. It
was me that I saw. 14. John dreamt that the man was running out of the building.
15. John was feeling very afraid.
a. To whom does the word me refer to?
Exercise B: Answer the following question.
_________________________________________________________________
1. What is 7 Felkautca and why is it important?
b. What had happened to the speaker?
__________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________

3. Chapter 5: I Tell Andrea Chapter 6: Talking to the housekeepers
John lingers outside number 7 Felkautca and hangs out in the bar everyday for a week without John has a good night’s sleep after telling Andrea about the man. The next day, they go to
explaining things to Andrea. He is even afraid to go to sleep because of the recurring dreams number 7 Felkautca. They question two housekeepers regarding the man. But the
of his strange encounter. That Friday, when John gets home, he finds Andrea in tears because housekeepers claim that they have never seen such a person. Then, the couple goes for a
she cannot understand what is happening, so he finally tells her everything. Andrea proves to drink in the bar at Gergelyutca. John believes the man whom he has seen is actually himself;
be a very understanding wife and she promises to go with John to help him investigate the he wonders whether that man is someone who is still alive or dead.
mysterious man the next day.
Exercise: Complete the sentences below with correct information
Exercise:Now that you have read Chapter 5, look at the strips in the envelopes. Separate
them according to:
i. John’s thought before the sharing of burden 1. John‟s recurring dreams about _______________ himself had stopped for nearly a
ii. Andrea’s thought before the sharing of burden
iii. John’s and Andrea’s thought after the sharing of burden. week.
2. In this chapter Andrea decided to go to _________________ with John to help him
BEFORE THE SHARING OF BURDEN
speak to some people in the building.
JOHN’S THOUGHT ANDREA’S THOUGHT
3. The first person that they spoke to was an old lady who lived on the
_______________.
4. The old lady had worked there for ________________ years.
5. Inside the building they also talked to a ________ in the fifties who had worked there
for 12 years.
6. When they did not get any useful information, John started to think that he was
_______________ everything.
7. The bar was situated in _________________.
8. The barman welcomed them with a ______________ smile.
9. Out of frustration John said he felt like someone who was ______________.
AFTER THE SHARING OF BURDEN 10. Although Andrea was trying to understand her husband but she said it was very
JOHN’S THOUGHT ANDREA’S THOUGHT _______________.

4. Chapter 7: Doppelganger Chapter 8: A Holiday
John’s recurring dreams seem to have stopped and he does not go to the bar as often. Soon, In August, Andrea stops working for Zsolt to prepare for her delivery. On 16 September, a baby girl
John and Andrea receive good news that Andrea is pregnant. The next day however, Andrea named Kati is born. John is so busy that he forgets about the incident at Felkautca. Then, John and his
loses her biggest teaching job with an international bank. Zsolt, the owner of the wine cellar family travel to England to celebrate Christmas. At the village pub, John meets up with his old friend Paul
Harris, a journalist. He believes in John‟s story about the doppelgänger but warns him to be careful. At
bar offers her a job to give the place a woman’s touch. Andrea’s ideas to give the place a
the end of December, John and his family fly back to Hungary to celebrate their New Year holidays there.
different look helps bring in more customers and women start going to the bar as well.
John starts thinking about his doppelgänger again and Andrea gets angry when John is distracted and
Despite the changes in their lives, John still has not forgotten his encounter and he also finds starts to neglect his family.
out that his double is called a doppelgänger. Exercise: Complete the crossword puzzle below
Exercise A: Answer the questions given below
A. Based on the second paragraph in chapter 7, what do you understand by the ups and
downs of life? What does John mean by this?
B. These are evidence to show the ups and downs in John’s and Andrea’s life. Complete the
diagram below to show those ups and downs. The first one has been done for you.
Ups Downs
Andrea was expecting a baby Andrea lost her job
Across
1.The place where they celebrated their Christmas.
3.The time when Liz left Paul.
6.Not paying much attention to Andrea and Kati
8.How many times have Andrea been to John’s parents’ house?
Exercise B: Answer the following question 9.Another name for Paul’s job.
11.The place they spent their remaining holiday.
1. What is doppelganger? 12.John’s father attended a party organized by his ____________
____________________________________________________________________ Down
____________________________________________________________________ 2.People give these for Christmas.
____________________________________________________________________ 4.Paul obtained information on doppelganger from this source
5.How did they go back to Hungary? They took a _________.
____________________________________________________________________
7.Andrea’s feeling towards John when he became obsessed with doppelganger
____________________________________________________________________ 10.Paul and John went to the same _________ when they are young.
____________________________________________________________________ 13.The journey from Swindon to the __________________ is about an hour.

5. Chapter 10: 18 January
Chapter 9: The Date Gets Closer Again
On 11 January, John wakes up in the morning feeling afraid. He has had the dream again. He That Sunday John and Andrea walk along the streets of the Thirteenth District. At 6.30 p.m.,
checks his diary and realises that the strange meeting had happened on 18 January the year they are standing opposite 7 Felkautca. There is nobody in sight. Suddenly John hears a noise,
before. He decides to go to Felkautca on that same date. Andrea is very upset that John is still then a door is shut. A man runs out and knocks him over. It is the same situation all over
obsessed with the doppelgänger but when John persuades her to accompany him to witness again. John sees his double at the same place exactly a year later. But Andrea does not see his
any incident that might occur, she obliges him. Petra, Andrea’s old friend agrees to babysit double. She just sees John falling over and yelling.
Kati. That night, John has the same dream again and again.
Exercise :
Exercise: Based on chapter 9, answer the following questions The following events are not listed in the correct order. Rearrange the sentences and write
them in the correct sequence
1. Give 2 pieces of evidence to show that John was troubled by his dream.
____ The man has John’s face.
i. _______________________________________________________
____ John and Andrea go for a walk on Margaret Island to pass the time.
ii. _______________________________________________________
Andrea tells John that she sees him falling over by himself and shouting at no
2. How does John keep track of his activities?
____ one.
______________________________________________________________
____ Andrea looks surprised and cannot seem to understand what is happening.
3. What is important about Monday 18 January?
____ They go home in silence and that night, John has the same dream again.
______________________________________________________________
They walk into the streets of the Thirteenth District and wait outside number 7
4. Give 2 reasons why John wants Andrea to go with him to Felkautca
____ Felkautca.
i. _______________________________________________________
____ John notices that the bar is closed and there are no footprints in the snow.
ii. _______________________________________________________
____ John hears a noise and suddenly a man comes running out and bums into John.
5. Who will look after Kati when they go to town?
____ John goes after the man but he has disappeared into the wine bar.
______________________________________________________________
____ The man apologises and goes off quickly
6. What reason do they give her so that she will agree to babysit for them?
______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
7. On what day does John expect to see his doppleganger again?
______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
8. At the beginning of the story, Andrea was patient and understanding about John’s __________________________________________________________________
doppelganger. In Chapter 9 however, she is angry with him. In your own words,
__________________________________________________________________
explain why she is so.
______________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________

6. Chapter 11: A little bit of history Chapter 12: Looking for the truth
The next day, John goes to the Budapest City Library. He wants to find out what happened in John too leaves the flat. He walks round to Gergelyutca. He meets the housekeeper again. He
the Thirteenth District on every 18 January in the past. He reads the old newspaper carefully. asks her if she knows of the Szabo family but she does not. At 7 Felkautca, he asks the
He goes to the library each afternoon. He reads about a young woman and child killed when a housekeeper if there are people who have been living there for a long time. He is told about
bomb hit a cellar. The bomb did not explode but the cellar was destroyed. The woman’s name Mrs. Fisher on the fourth floor. He goes to her flat. She tells him that she has been living there
was Mrs. Szabo. The cellar is now none other than Zsolt’s below-ground café. When John gets since 1937. She remembers the Szabo family. Janos Szabo’s story is a sad one. He used to live
home, Andrea is angry. She asks John where he has been as she had called the office and he there with his wife and small daughter during the war. Then his wife and child died in the
was not there like he said he was. cellar that was destroyed by the bomb. After that, he seemed to lose the will to live and died
while fighting in the streets in 1956. Janos Szabo was a broken man. John finally knows the
Exercise: State whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F) identity of his doppelganger.
1. John applied for leave to look after his sick wife and baby. ____ Exercise :
Imagine you are a newspaper reporter who is reporting the tragedy in Budapest. Fill in the
2. John’s boss gave him leave from work a week or two. ____ newspaper report below with information from Chapter 12.
3. Newspaper from as far back as ten years ago can be obtained from the
Tragic End for Mother and Child
Budapest City Library. ____
by (1) __________________
4. A bomb was set off in the Thirteenth District to celebrate the end of the war
between the Germans and the Russians. ____
Budapest, Mon: A (2) _________________ and her baby were killed in a shocking (3)
5. A bomb went off and killed a mother and her daughter in a Gergelyutca
_________________ - related incident in a cellar in (4) __________ utca on Monday, (5)
building. ____
_________________, 1945.
6. Andrea called John’s office to check on him. ____
The fighting between the (6) ____________ soldiers and the Russians have
7. Although Andrea read the newspaper story that John showed her, she still did
ended but tragedy still hangs in the air for (7) ____________ , husband and father of
not want to help him. ____
the tragic victims. At the time of the unfortunate incident, he was down in the (8)
8. The fighting between the German soldiers and the Russians in Pest ended on
____________, the small outdoor area where children played. He was talking to a few
18 January 1945 ____
(9) ____________ when a man suddenly ran in shouting that something had happened
9. The husband of the victim who was killed in the bomb hit was at work when
in the cellar shop.
the incident occurred. ____
A (10) ____________ bomb had hit the (11) ____________ above the cellar
10. John claimed that his doppelganger ran out of the building in Felkautca and
shop in Gergelyutca. It did not (12) ____________ , but it was heavy enough to (13)
ran around to Gergelyutca. ____
____________ the cellar. Both mother and child were killed instantly.
At the time of this report, Mr. Szabo is still nowhere to be seen. Neighbours
who saw him earlier immediately after the (14) ____________ said that he did not
seem to be the (15) ____________ man. He seems to have (16) ____________
wanting to live. He kept muttering to himself that he wanted to (17) ____________ and
that he had nothing left to (18) ____________ for.

7. Chapter 13: Problems at home Chapter 14: Another year goes by
When John gets home and tells Andrea the story, she is furious. She does not want to listen The year passes quickly. John and Andrea become distant with each other. John’s
any more. They do not talk much after this. John keeps on thinking about the information e preoccupation with his doppelganger has affected the marriage. Andrea plans to go back to
has just received. The man, Janos Szabo, lived at Felkautca. On 18 January 1945, his wife and work and sends Kati to a school for young children. Towards 18 January, John starts to have
child died in the cellar what was bombed. What does it all mean? the strange dreams again. He wakes up frightened. He has a strong feeling that the dream has
something to do with Andrea and Kati and he is very scared.
Exercise:
STATEMENTS FACT/FICTION REASONS Exercise: Read chapter 14 and complete the crossword puzzle below
It’s him I see every January (page 47) Fiction A doppelganger doesn’t exist.
And that you need some help from a
doctor. (page 48)
… all I saw was you falling over and
shouting (page 48)
This man – Janos Szabo – my
doppelganger – was there for a reason
(page 48)
My doppelganger seemed to be
building a wall between us (page 48)
Across
We often spent evenings without 3. John Taylor thinks he sees this entity on 18 January
talking much, or my wife went to bed 5. The type of exercise that Andrea does
early, saying she was tired after a day 6. The name of street where John Taylor stumbles upon his other entity
looking after Kati, and I stayed up 7. John Taylor's daughter
watching old films on the TV until the 10. Szabo's first name
early hours of the morning (page 48)
A man called Janos Szabo had lived at Down
number 7 Felkautca. On 18 January 1. The capital city of Hungary where John Taylor lives and works
1945, his wife and daughter had been 2. The name of street where the bar is located
killed in the cellar shop that was now 4. John Taylor comes from this country
Zsolt’s bar. 6. The type of house that John Taylor and family live
8. John Taylor's wife
9. The owner of the bar

8. Chapter 15: I discover some more facts Chapter 16: It all happens again
One day, John is walking along a street. He sees a sign above an old shop. It says ‘Szabo’ in Every night from then on John has the same frightening dream. He can hear a man shouting,
green lettering. It means ‘tailor’ in English which sounds like ‘Taylor’. This sparks off something and sees Andrea and Kati in his dream. Finally, it is Sunday, 18 January. After work, John gets
in John’s head. ‘Janos’ is the Hungarian name for ‘John’. He then realizes that he and his home and sees a note from Andrea. She has gone to the café with Kati as Zsolt needs her help.
doppelganger share the same name! he goes to see Mrs. Fisher again. She tells him that Janos He immediately senses danger and knows that something terrible is about to happen. He runs
Szabo’s wife and daughter were also named Andrea and Kati. John needs to find out one more to the café. Suddenly, he hears a loud explosion from Gergelyutca. He runs into his
thing. He goes to the Public Records Office. There he finds out that Janos Szabo has the same doppelganger on the way to the café.
birth date as his. By now, he is sure that his doppelganger is trying to tell him something. He
decides to wait and see if he can meet his doppelganger again on 18 January. Exercise: Respond to the prompts given and elaborate.
Exercise: The excerpts below are taken from Chapter 15. Each excerpt has one error. My reading log
Underline the errors and give the correct answers. The first one has been done for you.
Page 54
No. DIALOGUES CORRECTION Prompt 1: What is your worst nightmare?
1. Janos the tailor. John the tailor. John Tailor.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Do you remember I came to ask you about Janos Szabo, ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mrs. Fisher?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. ‘I was asking myself if I should go to meet my ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
doppelganger, Janos Szabo for the second time on 18
January. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. ‘And do you know something – you look so like her, too.’
Page 55
Prompt 2: What would you do if you suddenly hear a very loud noise like a bomb?
5. ‘The next week, I went to the Public Library office in my
lunch break.’ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. You look very much the same. The ears, the nose, the ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
mouth’ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. This is the office where they keep information about
everyone who lives in Budapest before.’ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8. Can you remember the names of the wife and daughter
Page 56
who were killed in the storeroom?
Prompt 3: What do you think will happen to Andrea and Kati in the next chapter?
9. ‘ I remembered the man in my new dream last night, in the
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
exploded cellar, looking for something.’
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
10. ‘There was the owner’s name in red, and below it the word
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zsolt in green’.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. Chapter 17: We must get them out! Chapter 18: Unexpected help
The street is full of smoke. There is a strong smell of gas. A crowd is standing outside the café. John is walking along Gergelyutca very slowly, lost in his thoughts. Suddenly he bumps into
John shouts that his wife and child are inside. He then asks the crowd to help him get them somebody. It is his doppelganger. His doppelganger lifts his arms and points to two figures
out. As they are picking up stones from the rubble, he hears the noise of police cars. A nearby. They are Andrea and Kati. They run to each other. Andrea tells John that his
policeman asks him to come out of the building. He is told by the fireman that it is too doppelganger has saved hers and Kati’s life. She was about to enter the café when she saw his
dangerous for him to go in. Later, John pushes his way through the crowd. He tells the police doppelganger standing there. At first, she thought he was John but then realized that he
about his wife and child. He regrets not telling Andrea everything about Janos Szabo. He is looked slightly different. She knew then that it was the doppelganger. He was pointing down
certain that his wife and child have died in the explosion. the street. He wanted them to go away. So Andrea left with Kati. When she was home, she
heard the explosion. So she came out to see what happened. She was afraid that John was at
Exercise: Rearrange the following statements in the correct sequences as in the text. the café. John says that it is a strange story. They walk home together.
 He gets out of the van feeling terrible Exercise: Answer the following questions.
 The policeman suggests that he goes home
 The people stop helping him when they hear sirens 1. After the explosion at Zsolt’s bar, John feels as if he wants to die because he thinks his
wife and daughter have perished in the blast. Then he meets the doppelganger who
 Strong hands pull him out into the street
points his finger. What do you think the doppelganger is trying to tell John?
 He walks on glass from all the broken windows
 He gives orders to everyone to form a line ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 He is questioned by a policeman
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 He coughs a lot so a nurse gives him something to help breathe
No. Event 2. When Andrea is about to go down the bar, she thinks she sees John standing in front of
the entrance. He doesn’t say anything but when Andrea tires to go down, he does not
1. get out of her way.
In your opinion, what is he trying to convey to Andrea?
2. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.
3. Kati cries and shakes her head. “Not Daddy,” she said. “Not Daddy.”
4. What could make her cry?
5. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6.
4. When Andrea realizes that it is the doppelganger, and looks at him again, he is pointing
7. down the street.
What do you think he is indicating to Andrea?
8. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

10. CHAPTER 5
I have a bad dream
I wake up feeling afraid
I am always tired in the morning
I am not being nice to my partner
I feel worse for my partner because I do not tell the
truth
I cannot think about the important things
I do not feel good so I start to drink more
I am afraid to go home
I cannot understand why he has to go to Gergelyutca
bar every night
I better go to bad earlier so I do not have to see him
I will confront him after he comes back
How could he hurt me like this
He has changed completely
I love this woman so much
I feel so terrible for hurting her this way
I want to help him
Thank God! He is not involved with another woman
I will go to Felkautca with him on Saturday
This must be very serious because it makes him cry!
I must get all the information from him