Have you ever been to Vienna? I was lucky enough to get there by chance during my trip to Europe. How can anyone go to Vienna by chance? Any person with a brain would go there deliberately, right? Well, because I didn't have a lot of time, I had to fly to a different place each day. After visiting a friend in Frankfurt, I flew the next morning to Nice to visit my friend Lorraine. Now, when I had organized my flights back at home, I had chosen the cheapest flights possible. My reasoning was, well, I would be by myself, having an adventure, so I could easily put up with a bit of discomfort, or a few extra airports. My flight from Frankfurt to Nice was not direct. I booked it through Expedia.com, which I have used before. There was to be a short change of plane in Vienna, and then the journey would continue. So, Thursday morning came, and my friend, Blanca, dropped me off at the airport. I noticed that it was quite foggy, but I really didn't pay much attention. I got to the gate just when the announcer told us that the flight would be delayed by about one hour. Mmm, I would be in a big hurry to catch my connecting flight. And, as you can guess, when I arrived at Vienna, my connecting flight had already left, and I was put on a later flight, five hours later. It just so happens that there is a bullet train from the airport into the city. So, before you could blink an eye, I found myself in Stephensplatz, the center of Vienna, gazing at the cathedral wide-eyed and open-mouthed. I say open-mouthed because the architecture is stunning. I walked through the maze of cobbled streets and squares taking pictures and video clips. I rushed into a bakery and bought a pastry; well, everyone was walking around eating pastries! I wanted to fit in! It was a beautiful, sunny day, but very cold. So, I had a good excuse to buy myself a scarf. By the time my four hours in Vienna were up, my feet ached because I had walked non-stop. I would have loved to have stayed longer, of course. But, I contented myself on the plane by resting my feet and having a good look at the photos of my day's adventure.
Grammar notes.
Expressions: to put up with, it just so happens, in the blink of an eye, to fit in.
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Our neighbors are very noisy. We have to put up with it; we have no other choice.
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Do you need some nail clippers? It just so happens that I have some in my pocket.
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Someone let the dogs out of the front door, and in the blink of an eye, they had disappeared.
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Teenagers try so hard to fit in at school. They often change their style to look like everyone else.
A double treat for me during my week's vacation, was to visit my dear friend, Lorraine, in Nice. I hadn't seen her for eleven years, which, of course is far too long. But, as you probably know, when you get together with a great friend, even if you haven't seen her for a long time, it is as if you haven't been apart for very long. We stayed up until late, catching up on eachothers' news. Since I had seen her, she had had a little girl, started her own business, and moved several times. We chatted late into the night, and it felt like old times. The next day, although I only had a few hours, she took me out for breakfast. She chose a patisserie that just about blew my socks off. It's display case was so attractive that I asked the owner if I could take a video. Everything was presented so beautifully. And there was just about everything you could imagine, when it comes to baked goods. Believe it or not, I actually didn't have a pastry with my coffee! I know, I know, it was an opportunity that I shouldn't have missed, but I like savory in the morning. So, I had a delicious ham and cheese baguette instead. This time of year in Nice is perfect; it's sunny but not hot, so we sat out and enjoyed the view while we chatted. Afterwards, Lorraine drove along the coastal road, pointing out famous landmarks, and showing me the different areas where she used to live. Nice is so clean and pretty. For someone coming from the cold and dark, it was like a large dose of medicine. We went down to the port, where lots of yachts are moored. She showed me where the Microsoft yacht is. It's massive of course. Lorraine took my photo next to it, just so I can show off and tell people about it. I actually don't know what I would do with a huge yacht like that. It would be a nightmare to clean! I would probably sell it, and with a small portion of the money I'd make, I would fly all of my friends and family to Nice for a two week tour of all the patisseries.
Grammar notes.
Expressions: When it comes to, to show off, to get together.
1. She is a master at arranging flowers. When it comes to decorating entryways, she is the most creative.
2. He is such a show-off! He is always talking about his latest purchases and how much they cost.
3. The reunion was a real success. It was a get together that we will all remember.
Hello everyone. I'm so pleased to be back, podcasting to you again after my week of fun in Europe.
I have lots to tell, as you can imagine. I saw some amazing places on my trip, and had a very meaningful
and inspirational time. So, where should I start? I'm a fairly emotional person, deep down,so I'll start
this podcast by telling you about something that I love to do, and found myself doing right in the middle
of London. It was on Saturday, a lovely sunny but chilly 12th of February, when I had arrived in London
with my husband from Berlin. We immediately went to our hotel in Leicester square, put our luggage in our
room, and met up with my father and his wife. They had come down to see family in London, so it was a perfect
coincidence that I was going to be there. As you might know, central London is very 'walker friendly', meaning that basically it's great to walk around, and you can easily get from one major, famous spot to the next. We walked to Trafalgar square. I snapped away with my camera as we all chatted. There was quite a crowd in the square. Amnesty International had a big, peaceful rally going on, which is similar to a demonstration. There was a lot of music, and different groups representing their causes. The group that caught my eye, however, was a tiny one of only two people. Their signs said 'Free Hugs'. Well, how could I refuse? A free hug, and from perfect strangers, .....what better way to make world peace? So I dove in and gave the two lovely guys a good old hug. In retrospect, I should have asked their names. They might start a hugging revolution, right there in Trafalgar square. Can you imagine, with all the different people from every corner of the world, hugging? That would be absolutely fantastic. Perhaps it would spread throughout London and into the Houses of Parliament...; imagine the changes that could take place there if people started to hug. I'm sure the MPs would make better decisions, and pass better laws. They could start each parliamentary meeting by doing the conga, and having a big hugging session. I think those two fellas giving free hugs in London are a couple of geniuses.
Expressions
To do the Conga, what better way to..., fella/ fellow, a good old ....
1. The Conga is a dance where you line up, holding eachother's waists, and kick your legs to the side as you move forward to the music.
2. 'What better way' is like saying 'There is no better way'. Ex: What better way to relax than in a warm bath.
3. 'Fella' is English for 'guy'. It is the short form of 'fellow', and is similar to 'chap' which is more antiquated. Ex: He's a nice fella, isn't he?
4. 'A good old hug; a good old arm wrestle; a good old pot of stew; a good old roaring fire.' Good old can be added to give a sense of endearment to a thing or an activity. It is also used sarcastically when you mean the opposite of something being good. Ex: Nothing like a good old invasion to mess everything up!
Hello everyone, just a quick note to let you know that there will not be any podcasts this week, as I am going to visit friends and family in Germany, France, and England. I will have lots to tell when I get back.
Take care, Anna.
Before I start today's podcast, I would like to mention a little something about the title of yesterday's podcast. One of my listeners, called Bahareh, asked me to explain the expression Super Duper Slither Scooter. First of all, the scooter is just the thing that you ride. Slither is the brand name of it; you could call it 'The Slither'. Super Duper is a silly phrase that we use to say that something is wonderful. We also use it sarcastically. Most often, super duper indicates that something is brand new, or of good quality, or just quite special. And, of course, the two words rhyme, which makes it a little more playful in speech. "My father bought a super duper car" is less serious or formal than "my father bought an elegant, expensive car". I hope that is clear. Anyway, the sixth grade science experiment found its way into my kitchen. I discovered it sitting on the counter top. There was a strange smell in the air, something unpleasant and sharp smelling. So I looked around, and there it was. It was a glass with an egg floating in white vinegar. Okay, that makes sense. My son, Hudson, has started to learn about the Periodic table, the different elements, the molecules, and how they interact. I remember many years ago doing the same thing in science class. If my dim memory serves me well, the experiment showed how the calcium carbonate of the egg shell dissolves in the vinegar. I think that's right. So, my son is bringing home all sorts of instructions for kitchen experiments. He has to carry them out, and then write down his observations. He loves it. It reminds me of a story my husband told me about when his cousins were young. They made a concoction in the kitchen that ended up blowing up. They were very lucky that they didn't get seriously hurt. They charred the kitchen ceiling, and singed off their eyebrows. Unsupervised kids are a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, Hudsons' eyebrows are safely on his face, and I am keeping a close eye on his experiments.
Grammar notes.
Expressions: to singe, concoction, someone's memory serves them well, to char.
1. The coal fell out of the fireplace and singed the carpet.
2. What kind of concoction is this drink; it's disgusting!
3. I remember that day; my memory serves me well.
4. The walls had been charred black by the fire.
It's time to rock and roll. Glide, wobble, balance, and slither. Let's try something new to get ourselves moving. Did you know that the part of the brain that deals with balance, also deals with focus? Isn't that interesting. An educational specialist told me that the other day. One of my sons is going to see her each week to increase his reading abilities. I am really intrigued to see what she will do, and what the effects will be. I would like to pick her brains. One of the things that she recommends for children who need to control their focus, are balancing exercises. So, another trip to Walmart, and we have a Slither scooter. It's a super duper one. It's actually a combination of two things: a regular scooter, and a rip stick. I won't go into detail about what a rip stick is because it will actually take too long, but I think you get the gist. If you check out one of my previous podcast, 'A Refreshing Park', you will get more of an idea about what a rip stick is. So, we have the box in the kitchen, and my two oldest pounce on it like a couple of cougars. They immediately tear the box open, and start putting the thing together. "Shouldn't you read the instructions?" I ask them. My experience is that males will often put something together, and then later have to take it apart and start all over again, this time reading the instructions. I could be wrong though, ....... I shouldn't generalize, so you men out there, please don't get offended. But of course, mothers are always wrong, right? So, I let them get stuck at one point, and then intervened, pushing the instruction manual under their noses. And guess what happened? They followed the instructions, and put it together correctly! Mmm, am I making my point clearly? Anyway, they all tried the super dooper Slither scooter on our driveway. They described it as "cool", "difficult", "awesome", and "tricky". That means that they like it. I'm going to try it tomorrow to see if it will help me to super duper up my focus.
Grammar notes.
Expressions and vocabulary: to pick someone's brains, the gist, to pounce.
1. He knows so much about history; I should pick his brains about the First World War.
2. The gist of his speech was that the company needs to expand into new territories.
3. If the rabbit doesn't run and hide, the fox will pounce on it.
Entertainment at half-time is a big deal over here. Whenever you go to a college level or professional level sporting event, there is entertainment half way through the game. I saw some interesting half-time performances the other day in Spokane. My family and I had gone with my in-laws to see Whitworth's men's basketball against Lewis and Clark. Three of my husband's second cousins actually play on the Whitworth team, so there was an added incentive to go. At the moment, Whitworth's team is second place in the nation, as far as college level goes. And Lewis and Clark have only been defeated by them. The rivalry was quite intense. I actually have never seen players play so hard. Both teams were really trying to win. Someone made a good point, that at the college level, you often see a better game because the players are so intense. At the professional level, often there is a lot of showmanship, and playing for the crowd. Anyway, half time came, and there were two performances. One was a modern dance troup who performed to rap music. The other was a group of little girls who looked like fairies. They danced in a fairly modern style to a song entitled 'It's all about me'. It was perfect for the age of the girls who were dancing, because, after all, they are really into themselves. It would have been great if my daughter had been there. I'm sure that she would have come home, dressed herself up, and danced to the same song. Mind you, it's a good job that she didn't because we didn't get home until after 1am. Spokane is three hours away from Wenatchee, so all together, its a long trip. And, on top of the distance that we had to drive, there were thick patches of fog on the highway, so getting to the game was an ordeal! But, when there is a good game going on, you have to find a way to get there. And when you do, there is not just a great game, but also some half-time entertainment.
Grammar notes.
Related vocabulary: intense, fairy, ordeal.
1. This chocolate is 90% cocoa; the taste is intense.
2. My daughter said that she thinks there are fairies in our garden.
3. The flight was a real ordeal. First it was delayed by three hours. Then the plane was grounded because of technical difficulties.
