Mar 6, 2014
It
has been some time since we had an episode of A Tour of Homes, so
today we will take a close look at the dining room. It, like the
kitchen and lounge, is a focal point of family life. A lot of good
things happen here, and it is a place where we celebrate special
occasions. This room centers around a table and chairs. Here in
Western society, there are often more than four chairs around a
table. When there is a special occasion, often friends and family
come to celebrate, so more chairs are needed. The table is 'laid'
(what we say in England), or 'set' (which is what we say in the
U.S.) To do this, we need cutlery, crockery, glasses, sometimes a
table cloth or a 'runner' which is a much skinnier version of a
table cloth, and a salt and pepper shaker, and perhaps some
candles. Don't forget serviettes, or napkins as they call them here
in the U.S. For special times, the table can be decorated with
candles, flowers, or some craft type arrangement. Here in the North
West, it is very popular to mix candles in some pretty arrangement
for the table, especially during the Winter. I have seen some
center pieces that are a mix of flowers, pebbles, plastic fruit,
and candles. But it's up to the imagination of the owner. Anything
goes. Other furniture in the room includes dressers to store
crockery and cutlery, wine glasses, and wine bottles. Often a
dining room is decorated with art work of different forms, pretty
curtains, perhaps a rug, and often a chandelier or other light
fixture that has more than the average amount of detail. We use our
dining room for family meals often during the week, even though
sometimes we will eat at different times depending on our
schedules. The special occasions are: Christmas, Thanksgiving, and
Birthdays. These are the times that I really dress the place up,
get out the nice plates and glasses, and make the effort of ironing
a table cloth. Even though the way of life in the U.S. is crazy
busy, the dining room still can be a place of togetherness and
relaxation.
Grammar
notes.
Dining room vocabulary: cutlery,
crockery, runner, center piece.
1. We like to get out the decent cutlery when we have
people over to dinner.
2. We store the nice crockery in the dresser in the
dining room to keep it safe and on display.
3. My mother bought me a lovely Indian table runner the
other day which goes perfectly with the art in the dining
room.
4. At Thanksgiving, we usually have a center piece that
has Autumn flowers and fruit of the season.
Could you rate my podcast? Follow the link. Thanks.
Click here to buy or rate my app
