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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack explain the meanings of several expressions which use the word "dead."

Dead on: This phrase means exactly accurate or precise. For example:

"You were dead on with your prediction about the outcome of the game."

"Her aim was dead on, hitting the target every time."

Dead to rights: This expression refers to being caught red-handed or being unmistakably guilty of something. For example:

"The thief was caught dead to rights with the stolen goods in his possession."

"She was caught cheating on the exam, caught dead to rights by the teacher."

Dead as a doornail: This phrase is used to emphasize that something is completely lifeless or inactive. For example:

"After the accident, the engine was dead as a doornail."

"The party was so dull, it felt dead as a doornail within minutes."

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack share their teenage celebrity crushes!

Transcript:

00:00:01

Jack

Welcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm here with my co-host social. And today we are doing a topic talk and we're talking about celebrity crushes that you had when you were a kid. OK and social, just for our audiences understanding what is a crush.

00:00:22

Jack

Again, if you have a crush on someone.

00:00:25

Xochitl

A crush is like when you really, really like someone. Kind of like an intense infatuation.

00:00:31

Xochitl

But it's not really based on anything real like like a real connection with that person. It's a lot of what you project on that person, and it's usually based on, like either appearance or small like personality traits that you've acquired through seeing them act or whatever, that you kind of imagined for this person.

00:00:44

발표자

Right.

00:00:50

Jack

And so you you.

00:00:51

Jack

You know, often like, like high school kids will. You'll have a crush on a girl in your class or a guy in your class, but you don't really know that person. You just. But. But it's like, almost like an intense feeling of love. Like it's not real.

00:00:59

발표자

MHM.

00:01:04

Jack

Love. But it's just like it feels like you're you're your chest is being crushed because you're you're so you. Your feelings are so strong for this person. Like they're perfect, you know? Ohh the perfect person. But really in reality you don't know them at all. And they could be awful, you know, so.

00:01:24

발표자

Great.

00:01:25

Jack

Yeah, that's. So we have a thing called celebrity crushes because there's, you know, we're we're surrounded by celebrities all the.

00:01:32

Jack

Time and sometimes we will develop. You know that feeling of like, again, that crush feeling. It's like it's not love or it's not real love, but it's like attraction to a person who you feel like is your soul mate your perfect person, you know.

00:01:47

발표자

Right.

00:01:52

Jack

Like Ohh that's that's my ideal, you know person.

00:01:57

Jack

And so when you were like young, when you're a kid who were your celebrity crushes, like who, who were you, who did you crush on when you were?

00:02:10

Xochitl

Oh boy.

00:02:12

Xochitl

My biggest one was Justin.

00:02:16

Xochitl

Sure.

00:02:17

Jack

Ohh, I was gonna say Justin Timberlake.

00:02:20

Xochitl

No, I I he was too old, I think for my. Yeah, cause. Yeah, Justin Bieber was like my he was a couple years older, like few years. He's a few years older than me, I think. Yeah. And so he was a big celebrity crush of mine when I was probably like, 14 or 30 when I was 13, he was like.

00:02:22

Jack

Yeah, he's like a grandfather.

00:02:39

Xochitl

16 probably and uh.

00:02:41

Jack

Can I ask you a question? So did you have Bieber fever?

00:02:42

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:02:46

Xochitl

God. Yeah, I did. Uh, I thought it was too good to have Beaver fever, but I wasn't. And I didn't like him at the same time that every, like everyone else, already liked him. And I was, like, holding out. And then I saw this interview where he was really nice to this little girl, and it was like I thought it was so cute.

00:03:04

Xochitl

UM.

00:03:06

Jack

And that was before all the facial tattoos and the like neck tattoos.

00:03:09

Xochitl

Yeah, it was. We went kind of crazy and, you know, had a meltdown because he was like he was transitioning from child star to adult star. And I thought he was just so cute. And I had, like, a people bought me, like gifts for my birthday. Like, they bought me both of his.

00:03:12

Jack

Yeah.

00:03:18

발표자

Yeah, yeah.

00:03:27

Xochitl

Like CD's that he had at the time, a lunch box with his face on it.

00:03:32

Xochitl

And I had a huge poster that my sister bought me on my bedroom wall.

00:03:37

Jack

Nice.

00:03:39

Xochitl

And so that was a big that was like one of my first big celebrity crushes. Jack, you go with one of yours and we'll just go back and forth here. How about?

00:03:49

Jack

OK, again, my OK, I'm 47 years old, so you have to understand these all that my celebrity crushes all come from like the late 80s to early 90s. OK, when I was like 12 or 13 years old because I was born in 1977, so.

00:04:07

Jack

Uh, my. My first uh, I don't know. I'm trying to think of, like, my celebrity crush.

00:04:15

Jack

I think maybe one of the one of my first ones was the actress Elizabeth Shue.

00:04:22

Jack

UM, and you probably don't know who she is, right? Elizabeth Shue was in a movie called The Karate Kid.

00:04:23

Xochitl

I.

00:04:30

Jack

And.

00:04:31

Xochitl

Oh my God. She was Daniel's girlfriend.

00:04:33

Jack

Daniel's girlfriend. Yes, yes, I thought she was so.

00:04:35

Xochitl

I do know cause I saw that my mom made me watch. My mom's a Gen. Xer and she made us watch the karate.

00:04:40

Xochitl

Kid, when we were kids, which I liked a lot, so yeah.

00:04:41

Jack

Yeah, it's a classic. You gotta watch it. The Karate Kid is, uh, yeah, it's a classic movie. And Elizabeth Shue was the love interest in there. She had a Daniel had a crush on her. They she had an ex-boyfriend who was a bully.

00:04:57

Jack

And, UM, yeah, it was. Uh, she she was, you know, absolutely, you know, the epitome of, like, the perfect high school girlfriend, you know, bubbly, charming, cute, you know.

00:05:12

Xochitl

You're all next door style.

00:05:14

Jack

Girl next door. Yeah, she was. She was very. She was kind, you know, she wasn't stuck up. She. Yeah. Yeah, so.

00:05:22

Jack

Elizabeth Shue was was one of my first celebrity crushes.

00:05:26

Xochitl

Have you seen a Cobra Kai?

00:05:28

Jack

Yeah, I've watched that. I saw a couple of seasons of that show. I enjoyed it.

00:05:33

Xochitl

You much more because she shows back up.

00:05:35

Xochitl

At some point.

00:05:36

Jack

Yeah, she did show up in that one. Yeah. And that, you know, now she's 50, you know, something years old, 55 years old or whatever, but.

00:05:47

Jack

Yeah. So you know, that was one of my celebrity crushes. I'm sure I'm, it's me and about a million other Gen. X, you know, men my age, maybe 10s of millions who would put her on the list. Yeah. Yeah.

00:06:04

Jack

What's your #2?

00:06:04

Xochitl

Right.

00:06:06

Xochitl

My #2 High School Musical when everyone was crushing on Zac Efron, I was crushing on Corbin Bleu.

00:06:14

Jack

Corporate blue. Who's that? Which one is that?

00:06:16

Xochitl

That's his friend. Uh, I don't know, cause I only watched High School Musical one time, but.

00:06:23

Xochitl

He's like I'm trying to find a picture of him to show you guys here.

00:06:27

Xochitl

He was this guy.

00:06:29

Jack

But Corbin Bleu is his real name. Or is that his the name of OK?

00:06:32

Xochitl

Yeah, that's his real name. This is Corbin book. Can you see him here? There you go.

00:06:36

Jack

Ohh yeah, yeah, yeah. OK. He's got like kind of.

00:06:38

Jack

Yeah.

00:06:39

Jack

Big hair, yeah.

00:06:40

Xochitl

Curly hair and yeah, he was my I had he. I thought he was really cute and I did not understand the hype over Zach Efron. I felt like Zac Efron's eyes didn't match the rest of his face and he was orange looking and sorry that got Bron.

00:06:55

Xochitl

Those were like my observations, and I thought Corbin Blue was just the cutest, so that was.

00:07:01

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:07:02

Jack

OK. OK, interesting. Alright. Alright, I'm.

00:07:05

Xochitl

I almost always like never was like a huge fan of the main character. I always liked the second guy like in Harry Potter.

00:07:13

Jack

You like the goof like goofy best friend. You know guy? Yeah.

00:07:16

Xochitl

Yeah, like in Harry Potter. I always liked Ron Weasley over Harry.

00:07:20

Jack

Ohh OK yeah, yeah.

00:07:21

Xochitl

It's like that was just my thing. I.

00:07:23

Xochitl

Don't know why.

00:07:24

Jack

No.

00:07:25

Jack

Well, Harry short, you know, in real life he's a pretty short guy.

00:07:28

Xochitl

Isn't Rupert Grint also short, though?

00:07:31

Jack

Probably, yeah. These might be taller than Harry though, yeah?

00:07:32

Xochitl

Yeah, I think he's too. I just thought he was cuter than he.

00:07:35

Jack

They're all tiny little yeah.

00:07:38

Xochitl

They're all short people, yeah.

00:07:39

Jack

Yeah, yeah.

00:07:42

Jack

UM alright, my my second one is I used to watch this show again when I was like, you know, 12 or 13 called saved by the bell. It was a sitcom.

00:07:57

Jack

And but it was like a. It was like a a kids sitcom. It was different. It would. It was on Saturday mornings instead of like, you know, Thursday evening saved by the bell. And it was it took place in the high school, and there was a again, this is like a a side character.

00:08:09

발표자

Hmm.

00:08:16

Jack

UM named Lisa Turtle was her name, but her real name is Lark Voorhees, the actress and I had a a huge crush on on her and she was like.

00:08:31

Jack

The character. Do you have you ever heard?

00:08:33

Jack

Of the character Screech.

00:08:35

Jack

Screech the the nerd? No. OK, but you have no idea what I'm talking about right now. OK, so it doesn't matter. No, none of our students know what I'm talking about. Saved by the bell. Uh, Lisa, turtle. And that's her. Her real name is Lark Voorhees, the actress. And so I had a huge.

00:08:40

Xochitl

No, I'm 25.

00:08:54

Jack

Crush on her.

00:08:55

Jack

Yeah.

00:08:55

Xochitl

Lark is a cool name for a woman. It's a real name Mark.

00:08:57

Jack

That is a cool name, I know.

00:09:00

Jack

Maybe the only way it would be cooler is to do like skylark.

00:09:05

Jack

That's is that cooler?

00:09:06

Xochitl

I've seen Skyler as a name, but I like lark better. I think. I think that's cooler. Like lark George.

00:09:11

Jack

What about skylark?

00:09:15

Xochitl

I think it's like trying too hard. I think Laura Voorhees sounds like you're like a cool like in a punk rock band or so, you know, like a drunk band. You know what I mean? I like it. Yeah. Alright. My third one was when I was like a little bit older. So it's like, so I'm a little embarrassed, but I think I was like 18 or 19. So I was still a.

00:09:20

Jack

Yeah. Yeah, OK. OK. OK, yeah, that's good.

00:09:25

발표자

Like.

00:09:32

Xochitl

Teenager so in Guk.

00:09:36

Jack

Ohh.

00:09:37

Xochitl

The Korean uh actor and singer.

00:09:42

Xochitl

And I saw him in a music video by K will called. Please don't. And he was really cute. Like I just thought, Oh my God, he's so cute. And I started, like, looking up what other stuff he was in besides his music video. And he was in some K drama.

00:09:57

Xochitl

And.

00:09:58

Xochitl

But he had his own music and stuff, and so I would like, listen to his music videos. He has a really nice voice.

00:10:04

Jack

Is that why you came to Korea? Because you got into, like population.

00:10:06

Xochitl

No, no, no, no, no, no, I was not. No, that's so embarrassing. No, I wasn't a huge K pop person. I like solo artists like like IU selling the.

00:10:08

Jack

You didn't come to meet him in person.

00:10:20

Jack

Or rain something like that. B yeah.

00:10:23

Xochitl

I don't really know rain or be that might have been like a little before my, but sawing OK will IU. I was a huge fan of them.

00:10:33

Xochitl

And the whole reason I really got into Korea was actually a YouTuber called Tonon Mukadam. I was looking up how.

00:10:39

Xochitl

To.

00:10:40

Xochitl

Teach abroad in uh. Just teaching abroad in general, I think, and her channel came up about teaching abroad in Korea. And then like the benefits are so.

00:10:50

Xochitl

Much.

00:10:51

Xochitl

Better and easier, I feel like than a lot of other English.

00:10:54

Xochitl

Yes, all countries. So that's how I.

00:10:55

Jack

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:10:58

Xochitl

Yeah, but selling Google was a huge celebrity crush of mine. So what's your last one, Jack?

00:11:03

Jack

OK, OK.

00:11:05

Jack

My last one is, uh, the singer. This one was she was very popular when I was in high school, maybe.

00:11:13

Jack

10th grade or 9th grade or something? Uh. Jewel.

00:11:18

Jack

Do you know jewel?

00:11:19

Xochitl

No.

00:11:20

Jack

You've never heard of.

00:11:22

Xochitl

I've never heard of her. I really have never heard of.

00:11:24

Jack

Her. So I'm so old. All right, Jewel, is she? She she's a guitarist, singer-songwriter. She her first single. Who will save your soul.

00:11:41

Jack

Is, you know, has probably 20 million downloads on on uh, YouTube.

00:11:48

Jack

She's just a very, very talented singer and I think it's just her beauty and her talent was, you know, just, you know, I've had a crush on her because I think there's something about that combination of like.

00:12:08

Jack

Umm.

00:12:09

Jack

Attractive beauty and also talent and ability to sing and write music. It was to me like, you know, he's perfect, you know, like Oh my goodness. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It wasn't just about physical, you know, appearance. It was like ohh man. You know she's smart.

00:12:18

Xochitl

Like, Oh my gosh, yeah.

00:12:20

Xochitl

Right, like a triple Emmys thing.

00:12:29

Jack

Beautiful. And she can write music and sing and perform and has a great voice.

00:12:33

Jack

So you know, I mean, I'm sure that like lots of my parents, generations had crushes on like Joni Mitchell or, you know, Emmy Lou Harris or other, you know, you know Diana Ross or whatever. But yeah, for my generation, it was jewel and.

00:12:45

발표자

Hmm.

00:12:54

Jack

You you have no idea what I'm talking about.

00:12:56

Xochitl

I'm going to have to look up after this, I'll send you send me like a YouTube.

00:12:58

Jack

Yes.

00:13:00

Xochitl

Tube of one of her songs of dual songs.

00:13:03

Jack

You should go down to jewel. You should go down to jewel rabbit hole. You might actually like her cause you're you're like the singer guitar player guitar writer. You know, singer-songwriter yourself. Yeah, you would. Yeah.

00:13:06

Xochitl

I will. I will.

00:13:10

Xochitl

Yeah, I think it's probably like, yeah. And I'll send you like a song, good song, and then we can trade, yeah.

00:13:19

Jack

OK. Yeah. Then we'll compare notes next week. Yeah, OK.

00:13:22

Xochitl

Yeah, sounds good.

00:13:24

Xochitl

All right, listeners, well, you have to let us know who your celebrity crushes were. I'd love to hear about celebrity crushes from around the world. I'll leave us a comment down below at A-Z. Englishpodcast.com shoot us an e-mail at at ozenglishpodcast@gmail.com and make sure to join our community of students in our WhatsApp and WeChat groups.

00:13:43

Xochitl

And we'll see you guys next time. Bye bye.

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack explain the meaning of several phrasal verbs which use the word punch.

Punch in: To enter data or information by pressing keys on a keyboard or keypad, often used in the context of clocking in at work.

Example: "Don't forget to punch in when you arrive at the office."

Punch out: To exit a time clock or record one's departure from work by pressing a button or card.

Example: "I'll punch out at 5:00 and then we can grab dinner."

Punch up: To improve or enhance something, often by adding more energy, excitement, or impact.

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl tests Jack's knowledge of common texting acronyms.

Transcript:

00:00:00

Jack

Hey A-Z listeners, this is Jack here.

00:00:03

Jack

And if you would like to become a an exclusive subscriber to the show, you can hit the link in the description and that will take you to our Red Circle page, where for $1.99 a month you will get access to an extra two or three episodes each week.

00:00:23

Jack

And be careful, don't hit that donation button if you want to become an exclusive subscriber because the donation button is just a one time donation. However, the exclusive subscriber button will give you access to the extra two or three episodes.

00:00:42

Jack

Each week.

00:00:44

Jack

So make sure you hit that exclusive subscriber button if you want access to the extra episodes.

00:00:52

Jack

Now let's get on with the show.

00:00:55

Jack

Welcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm here with my co-host social. And today we are under the vocabulary spotlight.

00:01:05

Jack

And social is going to test me on my knowledge of testing accurate and I'm sorry texting.

00:01:15

Xochitl

Excellent.

00:01:16

Jack

Acronyms like like.

00:01:17

Jack

Text.

00:01:18

Jack

Texting words or whatever I guess. Or texting language.

00:01:20

Xochitl

Yes, finally explaining in a way, it's like you just you don't use the whole phrase or the whole words. You just use like a few letters to represent the word. So that's like what it is.

00:01:32

Jack

Exactly, yeah.

00:01:35

Xochitl

And I have a six here so.

00:01:38

Xochitl

So let's get started. I'm ready to tear you up because you really got me with the Canadian one was that Aussie one wasn't a total failure, the Canadian one.

00:01:39

Xochitl

OK.

00:01:46

Jack

No, you did better on the Aussie one than you did with the Canadian slang, which is kind of surprising.

00:01:51

Xochitl

I know and.

00:01:52

Xochitl

Canadian and I've been to Canada and I don't even have any like Austin friends and I have Canadian friends as messy, but.

00:01:58

Jack

We share a border with Canada, you know.

00:02:01

Xochitl

And I have a a close Canadian friend or a couple maybe, and I don't have like any Aussie friends I can think of, but I just ruined. I just ruined the Canadian one.

00:02:10

Jack

Well, I'll give a I'll.

00:02:11

Jack

Give a shout out to teacher Paul Paul the the the grammar detective.

00:02:17

Jack

If you don't know his uh YouTube channel, check it out. For sure. The grammar detective best grammar teacher on the Internet. He sent me a message about that episode and said basically those Canadian terms are very like rural. You know, they're not. It's like.

00:02:35

Jack

OK.

00:02:37

Jack

And even most Canadian people don't use those terms. It's very much.

00:02:41

Jack

Like like hillbillies you know? Kind of like, yeah, people that live in the countryside might.

00:02:47

Xochitl

Without in the sticks as you say.

00:02:49

Jack

In the sticks, right? Yeah. Hillbillies is not a the right way to say that, but.

00:02:55

Xochitl

I think in sticks isn't either, but in the sticks are just a term we use for people who.

00:02:59

Xochitl

Live out in the country.

00:03:00

Jack

Yeah.

00:03:02

Jack

Country folk, you know, country people that are not, you know, maybe college educated, you know, high school educated only use those kinds of terms.

00:03:12

Jack

And it's it's not very they're not very common in in regular.

00:03:17

Jack

Right. But actually it's not actually.

00:03:17

Xochitl

Speech in Sydney.

00:03:19

Xochitl

Has to do with the level of education. I think it's more just like it's kind of like colloquial language, like it's a regional dialect kind of thing, right? Oh, yeah.

00:03:29

Jack

Yeah, yeah, yeah, very, very. You know, the central Canada, very rural farm farmers and things like that, so.

00:03:40

Jack

Don't feel bad about that one. The Ozzy slaying is much more common. I think throughout the whole country, I would say from from, just from knowing Australian people that grew up in cities, they use a lot of those terms, all the.

00:03:52

Xochitl

Time so you know.

00:03:55

Xochitl

All right. Well, that makes me feel better and I'm ready to rip you up with these.

00:04:02

Xochitl

I, YK, YK what does that stand for?

00:04:08

Jack

IYKYK.

00:04:10

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:04:13

Jack

I, YK, YK.

00:04:18

Jack

Wait, you.

00:04:21

Jack

No, I I'm.

00:04:25

Jack

I'm keeping.

00:04:27

Xochitl

Thank you. I like it.

00:04:27

Xochitl

IYYK.

00:04:34

Jack

I'm your.

00:04:38

Xochitl

Kind.

00:04:40

Jack

OK, like bad, this is bad. You give up your.

00:04:44

Jack

I don't. I'm gonna say uncle on this one. I have no idea. I'm. I give up.

00:04:49

Xochitl

Great. If you know you know.

00:04:52

Jack

Ohh if you know you know what? When? What's the context for using that? Like give me give me like an example.

00:04:54

발표자

No.

00:05:00

Xochitl

Here's an example. Let's say that.

00:05:04

Xochitl

I use a specific product for people with curly hair and I post a picture of it online and say oh, this is the goat which remember is like the greatest one of all time. It's a IYKYK if you know, you know. So if you use this product or if you also have curly hair, you know.

00:05:15

Jack

Yeah. The best. Yeah, yeah.

00:05:24

Xochitl

If you know you know.

00:05:26

Jack

OK.

00:05:28

Jack

Or like.

00:05:29

Jack

It sounds like another example like if you don't know well now you know.

00:05:34

Jack

That's uh from a song, OK?

00:05:34

발표자

No.

00:05:35

Xochitl

Like, yeah, if you know, you know, with is like, you're talking to people who also know. So like your audience. So like or let's say you post a picture of like slide chicken from a local place, but it looks a really certain way. And you're like, this is the best fried chicken in Atlanta if you know, you.

00:05:38

Jack

Now.

00:05:52

Xochitl

No.

00:05:53

Jack

Ohh, so you're you're in the secret club basically.

00:05:56

Xochitl

Kinda. Yeah. Yeah, you're.

00:05:57

Jack

OK, OK.

00:05:58

Jack

In the Super pub you're talking to other people, no?

00:05:59

Jack

If you're in the secret club, you know. Yeah. You know. You. OK OK. If you know, you know, and then you show a picture of, like a club, you know, like a the sign on the on the on the the dance club or something. And if you don't know.

00:06:13

Jack

You're not. You're not in the group. You're you're kind of.

00:06:15

Xochitl

Right. You're talking to other people who know if you know, you know, your audience is the other.

00:06:20

Xochitl

Oh no. And then everyone's, like, laugh reacting and go. Yeah, that's the best. And everyone who doesn't know doesn't know. So.

00:06:26

Jack

Yeah, they're like, what's that? Tell me about that. Like, sorry, secret, you know.

00:06:31

Xochitl

Mm-hmm. Alright, Jack. And next one, BFR, BFR.

00:06:31

Xochitl

OK.

00:06:39

Jack

But PSR best friends forever. Really.

00:06:45

Xochitl

No.

00:06:49

Jack

Use my.

00:06:49

Jack

I mean, that's a big guess. That's a good guess.

00:06:50

Jack

That's my VFR, my best friend for forever. Really my best friend forever, really.

00:06:57

Xochitl

Well, I would have that. That's good. I mean, I probably would have said best friend for real or something like that.

00:07:02

Xochitl

But that but.

00:07:04

Xochitl

That's not what it means though. It means be for freaking real.

00:07:09

Jack

Ohh be for freaking.

00:07:10

Xochitl

So it's like if someone says.

00:07:11

Xochitl

OK.

00:07:15

Xochitl

You know, I'm trying to think of a good example.

00:07:17

Jack

Like, stop, stop being fake. Stop, you know.

00:07:21

Xochitl

Not playing play G for real, you know, be real.

00:07:22

Jack

Stop playing.

00:07:24

Jack

Be for freaking real. Yeah, be honest. Like be be be real. Yeah. Be be for real. Yeah.

00:07:29

Xochitl

Right, these are freaking real. But so for our listeners, I would say just use either BFR to mean be for real or.

00:07:40

Xochitl

If you're using BFR, make sure it's like pure or whatever, because freaking can be replaced by a curse word. Yeah, so you don't want to send to your professor B for freaking real. You know what I mean? That's not what your boss hey B for freaking real man, that is not appropriate, but.

00:07:46

Jack

Yeah, that's more.

00:07:57

Jack

Yeah, cause freaking is not the word. There's another word that starts with F that's a much more we we don't use that in the ABC English podcast because we are we're we're child friendly here on the on the.

00:08:07

Xochitl

I'm sorry, right?

00:08:10

Xochitl

Gray.

00:08:10

Jack

The podcast. But yeah, it's beautiful.

00:08:12

Xochitl

Also, be even be for real is kind of like uh, like a call out. So you don't want to use it.

00:08:17

Xochitl

With anyone but you.

00:08:18

Jack

Yeah, I would.

00:08:18

Jack

Only use it with like you know like friends and yeah, for real.

00:08:21

Xochitl

Your friends or your peers, or someone that you like hate in a petty way and it's like not that serious. Like, yeah, so be for real, be for freaking real. Alright, next 1LB S.

00:08:27

Jack

Yeah.

00:08:31

Jack

No.

00:08:37

Xochitl

Ohh yes.

00:08:41

Xochitl

I think I got a Jack on this. I'm I'm proud.

00:08:43

Jack

I'm getting. I'm getting smoked here. This is terrible. OB S.

00:08:51

Jack

Latter Day Saints.

00:08:56

Xochitl

That was terrible. No laughing but serious.

00:09:01

Jack

Ohh that what does that mean now? Why am I laughing but serious?

00:09:01

Xochitl

Laughing.

00:09:03

Jack

So then it will.

00:09:07

Xochitl

UM, let's say you're like, uh, oh man, your boss in Korea was terrible. And I'm I'm saying laughing but serious. Like I'm. I'm curious about it, but it's so bad. It's funny at this point.

00:09:20

Jack

So it's like I don't know what whether to laugh or cry, so I'm just going to laugh like that.

00:09:25

Xochitl

A little bit or like or you say.

00:09:31

Xochitl

Uh, I use this with one of my friends a lot, but let's say she's like, oh, man, that restaurant was terrible. And I'm like, I know that made me sick laughing but serious. Like, I'm kind of joking about it, but I'm for real. Like I'm being honest. So that was terrible. You know what? I.

00:09:46

Jack

Yeah, I can. I can.

00:09:46

Xochitl

Mean. I'm not kidding.

00:09:47

Jack

Chuckle about it, but it really did make me angry, you know, like, I'm serious about it.

00:09:52

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:09:54

Xochitl

Right, like uh, I'm joking, but I. But it's true. Like I'm making a joke out of a real situation kind of laughing, but.

00:10:01

Jack

OK, OK.

00:10:02

Xochitl

Yeah. So that makes sense.

00:10:04

Xochitl

OK, TNT L.

00:10:09

Xochitl

2.

00:10:13

Xochitl

Too, too nice to learn, too, too too.

00:10:19

Xochitl

290 to to to to limbo 2.

00:10:25

Jack

That was bad. Oh my God.

00:10:27

Xochitl

That's the worst. Two too. Too late No2 TN.

00:10:33

Xochitl

Yeah, yeah.

00:10:34

Xochitl

Too, too nice.

00:10:37

Xochitl

2.

00:10:43

Jack

Lie too nice to lie. She's TNT L She's too nice to lie.

00:10:48

Xochitl

Does not make any sense. No. Trying not to laugh.

00:10:52

발표자

Ohh God.

00:10:54

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:10:54

Jack

It's so easy. What? What happened to me?

00:10:56

Xochitl

I was. I was in. I think you just over. I was going to tell you. You definitely were overcomplicating it for yourself. Like, say you had the principles you send your your friend a message. Like man I owe to the principal's office. And I was in a lot of trouble.

00:11:08

Xochitl

But I was TNT L trying not to laugh because, like, maybe you pulled the prank and now you're getting scolded and you're trying to laugh about it.

00:11:15

Jack

OK. OK. Yeah. Yeah. So for example, something like UM.

00:11:23

Jack

You know my my roommate, my roommate spilled a a Diet Coke on his lap.

00:11:24

Jack

Oh man, did you see that girl?

00:11:30

Jack

Top.

00:11:31

Jack

And I'm sitting here in the living room, NTL, trying not to laugh you.

00:11:33

Jack

It's funny.

00:11:37

Jack

Know something like that.

00:11:39

Xochitl

Yeah. Or like, say, someone falls, you know, in a funny way. And you're like, man, I was worried about them. So I was TNT L trying not to laugh because it was funny after all.

00:11:47

Jack

Because if you laugh, it's going to make them feel bad. But you're just like you're you're holding it in. You're biting your lip.

00:11:52

Xochitl

Or you don't want to look like a jerk. You know what I mean? But you're hoping it.

00:11:55

Xochitl

Didn't cause it was funny, yeah.

00:11:59

Xochitl

Yeah. Alright, YANK.

00:12:06

Xochitl

OK.

00:12:10

Jack

Who?

00:12:12

Xochitl

Ynk.

00:12:13

Jack

Why? Why, why? OK. Sorry, sorry.

00:12:19

Xochitl

Y&K.

00:12:21

Xochitl

You're not.

00:12:28

Jack

This is just a total fail. I'm such a fail. I'm so I'm so I'm so I'm so embarrassed that like my age is is just showing so obviously here.

00:12:31

Jack

In the Canada episode I got back, I got back.

00:12:43

Jack

I'm having good time though.

00:12:45

Jack

What year did join this TNT L?

00:12:50

Jack

I'm not even trying at this place.

00:12:51

Jack

He's not even TTL. Yeah, she's NT NTL.

00:12:56

Xochitl

Not not the last.

00:12:57

Jack

Let's see. I've got no idea. I I know what Y2K was, but that happened in 2000. So before you were born.

00:13:04

Xochitl

Like he was after I was born. Yeah. You never know. You never know.

00:13:09

Jack

You never know, yeah.

00:13:11

Xochitl

No.

00:13:13

Jack

Is. Is Julie coming to the party? Ohh. You never know. She might show up, right?

00:13:20

Jack

Would would that work?

00:13:21

Jack

I think he well.

00:13:22

Xochitl

A little, maybe more like a.

00:13:24

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:13:26

Xochitl

Man, I don't think I'm going to get into Harvard. And your friends like YNK. You never know you could.

00:13:33

Xochitl

You know anything is possible. You never know.

00:13:34

Xochitl

You.

00:13:37

Jack

Yeah, yeah. Bob isn't gonna ask me to the prom.

00:13:42

Jack

Y&K. You never know. Yeah, OK.

00:13:43

Xochitl

1.

00:13:46

Xochitl

Yeah, alright. I'm gonna throw you a bone here. I think you'll know this one and it's going to be extradited.

00:13:48

Xochitl

Thanks.

00:13:52

Jack

Is it lol? I mean if it's lol then I can get it I think right?

00:13:54

Jack

No.

00:13:58

Xochitl

IMHO.

00:14:01

Jack

Ohh I know this one. I know this one I.

00:14:07

Jack

What is it IMHO?

00:14:11

Jack

UM means uh.

00:14:14

Jack

IMHO I failed this test.

00:14:17

Jack

In my honest opinion, I failed this test.

00:14:22

Xochitl

Ohh, so close Jack so close in my humble opinion.

00:14:27

Jack

Ah, is that what you need? Humble. No.

00:14:30

Jack

Yes, this is my humble opinion.

00:14:34

Xochitl

What?

00:14:35

Jack

Why do I?

00:14:36

Jack

Why did I always think it was in?

00:14:37

Jack

My honest opinion.

00:14:38

Xochitl

I guess they weren't. Either way, in my honest opinion, and well, it works either way, but yeah, it's.

00:14:40

Jack

Yeah.

00:14:43

Jack

But it makes more.

00:14:44

Jack

Sense to say, in my humble opinion.

00:14:46

Jack

Like cause it makes you like more. It makes you humble. Like it's better like you know, instead of just being honest, yeah.

00:14:50

Xochitl

Yeah, I'd say in my, yeah, it's more like, you know, I'm not saying this is 100% right, but this is just my humble opinion.

00:14:59

Jack

It's more protective of your of your.

00:14:59

Xochitl

So that's why.

00:15:02

Jack

Like, yeah, it's more protective of you. Like, if you're saying, in my honest opinion, blah, blah, blah, then you're wrong.

00:15:08

Jack

You might look.

00:15:08

Xochitl

Like more of a jerk also. But like in my humble opinion is like this is just what I'm humbly offering as my opinion. But I'm not saying I'm it's right or wrong either way, yeah.

00:15:18

Jack

OK, OK. I get half point half credit for that one.

00:15:19

Jack

But I think they.

00:15:22

Xochitl

Yeah, you get half credit, alright, listeners, if you enjoyed watching me destroy Jack this time around, finally I got my venture. Then leave a comment down below. It really helps us with visibility at A-Z englishpodcast.com shoot us an e-mail. We love listening to listen your emails at azspodcast@gmail.com or join the WeChat.

00:15:42

Xochitl

Those groups to talk to Jack and I directly and we'll see you next time. Bye.

00:15:47

Jack

Bye bye. LOL!

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack describe their dream homes.

Transcript:

00:00:00

Jack

Hey A-Z listeners, this is Jack here.

00:00:03

Jack

And if you would like to become a an exclusive subscriber to the show, you can hit the link in the description and that will take you to our Red Circle page, where for $1.99 a month you will get access to an extra two or three episodes each week.

00:00:23

Jack

And be careful, don't hit that donation button if you want to become an exclusive subscriber because the donation button is just a one time donation. However, the exclusive subscriber button will give you access to the extra two or three episodes.

00:00:42

Jack

Each week.

00:00:44

Jack

So make sure you hit that exclusive subscriber button if you want access to the extra episodes.

00:00:52

Jack

Now let's get on with the show.

00:00:56

Jack

Welcome to the agency English podcast. My name is Jack, and I'm here with my co-host, social. And today we are doing a topic talk and the topic is, what does your dream home look like? So social describe your dream home.

00:01:15

Xochitl

Well, I really like this one because I had my dream home picture for a while.

00:01:18

Xochitl

Now, but it would ideally be on a big plot of land, like a big land plot of land, because I don't really want to have any like close by neighbors or anything. So I do want to be on a big plot of land and it would be, I think there'd be two sections would be like 1 main home and then one like little home in the back.

00:01:28

Jack

Hmm.

00:01:39

Jack

Like a guest home.

00:01:39

Xochitl

But.

00:01:40

Xochitl

Yeah. The guest home. Yeah. The guest house. So the main home would be two floors. Uh, I really. I thought two floors with no basement. I never really thought about the basement aspect, but it would be. You would like, walk in. There would be a little place to, like, take your shoes off.

00:01:52

Jack

OK.

00:02:00

Xochitl

And then it'd be like the living room and the dining room. Then it'd be the kitchen, and then it'd be like stairs to the second floor. And then there'd be a guest room right here.

00:02:11

Xochitl

After that and then there'd be a big open space type room in the back where you could with like a whole panel of windows in the back. So you could like do art or music or anything back there.

00:02:23

Jack

Ohh, like a flex room like like whatever it you could make it whatever you want it to be.

00:02:29

Xochitl

Right. Yeah. It's just like a huge open space, like running the whole back length of the.

00:02:30

Jack

OK.

00:02:33

Xochitl

House.

00:02:36

Xochitl

And then upstairs it would be like a bedroom.

00:02:41

Xochitl

And the back bathroom upstairs. Ohh, the guest bedroom would also have bathroom downstairs and then it would be like a.

00:02:50

Xochitl

Up front balcony type of area with a small.

00:02:56

Xochitl

Like landing after the stairs and then two rooms between that front balcony and the UM bedroom bathroom situation. And I guess one of them would be like a spare room and the other one would be like a music room or Art Room or something like that. So.

00:03:12

Jack

OK. Is there a city approval in this House?

00:03:13

Xochitl

And.

00:03:16

Xochitl

The backroom has, like, uh, the back house I think would have like a little like a pond or something nice. And then like pond or something. And then.

00:03:24

Jack

Oh, OK.

00:03:27

Jack

Not swimming in there a koi pond. OK, it's more of a beauty. Looking beautiful being, you know, peaceful. Not not a, not a party house. This is like a peaceful house, OK.

00:03:29

Xochitl

No.

00:03:34

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:03:37

Xochitl

No.

00:03:38

Xochitl

Yes, a people house and then it would have like it would be a little.

00:03:43

Xochitl

Just like a little guest house, like a one story. Cottage looking guest house.

00:03:49

Jack

Yeah, we call this the mother-in-law suite sometimes.

00:03:52

Xochitl

Yes, that's really what it would be for actually. So that like if I get married and their parents want to stay or my parents.

00:03:58

Xochitl

Want to stay?

00:03:59

Xochitl

Or my my parents get sick or their parents get sick, they can stay back there.

00:04:03

Jack

Yeah.

00:04:04

Xochitl

Do like a small house.

00:04:06

Xochitl

Separate from the main house.

00:04:07

Jack

It's got like a little kitchen in it and it's got, you know, it's on the bathroom and it's on like.

00:04:11

Jack

Living room and but small.

00:04:12

Xochitl

And it's on bedroom. Yeah, but it's kind of a small. Yeah. Like a mother-in-law suite. That's exactly what it would be. And and I want it to be like.

00:04:18

Jack

OK.

00:04:22

Xochitl

Cake.

00:04:24

Xochitl

Colonial Mexican style like us.

00:04:26

Jack

I was going to ask you that is this modern? Is this like, uh, a ranch house? OK, so yeah.

00:04:30

Xochitl

It's an ocean, yeah.

00:04:34

Xochitl

We're going to send us at home, so it's kind of like.

00:04:35

발표자

For morning.

00:04:40

Xochitl

Inside the lot of the floors would be.

00:04:43

Xochitl

Like clay tile, red clay tile and like.

00:04:48

Xochitl

UM.

00:04:50

Xochitl

It have a lot of windows and have the arches that colonial thousand homes have and it be built.

00:04:56

Jack

I'm thinking a lot of like pastel colors or something like that.

00:05:00

Xochitl

No, no, actually it would be a lot of like uh jewel tones. So it'd be like kind of a clay kind of, uh, what's that color?

00:05:05

Jack

Oh, OK, yeah.

00:05:10

Jack

Mosaics, like mosaics kind of stuff.

00:05:12

Xochitl

Yeah, and how difficult you slipped again, it said orange terracotta.

00:05:18

Xochitl

Like terracotta color wars and then the bedroom would be like an emerald green and the bathroom would be kind of a jade green color. And then the guest bedroom would probably be like a pastel kind of lavender or lilac color. But other than that, the kitchen would be like yellow and it would have, like, mosaic.

00:05:18

Jack

That's your problem, yeah.

00:05:25

Jack

OK.

00:05:38

Xochitl

And.

00:05:39

Xochitl

Yeah, it'd be full of a lot of like jewel tone kind of colors.

00:05:44

Jack

Yeah, I kind of get the the feeling I can kind of understand what you're talking about because I watched a movie called Frieda about the Frida Kahlo the the an artist and they had like, this amazing house that they lived and painted in. And I'm kind of thinking like that those.

00:05:54

Xochitl

Ah.

00:05:56

발표자

Yes.

00:06:03

Jack

Colors. I think there it was a very bold kind of.

00:06:09

Jack

House with the home, but maybe yours is a little bit more subtle, like it's not quite as loud.

00:06:10

Xochitl

Home.

00:06:15

발표자

I think that would be.

00:06:16

Xochitl

A little traditional kind of like what food you grew up in in the movie, but the courtyard and stuff like that maybe. But yeah, it would have some bright kind of jewel tones, kind of like a a lot of vintage style.

00:06:21

Jack

Mm-hmm.

00:06:23

Jack

Yeah.

00:06:30

Xochitl

Well.

00:06:31

Xochitl

Hard to explain, but that would be my ideal home and it would be a relaxing home. No swimming pool. I think the biggest things I'd want is like a home theater type of situation.

00:06:41

Jack

Yeah, yeah.

00:06:42

Xochitl

I never use swimming pools or anything, but I would like a big bathtub because we have a swimming pool in the house I grew up in and like I barely ever, no one, barely.

00:06:50

Xochitl

Ever uses a pool, so like.

00:06:51

Jack

This is the. This is exactly what happens to everybody that.

00:06:55

Jack

Has a pool.

00:06:56

Jack

Is that you think you're going to use it every day and you use it like if if I add it up like all the time that I spent in that pool in my life, it was probably like 4 hours, you know?

00:07:08

Xochitl

Yeah. And then like when you're a kid, you use it probably more, but as soon as you grow into, like the teenage years, you don't use it as much and then everyone else wants to use your pool.

00:07:19

Xochitl

And there's always people like trying to use your pool. That's literally what it's like to have a house with the pool. It's like there's always other people asking if they can come over and use your pool.

00:07:20

Jack

Honey.

00:07:29

Jack

Here's a hint to our listeners out there if you have. If you get a pool, everybody's going to want to use your pool, and if you buy a truck, everybody's going to ask you to help them move. So don't buy a truck and don't get a pool. Just don't do it. It's not worth it.

00:07:41

Xochitl

Yes. Yeah.

00:07:47

Xochitl

He usually just never use a pool. I think a home theater is something I would use much more than like a pool.

00:07:52

Jack

Yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe a hot tub. Actually, I would use a hot tub. Yeah.

00:07:55

Xochitl

Yeah, like a Jacuzzi kind of situation. Or, like a hot tub or just a nice big bath. Like for me, like, the bathroom would be kind of jade tile colored like jade colored tile and the bathroom. The tub would be the same color and it'd be pretty big. So you could just really chill in a tub. Like it's a hot tub.

00:08:14

Xochitl

Something, but because I even I'm short and tiny and in the homes in the US.

00:08:16

Jack

Yeah.

00:08:21

Xochitl

Like I still most of my body sticks out of the tub when I'm taking a, you know?

00:08:25

Xochitl

What I mean like it's?

00:08:25

Jack

I I'm 6 foot eight. I'm 2 meters tall. I haven't taken a bath in since I was a child. You know? It's it's not a thing, you know? Yeah, it's pointless. Yeah.

00:08:28

발표자

Yeah.

00:08:34

Xochitl

Right.

00:08:37

Xochitl

Violent.

00:08:38

Xochitl

All right, Jack, what would your dream home look like? I'm curious.

00:08:43

Jack

OK, well mine is more in like a modern kind of like modern styles, you know, new architecture, modern.

00:08:51

Jack

UM, uh. But it's still it's still, you know, nothing crazy but like, uh, I'm thinking like a like a two-story house. I like that.

00:09:04

Jack

I do. After you know, we just talked about hating pools. I want a pool with a hot tub attached to it in the backyard.

00:09:10

발표자

Cool.

00:09:13

Xochitl

Back, Oh my gosh. The amount of upkeep that my dad is always doing on the pool too. It's such a pain.

00:09:19

Jack

I just figure like if I can buy my dream home, I can pay someone to to deal with my pool.

00:09:20

발표자

Say.

00:09:25

Jack

I'll just be a cool guy.

00:09:25

Xochitl

OK. I'll be real with you. Like you like Gen. X and boomers. Like you'd rather just do it yourself than pay like in the reality of it, you're like, oh, I can do that.

00:09:26

Jack

Yeah, he can come.

00:09:38

Jack

The chemicals and all that sort of stuff. I'm like, you know, you got to get it just right. Like it if it's wrong, you can burn your, you know, your eyes with the chlorine in the pool. It can, you know, can cause problems.

00:09:49

Xochitl

Yeah. Or you could get with your headache spill muriatic acid on yourself and burn your like limb off so.

00:09:55

Jack

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You gotta be really careful. So I think I would just pay. This is this, by the way. This is like in Florida. So this is like you.

00:10:03

Jack

A warm climate. So. So we're in Florida. It's kind of like a modern style house. It's not not like a colonial or a, you know, traditional home or anything. It's just a, a kind of modern style and.

00:10:04

발표자

Ah.

00:10:23

Jack

Yeah, it's got two stories. There's a pool in the back with, like, a a cage. What? They call it a cage in Florida, but it's actually like a net that covers the whole back area. So no bugs can.

00:10:32

발표자

Hmm.

00:10:35

Jack

And then.

00:10:36

Jack

And there's a barbecue and a bar and a hot tub. And like tiki torches. And, you know, like, it's got the whole, like, you know, hanging out in the back by the pool vibe. You can hang out at night or you can have a pool party during the day.

00:10:36

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:10:57

Jack

And so maybe there's like, a a pool table out there because it's kind of like indoor outdoor. So it's covered, but it's not covered.

00:11:07

Xochitl

Hmm.

00:11:08

Jack

I know this is the most Gen. X description of that.

00:11:11

Xochitl

You know, it's just crazy to me because it's like you actually are thinking of a luxury home. And I realized how simple minds sounded. And it's just funny because between our generations, there's a huge gap where, like my generation, doesn't even own property. So for me, like, thinking like, that's like a luxury home. Like what I thought of. And then what you're talking about is, like, a real luxury home.

00:11:30

Xochitl

That didn't even cross my mind.

00:11:32

Jack

I know this is like a my dream home is like is is like a a real home. Like they sell these homes, you know it's it's not even I'm not even using my imagination.

00:11:38

Xochitl

Right.

00:11:43

Jack

You know, I don't really care about like the I. I guess what we what I want is like high uh high ceilings with arches inside. So definitely in like Spanish style. I love Spanish tile like it's Spanish tile. Roof is really cool in that like you terracotta.

00:12:02

Jack

Color that you're talking about. I like that. And I like big arches because I'm really tall. So when I, you know, go through my house, I don't want to be, like, ducking my head down.

00:12:14

Xochitl

Right. You want like high ceilings and stuff.

00:12:16

Jack

Yeah, I want really high ceilings. I've actually, I don't even care about the 2nd floor. I'm OK with like, a a ranch style home where it's just like a one story.

00:12:27

발표자

Hmm.

00:12:28

Jack

As long as there's like, you know, a master bedroom with a with its own bathroom and then access to the pool outside and then like a nice big open kitchen with like, a Big Island, we call the island is like a a big kitchen table type thing.

00:12:46

Jack

Like it's not a table, but do you know what I?

00:12:48

Jack

Mean like uh?

00:12:49

Xochitl

Yeah, we have one in my home and in Kentucky, while my parents home, it's like in the middle of the kitchen and it's like a table, kind of. But it's like part of the.

00:13:01

Jack

You don't really eat there at the island. You can. I mean, you could put, like stools and eat at the island, but it's not a dining room, you guys.

00:13:01

Xochitl

Can't move it.

00:13:06

Xochitl

We do eat. We. Yeah, we used to eat at the island. Like it was a dining room because it.

00:13:12

Xochitl

Was just the most.

00:13:12

Xochitl

Convenient. So it's like high schools on it and we would just all eat at the island.

00:13:13

Jack

Yeah, that's true.

00:13:18

Jack

That's what we have to we have an iron and we put high stools in there. We eat there like a kitchen table. So I guess it is actually.

00:13:25

Xochitl

Like people do, you have too high on?

00:13:28

Jack

And now that I think about it, yeah, I I do the same thing.

00:13:34

Jack

That and I.

00:13:35

Jack

Would I like a nice big living room with a huge TV like a big, you know, projector TV or something like that? Where?

00:13:41

Xochitl

Yes, I want a big TV.

00:13:43

Jack

Yeah, I would like a movie theater, but I don't need it. I don't need, like, a proper movie theater. You know, some people build, like, a movie theater in their house with, like, theater chairs. Yeah.

00:13:51

Xochitl

That's ridiculous to me. Well.

00:13:54

Jack

That's just like a it's it's a.

00:13:58

Jack

Godly rich person thing, you know.

00:13:58

Xochitl

Too much?

00:14:00

발표자

Yeah.

00:14:01

Xochitl

Please say.

00:14:03

Jack

Yeah, but I I. But I I want like, a Big L sofa. Like a really big one. So that like.

00:14:09

Xochitl

Ohh yeah, those comfortable ones. Sorry, go ahead.

00:14:12

Jack

Yeah, big fluffy ones where I can, like, lie down on one and my wife can lie down on the other and we don't have to. Like, over intersect. You know, like we.

00:14:22

Xochitl

Hey.

00:14:23

Jack

Yeah.

00:14:24

Xochitl

They're both like comfortable.

00:14:25

Jack

Yeah. Yeah. So we're, you know, you're sitting at.

00:14:27

Xochitl

Both like sleep on this cell sofa, yeah.

00:14:29

Jack

Exactly. So as we watch Netflix, we just drift off and fall asleep because we're getting old.

00:14:37

Xochitl

And like the couch, she's just as comfortable as the bed. Yeah, that that's not.

00:14:40

Jack

Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, half the time you sleep on the couch anyway, like you don't you just spend half the time there.

00:14:47

Xochitl

Right.

00:14:49

Jack

Uh, yeah. So, you know my my, that's my dream home. You know, I would love to.

00:14:55

Jack

To just have a big, comfortable, nice house where lots of people can come over and we can enjoy our time together, barbecue and the by the pool, maybe play a game of billiards in my billiards table. That's kind of in the outside. Like the the pool area is kind of like has is covered with the roof.

00:15:11

Xochitl

MHM.

00:15:15

Jack

So it's like indoor outdoor. It's kind of like.

00:15:18

Jack

Between.

00:15:19

Xochitl

Ah, OK.

00:15:20

Jack

Yeah, yeah. And then there's like a little bar there, but I don't drink. But, you know, my friends do. So I can, like, mix cocktails.

00:15:27

Xochitl

You have cocktails too, and you can have mocktails for yourself.

00:15:30

Jack

Yeah, yeah, I could have mocktails. Yeah, I can. Just juice and, you know, soda and spritzer and all that stuff. Yeah. So that that's my that's my dream home.

00:15:42

Jack

I feel like as we describe this, we we need to provide blueprints, you know, in the description.

00:15:47

Xochitl

I know next episode we'll like, do a little drawing or like I can take a I can make one in The Sims and take a screenshot of it. I was like, yeah. So yeah, I get you a lot of my.

00:15:56

Jack

Yeah, yeah.

00:15:58

Jack

That's a good idea.

00:16:02

Xochitl

Rooms like the rooms I'm thinking of would be taken up by like.

00:16:05

Xochitl

Of these, like, I'd have a sewing room, an Art Room, a music room and like, maybe a gym, so I wouldn't have to go to the gym. I could just do it in my home.

00:16:13

Jack

Ohh yeah and I.

00:16:14

Jack

Totally forgot my man cave, one of the rooms.

00:16:19

Jack

Yeah.

00:16:19

Xochitl

You did very good.

00:16:21

Jack

I know because I'm such a I'm such a Gen. Exer I need a I need a podcasting room, you know? So it's like it's got my desk and my all my computer and all my stuff so I can do recording.

00:16:24

Xochitl

That's.

00:16:25

Xochitl

Jerk.

00:16:33

Jack

And play music and my guitars. And you know, all the stuff that my wife hates, I can put it all in one room and then you know that that's like my secret, you know, spot where I I can go and, you know, just play play my guitar, record podcasts.

00:16:53

Jack

Do all that all that kind of work.

00:16:55

Jack

That I love.

00:16:55

Jack

To do so, I got to have my man cave. We call it, and for our listeners out there, Man Cave is kind of like a a a joke. It's like a bear cave, you know, like a cave where a bear.

00:17:07

Jack

Lives, we call it a man cave, which is basically like a room where it has all the men, things that men would love, you know? But I think it's a little bit.

00:17:19

Jack

Sexist to to call it a man cave because I think women enjoy playing music and having their own space. You know, I I but but that's the name.

00:17:28

Xochitl

Right.

00:17:31

Xochitl

These are hobby where there's like a better name for it.

00:17:33

Jack

Yeah, Hobby Room is a much more politically correct name to use. I like that one.

00:17:38

Xochitl

Yeah, but a man cave is something that people used to say it. It was kind of back in the days. It was kind of like a like a.

00:17:46

Xochitl

Jerky kind of thing because it was like you have your beer in there and you're like tacky stuff that your wife doesn't let you have in the main area and like, so it's kind of like in a place only for the guys to hang out and whatnot.

00:17:55

Jack

Yeah.

00:18:01

Jack

Watch football, drink beer and play darts and do that kind of.

00:18:05

Jack

Stuff I I think.

00:18:07

Jack

You know a long time ago they used to call it a den.

00:18:11

Jack

But a den was much more sophisticated, right? Like a den.

00:18:15

Xochitl

Space where it's kind of like a living room but more private, like a living room like people will come visit you and they can sit in your living room and your den was like more where you had your TV and your like space and stuff.

00:18:27

Xochitl

But it was like a fan.

00:18:28

Jack

You know.

00:18:28

Xochitl

Like room, sort of.

00:18:31

Jack

Yeah. Yeah. Or even, like, a father's den. Even way back in the 50s was like, where your, like, your dad's off?

00:18:37

발표자

This.

00:18:38

Jack

Is like like my father's den, you know? And it's like the you. You don't go there, you just. It's got the leather, the sofa, chair and cigar smoking cigars and, you know, reading books and stuff like that or smoking a pipe or whatever. But.

00:18:38

Xochitl

Alright.

00:18:54

Xochitl

I would definitely have an office still.

00:18:56

Jack

Yeah, I think in office that's probably the best way to call it, just just call it an office or a hobby room. I think those are.

00:19:03

Jack

Best descriptors, yeah.

00:19:06

Xochitl

Alright, listener as well if you liked and enjoyed this episode, make sure you leave a comment down below at A-Z englishpodcast.com shoot us a message or an e-mail at AZ englishpodcast@gmail.com and join our we chat WhatsApp groups to talk to Jack and I directly. We would love to hear what your dream home would look like and maybe next week.

00:19:25

Xochitl

We will show you guys a little blueprint of what our dream homes look like. See you guys next time. Bye bye.

00:19:31

Jack

Bye bye.

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack give you a list of dos and don'ts when meeting your significant other's parents for the first time.

Transcript:

00:00:00

Jack

Hey A-Z listeners, this is Jack here.

00:00:03

Jack

And if you would like to become a an exclusive subscriber to the show, you can hit the link in the description and that will take you to our Red Circle page, where for $1.99 a month you will get access to an extra two or three episodes each week.

00:00:23

Jack

And be careful, don't hit that donation button if you want to become an exclusive subscriber because the donation button is just a one time donation. However, the exclusive subscriber button will give you access to the extra two or three episodes.

00:00:42

Jack

Each week.

00:00:44

Jack

So make sure you hit that exclusive subscriber button if you want access to the extra episodes.

00:00:52

Jack

Now let's get on with the show.

00:00:55

Jack

Welcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and today we are and I'm with my co-host social of course. And we are in the culture corner and we're talking about what do you do when you meet the parents of your, of your boyfriend or girlfriend for the first time, you know?

00:01:14

Jack

What's the what kind of etiquette do you like behavior? Should you display? What? What should you do? What shouldn't you do so social? Do you have like a list of dos and don'ts?

00:01:24

Jack

For for our our listeners out there who may be like meeting their significant others parents for the first time.

00:01:33

Xochitl

Yeah, I know. I we just had an episode talking about how you can dress like a slob anywhere in America, but a first date and also meeting a parent. Parents are two occasions where I would.

00:01:39

Jack

Yes.

00:01:44

Xochitl

Never do that.

00:01:46

Xochitl

So you want to go and kind of business casual attire, which means a nice dress shirt usually, or a polo. Or it could be a crisp, a clean looking solid color, no logos, no designs well fitted T-shirt and then neutral.

00:01:54

Jack

Yes.

00:02:06

Xochitl

Done.

00:02:07

Xochitl

And a pair of either nice clean, no tears, jeans or a pair of slacks. Kind of casual khaki, black, neutral tone slacks. And you can wear, you know, a pair of clean, crisp white sneakers or some casual dress shoes. Don't.

00:02:19

Jack

Yeah.

00:02:26

Xochitl

Go in as a man wearing like rocks or like sandals. And and if you're a woman, just go in a nice.

00:02:37

Xochitl

Kind of also neutral toned or it can be.

00:02:42

Xochitl

Pattern and it doesn't really have to be a neutral tone, but just kind of a tasteful dress. Nothing too crazy, nothing too extravagant.

00:02:51

Xochitl

Might wear something neutral, might wear something in a light pink or blue or something like that, but just a simple casual floral dress with a little cardigan is and your footwear is also more relaxed. You can wear a pair of clean tennis shoes like white, crisp tennis shoes, a pair of.

00:03:01

Jack

Yeah.

00:03:11

Xochitl

Little sandals if it's hot anything, but just make sure you look presentable.

00:03:18

Xochitl

And that's a big one for.

00:03:21

Xochitl

Looks duos.

00:03:23

Jack

And I'm going to say most of the time we we have an expression. Don't don't judge a book by its cover, but in this situation your, the, your boyfriend or girlfriend's parents are definitely.

00:03:38

Jack

Judging the book by its cover, so make your cover look good.

00:03:40

Xochitl

Yes.

00:03:44

Xochitl

Yeah, want to look.

00:03:44

Jack

Because you are being judged.

00:03:47

Xochitl

Yeah, you want to look presentable. You want to look clean. Clean cut is the phrase we use really often in the US, which means somebody who is, they're, well, shaved, their hair grew.

00:03:57

발표자 3

No.

00:03:57

Jack

Look like me right now is.

00:03:59

Xochitl

Yeah, don't have this crazy beard. Or like, if you're a woman like, you know, do your hair nicely. You don't have it, like, looking really disheveled, show up, clean, fresh, showered, looking simple, easy makeup for women and.

00:04:14

Xochitl

And just keep it really, really simple. Don't over complicate it, but just look nice. And then for other does for cultural and social does, I would say they're gonna ask you questions about yourself. So be prepared to answer questions like what your major in college is what you do for work.

00:04:35

Xochitl

How long you've been working there, questions about what your parents do. They might ask you, oh, you know, what does your dad do? What did your?

00:04:41

Jack

And you what are your ambitions? What are your goals? Yeah.

00:04:45

Xochitl

Yeah. One of your inventions, it's kind of old fashioned to be like. What are your intentions with my daughter back in the day, people did that. But and now I think you can be relaxed. They know that if.

00:04:50

Jack

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well.

00:04:59

Xochitl

You're bringing someone to meet the parents is usually a serious relationship in the US and and so.

00:05:06

Xochitl

You know, don't be too intimidated. Get to know them. Ask them questions about themselves too. What do they do for?

00:05:12

Xochitl

Work and and humor them. They're probably going to tell embarrassing stories about your significant other or show you embarrassing pictures. Just kind of chuckle along. Be a good sport.

00:05:24

Xochitl

Don't get into politics. Don't get into religion.

00:05:27

Jack

Yeah, no politics, no religion for sure. Yeah, avoid that.

00:05:29

Xochitl

Never. Never. If they try to beat you. Like if you're from a different religion or other politics and they try to bait you into a conversation, which means they try to say something to upset you.

00:05:41

Xochitl

Just ignore it and change the subject.

00:05:44

Xochitl

If they keep trying to do it, look at your SO.

00:05:46

발표자

Like.

00:05:48

Jack

Yeah. Get Me Out. Help me out there. Yes.

00:05:49

Xochitl

That, yeah, you don't have any, you know, reason to stay if you're being disrespected. And I know it.

00:05:55

Jack

Right.

00:05:55

Xochitl

Could be but.

00:05:56

Xochitl

Also keep an open mind because a lot of times.

00:05:59

Xochitl

People are going to be meeting you with the best intentions and they're not going to do anything to be intentionally rude, but because you're from two different cultures, they might accidentally offend you. So just keep a an open mind and if you find anything weird or offensive, just ask your significant other about it later.

00:06:15

Jack

Yeah. And go see, listen to our other podcast about table manners, because all those table manners apply.

00:06:22

Jack

You know, again, no slurping, no burping, you know, no chewing loudly with your mouth open, no cursing. Don't swear. Watch your language. OK, some people.

00:06:22

Xochitl

Please.

00:06:34

Xochitl

It's OK to accept a drink because a lot of times they'll offer you a drink. It's OK to say yes if they offer you to drink, but don't get drunk. You know, this is like a one drink of.

00:06:43

Jack

Don't get drunk. Yeah.

00:06:45

Xochitl

There maybe a 2 drink. I would say one just stick to 1 drink. You know you won't get drunk and just stick to that.

00:06:52

Jack

Yeah. And you and most likely you drove there. So you know you, you know, drinking and driving is you know it it might be a test like you know ohh is this person going to drink and drive with my daughter in the car or my you know that that could be another another thing so you know there there could be traps.

00:07:13

Jack

Set for you.

00:07:14

발표자 3

That.

00:07:15

Jack

Don't fall into these traps, you know.

00:07:15

발표자 3

Yeah.

00:07:18

Xochitl

Right. I think it's OK to accept one drink, especially if it will be a while before.

00:07:21

Xochitl

You drive, I think.

00:07:21

Jack

Yeah, yeah, yeah, one like you said. One, it's a one drink affair. It's not a party. It's not a party. It's not a cagar. Yeah.

00:07:25

발표자 3

The one in one? Yeah. Instead of. Don't get lost. Don't.

00:07:34

Xochitl

Compliment do do compliment their home. Say oh you have such a nice home. Bring a gift if you know they drink. You can bring a bottle of wine or you can bring some flowers for them.

00:07:44

Xochitl

Mom, those are two gifts that usually go over well, or you can bring something from your home country, like traditional candy, something like that. So.

00:07:54

Jack

Yeah. Don't show up empty handed. That's terrible. Bring a gift. Yes, that's a good point.

00:07:58

Xochitl

It's a bad match.

00:08:01

Xochitl

And gift and.

00:08:05

Xochitl

Uh.

00:08:07

Xochitl

I guess that's pretty much it. Do a firm handshake. This is if you're a man. This is a really big thing in US culture. When Father offers a hand for a handshake, it has. You have to do a firm handshake. Don't give him a death grip like you're trying to rip his hand off, but don't give him this limp, weak handshake. They won't make a firm handshake.

00:08:12

Jack

Yeah.

00:08:25

Jack

Yeah, we call that the dead fish where your hand is like a dead fish, you know? No, you gotta. You gotta squeeze back. You gotta give a firm handshake back. That's uh, that's important. Yeah.

00:08:26

발표자 3

Thing.

00:08:28

발표자 3

But.

00:08:35

발표자 3

Right.

00:08:38

Xochitl

And if you don't drink, UM, it's OK to say no. Like, if you are a person who doesn't drink and they are free to drink, it's it's OK to be like, Oh no, thanks. I don't drink. That's fine. And if you have any kind of restrictions of your diet because of your religion or your culture or your allergies or whatever, it may be, make sure to let them know ahead of time if you're going to be eating there. So, like, tell your significant other so they can.

00:09:02

Xochitl

Inform their family.

00:09:04

Xochitl

And then you won't have to worry.

00:09:07

Jack

Yeah. Don't let the mom prepare a a huge meal of pulled pork and then you show up and go ohh. By the way, I'm vegan. It's like that should have been told to her a long time before. So.

00:09:14

Xochitl

Right.

00:09:18

Xochitl

Yeah, or I'm Muslim or something. And then they're like, oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry. And they're embarrassed. You can watch that if you've ever seen twilight the movie, you can watch the scene where she meets Edward.

00:09:20

Jack

Yeah.

00:09:31

Xochitl

Family for the first time. And then she eats before going because she knows they don't eat because they're vampires and they're making this big Italian meal for her and then everyone gets angry. So yeah, just avoid. That's a great example of how to meet the parents because she dresses nicely and they're trying to be polite and everything. So just kind of.

00:09:52

Xochitl

Go with that.

00:09:54

Xochitl

No, not too much PDA.

00:09:57

Xochitl

It's kind, it's inappropriate, so please first time.

00:10:00

Jack

Maybe holding hands about, that's about it. That's the most you do, yeah.

00:10:02

Xochitl

Yeah, holding hands is even like that's that's that's a good level to keep. Only at that you know.

00:10:09

Jack

That's the highest level. Yeah, holding hands.

00:10:11

Xochitl

That's the highest level.

00:10:15

Xochitl

Yeah. And again, just just take it as an opportunity to get to know them. If there's a serious relationship, you'll probably be seeing a lot of their families. So you want to get to know them and complement, Slattery gets everyone places you want to flatter the mother. That's the easiest route.

00:10:28

Jack

Yeah, this is this. Food is amazing. This is delicious. Thank you so much. You know? Yeah.

00:10:29

발표자 3

So.

00:10:34

Xochitl

Have such?

00:10:34

Xochitl

A beautiful home. This food is amazing. You.

00:10:37

Xochitl

Look so young.

00:10:39

Jack

Yeah, you don't wanna. You don't wanna. You don't want to. You don't want to pack it on too thick there or whatever. But.

00:10:40

발표자 3

Look at.

00:10:46

Xochitl

You don't want to be too obvious, like if the lady looks 80, then don't say wow. You look so young. But if she actually looks young, like if she's 15, she looks 35. She's gonna be over the moon to hear that. You know, so don't do the cheesy line. The man walks and he goes. Oh, are you your sister? Please.

00:10:48

발표자

Yeah.

00:10:56

Jack

Yeah.

00:11:06

Xochitl

Don't do that. That's so cheesy.

00:11:06

Jack

Yeah, don't do that. Yeah, that one.

00:11:12

Xochitl

And yeah, just you know, compliment her on her home, her food. Uh, thank them for their generosity at the end.

00:11:19

Xochitl

Of.

00:11:19

Xochitl

The night? Yeah. And try not to overstay your welcome. Be that a reasonable hour.

00:11:25

Jack

That's usually not a problem usually. Usually you want to get out of there as soon as you possibly can, yeah.

00:11:28

발표자 3

There's still.

00:11:31

Xochitl

Yes, you smell good, right? But you know, so, yeah, I think those are the big meeting, the parents dues and don'ts. If it, how does meeting the parents go in your cultures? I'm really curious to know because in the US, once it's a serious relationship.

00:11:46

Xochitl

That's when we progress to meeting the parents. I know in other cultures you might meet them right off the bat. The parents might actually meet each other, and then you'll meet your significant other later. You might not meet the parents at all until the wedding. It just depends on the culture. So we're very interested to know, leave us a comment down below at AZ englishpodcast.com. Shoot us an e-mail at AZ English.

00:12:06

Xochitl

Podcast@gmail.com.

00:12:08

Xochitl

And join the WeChat. What's the group? So you can talk to Jack and I directly and see you guys next.

00:12:12

Xochitl

Time. Bye bye.

00:12:14

Jack

Bye.

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack talk about the cartoons they used to watch on television as children.

Transcript:

00:00:00

Jack

Hey A-Z listeners, this is Jack here.

00:00:03

Jack

And if you would like to become an exclusive subscriber to the show, you can hit the link in the description and that will take you to our Red Circle page, where for $1.99 a month you will get access to an extra two or three episodes each week.

00:00:23

Jack

And be careful, don't hit that donation button if you want to become an exclusive subscriber because the donation button is just a one time donation. However, the exclusive subscriber button will give you access to the extra two or three episodes.

00:00:42

Jack

Each week.

00:00:44

Jack

So make sure you hit that exclusive subscriber button if you want access to the extra episodes.

00:00:52

Jack

Now let's get on with the show.

00:00:55

Jack

Welcome to the 80s English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm here with my Co social. And today we are talking about what cartoons did you watch when you were a kid. And we'll try to keep it at like 3. I think 3 each if we can. And so I grew up. I was a kid in the 80s and in the 80s.

00:01:10

Xochitl

Yes.

00:01:16

Jack

There was this thing called Saturday morning cartoons and every kid.

00:01:23

Jack

Couldn't wait to wake up on Saturday morning and watch Saturday morning cartoons. This is because this is before the Internet, right? I mean, we're talking 5 channels on the television and the whole Saturday morning is just for you. Yeah, just cartoons.

00:01:41

Xochitl

Cartoons.

00:01:44

Jack

So.

00:01:45

Jack

The ones that I watched the first one that I watched was, uh, Transformers. I loved Transformers. Yeah, and now you can watch those movies, those ridiculous.

00:01:54

Xochitl

Interesting.

00:01:58

Xochitl

Those came out like when I was a kid. Ish. Those transformed? Yeah, I.

00:02:01

Jack

Yeah, right. And I I remember having the toys in the 80s and watching the original cartoon in the 80s, and it was great. Optimus Prime and Bumblebee and all the all the main characters. But that was that was a.

00:02:21

Jack

A A definite staple when I.

00:02:24

Jack

As a kid, uh, another one that I watched was GI Joe. My brother and I loved GI Joe. And GI Joe is now a famous movie series as well because they take all these 80s cartoons and they turn them into, you know, big blockbuster movies.

00:02:42

Xochitl

Movies, real action, live action things. Yeah. So now I understand that live action isn't new because I I was like, why are they turning all these Disney classics that I watched when I was a kid into live action? And now I see that life actions that I saw when I was.

00:02:56

Xochitl

Growing up were things that were cartoons when you were a kid, so it's not a new thing.

00:02:59

Jack

Yeah, right. You you're saying the copy of the copy of the copy? You know what I mean? Like you're.

00:03:04

Xochitl

Right, yeah.

00:03:06

Jack

Yeah, because all the all the directors and the writers were were kids that were my age. Watching these these Saturday morning cartoons going, these would make great movies. I can't wait to grow up and make this into a movie, which is funny because people that are watching those movies have no idea that those used to be cartoons.

00:03:27

Xochitl

Right, it's weird.

00:03:28

Jack

Yeah, it's, it's weird.

00:03:30

Jack

Uh #3. I used to watch uh Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

00:03:35

Jack

Which is yeah.

00:03:35

Xochitl

Ohh, let's let's.

00:03:37

Xochitl

Do a thing. When I was a kid.

00:03:38

Jack

Yeah.

00:03:40

Jack

And you know, I was choosing. I was trying to decide between that and dungeons and Dragons because I love the Dungeons and Dragons.

00:03:47

Xochitl

No dungeons and Dragons was a cartoon.

00:03:49

Jack

Yeah. Yeah, it was a. It was like a game and it's it was a cartoon.

00:03:54

Jack

There was also a show called.

00:03:58

Jack

The the gummy bears? No. Is it? Yeah. The gummy bears. Yeah.

00:04:02

Xochitl

Care bears the care bears.

00:04:04

Jack

No, no, no. The gummy bears they used what they called the gummy bears. Wait.

00:04:09

Xochitl

Are you sure it's not the care bears?

00:04:12

Jack

No, it's the gummy bear. They were like, they would. They would drink this like gummy bear potion and then they would jump around. And I used to watch that show all.

00:04:15

발표자

Through Google.

00:04:21

Jack

Time The Smurfs, OK.

00:04:24

Xochitl

Oh yeah, adventures of the gummy bears. Oh, this looks cute. It's on Disney. Plus, I'm gonna watch it later.

00:04:26

Jack

Yeah.

00:04:30

Jack

Yeah, it's it was. It was the.

00:04:32

Xochitl

The Smurfs. My aunt is like around your age. My youngest aunt, and she watched The Smurfs. And because she's short, people called her.

00:04:43

Xochitl

Smurfette.

00:04:43

Jack

You rather Smurf Smurf at? Yeah. Yeah, I'm. I'm kind of look like Papa Smurf these days with my beard. I've. I've got a beanie and a white beard.

00:04:44

Xochitl

With that, there's not much.

00:04:49

Xochitl

You do and your beanie. You just need, like a white beanie. You just publisher for Halloween. That would be so cute. And your wife can be Smurf that. Yeah, that's good.

00:04:56

Jack

Yeah, I should.

00:04:59

Jack

Yeah.

00:05:01

Jack

So you know I want I, that's my generation, right? The Smurfs, the gummy bears. I used to watch Uncle Scrooge. Like the adventures of Scrooge Mcduck. You know, like those kind of Disney ones. Yeah, all that stuff, you know.

00:05:13

Xochitl

Oh yeah.

00:05:16

Xochitl

By the time I was a kid, a lot of these have been made into life live actions like.

00:05:20

Xochitl

Performers, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and The Smurfs had also been made into live action, so that happened. I didn't like them. I liked the cartoon ones when I was a kid, the most iconic cartoon of all time for my generation has to be sponge Bob Square pants.

00:05:26

Jack

Yes.

00:05:38

Jack

Yeah, yeah. And I used to watch that because my daughter, that's my daughter's, is 15 now. She watched Sponge Bob when she was young, and I watched it in Korean, which is really funny because I was learning. So in Korean, it's like nemu baggy, spongy Bob Nemu baggy, spongy Bob.

00:05:39

Xochitl

Yes.

00:05:44

Xochitl

Right.

00:05:48

Xochitl

Yes.

00:05:51

발표자

Oh.

00:05:58

Xochitl

Uh.

00:05:59

Jack

Sponge Bob.

00:06:02

Jack

Nate Chingu, my friend. Do you know so something like that? I don't know. I can't remember exactly. Yeah.

00:06:06

Xochitl

And then that's funny. Yeah. So Sponge Bob is the definitely one of the number one most iconic cartoons we saw as a kid. #2. I really like scooby-doo. They've done, like different ones for every generation. But when I was a kid, they had one. And I loved scooby-doo.

00:06:16

발표자

Yeah.

00:06:24

Xochitl

That was the one I saw the most, scooby-doo.

00:06:26

Jack

That's funny because I watched the old one, the original one I.

00:06:30

Jack

Was a huge.

00:06:30

Jack

Scooby-doo fan as well. I watched. Yeah.

00:06:33

Xochitl

Yeah, I love scooby-doo, I.

00:06:35

Xochitl

Think I might have.

00:06:35

Xochitl

Seen that ohh Gee one because my mom is a Gen. Exer and I believe she would. She popped in the the OG ones actually because we had them on like VH. So that must have been her old VHS or something.

00:06:44

Jack

Yeah.

00:06:51

Jack

The real the the real old ones are the best ones because they're they've got Casey Kasem as as shaggy with his voice.

00:06:59

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:06:59

Jack

You know.

00:07:00

Xochitl

Yeah, yoinks. Yeah. So that SpongeBob, scooby-doo, and I was thinking of another one that when we were talking about them.

00:07:04

Jack

Yeah, that kind of thing.

00:07:14

Xochitl

And I was like, oh, that'd be a great one to bring up. And I was, like, blanking on it now because I wasn't allowed to watch a lot of cartoons.

00:07:22

Jack

Mm-hmm.

00:07:23

Xochitl

So but I remember.

00:07:24

Jack

Was it like uh, not Ren and Stimpy or Phineas? Phineas and Ferb were the ones that my daughter used to watch a lot.

00:07:28

Xochitl

No, I will not understand mine.

00:07:32

Xochitl

I didn't like minions for that much. I did it did. I was a kid when it came out and I I was around the age, but I didn't really like it too much.

00:07:41

Jack

OK.

00:07:43

Xochitl

Ah yeah, it looks like another 2000s cartoon. Come on, sponge Bob. scooby-doo. I watched some international ones like Shaman King, which was like an anime, and that would come on Saturday mornings. And I also watched someone that like some like The Simpsons, which is.

00:07:56

Xochitl

Classic and still run.

00:07:57

Jack

Ohh Simpsons is great. Yeah, but that's not a Saturday morning cartoon. Really. That's more of a.

00:08:01

Xochitl

No, that's like a more of a adult. It's it, it's an, it's like a PG13. It's not a super inappropriate or anything. It's not like.

00:08:08

Jack

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's just, it's just the humor is definitely for adults. Like kids, kids might might find it cute, but they they're not gonna understand the judge. No.

00:08:12

Xochitl

Yes. Yeah.

00:08:15

Xochitl

Yeah, they don't understand the full the humor. They definitely don't. So also SpongeBob is the same way when you see it as an adult, you're like, wait stuff, I'm.

00:08:24

Jack

Yeah, SpongeBob is is made for the kids, won't get the the the subtle jokes, but it, you know, keep the parents interested while they're taking their kids to go watch the, you know, movie, SpongeBob or.

00:08:29

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:08:36

Jack

Watching it on TV, parents can enjoy it too, because it's just bizarre and strange.

00:08:42

Xochitl

Yeah, I yeah, I think that was one of the staples of, I mean, I think that was mainly the things I watched. Dooby Doo, SpongeBob. I obviously saw the Disney Classics as a kid, like the movies.

00:08:54

Jack

MHM.

00:08:55

Xochitl

That they kind of turned to live action and there were some weird cartoons that I remember. There was one that I don't remember anymore. That was like she was a robot teenager robot.

00:09:10

Xochitl

And those she had these like, pigtails. And she was like blue and white. And I just, I don't even remember what it's called anymore. But I did watch quite a bit of that when I was a kid, and it was kind of.

00:09:21

Jack

I I used to watch the my parents generations cartoons. The Flintstones, the Jetsons.

00:09:28

Xochitl

Ohh I did see the Flintstones as well. I saw the Flintstones and the Jetsons. I've I've seen both of those. Those are such classic American cartoons that I feel like every generation I've seen them because.

00:09:38

Jack

And what is the Jetsons? Is like 2015 or something? It's like, not even?

00:09:43

Jack

It's not, it's.

00:09:43

Xochitl

Right, yes. It's like we've already surpassed it here. Yeah. Yeah, it's crazy. So we for surpassed the year that it aired on. Yeah. But yeah, I think those are the big ones. Phineas and Ferb was one that I did watch sometimes.

00:09:45

Jack

Like 2002 or something.

00:10:00

Xochitl

And I think that's pretty much it. I was in a big cartoon watch when my mom claimed it was like ohh, I watched some Arthur.

00:10:07

Xochitl

Yeah, that was more like my sister's age though, like.

00:10:10

Jack

Ohh yeah, what about Rugrats? Did you watch that one?

00:10:12

Xochitl

Oh my God, I love.

00:10:13

Xochitl

Rugrats and all grown up, they like Rugrats, was like at its tail end when I was a little kid. And so when I was kind of a little bit older, they had all grown up, which was the Rugrats. When they were all older.

00:10:27

Jack

Ohh OK. I never got into it. My daughter watched a little bit of it, but not much so.

00:10:28

Xochitl

Yeah. And so.

00:10:29

Xochitl

Watch that.

00:10:33

Xochitl

Yeah, I really like. Yeah, I yeah, I I like the the Nickelodeon shows quite a bit.

00:10:37

Jack

What about Doug? Did you ever watch Doug?

00:10:41

Xochitl

No, I think that was a little, yeah, I don't remember. I didn't. I didn't watch Doug. I watched one called like teachers PET where the dog is smarter than the kid.

00:10:53

Xochitl

Everything else.

00:10:53

Jack

What about Rick and Morty? Rick and Morty? Are you a fan?

00:10:55

Xochitl

Oh yeah, that's more like adult one, though, right? And Leanne Lee Pepper and pepper. And that's what it was called. She was a redhead with, like, glasses. Pepper ran or Pepper ran or something. And I saw that one.

00:10:59

Jack

Yeah.

00:11:11

Xochitl

Yeah, I don't know. Those are kind of all ones that were kind of more in my generation. They're making live actions out of a lot of them.

00:11:17

Xochitl

Now.

00:11:17

Xochitl

Like the Disney Classics, and they turn a lot of the Disney Classic movies into series. When I was a kid.

00:11:18

Jack

Yeah.

00:11:22

Xochitl

So they have.

00:11:23

Xochitl

Like a little and stitch series or like a.

00:11:28

Xochitl

Aladdin series and they had different things like that that you could watch when I.

00:11:31

Xochitl

Was a kid.

00:11:32

Jack

Yeah, there's still milk in that and making money after that, franchises.

00:11:36

Xochitl

I know because now they're making the live actions and Danas and then it's just bad and then a a really famous one. When I was a kid was Shrek.

00:11:46

Jack

Ohh sure. Yeah. Big time. Yeah, love it. First one is great. Yeah.

00:11:47

Xochitl

Yeah, I love Shrek. I still watch.

00:11:50

Xochitl

For this like.

00:11:51

Xochitl

Yeah, my 24th birthday. I was like, I want to watch Chuck one and my dad complained and I said.

00:12:01

Xochitl

And I just popped on Shrek for my 24th birthday and that's what we watched. So.

00:12:07

Jack

That's great.

00:12:08

Xochitl

And I would say my generation was like getting international already. So I watched a lot of cartoons like thought I am on Studio Ghibli, like the movies, like Spirited Away Howls with all of those.

00:12:18

Jack

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Give yeah, sure.

00:12:20

Xochitl

Things.

00:12:23

Xochitl

Yeah, I would say my generation saw like content from all around the globe a lot already.

00:12:31

Jack

Yeah, because of the Internet, yeah.

00:12:33

Xochitl

That's what I was thinking of. Adventure Time. Adventure Time was super popular.

00:12:37

Jack

Ohh yeah, I my daughter loved that show. It was so weird. It's the weirdest show ever.

00:12:42

Xochitl

It is weird. I just started watching it and it's so weird. It's like I remember thinking it was when I was a kid. That's so weird and kids like normally don't really pick up the same way because the world is weird to them. And I still thought it was weird when I was a kid.

00:12:51

Jack

Yeah.

00:12:59

Xochitl

Yes, I didn't see.

00:12:59

Jack

Yeah. No, it's it's a. It's a bizarre, bizarre show. It's almost. I almost wouldn't let my daughter watch it because it was so strange.

00:13:00

Xochitl

It.

00:13:00

Xochitl

But I.

00:13:08

Xochitl

Some stuff.

00:13:08

Jack

But then I was like, well, it's not.

00:13:11

Xochitl

That's it. So go ahead.

00:13:12

Jack

Like this? It's not dirty or anything, it's just weird.

00:13:16

Xochitl

Yeah, it's some of it is kind of like mildly inappropriate, like the ice king, like.

00:13:16

Jack

Just now.

00:13:22

Xochitl

Locks the princesses up or whatever and present. I mean, that's the kind of stuff that you've seen all throughout history of. Like what kids content is, but it is just kind of a weird. It's a weird show, but yeah, it is weird. Yeah.

00:13:31

Jack

Yes.

00:13:38

Xochitl

That was a big one. All right, well, if you guys have specific cartoons that you saw as kids, I would really like to hear about that. If you saw any of the cartoons.

00:13:47

Xochitl

We're talking about.

00:13:49

Xochitl

I'm interested in hearing about that too. Leave us a comment down below at A-Z, englishpodcast.com shoot us an e-mail at at ozenglishpodcast@gmail.com and join the meeting and WhatsApp groups.

00:13:59

Xochitl

In conversation and we'll see you guys next time.

00:14:01

Xochitl

Bye bye.

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack discuss etiquette surrounding first dates in the United States.

Transcript:

00:00:00

Jack

Hey A-Z listeners, this is Jack here.

00:00:03

Jack

And if you would like to become a an exclusive subscriber to the show, you can hit the link in the description and that will take you to our Red Circle page, where for $1.99 a month you will get access to an extra two or three episodes each week.

00:00:23

Jack

And be careful, don't hit that donation button if you want to become an exclusive subscriber because the donation button is just a one time donation. However, the exclusive subscriber button will give you access to the extra two or three episodes.

00:00:42

Jack

Each week.

00:00:44

Jack

So make sure you hit that exclusive subscriber button if you want access to the extra episodes.

00:00:52

Jack

Now let's get on with the show.

00:00:55

Jack

Welcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and today we are and I'm with my co-host social of course. And we are in the culture corner and we're talking about what do you do when you meet the parents of your, of your boyfriend or girlfriend for the first time, you know?

00:01:14

Jack

What's the what kind of etiquette do you like behavior? Should you display? What? What should you do? What shouldn't you do so social? Do you have like a list of dos and don'ts?

00:01:24

Jack

For for our our listeners out there who may be like meeting their significant others parents for the first time.

00:01:33

Xochitl

Yeah, I know. I we just had an episode talking about how you can dress like a slob anywhere in America, but a first date and also meeting a parent. Parents are two occasions where I would.

00:01:39

Jack

Yes.

00:01:44

Xochitl

Never do that.

00:01:46

Xochitl

So you want to go and kind of business casual attire, which means a nice dress shirt usually, or a polo. Or it could be a crisp, a clean looking solid color, no logos, no designs well fitted T-shirt and then neutral.

00:01:54

Jack

Yes.

00:02:06

Xochitl

Done.

00:02:07

Xochitl

And a pair of either nice clean, no tears, jeans or a pair of slacks. Kind of casual khaki, black, neutral tone slacks. And you can wear, you know, a pair of clean, crisp white sneakers or some casual dress shoes. Don't.

00:02:19

Jack

Yeah.

00:02:26

Xochitl

Go in as a man wearing like rocks or like sandals. And and if you're a woman, just go in a nice.

00:02:37

Xochitl

Kind of also neutral toned or it can be.

00:02:42

Xochitl

Pattern and it doesn't really have to be a neutral tone, but just kind of a tasteful dress. Nothing too crazy, nothing too extravagant.

00:02:51

Xochitl

Might wear something neutral, might wear something in a light pink or blue or something like that, but just a simple casual floral dress with a little cardigan is and your footwear is also more relaxed. You can wear a pair of clean tennis shoes like white, crisp tennis shoes, a pair of.

00:03:01

Jack

Yeah.

00:03:11

Xochitl

Little sandals if it's hot anything, but just make sure you look presentable.

00:03:18

Xochitl

And that's a big one for.

00:03:21

Xochitl

Looks duos.

00:03:23

Jack

And I'm going to say most of the time we we have an expression. Don't don't judge a book by its cover, but in this situation your, the, your boyfriend or girlfriend's parents are definitely.

00:03:38

Jack

Judging the book by its cover, so make your cover look good.

00:03:40

Xochitl

Yes.

00:03:44

Xochitl

Yeah, want to look.

00:03:44

Jack

Because you are being judged.

00:03:47

Xochitl

Yeah, you want to look presentable. You want to look clean. Clean cut is the phrase we use really often in the US, which means somebody who is, they're, well, shaved, their hair grew.

00:03:57

발표자 3

No.

00:03:57

Jack

Look like me right now is.

00:03:59

Xochitl

Yeah, don't have this crazy beard. Or like, if you're a woman like, you know, do your hair nicely. You don't have it, like, looking really disheveled, show up, clean, fresh, showered, looking simple, easy makeup for women and.

00:04:14

Xochitl

And just keep it really, really simple. Don't over complicate it, but just look nice. And then for other does for cultural and social does, I would say they're gonna ask you questions about yourself. So be prepared to answer questions like what your major in college is what you do for work.

00:04:35

Xochitl

How long you've been working there, questions about what your parents do. They might ask you, oh, you know, what does your dad do? What did your?

00:04:41

Jack

And you what are your ambitions? What are your goals? Yeah.

00:04:45

Xochitl

Yeah. One of your inventions, it's kind of old fashioned to be like. What are your intentions with my daughter back in the day, people did that. But and now I think you can be relaxed. They know that if.

00:04:50

Jack

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well.

00:04:59

Xochitl

You're bringing someone to meet the parents is usually a serious relationship in the US and and so.

00:05:06

Xochitl

You know, don't be too intimidated. Get to know them. Ask them questions about themselves too. What do they do for?

00:05:12

Xochitl

Work and and humor them. They're probably going to tell embarrassing stories about your significant other or show you embarrassing pictures. Just kind of chuckle along. Be a good sport.

00:05:24

Xochitl

Don't get into politics. Don't get into religion.

00:05:27

Jack

Yeah, no politics, no religion for sure. Yeah, avoid that.

00:05:29

Xochitl

Never. Never. If they try to beat you. Like if you're from a different religion or other politics and they try to bait you into a conversation, which means they try to say something to upset you.

00:05:41

Xochitl

Just ignore it and change the subject.

00:05:44

Xochitl

If they keep trying to do it, look at your SO.

00:05:46

발표자

Like.

00:05:48

Jack

Yeah. Get Me Out. Help me out there. Yes.

00:05:49

Xochitl

That, yeah, you don't have any, you know, reason to stay if you're being disrespected. And I know it.

00:05:55

Jack

Right.

00:05:55

Xochitl

Could be but.

00:05:56

Xochitl

Also keep an open mind because a lot of times.

00:05:59

Xochitl

People are going to be meeting you with the best intentions and they're not going to do anything to be intentionally rude, but because you're from two different cultures, they might accidentally offend you. So just keep a an open mind and if you find anything weird or offensive, just ask your significant other about it later.

00:06:15

Jack

Yeah. And go see, listen to our other podcast about table manners, because all those table manners apply.

00:06:22

Jack

You know, again, no slurping, no burping, you know, no chewing loudly with your mouth open, no cursing. Don't swear. Watch your language. OK, some people.

00:06:22

Xochitl

Please.

00:06:34

Xochitl

It's OK to accept a drink because a lot of times they'll offer you a drink. It's OK to say yes if they offer you to drink, but don't get drunk. You know, this is like a one drink of.

00:06:43

Jack

Don't get drunk. Yeah.

00:06:45

Xochitl

There maybe a 2 drink. I would say one just stick to 1 drink. You know you won't get drunk and just stick to that.

00:06:52

Jack

Yeah. And you and most likely you drove there. So you know you, you know, drinking and driving is you know it it might be a test like you know ohh is this person going to drink and drive with my daughter in the car or my you know that that could be another another thing so you know there there could be traps.

00:07:13

Jack

Set for you.

00:07:14

발표자 3

That.

00:07:15

Jack

Don't fall into these traps, you know.

00:07:15

발표자 3

Yeah.

00:07:18

Xochitl

Right. I think it's OK to accept one drink, especially if it will be a while before.

00:07:21

Xochitl

You drive, I think.

00:07:21

Jack

Yeah, yeah, yeah, one like you said. One, it's a one drink affair. It's not a party. It's not a party. It's not a cagar. Yeah.

00:07:25

발표자 3

The one in one? Yeah. Instead of. Don't get lost. Don't.

00:07:34

Xochitl

Compliment do do compliment their home. Say oh you have such a nice home. Bring a gift if you know they drink. You can bring a bottle of wine or you can bring some flowers for them.

00:07:44

Xochitl

Mom, those are two gifts that usually go over well, or you can bring something from your home country, like traditional candy, something like that. So.

00:07:54

Jack

Yeah. Don't show up empty handed. That's terrible. Bring a gift. Yes, that's a good point.

00:07:58

Xochitl

It's a bad match.

00:08:01

Xochitl

And gift and.

00:08:05

Xochitl

Uh.

00:08:07

Xochitl

I guess that's pretty much it. Do a firm handshake. This is if you're a man. This is a really big thing in US culture. When Father offers a hand for a handshake, it has. You have to do a firm handshake. Don't give him a death grip like you're trying to rip his hand off, but don't give him this limp, weak handshake. They won't make a firm handshake.

00:08:12

Jack

Yeah.

00:08:25

Jack

Yeah, we call that the dead fish where your hand is like a dead fish, you know? No, you gotta. You gotta squeeze back. You gotta give a firm handshake back. That's uh, that's important. Yeah.

00:08:26

발표자 3

Thing.

00:08:28

발표자 3

But.

00:08:35

발표자 3

Right.

00:08:38

Xochitl

And if you don't drink, UM, it's OK to say no. Like, if you are a person who doesn't drink and they are free to drink, it's it's OK to be like, Oh no, thanks. I don't drink. That's fine. And if you have any kind of restrictions of your diet because of your religion or your culture or your allergies or whatever, it may be, make sure to let them know ahead of time if you're going to be eating there. So, like, tell your significant other so they can.

00:09:02

Xochitl

Inform their family.

00:09:04

Xochitl

And then you won't have to worry.

00:09:07

Jack

Yeah. Don't let the mom prepare a a huge meal of pulled pork and then you show up and go ohh. By the way, I'm vegan. It's like that should have been told to her a long time before. So.

00:09:14

Xochitl

Right.

00:09:18

Xochitl

Yeah, or I'm Muslim or something. And then they're like, oh, my gosh, I'm so sorry. And they're embarrassed. You can watch that if you've ever seen twilight the movie, you can watch the scene where she meets Edward.

00:09:20

Jack

Yeah.

00:09:31

Xochitl

Family for the first time. And then she eats before going because she knows they don't eat because they're vampires and they're making this big Italian meal for her and then everyone gets angry. So yeah, just avoid. That's a great example of how to meet the parents because she dresses nicely and they're trying to be polite and everything. So just kind of.

00:09:52

Xochitl

Go with that.

00:09:54

Xochitl

No, not too much PDA.

00:09:57

Xochitl

It's kind, it's inappropriate, so please first time.

00:10:00

Jack

Maybe holding hands about, that's about it. That's the most you do, yeah.

00:10:02

Xochitl

Yeah, holding hands is even like that's that's that's a good level to keep. Only at that you know.

00:10:09

Jack

That's the highest level. Yeah, holding hands.

00:10:11

Xochitl

That's the highest level.

00:10:15

Xochitl

Yeah. And again, just just take it as an opportunity to get to know them. If there's a serious relationship, you'll probably be seeing a lot of their families. So you want to get to know them and complement, Slattery gets everyone places you want to flatter the mother. That's the easiest route.

00:10:28

Jack

Yeah, this is this. Food is amazing. This is delicious. Thank you so much. You know? Yeah.

00:10:29

발표자 3

So.

00:10:34

Xochitl

Have such?

00:10:34

Xochitl

A beautiful home. This food is amazing. You.

00:10:37

Xochitl

Look so young.

00:10:39

Jack

Yeah, you don't wanna. You don't wanna. You don't want to. You don't want to pack it on too thick there or whatever. But.

00:10:40

발표자 3

Look at.

00:10:46

Xochitl

You don't want to be too obvious, like if the lady looks 80, then don't say wow. You look so young. But if she actually looks young, like if she's 15, she looks 35. She's gonna be over the moon to hear that. You know, so don't do the cheesy line. The man walks and he goes. Oh, are you your sister? Please.

00:10:48

발표자

Yeah.

00:10:56

Jack

Yeah.

00:11:06

Xochitl

Don't do that. That's so cheesy.

00:11:06

Jack

Yeah, don't do that. Yeah, that one.

00:11:12

Xochitl

And yeah, just you know, compliment her on her home, her food. Uh, thank them for their generosity at the end.

00:11:19

Xochitl

Of.

00:11:19

Xochitl

The night? Yeah. And try not to overstay your welcome. Be that a reasonable hour.

00:11:25

Jack

That's usually not a problem usually. Usually you want to get out of there as soon as you possibly can, yeah.

00:11:28

발표자 3

There's still.

00:11:31

Xochitl

Yes, you smell good, right? But you know, so, yeah, I think those are the big meeting, the parents dues and don'ts. If it, how does meeting the parents go in your cultures? I'm really curious to know because in the US, once it's a serious relationship.

00:11:46

Xochitl

That's when we progress to meeting the parents. I know in other cultures you might meet them right off the bat. The parents might actually meet each other, and then you'll meet your significant other later. You might not meet the parents at all until the wedding. It just depends on the culture. So we're very interested to know, leave us a comment down below at AZ englishpodcast.com. Shoot us an e-mail at AZ English.

00:12:06

Xochitl

Podcast@gmail.com.

00:12:08

Xochitl

And join the WeChat. What's the group? So you can talk to Jack and I directly and see you guys next.

00:12:12

Xochitl

Time. Bye bye.

00:12:14

Jack

Bye.

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Jack tests Xochitl on her knowledge of Canadian slang.

Canadian Slang Terms:

Toque - A knitted winter hat, often with a pom-pom on top.

Double-double - In the context of coffee from Tim Hortons, it means two creams and two sugars.

Mickey - A small bottle of alcohol, typically 375 ml.

Loonie and Toonie - The Canadian one-dollar coin and two-dollar coin, respectively.

Keener - Someone who is overly eager or enthusiastic.

Poutine - A dish originating from Quebec consisting of fries, cheese curds, and gravy.

Hoser - An affectionate term for a foolish or inept person, made famous by the comedy sketch "Great White North" on SCTV.

Chesterfield - a term that used to be more commonly used in Canada to refer to a sofa or couch

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl an Jack talk about table manners in America.

Transcript:

00:00:00

Jack

Hey A-Z listeners, this is Jack here.

00:00:03

Jack

And if you would like to become a an exclusive subscriber to the show, you can hit the link in the description and that will take you to our Red Circle page, where for $1.99 a month you will get access to an extra two or three episodes each week.

00:00:23

Jack

And be careful, don't hit that donation button if you want to become an exclusive subscriber because the donation button is just a one time donation. However, the exclusive subscriber button will give you access to the extra two or three episodes.

00:00:42

Jack

Each week.

00:00:44

Jack

So make sure you hit that exclusive subscriber button if you want access to the extra episodes.

00:00:52

Jack

Now let's get on with the show.

00:00:55

Jack

Welcome to the agency English podcast. My name is Jack, and I'm here with my co-host, social. And today we are doing a we're in the culture corner. I believe we're in the the culture corner and we're talking about table manners in America, American table manners and we.

00:01:14

Jack

We kind of made a list of five kind of golden rules and uh, what? What are they? So. So what's #1?

00:01:22

Xochitl

Don't put your elbows on the table, so if there's like the tablecloth surface, don't eat with your elbows like on the table. And that's so different in other countries and cultures because like in Mexico, there's no issue with putting your on table. In America, your wrist putting your wrists on the table is OK, but elbows is.

00:01:28

Jack

Yeah.

00:01:42

Xochitl

It's just considered rude for some reason. I'm not really sure why.

00:01:45

Jack

It's so arbitrary. It's so dumb, like there's no reason for it. You know? It's like my why? Why, you know, don't be comfortable, you know.

00:01:49

Xochitl

And then there's.

00:01:50

Xochitl

A children.

00:01:54

Xochitl

Yeah, yeah. There's a children's line that's like in certain name, like Amy. Amy, Amy, if you're able to take your elbows off the table, this is not a horse's stable.

00:02:06

Jack

Yeah.

00:02:07

Xochitl

And it's like, I don't know why that even exists. I didn't know it was rude until I read it in like a book sometime in like the third grade.

00:02:11

Jack

Yeah.

00:02:16

Xochitl

UM.

00:02:18

Xochitl

So whatever.

00:02:19

Jack

I'll. I'll do it. I I don't really care. I I find that, like the least offensive of the of the table manner crimes. So you know when I'm eating, I'll. I'll probably do it. You know it it depends on where I am. If I'm in like a fancy schmancy.

00:02:35

Jack

Wearing a tuxedo. OK, I'm going to follow the all the taper table manners. But you know, if I'm, like, eating at a friend's house and some, you know, the.

00:02:46

Jack

They're.

00:02:47

Jack

They don't really care. I'll. I'll. I'll put my elbows on the table.

00:02:50

Xochitl

Yeah, I don't care if you're if you're, like, meeting your girlfriend or boyfriend's parents for the first time and they're American, like your elbows on the table, or if you're going to like a fancy dinner or like a work party or like a work party for your significant other or your own work party or whatever. Some kind of formal event, then I would say, like, steer away from it because there's some people in the older generation.

00:03:12

Xochitl

Like boomers and older that still?

00:03:14

Xochitl

Hair. But otherwise, if you're just at a casual house party or hang out with some friends at house warming or something, but it doesn't really matter, I don't think.

00:03:24

Jack

Yeah. Keep your knees off the table. That's a bad thing. Yeah, your feet. Yeah. Don't put your feet on the table.

00:03:27

Xochitl

Yeah, that's better. Your feet altered. The other cultures don't. That's like even more American to, like, put your feet on stuff like other cultures don't really do that, but yeah.

00:03:37

Jack

I know, and I've learned that the hard way, yeah.

00:03:41

Xochitl

I knew that already. Thank.

00:03:43

Xochitl

Thank you, mom. Mexican mom.

00:03:46

Xochitl

Two, don't talk with your mouth full if you absolutely have to. One way that I do is like I cover my mouth when I'm talking, like when I'm eating, I'm talking. I just do this because no one like the worst thing that can happen to you is that you're chewing and talking and like a piece of food flies out and hits someone else.

00:04:06

Jack

Ohh, right in there glass or something, you know?

00:04:09

Xochitl

Ohh God are like in their face on their hand. It's just or in their plate. It's just it's so cringy. So you you want to avoid that and that's why it's like no one wants to see.

00:04:20

Jack

Yeah, this is a tough one because you know what will happen is that as soon as you put take a bite of the food your you know your boyfriend or girlfriend's mother or father will ask you a question immediately.

00:04:20

발표자

Your soup.

00:04:31

Jack

So what do?

00:04:32

Jack

You do for a living, and you've got this mouthful of mashed potatoes and the best thing you can do is you'd like social set, take a take a.

00:04:40

Jack

A napkin and put it up over.

00:04:41

Jack

Mouth two. Finish, Swallow, take a little time and you know usually people will try not to ask you questions right as you're.

00:04:51

Xochitl

Always happens, like always happens for me. I'll be like.

00:04:53

Jack

All this.

00:04:54

Jack

You know.

00:04:56

Xochitl

Like once I can please kind of thing like signaling that and and finish or like another thing if I'm in a less formal setting I just kind of cover my mouth like if I'm talking with friends or something like yeah blah blah and just have my hand over my mouth.

00:04:59

Jack

Yeah.

00:05:13

Xochitl

What's the other one using a coaster? Not every country has coasters because we yes, we use a lot of wood designs and like wood and tables and stuff.

00:05:23

Jack

With tables, yeah, yeah.

00:05:26

Xochitl

You your glass can sweat. We also have, like, a lot of cold drinks or hot drinks and so.

00:05:32

Xochitl

Your glass can sweat or or the bottom brim of your cup can be hot, so you want to make sure that you use like a coaster, which is just like a flat little usually round, sometimes square piece of like tile or what have you. That's like set there for you to put your glass on. So like if a restaurant or someplace.

00:05:53

Xochitl

Has a coaster available or you go to someone's house and they have coasters like just make sure you use it before you put your glass down on like their wooden table because it can leave a mark.

00:06:03

Jack

Yeah, that's right. It leaves like a ring around the the wood and then they have to refinish the table.

00:06:09

Xochitl

Yes.

00:06:10

Jack

I just. I just.

00:06:11

Jack

Thought of a couple other ones, this is your pet peeve. Push your chair in after you're done.

00:06:15

Xochitl

Yes, yes, yes and.

00:06:17

Jack

That's good at it, yeah.

00:06:19

Xochitl

Make sure push your gear in. The other one is is eating noises. I know in Korea, Jack. It's like that's showing that you're enjoying the food kind of anyway like.

00:06:26

Jack

Right, slurping noodles, right the. Yeah.

00:06:30

Xochitl

All good. You know, like that the huge Koreans are so animated when they eat. And I really enjoyed that about Korean culture. But if you're from a culture where people are pretty animated when they eat, like when you go to the US, don't don't make those like slurping noises.

00:06:46

Xochitl

Don't make loud chewing noises like smacking like.

00:06:50

Jack

Yeah, chew with your mouth closed and keep it as quiet as you possibly can. Like, that's basically the.

00:06:50

Xochitl

We're like 15.

00:06:56

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:06:57

Xochitl

Because being loud and stuff and making these eating noises, a lot of people in the US are so offended by it. Like there's even a word for it, which is like misophonia.

00:07:07

Xochitl

Or something like.

00:07:08

Xochitl

That I I'm not super super believe that's right. And when people.

00:07:08

Jack

Oh, right.

00:07:11

Jack

They get nauseous or sick from like food. Sounds like they can't take it, yeah.

00:07:15

Xochitl

Some people snacking. I honestly think that's.

00:07:17

Xochitl

It's. I'm sorry. I think it's ridiculous.

00:07:20

Jack

Yeah, they're just weak people, like. Yeah, they deserve the suffer. Yeah.

00:07:23

Xochitl

Ohh your phone. You can. Yeah, but for some people it can be really serious. Like I I knew kids who would, like, eat lunch at the principal's office because they could not be around it, like around listening to other people eat. So yeah, the US is a weird culture in that way. So just try to keep it as quiet as possible.

00:07:42

Jack

Ohh, one more. Uh, don't clean. Don't pick your teeth. No, no toothpicks.

00:07:47

Xochitl

Oh well, sometimes there are toothpicks up, but.

00:07:48

Jack

At the table that's.

00:07:51

Xochitl

Don't. Yeah, don't do it at the table. Sometimes you'll see toothpicks available to you at a restaurant, but yeah, just do it like in private because it's like very cringy.

00:08:00

Jack

Well, in Korean.

00:08:01

Jack

Sometimes I'll I'll cover my mouth. You know you can cover your mouth and and do it, yeah.

00:08:03

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:08:05

Xochitl

I think that could be OK my dad does that.

00:08:10

Xochitl

But uh.

00:08:13

Xochitl

Yes, it can be very cringy and.

00:08:17

Jack

Yeah.

00:08:18

Jack

You don't wanna you you wanna make a good impression with the, you know, with with.

00:08:22

Jack

Your, your, your yeah.

00:08:22

Xochitl

If you are.

00:08:24

Xochitl

Seeing in laws or at a work party or having lunch with your boss, don't do it. Don't even cover your mouth and do it. It's just it's not worth the risk. You know what? Yeah, it's not worth the risk to be in the bathroom or something. Yeah, I think that's fine. But no, if that is such a rude one.

00:08:31

Jack

No, just take it into another, into the bathroom or something. Yeah. Yeah, yeah.

00:08:41

Jack

Yeah.

00:08:41

Xochitl

Uhm.

00:08:43

Xochitl

You can go wrong quickly, so yeah.

00:08:46

Xochitl

I think that's pretty much.

00:08:48

Xochitl

It I would say there are other ones like.

00:08:50

Jack

Yeah. No, no, no. You know, body sounds, you know, like belting. Yeah.

00:08:52

발표자

7.

00:08:56

Xochitl

Birthdays helping at the table. People try to keep their mouth closed and either cover their mouth like this or with a napkin. Like if you burp, you know, don't like burp loudly and.

00:08:58

Jack

Right, right.

00:09:04

Jack

Hmm.

00:09:07

Jack

It doesn't mean you're enjoying yourself, or it might mean you're enjoying yourself too much. You know you're too.

00:09:10

Xochitl

No, it's.

00:09:14

Xochitl

Yeah, people are definitely going to make a face at you if you burp at the table, so.

00:09:20

발표자

Yeah.

00:09:21

Xochitl

Yeah, I think those are those are it? Well, let us know if you have any other cultural questions. I would actually really love to hear whether any of these things are rude in your country, in your culture, or what things are considered rude in your country, your culture, and even things specifically that you notice Americans doing like in movies or American.

00:09:41

Jack

Yeah.

00:09:42

Xochitl

That you have that are considered root in your culture. I'm I'm really interested to hear and know about that. I know in in Japan there's something that they say horse laugh.

00:09:51

Xochitl

About Americans, cause we laugh with our head back, like ha ha ha. Like there's like a horse. Yeah. So I I definitely do that horse laugh. Apparently in Japan is in play. You're supposed to, like, cover your mouth when you laugh and do kind of a dainty laughs.

00:09:56

Jack

I just. I just did it.

00:09:57

Jack

I'm like.

00:10:07

Xochitl

I have that boisterous laugh though.

00:10:10

Jack

Yeah, that one's going to be hard to change. I don't know. I guess would just be the the horse. Laugher. Yeah.

00:10:13

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:10:16

Xochitl

Yeah. So yeah, just let us know what it's like in your in your country. I'm very curious to know.

00:10:22

Xochitl

Leave us a comment at A-Z englishpodcast.com it really helps with visibility. Also shoot us an e-mail at A-Z, englishpodcast@gmail.com, Jack and I would love to have an episode dedicated to talking about things that are rude in your culture and we can definitely do that through and it can be easier sometimes to sort through the emails than it is to sort through all your responses in the group chat.

00:10:43

Xochitl

And make sure to join the group chat, the we chat and the WhatsApp group so that you can talk to us directly. And we love chatting with you guys on there. See you guys next time. Bye bye.

00:10:51

Jack

Bye bye.

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Jack talks with lifelong English language learner Johnny from China.

Transcript:

00:00:00

Jack

Hey A-Z listeners, this is Jack here.

00:00:03

Jack

And if you would like to become a an exclusive subscriber to the show, you can hit the link in the description and that will take you to our Red Circle page, where for $1.99 a month you will get access to an extra two or three episodes each week.

00:00:23

Jack

And be careful, don't hit that donation button if you want to become an exclusive subscriber because the donation button is just a one time donation. However, the exclusive subscriber button will give you access to the extra two or three episodes.

00:00:42

Jack

Each week.

00:00:44

Jack

So make sure you hit that exclusive subscriber button if you want access to the extra episodes.

00:00:52

Jack

Now let's get on with the show.

00:00:56

Jack

Welcome to the AC English podcast. My name is Jack, and today we have a very special episode for you. I am doing an interview with Johnny and Johnny is from China and we're just going to have a conversation today. And, you know, leave and see where it leads. So Johnny.

00:01:16

Jack

Tell us a little bit. Like where, where?

00:01:17

Jack

Are you from in China? Exactly.

00:01:19

Johnny

Hi. Hi, Jack. Hi. The audience of AZ English podcast. My name is Johnny and I'm from China and I'm living in China at the moment, so it's a it's a great honor to me to be on the show with Jack. Yeah.

00:01:35

Jack

It's. It's an honor to have you here. You're a long time listener and you know you always, you know, send us, you know, comments and things like that. And we really appreciate your support. It's it's.

00:01:39

Johnny

Exactly, yeah.

00:01:46

Jack

Awesome.

00:01:47

Johnny

Well, that yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:01:49

Jack

Where where in China?

00:01:50

Jack

Are you from exactly like what city?

00:01:51

Jack

Do you live in?

00:01:52

Johnny

Oh, I'm. I'm from. I'm from the city called Fuzhou. That's like the the southern part of China. And so I'm in the South of China, basically. Yeah. It's like the coastal city here. Yeah. Yeah.

00:02:00

Jack

OK. OK. OK.

00:02:04

Jack

Yeah. Oh, I'm. I'm sure they've got amazing seafood there.

00:02:08

Johnny

Yeah. Yeah. So I don't know if you heard of the place, but we've actually got a lot of fellow countrymen, everyone, especially you, will find a lot of my people from my hometown in in New York. OK. So in Chinatown, a lot of them.

00:02:23

Jack

Oh. Oh, really.

00:02:25

Johnny

Are from Fuzhou.

00:02:26

Johnny

Actually, yeah. Yeah. So and they speak.

00:02:26

Jack

OK. Interesting.

00:02:28

Johnny

And and they speak still speak the the, the native native language. And it's like a dialect, yeah.

00:02:37

Jack

Right. So, so a lot of people there speak that dialect. OK, you sing. That's fascinating. OK.

00:02:40

Johnny

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

00:02:43

Jack

Yeah. Well, Johnny, a lot of our listeners would love to know, you know, they just from listening to you talk right now they're they're probably in awe because you have such a strong command of the English language. And when we do interview episodes like this, we'd love to, like, ask our our guests.

00:02:57

Johnny

Thank you.

00:03:03

Jack

Like, how did you like? What was your language journey like starting from when you were young? When did you Start learning English? What was your trajectory?

00:03:14

Johnny

Yeah, like on uh, so, you know, in China. So I think it's pretty much the same in in Korea. So we started learning language in perhaps in in our primary school. So we have like text.

00:03:25

Jack

I think it's third.

00:03:26

Jack

3rd grade in Korea is when they start.

00:03:28

Johnny

So great. Yeah, the same. No, it's it's. It's just thing to find out. Korea is the same. Yeah. So it's like third grade and we'll learn it all the way up to.

00:03:38

Johnny

Some people to high school high school, so we have the in the in the big exam, you know for entering university you will be tested in your English, just like Korea, right in Asian countries.

00:03:41

발표자

MHM.

00:03:47

Jack

Just like Korea, but but that test, am I not mistaken? Because I do teach some Chinese students that test is very grammar based. I mean, so it's a lot of just grammar, grammar, grammar, right.

00:03:58

Johnny

Exactly. Yeah, that's the.

00:04:02

Johnny

Yeah, and well, actually, we don't really learn spoken English in China. So it's not that focused on spoken English, so.

00:04:13

Johnny

They can. Well, like it's, you know, I've been.

00:04:16

Johnny

Previously I I have been learning English for many years, but I can barely speak three words of English because I've never spoken to anybody in China, so we don't really have the, you know, the the language environment here in China. That's that's the problem. The same in Korea.

00:04:31

Jack

I think it's the same in Korea. I think that they've they've implemented certain strategies to try to overcome that problem.

00:04:39

Jack

Because there are a lot of private academies in Korea, which I'm sure there probably are a lot of private schools in China as well, where students can Start learning English at a younger age and have exposure to like a native English speaker from Australia, America, Canada, whatever, yeah.

00:04:55

Johnny

Hmm.

00:04:59

Jack

Umm, but you know those are expensive. You know, not everyone can afford those. So you know, some kids are stuck with the public school system where it's like a.

00:05:10

Jack

A Korean teacher or a Chinese teacher lecturing in Chinese or in Korean, but they're teaching English, which is doesn't really make a lot of sense. You know when you're, when you think about it.

00:05:22

Johnny

Yeah. So I I still, I I think we're we're we're in desperate need for some good English teachers like you in China so.

00:05:30

발표자

But.

00:05:30

Johnny

Unfortunately, we don't. We don't have that many.

00:05:33

Johnny

Of native speakers who teach spoken English in China. Really. So that's. That's basically the situation here and.

00:05:39

Jack

OK. So take us back. So you're so Johnny's in primary school. And are you going to a private Academy or are you using the public school system?

00:05:42

Johnny

Yeah.

00:05:51

Johnny

Yeah, I'm. I'm pretty much using the the the public school system. Yeah. So just like, just like anybody else in in China. OK. So I wasn't in any language training school or anything. I didn't.

00:06:02

Johnny

Uh, I I didn't like English all that much, to be honest. I was like, yeah, right, that was. That was just a.

00:06:06

Jack

I was just gonna ask you that question. I was like, I bet you hated it passionately being, you know.

00:06:08

Johnny

Lot of fun, yeah.

00:06:11

Johnny

Yeah, in, in a sense. Yeah, in a sense like it was just another subject for me, OK. And I and I, well, I think I I did OK in in middle school, but in.

00:06:23

Johnny

In in high school like it fell, it falls off, I think pretty badly in in high school. So. So I didn't do so well in the the college entrance exam.

00:06:34

Johnny

For my English.

00:06:35

Johnny

OK so so I didn't didn't wasn't a really good English speaker.

00:06:42

Jack

Yeah, that's that's.

00:06:43

Johnny

Probably.

00:06:43

Jack

Shocking to us, you know, because listening to you right now, this conversation I'm like, how is this possible? Like what?

00:06:45

Johnny

Probably not. Not even.

00:06:49

Jack

Something, obviously something.

00:06:51

Jack

Happened along the way there. That was like a a real watershed like moment for you where you you did something dramatically different than you know.

00:06:54

Johnny

Yeah, right.

00:07:02

Jack

Following the school curriculum.

00:07:05

Johnny

Yeah, like, yeah, I I I wouldn't say I, I I wasn't even a good English learner, let alone a speaker. OK. So I think things got changed when I.

00:07:16

Johnny

Uh, when I decided to go to Australia and for for a further study. So and so I think and I started learning English like proper learning.

00:07:29

Johnny

English before that because you have to, you know, you have to pass the exams, you have to pass English exam before you can go there. So.

00:07:40

Johnny

I I think that's that's where I got started. But I notice, OK, so this this is actually kind of interesting so.

00:07:47

Jack

So did did you make the decision to go to Australia before you started learning English, you know, or were you already in the process of learning English, you know?

00:07:56

Johnny

No. So that was, you know, that was all after the.

00:08:00

Johnny

After I decided to go to Australia.

00:08:02

Jack

Wow, that's real. Like trial by fire. You're like, oh, my gosh, I've made this commitment and now?

00:08:08

Johnny

Yeah. Then you're sort of, you know, force yourself to, to be committed to this.

00:08:13

Jack

Yeah.

00:08:14

Johnny

So you got to do.

00:08:16

Johnny

Whatever you can you.

00:08:17

Johnny

Know to because this is the. So you, you. This is the choice you made so.

00:08:21

Johnny

You've got to commit to that.

00:08:23

Jack

Right, right. Umm, what was it like when you first arrived in Australia? How was your? How was your English at that time?

00:08:29

Johnny

Well, uh, I think I think things got changed. Uh, a bit after I I uh, you know, I went to the language school before I go to Australia so.

00:08:39

Johnny

I think I can't discover that I have this interest in in spoken language because I decided to started to really see if if if your English Movies OK, I think that's.

00:08:45

Jack

MHM.

00:08:53

Johnny

What? What, what?

00:08:54

Johnny

What started me off in the first place?

00:08:57

Jack

What kind of movies were you into I like.

00:08:59

Jack

Like.

00:08:59

Johnny

Oh, OK, that that, that's it. That was great because that was so many years ago. OK, so the the one I I can. Well, you know this sort of giving it away. Well, how how many years ago. So I I think that was like.

00:09:05

Jack

OK.

00:09:19

Johnny

Uh movies? Well, actually, I when I started off I I watched some of the older movies, OK like that the the the movies from from someone from the 90s like Terminators because that's one of my favorite. Yes. So Terminator two. Yeah.

00:09:28

Jack

Ohh yeah, sure. Terminating. Well, Sonny, that that I was in high school when that came out. So that gives away how old I am.

00:09:40

Johnny

Yeah, and terminate that because that was the all time classics. So I started seeing all those classic films like I, I don't remember. This one's called the negotiator. I don't know if you have seen this one.

00:09:51

Jack

Yeah. Sam Jackson. Yeah, that's a.

00:09:53

Jack

Great one, yeah.

00:09:54

Johnny

Yeah.

00:09:55

Johnny

Yeah.

00:09:56

Johnny

Right, Samuel Jackson and and Kevin Spacey. I, if I remember right. Yeah. So that that was the the sort of the movies that I I watched that at the time. OK. And then I kind of started me off and I and I think I followed a a TV program in China and that that was called Learning English with movies.

00:09:59

Jack

Yeah, exactly.

00:10:16

Jack

Ohh, I like that. That's cool.

00:10:18

Johnny

OK. So yeah, that was that was many years ago. OK. So and I I stumbled across that that that show on TV and I think that kind of started my you know that was that was very that was really mind blowing to me.

00:10:33

Johnny

Yeah, I can. I can actually learn something through movies when watching movies.

00:10:37

Jack

Something fun language learning can actually be enjoyable. It doesn't have to just suck all the time, you know? Yeah.

00:10:39

Johnny

It can be fun, right? It's like studying is fun.

00:10:46

Johnny

Yeah, it's because to me English is all about exam before, so you know about exams before. So yeah.

00:10:54

Johnny

That that kind of.

00:10:57

Johnny

UM introduced me to a whole new world.

00:11:01

Jack

Yeah. Yeah, that's that's great. I'm. I'm so glad that you brought because I think these like.

00:11:02

Johnny

If you like, yeah.

00:11:07

Jack

This idea that like if it's fun, it's not learning, and if it's painful, it's learning and I I I really I I just, I get disgusted by that kind of philosophy where if it doesn't, if it isn't boring and it isn't painful and tedious, then you're not really learning anything.

00:11:26

Jack

And it's so funny because it's like when you really started learning is when you actually started enjoying the process and and discovering.

00:11:36

Jack

English language movies and you know things like that where you can actually be entertained and also learn something along the way. That's a really great.

00:11:46

Johnny

Exactly. Yeah. That's how I felt. That's exactly how I felt. So that's.

00:11:51

Johnny

Nelson with mind blowing to me at a time so going.

00:11:54

Jack

Yeah, I'm just picturing you. Sorry to interrupt you. So just to get back, so you, you you went to Australia?

00:12:03

Jack

And you, you you had a pretty, like decent command of the language when you got there, you felt pretty comfortable.

00:12:03

Johnny

Yeah.

00:12:08

Jack

With like like.

00:12:09

Johnny

I I wouldn't. I wouldn't say that I had a good command of the language. I still, you know, I would. I I was able to I I guess I was able to order something in McDonald's, yeah.

00:12:22

Jack

OK. OK. OK.

00:12:24

Johnny

So I was I didn't have to staff myself. That's I think I I I would say that's the level I've I've gotten. And at the time.

00:12:30

Jack

Kind of a we.

00:12:31

Jack

We would call that like in. Yeah. So like a surface level of understanding where you can kind of navigate, you can get around in taxi, go straight, turn right, turn left. This is my house. This is my stop. Give me the 2 cheeseburgers with large fries. You know that.

00:12:42

Johnny

Yeah.

00:12:46

Johnny

Yeah, probably even.

00:12:46

Jack

Kind of stuff.

00:12:48

Jack

That's where my Korean is right now, you know.

00:12:50

Jack

To be honest, I've been stuck there for a decade.

00:12:51

Johnny

OK.

00:12:52

Jack

Right. So yeah.

00:12:54

Johnny

So I probably I I I couldn't even like name the the correct cheeseburger that I wanted. Yeah, I I can order a cheeseburger. Yeah, I I you know the the first thing I say is that you can even say.

00:13:01

Jack

You could just point.

00:13:06

Johnny

This one, that one is something like that.

00:13:08

Johnny

Yeah, yeah. I didn't even know how to say how to how to get a straw, you know? So in, in, in our language, we we call it a sucker. So The funny thing, you're.

00:13:16

Jack

So yeah, you don't want to ask for a sucker at McDonald's in Australia, you might you might get in trouble over there to see if.

00:13:17

Johnny

Not not get a.

00:13:22

Johnny

Yeah. Can I get a sucker or something like?

00:13:23

Johnny

That. So that's quite funny.

00:13:25

Jack

That is funny. Yeah, that's that's that's hilarious.

00:13:29

Jack

So how long in?

00:13:30

Jack

Australia, before you really started to like, you know, feel like you were in your groove, you know, really like making progress.

00:13:37

Johnny

Hmm.

00:13:38

Johnny

I I think that was I think the first major change or you know it's it's gone to a point where you realize that OK, something has changed. OK. So I have I have improved, OK that that moment came, I think about half year after I arrived in Australia 6 months later, OK.

00:13:56

Jack

Yeah.

00:13:58

Jack

Six months, yeah.

00:13:59

Johnny

Hmm.

00:14:00

Johnny

So I I think I you know the the the the sentences that that came out of my mouth was a little different. You know I can I think I can sort of.

00:14:09

Johnny

Use the the relative cost in my in my sentences. So that was a big that that was a that was a big change.

00:14:12

발표자

MHM.

00:14:17

Jack

Yeah, this is the place where that's the person who.

00:14:20

Johnny

This is a place where, yeah, so you can actually add a little description after the after the NUM.

00:14:25

Jack

Right.

00:14:26

Johnny

And and that that was, uh, that, that that was like a game changer.

00:14:31

Johnny

OK, so you can add significant amount of information to your to the, to the things that you say.

00:14:31

Jack

Yeah.

00:14:38

Jack

Absolutely. Absolutely. And that because it's instead of short, choppy sentences all the time, you're able to, like you said, add description to a noun and to, you know, build on that and and make your sentences longer and longer. So it's really funny that you bring up like relative clause because it's like.

00:14:54

Johnny

Yeah, it's still longer.

00:14:58

Jack

You're going back to your grammar roots, you know, in China.

00:15:02

Jack

Where you learn.

00:15:02

Johnny

Yeah.

00:15:02

Jack

From relative clauses, but you're like now I can use a relative clause, which is. You know, that's really different to me. Yeah. And you know what it means exactly. Yeah.

00:15:07

Johnny

Now I really understand what it means.

00:15:13

Johnny

And I understand.

00:15:14

Johnny

Why they did native speakers use it OK, because you need to. You need more. You need depth in in your language you need more information description.

00:15:17

Jack

Yeah.

00:15:24

Jack

Absolutely.

00:15:24

Johnny

Sorry, yeah.

00:15:26

Jack

I'm so yeah, I'm. I'm just, you know, I'm. I'm thinking about your your your story is really.

00:15:32

Jack

Maybe making a lot of like I'm making a lot of connections to other students that I've that I've met and that I've talked to and interviewed. They find that like when they, I I I equated to like learning the guitar or something. When you're learning the guitar or learning a language.

00:15:53

Jack

You improve quickly in the beginning.

00:15:55

Jack

And then you hit a plateau.

00:15:57

Jack

And you get kind of stuck on this one level and you feel like you're never going to.

00:16:02

Jack

Bump up another level and then suddenly one day out of the blue, like you said, you're just making sentences that are longer and more descriptive. And it kind of does that kind of light a fire with within you to be like, wow, this makes me wanna learn this even more because I'm seeing the improvements.

00:16:23

Jack

Objectively, you know.

00:16:24

Johnny

You know. Yeah, certainly. Yeah. So I think I've, I've got more confidence after after I I know I what I can do.

00:16:36

Johnny

But interestingly enough, like not long after that, you know, I think I kind of hit another ceiling.

00:16:43

Jack

OK.

00:16:44

Jack

That's normal. That's normal. Normal, yeah.

00:16:45

Johnny

That's not. Yeah, that's that's not there for. So I I I can.

00:16:52

Johnny

You know, I I.

00:16:54

Johnny

I think I passed that phase where I can only, uh, say very simple sentences. OK, so uh, so I can have, uh, more meaningful conversation with, with some with a native speaker.

00:17:07

Johnny

OK, but I still uh, I'm so.

00:17:12

Johnny

Uh, I'm still not confident. I'm not confident enough in in some of the the more deep conversations, right. And I think I I kind of stuck there. It's just like you said, you know, so yeah, that was a really good analogy like learning guitar. It's like kind of stuck there for for a long time again.

00:17:32

Jack

Good.

00:17:33

Johnny

OK, I didn't see any. I didn't see any improvements in my language. So I think that that's that, that that lasted.

00:17:39

Johnny

About I think maybe.

00:17:43

Johnny

A good one or two years. OK. So that was, uh, kind of suffered because.

00:17:49

Jack

But I I wanna. I wanna just talk about this a little bit because I I think I I don't want to listeners to misunderstand that you're.

00:17:58

Jack

You felt like you're not making progress and maybe when it comes to like producing utterances, but but things were happening inside of your brain during that entire period of time there were you were you were immersed in English language, you were internalizing rules and patterns and things like that. You just weren't able to.

00:18:19

Jack

Kind of convert it into utterances that were, you know, you know, speech perhaps. But I think that you were improving. I I just think.

00:18:30

Jack

Like it's it's part of the process is like you feel like you're stuck, but you're actually not. Things are happening and and progress is being made. It just might not be as obvious as you know. Perhaps we would want it to be, you know, because we we want like in two weeks later we want to.

00:18:50

Jack

You know, show people look what I can do, you know? But it's it takes.

00:18:53

Jack

A long time.

00:18:55

Jack

To get to that next level. And so I think a lot of people give up during that time. And it's sad because they're actually they are improving, it just maybe isn't showing the way that they want it to.

00:19:01

Johnny

Yeah.

00:19:06

Johnny

That I think that that's a fair point because.

00:19:08

Johnny

Probably you know, I I I I would have given up at A at a point, but you know I was.

00:19:16

Johnny

I was not in China, you know, I was in another country, so there's no way. There's no way you can get around.

00:19:18

Jack

You couldn't give up you. You were in. You were swimming with sharks. You know you. You were. You. Like sink or swim right here.

00:19:27

Johnny

Yeah. So there was, there was so everything. Everything you do, every every time after you, you know, you wake up, you have to speak English, otherwise you you know, otherwise you wouldn't be able to do anything. So. So I I kind of got lucky there. So at at that point.

00:19:39

발표자

Sure.

00:19:44

Johnny

You you're in that environment, so there's no.

00:19:46

Johnny

Way you can give up.

00:19:48

Johnny

So I kind of got me through that period where you feel, you know, a little disappointed about yourself, OK, about not making any progress.

00:19:58

Jack

So Johnny, we talked about that you're like long plateau. That was like maybe two or three years.

00:20:03

Jack

Or maybe one?

00:20:04

Jack

Or two years where you got kind of stuck. Yeah. And so how how long were you in Australia by the?

00:20:04

Johnny

Yeah, yeah.

00:20:06

Johnny

One or two years.

00:20:10

발표자

OK.

00:20:12

Johnny

Just a couple of.

00:20:12

Johnny

Years like three to four years, yeah.

00:20:14

Jack

OK, OK. And and what did you like when when you made that second jump up after that one to two year plateau, were you able to like have deeper conversations with people? Did you feel like like when you're sitting in a circle at a coffee table in there, you know the native Australians are are kind of you know?

00:20:34

Jack

Bantering back and forth and you before you were kind of lost in the conversation, did you feel like now you understood what was going on? You were able to understand kind of a more on a deeper level what they were talking about?

00:20:47

Johnny

Actually, no, actually no. No, because you know, you know Aussies because they have this very strong Australian accent. So as long as they they have the, it's like almost like they.

00:20:48

Jack

OK, OK.

00:20:55

Jack

Right.

00:21:00

Johnny

You're not really speaking English, right? So there's systems like totally different use different words, you know? So they are a lot different when the slings are strong and slang so.

00:21:05

Jack

They use a lot of different words, yeah.

00:21:11

Johnny

You will not be.

00:21:12

Johnny

You get.

00:21:14

Johnny

So that was that was the problem there.

00:21:16

Johnny

Sure, sure.

00:21:18

Johnny

Yeah, and no. You have problem with overseas students. So the overseas students usually hang out.

00:21:25

Johnny

With the overseas students.

00:21:26

Jack

Yes. So you we always tell them that we always, I always tell my students, don't hang out with your Korean friends like, don't do it.

00:21:27

발표자

I didn't really.

00:21:31

Johnny

Exactly.

00:21:33

Johnny

I I tell I tell myself that but you.

00:21:35

Johnny

Know it's just.

00:21:37

Johnny

Sometimes it's, uh, it's uh. Well, you know, you know, uh, it's something you should do, but you just not be able to do it, right. So you.

00:21:43

Jack

Right. And it's comfortable and it's familiar and it's comforting and it's so it's so tempting. It's so tempting.

00:21:46

Johnny

It's kind of, yeah, it's familiar, right? So you? Yeah.

00:21:51

Johnny

So when you.

00:21:52

Johnny

When when you, when you talk to the native speakers and you when you hear so many words that you don't understand, it's just so frustrating. Right? I I guess it's frustrating for for anybody. You know, it's funny thing is I I found like a French class.

00:22:00

Jack

Sure.

00:22:05

Johnny

They they they hang out with friends as well. That's what happened.

00:22:09

Jack

Ohh yeah, this is not yeah, this is not like a Korean or Chinese. You know, I don't wanna say problem, but like situation, you know it's it's something that a lot of exchange students will do because when you're when you're feeling lost and completely rudderless, you know just you alone in the ocean.

00:22:18

발표자

Yeah.

00:22:29

Jack

The first thing you're gonna do is is go towards something that's comfortable and familiar.

00:22:34

Jack

And you're gonna find people who are from your, you know, your country, and you're gonna latch on to them and hold on for dear life, you know, because it's. It's.

00:22:44

Johnny

Like. Yeah, yeah, I I guess because I think you you probably share the same experience cause you're you're in career. Yeah, so you.

00:22:44

Jack

Scary. You know to do that.

00:22:51

Jack

Yep, Yep.

00:22:53

Johnny

So I don't know about that. When you put the life there.

00:22:54

Jack

My my I hung out with a lot of Americans and Canadians and.

00:22:58

Jack

The.

00:22:59

Jack

Went to a lot of places where there were a lot of other Canadians and and Americans and.

00:23:04

Johnny

Exactly.

00:23:05

Jack

Yeah.

00:23:06

Johnny

Yeah.

00:23:07

Jack

I guess I tell my students do do as I say, not as I do you.

00:23:08

Johnny

So.

00:23:11

Jack

Know so yeah.

00:23:13

Johnny

Yeah. Well, that that's basically what happens everywhere. Yeah, so.

00:23:16

Johnny

I guess that's that's why you know, I I hit the second ceiling because I.

00:23:20

Johnny

Don't have enough conversations with the real native speakers. Now I go to classes. OK, yeah, we we use English in the classroom, and we'll probably do some food assignment scaling and uh, you know that that's it. OK, so so you don't actually. So.

00:23:34

Jack

Yeah.

00:23:38

Johnny

You, you, you have a lot of input.

00:23:41

Johnny

But not not enough output. I understand this like in many years. Many years later. I don't understand the the understand the theory at the time.

00:23:43

Jack

Yes.

00:23:49

Jack

Right, right. Not so many students don't understand the theory, and there are a.

00:23:53

Jack

Lot of lot of.

00:23:54

Jack

Teachers have kind of older I'm going to use a big word here, antiquated for our listeners out there just means like old fashioned. Yeah, old fashioned kind of philosophy on education where.

00:24:01

Johnny

What does that mean? Old fashion OK.

00:24:09

Jack

You know, the students are sitting in a desk pointed at the teacher, and the teacher is speaking English to them.

00:24:14

Jack

That they're supposed to, you know? Shut your mouth, be quiet. Listen and and don't disturb my classroom, you know.

00:24:21

Johnny

You know what that that that's the the. That's the kind of educational system we've been using for more than 100 years and still going.

00:24:29

Jack

I know it's still going. You could put a PPT. You know you can put a a projector in a classroom and but it's still. I still find myself standing in front of a room full of people with their chairs pointing at me. And I I wondered to myself, why are we doing this? You know, 100 years.

00:24:44

Jack

Twitter it's it's it's terrible. So.

00:24:46

발표자

Yeah.

00:24:48

Johnny

Oh yeah, I almost fell. You're. You're a universal teacher.

00:24:52

Jack

Right. I teach university here in Korea. But yeah, it's still, you know, the this whole setup is is very familiar. Yeah, it it's it's the same almost everywhere. So how do we get to Johnny today, you know, with, with your wonderful eloquence and and speaking ability?

00:24:57

Johnny

It's 9.

00:25:11

Johnny

Yeah, I can only say I'm still learning, still learning to go still long way to go.

00:25:14

발표자

Well.

00:25:16

Jack

Yeah, sure. I mean, it's a, it's a, it's a never ending journey. You're never going to get there. There is no final destination.

00:25:22

Jack

And you know there, there's always, there's always even for me as a native speaker, there's still more words for me to learn and more things for me to read and understand and and to. But but that's kind of the beauty of of teaching I find is like.

00:25:32

Johnny

Excellent.

00:25:40

Jack

You you realize that?

00:25:43

Jack

The more you learn about something, you think that it's going to get closer to you. But as you look on the horizon, it just gets farther and farther away. It's like the deeper you that you go into English, the the horizon is moving away from you, the you know, it's getting farther away. And and you realize, oh, this is a never ending process.

00:25:59

Johnny

Yeah.

00:26:01

Johnny

Yeah.

00:26:04

Jack

Until you know the day I die, I'll still be learning English, you know, and.

00:26:08

Johnny

Yeah, we call that the A lifelong learner. OK, so you're learning for a lifetime.

00:26:11

Jack

Yep.

00:26:13

Jack

Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think that's that's a better way to look at yourself as or a better way to.

00:26:18

Jack

Look at it then to say ohh this is my destination and when I get there I'm going to stop.

00:26:24

Jack

It's like, no, you it it's be a lifelong learner. It's a much better way to think of yourself.

00:26:26

Johnny

Yeah, no.

00:26:31

Jack

So how how did you?

00:26:32

Jack

Get how did you get to where you are now?

00:26:34

Jack

Like what? What was your? What's your secret?

00:26:36

Johnny

I think the uh the 2nd, so now I'm coming to the the the second big game changer in my journey in my journey in in Australia. OK so.

00:26:42

Jack

OK. OK, right.

00:26:43

Jack

Right.

00:26:44

발표자

OK.

00:26:50

Johnny

I a well I I got a a part time job at the time. OK? So because I I think, OK, so something has to change.

00:27:00

Jack

Yeah.

00:27:00

Johnny

You have to work out. You have to work out your comfort zone. You know, sometimes you just have to push yourself a little to work out the comfort zone so that I found myself a part time job there.

00:27:10

Johnny

You know, uh, which is a salesperson at uh at a mobile phone store.

00:27:14

Jack

Oh wow. OK.

00:27:15

Johnny

So yeah, so and.

00:27:16

Jack

Now you now you need some technical English because.

00:27:19

Johnny

You have to learn. Yeah, you.

00:27:21

Jack

You're not going to get by with hamburger and.

00:27:21

Johnny

Have to learn a lot of 2nd.

00:27:23

Jack

You know. Yeah, that's not gonna cut it.

00:27:27

Johnny

My name is. You're not getting away with those simple words. So because not only do you have to talk to the customer.

00:27:34

Johnny

OK.

00:27:36

Johnny

But you also have to sell your products, OK? Otherwise you'll get fired.

00:27:40

Jack

Right, right.

00:27:41

Johnny

Well.

00:27:42

Johnny

So you not only have to to, uh, speak to them, you have to sort of get them hooked, you know, get them, listen to you. So so they'll they'll buy things right. So so establish this kind of connection.

00:27:56

Johnny

Yeah, right. So again, it it really allows me to get into a deeper conversation with them and and you know, because it's a paid job, right? So it's a paid job. So. So you're more serious about this, not like you're fooling around with your mates, right? Yeah.

00:28:12

Jack

Right. It's not like the classroom, you know, project where you're.

00:28:15

Jack

Joking around and you know, you know.

00:28:17

Johnny

You know.

00:28:18

Johnny

So sort of force myself to think about.

00:28:19

발표자

Absolutely.

00:28:24

Johnny

The some of the grammar, some of the the the terms that I use and I think I learned a ton from my my colleagues, OK, so.

00:28:32

Johnny

I think 1.

00:28:32

Johnny

Of my colleague is the is the best son. He's like 16 years old or something at the time, you know? So and.

00:28:42

Johnny

UM.

00:28:46

Johnny

So actually he he was using a lot of the teenager language, you know, still a lot of slang, the teenager slang saying and.

00:28:50

Jack

A lot of slang and yeah, yeah.

00:28:54

Johnny

I I still, but still you.

00:28:56

Johnny

You learn, you learn a.

00:28:57

Johnny

Lot.

00:28:57

Johnny

You know from that experience.

00:28:59

Jack

Yeah. Actually I think that might be the perfect kind of like practice partner is someone who's, you know they're they're not necessarily professional or established yet, you know, so they're not.

00:29:06

Johnny

Yeah.

00:29:11

Jack

Getting and you know, he's they're also probably way more relaxed and chill than like, you know, the an older person might be someone in their 40s and so.

00:29:22

Johnny

Yeah, yeah.

00:29:25

Jack

It's much more comfortable.

00:29:26

Johnny

Yeah.

00:29:27

Johnny

Much more comfortable exactly.

00:29:29

Johnny

And and and I'm you know.

00:29:31

Johnny

I'm really thankful that he's not judging because I'm not so fluent in English. You know, because sometimes the teenagers, they're, they're the they, they can be, they can be the.

00:29:41

Johnny

Uh, some little demons, but they can be can also be the nicest person in the world, so you know, I just happened. I'm just so glad that I that I met the the, the, the the nicest person.

00:29:46

Jack

Right.

00:29:51

Johnny

In the world.

00:29:52

Johnny

They will be not judging and but it could be daunting sometimes, you know, to still face the face the customers, because they they can ask your questions, right. And they're they well. And I mean, I wouldn't. I don't want to say.

00:30:02

Jack

ABC.

00:30:02

Jack

Absolutely.

00:30:06

Johnny

But sometimes, as customers, they don't, they do not forgive you because because your native language is not English, right? Because.

00:30:14

Jack

They're just going to get frustrated. They're going to complain.

00:30:16

Johnny

Yeah, if you can't. Yeah, they they. If you can't explain something thoroughly, they're just gonna get complaint. It's very natural.

00:30:23

Jack

Well, it's a we we call them. That's a a Karen behavior social and I talked about. Yeah. One of our podcast well, I mean, but you you're gonna eventually you're going to get a Karen. You know what I mean? Like you're gonna get someone who's gonna.

00:30:30

Johnny

The shopping game.

00:30:39

Jack

The.

00:30:39

Johnny

OK.

00:30:40

Jack

Very impatient and frustrated because maybe they're not going to give you that extra like I don't know space to like kind of catch up in the conversation. They want to be understood immediately, and if you're not meeting their demands, they're going to start complaining. And so that that could be scary.

00:30:57

Johnny

Yeah. Yeah. And it was. It was. Yeah. And I'm going to just. I'm just going to.

00:31:04

Johnny

This, on behalf of all our audience here I are. You, a male, Karen Jack.

00:31:10

발표자

I'm like, yeah.

00:31:11

Jack

To be honest, actually I'm I'm very far from a male. Karen, you know I'm not. I'm not. I don't, I don't.

00:31:20

Jack

I I don't practice Karen like behavior in my in my regular day I'm pretty. I'm pretty patient and pretty, pretty laid back when it comes to those things. So yeah, yeah.

00:31:26

Johnny

And I'm just joking, just playing.

00:31:32

Jack

Yeah. So that was that sounds like that, that job, your part time job was again.

00:31:38

Jack

Your philosophy is kind of like, I mean, I'm starting to see a pattern here in like your in your life.

00:31:44

Jack

You first you decide to go to Australia, then you're like ohh. Now I have to learn English, you know. And then you're learning English in Australia and you're like, I'm gonna get a job. Ohh my gosh. Now I have to start speaking on a deeper level to these customers. It's like you put yourself in these situations that are very high stress and then you.

00:32:05

Jack

Rise to the OK.

00:32:06

Jack

Vision, which I think is you know, I mean that's like a a trade for of like very successful people will do that they'll they'll jump in first and then they'll be like now I have to figure this out whereas cautious people will you know I'm going to study for 10 years and then maybe I'll apply for that job it's it's much better to just do it your way.

00:32:27

Jack

Right. Just jump in and go for it or swim.

00:32:29

Johnny

Well, I I I guess I I I.

00:32:31

Johnny

Guess I I I got lucky. I got lucky that I have this opportunity.

00:32:36

Johnny

My as my family has been able to support me financially and which allows me to go to another country.

00:32:40

Jack

Yeah.

00:32:44

Johnny

To study so that that's what you know when you're in this country, when you're in this environment. So you could sort of.

00:32:51

Johnny

Take away your your safe, safe net so you don't have the safe net to fall back on. So you, you.

00:32:55

Jack

Right.

00:32:59

Johnny

You you have to, you have to.

00:33:02

Jack

And but you know it, it doesn't have to be extreme like what you did. I mean, what you did is pretty extreme, but.

00:33:08

Jack

I'm going to.

00:33:09

Jack

I'm going to say to our our listeners out.

00:33:11

Jack

There, you know.

00:33:12

Johnny

So.

00:33:14

Jack

It's also scary to introduce yourself to a native speaker.

00:33:18

Jack

You know, if you if you see one in your neighborhood, you know, like, that's scary. But you know what? Go introduce yourself. Just take that leap of of faith. And so that's like kind of doing it on like a micro level of what you did. And you don't have to move to Australia. You don't have to get a job.

00:33:26

Johnny

Yeah.

00:33:35

Jack

You know selling mobile phones, but you could just introduce yourself to someone who speaks English, try to befriend that person and and that could be another Ave. to success that doesn't require money. It might require a little bit of time and energy and you, you know.

00:33:53

Johnny

Exactly, yeah.

00:33:54

Jack

But I think.

00:33:55

Jack

I think these little things are, there are little ways to do to be, to take risks that will actually benefit you.

00:34:02

Johnny

Hmm. Yes, totally agreed. Yeah. So. So I I think it has to. Yeah. Yeah, I heard this. You have to start somewhere, right. Everything has to start somewhere. So.

00:34:14

Johnny

I think it's the the, it's. It's really crucial that.

00:34:18

Johnny

I think it's better.

00:34:19

Johnny

If you're determined to to learn this language.

00:34:23

Johnny

You better start somewhere or say whether that's uh, that's a really simple sentence. And maybe just saying hello, just like you're saying hello to.

00:34:30

Johnny

The to the foreigner in your.

00:34:31

Johnny

In your neighborhood? Yeah, something.

00:34:34

Johnny

You know, we're not gonna eat.

00:34:35

Johnny

You right, so why not? Why not?

00:34:37

Jack

They're.

00:34:38

Jack

Gonna.

00:34:38

Jack

Eat you. That's. I like that. That's.

00:34:39

Johnny

No. Why not? Yeah.

00:34:40

Jack

True.

00:34:42

Jack

Yeah.

00:34:43

Jack

UM, that's fascinating. And So what do you? Are you a teacher now? Is that if if.

00:34:47

Jack

I'm not mistaken.

00:34:47

Johnny

I am. Yeah. I I I, I.

00:34:49

Johnny

Am a teacher. I have a.

00:34:51

Johnny

I am the Niles teacher.

00:34:52

Johnny

So I think from that you know.

00:34:54

Johnny

Yeah.

00:34:55

Johnny

Uh, from a mobile phone job many years ago, and I found my interest in learning the language and speaking the language so.

00:35:05

Johnny

I you know.

00:35:06

Johnny

Well, I you know, I.

00:35:07

Johnny

Wound up in different.

00:35:07

Johnny

Jobs later, you.

00:35:08

Johnny

Know so that that's a long story, but anyway, so I eventually I was able to.

00:35:09

Jack

Yeah.

00:35:15

Johnny

Find a true interest which is language and language teaching, I guess.

00:35:20

Jack

Yeah.

00:35:20

Johnny

Hmm so so I am a teacher now.

00:35:21

Jack

That's amazing.

00:35:23

Jack

Yeah, I I love your story. I think it's fantastic and I think it's very inspiring. A lot of our listeners out there are going to appreciate it. And and I think some of them have had similar experiences and maybe you know, like you said, a lot of it is luck too, right? The fact that you met the.

00:35:24

Johnny

So this.

00:35:39

Jack

Right, people at the right time.

00:35:41

Johnny

Yeah, yeah.

00:35:42

Jack

But you know, if you.

00:35:44

Jack

Put yourself out there. Opportunities are they're floating around, you know, and if you don't try you, you you 100% chance of failure. So you know you you you got to take you got to take a risk.

00:35:55

Johnny

Exactly, yeah.

00:35:58

Jack

UM, so Johnny, you're you're interested in podcasting, if I'm not mistaken, this is something that you're aspiring to do. Yeah. And you said you had some questions for me, so yeah.

00:36:04

Johnny

Yeah.

00:36:09

Johnny

Not only not. Yes, and thank you, Jack, for.

00:36:15

Johnny

You know, actually, I want to thank you to inviting me and thank you for inviting me today here. So I could be on the show and ask you about all these questions.

00:36:24

Jack

Absolutely.

00:36:25

Johnny

And so, yeah, you're you're saying that exactly. I'm. I'm I'm interested in starting a podcast. You know, I've been thinking about that for a long time and actually not not only broadcasting because.

00:36:39

Johnny

I'm I'm I'm actually.

00:36:40

Johnny

Quite new to podcasting because it's not the I guess it's not as popular as it is in.

00:36:46

Johnny

And you know basically.

00:36:48

Johnny

Outside China. OK, so in China it's, it's not a thing.

00:36:50

Jack

Yeah, yeah. And and these days it's always evolving because what I've noticed is that podcasting without youtubing or being a YouTuber or in China, Billy, Billy, you know, without doing something like that, you know, people want to be able to see you and listen to you. That's what I've I've, I've I've come to realize, is that they really want to see.

00:37:03

Johnny

Yeah, yeah.

00:37:12

Johnny

Yeah, yeah.

00:37:12

Jack

And listen.

00:37:14

Jack

And so I I would recommend if you do, you know if I were to do it all over again, I would have made more of an effort to be a podcaster slash like YouTuber and really put the effort into like the video as well, which we haven't, you know, for the last couple of years, we've been mostly just an audio podcast.

00:37:14

Johnny

Exactly.

00:37:25

Johnny

OK.

00:37:34

Jack

I don't know how you did. How did you find us, by the way?

00:37:38

Johnny

Oh, oh, yeah. That's that's an interesting word as well. I think the first summer class.

00:37:46

Johnny

Your channel on the on the channel, unbelievably.

00:37:50

Jack

Oh, OK.

00:37:51

Johnny

Yeah. So I was. Yeah, I yeah. So because I was, I was trying to find some of the some of the materials for my students because I don't think they have enough input. So I think they should listen to more of the native speaker conversations and.

00:37:52

발표자

All right.

00:38:05

발표자

Right.

00:38:10

Johnny

Well, trust me, I I've tried a few a bunch of different. I've tried different things, try different channels. OK so. But you know, because I I teach out.

00:38:15

발표자

Sure.

00:38:17

Jack

Yeah, yeah.

00:38:20

Johnny

Right, so I'm not speaking. It's sort of a, it's very conversational English, you know.

00:38:27

Jack

Right.

00:38:28

Johnny

Right, so a lot.

00:38:29

Johnny

Of students are familiar with the the sort of uh monologue type of uh speech type of English.

00:38:36

Jack

More toic or something like that, where it's like a a kind of presentational or something like a.

00:38:42

Jack

Like a.

00:38:42

Johnny

Presentation or. Yeah, yeah, yeah, something like that. Right. So, but not not, you know, the conversational English. So that that's that's.

00:38:48

Jack

Right.

00:38:50

Johnny

I came across your channel and I and I think wow this so this is just fantastic.

00:38:56

Jack

Thank you so much. We are the least like academic of the podcast that I've come across.

00:38:57

Johnny

This is this is.

00:39:02

Jack

You know we.

00:39:02

Johnny

And that that.

00:39:04

Johnny

Happened to be exactly what I needed.

00:39:06

Jack

That's fantastic. I I love hearing that. It makes us, you know it. It kind of validates, you know, things for, for social and me because we do we have kind of found our lane in which is it's not the most beautiful polished you know kind of podcast.

00:39:25

Jack

But we do just love to have, like, real, genuine conversations with each other. And I feel like that's something that's missing. It's everything's all planned out. It's so clean and so crisp and, you know, conversation is messy and ugly sometimes it's not, you know, it's it's not this like.

00:39:43

Johnny

Yeah, but that's, you know.

00:39:44

Jack

Beautiful, yeah.

00:39:47

Johnny

Well, it doesn't have language, doesn't have to be beautiful. That's that's my take.

00:39:49

Jack

Right. Yeah, exactly. We can't all be Shakespeare. It's not all poetry, you know. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. So, yeah. So if you, you know, if I. If I were in your your shoes. Well, let me ask you a couple of questions. First are are you thinking of doing like an aisle?

00:39:55

Johnny

No, no, no, no.

00:40:06

Jack

The style of podcast or something are you are you going to focus on?

00:40:08

Johnny

So yeah, that that you.

00:40:09

Jack

Something specific like that.

00:40:11

Johnny

Know Jack, that that's where I got stuck. You know, that's kind of where I got stuck because.

00:40:17

Johnny

There are some many.

00:40:19

Johnny

There are many competitors out there who are doing this kind of content already. OK, so.

00:40:25

발표자

Right.

00:40:27

Johnny

So if I were to do it now, OK, would I be able to ever compete with them because they started earlier?

00:40:34

Johnny

OK, so and and and and in doing that I kind of limit myself to uh, you know, to this group of audience that that they are only interested in in outs knowing you know this kind of small group of people you should know that.

00:40:35

발표자

Yeah.

00:40:47

Jack

Yeah.

00:40:49

Johnny

Yeah. So that's that's that's what I've done.

00:40:53

Johnny

That's that's what I'm worrying about. OK, so I I I, you know, in a way, I don't want to.

00:40:55

발표자

Mm-hmm.

00:40:58

Johnny

Limit myself to only.

00:41:00

Johnny

This screwed up audience and I want to. I want a bigger audience but.

00:41:04

Jack

Yeah, exactly. I, no, no, you got to be greedy because it's there's only, you know, there's only so much bandwidth out there that people have, you know, for for this kind of.

00:41:06

Johnny

Is that not too greedy?

00:41:15

Jack

Content and uh, you know, I mean social and I were still plugging away two years later and we've made some progress. But you know, there are times where our downloads are not as as good as some months. And you know we wish we were more successful like some of the bigger, you know, ESL podcast. But you know we stayed.

00:41:36

Jack

You know, we try to be genuine. We try to be authentic, we try to be true to ourselves and what we enjoy doing.

00:41:43

Jack

And I guess that's what I think that's my the best advice I could give you is find out like what your what do you authentically enjoy doing, you know like what are are you you know, if if teaching a lesson is your thing then then you know you could take some of your lessons from your alts class and you could actually.

00:41:55

Johnny

Yeah.

00:42:03

Jack

You know, convert those into like podcast form, you know, and do it that way, if you're you're a conversationalist because we're have we had, it's already been 45 minutes. We've been talking. So we're we're having this great conversation.

00:42:20

Jack

So you could go down that lane and or you could do all of those things, you know, and and just and and see what clicks with the, with the audience as well. Because once you get something that people like, you have to follow that, you know, follow that lead that trail because they're they're telling you what they want.

00:42:33

Johnny

Yeah, yeah.

00:42:39

Jack

And you have to follow it. You know, sniff it out.

00:42:42

Johnny

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's not. It's.

00:42:44

Johnny

It's not about, yeah.

00:42:45

Johnny

Doing the right thing the right time.

00:42:47

Johnny

And uh, so I I guess, uh, videos, uh, the the the short videos are a thing you know since since the.

00:42:55

Johnny

Since TikTok I guess.

00:42:57

Jack

Yes.

00:42:57

Johnny

So you have seven other point, yeah, I was.

00:42:59

Johnny

Thinking about maybe I should do a TikTok or should I?

00:43:01

Johnny

Do TikTok.

00:43:02

Johnny

Or YouTube, or because YouTube is isn't really a you know, available in in China. So so should I be a YouTuber or so?

00:43:07

Jack

Right, right.

00:43:12

Johnny

A lot of things you have to take into consideration at the moment so.

00:43:15

Jack

Yeah. Yeah. Well, I I would tell you, you know, honestly do it for a while because you'd love to do it.

00:43:23

Jack

And don't worry about the downloads and the success, because if you, you know, you find that that you really enjoy doing it. Like for me this is like very much.

00:43:35

Jack

A kind of a hobby. I I always call it a job. It's a jobby. It's like a.

00:43:38

Johnny

Yeah. OK. Is that is that a word?

00:43:42

Jack

I just made that up, but it's it's between, yeah.

00:43:44

Johnny

OK.

00:43:47

Jack

You know it. It's it's, it's something that I would love to do and generate income and survive on, but I'm not there yet. But I keep doing it. Not for for money or for fame or anything like that. I just really enjoy it, you know, it's just something that is really, really good.

00:44:06

Jack

And I think it's and you're you're doing something good for.

00:44:10

Jack

You're not just wasting people's time, you're actually giving them something that they they need, which is, you know, more, you know, content for language learning. Cause I think there's just, there's never. There can never be enough of that. To be honest, in my opinion, because people are always looking for more ways to learn English and they're connecting with certain personalities.

00:44:30

Jack

And you know it, you may just resonate with with certain people and and but I would, you know, follow your instincts, be yourself. Don't try to be you know somebody else.

00:44:36

Johnny

Yeah.

00:44:41

Jack

I am.

00:44:42

Jack

You know, I tried that in the beginning of podcasting where I tried to have a better broadcasting voice, but the truth is, I stammer. And I I I, you know, repeat myself and I, you know, you know, I do all that kind of stuff. And and that's just who I am, you know. And if if people don't like it, then you know, they they'll tune.

00:44:55

Johnny

Just feed yourself.

00:45:03

Jack

No, but I I think people will forgive you if they think you're being authentic and genuine as as a, as a presenter, as a podcaster.

00:45:12

Johnny

Yeah, I think.

00:45:13

Johnny

Being genuine that that's that's really crucial.

00:45:15

Johnny

Yeah, well, you know, I share the link of your your podcast to many of my students, and I think they they think it's absolutely fantastic. So a lot of my students been listening to. Well, thank you, Jack. Well, thank you for creating such a great.

00:45:26

Jack

Oh man, thank you so much.

00:45:31

Jack

Yeah.

00:45:33

Johnny

All these great content. OK. Thank you for you. And socials and Kevins and effort. You know, we're actually listening to some of these earlier, earlier episodes where you feature.

00:45:46

Jack

Yeah.

00:45:47

Johnny

Kevin and I mean.

00:45:49

Johnny

Maybe someone else. I don't remember the name.

00:45:52

Jack

Yeah, you're you're going into the deep cuts. Yeah, we had some really good conversations at the beginning, you know, Kevin and I started it together, and then he got too busy and social was a guest on our our podcast. And then she became a my full time podcasting partner. So. Yeah, just kind of funny how that happens.

00:45:53

Johnny

Are you sure? Yeah.

00:46:08

Johnny

Oh, OK.

00:46:12

Jack

UM, but uh, you know. Thank you, Johnny. It means a lot to us. And thank you so much for spreading the word and for our listeners out there. This was my my conversation with Johnny. John. If Johnny gets a podcast started, I will be the first to promote it to all our listeners out there. Of course. Of course.

00:46:29

Johnny

Thank you. Thank you, Jack, my name is.

00:46:33

Jack

And if you guys want to listen to this episode, go to our website A-Z englishpodcast.com if you want to leave us a message, you can send us an e-mail at at Oz English podcast at Gmail.

00:46:43

Jack

Com you can talk to us in our WhatsApp group or in our WeChat group for our our Chinese listeners out there. And with that said, Johnny, thanks again man and listeners. We'll see you next time. Bye bye.

00:46:53

Johnny

Thank you.

00:46:55

Johnny

Thank you.

00:46:57

Johnny

Bye bye.

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In this exclusive episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack discuss three phrasal verbs with the verb "give."

Give up - to quit or stop doing something

Example: "He decided to give up smoking for his health."

Give in - to surrender or yield to someone or something

Example: "After hours of negotiation, they finally gave in and agreed to the terms."

Give back - to return something to its owner

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack give advice to a listener with a problem.

Dear Jack and Xochitl,

I recently moved to a new country and am struggling with learning English as a second language. I feel embarrassed when I can't express myself clearly, and it's affecting my confidence in social situations. Do you have any tips or resources to help improve my English skills and boost my confidence? I really want to integrate better into my new community.

Sincerely,

Lost in Translation

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In this episode of The A to Z English Podcast, Xochitl and Jack talk about dog ownership in the United States, Mexico, and Korea.

Transcript:

00:00:55

Jack

Welcome to the A-Z English podcast. My name is Jack and I'm here with my co-host social. And today we have a topic talk episode and today's topic is dogs and like dog ownership in different cultures, like how people think about their dogs and.

00:01:10

Xochitl

Yeah, yeah.

00:01:16

Jack

Treat their dogs and so soap. So why don't you kick it off here for us? And UM, like, what is your generation people your age? How do they feel?

00:01:26

Jack

About their dogs.

00:01:28

Xochitl

OK, so I would say I kind of grew up in a culture where dogs are dogs and people are people.

00:01:35

Xochitl

And this is a very Mexican thing. And it's also a very.

00:01:41

Xochitl

Real staple of older American culture. My dad is a boomer, and in those days, you know it. Dog culture was similar to how it is in Mexico. You kind of let your dog roam free.

00:01:54

Jack

Right.

00:01:56

Xochitl

In the streets, he like has his own pack of friends.

00:01:59

Jack

Right. And if there's if there's like an order, it's like the dog is the last. You know, there's no, there's no babying the dog and stuff. Like it's an animal.

00:02:04

Xochitl

Yes.

00:02:10

Xochitl

And they also kind of hold.

00:02:11

Xochitl

Their own independent life, like they go out kind of independently. That's still a thing in Mexico. And also it used to be a thing in, in the US and my dad was a kid in the 60s and.

00:02:23

Jack

Hmm.

00:02:24

Xochitl

Yep.

00:02:25

Xochitl

And and they they're very independent. They're not really babied. And they're kind of seen as like the lowest caste working member of a family because you have them for protection or sometimes you have farm dogs just or, you know, it's a companion animal. But most of the time it it has a job to do.

00:02:46

Xochitl

And it has a plate on the pecking order, as we say in the US, which is like the top dog is, you know, maybe the mom and dad of the household and the kids and then the dogs at the box.

00:02:56

Xochitl

And and I would say that was very, very true for the older generations. But now my younger generation, I've see, I've seen it as a global phenomenon in Korea and the US in Mexico, that people treat their dogs kind of like babies. I'm.

00:03:12

Xochitl

I'm a little guilty of.

00:03:14

Xochitl

This when I first had Wendy, I swore I wouldn't be one of these people. I didn't even want to sleep in the same bed.

00:03:19

Xochitl

His.

00:03:20

Xochitl

But he's so cute. It was like hard so.

00:03:24

Jack

He worked his way into the into the bedroom, up on the bed. Yeah.

00:03:26

Xochitl

He worked his way up into his then. Yeah, because he got big enough to be able to jump onto the bed. And then after that, just kind of game over because I couldn't keep him off. I tried to keep him off and he was smarter than me and found out how to get through every obstacle course that I've placed for him. So that's how a.

00:03:32

Jack

OK.

00:03:46

Xochitl

Like 4 LB. Dog outsmarted me my whole.

00:03:48

Jack

Yeah, I I feel.

00:03:50

Jack

Like Americans now, and maybe Canadians, too, are dogs are like their four legged children.

00:03:59

Jack

You know there's.

00:03:59

Xochitl

Yeah, and I.

00:04:00

Xochitl

Think it it it? Sorry, Jack didn't mean to cut you off. I was just going to think because a lot of people are having kids later or choosing not to have kids at all. And I think that really affects the way that we see.

00:04:02

Jack

No, no, no. Go ahead. Go ahead.

00:04:08

Jack

Yeah.

00:04:13

Xochitl

Dogs and for me, I kind of people only say the older you get, the more sure you are that you're going to want kids and actually the opposite has happened. Now that I'm well into my 27 bear on this planet, I have started to become pretty sure that I don't want kids actually and.

00:04:30

Jack

Hmm.

00:04:33

Xochitl

Due to that, Dwayne is basically my kid and.

00:04:38

Xochitl

He plays the part of my child, you.

00:04:41

Xochitl

Know I medical everything.

00:04:41

Jack

He feels that the void or whatever, that maybe not not void, but like if you were, if you're thinking that you wanna take care of of a child, you're like, well, if I take care of this dog, it it it kind.

00:04:54

Jack

Of feels.

00:04:55

Jack

Like I'm taking care of something.

00:04:56

Xochitl

I I never.

00:04:56

Xochitl

Have the desire to take care of a child. In fact, I've really never had a desire to take care of a dog. But when they kind of fell into my life and and I, you know, decided to take him in, so then I became responsible for him. I've never had a desire to take care of a kid. So for me it's kind of more like.

00:05:12

Xochitl

Like.

00:05:13

Xochitl

If I barely have the energy and financial resources to take care of this dog, not barely. But like it's somewhere in my mid range of possibilities, I'm definitely not having kids. Like, if I can, at least I can put Glenn in back or I can put him in a room. I can leave him at home alone. I can go party for a few hours.

00:05:27

Jack

See.

00:05:28

Jack

OK.

00:05:33

Xochitl

You can.

00:05:35

Xochitl

Put a kid if you did.

00:05:35

Jack

You cannot leave a toddler at home alone and just with a bowl of food and water and be like alright, enjoy yourself, you know, take care of yourself.

00:05:40

Xochitl

Yeah, hours.

00:05:44

Xochitl

Actually, yeah. Or like if he gets really annoying, I give him the timeout by just. I put him in the bathroom and close the door and he just chills out in there and stops barking like crazy. If the kid is crying and screaming, he can't walk them in the bathroom. That's like a child abuse and but so.

00:06:02

Jack

You can, but you may go to prison. You may end up locked in a room yourself.

00:06:06

Xochitl

You care, but you shouldn't. And you? Yeah. You probably will rightfully go to jail. So, you know, it's kind of.

00:06:13

Xochitl

It's like that. It's like this is the the most I'm willing to expend energy on taking care of something else. And he already limits my possibilities a little bit as far as travel and stuff.

00:06:25

Xochitl

Well, I just it's an extra step I have to think about and I can't even imagine with kids. It's like a whole other obligation, especially when they're little, you know.

00:06:33

Jack

Hmm I I feel like in America the the.

00:06:36

발표자

The.

00:06:38

Jack

It's very strange. It's like the, UM, expectations for taking care of a dog really increased in the last like 30 or 40 years. It's like if you don't walk your dog every single day twice a day, you know, yeah, you're a criminal. You're just you're a rotten human being.

00:06:47

발표자

Yeah, yeah.

00:06:52

Xochitl

They're a criminal animal.

00:06:58

Jack

And not and it's. It's weird because like in in Korea that that doesn't.

00:07:03

Jack

They don't have that feeling. I I feel like this is a very kind of American thing, cause I'm I'm assuming Mexico. You're not gonna get judged too badly if you're if you're not like, let's say you skip a day to take your dog for a walk or you.

00:07:16

Jack

Take your dog for a walk. Couple times.

00:07:17

Xochitl

I don't even walk blending here because it's kind of dangerous because there's a lot of big dogs, but a lot of people let just open up the gate and let their dog out into the street to rob kind of freak.

00:07:26

Jack

That's crazy, because that means they're gonna. They could bite somebody or hit by a car.

00:07:28

발표자

Yeah.

00:07:30

Xochitl

Yeah. And some people go to recipe. These dogs are really friendly and at that point it's OK, but some are pretty aggressive and but it's kind of part of the culture. People just let their dogs out for a few hours. The dog comes.

00:07:41

Xochitl

Back and they have like their own intention life.

00:07:43

발표자

If it comes.

00:07:44

Jack

Back. It's mine. If it doesn't come back, I guess it wasn't meant to be.

00:07:48

Jack

You know, yeah.

00:07:48

Xochitl

Go on to the streets or someone else picked it up any already got hit by a car and died. Sad but true. So it's.

00:07:55

Jack

Yeah.

00:07:58

Jack

They're animals living in, in, in, in Mexican culture and Korean culture. They are animals and and and that that's the thing that I came to realize when we had a dog and then.

00:08:08

Jack

We had a kid.

00:08:09

Jack

And I was like ohh this is just a dog. Like this is not even you know close to the value of a human being like a human life. And I feel like that line is that that distance is a little bit shorter in American culture. It's like, no.

00:08:29

Jack

It's still, it's still your child. You need to take care of it, even though it's a dog. And I'm like, I just. I can't get there. You know? I'm like, no, it's.

00:08:35

Xochitl

1 * 3.

00:08:38

Xochitl

Sorry, my dogs running out here. People sometimes treat.

00:08:44

Xochitl

Dogs better than they treat human children in the US, and sometimes they have like more privileges than the US and people like like them more than human children. And that is crazy. Another thing I think is that's really different. And I don't know if it's the same way in Mexico and Korea. I mean, in Mexico, it's still fairly like.

00:08:47

Jack

Yes.

00:09:04

Xochitl

OK. For I wouldn't say it's OK, but I would say it's still commonplace for especially the older generations to hit their dogs. Nothing crazy like people aren't beating.

00:09:15

Jack

Like smack it on the snout, it was a.

00:09:16

Xochitl

Their dogs up.

00:09:17

Xochitl

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, or snacking on his **** with the newspaper if it pees in the house and in the US, like, you've been yelling at your dog is like you're an abuser.

00:09:17

Jack

Newspaper or whatever, yeah.

00:09:25

발표자

Like you.

00:09:26

Jack

I know.

00:09:27

Xochitl

Yeah, and.

00:09:29

Jack

And here's the thing. It's like, OK, like animal abuse is wrong. It's it's it's not good. I I'm. I'm totally against animal abuse, obviously, but abusing a a human child is worse than abusing an animal. Like I'm gonna. I'm gonna level. I'm gonna put those on different levels, you know? And it's like, I feel like it's getting all blurred.

00:09:29

Xochitl

Yeah, go ahead.

00:09:47

Xochitl

Right.

00:09:49

Jack

Together in American culture, it's like it's to the point where almost people care about animals more than they care about human beings. There's like, yeah, you know, a whole orphanage of of kids that, like, don't have.

00:10:00

Jack

Emily's and yet everyone's like, you know, you gotta rehome this dog, you gotta, you gotta.

00:10:06

Jack

Adopt this dog.

00:10:06

Xochitl

People say the criminals are rehoming a dog in the US Now. It's like if you if you don't have, let's say you adopted a dog and then you realize it was more obligation than you had or or something came upon you and you no longer have the financial resources or the physical capacity to really care for your dog the same way or something happen, whatever.

00:10:26

Xochitl

And you have to rehome it and you're trying to rehome it responsibly. People will eat you alive.

00:10:31

Jack

Wow.

00:10:31

Xochitl

Uhm, I had a friend. Who?

00:10:33

Xochitl

To her baby, her dog bit her baby.

00:10:38

Jack

Yeah, that's it. I'm done.

00:10:40

Xochitl

Yeah. And she she's like I I'm going to rehome him because I can't. And I understand completely where she's coming from because you just don't feel safe with your baby and your dog in the same home anymore. Even if you try to keep them separate or whatever. It was kind of what she'd been trying to do up to that point. And it's just so hard living in the same home in a smaller space.

00:10:59

Xochitl

And UM.

00:11:01

Xochitl

She was getting.

00:11:02

Xochitl

Eaten alive for lying to rehome the dog, even though the dog bit her baby.

00:11:06

Jack

That's crazy to me, because a dog bites my baby that that dog will find a new home on the moon when I.

00:11:17

Jack

Like kick it.

00:11:20

Jack

All the way up there. No, I'm. I'm joking, of course. But I mean.

00:11:25

Xochitl

It would be hard to.

00:11:25

Jack

I don't know. I just.

00:11:27

Xochitl

Temper about it, it would.

00:11:28

Jack

It would be so it would make me so angry. And it's it's my fault. I didn't train the dog properly or I left the dog alone.

00:11:37

Jack

I mean, I mean, I do think that we blame dogs for for bad owners, you know, for being bad owners. But at a certain point, it's kind of like, well, yeah, maybe I didn't train this dog properly, but this dog is bit my kid. I'm done like this dog is out of here because.

00:11:51

발표자

Hmm.

00:11:56

Xochitl

Yeah, and they can be kind of unpredictable like she adopted that dog. She was the second home and he I was actually, she was my roommate when she first adopted the dog, and he was a menace. Like when he came from the first home, he would just, like, attack randomly. He had serious issues.

00:12:14

Xochitl

And aggression. And she worked with him and trained him really well over a number of years. But when she had her baby, he kind of regressed, which is can be normal because they get jealous and.

00:12:25

Jack

Stuff, but he's like he's now. He's different on a different pecking order, you know. Down. Yeah.

00:12:30

Xochitl

Yeah.

00:12:31

Xochitl

And he bit her and bit her baby. And that was it for him. Well, she rehomed him, but she got rid of that and I think that's absolutely insane.

00:12:34

Jack

Wolf.

00:12:37

Jack

Yeah.

00:12:43

Xochitl

I just can't fathom that.

00:12:44

Jack

No, they're, you know, ultimately at the end of the day, they're animals to. To me, it's like, I love my dog. My dog is very sweet, but it's an animal, and it's not a it's not a human. So I'm I'm OK with that. You know, if my daughter needed, you know, a $5000.

00:13:03

Jack

Life saving surgery without even batting an eye. I'm getting. I'm paying for that surgery. You know what I mean? Like, whatever it.

00:13:12

Jack

Takes, but if my dog needs a $5000 surgery, my wife and I are having a conversation. You know, it's like you've had a good life and you know, like, let's, you know, maybe it's it's, you know, nature takes its course, you know, cuz I think people will spend a lot of money to just keep their.

00:13:20

Xochitl

It's like what?

00:13:27

Xochitl

Maybe it's time to go.

00:13:33

Jack

Dogs limping along.

00:13:35

Jack

And I'm like, you know, it's a it's a dog. It's an animal, so.

00:13:39

Xochitl

And their quality of life really decreases and it's different than for a human because they don't have like that capacity to rationalize and find new ways to enjoy the quality of life either. So it really affects them negatively too. But a lot of people just keep them.

00:13:50

Jack

Reddit.

00:13:56

Xochitl

Trotting along for the sake of it.

00:14:00

Jack

Yeah, I don't know. I hope I don't get a lot of hate mail from this this episode.

00:14:01

Xochitl

Alright.

00:14:04

Xochitl

I don't. We will. I I I don't think we will cause I think the US culture is really unique about it, about how we think about like dogs and you know animal abuse and.

00:14:16

Xochitl

The culture around dogs is just completely different than it is like anywhere else in the world. And again, my generation is getting more.

00:14:25

Xochitl

We're becoming more kind of like dog and cat parents because we don't have children.

00:14:31

Jack

Yeah, that's an interesting insight. I think you're right about that. I think you, I think you.

00:14:31

Xochitl

And most of the.

00:14:36

Jack

Nailed it, yeah.

00:14:37

Xochitl

Yeah. It's like most of us don't want to have children. I blend is pretty much the the He's the my maximum capacity for what I can take care of and I didn't. I didn't set out to take care of him. It was like he kind of fell on my doorstep and at that point, you know, I'm still going to do everything I can. I I cover his medical expenses, his travel expenses and everything but.

00:14:57

Xochitl

When I see him running around barking in a circle and grabbing shoes and chewing on them and stuff, I'm like.

00:15:04

Xochitl

Can you imagine having a kid do this for like 6 years or eight years? And essentially I know they don't chew on shoes.

00:15:10

Jack

Welcome to my but.

00:15:13

Jack

Now my kid's 15, so I'm done. I'm through. You know, the gauntlet. But you know, yeah, it was.

00:15:18

Xochitl

Yeah. And that's the thing though. It's like your dog is like in your home with you all the time. And when it passes, it passes. And with a kid, like, they're gonna outlive you, and you're going to worry about that kid for the rest of your natural life until you die. And that's something I don't think I'm ever going to be prepared for because.

00:15:20

Jack

It was tough.

00:15:33

Jack

Yeah.

00:15:38

Xochitl

I don't want to sound like a pessimist. The world can be such a a horrible place.

00:15:43

Xochitl

And.

00:15:44

Xochitl

And I'm so scared to have kids and them to go out into the world and potentially suffer, especially women, all the horrible things that can happen and and are not exempt, you know, but.

00:15:55

Jack

Yeah. No, I don't. I don't blame you. Yeah. No, these are these are things that keep me up at night, you know?

00:16:00

Jack

So just the parent.

00:16:01

Xochitl

Yes. Yeah. You have a daughter, not, you know, not trying to scare you.

00:16:04

Xochitl

Anything but.

00:16:04

Jack

No, no, no. I've you. You couldn't scare me more. I've I again. You know, I my my a lot of the real estate in my brain is dedicated just to worrying about my daughter.

00:16:06

발표자

But.

00:16:08

Xochitl

Yeah, you're right.

00:16:16

Jack

So and very little is is worrying about my dog, so.

00:16:22

Xochitl

Yeah, it shows the difference. Alright, listeners, we'll let us know what is the culture around dogs in your home country. I'm very interested to hear. And also for your generation, does your generation or does your country treat dogs differently based on which?

00:16:37

Xochitl

Generation the person or the owner might be because for me I do notice a difference in in between probably people, millennials and Gen. ZI would say, which are our generations like 35 and under. I would say in the US people mostly like in their 20s to very early 30s.

00:16:58

Xochitl

It's kind of a different.

00:17:01

Xochitl

Breed of.

00:17:03

Xochitl

Line of thinking. Cultural thinking. So yeah, I'm curious. Let us know in a comment down below at A-Z englishpodcast.com shoot us an e-mail at AZ English podcast at Gmail.

00:17:13

Xochitl

Com or join the conversation? Or we chat. What's up groups and we'll see you guys next time. Bye bye.

00:17:18

Jack

Bye bye.

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