Real english lessons a

Ưu điểm Rất khó xếp trình độ vì phong cách khác, nhưng cơ bản cũng phải đạt Intermediate không thì cũng mệt vô cùng (cái này thì đến advanced nghe không quen cũng phải đánh vật) Nhiều từ lóng và thành ngữ, học cái này thì tha hồ xem phim hành động Mỹ và đi sang Mỹ chém gió. Có transciprt cho tất cả các bài. Có nhiều giọng đọc khác nhau, nhanh và thật. Nhược điểm Giọng đọc của 2 giáo viên bạn với AJ khá buồn chán Người học tiếng anh không phải lúc nào cũng sang Mỹ nên chưa hẳn cần thiết

Lesson 2: Trip to Washington 7

Lesson 3: The Wedding 13

Lesson 4: Grateful Dead 19

Lesson 5: Grandmother 25

Lesson 6: Hitchhiking In Europe 30

Lesson 7: Moving As A Child 1 36

Lesson 8: Moving As A Child 2 39

Lesson 9: Parents 44

Lesson 10: Burning Man 48

Lesson 11: Ticket On The Train 53

Lesson 12: New School Year 57

Lesson 13: Music Festival 1 60

Lesson 14: Music Festival 2 65

Lesson 15: Assisted Living 70

Lesson 16: Visit To San Francisco 1 73

Lesson 17: Visit To San Francisco 2 77

Lesson 18: Las Vegas 1 81

Lesson 19: Las Vegas 2 85

Lesson 20: Chile 91

Lesson 21: Nepal 1 95

Lesson 22: Nepal 2 100

Lesson 23: Dating 105

Lesson 24: Drunk Driving 111

Lesson 25: Teacher - Teaching 1 116

Lesson 26: Teacher - Teaching 2 121

Lesson 27: Lookout Mountain 127

Lesson 28: Vegetarian 133

Lesson 29: Vegan 138

Lesson 30: Health 143

you’ve gotta be kidding:

you cannot be serious

pullin’ my leg: making a

joke by lying to someone

and pretending the lie is

all of a sudden: right

away with no warning

aftershock: an

earthquake that happens

Joe: Hey, check this out Y’know what Eric asked me when I got into

work this morning?

Kristin: I have no idea, what’d he ask you?

Joe: He asked me if I felt the earthquake last night

Kristin: Earthquake? You’ve gotta be kidding, I didn’t feel an

earthquake

Joe: I know, that’s what I said He told me it actually woke him up last

night Y’know…

Kristin: What?

Joe: …yeah, it was like, it went, it happened at like, uh, 4:42 in the

morning So we must’ve been sleeping But I mean, it’s possible that, y’know, even if we had been awake we might not have felt it because, y’know, maybe it, uh, wasn’t felt, y’know, this far north But, uh, I, I

mean I thought he was pullin’ my leg when he first talked about it

Kristin: Well, I guess it’s not so far-fetched considering we live on a

major fault line here

Joe: Yeah, but actually I think this earthquake was, uh, on a different

fault line, um, because, y’know, Eric lives, uh, just, uh, south of San Jose…

Kristin: Yeah

Joe: …and, uh, the earthquake he said was due east of San Jose, so he

was obviously a lot closer to the epicenter than we were So, I d-, I’m

earthquake

it dawned on me: I

remembered; I realized

totally: definitely

a while: a long time

it’s a given: there is no

taking place: happening

cut out: no longer was

able to be seen

rundown: information

Kristin: Yeah, that makes sense Well, y’know, I’ve experienced quite

a few earthquakes in the past several years but I’ve been living here a little over two years, I’ve, I think I’ve only experienced one here It was really strange, too, I was, um, each, I should say each earthquake has been a completely different experience But the one I, the one I felt here, I was standing outside a restaurant talking to AJ and another

friend and all of a sudden it just felt like, this shift It’s really hard to

explain, but it made me think of, like, a cartoon, like how, in the cartoon, like buildings might just shift to the right and then shift right back

Joe: Yeah, without falling

Kristin: Yeah, without falling And I, I had no idea what was going on

for a few minutes afterwards And then I realized, oh that must have been an earthquake

Joe: Yeah, you know what I usually notice, the times that I’ve been at

home, here…

Kristin: Yeah

Joe: …and, uh, there’s been an earthquake? It’s almost as if there’s

this really big train, or like a gigantic Mack truck going by And, uh, suddenly I start to hear the heater shaking And, um, it’s like, the noise is like, uh, is loud for like a second and then it’s gone, so…

Kristin: That’s so…

Joe: …it’s really weird, y’know, it’s almost like the first couple’a times I

felt it, I wasn’t even aware it was an earthquake while it was

weed through: to look or

Kristin: Well, that’s so funny you say that because one that I

experienced in Bangkok, it actually was after the tsunami and so later

I found out that it was, it was, um, aftershock from the tsunami But

anyway, I was in a building up on the ninth floor and suddenly, uh, there was all this rattling And I’m thinking to myself, it, it just, it, it was so irrational I’m thinking to myself, god, there’s like a train going

by and I can’t believe that this building is shaking so much from the train [laugh] It… And of course a train wouldn’t have made a building,

or at least me up on the ninth floor, feel something to that effect And

I think it happened about two times And it… That one wasn’t until several days later when I was talking to people and they were like,

“Oh didja feel the earthquake?” Then it dawned on me, oh, that was

an earthquake It was…

Joe: Yeah, I know It’s, uh, it’s crazy how when you’re not used to

feeling them you can think it’s something else

Kristin: Yeah, yeah totally

Joe: I mean, I’ve been livin’ here for a while now and I’ve definitely

felt my share of earthquakes I mean, y’know, when you live here it’s

a given that you’re gonna experience earthquakes You just hope that

you’re not gonna be here for the big one, y’know…

Kristin: [laugh] Yeah, right

Joe: When I first moved here, it was, uh, about five years after the

Loma Prieta earthquake, which was a very big earthquake here And,

um, there are a lot of people who lived here who I met who had actually been living in the area when the earthquake hit So it was

Kristin: Oh

Joe: …and, uh, it also like made me remember where I was when I

heard about the Loma Prieta earthquake I was watching the World

Series on TV And, uh, y’know, it was, uh, taking place in San

Francisco So, uh, as I’m watching it suddenly the announcer starts,

uh, uh, saying, “Wow, I think we’re feeling an earthquake here.” And the cameras started shaking And, uh, all of a sudden the TV coverage

cut out So, uh, y’know, I wanted to get a rundown on what

happened So I turned to the news station and, uh, within a few minutes they were discussing this gigantic earthquake that had hit San Francisco And they started showing pictures, uh, maybe thirty

minutes later, of these people who were, uh, trying to weed through

the rubble of these buildings that had been, like, coming down So, I mean, it was…

Kristin: Oh, wow

Joe: …it was pretty scary, I’ll tell you what…

Kristin: Yeah

Joe: …y’know

Kristin: Yeah, well, um, you know the three months I was living in

Japan I experienced two Both of those were very different, uh, very different from the one I’d experienced here and also very different from the one in Bangkok But one of ‘em, I was actually up in my apartment, which was on the fifth floor of a building And I was woken up at about 5 o’clock in the morning to the building swaying

And because, uh, earthquakes are like a dime a dozen in Japan, they,

it was swaying, it was really, it was a very surreal feel

Lesson 2: Trip to Washington

over the top: very good

on my list of things to do:

something that I want to

do

fed up: upset

what’s new?: means that

you are not surprised

if it’s not one thing, it’s

another: more than one

bad thing has happened

out of hand: out of

control

rain on your parade: to

make someone have a

bad time

had (just) a blast: to

really enjoy

Joe: Hello?

Eric: Hey, Joe, this is Eric

Joe: Oh hey Eric, how’s it goin’?

Eric: It’s goin’ well How ‘bout yourself?

Joe: Yeah, I’m doin’ really well

Eric: Great

Joe: How was your trip up to Washington this weekend?

Eric: Oh, it was just over the top

Joe: Nice, nice I…

Eric: Yeah, it was…

Joe: …really wish I could have joined you guys

Eric: Yeah, well, you should really try next year

Joe: Yeah, no, it’s, it’s definitely on my list of things to do, for sure

Eric: Good

Joe: Yeah, how was, did you, did you make it up there, uh, as you

expected? I mean how was your, how was your trip up there?

Eric: Oh man, I am just fed up with the airlines

Joe: [laugh]

Eric: [laugh]

getting the first

butterflies out of his

stomach: getting used to

something for the first

innate: something you do

not need to learn because

you are born with it

chill out : to relax

low key: relaxing

to let go: to relax

if for no other reason: if

nothing else made you do

Eric: If it’s not one thing, it’s another I mean we, we got up there

and, uh, and the flight was delayed And it was really crowded And then gettin’ out we just, you wait And we waited and we waited and

we waited for the luggage And just, the wait just got out of hand

Joe: Ugh…je-, y’know, we, I, y’know, I have not had a good experience

with the airlines here domestically in probably about a year I would say

Eric: Oh, I mean, it’s just…

Joe: At least

Eric: It’s getting worse and worse and worse

Joe: Yeah Well I hope that, that, that didn’t rain on your parade

and…

Eric: No

Joe: …that you actually were able to have a good time after you got

up there

Eric: Oh, I mean it, they, it’s just so wonderful to be up there with

those guys It’s, they’re like family

Joe: You gotta tell me a little bit about it ‘cause you know I’ve never

been there

Eric: Yeah, it, it’s such a beautiful place They’ve got a bunch of cabins

on the water, um It’s, y’know, bein’ with friends and family all the

time And, uh, my kid had just a blast just bein’ out on the water and,

um, just enjoyin’ himself It was really his first time being able to, uh,

tickled pink: very happy

hang out: to casually pass

time

time (just really) flies: to

be surprised about how

much time has gone by

take advantage of: to be

make my best effort: to

try very hard

time’s (kind of) escaped

me: I did not realize how

late it had become

And, and it’s, at, at that age it’s, it’s just such a new exp-, everything’s such a new experience He just…

Joe: Yeah

Eric: …it was wonderful

Joe: So, how did he, uh, how did he handle the water? Was he like,

Eric: …he just loves the water He just loves to be in it Up there the

water’s really cold so, it’s not, we didn’t really get him in the water And he had a little bit of problems with the life jacket The life jacket was a little, little tight on him And that just made him a little

uncomfortable But, he’s, after getting the first butterflies out of his

stomach he just loved it You could tell, he just was having the time of his life

Joe: Oh, that’s great He must have been psyched to see, uh, Derek’s

kids also, and Mark’s new baby

Eric: Oh absolutely, at this age, he, they do a lot of, of parallel play

And, because he’s not old enough yet to, to play with, he kind of plays

alongside But he’s just starting to get the hang of playing with and

interacting with And he just, he loves to be in packs of kids It’s just

take care: good bye, it

Eric: Yeah, it really is It’s fun to watch him learn He’s at this age of

language explosion and certainly being around other kids really helps

Joe: Oh, definitely So you guys, uh, you went out on Mark’s boat so

that must have been fun

Eric: It was

Joe: So, uh, what else did you guys do while you were there?

Eric: Well, y’know, on the whole boat thing We, uh, did some

crabbing where we caught some crabs And, uh, used the boat as sort

of a shuttle to get from island to island So we did a little bit of island hopping, with picnicking on some islands, uh We cooked some great meals, sort of, um, with the whole group of us together…

Joe: Oh, that’s great

Eric: …yeah, and some people got some massages, just tried to chill out and relax, uh And it was just really low key A really restful trip,

which is what I think about when I think about Mark and their place

up there

Joe: Yeah, it sounds like you were really able to let go, huh?

Eric: It was, it was a longer trip for me than I’ve taken in the last

couple of years, goin’ up there, we went for five, five or six days, and…

Joe: Oh, I didn’t realize you were goin’ that long

Joe: Sure

Eric: …but this time I thought, y’know, I haven’t taken a vacation in a

while And I just wanna get up there and chill out

Joe: Oh, that’s great

Eric: Yeah

Joe: Y’know, I understand that John’s living up there now as well and,

uh, if for no other reason I should go up and visit everybody, y’know,

while he’s there

Eric: Absolutely He, uh, he’s, he’s not living on their property

anymore, uh He’s moved just to, y’know, really close by on the mainland off of Bellingham So he’s in the area still And he would just

be tickled pink to see you and to hang out with you I know he would,

so…

Joe: Yeah, I mean, uh, it’s amazing how, y’know, uh, you can let so

much time pass And, uh, you don’t even realize it’s happened when it comes to visiting with friends who live far out of town

Eric: That’s right…

Joe: Especially ones that are really close to you

Eric: Yeah, and the oldest of friends, it’s, uh, it Time just really flies

and before you know it, it’s just been a long time since you’ve seen

somebody So when you get that time it’s just wonderful to take

advantage of it And certainly John being all of a sudden on the West

Coast, it’s great to be able to, to just jet up to Washington and, and

Joe: Yeah Yeah, I told him next year I’d, I’m going to make my best effort to get up there

Eric: I hope, I really really hope you do

Joe: Hey, uh, y’know Eric, time’s kind of escaped me tonight I’m

supposed to meet Kristin for dinner in a little bit So, uh, y’know, I’d love for us to continue this conversation, uh, y’know, maybe tomorrow or somethin’, if you’re, if you’re available

Eric: Hey, that’d be great

Joe: Okay Alright, listen, I’ll call you then

Eric: Alright, take care my friend

Joe: Alright, bye

Eric: Bye

Lesson 3: The Wedding

where you been hidin’?:

said when you have not

seen someone in a long

time

long time no see: it has

been a long time since we

have seen each other

you didn’t make it: you

were not able to be there

super bummed: to be

very upset

time flies: to be surprised

about how much time has

gone by

the golden rule: the most

important thing about

Joe: Hey, Will, how’s it goin’?

Will: Hey, what’s goin’ on? Not a lot

Joe: Man, I don’t, you know what, now that I see you right here, I

don’t think I’ve seen you in probably like six weeks

Will: Yeah

Joe: Where you been hidin’?

Will: I don’t know, long time no see though

Joe: [laugh] Yeah

Will: How, how have you been?

Joe: Yeah, I’m doin’ really well I, I don’t th-…you know what, I haven’t

seen you since your wedding

Will: I know I know, I want to, uh, I want to tell you all about it I can’t

believe you didn’t make it

Joe: Yeah, you know what, I told you the only reason I didn’t make it

is because my uncle was getting married back east So, y’know, I was

gone the entire week But I was super bummed about it

Will: Well you missed a good one

Joe: Yeah, yeah, I know I mean I was bummed that I couldn’t be there

with all our friends And, y’know, I’d never had a chance to meet Isabelle’s family So, y’know, I’m really bummed that I missed that, too

it was worth it: said

when you are glad to

have done something

Stern Grove: a place in

San Francisco that has a

lot of trees

Did the weather

cooperate?: was the

weather nice

made it in: arrived

medieval: time period

from long ago

pretty much: almost

made an honest woman

Spain

Joe: Yeah

Will: And, we had a good time

Joe: How long had you, how long were you and Isabelle together

before you guys got married?

Will: Two years

Joe: Wow, oh my god, time flies

Will: Yeah

Joe: I remember that, y’know, when she first, uh, answered the ad

you had for a roommate, so…

Will: [laugh]

Joe: …you guys broke the golden rule, y’know, as far as roommates

go, which is don’t sleep with your roommates when they move in

Will: That’s right

Joe: [laugh] But it’s all worked out

Will: It was worth it It was worth it this time

Joe: Yeah, it’s all worked out So I’m glad to see that, y’know

Will: Absolutely

Joe: Yeah So, uh, y’know, you’ll have to give me some details on,

y’know, I, I haven’t seen any of the pictures or anything, I don’t, maybe you didn’t get them back yet from the photographer

old-fashioned: ideas or

things that are from a

long time ago

into the church wedding:

wanted to have a

wedding in a church

I gotta run: I to have to

go

get together: meet

ciao: Italian word for

goodbye

uh, yeah, do you have a second? I’ll tell you about the wedding

Joe: Yeah, yeah, totally I wanna hear about it

Will: Alright, well, we had kind of a, uh, do-it-yourself wedding We,

um, got married at, uh, City Hall which was easy And then we had our real ceremony at Stern Grove You know where that is?

Joe: Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, right on 19th

Will: Here in San Francisco

Joe: Yeah

Will: Underneath the redwood trees

Joe: Oh, it must have been beautiful

Will: It was very nice

Joe: Did the weather cooperate?

Will: Actually we, uh, had a really beautiful day which is very unusual

for summertime in, uh, San Francisco

Joe: Yeah

Will: As you well know

Joe: Totally

Will: We were planning on fog but we had really nice weather

Joe: Oh that’s great So everyone made it in okay? Because I know

that, uh, her family had a long way to come

Will: Yeah They, uh, they all made it Her mom and dad, uh, their

from Spain came to represent all her, all her friends… We’re gonna go there, uh, soon and we’re gonna see her, uh, family and friends, y’know, th-, who couldn’t make it But it was nice to have a group of her family and friends here in San Francisco for the wedding

Joe: Oh that’s great How, what, where is she from in Spain?

Will: Um, she’s from Bilbao

Joe: Oh yeah, y’know, she told me that before but I can’t say that,

y’know, I could recall the actual town ‘cause I’d never heard of it before

Will: Yeah, it’s actually a very large city Uh, it’s an industrial city And

it’s, uh, got uh, a new museum so it’s become more famous But, uh, it’s been there a long time And it’s a big city But it’s not one of the most, um, uh, known cities in Spain perhaps…

Joe: Yeah

Will: …like Madrid and Barcelona

Joe: Yeah

Will: So, uh, yeah But they were all there and, uh, her brother, uh,

read a medieval Spanish love poem, uh And, uh, that was really nice

And, uh, parts of our wedding were in Spanish, uh, for the people,

um, you know our friends here who, uh, um, speak Spanish and also,

uh, y’know, for her friends and family from Spain, yeah

Joe: Sure, yeah that’s great I know that you’ve been trying to learn a

lot of Spanish lately

when I was in Chili but I’m learning a lot more with her now

Joe: Oh that’s great Yeah, because the only way you’re gonna really,

uh, y’know, get more fluent in it is to use it pretty much every day

Will: Absolutely Yeah

Joe: So, uh, I bet her father was happy to see that you made an honest woman of her

Will: [laugh] I guess, I guess so, yeah

Joe: I would imagine that, uh, maybe her, was her family pretty

traditional and old-fashioned? Or…

Will: Uh, no actually they’re more, um, uh, progressive in a way than,

uh, Americans are Americans actually, it seems, uh, are more into the

church wedding and everything We had a, uh, um, we had a very, uh,

European wedding They’re not as, uh, religious as people think Americans are pretty religious

Joe: That’s true

Will: Yes So, uh, they, uh, they loved everything we did and, uh, it

was a really good time Yeah

Joe: That’s great

Will: Yeah, so, uh, I gotta run

Joe: Okay, well, uh, Will let’s get together for drinks sometime soon,

it’s been too long

Will: Sounds good

Will: Alright, ciao

Joe: Bye

Lesson 4: Grateful Dead

while I was out: when I

was not there

wanted to run by me:

wanted to tell me about

on the road: traveling

Grateful Dead: an

American rock and roll

band

I’m all ears: I am listening

look back on: to think

about something that has

cult: a group of people

who has strong beliefs

Joe: Hey, did Tim call while I was out?

Kristin: No, he didn’t, why?

Joe: Well, he told me he had an idea he wanted to run by me So, uh,

I figured he might’ve called

Kristin: What, what’s the idea?

Joe: Uh, well, he’s actually thinking about writing a book about, uh,

the time he spent on the road with the Grateful Dead

Kristin: Oh, that would be a great topic for a book You know,

whenever you speak to me about the Grateful Dead, I’m all ears

Joe: Yeah, I mean, I, when I look back on the years I spent following

them around, jeez, I, I followed ‘em all over the place But, I mean, that was some of the most fun I’ve ever had in my life I think

Kristin: I can imagine

Joe: I mean, y’know, first off, y’know, they’re my favorite band

Kristin: Right

Joe: And, uh, second, the other thing that really drew me to the scene

was the fact that there was just this traveling, uh, group of people that followed them everywhere It was like, almost like a bazaar sort of…

Kristin: Mm-huh…

Joe: …y’know…

hippie(s): person

(people) with long hair

defray: to pay for

travel around: go from

one place to another

place

conservative: people who

do not like change

clean-cut: short hair and

Kristin: Well, it’s definitely a subculture of America

Joe: Oh yeah, yeah, I mean some people even called it a cult [laugh]

y’know…

Kristin: [laugh]

Joe: And, uh, it was so unique at the time, uh, y’know Because

there really wasn’t anything else like it I mean you had all these

hippies driving around, following the band from city to city And, uh,

y’know, when you’re on the road driving from one place to the next, you’d see the same people You’d see the same cars, all these VW buses drivin’ And, uh, y’know, uh, people supported themselves, uh,

by, uh, selling things in the parking lots at the concerts

Kristin: Mm-huh

Joe: Like, a lot of people would like make jewelry and sell it A lot of

people would sell, uh, clothes that they made, um Another, uh, favorite amongst people was to, uh, just, uh, sell beer or to make food And that’s what I actually did a lot of the times I’d make

sandwiches or I’d sell beer in order to help, y’know, defray the cost of

cover: deciding what

something is like by how

it looks

run into: to unexpectedly

see someone

it’s (such) a small

world: said when you are

surprised to see another

person you know at a

place you did not expect

to see them

bonding experience:

something that makes

people become closer

deadhead: a fan of the

music band the Grateful

Dead

rabid fans: people who

really like something are

‘rabid fans’ of it

these, like, hippies People with like really long hair and beards and like, y’know Really sometimes like people who hadn’t like showered for days Because they were just traveling with the, y’know…

Kristin: Yeah

Joe: …around, following the band

Kristin: Yeah

Joe: Because, you know, especially during the summer, you’d just stay

at campgrounds, y’know? So you’d camp and they might not have a shower, y’know…

Kristin: Right [laugh]

Joe: I remember like, so many times washing my hair, like, under a,

y’know, a faucet in a sink of a bathroom Or, y’know, under a hose somewhere [laugh]

Kristin: [laugh]

Joe: And having someone help me because, y’know, I had the long

hair

Kristin: [laugh]

Joe: Oh man, and, uh, y’know the other thing is, you’d travel around

And sometimes be driving through these really small conservative

towns And you can just imagine what it must have been like from their standpoint I mean they see these people who don’t look anything like them I mean…

something): to do

(something)

your guess is as good as

mine: I do not know

flake: someone who says

they will do something

but then decides not to do

it

Joe: …they’re all clean-cut looking, these people who live in this town

And then you have this pack of like, looks like bohemian gypsies…

Kristin: Uh-huh

Joe: …traveling through town

Kristin: Yeah, that’s a good description

Joe: Y’know, so, y’know a lot of the times the cops in the town would

hassle you Y’know…

Kristin: Oh, I’m sure

Joe: …for no good reason, y’know

Kristin: Yeah

Joe: I think that they would just suddenly jump to conclusions about,

y’know, what you were doing Because you look different than them,

y’know They were totally like judging the book by its cover

Kristin: Right

Joe: So, um, yeah but, oh my gosh, y’know When I look back on

those times, I just met so many people I mean sometimes I would meet somebody And like, say the middle of the country like Kansas, right?

Kristin: Uh-huh Joe: And then, like, a year or two later, I’d be, say, in

Seattle And I’d run into the same people…the same person

Kristin: Oh my god, it’s such a small world, huh?

Joe: Yeah, I know But that was another great thing Like I met so

people They’re, some of these people are like my closest friends to this day, like Tim Y’know?

Joe: Oh, yeah, totally Like it’s funny, if you’re a deadhead and you

meet another deadhead, it’s like There’s just like, uh, almost, a hidden language that you speak

Kristin: [laugh]

Joe: Y’know, it’s crazy And, y’know, the, the, the fans were such rabid fans I mean, y’know, a lot of deadheads The only music they would

listen to was the music of the Grateful Dead

Kristin: Wow I could see why people would think that was a bit

cultish

Joe: Yeah, totally

Kristin: Well, do you think that, um, Tim will actually follow through

with writing this book?

Joe: I don’t know, your guess is as good as mine Y’know, he can be a flake sometimes

Kristin: Yeah, I know

Lesson 5: Grandmother

out and about: going

from place to place

The Mission: short for

The Mission District; a

alright: okay or good

have a cold: to be sick

somethin’ goin’ around:

people you know are sick

caught it: got sick

Kristin: Hey, how's it goin’? I’m home

Joe: Hey, yeah, I’m in here

Kristin: Oh Okay

Joe: How are you doin’?

Kristin: Pretty good

Joe: Nice Where you comin’ from?

Kristin: I have just been out and about doin’ some shopping I was, u

here in The Mission and then I went to Haight Street, just goin’ to som

secondhand stores

Joe: Oh, okay

Kristin: One of my favorite things to do

Joe: Yeah, cool

Kristin: So who are you just ge-, gettin’ off the phone with?

Joe: Oh, I was speakin’ to my grandmother

Kristin: How’s she doing?

Joe: Yeah, she’s doin’ okay She was actually feelin’ under the weath

last week but, uh, now she’s alright

Kristin: Oh, did she just have a cold or somethin’?

Joe: Yeah, she said that there was somethin’ goin’ around Uh, my au

had it and my niece had it So she might have caught it from one

shower you with

attention: give you a lot

Kristin: Oh, okay

Joe: Yeah Y’know, speaking with my grandmother on the phon

sometimes I feel like I’m a little kid again…

Kristin: Yeah, why is that?

Joe: …I get like transported back to the time when we used to live clo

together and, uh, y’know, and I was a kid I mean my grandparen

when I was growin’ up, they lived just like a stone’s throw away from u

Maybe like, I don’t know, two miles or somethin’ So we used to…

Kristin: Wow

Joe: …see them all the time

Kristin: Yeah

Joe: Yeah, it was awesome I mean, y’know, when you’re a kid one

your favorite things is to see your grandparents

us some sweets And, y’know, and she was just always like, uh, alwa

really, uh, uh, happy to see us, y’know?

Kristin: Uh-huh Yeah, I never had the luxury of even, uh, being arou

is not good

around us: close to us

generations before us:

people in your family that

are older than you

block: part of a street

beg: to ask for something

you really want

amazing: great

never even met them And then my, uh, mom’s parents, we lived clo

to them but not as close as, as you to your grandparents I’d say it w like a twenty to thirty minute drive And that was only until I was eig

‘coz then we moved away from Michigan to Georgia So then it would seein’ them once a year

Joe: Yeah, I mean, my brothers and I were really fortunate to have bo

sets of grandparents around

Kristin: Yeah, you were

Joe: Uh, and, uh, I mean, my, my father’s parents moved down to Flori

when we were like eight years old And, y’know, that, that was

bummer for us at the time, uh But at least my mom’s parents liv around us, y’know, until we were teenagers…

Kristin: Mm-hm

Joe: …and we moved to Pennsylvania

Kristin: Mm-hm

Joe: But it’s uncommon these days I mean the generations before

always had their family right near them

Kristin: Right

Joe: I mean, I hear these stories from my grandmother She says that h

entire family lived in like one, y’know, on one block And that was

uncommon I mean, a lot of the times they would, uh, the whole fam would live in the same house Usually people didn’t leave until they g married And even if they did leave and get married, they lived just dow

Kristin: Well, speaking of the same block… That, that, uh, made me thi

of my brother My younger brother, when he was in high school, dat this girl and her whole family lived on the same street And I c remember thinkin’ how strange that was

Joe: Yeah, I mean, now it is

Kristin: Yeah

Joe: But back then it wasn’t at all

Kristin: Yeah, right

Joe: Yeah Oh, when I was talkin’ to my grandmother, as we do a lot

the times, I was reminiscing with her about when I was younger An

y’know, um, y’know, we… Not only did we live very close to m

grandparents, we all went to the same church So, y’know, every Sund

afternoon we’d see them at church and we’d sit near them And, u

then after church was over I’d always like beg my parents to let us

over to my grandparents’ house And, y’know, we’d go over there a eat dinner And I’d watch baseball games with my grandfather So th

was always a lot of fun, y’know

Kristin: Uh-huh

Joe: It was just, y’know, just spending time with them, y’know

Kristin: Yeah, was it…

Joe: We just had a great time

Kristin: Was it like a big Sunday dinner?

Joe: Oh yeah, and my grandmother would cook a huge meal And, m

amazing Italian dinner…

Kristin: Mmmmm

Joe: …and, y’know, we just loved goin’ over there for that reason as we Kristin: Oh, that’s great

Lesson 6: Hitchhiking In Europe

ran into: to unexpectedly

chick: girl or woman

go out with: date

look her up: contact her

sick of it: no longer

interested in it

hitching: hitchhiking;

traveling by getting a free

ride in a car with

someone you do not

know

hooked up: met

Joe: Hey, you know I ran into John today and he’s gonna actually be

doin’ some travelin’ in Europe He’s, uh, he says he’s gonna spend a lot of time in Prague

David: Oh, Prague’s awesome Ah did I tell you I lived there?

Joe: No, get out of here You never told me that

David: Yeah, I lived in Prague about 15 years ago

Joe: Oh, whoa, du-, what were you doing there?

David: Well, I was traveling I didn’t actually know that I would end up

in Prague I was just gonna do whatever came along

Joe: Wait, where’d you start out traveling?

David: I got a one way ticket to Amsterdam

Joe: [laugh] Oh, nice

David: And one of the only people that I knew in Europe was this

chick that I used to go out with So I figured I’d look her up I knew

she had another boyfriend at that point But she said she could get

me a place to stay and she was in Prague So I figured I’d go there for

a few weeks and see how it went

Joe: She was from Prague? Or…

David: No, she was American, but she was over there teaching

English

Joe: Oh, nice, nice

took off: to leave

sweet: very good

not into doin’ that: do

not want to do that

a big deal: important

put yourself out there: to

get involved

Joe: So wait, how long did you spend in Amsterdam?

David: I only spent about four days in Amsterdam before I got kind of

sick of it

Joe: So you were just goin’, you were just basically like, uh, travelin’

through

David: Yeah, and then I started hitching

Joe: Oh, nice, nice

David: And kind of hooked up with some English chicks and just kind

of spent a little bit of time with them on the road And then

eventually ended up, uh, on a train late at night and, uh, didn’t have any money, but pretended I didn’t understand what anyone was saying and ended up in Prague

Joe: Wait, when you first took off, um, from the U.S., were you

actually traveling alone?

David: Totally by myself

Joe: Oh, sweet

David: Yep

Joe: Nice…

David: It’s funny, looking back, I didn’t have anything with me,

y’know

Joe: Yeah, you could just like basically, uh, take off on a whim

David: I had like one pair of shoes and no health insurance and I was

thumbing: hitchhiking;

traveling by getting a free

ride in a car with

someone you do not

Jew: Jewish person

deadhead: a fan of the

American rock and roll

music band the Grateful

Joe: [laugh] That’s nice And you know what, now you would probably

look back and think that you were totally broke And, uh, that, now

that you have kids, that would be a difficult, a very difficult thing to think of

David: If I had to be responsible for them it would be difficult But,

y’know, I, uh, I was only responsible for me And I kind of… I was, I

was in the mood to, uh, to feel anonymous I wanted to go where no

one recognized me

Joe: Yeah, no that sounds great So you, I, that’s great that you just

traveled alone A lot of people, uh, are not into doin’ that, y’know?

David: Yeah, well, it’s a big deal

Joe: Yeah, some people…

David: You’ve got to kind of put yourself out there and just see what

happens, y’know

Joe: Yeah, exactly I actually, I’ve never traveled alone But, uh, I, I’m

sure I could do it, y’know, because, uh, I’m good, I, I feel like I’m pretty good at meeting people, y’know?

David: Yeah, yeah Well sometimes it’s fun to meet people and other

times it’s fun to just truly be on your own And, y’know, you get into a situation where you, where you realize that nobody knows where you are…

Joe: [laugh]

David: …and you just have this total sense of, uh, freedom

tape: cassette tape

ecstatic: very happy

knew what was up: to

know about

Grateful Dead: an

American rock and roll

music band

tie-dye: a colorful t-shirt

bootlegs: cassette tapes

with a recording of a

music band playing in

concer

David: It’s crazy

Joe: Yeah, I can only imagine

David: Yeah

Joe: You took the train from Amsterdam to, uh, to Prague?

David: No, I took the train to somewhere in Germany and then I

started thumbing on the side of the road

Joe: [laugh] Oh, how long did you stay in Germany?

David: Uh, like two days

Joe: Oh, that wasn’t long at all

David: Yeah, just long enough for a couple of weird people to meet

me and, uh, help me out, and take me to different places

Joe: So they actually picked you up?

David: Yeah, at one point I decided that I didn’t really care what

direction the car was going as long as it was warm and dry, I was getting in

Joe: Wait, did you, were you actually like, uh, did you believe that you

were headed to Prague at that point or were you just…

David: Yeah…I was…

Joe: …headed wherever?

David: No, I was headed to Prague, but I didn’t really care if it took me

a while or what

David: So I just kind of went with the flow of what was happening

Joe: Yeah, what did you think of Germany while you were there,

because I’ve never been there…

David: Kind of weird…

Joe: …either

David: …kind of weird Uh, y’know, being, uh, being a Jew, uh…

Joe: [laugh]

David: …I was kind of aware of the history

Joe: Yeah, I’m sure that that’s something that is pretty hard to forget David: Yeah, although, you know interestingly, the only person I met

in Europe who was a deadhead was in Germany

Joe: Oh really!

David: Yeah, and he was like so happy that I was into the Dead when

he met me and I gave him one tape that I had…

Joe: [laugh]

David: …and he was just ecstatic, because they weren’t able to get

tapes like we were at that point

Joe: Oh, so he was actually German

David: Yeah

Joe: [laugh] That’s great

Joe: Yeah, well if you think about it the Dead played there in, uh, ’81,

and, uh…

David: Yeah, he, he knew about them He knew what was up, but he

was like, y’know…

Joe: Yeah

David: …I could use some music And he had a Dead shirt on He

showed me It was funny

Joe: Wait, he, he was actually wearing a Grateful Dead shirt when you

met him?

David: Uh-huh

Joe: [laugh] That’s great

David: It was like underneath a sweatshirt He was like, “No, really.”

He pulls over… He lifts up the sweatshirt He was like “Look.” It was

like an old tie-dye

Joe: Were you wearing one also?

David: No

Joe: Oh, so how did he know?

David: Uh, I just started talking about it and I had bootlegs with me

Joe: Oh, that’s great

Lesson 7: Moving As A Child 1

by the way: in addition to

but less important

out of the blue: sudden

little league sports: group

of sports teams for

children

transition: change

fortunate: lucky

army brats: children of

parents who are in the

military who usually move

Kristin: Hey, I was on the phone with my mom earlier today I had a

nice long conversation with her

Joe: Oh, how’s she doin’?

Kristin: Yeah, she’s doin’ good She said to tell you hello, by the way

Joe: Oh, nice

Kristin: Yeah, I thought this kind of came out of the blue I’d never

heard it before But she was tellin’ me how my nephew moved

Joe: Oh, he just moved?

Kristin: Yeah, um, they had been living in the city limits and now

they’re living in the county So that means he’s no longer gonna be going to the city schools He’ll be going to a county school He’s changed school districts

Joe: Oh, wow, that can actually be pretty traumatic to do something

like that as a kid I mean…

Kristin: Yeah, and they’ve just started back to school So I’m

wondering how he’s doing at a completely new school…new, new kids, everything being new

Joe: Well, at least he didn’t have to move, like, mi-, in the middle of

the school year I mean, that can be really difficult from an

educational standpoint And, y’know, it’s really tough to get settled

in Y’know, especially when you do it mid-year, um…

Kristin: That’s true And although, y’know, he’s still in the same area,

he’s close enough to still be participating in the same, uh, little league

comes a point: comes a

rural: area where there is

a lot of farm land

culture shock: feeling

uncomfortable when you

move to another place

and the people are

different than the place

you lived before

I bet: I agree

accent: the way it sounds

when someone speaks

right off the bat: right

away; immediately

he’ll still see those same kids

Joe: Oh, that’s good That’ll make the transition easier

Kristin: Right

Joe: Wow, eh-… Man Y’know what? That just made me remember

the time when I moved as a kid Y’know, I was pretty fortunate I only

moved one time And, y’know, some kids have to move a lot Like, I

mean, like army brats, for example

Kristin: Yeah

Joe: I mean, I’ve had some friends whose parents were in the Army

and they moved a lot But, y’know, I, I guess it’s easier when you’re

younger But there comes a point where, y’know, it gets really difficult Like when you’re a teenager Like…

Kristin: Oh, yeah, I, I’ve…

Joe: When I moved I was just about a teenager, so I know

Kristin: Well, I, I’ve only moved once, too, when I was a child and I

was eight And that was pretty tough for me

Joe: Yeah, well you can’t imagine how difficult it must have been for

me I mean, I moved from New York where I had lived my entire life

My whole family was there Uh, y’know, I’d, I had never moved before

so all my friends lived there And then I moved to Pennsylvania, rural

Pennsylvania I mean, it was a complete…

Kristin: Oh gosh

Joe: …culture shock

new kid on the block:

new to the area

style: fashion

Joe: And, y’know, what’s worse is, uh, not only did it seem different

to me, I seemed totally different to all the kids there…

Kristin: [laugh]

Joe: …because, I mean first off I had this really thick New York

accent…

Kristin: [laugh]

Joe: …so right off the bat, y’know, they knew right away that I was

not from there

Kristin: [laugh] Right

Joe: Y’know, it was obvious I was the new kid on the block

Kristin: Uh-huh

Joe: And I looked different also because the style in New York was

much different than it was in Pennsylvania

Lesson 8: Moving As A Child 2

accent: the way it sounds

when someone speaks

pop: a drink

soda: a drink; same as

pop

ridiculed: made a mean

joke about someone

affluent: rich

old clunkers: old cars that

have a lot of problems

and look bad

neighborhood: the area

where you live

brand new: completely

new

pretty obvious: really

easy to understand

turn a lot of heads: get a

lot of attention; make

people look

blue collar: the people

have jobs that do not

make a lot of money

Gremlin: the name of an

Kristin: That makes me think, um, when we moved, I was, we were

living in

Michigan At the time we always considered it “the North” But

actually it’s the north of the Midwestern states But then moving to a southern state, I definitely had a northern accent And some of the

words I used were different, too, like “pop” for, for…

Joe: Soda

Kristin: …soda So I was, I was ridiculed by kids for my accent, for

sure

Joe: Yeah, you know another difficult thing for me was that the area

that we moved to was affluent And, I mean, we certainly were not

rich So, y’know, uh, and you could see it from the clothes we wore to the cars that my parents drove I mean…

Kristin: [laugh]

Joe: …y’know, we had these old clunkers and everyone else in the neighborhood has these brand new cars, y’know So it was pretty obvious, like, we would turn a lot of heads driving past people

Kristin: Oh my god, that sounds so much like, like my situation We

moved from a very blue collar area - my, my parents being teachers,

were very blue collar as well - to a very affluent area, a lot of doctors and lawyers And I can remember moving We [laugh]… My mom

drove this yellow and black Gremlin [laugh]…

Joe: [laugh] Yeah, they don’t make those anymore…

longer made

designer clothes:

expensive clothes

keep up with the Joneses:

to try to own all the same

things as people you

know in order to seem as

good as them

stressful: makes you

worry

couldn’t afford it: did not

have enough money

knickers: a type of girls

pants that do not go

below the knees

back in style: to be

fashionable again

horrible: very bad

playground: a place

where children play

standing in the corner:

standing away from the

Joe: …and there’s a reason for it

Kristin: [laugh] I would get dropped off at school from… come in the

Gremlin I would be so embarrassed And then, y’know, we didn’t

have the designer clothes that all the kids we went to school with wore So, we w-, it just was very stressful trying to keep up with the

Joneses and buying these designer clothes It was, uh, very stressful

for me and my brothers But also we put a lot of pressure on our

parents to buy these And they just couldn’t afford it

Joe: Yeah, that sounds familiar

Kristin: I c-, I gotta tell you one story I can remember My mom

actually, she can’t sew And she had sewn me this pair of knickers… Knickers at one point were back in style Do you know what those

are?

Joe: Yes, yeah

Kristin: And they were horrible looking And I wore ‘em to school and

all the kids were makin’ fun of me on the playground

Joe: Oh, my gosh

Kristin: I was just standing in the corner by myself about to cry And

then I went home and I was like “Mom, I want real knickers I want you to buy ‘em in the store for me.”

Joe: Yeah, kids can be cruel

Kristin: [laugh]

Joe: I know kids can be cruel because, I’ll tell you what, I had to, uh… I