I had great plans for Shutdown Day. But ... I wasn't feeling so good becauseI went out the night before. I went to a bar called Fatty's. Apparently they didn't do so well this year and they're not going to open next year. So this was their last night ever. Fatty's is a bar inside two trucks. After Fatty's we went to Jam Bar. On Shutdown Day the computer was shutdown and so was my body. I spent most of the day lying in bed feeling sorry for myself. I recovered sometime in the afternoon and in the evening went out to meet some friends at Loaf. They happened to be having a jembe night. The day after Shutdown day I did some of what I was planning to do on shutdown day. We went shopping at the second hand stop and found a few interesting things like this clock. I wanted to make some art so I bought some material and some nails.I made a frame and nailed the material to it for canvas. The canvas has been blank all week because I couldn't decide what to paint. Today I finally decided on birds.
I really like this song. But I think it is very hard to understand for English students – because there’s a lot of slang and cultural references. So don’t worry if you don’t understand most of it. I can’t understand some of it too actually.
If you just watch it and learn a couple of new words that’s enough.
They talk about three stereotypes. They are: the emo guy the wannabe thug the meterosexual guy
I talked about emo before. And a thug is a violent person, especially a criminal. Wannabe is short for want to be and it means a person who tries to be someone they’re not. The wannabe thug in the video dresses like he’s a gangster but he’s not. A metrosexual ... that’s a fairly new word. It means something like guys who live in cities an do things usually considered to be feminine – like be interested in fashion and skincare. It think there’s debate around what it means but anyway, something like that.
I like these lines: Get naked in the bathroom and take some pics Put the flash on .. so they can see no zits
Pics is short for pictures. And a zit is a pimple or a spot on your skin. And that’s a good trick – if you use bright lights, it looks like you have good skin.
But wait I have no friends, so what do I do? It's okay, we were once losers just like you I had zero friends, not even Tom would approve me
Tom is the guy who founded MySpace. And when you join American MySpace then you automatically get Tom as a friend. So that’s a funny line: not even Tom would approve me. Recently Japanese MySpace just started and Ozzie is the Japanese version of Tom.
Finally these two lines:
All the fly chicks will show you e-love Don't even ask for the digits, just get the three dubs
Fly means sexy or cool ... mainly American, I think. I’ve never heard anyone use fly in New Zealand.
The digits means a telephone number. And three dubs means url. So that’s a sign of the times – before when you met someone you’d just ask their phone number – but these days people also ask for urls or user names.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora in Stick News today, Bono has received a medal from the United Kingdom. He is now a knight.
The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom. Within this system, there are ten orders of chivalry. One of these orders is called: The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. Yesterday Irish rock star Bono became a member of this order. Now he’s a knight. Normally, people who become knights get to be called Sir. But not Bono – because he’s Irish. His son was reportedly disappointed Bono didn’t receive a Star Wars light saber.
And that was Stick News for Friday the 30th of March. Kia Ora.
the snow report
Today I went for another walk around my neighbourhood.
conversations withsarah #205 Did you hear Bono got a medal?
Step 1: Repeat Jun’s lines. Step 2: Read Jun’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Sarah Did you hear Bono got a medal?
Jun Yeah, what was it?
Sarah Um, it says here: he was crowned a "Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.”
Jun What’s an order?
Sarah I don’t really know. It sounds like a strange secret group or something … but I think it’s just a medal.
Jun Who do they give it to?
Sarah People they think have done good things, I guess. And they usually take it away if you break the law.
Jun What’s it good for?
Sarah Nothing really. Except maybe you get to talk to some special people.
Jun What do you mean?
Sarah Like if I rocked up to the queen of England or the prime minister ... they probably wouldn’t talk to me. But if I had one of those medals they’d be like: how do you do.
M to the Y, S P A C E MySpace dot com, it's the place to be We da kings of MySpace, just check the friend list I got ass for days, this sh*t is endless
Not a MySpace whore, I'm a MySpace pimp My views keep rising like the Goodyear blimp With just one click we can be best friends I've seen more news flashing than CNN
25-8 I check the MySpace I just can't wait to check the MySpace 25-8 I check the MySpace It makes life great when I check the MySpace 25-8 I check the MySpace It's how I get dates I check the MySpace 25-8 I check the MySpace And if you ain't got a page then get out of my face
Now first things first, get yourself an account So you can tell the whole e-world what you're all about Get naked in the bathroom and take some pics Put the flash on .. so they can see no zits
But wait I have no friends, so what do I do? It's okay, we were once losers just like you I had zero friends, not even Tom would approve me But then we found the key to getting MySpace love I became the emo guy and I'm the wannabe thug Put on our backwards caps, stunner shades and chapsticks Added a Tupac song, started hitting up black chicks
Grew my hair long Put up Dashboard Confessional Put on tight jeans that smashed up my testicles MySpace bitches hit you with the request Get more underage p***y than Ryan Seacrest
25-8 I check the MySpace I just can't wait to check the Myspace 25-8 I check the MySpace It makes life great when I check the MySpace 25-8 I check the MySpace It's how I get dates I check the MySpace 25-8 I check the MySpace And if you ain't got a page then get out of my face
You can be the meterosexual guy in the sweatervest And just like that, bam you got friend requests Woah, new pics, new ..., they all just keep adding me got so many kudos my page is getting cavities
New birthdays too, the fun is unlimited Oh, quick, go to Google and find me fun images IMG to the SRC Here a Photobucket flyer for my party
All the fly chicks will show you e-love Don't even ask for the digits, just get the three dubs Send her a slick message, get yourself a hot date If it all goes well, slide her in the top eight
It's addictin' like how a crackhead feels Although the pics might be fake, the love is all real And just when you thought that its come to an end Press the refresh button and do it again
Hi, I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show. Today’s song is called Creation Science 101 – I found it because it was featured on the front page of YouTube. It’s by Roy Zimmerman.
Creation science is another term for creationism.
creationism n. the belief that the universe and living organisms originated from specific acts of divine creation
evolution n. the process by which different kinds of living organism are believed to have developed from earlier forms, especially by natural selection
So basically: The idea that the world was created by god – that’s creationism. And the idea that we evolved from monkeys - that’s evolutionism.
I think a lot of people have strong views about this. Last time I checked there were more than 5000 comments under that video.
As for the song – it’s comedy and I think it’s funny ... but it’s not an easy song to understand – because there are quite a few cultural references and some difficult vocabulary. So I don’t recommend it for beginners. But there are lyrics, there are lyrics on his site, so I’ll put a link to that.
In this video Roy is pretending to be a teacher, teaching about creationism or creation science. So he thinks evolutionism is wrong.
I like the line: You ain't no monkey's great grandson. This means: you didn’t descend from or evolve from a money.
He also says: There might be sinners in this class Who might believe in Charles Darwin
A sinner is a person who sins. And to sin is to break a religious or moral law.
You might have seen in movies ... people go inside a church and sit next to a little booth with a person inside ... and say forgive me father for I have sinned. And that means: please forgive me because I have done something wrong.
So this video could lead to some interesting discussions. I guess you should be careful when talking about religion because it is controversial – but I don’t think you should not talk about it at all. Just try to judge the situation. It’s definitely possible to have to an interesting and respectful discussion about religion even if you have different views.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora in Stick News today, the cover for the seventh and final Harry Potter book has been released.
Harry Potter is a fictional character created by J.K.Rowling. The first Harry Potter book was published in 1997. So far, six books have been published and more than 325 million copies sold. The seventh book is called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and will be available on July the 21st. Yesterday the publishers released the cover of the book. The publishers have also announced that 12 million copies will be printed for the first print run in the US alone.
And that was Stick News for Thursday the 29th of March. Kia Ora.
the snow report
At 6 o'clock this evening I decided to go for a walk in my neighbourhood.
conversations withsarah #204 Do you think Harry is going to die in the last book?
Step 1: Repeat Kate’s lines. Step 2: Read Kate’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Kate Do you think Harry is going to die in the last book?
Sarah I don’t know. I hope not. What do you think?
Kate I think he’s going to die.
Sarah Mmm. I don’t know if I’m going to be able to handle it. I was so shocked when his godfather died.
Kate Yeah, me too. What was his name?
Sarah Um, Sirius, I think.
Kate That’s right. Sirius Black.
Sarah And I couldn’t believe it when Dumbledore died.
Kate How are you going to cope if Harry dies?
Sarah I don’t know. Maybe counseling.
questionanswer
Error correction. Questions from this quiz by Charles Kelly.
I this is a great song to study – the lyrics aren’t too complicated and the lyrics are also in the video description which is useful.
He uses the word furries for his toys. I don’t know if that is a Scottish thing ... or just his own personal slang. But I would call those things soft toys.
He says: galipoka rocks! To rock is a slang verb ... I think it’s pretty common. It means: it’s great. For example: The Daily English Show rocks. Or ... Do you like Fat Freddy’s Drop? Yeah, they rock!
Another line is: I find that a lot of videos on YouTube are shite. I find means I think. Shite is another word for shit. It’s a bit of a softer word than shit though, I think. I quite like the word shite ... it has a nice ring to it, I think. But remember, it is slang – so if you want to use it be careful not to use it in the wrong situation ... and if you’re in doubt, then don’t use it at all.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora in Stick News today according to CNN the next Silicon Valley is in Siberia.
The next Silicon Valley: Siberia This headline is from CNN’s website. Wikipedia says: Silicon Valley is the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The term originally referred to the region's large number of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers, but eventually came to refer to all the high tech businesses in the area; it is now generally used as a metonym for the high-tech sector. According to CNN, the next Silicon Valley is in a place in Russia (Akademgorodok) which translates in English to Academy Town. This town used to be a thriving academic town. It had been neglected since the Soviet state collapsed in 1991. Now the town is experiencing an IT boom. CNN says Russia is the third-largest software outsourcing destination in the world, after China and India. Large multinationals are attracted to Academy Town partly because of the low cost of rent, services and salaries. Intel opened an office there in 2004 and IBM arrived in 2000. Most of the work for companies in Academy Town comes from outside of Russia. One customer is Harpo Productions, Oprah Winfrey’s media company. They’ve hired a company called called Axmor to build a web portal.
And that was Stick News for Wednesday the 28th of March. Kia Ora.
the snow report
There was a tiny bit of snow today. So now there’s a light dusting of new snow on top of the old melting snow.
conversations withsarah #203 Who sings that song?
Step 1: Repeat Keiko’s lines. Step 2: Read Keiko’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Keiko Who sings that song?
Sarah Addicted to YouTube?
Keiko Yeah.
Sarah GiR2007.
Keiko Did he do the animation too?
Sarah Yeah, he did everything – music, lyrics, animation.
Keiko Are all his videos music videos?
Sarah Yeah, most of them, I think. He has a couple of behind the scenes videos too.
Keiko What happened behind the scenes?
Sarah He was interviewed by some media, like the BBC.
Hi, I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show. This week I’m going to introduce some original songs from the internet. Today: Just Like Emmalina by LazyDork.
This video was posted 9 months ago and at that time Emmalina was one of the most popular YouTube users. LazyDork wrote this rap talking about how he wasn’t doing very well on YouTube and he wanted to become famous like Emmalina. And he used the metaphor of a drug addict who really wanted drugs, but couldn’t get them.
In other words YouTube, or YouTube fame is like an addictive drug, which is hard to get if you’re like LazyDork.
This is the chorus of the song:
YouTube is like liquid crack And I’m the junkie that can score no smack I wanna be famous like Brad and Angelina Or even be ... just like Emmalina
You probably know who Brad and Angelina are ... Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie – American movie stars.
Crack is: a potent hard crystalline form of cocaine broken into small pieces.
It’s not a word you often hear in New Zealand – because cocaine isn’t very popular in New Zealand. I guess because it’s made in Columbia – which is quite far away.
But it sounds like it’s quite popular in the United States. They consume half of the world’s annual consumption which is about 300 metric tons. And it’s the second most popular illegal recreational drug in the U.S.
As you can see I got quite sidetracked reading Wikipedia.
Anyway, cocaine is very addictive ... and so is YouTube ... hence the line: YouTube is like liquid crack.
A junkie is a drug addict. And score means get.
There are a few other words you might not understand: Mad He says: I got mad vids Mad can mean insane or angry ... but here it means great. Vids is short for videos.
So I got mad vids means: I have got great videos or my videos are great.
And one word I don’t quite understand yet is flame ... that’s an internet slang word which means something about writing abusive messages.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora in Stick News today a company in New Zealand has been fined more than 200,000 dollars for misleading customers about the vitamin C content of their blackcurrant drink.
Ribena is a black current flavoured softdrink made by GlaxoSmithKline the second largest pharmaceutical company in the world. The company has advertised Ribena by saying blackcurrants have four times as much vitamin C as oranges. Blackcurrents may well contain a lot of vitamin C – but Ribena certainly doesn’t. In 2004 two high school students in New Zealand tested the drink and found it had less vitamin C than it claimed to have. The students followed up their experiment with letters to the company, the Advertising Standards Authority, and the Commerce Commission. The Commerce Commission took GlaxoSmithKline to court and today the judge decided they have to pay $217,500 for misleading customers. They also have to place corrective advertisements in newspapers.
And that was Stick News for Tuesday the 27th of March. Kia Ora.
the snow report
Last night Jonny actually slept in the cave.
conversations withsarah #202 When are you going to go back to New Zealand?
Step 1: Repeat Tom’s lines. Step 2: Read Tom’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Tom When are you going to go back to New Zealand?
Sarah Never if I keep reading the news ...
Tom What do you mean?
Sarah It’s just so depressing sometimes ... it makes me want to not go back.
Tom What have you been reading today?
Sarah Oh, apparently a lot of police officers in New Zealand rape women.
Tom Really? Police officers?
Sarah Yeah, how sick is that? I thought police officers were supposed to protect us from violence.
Tom That’s awful.
Sarah Mmm ... it definitely makes me think twice about whether I want to call them to ask for help. I think I’d rather protect myself than have violent criminals help me.
Just Like Emmalina by LazyDork
Emmalina’s gotten 27,000 hits in the last 5 minutes. And I’ve only gotten four all week. Maybe if I hit refresh one more time ...
Hello this is LazyDork comin’ at you. And I check my YouTube twice as much as you do. I got mad vids and they all get ignored. By the young, the restless and eternally bored.
Check the latest comments, no one cares. Check my ratings and it’s totally bare. I’m never most viewed, or most discussed, On recently added, I’m a total bust.
I stalk the users with 200,000 views. And I just don’t get it, I’m just confused. Stationary girls talking to webcams, About their pimply boyfriends and summer plans.
I can’t compete on this global stage. Because, to tell the truth, I’m twice your age. But why must I be crushed and shed some tears. Just cause I can drive and grow a beard.
YouTube is like liquid crack, And I’m the junkie that can score no smack. I wanna be famous like Brad and Angelina, Or even be ... just like Emmalina.
YouTube is a harsh mistress. It’s caused me great mental distress. Melissa Joan Heart was just like Sabrina. Now I wanna be ... just like Emmalina.
I can’t do yoga, I’m not 18. I smell my boxers, to make sure they’re clean. I was born in the seventies, I got three cats. And I spend half my life in pajama pants.
It’s no shock, I’m a YouTube loser. At least I’m not a self-spam abuser. I upload video, I think it’s not bad. And the only comment is: LazyDork’s a fag.
Maybe 10 years ago, I’d be the man. But I was still on a slow-ass dial up plan. AOL teen chat, That was my game. Asking age sex location and then getting flamed.
But now I’ve sadly realized. That’ the YouTube fame of which I fanaticized. Is reserved for those whose faces are much cleaner. And I’ll never be, just like Emmalina.
I’ll never be just like Emmalina.
YouTube, it’s like liquid crack. And I’m the junkie that can score no crack. I wanna be famous, like Brad and Angelina Or even be ... just like Emmalina.
YouTube is a harsh mistress. It’s caused me great mental distress. Melissa Joan Heart was just like Sabrina. Now I wanna be ... just like Emmalina.
Hi, I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show. Well, I survived Shutdown Day ... just. Actually I was quite sick for the first half of the day - not from a lack of computer ... but because I had a bit too much fun the night before. Anyway, today is Monday so we’re going to have another guest today. Mike was going to come today ... but he isn’t feeling so good, so he’s going to come another time. Today’s guest is Jonny. Jonny is from Auckland, New Zealand. And he’s been in Japan since February. And he’s been staying here and snowboarding and studying Japanese and building snow caves. This is the second time he’s been in Japan. Today I asked him about why he came to Japan and what he thinks of the snow in Niseko and how he studies Japanese. Here’s a bit of what he said, and the rest is in the conversation.
When did you first come to Japan? Ah, I came here last year in May. Ah, Just for a holiday and for my friends, my girlfriend’s we ... sister’s wedding. When you first came to Japan was it different than what you expected? It wasn’t as much of a shock as I thought it would be. It wasn’t too difficult and ... I wasn’t overwhelmed by the customs or anything like that. I think I was quite well prepared for it. Well, having Japanese friends and living with a Japanese family in Canada. I guess that prepared me for it.
Where else have you snowboarded? I’ve snowboarded around New Zealand. Um, many ski resorts around New Zealand. I spent two winters in Idaho. Northern Idaho in USA. And after that I went to Canada for two years. So ... there was a period where I, where I always had winters. I had, I think 7 winters in a row.
How does Niseko compare to those other places? When it snows, it’s really good. It’s, it’s by far the best snow I’ve ever seen. Um, the terrain is ... it could be a bit more challenging. Ah ... some mountains I’ve snowboarded before, especially Lake Louise or Score. Lake Louise in Canada, Squaw Valley in California. Um, various places around USA they’ve been more challenging. But the snow is, there’s nothing like it, on a good day.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora this is Stick News. Yesterday morning a 6.9-magnitude quake hit the Noto peninsula in Ishikawa prefecture. The Meteorological Agency has warned the aftershocks are likely to continue for several days.
The Noto peninsula is about 300 kilometers west of Tokyo. At 9:42am yesterday an earthquake jolted the peninsula. One person died and about 200 people were injured. 68 houses were destroyed and 164 were badly damaged. The center of the quake was 11km under the sea. According to CNN about 160,000 households are now without electricity and more than 10,000 households lack running water. Today, more than 175 aftershocks hit the Noto peninsula, including a 5.3-magnitude shock and a 4.8. Strong aftershocks are likely during the next three days.
And that was Stick News for Monday the 26th of March. Kia Ora.
the snow report
Jonny decided to extend the cave because he’s planning to sleep in it.
conversations withsarah #201 When did you start studying Japanese?
Step 1: Repeat Sarah’s lines. Step 2: Read Sarah’s lines and talk to Jonny.
Sarah When did you start studying Japanese?
Jonny I studied in high school for about one year. But I didn’t concentrate. So, I started studying properly about two years ago. Um, I went to Auckland University for one semester of Japanese.
Sarah Why did you decide to study Japanese at high school?
Jonny I choose ... we had to choose a subject, we had to choose a language. And ... my sister came home and she was speaking French, so I hated French, so I thought I would try Japanese. Um, but I, I wasn’t very interested in it. I thought it was a bit boring.
Sarah How are you studying now?
Jonny Ah, just from, from a textbook. And I go snowboarding often. So ... I get to practice speaking to Japanese people on the chairlifts. So, it’s, it’s good practice, it’s ... the mountain’s like my classroom.
Sarah What are your goals with learning Japanese?
Jonny Ah, I want to be able to get by, by myself. Um, hold conversations with people. Just, talk ... talk about what I want. And understand what people say. I’m, I’m focusing more on conversations now. Just being able to understand, and speak. Ah, once I get a bit better, I want to learn more about kanji and be able to write a bit better and read.
Sarah Have you made any embarrassing mistakes in Japanese?
Jonny Ah, nothing too bad. Not, not like the story about the guy who, ah, who went to the bakery and he wanted ah, unko pan ... instead of anko.
Sarah You’re planning to teach English in Japan, aren’t you?
Jonny Um, I’d like to eventually. Just, ah ... First I’d like to get アルバイト (casual work) or a job that I can at least, um, use Japanese in. Just because if ... I’ve heard English teachers, if you’re always teaching English it’s hard to learn Japanese. So I thought if I get a, a job surrounding myself with Japanese people. If I’m forced to speak the language it will make me learn a lot more.
Sarah Do you have any advice for people studying English?
Jonny Ah, I guess it would be you have to try practicing speaking as much as possible. Especially with native speakers. Um, I’m, I’m quite fortunate. I’m in Japan, surrounded by Japanese. So it’s easy for me to practice speaking Japanese. I know in New Zealand, many Japanese, for example. They come, come to New Zealand, and they go to English language schools. But they’re surrounded by other foreigners who, who are learning English as well. So they don’t, they don’t get corrected in their English. And it’s hard ... especially if they work at Japanese or surrounded by other Japanese. It’s hard, for them to um, really progress in their English sometimes. So, if possible just try to surround yourself with people speaking the language you’d like to learn.
100 things to do when you’re not using your computer
(For Shutdown Day ... I uploaded this early.)
1. build a cave 2. sit in a cave 3. clear snow 4. measure snowflakes 5. open a box 6. vacume 7. have a party 8. open some bubbly 9. skate 10. play pool 11. draw 12. catch futons 13. shake your head 14. drink 15. play 16. crawl 17. dance 18. relax 19. sing 20. drive 21. spin 22. go for a walk 23. visit a shrine 24. fill up the heater 25. ring a bell 26. snowboard 27. ride in a chairlift 28. cook 29. eat 30. clean the car mats 31. pick fruit 32. drink coffee 33. play darts 34. stretch 35. sit 36. stand on a bridge 37. wag your tail 38. play hacky sack 39. climb over a fence 40. hug a cat 41. play with dolls 42. busk 43. yawn 44. visit a waterfall 45. make a peace sign 46. use jormon tools 47. study jormon language 48. wear jormon clothes 49. drive onto a ferry 50. sleep 51. scrub the floor 52. clean the walls 53. wipe the walls 54. paint 55. stand on a ladder 56. blend 57. clean the toilet 58. lie on the floor 59. go shopping 60. make a phone call 61. make Christmas decorations 62. wax a snowboard 63. play the guitar 64. fix the power lines 65. make a snow sculpture 66. jump 67. sit in a wheelchair 68. stir 69. play with a chainsaw 70. get some kerosene delivered 71. surf 72. escape 73. do aerobics in the supermarket 74. lie on a whale 75. play a drum 76. go for a swim 77. harvest rice 78. watch fireworks 79. fight 80. have a bath 81. wave 82. jump on futons 83. fall 84. go down a lift 85. DJ 86. dry the dishes 87. roll 88. read 89. turn on the light 90. lock the door 91. pour 92. zip 93. blink 94. strum 95. kick 96. throw 97. open a present 98. clap 99. write 100. light a candle
Yesterday I went up to Hirafu to look at some pottery and it was inside a lodge. And when I was there a woman said to me “are you the girl from The Daily English Show”. And I was like “yeah!” I was so surprised because that’s the first time anyone has ever asked me that. And there are so many people in Japan that the odds of someone seeing me online and then actually running into me are pretty small.
So that’s was cool they were a really nice Australian family with some very cute kids. And hello again if you are watching this.
I also got an email from a Korean person who has been living in New Zealand for 3 years. And they said: I (really) have to agree that New Zealand's internet is very slow,some of my friends know YouTube but they just can't be bothered waiting for the videos to load...
And they said the internet in Korea is really fast. Yeah I heard that too – that it’s really fast in Korea. And it’s good in Japan too. Fast and cheap. So, if you like the internet – don’t go to New Zealand. Not yet anyway. Hopefully they’ll sort it out one day.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora this is Stick News. Yesterday CNN reported that NBC and News Corp were ganging up on YouTube.
YouTube is the most popular online video site in the world. It hosts millions of amateur and professionally made videos – including the world’s first daily online English show – The Daily English Show. Some media giants are jealous of YouTube’s success ... so they decided to make their own site. YouTube has responded by releasing a statement saying “NBC and News Corp are just haters and they have been blocked.”
And that was Stick News for Friday the 23rd of March. Kia Ora.
conversations withsarah #200 Have you ever been recognised before?
Step 1: Repeat Junko’s lines. Step 2: Read Junko’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Sarah Someone recoginsed me from The Daily English Show today.
Junko Wow. You’re like a celebrity.
Sarah Yeah. Would you like my autograph.
Junko No, I think I’m alright.
Sarah Fine.
Junko Have you ever been recognized before?
Sarah Yeah, when I was a bartender I was kind of famous. People used to say: “Oh it’s the Grand Central girl” or “Wow, you have legs”.
Junko Why did they say that?
Sarah Because they were used to just seeing the top half of me.
Today I got an email from a reporter from a current affairs show in New Zealand. He saw the video which I made as a response to John Key – who is a New Zealand politician (for the National Party). And he asked me if I was interested in doing a video with: a comment about National's moves to target the younger demographic through blogging, youtube and so forth - whether you think it'll work, whether it's a cynical ploy (not putting words in your mouth, but I think it's a fair question), and how successful John's attempts are so far. Well, I don’t know if I’m a good person to comment because I don’t that much about politics ... and I’ve only been back to New Zealand once in the last 6 years. But I do vote, and I am kind of addicted to YouTube and I’m under 40 ... so, here’s my opinion.
I think that it’s a great idea for National to put videos on YouTube if they want me to watch them because I’m more likely to watch them if they’re on YouTube than actually go to their site and watch a video. Like when I first came across National’s videos I was just randomly clicking around YouTube one day and I thought hmmm I wonder if there’s any New Zealand videos on YouTube.
I do think their style needs to be improved – I talked about that before though.
Do I think it’ll work? I guess you mean do I think they’ll get more votes just by putting videos on YouTube. Mmm, no. Anyone with a webcam and an internet connection can post videos to YouTube so just by putting them there isn’t going to mean people will like you. If anything, it often has the opposite effect. YouTube is a pretty harsh place. It’s not for the faint-hearted. Some of the comments are pretty mmm ... If people think you suck or you’re retarded or whatever their charming choice of vocabulary is ... they definitely don’t hold back in telling you.
Is it a cynical ploy?
Well ... maybe I’m just naive but I like to think that politicians are politicians because they genuinely want to help make the country a good place to live. So supposing they genuinely want to be open about their ideas by posting them on YouTube and get feedback ... then mmm no worries.
How successful are John’s attempts so far?
Well, I have no idea in terms of who is planning to vote for the National party ... but I can talk about his YouTube success.
The National Party joined YouTube on the 5th of August 2006. And as of today they have 38 subscribers. They have 34 videos so far and the video views aren’t so great ... the last video they posted was three days ago and it only has 34 views. Compared to say Renetto’s latest video which was posted 1 day ago and it already has over 11 thousand views.
So, yeah. Sorry John. Not doing so well on YouTube. But if YouTube popularity is what you want ... then it’s not that hard.
Firstly you could cheat for example get your staff to make a whole lot of fake accounts and subscribe to yourself and if anyone criticizes you just call them a hater.
You could also get attention by uploading angry tirade against a popular user. Kind of like what you guys do in parliament.
Being sexy or trying to be sexy is a good way to get popular ... but I’m not so sure if that’s appropriate. You could try the Daxflame approach and pretend to be mentally-challenged. Or you try lip-syncing like Smosh’s Pokemon video or Numa Numa. Or you try dancing like the Evolution of Dance or Where the Hell is Matt? Yeah, you could do Where the Hell is John? And dance all around New Zealand.
Anyway, the final thing I want to say is this. In New Zealand – compared to Japan anyway – the internet is so slow and so expensive that ... I don’t even think many people in New Zealand actually watch YouTube or other video sites like that. Because I’ve recommended The Daily English Show to Japanese people in New Zealand ... and often people say yeah, they want to watch it ... but the net is just so slow and expensive. So can you guys please sort that out like yesterday. Thanks.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora in Stick News today Elton John has written a magazine article urging people around the world to stand up and speak out against homophobia.
Elton John was born in England in 1947. Elton is a singer, composer and pianist. On Sunday he turns 60. Elton John is gay. His partner’s name is David. They had a civil ceremony in December 2005. Some people hate others just because they are gay. Elton said: "Men and women are persecuted and attacked every day all over the world, just because of who they love and who they make love to." He said people must stand up for the human rights of homosexuals. "Whether the bigot is in our local pub or a thousand miles away, we should all stand up and speak out for these basic human rights."
And that was Stick News for Thursday the 22nd of March. Kia Ora.
the snow report
Today I opened the kitchen window and I saw these massive icicles outside.
conversations withsarah #199 Do you ever watch Close Up?
Step 1: Repeat Junko’s lines. Step 2: Read Junko’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Junko Do you ever watch Close Up?
Sarah Sometimes. The quality of the videos on their site isn’t so good so ...
Junko What kind of programme is it?
Sarah Current affairs.
Junko Is it good?
Sarah Mmm ... actually I haven’t watched it recently. But I didn’t like the last presenter ... so I didn’t used to like it.
Junko Why didn’t you like their presenter?
Sarah I just didn’t like her interview style. She seemed like she always just snapped at people and she didn’t seem very intelligent.
I just wanted to say thanks again to Miho for being on Monday’s show. It was really interesting hearing about her experience learning English in England.
I’m planning to have guests every Monday. And I’d especially like to ask people about their language learning experiences and also to ask native English speakers to teach us a bit of their dialect.
I think the next guest is going to be Mike. He’s from Scotland so he can teach us some Scottish English. I haven’t actually asked him yet, but I’m sure he’ll say yes.
If anyone is watching this that lives around here and would like to be a guest – then please send me an email or just turn up here anytime from Monday to Friday from 2pm to 6pm.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora in Stick News today the governor of Tokyo is being sued for his rude remarks about the French language.
Ishihara Shintaro was born in Kobe in 1932. Ishihara has had many jobs including novelist, playwright, director, and reporter. In 1956 he won a prestigious literary prize for his novel Seasons in the Sun. From 1968 to 1995 he was a national politician with the LDP. In 1999, he was elected governor of Tokyo and is now serving his second term. He’s a very popular governor – in 2003 he got 70% of the vote. He’s also famous for his racism, sexism and nationalism. He often says nasty things such as: Old women who live after they have lost their reproductive function are useless and are committing a sin.” 文明がもたらしたもっとも悪しき有害なる物はババアなんだそうだ。女が生殖能力を失っても生きてるってのは、無駄で罪。男は８０、９０才でも生殖能力があるけど、女は閉経してしまったら子供を生む力はない。そんな人間が、きんさん、ぎんさんの年まで生きてるってのは、地球にとって非常に悪しき弊害。 In 2005 thirty-five French speaking people filed a lawsuit against Ishihara following this comment made in October 2004: "French is disqualified as an international language because it is a language that cannot count numbers." 「フランス語は数を勘定できない言葉で、国際語として失格しているのはむべなるかなという気がする」 The plaintiffs asked for 500,000 yen each plus an apology. Then in 2006 – before the case was resolved – Ishihara suddenly changed his mind and said his comments were made as the governor of Tokyo rather than as an individual. Now 74 people – including French-speaking professors and translators and 16 people from the first lawsuit – have filed a new suit. They say Ishihara’s comment was appalling and they want 50,000 yen each as well as a public apology from the metropolitan government.
Next month Ishihara is hoping to be elected for his third term as Tokyo governor. And that was Stick News for Wednesday the 21st of March. Kia Ora.
conversations withsarah #198 What do you think about Ishihara?
Step 1: Repeat Sam’s lines. Step 2: Read Sam’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Sam What do you think about Ishihara?
Sarah He has said so many nasty things that I think it’s pretty scary that he’s so popular.
Sam Are there politicians like that in New Zealand?
Sarah Yeah, there’s a guy called Winston Peters.
Sam Who’s he?
Sarah He’s a politician. And he often says things against immigration. I think he tries to appeal to people’s dislike of foreigners – especially against immigrants from Asia or the middle east.
Sam Sounds like Ishihara. Is he very popular?
Sarah I think he’s less popular than he used to be. He lost his seat in the last election, but he got in as a list MP.
I found out about Shutdown Day after watching a video featured on YouTube. Shutdown Day is this Saturday, the 24th of March. And the idea is to not use a computer all day.
This is from their website: shutdownday.org is not against the use of computers, but it would be nice to take time off for one day, to reflect and remember the other things in life that maybe we sometimes forget because we have become accustomed to a life dominated by our computer.
So I thought I’d take part – because I use a computer a lot and I think it would be good to have a day off. So on Saturday I’m not going to use my computer all day. And I’m going to upload Saturday’s video early – on Friday night. I’ve already made it actually ... it’s called 100 things to do when you’re not using your computer. And I think it’s a good video for studying verbs.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora, this is Stick News. On Sunday three men stole a 100 kg block of gold from a museum in Gifu.
The 100kg block of gold was on display on the second floor of an art museum in Gifu. Visitors to the museum were able to freely touch it. On Sunday two female staff were working at the museum. They were at the reception desk on the first floor. One of the women briefly left the desk to go outside. When she came back inside there was a man asking her co-worker many questions. She heard a strange noise upstairs and went upstairs to investigate. Upstairs, she saw two men in the process of stealing the gold. They pushed her over and left with the gold. The man on the first floor threatened the other woman with a metal object and told her to lie down. He then left with the other men. All three men were wearing cold masks, black hats and sunglasses.
And that was Stick News for Tuesday the 20th of March. Kia Ora.
the snow report
Jonny and Maki-chan went to a restaurant in Hirafu the other day that’s shaped like a Mongolian tent. I haven’t been there yet but I want to go and check it out.
conversations withsarah #197 How heavy was it?
Step 1: Repeat Sam’s lines. Step 2: Read Sam’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Sam Why did they have gold sitting there anyway?
Sarah So that people could look at it and touch it I guess.
Sam Yeah, but didn’t they think about the fact that someone might steal it?
Hi, I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show. Exciting news - today we have a special guest on The Daily English Show. Miho came into the studio today. Miho is Japanese. She lived in England for 7 and a half years. In England she studied hospitality management, international relations and Italian. Her interests include acting, modeling, fashion and media. Her most recent job has been a radio announcer at FM Niseko. And this week she’s moving back to Tokyo where she’s going to be working in fashion and sometime in the future she’s planning to move to Sydney and be on Neighbours or Home and Away. Today I asked her about her experience living in England and about language. Here’s a little bit of what she said – and the rest will be in the conversation.
Why so long in England? Yeah, I just wanted to study the language for six months. And that’s, you know, that, that was all I was going to do. But I just decided to go on to college and do like a sort of diploma there. And then ended up going up to university as well. What did you study? At college I did, um, hospitality management. That was like high school degree kind of thing. And then after that I went to university and did international relations and Italian. Why Italian? Italy. Fashion. Good food. Cute guys. Did you work in fashion? I started working in a shoe shop when I was at university in Nottingham. And, ah, I did work as an interpreter at Vidal Sassoon when I was staying in London for a while, as well. And when I came back to Japan in 2005. I started working in ... ah, I started working for a fashion brand from New York. And yeah, I was working as assistant merchandiser. Why FM Niseko? I met, I met ah the executive producer from FM Niseko in Tokyo through a mutual friend. And he was looking for somebody who can speak Japanese and English. Um, so I was like yeah OK I’m interested in working in media. So I thought I’d do it. Why Sydney? I thought about going to Melbourne. I thought Melbourne would be better for me. Like more culture, I thought. But if I want to work in media, then Sydney would be better.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora, this is Stick News. The highest ranked sumo wrestler in Japan is in trouble after he gave his opponent a bit of kick when he was already down.
The rank of yokozuna is the highest rank in sumo. They’re supposed to be good at wrestling – and be well behaved. Currently there is only one active yokozuna – a Mongolian wrestler called Asashoryu. Yesterday Asashoryu was fighting a wrestler called Kisenosato. After Kisenosato hit the ground Asashoryu should have stopped fighting immediately. But he was so excited that he didn’t stop. Asashoryu dropped his knee into Kisenosato. The commentators weren’t impressed.
And that was Stick News for Monday the 19th of March. Kia Ora.
conversations withsarah #196 When did you go to England?
Step 1: Repeat Sarah’s lines. Step 2: Read Sarah’s lines and talk to Miho.
Sarah When did you go to England?
Miho January 1998.
Sarah How long were you there for?
Miho I was there for seven and a half years. Initially I was going to stay there for six months, just to study the language. But somehow I ended up staying there for quite a while.
Sarah Did you come back to Japan often?
Miho I tried to come back once a year. But sometimes I didn’t.
Sarah When you met people in England did they ever think that you were born in England?
Miho Oh, yeah, some people ... Well, this guy actually, when I met him ... Like we, we were all like having a drink in the bar. And I met this guy for the first time. And he goes: “So, Miho, which part of Burmingham are you from?” And everyone just cracked up. Because like ... I’ve never lived in Burmingham. You know only been there a couple of times or something. And obviously I’m from Japan. I’m not even English, I’m foreign for god’s sake.
Sarah How did your English get so good?
Miho ‘Cos I was bullied. (You were bullied?) Yeah, I, I after six months at language school – I went to collage. And ah I, you know, I was in a class with English kids. And, you know, when you go to a language school you only hang out with you know people who speak English as a second language. So you don’t really, you don’t really learn real English do you. Then, like, you know, you feel like you are speaking it. And you think you’re really good and that. But when you, you know, when you go and actually mix with like native people you sort of realize oh, dear. Yeah. And that’s what happened. And, um ... when we had to do like group work and stuff. Like, those like, English kids didn’t really want to do it with me. Because they thought I was stupid. You know I didn’t speak the language properly. And you know, they didn’t, they didn’t think I was, you know, capable. Sort of. So that really pissed me off. Yeah, I was like proper gutted. I, I worked really hard and learnt English. Just to convince them, that I was capable.
Sarah Do you have any advice for people who are thinking about studying abroad?
Miho I don’t recommend anyone to go to a capital city. Cause there’s always going to be a Japanese community. And yeah, you ... I mean you have to be put in a situation where you have to speak the language, don’t you? To properly learn it.
Sarah Was it hard coming back?
Miho It was. It was really nasty actually. Yeah, cause everything is so different.
Sarah Do you ever have difficulty switching between two languages?
Miho I do sometimes, yeah. I’m kind of getting used to it now. But like before I was like speaking English to a Japanese person and Japanese to like an English person or something. Yeah, I do get confused sometimes.
Wakame is a kind of seaweed. I decided to make some wakame soup. I put some water in a pot. Then added konbu dashi, vegetable stock, chili and a bit of sesame oil. When it started boiling I added three teaspoons of dried wakame. I cooked it for a couple of minutes. Then put it into some bowls and sprinkled sesame seeds on the top. Easy and delicious.
Put the board upside down on some blocks. If you're left-handed like Koji the nose should be on your left and the tail on your right. Wipe the board with a cloth. You should wear gloves so you don't cut your hands on the edges of the snowboard. There are different kinds of wax for different temperatures. This one is for warmer temperatures. This one is for colder temperatures. And this one is all-temperatures. Koji decided to use the all-temperature wax. First apply the wax by rubbing it against the board like this. For the second coat, hold the wax against the iron to melt it a bit then rub it against the board again. Koji said some people apply the wax by holding the wax against the iron and letting it drip on the board. But he said that way can damage the base of the board and it also wastes wax. He said that when he went to Canada the only people waxing the same way as him were Japanese people - so maybe it's a Japanese thing. Then get some special wax paper and press the iron against the paper while pulling it along the board. The purpose is to melt the wax and make it seep inside the tiny holes in the base. Extra wax and dirt comes off on the paper. After you've finished putting the wax on leave it for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then get a scraper. Hold the scraper with both hands like this and scrape the wax off from the back of the board to the front. On the nose or tail you can use the narrow side of the scraper. When the edge of the scraper gets blunt sharpen it with sandpaper. After scraping the wax off, brush the board to make the surface smooth. First use a hard brush. Then use a soft brush. Then use another brush to get rid of any random bits of wax that might be stuck on the board. And that's it.
Today’s song is: As Long As You Love Me. This is a song by the Backstreet Boys. The Backstreet Boys are a boy band. They were created in 1993 by a guy called Lou Pearlman, was inspired by the success of New Kids On The Block. They are still together and according to Wikipedia they are: the highest selling boy band of all-time.
By the way the boy band trend was apparently started by New Kids on the Block. And a boy band - as opposed to a normal band with male members - is ... a group of usually 3 to 6 members who sing and dance, they usually don’t play any instruments, and the band is usually created by managers. They follow mainstream music trends and change their appearances to adapt to new fashion trends. And they are generally aimed at an early teen or preteen audience.
When the Backstreet Boys started to become popular I was passed that target age which probably explains why I was never a fan.
But one thing I do love is the Chinese Backstreet Boys lip-synced version of As Long As You Love Me. This is their name in Chinese: 後舍男生 In English people call them Back Dorm Boys, Back Dormitory Boys, Chinese Backstreet Boys, Dormitory Boys, and Two Chinese Boys.
They are famous for lip syncing to songs by the Backstreet Boys and other pop stars.
You’ve probably already seen them – but if you haven’t you definitely should – they’re very funny. This is their blog. It’s in Chinese so I don’t know what it says ... I just looked at the pictures.
Anyway the song As Long As You Love Me is a love song. In the song the singer is saying I don’t care about your background or what you’ve done in the past, all that matters is that you love me. Oh, how romantic.
I don’t care who you are Where you’re from What you did (I said do by accident) As long as you love me
You can use this song to study the idiom as long as.
As long as can mean: for the period of time that. For example: You can keep the book for as long as you want.
This is a really interesting book. You can borrow it if you like. Oh, really? Thanks. OK. I’ll bring it back next week. Oh, I don’t really use it much so you can keep it for as long as you like.
So that’s one meaning of as long as – but that’s not what it means in the song.
In this song it means: provided that, or on the condition that. Basically the same as if. If you love me, nothing else matters.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora, this is Stick News. This morning a woman in New Zealand called the police to report the theft of three of her marijuana plants.
Marijuana is a psychoactive product of the plant Cannabis sativa. It’s known by many names such as cannabis, ganja, pot, weed, dope, skunk and wacky tobacky. Wikipedia says: It is estimated that Cannabis is now regularly used by four percent of the world's adult population. However in many countries, such as New Zealand, it is illegal. According to norml.org.nz: New Zealand has the highest recorded cannabis arrest rate in the world, at 606 people arrested per 100,000 population per year. The United States is second with 247 arrests (per 100,000 population per year). Most people in New Zealand know that cannabis is illegal – so they try to be sneaky to avoid being arrested. However, some people aren’t blessed with such common sense. This morning a woman in New Zealand called the police to report a burglary. She was so upset she broke down in tears. But the police officer couldn’t stop smiling. According to the New Zealand Herald the woman had called to report the theft of three marijuana plants which she had growing in pots outside. The woman told the police she was a good person and she was sick and tired of "low-lifes" stealing her things. Police said that the community constable would be going around to see her later to have a bit of a chat.
And that was Stick News for Friday the 16th of March. Kia Ora.
conversations withsarah #195 What do people do on Saint Patrick’s Day?
Step 1: Repeat Kana’s lines. Step 2: Read Kana’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Sarah It’s Saint Patrick’s Day tomorrow.
Kana Saint what?
Sarah Saint Patrick’s Day.
Kana What’s that?
Sarah It’s a public holiday in Ireland and it’s celebrated in some other countries too … like New Zealand.
Kana What do people do on Saint Patrick’s Day?
Sarah In New Zealand people usually drink a lot and go to an Irish bar and pretend they’re Irish.
Kana Are there many actual Irish people in New Zealand?
Sarah I don’t know. But a lot of people have Irish ancestors.
Kana Do you?
Sarah I don’t know. Probably.
As Long As You Love Me
Although loneliness has always been a friend of mine I’m leaving my life in your hands People say I’m crazy and that I am blind Risking it all in a glance How you got me blind is still a mystery I can’t get you out of my head Don’t care what is written in your history As long as you’re here with me
Chorus I don’t care who you are Where you’re from What you did As long as you love me Who you are Where you’re from Don’t care what you did As long as you love me
Every little thing that you have said and done Feels like its deep within me Doesn’t really matter if you’re on the run It seems like were meant to be
Chorus
I’ve tried to hide it so that no one knows But I guess it shows When you look into my eyes What you did and where you’re coming from I don’t care, as long as you love me, baby.
Hi, I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show. Today I recommend studying: When I’m Sixty-Four. When I’m Sixty-Four is a love song by the Beatles. It was written Paul McCartney and released in 1967. Beatles songs in general are great for studying. You’ve probably studied some already – if you’re from Japan anyway - they’re in a lot of junior high school textbooks. You can study a few different things in this song. For example the conditional tense.
If I'd been out till quarter to three would you lock the door.
You can also study the use of when. A lot of students only know the use of when as a question. For example: When’s your birthday? When are you leaving?
But if you hear the word when – it doesn’t always mean that it’s a question.
When I get older losing my hair many years from now will you still be sending me a valentine?
That’s a question – but the will is the question word. When is often used in sentences that aren’t questions. For example: It’s so annoying when people do that. I like watching TV when I’m hungover. When I have a cold I usually drink hot water and ginger.
STICK NEWS
Kia ora, this is Stick News. A school teacher in the United States is in trouble after showing his bare bottom on stage. The Full Monty is a British comedy film which was released in 1997. It tells the story of six unemployed steel workers who decide to form a male striptease act. The film's title is an informal phrase used in the UK to mean 'the full amount expected, desired, or possible'. In the film, the characters use it to refer to full nudity. One of the characters says, "No-one said anything to me about the full monty!". According to Wikipedia, in the United States, the phrase was unknown prior to the film, and consequently most Americans now take the phrase to refer to being in the nude. An American musical adaption of the film has also been made. The show is now on at a community theatre in Florida. The actors who play the strippers bare their bottoms briefly at the end of the show. One of the actors is a part-time high school teacher. The school district isn’t impressed with him showing his bum on stage. Last week they wrote to him and said he either had to cover up, withdraw from the show or resign his job at Lemon Bay High School. The school district's director of human resources said: "because teachers are held to a higher standard than most people, you have to look at how that affects the community and his role as a classroom teacher." The teacher has refused to quit the show. He said: "for me it's the principle of the thing, because I'm not letting anybody stifle my art”. He’s due to have a meeting with an administrator today.
And that was Stick News for Thursday the 15th of March. Kia Ora.
the snow report
It snowed last night, this morning and periodically throughout the day. The walls of the cave are getting thicker and thicker. Maki-chan’s cave doubles as a vegemite shrine. This was the situation outside at quarter to 4. Some people were playing in the snow across the street.
conversations withsarah #194 Do you like swimming?
Step 1: Repeat Mana’s lines. Step 2: Read Mana’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Mana Do you like swimming?
Sarah Yeah, I do.
Mana Do you prefer swimming in the sea or in a river?
Sarah Mmm ... I like both.
Mana Did you go swimming much when you were a child?
Sarah Yeah, in summer we went swimming almost every day after school in the river.
Mana Did you live next to a river?
Sarah Yeah, we lived right next to a creek. But we had to go for a bit of bike ride to get to a swimming hole.
Mana Sounds fun.
Sarah Yeah, it was. All the kids in the valley used to meet up at the same place. We used to get off the bus and then race down there to see who could get there first.
When I'm Sixty-Four
When I get older losing my hair many years from now will you still be sending me a valentine birthday greeting, bottle of wine If I'd been out till quarter to three would you lock the door Will you still need me Will you still feed me When I'm sixty-four
You'll be older too And if you say the word I could stay with you
I could be handy mending a fuse when your light have gone You can knit a sweater by the fireside Sunday mornings, go for a ride Doing the garden, digging the weeds Who could ask for more Will you still need me Will you still feed me When I'm sixty-four
Every summer we can rent a cottage on the Isle of Wight, if it's not too dear We shall scrimp and save Grandchildren on your knee Vera, Chuck, and Dave
Send me a postcard, drop me a line stating point of view indicate precisely what you mean to say yours sincerely wasting away Give me your answer fill in a form mine forever more Will you still need me Will you still feed me When I'm sixty-four
Hi, I’m Sarah. Welcome to The Daily English Show. The song I recommend to study today is Tears in Heaven.
There seem to be hundreds of people singing this on YouTube. I had a look at quite a few of them today. And one of the one’s I quite liked was by Ben Smart or Smartini89.
Tears in Heaven - as you probably know - is a song by Eric Clapton. It’s about the death of his 4-year-old son ... who fell from a 53rd story window in his mother's New York City condominium. So it’s really sad song.
You can study this song to practice the conditional tense. Would you know my nameif I saw you in heaven? You can use this would ... if structure to talk about what you would do in imaginary situations.
For example: Would you leave your job, if you won lotto. You can say it the other way: If you won lotto, would you leave your job. It means exactly the same thing.
After the if use the past tense and after the would use the present.
In this book there are a lot of questions like this – about hypothetical or imaginary situations. I don’t really like this book ... I think most of the questions are kind of stupid ... but it’s good for showing you some examples of the would ... if structure.
Would you add a year to your life if it meant taking one year from the life of someone in the world selected at random?
Would you be willing to have horrible nightmares every night for a year if you would be rewarded with extraordinary wealth?
If you knew that in one year you would die suddenly, would you change anything about the way you are living now? Would you have one of your fingers surgically removed if it somehow guaranteed immunity from all major diseases?
If you went to a movie with a friend and it was lousy, would you leave?
STICK NEWS
Kia ora, this is Stick News. Yesterday a plane in Japan made a nose landing after the nose gear compartment failed to open.
Landing gear is the structure (usually wheels) that supports an aircraft and allows it to move across the surface of the Earth when it is not flying. Part of the landing gear system is the nose gear compartment. Yesterday a plane was flying from Osaka to Koichi when the pilot noticed a problem with the nose gear compartment. The plane circled Shikoku airport for two hours before landing to use up the extra fuel and avoid a possible fire on landing. The pilot landed the plane safely. The plane’s nose was damaged but none of the 56 passengers and 4 crew were injured.
And that was Stick News for Wednesday 14th of March. Kia Ora.
the snow report
It didn't snow much today.
conversations withsarah #193 Why don’t you like that book?
Step 1: Repeat Mana’s lines. Step 2: Read Mana’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Mana Why don’t you like that book?
Sarah I just think it’s a waste of time thinking about situations that will never happen.
Mana Like what?
Sarah Like this one: Would you be willing to murder an innocent person if it would end hunger in the world?
Mana What does murder mean?
Sarah Kill someone. It’s just like ... that would never happen so what’s the point of even thinking about it. Mana What is the point of that book?
Sarah Um, it’s supposed to be a tool for self-discovery or a provocative way to stimulate conversation. Mana Are there any interesting questions?
Sarah Yeah, there are a couple. Like – hang on a minute - like this one: You notice a self-destructive behavior pattern in a friend who is clearly unaware of it. Would you point it out? That’s quite interesting because it is actually possible.
Tears in Heaven
Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven? Would it be the same if I saw you in heaven? I must be strong and carry on 'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven...
Would you hold my hand if I saw you in heaven? Would you help me stand if I saw you in heaven? I'll find my way through night and day 'Cause I know I just can't stay here in heaven...
Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees Time can break your heart, have you begging please...begging please
Beyond the door there's peace I'm sure And I know there'll be no more tears in heaven...
Would you know my name if I saw you in heaven? Would it be the sameif I saw you in heaven? I must be strong and carry on 'Cause I know I don't belong here in heaven...
The Daily English Show is the world's first daily online English language show. Produced by studio tdes and presented by Sarah - a New Zealander currently based in Auckland, New Zealand.
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