Show 850 Thursday 9 October
Watch today’s show at YouTube or BlipTV.
Hi, I’m Sarah, welcome to The Daily English Show.
The video I recommend today, is called:
GAS CRISIS: Interviews w/Gas Station Patrons, Orange, CA USA
Back in June, a woman went round to 10 petrol stations in a place called Orange – that’s such a cool place name by the way … and she interviewed customers who were filling up their cars. She asked them how the gas crisis was affecting them.
I think it’s a great video to use to study English because it’s an interesting topic and it’s all very natural spontaneous English. More than twenty people were interviewed and there’s a variety of people and it’s really interesting to see how people react in many different ways to the gas prices going up.
Some people said they’re carpooling, some people are driving slower, some are taking the bus or the train or walking or riding a bike. Some of them said that they’d stopped going out so much. And one guy didn’t seem to care because he said his parents paid for the gas.
Here’s an idiom that is used in the video: get in shape.
That means: to exercise, eat healthy food etc. in order to become physically fit.
One guy says he’s thinking of riding his bike to work and the woman says:
So you’re going to get in shape, aren’t you?
And a bit later on she says: You look like you’re pretty much in shape already.
I’ve quite often heard Americans say be in shape or be out of shape. I think in New Zealand it’s more common to say be fit or be unfit. So I would probably have said to that guy: So you’re going to get fit, aren’t you?
The Acadia Report
Today I had a look at the footage from another residence tour we did at Acadia University. I thought I’d show you some of the interesting things I saw.
There were flags hanging in the windows of one of the buildings. The American flag, the Canadian flag and the Chinese flag.
In one room we visited the person was really interested in Japan and had posters of Japan on the walls.
And this poster bought back memories too. I played Monopoly a lot when I was a kid.
Oh yeah, and the cookies … when we were being shown around, we found someone baking cookies. Mmm cookies.
STICK NEWS
Kia Ora this is Stick News. Last night the 2008 New Zealand Music Awards were held and Flight of the Conchords kicked arse.
Flight of the Conchords are a comedy duo from Wellington, New Zealand.
They formed in New Zealand in 1998. Six years later they created a radio series for the BBC. Then in 2007 they starred in an American TV series called Flight of the Conchords.
The Distant Future, their 2007 EP, won a Grammy award.
In April this year they released their debut full-length studio album.
That album has just won an award too.
Last night Flight of the Conchords won all three awards they were nominated for.
They also shared an award for international achievement with hip-hop star Savage.
The Conchords couldn’t make it to the event because they’re now in America making the second series of their HBO shows. They sent pre-recorded video acceptance speeches instead.
And that was Stick News for Thursday the 9th of October.
Kia Ora.
Word of the day
Today’s word is dread.
v. anticipate with great apprehension or fear
One of the guys in the video says this: I dread reading the paper and seeing how much oil has gone up, every morning.
conversations with sarah
#526 What kind of festival?
Step 1: Repeat Celia’s lines.
Step 2: Read Celia’s lines and talk to Sarah.
Celia What’s going on outside?
Sarah Um, there’s a festival in the street.
Celia What kind of festival?
Sarah Well, it’s called Konpira Matsuri.
Celia What does that mean?
Sarah I think there’s a god called Konpira something or other – but I’m not really sure. Don’t quote me on that.
Celia Is it a music festival?
Sarah No, it’s just a whole lot of stalls I think. Apparently, the special thing about this festival is that it’s the last festival of the summer in Hokkaido. So all the professional festival people come here for the final festival.
Celia Are you going to go and check it out?
Sarah Yeah, I might later. It’s on for three days, so, I might tomorrow.
GAS CRISIS: Interviews w/Gas Station Patrons, Orange, CA USA
transcript
1. Oh, I’m paying 4.49.
Is that right? That’s amazing.
Because, ah, the other day I passed by a 4.29 and I thought how expensive and then the next one I saw was 4.39. So today, 4.49 … I’m a lucky guy.
2. It’s affecting me pretty bad. Um, I mean, I, I’m married, I have three kids and to go out the weekends is just painful for me to take them out, cause, like, it’s killing me, you know.
3. How is this affecting you, this, this gas crisis?
It’s affecting me a lot. Because the, ah, for my business, you know, before it was 30 dollars, now it’s 100 dollars a week for gas.
4. Well, gas has affected us in many ways. For example, we can’t go out to many places anymore. So now we have to save up money to … for gas, you know, instead of, before it was only, like, two dollars, three dollars. And now it’s getting up and you know in the future it’s probably going to go up even more and, you know, I don’t know if we’re going to be able to pay enough to, you know, and we’re using a lot of our, um, extra activities that we used to do because of the gas.
Right, thank you. How much does it cost you to fill up the tank now?
Um, probably, like 40 dollars a week. More? Yeah, like 60.
5. Trying to consolidate trips, um, not going as far. Like if we’re going to go somewhere for dinner we try to pick somewhere really close to the house. Um, walking more. Walk to lunch at work instead of driving. Things like that.
6. How much does it cost to fill up your tank now?
Um, some stations don’t even let me fill it because it has a cut of, of like 75.
You’re driving an SUV?
Yeah.
OK.
Yeah, and it’s 28 gallons, so I think it costs about a hundred dollars to fill up.
7. So, I’m riding my motorcycle a lot more.
And is that to work that you ride your motorcycle?
Yeah.
OK. And your personal life, at home, as this affected you in anyway, how you’re feeling, or anything like that?
I dread reading the paper and seeing how much oil has gone up, every morning.
And when you pass by gas stations and seeing gas prices going up daily?
I don’t look.
OK, alright.
8. How is this affecting your, your personal life?
Ah, real short trips. Forget vacations. Only go where I have to go.
Where would you have wanted to go if the gas prices were lower?
Oh, I’ve got relatives up in Northern California and Arizona that I won’t be able to see.
9. I’m getting better mileage than I’ve ever gotten before in my car, because I’m driving slower. I drive … I, I, I changed jobs I go ten miles more to work every day. And guess what? I’m saving more money on gas because I’m driving at 60 miles an hour, because it means that much to me. So if you want to make a difference, just slow down.
10. I’m actually going to start taking the train. Metrolink is running a ten trip pass promo for free, so this is a really great way … the depot is just, not even a mile down here. And it drops off for me right behind work in Irvine (?). And it’s a great way to, to kind of save on gas, and you get to put your makeup on in the morning or read or whatever you want to do. And you don’t endanger any lives? You can even talk on your cell phone if you want to.
11. So how is this all affecting you personally in your life?
Um, we try not to go out as much. We’re car pooling right now we’re only actually using one car. Because my husband’s car is eight cylinder. So mine’s only four. So we’re car pooling between my job, his job and the babysitter. So we’re actually trying … starting … thinking of taking the bus. Cause I work for UCI, so it’s up, down the street, so it’s easier for me just to take the bus.
12. Oh, it’s, it’s crazy. It’s just like, I just want to stay home sometimes. And, you know, just driving from work to home and … I mean the gas is just unbelievable. You can just do anything.
Have you cut out anything in your personal life because of the gas?
Yes.
Could you give an example of that?
Um, less shopping.
Would that be like grocery shopping or … ?
No, like clothes and, you know, purses and shoes.
13. Now, it’s so much as just using the car for a necessity (for necessities ?) and not as a luxury any more. It’s become really, really tough, but … we have to manage, hopefully it will get better.
And how much do you pay to fill up your tank?
Well, I used to pay 20 to 25 and now I’m almost up to 50, so I’ve practically doubled.
14. Drive slower. I’ve been driving a lot slower lately.
How fast do you go? When you drive more slowly?
Um, in the street, honestly, I’m going like 35.
How about the freeway?
Freeway, ah, 55. And that’s, you know …
You go 55?
Yeah.
I go 55! Do you notice people getting right on your bumper?
Yeah, but I get on the right hand side.
I do too.
Yeah.
And they still pass me. Do they pass you too?
Yeah, yeah, they’re upset, but, you know, they’re not paying my gas.
OK. Good for you! All right and is there anything that you’ve had to cut out of your life as, as far as … ?
Um, less Starbucks.
15. I have another car that require(s) premium. And, ah, I don’t use that that often anymore, like I used to.
How much does it cost to fill that car up?
Um, last time was 90 dollars.
90 dollars?
Yeah. It was … before it was only 50 dollars, 50-60 dollars. Empty tank.
16. The price of gas going higher and higher, how has that affected your personal life?
Ah, cutting down a lot on travelling and vacation, forget about it. So, starting Monday, I might have to start riding a bicycle to work.
How far would that be?
Ah, from Testan to the city of Orange, about seven miles.
So you’re going to get in shape aren’t you?
Well …
I’ve done it before, so …
Let’s see, I’ve got to get a picture of this. You look like you’re pretty much in shape already.
17. Wife and I are both on retirement income, so it really changes our, you know, what we do and we have to conserve our trips. Make as … least many trips as possible.
So it does affect us, seeing our grandkids, we don’t get to drive as much to see them. So it’s … it does put a strain on us.
Where do your grandkids, grandkids live?
In Anahain (?).
Wo, that’s not that far away!
No, but it still adds up, you know.
Yes it does. And your personal driving habits, have you changed them at all?
Very much, we try to make out a list before we go anywhere, what we need to do for the day, so we don’t make extra trips. Conserve our mileage and our gas usage.
18. Yep, the prices of gas have completely affected my social life. I have to stick close to home. It’s a big drag. Weekends used to be filled with driving up and down the coast, and we don’t get to do that anymore.
19. Ah, the oil prices have affected me in the way that, I can’t travel anywhere I want to. And fortunately, I have a motorcycle, so I ride my motorcycle almost every day, which helps some, but still …
20. So, how does it feel putting that, that, ah, nozzle in your, in your car?
Well, it’s quite expensive and my car eats a lot of gas.
How has this affected your personal life?
Um, not really, because I don’t really pay for it.
Who pays for it?
Ah, my parents.
How has it affected their lives? Have you noticed anything different?
Um, they’re more concerned about saving it and less driving, more car pooling.
21. Can you tell me how this has affected your life?
It’s like making a major purchase every time I fill up my truck.
How much do you have to pay?
80, 90 dollars to fill up the truck. It’s just ridiculous.
Have you used your truck for work?
No, this is my weekend vehicle. I use a different vehicle for work, which costs me 80 or 90 dollars to fill that up too. So …
That’s a lot of money every week.
It’s god-awful.
22. What I’d like to know is, how has the price of gas affected your life?
Well, I guess this is hard because you know the price is so high. So we can … sometimes we can even work (walk?), cause we don’t, we don’t have enough money to, to, to pay for the gas.
23. I’m thinking about getting an apartment five days a week in LA and coming home in the weekend. Because if I were to drive in, it would cost me … I’d pay 500 bucks a month, just for gas.
And you’re married?
Yeah, I’m married. Yeah.
How would that affect your … ?
Oh, my wife would be happy.
24. You know we can figure out how to make an atomic bomb, we can figure out a way to, to fuel our cars and to create energy for this country, um, aside from oil. You know, I don’t think we’re going to be putting sails on top of our cars. But there’s other things that I think we really need to push for. Um, and everybody has a part in that. Private business, public, the government, we all need to buy into that.
notes
kick arse/ass is an informal idiom meaning various things ... in this case "do very well"
something or other is an idiom which is used when you have forgotten the exact name of something
links
today's news
today's STICK NEWS pictures
music
show start
artist: Boom Tschak
album: Indietronic CCBit.
track: More Chocolate, Please
from: Former Yugoslavia
MySpace
The Acadia Report start
artist: DJ iPep's
album: Home Mix 2007
track: Concerto
from: EVREUX, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
WOD start
artist: DJ iPep's
album: Home Mix 2007
track: Game Toy
from: EVREUX, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
cws start
artist: Wolfgang S.
album: Indietronic CCBit.
track: Dynamite
from: Belgrade, Serbia, Former Yugoslavia
artist site
MySpace
qa start
artist: ioeo
album: triptracks
track: triptrack2
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
qa/tar bgm
artist: ioeo
album: triptracks
track: triptrack3
from: Saint Raphael, France
album at Jamendo
artist at Jamendo
artist site
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