my American friend

M- Today we’re talking about ‘’Making Excuses’’

C- Hi Marta! How are you?

M- I’m great thanks!

C- You’ve had a really busy week, haven’t you? Congratulations on your new EP! It’s a fantastic CD!

M- Thank you! I'm very attached to this album. Everyone of these songs means a lot to me.

C- Hey, let’s go out for a nice lunch tomorrow. My treat, I’ll pay for it. We’ll celebrate the release of your new album!

M- Oh thank you, Cindy, I would really love to go out for lunch but I have a lot on my plate right now. September is a very busy month for me. Can I get a rain check?

C- Sure, no problem. I understand. To ‘’HAVE A LOT ON YOUR PLATE’’ means to have a full schedule, to have many commitments or problems at one time.

M- To have a lot on your plate…that’s my life! 

C- You need to start buying smaller plates!  So, we’ll take a RAIN CHECK on lunch- that means we’ll postpone lunch for another time when you are less busy.

M- A rain check- to postpone to a later date. Got it.

C- and…

M- AND, IT’S YOUR TREAT- that means you’re going to pay for it! I have witnesses! 

C-  yes, you do have witnesses- all over the world! I’m happy to pay for lunch, you’ve worked really hard and this is an excellent album.

M- Thank you and I'm happy to share it with the world finally!

C - So, how can we find it?

M – It's available on iTunes! Just search for “12n” that's the name of my acoustic duo, it stands for TWELVE NOTES (dodici note, doce notas, douze notes). 12n. 1 2 n (website: www.12n.biz ) ** So we’re talking about how to make excuses to people today.

C- Right, sometimes we have to say ‘’no’’ to people or ‘’TURN SOMEONE DOWN’’ (that means to reject or refuse) and we need to say ‘’no’’ politely without being rude.

M- …without hurting someone’s feelings and making them feel bad.

C- Right, so today we’ll give you a few examples on how to pardon yourself, make an excuse or say ‘’no’’

M- Politely and without lying!

C- Right, because we don’t want to encourage anyone to lie!  Where should we begin?

M- How about the phone?

C- Good idea since we all live on our phones nowadays. Let’s give an example of how to excuse yourself and interrupt a phone conversation. Have you got a telephone?

M- Sure, one moment…

C- I’ll pretend to phone you and you’ll politely make an excuse and offer to call me back later.

M- Do I have to call you back?

C- Yes.

M-Hello?

C- (talking very fast) Hi Marta, it’s Cindy…listen, you’re totally not going to believe the day I’ve had…it was AWFUL!…First, I got stuck in traffic and I was like 20 minutes late to work and I totally had a good excuse for being late but my boss didn’t want to believe me and my coworkers are like whatever you’re like always late so like we totally do not believe a word you’re saying and I’m all “it’s true!”

M- Wow.

C- Yeah, but listen that’s not the worst of it because like at lunch they totally messed up my food order and I had to go back twice and I’m all….

M- Cindy, I’m sorry, excuse me…

C- What? Was I talking too fast? Do you want me to start over, from the beginning?

M- NO!!... I mean…no, that’s okay. Listen, dear, I’m sorry you’ve had a tough day.

C- Awful day!

M- Right, awful day…I’m sorry, I’ve got a lot to get done today. I’VE GOT MY HANDS FULL at the moment. Can I call you back a little later?

C- Oh sure, any time.

M- Thanks…I’ll give you a ring later…

C- Good, ‘cause you’re totally gonna want to hear what happened to me this afternoon....

M- I’m sure…talk to you later, dear….

C- Don’t forget! You won’t believe it!

M- I promise…I’ll call you later….Bye!

C- You’re not going to call me back. Just admit it.

M- No. I’m not going to call you back. Now let’s give everyone another example of an excuse.

C- Alright, how about an excuse that you girls can use at the disco? Sometimes we’re asked to dance by a guy we don’t want to dance with. Perfect. Now we’re going to need a little help here from our friend Freddie.

Freddie- Hello!

C- Hi Freddie. So, Freddie is a nice guy.

Freddie- I’m a nice guy.

C- And it takes some balls to approach a girl in a disco and ask her to dance, so let’s be polite and let him down easy. To ‘’LET SOMEONE DOWN EASY’’ is to say no, reject, disappoint or give bad news to someone gently to ‘’let them down easy’’.

Freddie- Would you like to dance?

C- I’m sorry, thank you, but I’m hanging out with my girlfriends tonight.

Freddie- Ok, bye

C- Thanks, for helping out Freddie

Freddie- No problem. Any time.

C- I’m hanging out with my girlfriends tonight. That’s it.

M- To let them down easy. Cindy, how about when you’re having a conversation in person? How can we excuse ourselves and end the conversation?

C- First of all, be sincere and let people know that you really do enjoy talking with them, but you have to go. Then, you can use phrases like:

‘’I’M SORRY, I NEED TO RUN. CAN WE TALK LATER?’’ or

‘’I’M RUNNING LATE, CAN I CATCH UP WITH YOU/EMAIL /TEXT YOU LATER?’’ or

‘’I SHOULD REALLY GET GOING NOW’’ or

‘’I’M GOING TO HAVE TO CUT THIS SHORT, CAN I GIVE YOU A RING LATER?’’

M- Well, Cindy, I think we should really get going now.

C- Thanks for listening everyone! Come and catch up with us later on our Facebook page, iTunes, Podomatic, Twitter, YouTube and on our blog at www.myAmericanfriendblog.com . We are also available for private lessons via Skype, just email us at myamericanfriendpodcast at gmail.com and we’ll respond with all the details.

M- Thanks everyone!

C- Are you going to call me later?

M- No! I am not going to call you later.

C- Come on! Just call me.

M- No! Oh look…there’s someone more interesting at my door right now…

C- That’s a fake doorbell! You’ve got an app for it!

M- Sorry, gotta run!

VOCABULARY

1. It’s my treat/I’m treating- I’m paying for it.

EXAMPLE: Let’s go out for a nice lunch tomorrow.

ANSWER: Sorry, I can’t go anywhere. I’m broke and my paycheck won’t arrive for another week.

ANSWER: Don’t worry! It’s my treat. Lunch is on me. I’ll pay for it.

2. I have a lot on my plate right now- I have a lot of commitments or problems right now.

EXAMPLE: Hey, let’s go to the movies this weekend!

ANSWER: Sorry, I can’t go out this weekend. I have a lot on my plate right now. I’m studying for final exams and babysitting my little sister while my parents are out of town. Maybe we could go out next week instead?

3. to take a ‘’rain check’’- to reschedule for a later date.

EXAMPLE: Don’t forget we’re all getting together at the pub Friday night.

ANSWER: Sorry, I’ll have to take a rain check. My car is at the mechanic. I’ll catch up with you at the pub next time.

4. to ‘’turn someone down’’/ to get ‘’turned down’’- to be rejected, refused

EXAMPLE: John asked me out on a date last week, but I turned him down because I’m not attracted to him.

EXAMPLE: I turned down the new job offer. The salary is good, but it would take me away from my family and I would really miss my wife & kids. I’ll stay with my present job until something better comes along.

5. to hurt someone’s feelings- to insult or hurt someone emotionally.

EXAMPLE: Susan & I had a big argument at work. I said a lot of things that were nasty & hurtful to her. I’m afraid I have hurt her feelings and our friendship is broken beyond repair. I don’t think she will ever forgive me.

6. I’ve got my hands full-to have a lot of commitments or problems at one time.

EXAMPLE: I’ve got my hands full at work. Three employees are out sick, so I’m doing their jobs in addition to my own!

7. I’ll give you a ring- I’ll call you.

EXAMPLE: Would you like to go out this weekend? Give me your phone number and I’ll give you a ring sometime tomorrow.

8. let them down easy- to reject, disappoint or give bad news gently without trying to hurt someone’s feelings.

EXAMPLE: We gave the promotion to Susan instead of Barbara. It was a big disappointment to Barbara, so I had to let her down easy and carefully explain why we had chosen Susan over Barbara.

9. Phrases to end a conversation:

‘’I’m sorry, I need to run. Can we talk later?’’ or

‘’I’m running late, can I catch up with you/email /text you later?’’ or

‘’I should really get going now’’ or

‘’I’m going to have to cut this short, can I give you a ring later?’’

M – Let's talk about how to improve the language using … SONGS !

C – Hi everybody! Do you know how Marta and I met? It was at a New Year's Eve party where Marta was performing.

M – Yeah, I remember it very well. I started singing the first song and after a couple of lines this blonde woman in the audience turned around and stared at me right in the eye.

C – I turned around and looked at you because you were singing in English, I mean, real English!

M – Of course, I was!

C – We'd better explain. Marta and I live in Italy and live performers here in Italy don't usually pay much attention to their English pronunciation. I mean, I don't mean to offend anyone, but I have to admit Italian singers singing in English aren't generally that careful about enunciating. Sometimes they sneak in a bit of gibberish with some real English words at the beginning or end of a sentence. That's why Marta totally caught my attention at that party. I said to my husband ‘’She speaks English- and she speaks it well.’’

M – And when the party was over we ended up chatting.

C - Yes, you mentioned that you were also a songwriter and you needed someone to double check your lyrics in English.

M – That's how it all began. Our friendship was born thanks to music and languages.

C - Marta, tell our listeners how important songs have been for you to learn English.

M – Oh, so important! Songs are precious tools in order to learn new vocabulary. The melody helps you with memorizing and remembering sentences. In addition to this, if you sing along with the singer you get the right pronunciation and accent even without noticing it.

C – You're right, it's kind of effortless, natural. But we're not all singers on a stage like you, Marta.

M - It doesn't matter, the goal is to improve your language while having fun. You don't need to sing well, just sing along with the radio while driving or when taking a shower, you can be completely out of tune, that's fine...

C - well, everybody, if your neighbors complain about your singing out of tune just remind them that they're getting English lessons for free. :) So, everybody, with this episode we want to give you some hints about how to use songs to improve your English.

M – Ok, first off : pick a song in English that you really like.

C - Ok, have you chosen your song? Good. The first step is: try and write down the lyrics only by listening to the song. Just pretend that the internet doesn’t exist. Listen to the song over and over, one bit at a time, and try to understand the lyrics, write them down.

M - This is what I did every day as a teenager. Back then internet really didn't exist and I had no choice.

C – Ah, the Dark Ages before internet! :)

M – Second step?

C - Now Google the lyrics and compare them to what you had written. Find out what you had missed and what you’ve misunderstood. Third step: check the lyrics again and look for slang, idioms, interesting expressions, strange accents, whatever catches your eye - and ear. Everybody loves music! It’s much easier, and a lot more fun to learn the details of a language while enjoying music! Marta can you give us some examples?

M – At school no one taught me the use of AIN'T.

C - Ain't - spelling: A I N ' T . According to the context , ain't is slang meaning : isn't , aren't , or hasn't, haven't. It's very common in everyday conversation, but it is not proper English. Your English teacher never taught you about ‘’ain’t’’? It’s not taught in school?

M – no, but I’ve heard “ain't” in a lot of songs.

“ain't no sunshine when he's gone...” * “baby it ain't over till it's over” * “no, no, no, it ain't me babe, it ain't me you're looking for, babe...” * “this ain't a love song...” * “but everything means nothing if I ain't got you, yeah...”

C – So that's how you learned it.

M – Yes.

C – Songs also help us to learn how different accents can sound.

M - You're right. Pick a word.

C - hmmm... 'again'.

M – Ok, for example check the difference between Annie Lennox: “here comes the rain again” and Britney Spears: “oops I did it again”.

C - Again (British) vs. again (American).

M - Pick another word.

C – hmmm... 'half' .

M - Ok, the Beatles: “I'm not half the man I used to be” and Bon Jovi : “we're half way there”

C - Ok.

M - Even learning grammar is easier using songs.

C - For example, listen carefully to this grammar rule about the Second Conditional. Are you ready?

M – Sure, go ahead!

C - The verb of the 'if clause' is at the simple past, please note that the subjunctive form of the verb 'to be' is often used for the first and third person.

M – uhm...

C - Great. Now, let’s review. Marta, what did we learn?

M - mmm...that you were rambling on about the Second Conditional. Then I lost you, I'm afraid.

C - Wasn't it boring?? :) To make a long story short, I said: instead of saying “If I was...” we usually say “If I were...”.

M - All right, now I get it. Let's listen to Beyoncé’s: “If I were a boy” . Now I'm sure I will remember this grammar rule forever.

C – It’s much easier with music isn’t it?

C – Ok, listeners, now it's up to you. Choose a song and follow the tips we gave you. Then let us know what you've learned by doing so. We'll be waiting for your feedback, we'll collect your comments and include them into a follow-up episode about songs and lyrics.

M – I'm sure this method works, I've used it for 20 years now.

C - You even became a songwriter. Hey Marta, why don't we use some of the songs you wrote in that follow-up episode?

M - Good idea.

C - Ok, everybody, get in contact with us on our blog www.myamericanfriendblog.com or on our Facebook page, Podomatic, Youtube, Twitter, we're everywhere on the web.

M – see you soon!

C – bye bye

M- Today, we’re talking about DETERMINATION !

M- Cindy, how are you today?

C- I am FEARLESS!! I have THE HEART OF A CHAMPION!

M- Fearless? The heart of a champion?

C- I am a determined, unstoppable force of human nature.

M- Unstoppable? WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU? Why are you acting like that? ….Oh, you've been watching the London Olympics.

C- That's right, I have, and I am inspired! I am self-assured and I am fearless! I am Iron Woman!

M-Cindy, you're never going to become an Olympic athlete unless they add shopping to the list of sports.

C- NEVER SAY NEVER! Don’t be so negative. Ugh! You’re such a BUZZKILL!

M- Not gonna happen! Not in your lifetime!

C- Whatever! Y'know Marta, I am so charged up after watching all of those incredible athletes. They're THE CREAM OF THE CROP, the best from all over the globe.

M- The cream of the crop. The Olympics make me think of our listeners, all over the world.

C- We know that every single person listening to this podcast right now has the heart of a champion. You are determined, exceptional people and I will tell you why- because you have learned a second language.

M- And that's ‘’NO WALK IN THE PARK’’. That means it’s not an easy thing to do. It's no walk in the park.

C- Learning a second language requires focus, dedication and a passion to do better and want better in your life. This is what makes you a champion.

M- That’s right.

C- I know that many of our friends out there speak a third or even a fourth language! We celebrate you, you are Language Superstars!

M- We know that the road has probably been ROUGH for you at times.

C- Having a ‘’ROUGH ROAD’’ or a ‘’few BUMPS ALONG THE WAY’’ means to encounter difficulties.

M- ‘’Bumps’’ or difficulties are just a part of life.

C- Maybe you weren’t BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN YOUR MOUTH.

M- A silver spoon?

C- To be “born with a silver spoon in your mouth” that means to be born into a privileged life. Life is not always kind, or easy. Sometimes we strive to reach our goals but we fall flat on our faces.

M- Fall on our faces? Could you explain that for everyone?

C- Sure, TO ‘’FALL FLAT ON YOUR FACE’’ means to fail miserably or in an embarrassing way. I’ll give you an example: Two years ago, my friend opened a new restaurant. He had no experience in business. He was irresponsible and careless with money. The food was terrible and he received many bad reviews. One year later, he fell flat on his face and the restaurant closed its doors- that means the business closed forever.

M- Oh, I see….to ‘’fall flat on your face’’ means to fail in a big way. Got it.

C- And by the way- that was a fictitious scenario I used as an example. I don’t know anyone with a failed restaurant!

M- That’s good!

C- So, anyways…back to life. Sometimes we fail. That’s normal, but the important thing is to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in that saddle. (line from the song : “Waka Waka” by Shakira) To ‘’GET BACK IN THE SADDLE’’ means to restart, to continue again, to resume something that you had stopped doing. Don't give up on your dreams, because you know what?

M- What?

C- We learn from our mistakes, that's how we improve. In regards to learning a new language I have uttered a lot of stupid, senseless things in Italian and I still make many mistakes on a daily basis. Who knows how many people went home laughing about the silly American woman who speaks Italian like a monkey!

M- Well, DON’T GIVE UP THE DREAM…at least your pronunciation is good!

C- Thank you for that vote of confidence! My point is this: when you make a mistake LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE that means to look at something in a positive way. Mistakes are your first steps towards improvement. All those mishaps, disappointments and bumps along the way will help to pave the road to success in your future. “PAVING THE ROAD TO SUCCESS’’ means to prepare the road to success. For example: Hard work and focused determination have helped to pave the road to success for many Olympic athletes.

M- Instead, bumps along the road can even push you harder towards your goal. For example when I was 14 years old my parents refused to pay for my singing lessons and that made me even more determined about taking singing lessons. So I worked as a baby-sitter in my free time from school until I made enough money to pay for those lessons myself.

C- That's a great story! So, you were not born with a silver spoon in your mouth?

M – No, not really. It was no walk in the park.

C- Y’know every time the Olympics come around I can’t help but think of that inspirational song by Queen. One of the greatest, most epic rock anthems of all time! You know the one, Marta… Inspire us my dear!

M – We are the champions my friend and we'll keep on fighting 'till the end...

C- Oh, I feel like I CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS now! I’m determined to have a great day! Thank you, Marta and thank you to Queen!

M- We hope everyone is inspired today to follow your dream and ‘’GO FOR THE GOLD’’!

C- To ‘’go for the gold’’ means to aspire to the highest level of achievement – it means to aim for the gold medal!

C - Thanks for listening everyone, have a great day!

M- And don’t forget to come visit us on www.myAmericanfriendblog.com

C- And stop by our Facebook page and say hello! You can also find us on Youtube, iTunes, Twitter and Podomatic. We are now available for private lessons via Skype. Just send us an email at: [email protected] and we’ll respond with all the details.

M & C – Thank you, bye bye!

***********************

VOCABULARY:

WHAT'S GOTTEN INTO YOU? – a way to say ‘’what’s wrong with you?’’ or ‘’why are you behaving this way?’’ EXAMPLE: You’re being very rude today. That’s unusual. What’s gotten into you? Are you in a bad mood?

NEVER SAY NEVER!- means don’t say something is impossible. Think positive. EXAMPLE: ‘’That mountain is too high! We will never be able to reach the top!’’ ANSWER: ‘’Never say never! We can do it! We will begin early and I’m sure we will reach the top by nightfall.

BUZZKILL: Something that ruins the mood of the party. EXAMPLE: We were having a lot of fun at the party. Everyone was dancing and laughing and having a great time, then my neighbor came over and asked us to turn off the music! She always complains, she’s such a buzzkill!

NOT IN YOUR LIFETIME!- means ‘’it’s not going to happen while you are still alive’’ EXAMPLE: Will you go out on a date with me? ANSWER: Not in your lifetime! I will never go out with you!

THE CREAM OF THE CROP- the best of the best. EXAMPLE: Jennifer is the best athlete we have. All of our athletes are talented, but Jennifer is really exceptional. She is determined, hard-working and focused. She is the cream of the crop.

IT’S NO WALK IN THE PARK- It’s not easy. EXAMPLE: We made it to the top of the mountain by nightfall, but it was no walk in the park. It was quite exhausting and required lots of preparation and training to be physically able to do it in one day.

TO ENCOUNTER A ROUGH ROAD- to face difficulties, obstacles. EXAMPLE: I’ve earned my degree and I now have a great job, but it was a rough road to success. I faced a lot of difficulties when I was a young student, but I have been rewarded by my hard work and dedication.

TO ENCOUNTER A FEW BUMPS ALONG THE WAY- to face difficulties, obstacles. EXAMPLE: My grandparents have been married for 50 years! Their marriage has encountered a few bumps along the way, but they love each other very much and are totally dedicated to spending the rest of their lives together.

BORN WITH A SILVER SPOON IN YOUR MOUTH- to be born into a privileged life. EXAMPLE: My friend was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Her parents are very rich and they have always bought everything for her. She has never had to work a day in her life.

TO FALL FLAT ON YOUR FACE- to fail in a major way, or embarrassing way. EXAMPLE: My brother is an excellent football player. He was sure that his team would win the local championship. In the weeks leading up to the championship he did a lot of bragging, talking about how they would crush their opponents on the field. When the big day arrived, they fell flat on their faces! The opposing team beat them by 25 points! It was humiliating!

CLOSED ITS DOORS- to close a business forever. EXAMPLE: After 40 years in business, my local supermarket has closed its doors. The owners are retiring and moving to Florida to enjoy the sunshine.

GET BACK IN SADDLE- to resume an activity you were doing before. EXAMPLE: My brother broke up with his girlfriend 2 weeks ago and he’s already back in the saddle! He has a date with a new girl tonight!

LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE-to look at a situation in a positive way. EXAMPLE: My supervisor has reduced my hours at work. I can only work 40 hours per week with no overtime. ANSWER: Well, look on the bright side: now you have more time to spend with your children. They will be very happy to have you at home more often!

PAVING THE ROAD TO SUCCESS-to prepare the road to success. EXAMPLE: A good education, hard work and dedication will pave the road to my success!

TO FEEL LIKE YOU CAN MOVE MOUNTAINS- to feel very inspired, positive, motivated, strong. EXAMPLE: My husband supports and encourages me in everything that I do. He motivates me to be the best person I can be. After talking with him, I feel like I can move mountains!

GO FOR THE GOLD- to strive for the highest level of achievement, or the gold medal. EXAMPLE: What are your future plans for your new business? ANSWER: We’re going for the gold. Our plan is to expand the company nationwide within the next 5 years. One day soon, our products will be in every household in the country!

M- Today we’re talking about DEPRESSION & JOY.

MARTA- Cindy, how are you today?

CINDY- I’m feeling kind of depressed today, Marta.

M- Depressed? You’re depressed?

C- …Yes, Marta…you don’t know what depressed means?? It means gloomy, melancholy, sad.

M- Yes, I know, but why in the world are you feeling gloomy, melancholy, sad, depressed? Why?

C- I don’t know… it’s just so depressing out there. I’ve been listening to the news all day and there’s bad stuff going on everywhere. It’s depressing!

M- Listen Cindy…

C- I can’t listen…I’m too depressed.

M- Listen to me. Did the sun rise today?

C- What?

M- Do you see a big ball of fire in the sky right now? Did the sun rise this morning? Is it shining now?

C- What? Yeah, of course the sun is shining…it always shines.

M- Do you have family?

C- Yeah, of course I have family…I’ve got tons of aunts and uncles and cousins…uh oh…..

M- Do you have friends?

C- Oh no…I can see where this is going… Yes, I have lots of friends… all over the world.

M- Do you have clothes on your back? Shoes on your feet?

C- Yes.

M- Do you have a roof over your head? Did you eat today?

C- Yes and yes.

M- Are you healthy?

C- Yes.

M- Then shut up.

C- You’re right. You’re 100% right. I was just doing a bit of self-absorbed rambling.

M- Self what?

C- Self-absorbed rambling. That means I was only thinking about myself. I was wallowing in self-pity for a moment there.

M- Well, snap out of it and look on the bright side because today is a beautiful day. Look outside, there’s not one cloud in the sky and you have so very much in your life to be joyful about!

C- You’re right, we’re here to encourage, uplift and support our listeners…not bum them out by depressing them.

M- That’s right, no one is going to listen to our podcast if we bum them out!

C- Ok, let’s turn this thing around. Ask me again…ask me how I’m doing.

M- Sigh…

C- Come on, ask me …ask me again!

M- How are you today, Cindy?

C- GREAT! Couldn’t be better! I feel like I’m on top of the world!

M- On top of the world? So, you’re not depressed anymore?

C- Nope, I’ve had a complete change of heart and instead I’ve now got a positive attitude and a joyful heart.

M- A complete change of heart. Well, I’m glad…that’s music to my ears!

C- I mean, there is just so much to be happy about in life!

M- That’s true!

C- Good friends…

M- Yes!

C- Supportive family…

M- Absolutely!

C- Sunshine!

M- Definitely!

C- Laundry detergent is half price this week at the supermarket…

M- Really? Is that what brings you joy? Half-priced laundry soap- and you’re over the moon with happiness?

C- I’m really a simple girl at heart. (laughs) It doesn’t take much to make me happy. Marta, what brings you joy? What makes you happy?

M-Mainly, my husband and my cat and I’m lucky because we share the same apartment so I get to see them every day.

C- That’s nice, and I can see it’s true because you’re grinning from ear to ear.

M- I’m what?

C- You’re grinning from ear to ear. You have a big smile on your face. I can see you’re happy.

M- And Cindy, what other things bring you joy? What else makes you happy?

C- Well, I love to cook and I love being able to share an excellent meal with my friends. So I’d say that’s one thing that makes me joyful: Cooking and sharing great food with friends.

M- Well, that’s something that makes your friends joyful- including me!

C- But I hate washing the dishes afterwards! A kitchen full of dirty dishes is a real buzzkill!

M- I hate washing the dishes as well, but I don’t know what a buzzkill is. Can you explain?

C- Sure, a buzzkill is anything that destroys or ruins the mood of the party. Imagine the best the party you’ve ever been to. You’re having a great time and suddenly the neighbor knocks on the door and asks you to turn off the music.

M- Oh wow.

C- That’s a buzzkill!

M- That’s it.

C- Ok, Marta let’s wrap this episode up with one of my favorite joy-related quotes!

M-Alright, let’s hear it!

C- It’s a quote from a cartoon character named ‘’Ziggy’’. Ziggy was created by an American cartoonist, writer and artist named Tom Wilson.

M- And how does it go?

C- ‘’You can complain because roses have thorns, or you can rejoice because thorns have roses!”

M- That’s great! Thank you to Tom Wilson & Ziggy!

C- I love that quote! And to finish out this episode we’ve collected sound bites from a few dear friends talking about the special things that bring joy to their lives….

Sarah: Hello, my name’s Sarah and I’m English, as you can probably tell from my accent. I live in Imola, which is near Bologna in Italy. In the UK, where I’m from, the summer tends to come and go with every change of the wind. I really love being in Italy during the months of June, July, August and September because it makes me feel very positive to remain in the sunshine, in strong heat. It makes you really feel much more cheerful. We often enjoy good food, good wine, good conversation. So it’s very important to focus on those enjoyable parts of life and not to dwell on the negatives, I believe. And if anyone wants to contact me for translations between Italian and French and English feel free to contact me on my email address which is in the transcript. Bye Bye! [email protected]

Jo: Hi! My name is Jo and what brings me joy is playing the ukulele.

Freddy: Hi! This is Freddy and live music brings me joy!

M- Thank you for listening everyone we hope you have a joyful day!

C- We hope you all have a reason to use one of these joyful expressions like:

Being on top of the world, Being over the moon, Grinning from ear to ear, Couldn’t be better.

C- Come visit us on iTunes, Youtube, Podomatic, Twitter, Facebook and www.myAmericanfriendblog.com. We are also available for private lessons via Skype, just send us an email at: [email protected]

M- Thank you everyone! Bye Bye!

C- Bye bye!

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VOCABULARY:

1. Gloomy- Depressing, partially dark, low in spirits

EXAMPLE: The weather report is gloomy today. Rain is predicted all week and temperatures are lower than normal.

EXAMPLE: What a horribly, depressing movie! It was so dark and gloomy! There wasn’t a single happy scene during the entire 2 hours!

2. Melancholy- depression of spirits

EXAMPLE: During the game a feeling of melancholy swept over the crowd as they realized their favorite team would not win the world championship.

3. “I can see where this is going’’- I can predict the end result

4. To have ‘’a roof over your head’’- to have a home, a place to live.

EXAMPLE: My father works very hard, seven days a week, so that he can provide a roof over our head.

5. To be ‘’self-absorbed’’- to be concerned only with only yourself.

EXAMPLE: My sister is the most self-absorbed person I know! She only cares about her own happiness with no regard for anyone else’s feelings!

6. Rambling, to Ramble- to talk endlessly without making sense, without making a point

EXAMPLE: Will you please stop talking! All you’re doing is rambling without making a clear point. You’re wasting my time.

7. “Wallow in self-pity’’- Merriam Webster defines as: pity for oneself; especially: a self-indulgent dwelling on one's own sorrows or misfortunes

EXAMPLE: Stop wallowing in self-pity! There are a lot of people who are worse off than you. You should stop thinking about yourself and instead try to help to people who are less fortunate than you.

8. “Snap out of it”- change your attitude, mood

EXAMPLE: I know you’re all feeling defeated right now, but you’re going to have to snap out of it

if you want to turn things around, win this championship and take home the trophy!

9. to ‘’bum someone out’’- to depress them, to discourage them

10. ‘’I’m on top of the world!’’- to have a very positive attitude, to feel very happy

11. ‘’I’ve had a change of heart’’- To change one’s attitude or mood.

EXAMPLE: My grandmother has always been argumentative and hard to deal with, but she’s had a change of heart in recent years. Now she’s mellow and really quite pleasant to be around. The family can now enjoy many happy moments together around the dinner table.

12. ‘’That’s music to my ears!’’- to hear welcome news, good news.

EXAMPLE: I’ve won the scholarship to my favorite university!

ANSWER: That’s music to my ears! That’s fantastic news!

13. to be ‘’simple at heart’’- to be made happy, content with simple pleasures, acts.

EXAMPLE: I suppose I’m a simple girl at heart, I don’t like jewelry or shopping. I prefer going out for pizza with my friends or to spend the day fishing with my grandfather at the lake.

14. Buzzkill- something that ruins an enjoyable situation

EXAMPLE: My brother is such a BUZZKILL! Last night, my girlfriends and I were having so much fun while listening to music and eating pizza when all of a sudden my stupid brother barged into the room and started playing his video game in during the party! He’s so self-absorbed, he only thinks of himself!

15. To be ‘’over the moon’’- ecstatic, extremely happy.

16. Grinning from ear to ear- to have a big smile

17. Couldn’t be better!- so happy that it is impossible to be happier.

EXAMPLE: Hi Susan! How are you today?

ANSWER: Great! Couldn’t be better! I got that new job I applied for and I start work tomorrow. My life is really going to change for the better now!

M – Today's topic is a good one : RELAX !

C – Hi everybody! We’ve been away for a while, we know, but Marta and I have both been on holiday. Now we're back and RELAXED!

M – Yes, we took a break and now we're ready to GET BACK ON TRACK. Nothing's better than an episode about expressions related to relaxation, it's gonna be...RELAXING !

C – Cue the New Age Music! And you've already used one of those relaxation-related expressions, Marta: to TAKE A BREAK.

M – Right. And Cindy, you actually took a break last week, when you went to Paris.

C – That’s right, I went to Paris for a long weekend! I had been working hard in the last few months…

M- ….’’burning the candle at both ends’’…

C- Exactly, and I definitely needed to LOOSEN UP a little bit, to SLOW DOWN, to CHILL OUT and GET SOME REST.

M – To loosen up, to slow down, to chill out, to get some rest. Ok, got it.

C – You had definitely been in need of some rest, too, Marta. How was your vacation in California?

M – Wonderful! I was eventually able to relax and UNWIND my mind from all of my activities as a singer, songwriter and teacher.

C – To relax and unwind the mind, right, which is as important as relaxing the body. Another great verb is: to UNPLUG.

M – To unplug. That is to disconnect an electronic device, isn't it?

C – Yes and it's also used to mean : to forget about the world, to detach yourself from job and commitments...

M – ...to switch off your cell phone, let yourself go and just relax. Mmmm, sounds good.

C - It does! So, were you able to unplug in California? Or were you answering your e-mail from the Sequoia National Park?

M – I did unplug.

C – so you're not a WORKAHOLIC, that means you're not addicted to work.

M – Well, when I'm working on a project I work hard until it's finished, I just can't TAKE IT EASY and it's hard for me to UNWIND after a busy working period. But, hey, when I'm on vacation....I'm on vacation, that's it. I hardly remember about owning a telephone. I mean, I need to RECHARGE MY BATTERIES, so give me a break, ok? :)

C – All right, all right. You made your point, now, CALM YOUR NERVES, isn’t this an episode about relaxing??!

M – Sorry, I guess I already miss the peacefulness of the Sequoia Park.

C – So, is that what relaxes you the most? Being in touch with the still, quiet, unspoilt nature?

M – Absolutely. Nothing can compare to it. Problem is...I can't afford to take an international flight every day and go to the mountains of California in order to unwind.

C – Not really practical, is it? ... So how do you usually unwind after a busy day?

M – I relax by going for a walk in the park, doing Yoga, taking a long bath, reading a good book. That's it. How about you, Cindy?

C –I flush my cell phone down the toilet.

M- Cindy! You must not flush your mobile phone down the toilet!

C- You’re right, it does become costly in the long run. Bad idea. Do not flush your mobile phones down the toilet.

M- Thank you for that very useful Public Service Announcement.

C- No problem. I like music to help me CHILL OUT. For me, music works like a charm. Two songs immediately come to mind: Jimmy Buffet’s ‘’Margaritaville” and Corinne Bailey Rae’s ‘’Put Your Records On”.

M – Sometimes all people need is a single day to relax.

C - Sometimes they just need to switch the alarm clock off and SLEEP IN !

M – It’s just as simple as an extra hour of sleep needed to recharge your batteries, isn't it great?

C – Yes, you know, there are a lot of great techniques to help you relax when you have a lot of work or studying to do and you experience lack of concentration, such as diaphragmatic respiration or relaxation exercises. Actually, we all can start by taking short breaks during the day to allow our muscles and body to rest. We can open a window and breath in some fresh air, keep our eyes closed for a few minutes, stretch our legs, and so on.

M – I'm totally with you on this.

C – Well, you should be, you wrote it  …And if you can't go on holiday, at least to allow yourself a getaway from time to time, try a weekend at a spa, for example, or a one-day excursion somewhere.

M – Cindy, I was wondering...

C - ….what?

M – what do you think Barb does to relax?

C - Barb the chicken truck driver that keeps calling me “dang ole Yankee”?

M – Yes, she wakes up at 4 in the morning and drives her truck across the south-east of the States all day long, she surely needs to relax in the evening. But...I just can't picture her listening to some CHILL OUT music or doing Yoga.

C – Cue the BEER!

M – That's all folks! Thanks for listening!

C - come visit our website : www.myamericanfriendblog.com, we're also on twitter, facebook, podomatic, iTunes and youtube. We are also available for private lessons via skype, just send us an e-mail at [email protected] and we'll reply a.s.a.p. with all the details.

M - Have a relaxing day everyone!

C – Bye bye… and remember take a little time out today to put your feet up, take a load off and chill out! Take care everyone and thanks for listening!

Reb Beach is a great guitar player (Whitesnake, Winger, Dokken, Alice Cooper...).

In this video he says that learning English is really important in order to make a living in the music business nowadays.

Thank you so much Reb for being our guest at "my American friend"!

www.rebbeach.com

M- So today we’re talking about PATIENCE.

C- Right, because I think this is a topic we can all relate to.

M- It’s true.

C- I mean, at one time or another we’ve all had to ‘’EXERCISE PATIENCE’’ in our lives. To exercise patience means to use patience, to stay calm, to practice patience with someone or something.

M- …and sometimes we have to exercise patience on a daily basis.

C- Patience is very important in the music business isn’t it, Marta?

M- yes, for example when you write a song and it takes forever for it to be released because of the business end of the process.

C- We all encounter stresses or situations in our lives that require us to keep calm and not lose our cool…Oh and the expression TO “LOSE YOUR COOL” means to lose your patience and become angry.

M- Cindy, can you give us a few examples of situations that ask us to exercise patience?

C- Sure, and I bet we have a few listeners that are exercising their patience right now as they listen to this podcast! We all have varying levels of drama in our lives, so I’ll name just a few situations where you may need to exercise some patience: 1. at work- with coworkers or supervisors. 2. with friends, family members, children or neighbors. 3. while driving in your car or sitting in traffic jams…

M - Oh, traffic jams! They drive me crazy!

C – yes, you could also say : traffic jams are are NERVE-RACKING!

M - Nerve-racking, ok, I got it

C- We should be happy that we don’t live in a big city like Los Angeles where traffic jams are legendary! …and 4. You may need to exercise patience with yourself. Sometimes we put a lot of demands on ourselves, and when we fail to live up to our own standards or goals we can LOSE PATIENCE with ourselves….

M - …and maybe we could become quite agitated and unpleasant to be around!

C - ‘’bitchy’’ is another good adjective to use!

M - Now can you give us an example of someone who has lost their patience?

C- Sure…you want me to start being ‘’bitchy’’?

M- Yes, it will produce great dramatic effect. So, Cindy...How are you today? Everything okay?

C- Oh Marta, I'M AT THE END OF MY ROPE today! I'VE BEEN BURNING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS for months and I'm ready for a vacation! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE, I'm tired and I HAVE NO PATIENCE LEFT FOR ANYTHING OR ANYBODY.

M- Oh, so that's why there's smoke coming from your ears...

C- Yeah! (laughs) ...'cause I'M ABOUT TO BLOW!

M- That reminds me of the Ke$ha song called ''Blow''

C- Oh, I love that song!

M- Yes, well I just spent the whole morning cleaning the studio, so, if you must- please explode outside! OK?!

C- I promise, I won't ''LOSE IT'' in the studio.

M- Now Cindy, you've used a couple of interesting idioms to describe your fictitious mood. Let's explain them...

C- Good idea, it will be like therapy .... Ok, the first one is: ''I'M AT THE END OF MY ROPE.'' -this means to be at the end of a desperate situation. It could mean your patience is finished. You’re desperate and don't know how to solve a problem. You've exhausted your resources (like money, for example) and you're almost in trouble. I'll give you an example of a different situation: My favorite restaurant is closing its doors and going out of business. The owner is deeply in debt and can no longer pay his bills or his staff. He's at the end of his rope and will have to close the restaurant for good.

M- So, when someone is ''at the end of their rope'' it never refers to a good situation, only bad situations?

C- Right. And I used it to mean that my patience is finished because I am tired and in need of a vacation (but it’s not really true, I’m in a great mood today!) Ok now, the second idiom was:

''I'VE BEEN BURNING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS''- that's a very visual idiom. I love it.

Here, I’ll use this candle to demonstrate…ok, now I’m going to light one end

M: Cindy’s got a long white candle in her hand and one end is now lit.

C- The white candle represents my life. Ok, now we’ve got a pretty good flame burning on one end and the wax is starting to melt away.

M- Yes, I can see. Be careful! Don’t get burned!

C- Now I’m going to turn the candle around and light the other end.

M- But wait, Cindy! The candle will not last long if you keep both ends burning at the same time! And you’re dripping wax all over the floor! I can’t take it anymore, Blow it out!

C- Alright, I’ll put it out. There you go- “Burning the candle at both ends”. To live your life in this way, over time without a break, can drain your energy until you become tired and irritable.

M- Causing you to ‘’RUN OUT OF PATIENCE’’.

C- Right.

M-Ok, Cindy, give us just a few more patience-related idioms and we’ll wrap it up here…and besides you need to get started on cleaning up all this melted wax you’ve let drip onto the floor!

C- Uh oh, Marta’s about to LOSE HER RELIGION!

M- Hey, that’s from the R.E.M. song, isn’t it?

C- Yes, it’s an old southern expression meaning to lose your temper, to become angry. It was little known until the music group R.E.M. came out with the song ‘’Losing my Religion’’. Great song!

M- How about another?

C- ok ‘’GETTING ON MY LAST NERVE’’ that means that something has continually annoyed you and eroded your patience. I’ll use it in a sentence: ‘’My neighbor’s dog is getting on my last nerve! He’s been barking since 8:30 this morning!’’

M- That’s useful. How about another?

C- How about… ‘’IRKS ME TO NO END!’’… this means you find something very annoying. Here’s an example: ‘’Marta, you know that TV game show host? That awful one who’s always yelling and making stupid jokes? Oh, he irks me to no end! I can’t stand him! I always change the channel when he’s on TV!”

M- Ok, that’s all for now. We’ve enjoyed speaking with all of you- but now Cindy has to go and start scraping wax off the studio floor.

C- That candle was for dramatic effect!

M- Yes, thank you and it was very dramatic. And now the effect has worn off. Start scrubbing!

C- C’mon now! Patience! Just a little patience!

M- Like the famous Guns n’ Roses song ‘’Patience’’

C- Will you sing us out, Marta?

M- I’ll sing. You scrub. Because MY PATIENCE IS WEARING THIN.

C- Uh oh- there goes Marta’s last nerve! I think I just heard it snap. Thanks for listening everyone! And come visit us on www.myamericanfriendblog.com, we're also on twitter, facebook, podomatic, iTunes and youtube. And we are available for private lessons via skype, just send us an e-mail at [email protected] and we'll send you all the details. Have a great day everyone, Bye bye!

M – bye bye, see you soon!

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let's sum up:

to ‘’EXERCISE PATIENCE’’, to use patience, to stay calm, to practice patience

TO “LOSE YOUR COOL” , to lose your patience, to become angry, to lose your temper, to LOSE YOUR RELIGION

NERVE-RACKING

I'M AT THE END OF MY ROPE !

I'VE BEEN BURNING THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS for months

I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE

I HAVE NO PATIENCE LEFT FOR ANYTHING OR ANYBODY.

I'M ABOUT TO BLOW!

''LOSE IT''

to ‘’RUN OUT OF PATIENCE’’

’GETTING ON MY LAST NERVE’’

‘’IRKS ME TO NO END!’

MY PATIENCE IS WEARING THIN

M: Today we're talking about "GET"

M: Today we're talking about some uses for the word "get"

C: That's a great idea! We use ''get'' for everything. We could go on and on about this one.

M: Cindy, We can't go on and on- our listeners will GET BORED, GET IT?

C: Ok, ok...I GET IT.

M: Now, before we GET STARTED, can you GET a bottle of water from the fridge?

C: What? I DIDN'T GET THAT....Lean in towards the mic- I didn't hear you.

M: ...oh sorry...can you GET a bottle of water from the fridge?

C: Ok, I GOT that. Did you GET both natural and sparkling water at the store today?

M: Yeah, I GOT both.

C: Good, I can't stand it when you only GET the sparkling water. Ugh, how can you drink that stuff?

M: Cindy, it's good! You just don't GET it...it's refreshing! Try it!

C: Throw a shot of gin in there with a slice of lemon and we'll talk.

M: We have an agreement: No alcohol during recording sessions.

C: Barb drinks during recordings.

M: She's an exception.

C: You're just afraid of GETTING your ass kicked by her.

M: That too.

C: Ok, let's GET BACK TO BUSINESS now...we've used the verb ''get'' quite a few times, 16 to be exact.

M: ...right! ...and we haven't explained a single one!

C: Alright, let's start from the beginning. For example, if I were to say "Marta, we have to leave the studio at 12 sharp today, we can't be late. twelve sharp. GET IT?'' When I ask her ''Get it?'' that means ''do you understand?''

M: And I can simply answer ''GOT IT!'' that means ''I understand!''

C: And what about expressions like ''TO GET BORED...TO GET ANGRY...TO GET FRUSTRATED'' ?

M: That means to become bored, angry, frustrated...etc...

C: And to ''GET STARTED'' that means to begin something. Marta, wasn't there a famous song by the Black Eyed Peas called ''Let's Get it Started?''

M: Yes, very famous.

C: And when you asked me to ''get'' a bottle of water from the fridge...

M: That means to take a bottle from the fridge.

C: Right....as in ''GET A BOTTLE OF WATER...GET SOME GROCERIES AT THE STORE...GET AN OIL CHANGE AT THE MECHANIC...or even GET THE NEWSPAPER''

M: Cindy, just remind us again quickly of how you could use ''get'' in a restaurant setting.

C: Ok, and if anyone would like to review that was from Episode # 5 about “Restaurants”. In a restaurant situation, your server may ask ''WHAT CAN I GET YOU TO DRINK? That means ''what would you like to drink?'' Or they may ask ''What can I get to start you off with today?''

M: that's more confusing!

C: ''WHAT CAN I GET TO START YOU OFF WITH TODAY?'' usually means ''What would you like for an appetizer or starter? That's the first dish you would eat in a restaurant.

M: In Italian it's called ''antipasto''

C: Now I'm hungry and distracted!

M: Cindy, we need TO GET BACK TO BUSINESS and GET SOME WORK DONE today.

C: I know, I know but it's so hard today. I just CAN'T GET GOING this morning. We've just returned from a long weekend in Naples, Italy.

M: Oh, did you get some great authentic pizza while you were there?

C: We had some phenomenal pizza! And if anyone would like the name and address of a fantastic pizza restaurant we'll have it posted at the end of this transcript.

M: So that's why you're not on board this morning! Too much pizza! Right?

C. Too much pizza- exactly! And what about the expression ''TO GET ON BOARD'' that means to be in agreement, to cooperate, to join in, to partner with...

M: Give us an example of "to get on board''.

'

C: Gladly...Nearly 2 years ago, Marta had this great idea for an advanced English language podcast and she wanted to call it "my American friend''. She asked me ''TO GET ON BOARD'' and here we are 1 year and 35 episodes later!

M: I'm happy you decided to GET ON BOARD!

C: Me too! It's been a lot fun!

M: which reminds me, are you free to record next week?

C: hmm, most likely yes, but I'll have to check my schedule and GET BACK TO YOU.

M: sounds good to me, but be sure to GET BACK TO ME and confirm before this weekend.

C: Ok, will do. Well, Marta I think we're finished for today. I hope everyone found this topic useful?

M: I hope you didn't GET BORED with us!

C: Thanks for listening everybody! Come visit us on www.myamericanfriendblog.com where you can GET all the transcripts to present and past episodes.

M – We'd like to take a moment to thank some very special people who have contacted us on our facebook page: Jaroslaw, Sergio Leon, Letizia, Nicolas, Maria, Lenka, Graham, Gertraud, Angela, Giuseppe, Roberto, Reza, Marigona, Daria, Jessica, Laura.

C – And thanks to our many followers on Twitter and especially Mélia Miranda and Bettina. Huge thanks to our brand new subscribers on our brand new youtube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/myAmericanfriendblog

And as always, a special thank you to Igor, Nastya and Ann.

M – Thank you for listening, bye bye!

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Common phrases using the word "get"

(special note: there are soooo many more phrases using the word "get"- we've only just scratched the surface! :-)

-That song always gets to me. I cry every time i hear it. = The song makes me feel emotional, sentimental.

-She/He gets to me. I can't stand her/him= This person is irritating, annoying.

-He's getting on my nerves, he won't shut up.= He's annoying me, he won't stop talking.

-He gets my sense of humour. We always laugh a lot when we're togther.= He understands my particular sense of humour.

-Get over it= Forget about it. Forgive. Don't let it continue to annoy/bother/anger/irritate you.

-Get out (expression has two meanings)

1. To leave

2. You're joking!

EXAMPLE: I just won the lottery! ANSWER: Get out! No you didn't! You're just as broke as I am!

-Get up = Wake up or stand up. EXAMPLE: to get up out of a chair. To get up at 7 o'clock.

-Get your act together= Shape up. Improve yourself. Become organized. EXAMPLE: You are on the verge of being kicked out of school because of bad grades. You really need to get your act together and start studying.

-Get it right, get it wrong= to give a right or wrong answer. EXAMPLE: the game show contestant has only one answer left to give! If she gets it right she will win the prize. Is she gets it wrong she will go home with nothing.

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...and here's an excellent pizza restaurant in Naples, Italy for everyone to enjoy! :-)

Pizzeria "Vesi"

Via S. Biagio dei Librai 115

Naples, Italy

Cristina Scabbia is a great singer.

She's one of the two vocalists of the Italian metal band Lacuna Coil.

Being able to speak English, she made a career with her band not only in Italy but all over the world.

Thank you Cristina for being our guest!

www.lacunacoil.it

M - Today we're talking about AUSTRALIAN HOLIDAYS !

M - This is a special episode, a follow up.

C - Yes, hey everyone, do you remember episode number 26 about American Holidays? For example we mentioned : Presidents day, Memorial day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans day, Thanksgiving and so on. Today we're going to learn something about Australian holidays instead! A big thank you to our dear friend Laura who is currently living in Australia and provided us with the recording of Kate's voice: 100% Australian “Aussie” accent! Kate and her husband are the owners of a farm in the South-West of Western Australia.

M – It's going to be interesting!

K – G’day! My name is Kate. Here in Australia we have nine National Holidays which are celebrated all over the country. The States and Territories individually declare some other public holidays such as the Canberra Day (2nd Monday in March in the Australian Capital Territory), the Foundation Day (June in Western Australia), the Proclamation Day (December in South Australia) and the Picnic Day (August in the Northern Territory).

C – Picnic Day sounds good, doesn't it?

M - It does!

K - Getting back to our National Holidays, first of all, we have NEW YEAR’S DAY, on January 1st. Actually, New Year’s Day celebrations commence in most capital cities on 31st December, with festivities and fireworks at midnight to welcome in the New Year.

Secondly, AUSTRALIA DAY. Australia’s national day is held on 26th January in recognition of the arrival in 1788 of the First Fleet, a group of 11 ships that sailed from England to establish a colony in Port Jackson, Australia. Australia Day celebrations include Australia Day Honours, Australian of the Year Awards (which are given to deserving citizens who have inspired the community through their achievements and must be taken as an example to create a better Australia), Citizenship ceremonies, concerts, carnivals and family entertainment. It is a drinking day and it's often celebrated with a BBQ (also called the Barbie).

C - Ok, so number one: New Year's Day, number two: Australia Day.

K - Thirdly, LABOUR DAY. It commemorates the achievements of the Australian labour movement. The celebration of Labour Day has its origins in the eight hour day movement, which advocated eight hours for work, eight hours for recreation, and eight hours for rest. On 21 April 1856 Stonemasons and building workers on building sites around Melbourne, stopped work and marched from the University of Melbourne to Parliament House to achieve an eight hour day. Their direct action protest was a success and they are noted as the first organized workers in the world to achieve an eight hour day with no loss of pay, which subsequently inspired the celebration of Labour Day. The Labour Day public holiday varies between the various states and territories.

M – Cindy, can you remind us of Labor Day in the States instead?

C - It's celebrated on the first Monday in September. And we spell it L-A-B-O-R, not LABOUR. No U.

M - Ok, let's go on.

K - Number 4 and 5 are GOOD FRIDAY and EASTER MONDAY. Good Friday is the Friday before Easter and in Christianity commemorates the crucifixion of Jesus and his death. Here, it is celebrated on the first Friday after the full moon on or after 21st March. Easter Monday is the day after Easter Sunday.

Number 6 is ANZAC DAY. The Anzac Day Act 1995 declares the 25th of April as a national day of commemoration in recognition and commemoration of the contribution of all those who have served Australia in time of war and in war-like conflicts. ANZAC stands for Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and was first used when Australian and New Zealand soldiers were grouped in Egypt, prior to their landing at Gallipoli in Turkey during the World War I. Anzac Day commemoration features marches by veterans and by solemn "Dawn Services", a tradition started in Albany, Western Australia on 25 April 1923 and now held at war memorials around the country, accompanied by thoughts of those lost at war to the ceremonial sounds of The Last Post on the bungle. The fourth stanza of Binyon's poem For the Fallen (known as the "Ode of Remembrance") is often recited.

C - Ok, so Anzac Day on the 25th of April, commemorating all those who served Australia in time of war. Marta, isn't the 25th of April a war-related national holiday in Italy as well?

M - Yes, here in Italy we celebrate the end of World War II. The very same day of Anzac Day.

K - Number 7 is the QUEEN’S BIRTHDAY. The day has been celebrated since 1788, when Governor Arthur Phillip declared a holiday to mark the birthday of King George III. Until 1936 it was held on the actual birthday of the Monarch, but after the death of King George V it was decided to keep the date at mid-year. In all states and territories except Western Australia (because it celebrates its Foundation Day on the first Monday in June), the Queen's Birthday is observed on the second Monday in June. On this day the "Queen's Birthday honours list" is released naming new members of the Order of Australia and other Australian honours. The Queen's Birthday weekend was long the traditional times for public fireworks displays in Australia. Although they still occur, the tradition has recently been overshadowed by larger New Year's Eve fireworks, as the sale of fireworks to the public was progressively banned by the states in the 1980s.

M - How about fireworks in America instead?

C - New year's Eve and Independence Day (that’s The 4th of July) are definitely the right days to see amazing fireworks anywhere around the United States.

K - Number 8 is CHRISTMAS DAY. Christmas Day, on December 25th, is a Christian celebration in commemoration of the birth of Jesus. We usually have an English-style lunch or a seafood BBQ, while on Christmas's Eve many drinking parties are organized.

Last but not least is BOXING DAY. It is on the day after Christmas (December 26th), except in South Australia, where the first otherwise working day after the Christmas is a public holiday called Proclamation Day. The origins of Boxing Day are believed to be British, and related to the practice of the wealthy giving gifts of money, food or goods to the poor. Boxing Day is noted for the start of the post-Christmas sale season... it’s a shopping day!! The day has also become a significant sporting day. Melbourne hosts the Boxing Day Test Match and the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race also starts on this day.

Well, it was very nice talking to you all. See ya later!

C – And it was nice listening to you Kate and your wonderful Australian accent!

M – Thank you so much for being our guest! And thanks to Laura too!

C – All right, that's all for now, we hope you’ve enjoyed this special episode about Australian holidays.

M - Come visit us on www.myamericanfriendblog.com

C – …where you can find the transcripts of our episodes, together with lots of posts, pictures, videos, and the links to our other pages on Facebook, Twitter, Podomatic, our Youtube channel and iTunes. If you're interested in private lessons via skype just send us an email at [email protected] and we'll contact you as soon as possible. Bye everyone!

M – See you soon! Bye bye!