Today I discuss the phrase "in a quandary" and why English learners often feel confused when they learn from books. 

Transcript: https://drive.google.com/file/d/14FKIA9KlmhM_-HmFXas4WFEXaSc9261B/view?usp=drivesdk

Teacher Joseph's Podcast

In a Quandary (with transcript)

Halo semua! Apa kabar? Bagaimana akhir minggu kalian? 
Hari Sabtu lalu saya punya janji dengan dokter gigi untuk membersihkan gigi saya.
Dokter gigi ini adalah dokter gigi baru di sekitar rumah saya.

Ketika dokter sedang membersihkan gigi saya, dia bilang di gigi bagian atas dan bawah ada beberapa lubang kecil. Lubang gigi artinya "虫歯” di Bahasa Jepang atau "cavity" di Bahasa Inggris. Hmm.. sebetulnya saya nggak merasa sakit apa pun, sih… 

Waktu dokter selesai membersihkan gigi dan saya mau membayar, dia berkata "Kamu perlu perawatan gigi 10 kali dari sekarang. Ayo kita buat janji untuk perawatan berikutnya". Saya langsung merasa sedikit aneh. Dokter ini mungkin mata duitan ya! Kalian bisa bayangkan arti dari "mata duitan" ? Hanya ada uang di matanya!
Kalau di Bahasa Jepang seperti ini, あの人はお金に執着している。
Kalau di Bahasa Inggris saya pikir artinya "money oriented". 

Jadi, saya memutuskan tidak mau pergi ke tempat dokter itu lagi. 
Kalian punya pengalaman dengan orang yang mata duitan? Kita harus selalu berhati-hati ya! 
Sampai di sini podcast saya kali ini. Sampai jumpa lagi ^^

Akhir minggu

Mata duitan

En este episodio hablaremos brevemente sobre los efectos de la música al aprender un idioma.
te sorprenderá este corto episodio a la vez que aprendes escuchando.

Cuentos breves de motivación.

¿Puede la música ayudarnos a aprender un idioma?

Nell'episodio di oggi racconto il motivo per il quale negli ultimi giorni non sono stato molto attivo e  vi dirò qualcosina sulla giornata di ferragosto (15 di agosto). Buon ascolto a tutti e buone vacanze!!!

The Italian Miscellaneous Podcast🖐 

Ferragosto

**The little black fish is the main character in our story . Its a long story that is divided into several episodes. this one is the last episode

**if you need any help with the words or text, feel free to send me a message
******** You can find more stories in Farsi in my channel on Spotify : https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yas-omidvar

Persian Podcasts / پادکست فارسی 

ماهی سیاه کوچولو اپیزود آخر

Merryl goes to the mechanic to get his car fixed, and he can't remember what the different car parts are called. The mechanic helps him out.

Car Vocabulary: 
Windshield- the glass at the front of the car
Windshield wipers- rubber pieces that move back and forth to remove water or snow off the windshield
Fluid: a liquid
Coolant: a fluid that cools something down, used in cars
Oil change: removing old oil and putting clean oil in a car
Rearview mirror: a mirror in the back of a car, shows the area behind car
Trunk lid: The trunk is the storage area at the back of the car. The lid is the cover.
Headlight: the light at the front of the car
Blinkers: lights that flash on and off as a signal to let others know when your car will make a turn

Learn English with Stories

Car Vocabulary

The European Union (EU) has encouraged citizens across the continent to stockpile food, water and other essentials to last at least 72 hours as war, cyberattacks, climate change and disease increase the chances of a crisis.

The call to action for the EU's 450 million citizens comes as the 27-nation bloc rethinks its security, especially after Donald Trump's US administration warned that Europe must take more responsibility for it.

In recent years, the EU has been forced to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, and the threat from Russia, including its attempts to exploit Europe's dependence on its natural gas to weaken support for Ukraine.

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte has warned that Russia could be capable of launching another attack in Europe by 2030.

"Today's threats facing Europe are more complex than ever, and they are all interconnected," said Preparedness and Crisis Management Commissioner Hadja Lahbib as she shared a new strategy for dealing with future disasters.

While the commission is keen not to be seen as alarmist, Lahbib said it's important "to make sure people have essential supplies for at least 72 hours in a crisis." She listed food, water, flashlights, ID papers, medicine and radios as things to stock.

Lahbib said the EU should build up a "strategic reserve" and stockpile other critical resources including firefighting planes; medical, energy and transport equipment; and specialized assets against chemical, biological and nuclear threats.

The EU's plans are similar to those in France, Finland and Sweden.

Last year, Sweden updated its civil emergency advice "to better reflect today's security policy reality" such as what to do in case of nuclear attack.

Not all EU countries have the same level of crisis preparedness, and the commission also wants to encourage them to coordinate better in case of emergency.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said: "New realities require a new level of preparedness in Europe."



Practice Listening, Reading & Comprehension

EU Asks People to Gather Supplies in Case of Crisis

3000 Most Common Words

This is a clean and tidy office. A photo is displayed on the wall. It shows the Memory Stationery staff standing proud in front of a new warehouse. Everyone’s face is full of optimism.  But today the company atmosphere is tense. A4, the CEO of the company, is at his desk and on the phone; he is facing out the window at the sky. His facial expression is timid.

“I hear you, Mr. Scissors,” says A4. “But it’s impossible. I can’t take our prices down that low. You’re asking me to sacrifice our entire profit margin.”

A4 sits in silence as he listens to the response. A bead of sweat runs down the CEO’s face. The voice on the other end is frightening him.

“Sir, last month I discounted our products to the bottom line… Yes, but, please, sir, I’m just an
honest wholesaler. I promise I’m not trying to take advantage of you… Other retailers are happy to pay market rate—”

A4 suddenly pulls the phone away from his ear. The voice is furious and aggressive. It is blasting out the tiny speaker. When the harsh noise calms down, A4 puts the phone back to his ear.

“No, please, don’t cut me. Please, sir. You’re right, okay? You’re right. That was rude of me, I’m
sorry… I know. I’m a scrap. You’re right. I’m no better than a tissue. You’re right…”

A4 changes his tone. He isn’t pleading anymore. He sounds like he has given up.

“Mr. Scissors. I’ll look at our margins and call you back. There might be some way we can go down lower…”

A4 hangs up the phone. He leans back in his chair. His eyes are glazed over. He is deep in
contemplation. He imagines the brutal scenario of Mr. Scissors cutting him into a thousand pieces.

Throughout this entire time, A4 has been recording the conversation onto his paper body. This is his natural ability. A4’s unmistakable memory is the reason why he is the CEO.

A4 picks up the phone and dials a number. Life returns to his eyes.

“Backpack, get everyone together in the meeting room. I have an announcement.”

Being a Cloud

A4 the Piece of Paper 

各位听众朋友们，新年快乐！我们回来啦！大家的新年怎么样？感谢所有听众2023年对Chillchat的支持，新的一年里我们也希望继续给大家制作好的内容！

也告诉我们：你的最大一次搬家是哪一次？