This is a review of my chapter 4  in my book Expect the Unexpected, about living in a foreign country.  This chapter is about a weekend with my dad back in 1972. In this story, I learn several lessons which follow through the book.

Expect the Unexpected

Another Weekend of Hunting

Serbian language journey

Kod zubara - prvi deo

Are the French actually stingy, or is there a deeper reason behind their attitude toward tipping? In this episode of Déjà Vu French, we explore the controversial world of tips (les pourboires).

From the historical origins of the word "TIPS" in England to the modern-day pressure of credit card machines in Parisian restaurants, I share my personal perspective as a former waiter and bartender on why the tipping system might be broken.

In this video, you will learn:

French Vocabulary for Dining: Le pourboire (the tip), radin (stingy), le serveur (the waiter), and la note (the bill).

The History of Tipping: Is "To Insure Prompt Service" a real acronym or just a legend?

Tipping Around the World: Why is giving extra money considered rude or impolite in Japan?

A Waiter’s Secret: A personal story about how tipping creates hypocrisy and inequality in customer service.

Boost Your French Fluency:
This video is designed for intermediate and advanced learners. By listening to this unscripted, natural conversation, you’ll improve your oral comprehension and pick up authentic French idioms used in real-life debates.

💬 Join the Debate:
Do you think tipping is a moral obligation, or should employers simply pay a fair wage? Does not tipping make you "radin"? Let’s discuss in the comments (in French if you can!).

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🔔 Subscribe so you don’t miss the next videos and keep improving your French listening!
👍 Like this video if it helps you, and share it with other learners.

Déjà Vu French with Chris

Why I'm against tipping culture (🇫🇷 Intermediate French Podcast #02)


The Little Prince meets a merchant who sells a potion to quench thirst quickly. 💧

Listen in Farsi and learn new words about habits, convenience, and what truly matters in life. ✨

Once Upon a Time

شازده کوچولو، فصل بیست و سوم

日本のサッカーの歴史（れきし history )には、「ドーハの悲劇（ひげき tragedy )というのがあります。今から29年前のことです。そして今年、「ドーハの奇跡（きせき miracle )という言葉が生まれました。私はこの2つの出来事（できごと event )の間の歴史を知っている！そして、その前も！私は熱心（ねっしんな eager）はサッカーファンではありませんが、ワールドカップの年にはいろいろ思い出があるので、お話してみることにしました。
スクリプトと文法や言葉のリストはこちら。
https://chivalrous-wallaby-f5c.notion.site/37-9ad6465593894db4a79a119238608ac5
楽しみ方はこちらを見てください。
https://chivalrous-wallaby-f5c.notion.site/116c436c16ed4055a68ddb2c4624cd96
…どうやら、このPodcastを作っている間に、2回戦負けたようです。がんばれ、ニッポン！

すずまりの日本語「ききみみ」ずきん

第37話　日本と私とサッカーと

Привет!

В этом выпуске подкаста мы поговорим о празднике в конце зимы, который называется Масленица, а также обсудим традиции и угощения.

Приятного прослушивания!

Speak fluent Russian B1-B2

Выпуск 30. Масленица

【今日の質問】※解答はスクリプトの下にあります。
①おしぼりは飲食店のほかにどこでもらうことができますか。
②日本の飲食店のメニューの特徴の一つは何ですか。
③個人経営の小さな店に入る前にしたほうがいいことは何ですか。
【スクリプト】
こんにちは、Japanese with Yoshikoへようこそ！今日は「日本の飲食店の特徴」についてお話しします。今日のフレーズは「～であれ、～であれ」です。意味を知らない人はどういう意味か想像しながら聞いてみてくださいね。

皆さんは日本の飲食店・レストランに行ったことはありますか？本日は外国人から驚かれた日本の飲食店の特徴と、私が海外に行ってこれは日本特有の文化だな～と思う特徴をいくつか紹介したいと思います。
まず始めに、「サービス精神はあるが、チップは不要。」です。日本のサービス業は飲食店に限らずサービスの質がいいです。ファーストフード店であれ、ファミレスであれ、どんな店でも多くの店員さんは丁寧でサービス精神があると思います。しかし、チップを置く必要はありません。
次に「おしぼりや飲み物が最初に出る。」です。おしぼりとは飲食店で出る手を拭くウェットティッシュや濡れタオルのことです。コンビニでももらえますね。また、海外では水などの飲み物は持参または注文しないといけないですが、日本では水は無料でもらえます。お茶を出してくれるところもあります。
3つ目は「タッチパネルで注文したり、呼び出しボタンで店員を呼ぶことができる。」です。高級な店ではウェイターが声をかけてくれますが、大きな庶民向けのお店だとタッチパネルが導入されていることも多いですし、呼び出しボタンがある店も多いです。もしなければ手をあげて「すいません」と声を掛けます。
4つ目は「メニューに写真が豊富、お店の前に食品サンプルがある」です。外国語対応していない店も多い一方で、メニューに写真が載っていたり、お店の前に食品サンプルがある店も多数あるので、メニューが読めなくてもどんな料理か視覚的によくわかります。
5つ目は、「箸やフォーク、紙ナプキン、水のポット、小皿、調味料などが事前にテーブルに置いてある。」です。こちらも庶民向けの飲食店のことです。私の覚えている限りだと、海外の飲食店ではこれらのものは注文してから運ばれてきます。最近はコロナの影響でカトラリーや小皿を置く店は減った気がしますが、それでもまだそういう店はたくさんあります。
最後に「クレカ対応がされてない店がまだたくさんある。」です。また別の回で詳しく話そうと思っていますが、日本はクレジットカード決済・電子マネー決済が進んでいない国の一つです。大きな店だとだいたい使えますが、個人経営の小さなお店だと使えないこともあるので、入店前に必ず確認するか十分な現金を持っておく必要があります。

どうでしたか？もし自分の国の飲食店のおもしろい特徴があれば是非教えてくださいね♪
今日のフレーズは「～であれ、～であれ」です。これは例を挙げて、「どちらの場合でも・・・だ」と言いたい時に使います。次のような感じで使います。「グリンピースであれ、コーンであれ、とにかくつぶつぶした豆は嫌いだ。」「バレーボールであれ、バスケットボールであれ、彼は球技なら何でも得意だ。」それでは、またバイバーイ！
【今日の質問の解答】
①コンビニ
②写真が豊富に載っている
③入店前にクレジットカードが使えるか確認するか、十分な現金を持っておく。


Learn Japanese with Yoshiko

第5回：日本の飲食店の特徴 Characteristics of Japanese restaurants

Situation: Employee Experiencing Micromanagement

Statements: "I feel like I'm constantly being watched," "I don't have autonomy in my role," "My manager doesn't trust me to make decisions," "I'm overwhelmed with constant check-ins."

Questions: "How can I communicate my need for more autonomy?" "What strategies can I use to build trust with my manager?" "How can I handle excessive workload due to micromanagement?" "Is it appropriate to set boundaries with my manager?"

Situation: Manager Accused of Micromanagement
Statements: "I'm just trying to ensure the work is done correctly," "I want to be supportive of my team," "I'm afraid of making mistakes," "I have high expectations."

Questions: "How can I delegate effectively without losing control?" "How can I build trust with my team?" "What are the signs of micromanagement?" "How can I empower my employees to take ownership of their work?"

Situation: Team Discussion About Micromanagement
Statements: "Micromanagement is killing our morale," "We need more trust from management," "I feel like I'm not learning or growing," "This is affecting our productivity."

Questions: "How can we address micromanagement as a team?" "What can we do to improve communication with our manager?" "How can we create a more empowered work environment?" "Are there specific examples of micromanagement we can share?"

Situation: Organizational Level Discussion
Statements: "Micromanagement is a systemic issue," "We need to develop leadership training," "We need to redefine our management philosophy," "This is impacting our company culture."

Questions: "How can we create a culture of trust and autonomy?" "What are the long-term consequences of micromanagement?" "How can we measure the impact of micromanagement on performance?" "What role does organizational structure play in micromanagement?"

The Global Professional Podcast

How to Talk About Micromanagement - Episode 107

Man 1: Several years ago, I was in a car accident that left me with a back injury. As a computer programmer, I am still able to do my job, but I often have to take painkillers. When the pain gets particularly bad, I sometimes have to lie down on my back for a while until it goes away because sitting up really hurts. When we were in the office, I would worry that my colleagues would see me taking pills. Since we’ve been working from home, it has been much better. I can go and see my physical therapist more often too. I don’t have to worry as much and if I need to lie down for a little while to help my back, I can. When we were in the office, I’d sometimes be in a lot of pain but didn’t feel like I could say anything.

Woman: I have suffered from depression for a long time. Most of the time I manage it, but I often feel very nervous. Working in an office was really hard as I was always scared that I might panic and my colleagues would wonder why I was acting strangely. Working at home has been so much better for me as I don’t have to talk to so many people and I can have a relaxed environment and play peaceful music. Management is talking about going back to the office soon and I can already feel a lot of anxiety about it. I’m worried that I will not be able to hide that I’m depressed and people will judge me.

Man 2: I’m quite deaf in one ear. I don’t like to mention it when I’m at work because I feel as though there is often a stigma around disabilities. I worry that people will treat me differently. The problem is, sometimes I don’t hear when people are talking to me and then they think I’m ignoring them or I’m not listening. Working at home has been great for me because all of our communication has been online or video calls and I can wear headphones like everyone else. I’m not looking forward to going back to the office and I don’t see the point as I can do my job perfectly well from home.