I cut my hair? I had my hair cut? What is the difference?
easy english
[Easy English Vlog] A book I read recently
In this Easy English Vlog, I talk about a book I read recently.
[Easy English Vlog] Studying Korean
[Easy English Vlog] Autumn Leaf Viewing
In this Easy English Vlog, I talk about autumn leaf viewing!
[Easy English Vlog] Printer trouble
In this Easy English Vlog, I talk about the printer trouble I had recently.
[Short Story with Video] Salt and Sugar
This is a short story for learners of English.
Wanda graduated from cooking school and got a job in the kitchen of a new café in her town. She was very happy. She has been working in the café for 6 weeks. She likes her job. The café is new and very small. The café belongs to Gregor. He makes coffee and looks after the customers. Wanda does all the cooking.
Wanda thinks Gregor is very nice, but he is also a tough boss. He wants everything to be perfect.
Today Wanda is having a very bad day. She has been in the kitchen since 6am. Last night, she broke up with her boyfriend. She was very sad so she went to visit her friend Janet. They drank a lot of wine.
Today she feels very ill. Why did I drink so much? I feel terrible, my head hurts and I went to bed so late! I am so tired!
Today Gregor is very excited. “Wanda, we must try very hard today. Look at the man sitting by the window. Do you know who that is?”
Wanda looks at the man. “No. I don’t know him. Who is he?”
“His name is Anton Wesley-Brown. He writes about food and restaurants for the newspaper! If he likes the food here, he will write a good report about this café!”
Wanda understands. Gregor wants the café to be a success.
But why today? Why did this restaurant critic come today?
Gregor goes out of the kitchen to talk to the customers. It is only 11:15 so there are not many people in the café. Most people are drinking coffee and eating muffins and cakes.
Wanda is busy making salads. Today’s special is very simple – a grilled pork chop, with cream and mustard sauce and salad.
I could have cooked something wonderful if I had known that man was coming. No, maybe not. Not today. I am too ill to cook.
Gregor comes back into the kitchen. “Mr Wesley-Brown wants the pork chop!”
“OK,” says Wanda. She takes a pork chop from the refrigerator. She reaches up to the shelf and takes down the seasonings. She sprinkles salt and pepper on the chop and puts it under the grill. She makes the sauce and puts salad on the plate.
When the meal is ready she puts it out near the door of the kitchen. Gregor hurries over and takes the meal to Mr Wesley-Brown.
Wanda turns back to the kitchen. She stares at the counter. Why is there brown sugar on the counter? I used salt, pepper, mustard. I didn’t use brown sugar. There is the pepper and the mustard. Where is the salt? Oh, no! I put brown sugar on the pork chop! Mr Wesley-Brown will hate it! Gregor will be very angry! I will lose my job!
Wanda doesn’t know what to do, so she keeps on working. She finishes all the food preparation. It is almost noon and many customers are coming in for lunch. It will be a busy day.
Gregor comes into the kitchen. “Wanda! Mr Wesley-Brown wants to talk to you.”
The restaurant critic comes into the kitchen. “This is Wanda. She does all the cooking,” says Gregor.
“I know you are very busy,” says Mr Wesley-Brown. “But I just have one question. Did you put brown sugar on my chop?”
Wanda looks at the floor. This is it, she thinks. I am going to lose my job. Gregor will fire me.
“Ur, yes,” she says.
I will have to explain, she thinks. But Mr Wesley-Brown is speaking.
It is a very good idea. The chop was very tasty. I like the way the sugar turned to caramel under the grill. Keep up the good cooking.”
He smiles and goes out. Gregor looks very happy.
Wanda smiles too and goes back to work.
I will have to have a hangover more often, she thinks.
[Q&A] How can I improve my listening in English?
In this video, I answer the question “How can I improve my listening in English?”
[Easy English Vlog] Best time of the day to study or work
In this vlog, I talk about the best time of the day to study or work.
[Short Story with Video] Saori Makes Her Own Luck
This is a short story for learners of English.
It’s Monday morning. Saori has no classes today, so she decides to clean her apartment. It takes a long time and it is almost 11:30am when she is finished. Next to the door are bags of bottles and jars and a pile of old magazines.
I take those to the recycling station, she thinks.
Saori ties some string around the magazines.
She puts on her jacket, and puts her keys and smartphone in her pocket.
She picks up the bags and the bundle of magazines and leaves her apartment.
The recycling station is at the local community centre.
It is a cold windy day, and Saori hurries along the road to keep warm.
Even thought the weather is not good, there is a group of older people outside the community centre. They are practising Tai Chi.
Saori puts the magazines in the paper recycling crate, and walks along to the bins of different coloured glass. There is a cage for clear glass, a cage for green glass and a cage for brown glass.
She is careful to put the glass bottles into the correct cage, but she makes a mistake.
Oh no! I have put a wine bottle into the clear glass cage. I must take it out.
Saori is not very tall, and it is difficult to reach the wine bottle. She leans over the edge of the cage. I’ve got it! Now I’ll just put it in the green bottle cage and I can go home, she thinks.
Saori doesn’t notice, but her smartphone has fallen out of her pocket. It is in the cage full of clear glass.
When Saori gets back to her apartment she thinks, I’ll call Michiko. She doesn’t have classes today. Maybe we can meet for coffee.
She puts her hand in her pocket. Where is my phone! It’s not here. I have lost it! Where did I lose it?
Saori remembers leaning over the recycle cage. Did it fall out of my pocket?
She runs out of her apartment. She runs to the recycling station. Oh no! The bins are empty! Someone has come and taken all the bottles and glass away!
Saori wants to cry. My phone! It has all my contacts! No one can call me. No one can text me! And it was so pretty!
“Excuse me.”
Saori is surprised. There is an old woman standing next to her. “Are you looking for something?”
“Yes,” says Saori. “I have lost my smartphone. I think I dropped it in the recycling cage. And now they are empty! My phone has gone!”
The old woman smiles. “Today is your lucky day,” she says. “When I finished my Tai Chi class, I walked past the recycling station. I saw something pink in the cage for clear glass. I thought ‘that’s not good. I must take it out’. It was too difficult for me. So I called our Tai Chi instructor. He is taller and fitter than me. He rescued your smartphone.”
The old woman puts her hand in the pocket of her track suit. She takes out Saori’s smartphone and gives it to her.
“Oh, thank you!” says Saori. “I am so lucky.”
“You’re welcome,” says the old woman. “But maybe you made your own luck. Your phone is pink. That’s why I saw it. Maybe if it was silver or black I could not see it. I think pink is a good colour for a smartphone. Maybe I will get a new one.”
[Easy English Vlog] Reading translated books
In this vlog, I talk about reading books that have been translated.
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