Unexpected English‪!‬ Louis

[EP91] So now we have another war, and there is only hope or despair. And, uhh yeah, this song is not enough, but, for a little bit of hope that we need to… we need to keep our humanity, I’m sharing it with you. The lyrics are in the show notes, so there it is. 
-- SONG --
I woke up this morning
And none of the news was good
Death machines were rumblin' across the ground where Jesus stood
And the man on my TV told me
That it had always been that way
And there was nothing anyone could do or say
And I almost listened to him
Yeah, I almost lost my mind
And I regained my senses again
And looked into my heart to find
That I believe that one fine day
All the children of Abraham
Will lay down their swords forever
In Jerusalem
Ah now maybe I'm only dreamin'
And maybe I'm just a fool
But I don't remember learnin' how to hate in Sunday school
Somewhere along the way I strayed
And I never looked back again
But I still find some comfort now and then
Then the storm comes rumblin' in
And I can't lay me down
And the drums are drummin' again
And I can't stand the sound
But I believe there'll come a day
When the lion and the lamb
Will lie down in peace together
In Jerusalem
And there'll be no barricades then
And there'll be no wire or walls
And we can wash all this blood from our hands
And all this hatred from our souls
And I believe that on that day
All the children of Abraham
Will lay down their swords forever
In Jerusalem. 
*****
"Humanity a word for the qualities that make us human"
It can't be this current evil alone.
We must believe in something more.
[Song courtesy of Steve Earle Music]

[EP 89] Summer finale! DELICIOUS YOGURT! Listen and follow with the transcription below to help you to improve your listening skills.

INTRO: Hi everybody, and welcome to Episode 89 of Unexpected English, the podcast where you can practice your English listening in just five minutes, listening to something fun! Now, I know it's summertime, and that means it's hot. In fact. it's too hot. It's just too hot! And if you want some some, some vocabulary about hot? Go back and look for the hot episode where I give you some vocabulary. But this episode, no, this episode, we want to cool down, we're going to cool you down by taking a little visit to  yogurtland where we can have some nice cool, delicious yogurt. So let's go!
~~~
Okay, so here I am at YogurtLand and I'm going to talk to the young man who's working here. Maybe he can tell us a little bit about this place called YogurtLand. How many flavors do we have?
We have around 12 flavors.
And what are some of the most popular flavors?
The most popular are the vanilla and the chocolate ice creams, the fruit punch sorbet, which is our seasonal flavor for this month, the tarot and the plain tart.
Taro, and what is that, I'd never heard of that flavor.
Taro is a unique flavor. to say the least. Okay!
It'd be hard to describe,
And after they get the yogurt, then what's all this stuff over here?
So the toppings are... you put that on top of your yogurt and we have a range from fruits to candies to cookies, peanuts, sprinkles, whipped cream, and then we have sauces over here which you can also add.
What kind of sauces do we have?
Salted caramel, marshmallow, chocolate shell, fudge and peanut butter
Hi guys, what's your favorite flavor here?
I don't know.
Oh, you haven't had it yet! How about you?
I think... I don't know.
No, so, is this your first time here?
No, but I like the French Vanilla.
Okay, so there's one guy who knows what he likes, the French vanilla. Is that when you said?
I like the French Vanilla too!
Ah, this guy, NOW he decided.
I like cheesecake.
Oh cheesecake! Okay, beautiful. All right.
Well, I hope you enjoy your yogurt and thanks for listening.
Thank you!
***
Okay, that was it. That was the final episode for the summer. I hope you enjoyed it and we'll see you... who knows when!
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[EP 88] Unexpected English is the suprising podcast where you can have a fun listening experience in under five minutes! Transcription below to help you! 
Intro: Hey everybody, it's Fourth of July weekend here as I'm recording this. And that means everybody's off waving their American flags and eating hot dogs and doing whatever else they do while they're ignoring the fall of our democracy. Who cares, right? It's not important. The only important thing on the Fourth of July is hamburgers and hot dogs! So, are you ready? This is episode 88 of Unexpected English, and it just might have something to do with hot dogs. Okay, so let's go!
So here I am in beautiful San Diego, more specifically in Barrio Logan on Logan Ave, and I was walking down the street and I saw a place called Barrio Dog. And so that name, Barrio Dog, that kind of hit me. So I thought I would go in and ask the owner to explain a little bit about this place.
Well, thank you for stopping in. My name is Pablo Rios. I'm one of the owners here at Barrio Dog. Barrio dog is a celebration of the art, history and culture that comes from this neighborhood, the low-rider culture. So what we've done is, we've combined a classic comfort food like hotdogs, and given  you an environment to come and enjoy the neighborhood, the lowrider culture.
So it's a it's a neighborhood place with a cultural feel to it. And you serve mainly dogs!
Yeah, we're a hot dog restaurant. All of our hot dogs are 100% Angus beef. We make all of our own bread fresh daily, what we're known for when we started this place with this with, a hot dog called El Cholito, it's a Tijuana style.
Tijuana style hot dog, which would...what would Tijuana style be f for people who don't know.
It's a dog that has the works so a Tijuana style dog has grilled onions,it has cheese, sour cream, salsa verde, diced tomato, red onion, jalapeño, crunchy garlic...
Oh ok, is that enough yet people, is that enough, does that sound good enough yet? That is a fully loaded dog, plus I see there's five or six or seven other kinds? 
Well, we got, we got a half, we got at least twelve different hotdogs you can always try. We have flavors from all over the world. So we don't just celebrate the flavor from Mexico. We have German style. Japanese style. Cuban style.
Wow, that's interesting. So what are a couple of the most popular uhh flavors? Do I say flavors? Or style, style, dogs!
The Tijuana style is really popular. We also have a chili cheese dog called El Vaquero. We make our chili in-house. Another really popular one is called El Bombero, if you're into spicy hot dogs. It's got seven different chili peppers.
Oh, you know, I would say that sounds good, but it sounds better than good. It sounds like I'm ready to have some of that... and I see you've got some good beers on tap too.
Yeah, what we're doing here is we're showcasing sixteen of San Diego and Mexico's finest craft beers. So we have flavors as simple as a pilsner all the way to guava cider. So come on by!
All right, you heard it here first people! Next time you're in San Diego, head on down to Barrio Logan head on down to Logan Ave, and hit up Barrio Dogs for a real experience. Thanks a lot for your time. Thank you.
*****
That was the episode, thanks for listening! Please follow on Spotify, leave a good review, tell your friends, and have a great summer! Why not listen to the other wild episodes too!

[EP87] Hi everybody, and welcome to Episode 87 of Unexpected English, the podcast where you can listen to some real American English in just five minutes, and maybe have some fun while you do it. At least I hope it's fun. Let's find out! Remember, there is a transcription in the show notes if you need any help understanding what was said, because these are interviews with real people. That's why it's real American English. Okay? All right, let's go!
*****
So I was walking down the street in my neighborhood, looking around, and I happen to look... and I spotted what appeared to be, like a chicken condominium. I'm gonna say I'm gonna call it a chicken condominium because it's two stories tall. And it says... fluffy butt, what?
Yes. My kids thought that was cute. Yeah.
Okay, so I'm talking to the lady who owns the chicken condominium.
Yes. It used to be a little child's play house in our backyard, but...
You got rid of the kids and decided...
Yeah, exactly.They just didn't play with it anymore. So we decided to make other use of it.
And why did you decide to go with chickens?
You know, that was, honestly, that was my husband's idea. When the pandemic first started, he had a little extra time on his hands and thought that it would be cool, especially since the city recently approved having backyard chickens in San Diego
Yeah, because we're in the city, you know? What's up with having... I mean, this isn't... this isn't you know, you can't have... Maybe you CAN have goats, I don't know.
I don't know about that either.
But you can have chickens!
Yes, you can now.
And there's a real advantage. Why don't you tell us what that is?
Um, well, you know, recently there was a supply shortage of eggs at the store. But uhOh yeah, eggs are high now!
Eggs are still higher in price. Yeah. And so now we can just walk right out to the backyard and pluck them out of the chickens nests and have some fresh eggs! They're, they're free range. They're not caged chickens.
Yeah, I see they've got a whole little playground back there.
Yeah, yeah, it's huge area that they get to roam and look for bugs and whatnot.
And how many chickens do you have?
Five, plus a little rooster.
Okay, so there you go, people. We've got five chickens. And one little rooster here, right in the middle of San Diego.
And they they each produce one egg every day. So we can have five eggs a day if we wanted to.
Oh, that's what they, they like...they drop an egg every day.
Yep, pretty much and then, that's that's only for the first five years of their life. So after that, we're just going to be keeping them as pets.
Oh after that, they get to retire, huh?
Yeah, basically.
So do they all have names?
They do.
Could you tell us the name? 
Sure. A lot of them are based on colors. So we have an Orange and a Gray and a Red and a Peach. And then there's Minnie and Baldy. Baldy's the one that has... uh, she's lacking feathers on her neck.
Okay, so basically you went with the identification names, not the.. Okay.
All right. Well, anything else we should know? If I decide okay, I'm gonna, I'm gonna get myself some chickens and do this. What do I need to know?
Well, they need a chicken coop, so a place to, kind of, be protected from predators and the elements. Ah chicken run is good to for that same reason and they can... um, on rainy days, for example, they'll go in there and that's where they do their dirt baths and they eat.
Okay, so it rains so they go in and watch TV and take a dirt bath.
Yeah, that's how they keep themselves clean. It's kind of fun to watch. Really. I mean, they dig, they dig a little hole in the ground and then they lay down in it and kind of fluff their feathers around and get dirt all over. And then they shake it off.
Alright, well, okay, that sounds, that sounds interesting too, you learn so many things that you never knew before.
Yeah, I do a lot of the work.
OK, well, thank you very much for you time!
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[EP 86] Do you have five minutes to practice English listening in a fun way? Great! In this episode we interview the Candy Queen! Trascription in the notes to help you!
[Transcription]
Hi everybody, and welcome to Episode 86, of Unexpected English podcast where you can practice your English listening, with a transcription to help you, in under five minutes. Now this one is really short, it's not long at all, but it's a good one. And you know we have an expression when something is not long but it's good we say it's "short, but sweet." And this one you'll find out is definitely short but sweet. Now, you just have to make me one promise. If this episode of Unexpected English makes you smile, you have to share it with somebody, okay? Just just send them the link or share it on Instagram or something. Because I know you're listening on Spotify and you could do that. And that would be great. That is if you like it, and I hope you do. So let's go!
(bump)
So I was walking down the street and I spotted an interesting sign that said "The Candy Pushers" and I thought, what's that? And I looked inside and sure enough, it's full of candy! So I thought I would go inside and speak to the... owner?
Yeah, I'm the owner. My name is Shannon. I'm the Candy Queen of the Candy Pushers.
Oh, hold it right there! We are talking to the candy queen! Okay, so relax everybody. I know it's exciting, but...
I'm the Candy Queen of the Candy Pushers. My wife and I own the business, and she's the Fudge Master. And we have...
And you say the fudge master, does that mean she makes the fudge?
Fresh homemade fudge every week.
Oh, oh, okay. I'm sorry people. Hold on. I have to get over this, because I'm a little excited -- it's fudge!
Yeah, we make and rotate through 48 flavors a year.
What kind of flavors of fudge exist?
There's the Fudge Packer. We have Lemon Blueberry uh Cheesecake. Citrus Bliss, which is an orange and lemon essential oils mix of fudge. We have Chocolate, Chocolate Walnut, Vanilla Pralines...
Oh, okay, do people get, like, addicted to this? It sounds a little addicting!
Yes. 100% We have people who come in every week to buy their fudge.
Because the chocolate does something to you, right?
Well, it makes you happy and puts a smile on your face.
Oh, there you go! So okay, people next time you're on University Avenue...
University and Richmond.
University and Richmond, stop by the Candy Push... If you don't like fudge, there's a whole, like, wall full of other kinds of candies too. What is...
We have between twelve and thirteen hundred other bin and packaged candies
Twelve and thirteen hundred, That is one thousand two hundred different kinds of candies.
It's true. Well, I won't ask for the names of all those candies. I'll just say thanks a lot for your time.
You're welcome and have a flavorful day!
***
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[EP85] Unexpected English brings you surprising audio with a transcription to help you practice your English listening in less than five minutes. This time, we visit a salt cave for some haloterapy.  Come join us!

Okay, so I was walking through the mall and I saw a place called The Salt Escape. And it had some... Well, it looked like something I had never seen before. So I thought I would go in and find out a little more. So I'm talking to the... the owner?  I'm talking to someone inside who I thought maybe they can tell me... Okay, I'm talking to somebody who could tell me: What is The Salt Escape?
The Salt Escape is basically a halotherapy...
Hold up... a what therapy?
It's halotherapy which is a...
Halo, halotherapy...
Halo, H-A-L-O as in breathing in salt to cure many different ailments you might have whether it's asthma, colds, sinusitis, allergies, and it also is absorbed through your skin, so it helps with psoriasis...
OK, wait wait  now, so you tell us what it helps. But what's the deal? Do people go into a room full of salt? Or what is it?
OK, so we have a cave... that you...  A cave, okay, we're going slow so people can follow, So I come into salt escape, And then I get put in a cave,  a salt cave...
A salt cave that has 7000 pounds of Himalayan sea salt on the ground. And then there's salt lamps all around and salt on the walls. And then we also pump salt in at different intervals throughout that 45 minutes.
Like salt air, you're saying? You pump in salty air?
Um-hum, salty air, we take the salt, we put it in a generator that breaks it down into fine little crystal mist, and we pump into the cave while you're there, sitting in lounge chairs relaxing.. not lounge chairs but reclining chairs.
I'm just sitting in a room...basically I'm sitting in a room full of salt.
Salt.And breathing it and reaping all the benefits that it has to offer.
Do.. do I get naked when I do that? Noooo..Oh, and okay, so it'll go through.. We keep it kind of clean in here.
OK, so I saw the salt goes through my clothes... and...
It goes through your skin, it also, it's absorbed through your skin, but it's the breathing that really helps any respiratory issues that you have.
So yeah, so it's primarily as a respiratory...
But, but also good through the skin absorbing the skin, if you have any kind of skin issues, it helps with that as well. But it helps with anxiety and depression all kinds of wonderful things. But our, our cave is very, very relaxing. It's dark and quiet and we play meditation music so it's...
Ohhh okay don't say it, ohhh, okay, so well, that sounds beautiful! And how long is a session?
45 minutes.
So for 45 minutes, I get to sit in the salt cave... and relax... and breathe in.
Okay people, well you heard it here first, the, the mysteries and marvels of the salt cave, all are 100% organic Himalayan salt. Alright, thanks and thanks for your time.
Thank you! Come visit us!

***
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