English Idioms, Slang and Useful Vocabulary » Chatterbox http://esl.culips.com Sat, 31 Jul 2010 07:01:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 en-us hourly 1 Listen to fun English podcasts with natural expressions and everyday vocabulary for language learners. Every Culips episode has interesting elements of culture as well as language. Culips ESL Podcast clean Culips ESL Podcast asami@culips.com asami@culips.com (Culips ESL Podcast) 2008-2009 Everyday English: idioms, slang and useful vocabulary English, ESL, study, idiom, podcast, language, lesson, slang, English Idioms, Slang and Useful Vocabulary http://esl.culips.com/images/logo-iTunes.jpg http://esl.culips.com/category/chatter-box/ The World of Dating: Are you seeing anyone? http://esl.culips.com/2010/07/the-world-of-dating-are-you-seeing-anyone/ http://esl.culips.com/2010/07/the-world-of-dating-are-you-seeing-anyone/#comments Sun, 25 Jul 2010 23:09:07 +0000 Culips http://esl.culips.com/?p=2646 Dating Are you single or dating someone? Are you in a relationship, but remember your days of dating? This is a fun episode with Harp and Maura talking about dating in North America. They talk about dating rules, some of their own experiences, and review from dating vocabulary. Is finding a romantic partner different in your country?


Harp Maura

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Harp: …So those are some traditional ways where we find people to date.
Maura: Right, but more and more people take classes, and they work, and of course they have friends, but they still don’t find someone that they want to date or be in a relationship with.
Harp: Exactly. So there are some new ways that are coming out to find people to date.
Maura: Yes, and they’re on the Internet.
Harp: Exactly. There are a lot of dating websites out there now.
Maura: Yeah, there are so many — I don’t think I can even count them.
Harp: No, I agree.
Maura: So more and more it’s become normal for people to use dating websites to find someone to go on a date with.

Expression included from this episode in Lipservice:

The Dating World Set rules To decide on
To come out Out there Speed dating
To set up/To be set up To keep an eye out To break up
To date someone To see someone To go out with someone
Partner To make up To get back together
The bill split it 50/50 every single one
The 3-day rule

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Rachel Davies

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2010/07/the-world-of-dating-are-you-seeing-anyone/feed/ 0 dating,Expressions,love Are you single or dating someone? Are you in a relationship, but remember your days of dating? This is a fun episode with Harp and Maura talking about dating in North America. They talk about dating rules, some of their own experiences, Are you single or dating someone? Are you in a relationship, but remember your days of dating? This is a fun episode with Harp and Maura talking about dating in North America. They talk about dating rules, some of their own experiences, and review from dating vocabulary. Is finding a romantic partner different in your country? What is a Member? Harp: …So those are some traditional ways where we find people to date. Maura: Right, but more and more people take classes, and they work, and of course they have friends, but they still don’t find someone that they want to date or be in a relationship with. Harp: Exactly. So there are some new ways that are coming out to find people to date. Maura: Yes, and they’re on the Internet. Harp: Exactly. There are a lot of dating websites out there now. Maura: Yeah, there are so many -- I don’t think I can even count them. Harp: No, I agree. Maura: So more and more it’s become normal for people to use dating websites to find someone to go on a date with. Expression included from this episode in Lipservice: The Dating World Set rules To decide on To come out Out there Speed dating To set up/To be set up To keep an eye out To break up To date someone To see someone To go out with someone Partner To make up To get back together The bill split it 50/50 every single one The 3-day rule Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips ESL Podcast clean 15:17 Talking about the weather with Harp and Maura http://esl.culips.com/2010/07/talking-about-the-weather-with-harp-and-maura/ http://esl.culips.com/2010/07/talking-about-the-weather-with-harp-and-maura/#comments Mon, 12 Jul 2010 04:34:14 +0000 Culips http://esl.culips.com/?p=2577 WeatherHarp and Maura love talking about the weather and so they devoted a whole Culips episode to it! They talk about weather-related terms and share memories they have connected to the weather. If you want to make small talk about weather, listen to this episode for some tips!


Maura Harp

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Harp: I think people like to talk about the weather because it’s an easy, simple topic. So it’s easy to make small talk about it.
Maura: You’re right. So when people are making small talk, when they are talking with someone they don’t know very well or even a complete stranger, they know that they can talk about the weather and that people will have something to say about it.
Harp: Exactly. When I’m in the elevator sometimes and someone gets on, and I don’t know them, but I feel awkward if we’re just in silence, I’ll bring up the weather. I’ll say something like, “Oh, it’s a beautiful day out there,” or “When is the rain going to stop?” or “Oh, it’s so cold.”
Maura: Yeah, yeah. That’s funny ‘cause I thought of an elevator as well. I think the other day someone said something to me about the weather.

Expression included from this episode in Lipservice:

Small talk Apps you and I v.s. you and me
Winter sports To be bundled up To make the best of it
To cross your fingers Weather-related expressions Least favourite
To get it out of the way To dress up To come to mind
The power goes out Snow day Canada’s winter

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips ESL Podcast

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2010/07/talking-about-the-weather-with-harp-and-maura/feed/ 1 weather Harp and Maura love talking about the weather and so they devoted a whole Culips episode to it! They talk about weather-related terms and share memories they have connected to the weather. If you want to make small talk about weather, Harp and Maura love talking about the weather and so they devoted a whole Culips episode to it! They talk about weather-related terms and share memories they have connected to the weather. If you want to make small talk about weather, listen to this episode for some tips! What is a Member? Harp: I think people like to talk about the weather because it’s an easy, simple topic. So it’s easy to make small talk about it. Maura: You’re right. So when people are making small talk, when they are talking with someone they don’t know very well or even a complete stranger, they know that they can talk about the weather and that people will have something to say about it. Harp: Exactly. When I’m in the elevator sometimes and someone gets on, and I don’t know them, but I feel awkward if we’re just in silence, I’ll bring up the weather. I’ll say something like, “Oh, it’s a beautiful day out there,” or “When is the rain going to stop?” or “Oh, it’s so cold.” Maura: Yeah, yeah. That’s funny ‘cause I thought of an elevator as well. I think the other day someone said something to me about the weather. Expression included from this episode in Lipservice: Small talkAppsyou and I v.s. you and me Winter sportsTo be bundled upTo make the best of it To cross your fingersWeather-related expressionsLeast favourite To get it out of the wayTo dress upTo come to mind The power goes outSnow dayCanada’s winter Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips ESL Podcast Culips ESL Podcast clean 16:29 Cross-Cultural Relationships: An interview with Melanie http://esl.culips.com/2010/06/cross-cultural-relationships-an-interview-with-melanie/ http://esl.culips.com/2010/06/cross-cultural-relationships-an-interview-with-melanie/#comments Sat, 05 Jun 2010 19:20:32 +0000 Culips http://esl.culips.com/?p=2490 MelaniePlease meet our friend Melanie! She is a native English speaker who learned French from a very young age. She traveled to Lyon, France where she met her partner Christophe, who is a native French speaker. In this episode, Maura and Melanie discuss the fun and the challenges of being in a relationship where the two people don’t speak the same language or come from the same culture!


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Maura: So, what do you think are some possible advantages or disadvantages to being in a relationship with someone who’s from a different culture or who speaks a different language from your native language?
Melanie: Well, at the beginning it was hard to express myself in a second language the way you want to express yourself to somebody that close to you. But then over time, as I got more comfortable with the language and more comfortable with Christophe, I found that expressing myself wasn’t as difficult and my French probably improved. Now actually I tend to speak to him only in English, which helps him improve his English, while at the same time allowing me to express myself as I would normally.
Maura: Yeah, so sometimes, and I know from my experience, when you’re dating someone who speaks another language you have a problem being clear sometimes. Like, you have to use really simple words to express yourself or you have to repeat the same thing more than once.
Melanie: Definitely there’s a lot of repetition.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips ESL Podcast

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2010/06/cross-cultural-relationships-an-interview-with-melanie/feed/ 3 Canada,culture Please meet our friend Melanie! She is a native English speaker who learned French from a very young age. She traveled to Lyon, France where she met her partner Christophe, who is a native French speaker. In this episode, Please meet our friend Melanie! She is a native English speaker who learned French from a very young age. She traveled to Lyon, France where she met her partner Christophe, who is a native French speaker. In this episode, Maura and Melanie discuss the fun and the challenges of being in a relationship where the two people don’t speak the same language or come from the same culture! Maura: So, what do you think are some possible advantages or disadvantages to being in a relationship with someone who’s from a different culture or who speaks a different language from your native language? Melanie: Well, at the beginning it was hard to express myself in a second language the way you want to express yourself to somebody that close to you. But then over time, as I got more comfortable with the language and more comfortable with Christophe, I found that expressing myself wasn’t as difficult and my French probably improved. Now actually I tend to speak to him only in English, which helps him improve his English, while at the same time allowing me to express myself as I would normally. Maura: Yeah, so sometimes, and I know from my experience, when you’re dating someone who speaks another language you have a problem being clear sometimes. Like, you have to use really simple words to express yourself or you have to repeat the same thing more than once. Melanie: Definitely there’s a lot of repetition. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips ESL Podcast Culips ESL Podcast clean 13:24 The early bird special! http://esl.culips.com/2010/05/the-early-bird-special/ http://esl.culips.com/2010/05/the-early-bird-special/#comments Mon, 24 May 2010 16:17:58 +0000 Culips http://esl.culips.com/?p=2459 earlybirdIn this episode Maura is again joined by our friend Rita. (If you don’t know who Rita is you can check out her previous episodes with us by clicking here or here.) Maura and Rita discuss a couple expressions to do with time: The early bird catches the worm and Carpe Diem. They also talk about how important being on time is in Canadian culture and what happened to them when they were too late for something!


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Maura: So if you’re throwing a party in Canada and you want it to start at 9 o’clock, don’t expect any guests to show up at that time. They’ll probably start showing up closer to 10 o’clock.
Rita: I agree, if you want them there for 9:00, you better say the party starts at 8:00.
Maura: Yup, that’s true. But you made a good distinction Rita, and that was about the dinner party.
Rita: Ah, yes, the dinner party.
Maura: That’s different than just a regular old bash.
Rita: Absolutely, somebody is in the kitchen preparing a meal. They’ve purchased food and they’re making it and timing it, you definitely want to be there on time for dinner.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Eric Kilby

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2010/05/the-early-bird-special/feed/ 1 Canadian culture In this episode Maura is again joined by our friend Rita. (If you don’t know who Rita is you can check out her previous episodes with us by clicking here or here.) Maura and Rita discuss a couple expressions to do with time: The early bird catches the... In this episode Maura is again joined by our friend Rita. (If you don’t know who Rita is you can check out her previous episodes with us by clicking here or here.) Maura and Rita discuss a couple expressions to do with time: The early bird catches the worm and Carpe Diem. They also talk about how important being on time is in Canadian culture and what happened to them when they were too late for something! Maura: So if you’re throwing a party in Canada and you want it to start at 9 o’clock, don’t expect any guests to show up at that time. They’ll probably start showing up closer to 10 o’clock. Rita: I agree, if you want them there for 9:00, you better say the party starts at 8:00. Maura: Yup, that’s true. But you made a good distinction Rita, and that was about the dinner party. Rita: Ah, yes, the dinner party. Maura: That’s different than just a regular old bash. Rita: Absolutely, somebody is in the kitchen preparing a meal. They’ve purchased food and they’re making it and timing it, you definitely want to be there on time for dinner. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Eric Kilby Culips ESL Podcast clean 13:11 Interviewing Adam Hoyt http://esl.culips.com/2010/04/interviewing-adam-hoyt/ http://esl.culips.com/2010/04/interviewing-adam-hoyt/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:43:57 +0000 Culips http://esl.culips.com/?p=2410 Aadam_HHarp recently had a chat with Adam, a friend of Culips, when he was staying in Montreal. Adam currently lives in Japan and was back in Canada for a short time visiting before returning to Japan. While he was here we talked to him about his experience overseas and what he misses about Canada when he is away. His answer might surprise you! It surprised us!


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Harp: I heard that you’re allergic to fish.
Adam: Yes, I’m allergic to fish.
Harp: So you can’t eat sushi.
Adam: Unfortunately, no.
Harp: That’s too bad, you can’t eat sushi there.
Adam: No.
Harp: What kind of food do you like? What do you eat there?
Adam: I like soba and I like teriyaki, yakitori. Yakitori is like barbequed chicken on sticks. So even though I can’t eat fish, there are a lot of options. It’s not a big problem.
Harp: OK, that’s good. There’s lots of other good food you can eat. OK, now Adam, when you’re in Japan, what do you miss about Canada?
Adam: I definitely miss my family and friends but I also miss my favourite restaurant.
Harp: What is your favourite restaurant?
Adam: It’s actually Shish taouk.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Adam Hoyt

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2010/04/interviewing-adam-hoyt/feed/ 2 Harp recently had a chat with Adam, a friend of Culips, when he was staying in Montreal. Adam currently lives in Japan and was back in Canada for a short time visiting before returning to Japan. While he was here we talked to him about his experience ... Harp recently had a chat with Adam, a friend of Culips, when he was staying in Montreal. Adam currently lives in Japan and was back in Canada for a short time visiting before returning to Japan. While he was here we talked to him about his experience overseas and what he misses about Canada when he is away. His answer might surprise you! It surprised us! Harp: I heard that you’re allergic to fish. Adam: Yes, I’m allergic to fish. Harp: So you can’t eat sushi. Adam: Unfortunately, no. Harp: That’s too bad, you can’t eat sushi there. Adam: No. Harp: What kind of food do you like? What do you eat there? Adam: I like soba and I like teriyaki, yakitori. Yakitori is like barbequed chicken on sticks. So even though I can’t eat fish, there are a lot of options. It’s not a big problem. Harp: OK, that’s good. There’s lots of other good food you can eat. OK, now Adam, when you’re in Japan, what do you miss about Canada? Adam: I definitely miss my family and friends but I also miss my favourite restaurant. Harp: What is your favourite restaurant? Adam: It’s actually Shish taouk. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Adam Hoyt Culips ESL Podcast clean 9:11 Tips on studying abroad by Rita D’Amico http://esl.culips.com/2010/02/tips-on-studying-abroad-by-rita-damico/ http://esl.culips.com/2010/02/tips-on-studying-abroad-by-rita-damico/#comments Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:05:01 +0000 Culips http://esl.culips.com/?p=1982 rita2 Rita is back! We previously interviewed Rita at Culips but decided to do it again because it was a popular episode, and because Rita has started her own business helping out international students who are interested in coming to Montreal. In this episode Rita gives lots of advice for people moving to another country to study a language. You can find out more at www.onyourmarkmontreal.com.


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Harp:Now Rita, with all of your experience in the English and ESL world can you give some tips on choosing a location or city to live and study in Canada?
Rita: Sure, I’d be happy to do that. First thing is to find the city that you want to live in. In order to do that, well, you need to do some research. There are three major cities in Canada. We have Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. And each of them has their unique personality…
Harp: OK, so it’s important for students to kind of decide their priorities when choosing the city.
Rita: Absolutely, you should definitely do some research about cost of living in each of the cities. You can find all of this information online as well. So look at things like taxes and accommodation, rent, you know how much does the average rent cost, as well. And of course you should always check out safety. How safe is the city you want to live in? And check out the different neighbourhoods as well.
Harp: So Rita, can you give us some advice on choosing a language school?

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Rita D’Amico

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2010/02/tips-on-studying-abroad-by-rita-damico/feed/ 1 choose a language school,study abroad,study canada Rita is back! We previously interviewed Rita at Culips but decided to do it again because it was a popular episode, and because Rita has started her own business helping out international students who are interested in coming to Montreal. Rita is back! We previously interviewed Rita at Culips but decided to do it again because it was a popular episode, and because Rita has started her own business helping out international students who are interested in coming to Montreal. In this episode Rita gives lots of advice for people moving to another country to study a language. You can find out more at www.onyourmarkmontreal.com. Harp:Now Rita, with all of your experience in the English and ESL world can you give some tips on choosing a location or city to live and study in Canada? Rita: Sure, I’d be happy to do that. First thing is to find the city that you want to live in. In order to do that, well, you need to do some research. There are three major cities in Canada. We have Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. And each of them has their unique personality… Harp: OK, so it’s important for students to kind of decide their priorities when choosing the city. Rita: Absolutely, you should definitely do some research about cost of living in each of the cities. You can find all of this information online as well. So look at things like taxes and accommodation, rent, you know how much does the average rent cost, as well. And of course you should always check out safety. How safe is the city you want to live in? And check out the different neighbourhoods as well. Harp: So Rita, can you give us some advice on choosing a language school? Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Rita D'Amico Culips ESL Podcast clean 10:01 Alethe, the Aussie! http://esl.culips.com/2010/02/alethe-the-aussie/ http://esl.culips.com/2010/02/alethe-the-aussie/#comments Sun, 21 Feb 2010 18:16:55 +0000 Culips http://esl.culips.com/?p=1933 alethe Have you ever wanted to travel around the world? Well, that is just what Alethe is doing! We met with Alethe while she was in Canada on her trip around the world.
Originally from Australia, Alethe tells us about the places she has visited, her impressions of Canada and where she is headed next. If you are thinking about travelling or just dream of doing it, listen to Alethe’s stories.

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Maura: So Alethe, that’s an interesting name.
Alethe: Yes, I am Australian however my name is French. My mum’s sister was living in Switzerland when I was born so my name is Swiss French.
Maura: Oh, OK. Yeah, that’s an interesting point because our accents are a little bit different. If you listen to this podcast regularly you usually hear Canadian, North American accents but you do not have a Canadian accent.
Alethe: No, I have no Canadian in me. I was born in Australia, and have always lived in Australia. However I like to take little side kicks everywhere I go.
Maura: So you’re from Australia but you are in Canada. So, how did you end up here?
Alethe: Well, I had a mid-life crisis at 25 and decided I wanted to go and travel the world.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Alethe West

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2010/02/alethe-the-aussie/feed/ 1 Australian accent,world travel Have you ever wanted to travel around the world? Well, that is just what Alethe is doing! We met with Alethe while she was in Canada on her trip around the world. Originally from Australia, Alethe tells us about the places she has visited, Have you ever wanted to travel around the world? Well, that is just what Alethe is doing! We met with Alethe while she was in Canada on her trip around the world. Originally from Australia, Alethe tells us about the places she has visited, her impressions of Canada and where she is headed next. If you are thinking about travelling or just dream of doing it, listen to Alethe’s stories. Maura: So Alethe, that’s an interesting name. Alethe: Yes, I am Australian however my name is French. My mum’s sister was living in Switzerland when I was born so my name is Swiss French. Maura: Oh, OK. Yeah, that’s an interesting point because our accents are a little bit different. If you listen to this podcast regularly you usually hear Canadian, North American accents but you do not have a Canadian accent. Alethe: No, I have no Canadian in me. I was born in Australia, and have always lived in Australia. However I like to take little side kicks everywhere I go. Maura: So you’re from Australia but you are in Canada. So, how did you end up here? Alethe: Well, I had a mid-life crisis at 25 and decided I wanted to go and travel the world. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Alethe West Culips ESL Podcast clean 12:19 Canadian Food, Comfort Food and Potlucks http://esl.culips.com/2010/01/canadian-food-comfort-food-and-potlucks/ http://esl.culips.com/2010/01/canadian-food-comfort-food-and-potlucks/#comments Sun, 17 Jan 2010 06:14:40 +0000 Culips http://esl.culips.com/?p=1822 potluckEveryone eats, but we all have different habits and favorite foods. The food you eat is often cultural. In this episode Harp and Maura try to explain what Canadian food is. They also talk about comfort food and what typical North American comfort food is. Potlucks are also a popular way to have a meal in a group. Harp and Maura love potlucks so they share their experiences with you. Are you feeling hungry yet?

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Harp: Yeah, and we’re also going to talk about comfort food.
Maura: Yeah, so potlucks and comfort food, but first we’re going to talk about Canadian food.
Harp: Exactly, but that’s kind of weird because what kind of food is Canadian food?
Maura: Yeah, it’s a really hard topic actually. I remember I was in France, maybe five years ago, and someone there asked me “what is a typical Canadian dish?” And honestly Harp, I couldn’t think of anything.
Harp: Yeah, I’ve been in the exact same situation. The answer that I would give would be poutine…

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: meddygarnet / Morgan

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2010/01/canadian-food-comfort-food-and-potlucks/feed/ 2 Canadian culture,Food Everyone eats, but we all have different habits and favorite foods. The food you eat is often cultural. In this episode Harp and Maura try to explain what Canadian food is. They also talk about comfort food and what typical North American comfort food... Everyone eats, but we all have different habits and favorite foods. The food you eat is often cultural. In this episode Harp and Maura try to explain what Canadian food is. They also talk about comfort food and what typical North American comfort food is. Potlucks are also a popular way to have a meal in a group. Harp and Maura love potlucks so they share their experiences with you. Are you feeling hungry yet? Harp: Yeah, and we’re also going to talk about comfort food. Maura: Yeah, so potlucks and comfort food, but first we’re going to talk about Canadian food. Harp: Exactly, but that’s kind of weird because what kind of food is Canadian food? Maura: Yeah, it’s a really hard topic actually. I remember I was in France, maybe five years ago, and someone there asked me “what is a typical Canadian dish?” And honestly Harp, I couldn’t think of anything. Harp: Yeah, I’ve been in the exact same situation. The answer that I would give would be poutine… Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: meddygarnet / Morgan Culips ESL Podcast clean 11:11 Pet Peeves http://esl.culips.com/2010/01/pet-peeves/ http://esl.culips.com/2010/01/pet-peeves/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 03:10:32 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=1696 petpeevesEveryone has personal pet peeves that bother you. Someone’s pet peeves are usually cultural. Pet peeves are usually small, day-to-day things. Are you curious about what pet peeves are now? Listen to this episode to find out what they are. All of the Culips members share their personal pet peeves too!

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Robin: What are some common pet peeves?
Maura: Well, a friend of mine really hates when people chew and eat with their mouth open.
Robin: OK.
Maura: …when they are eating but their mouth is open and you can hear what is going on in there and maybe they are talking at the same time.
Robin: That’s definitely one of my pet peeves too.
Maura: Yeah, so some pet peeves are really common and they bother or annoy a lot of people but pet peeves are kind of individual, like some thing that is my pet peeve that really bothers me, maybe is something that doesn’t bother you Robin, right?
Robin: Absolutely, it all depends on the person.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Rennett Stowe

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2010/01/pet-peeves/feed/ 2 expression Everyone has personal pet peeves that bother you. Someone’s pet peeves are usually cultural. Pet peeves are usually small, day-to-day things. Are you curious about what pet peeves are now? Listen to this episode to find out what they are. Everyone has personal pet peeves that bother you. Someone’s pet peeves are usually cultural. Pet peeves are usually small, day-to-day things. Are you curious about what pet peeves are now? Listen to this episode to find out what they are. All of the Culips members share their personal pet peeves too! Robin: What are some common pet peeves? Maura: Well, a friend of mine really hates when people chew and eat with their mouth open. Robin: OK. Maura: …when they are eating but their mouth is open and you can hear what is going on in there and maybe they are talking at the same time. Robin: That’s definitely one of my pet peeves too. Maura: Yeah, so some pet peeves are really common and they bother or annoy a lot of people but pet peeves are kind of individual, like some thing that is my pet peeve that really bothers me, maybe is something that doesn’t bother you Robin, right? Robin: Absolutely, it all depends on the person. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Rennett Stowe Culips ESL Podcast clean 6:58 Travel: Vancouver http://esl.culips.com/2009/10/travel-vancouver/ http://esl.culips.com/2009/10/travel-vancouver/#comments Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:32:51 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=906 vancouverAre you one of the lucky people who has been to Vancouver? Do you know much about Vancouver? We have been getting emails from YOU asking us to tell you more about Canada. Harp and Maura both visited Vancouver this year and are really happy to tell you about it. It is a very beautiful city!

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Maura: I think that people in other countries know about Vancouver too. Yeah a lot of people might know Vancouver because Vancouver is where we are going to have the Winter Olympics in 2010.
Harp: Yup, the next Olympics are in Vancouver. And we just want to say hi to everyone who is listening to us in Vancouver.
Maura: Yeah, cause we know we have some listeners in Vancouver so we are saying hi from Montreal.
Harp: So if you don’t know, Vancouver is on the west coast of Canada and it’s basically right on the ocean.
Maura: And because it’s on the west coast it has a very different climate to the rest of Canada.
Harp: Yes, it’s one of the few places that isn’t cold.
Maura: And Harp and I like that a lot.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2009/10/travel-vancouver/feed/ 6 travel Are you one of the lucky people who has been to Vancouver? Do you know much about Vancouver? We have been getting emails from YOU asking us to tell you more about Canada. Harp and Maura both visited Vancouver this year and are really happy to tell you... Are you one of the lucky people who has been to Vancouver? Do you know much about Vancouver? We have been getting emails from YOU asking us to tell you more about Canada. Harp and Maura both visited Vancouver this year and are really happy to tell you about it. It is a very beautiful city! Maura: I think that people in other countries know about Vancouver too. Yeah a lot of people might know Vancouver because Vancouver is where we are going to have the Winter Olympics in 2010. Harp: Yup, the next Olympics are in Vancouver. And we just want to say hi to everyone who is listening to us in Vancouver. Maura: Yeah, cause we know we have some listeners in Vancouver so we are saying hi from Montreal. Harp: So if you don’t know, Vancouver is on the west coast of Canada and it’s basically right on the ocean. Maura: And because it’s on the west coast it has a very different climate to the rest of Canada. Harp: Yes, it’s one of the few places that isn’t cold. Maura: And Harp and I like that a lot. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips Culips ESL Podcast clean Labour Day http://esl.culips.com/2009/09/labour-day/ http://esl.culips.com/2009/09/labour-day/#comments Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:46:00 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=867 laybourday
Labour Day is the last holiday of summer in Canada and the US. Jessie and Maura talk about Labour Day and its origins, as well as what we now do on this holiday. Other topics in this episode include the rule of not wearing white after Labour Day, summer memories and Back to school. Help us celebrate the summer by listening to this episode!

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Maura: Today we are going to talk about summertime and Labour Day.
Jessie: Right! That makes sense because it is almost the end of summer.
Maura: Right! So, what is Labour Day?
Jessie: Well, Labour Day is a holiday in Canada and the US. It happens on the first Monday of September.
Maura: Exactly! So, it is a holiday in Canada and the US. And what do people normally do on Labour Day?
Jessie: Well, despite the name Labour Day—people actually do not do labour, they relax. They have a break from labour, or work.
Maura: Right, so they treat Labour Day as a regular holiday: people relax, they go to the beach, travel with family.
Jessie: Lots of people barbecue, eat outside.
Maura: Yeah, sometimes they have fireworks. So, the Labour Day is a fun day.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo credit: Mel

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2009/09/labour-day/feed/ 1 holiday Labour Day is the last holiday of summer in Canada and the US. Jessie and Maura talk about Labour Day and its origins, as well as what we now do on this holiday. Other topics in this episode include the rule of not wearing white after Labour Day, Labour Day is the last holiday of summer in Canada and the US. Jessie and Maura talk about Labour Day and its origins, as well as what we now do on this holiday. Other topics in this episode include the rule of not wearing white after Labour Day, summer memories and Back to school. Help us celebrate the summer by listening to this episode! Maura: Today we are going to talk about summertime and Labour Day. Jessie: Right! That makes sense because it is almost the end of summer. Maura: Right! So, what is Labour Day? Jessie: Well, Labour Day is a holiday in Canada and the US. It happens on the first Monday of September. Maura: Exactly! So, it is a holiday in Canada and the US. And what do people normally do on Labour Day? Jessie: Well, despite the name Labour Day—people actually do not do labour, they relax. They have a break from labour, or work. Maura: Right, so they treat Labour Day as a regular holiday: people relax, they go to the beach, travel with family. Jessie: Lots of people barbecue, eat outside. Maura: Yeah, sometimes they have fireworks. So, the Labour Day is a fun day. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo credit: Mel Culips ESL Podcast clean Introducing Moheb Soliman to you! http://esl.culips.com/2009/08/introducing-moheb-soliman-to-you/ http://esl.culips.com/2009/08/introducing-moheb-soliman-to-you/#comments Sun, 16 Aug 2009 16:21:27 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=840 moheb
Moheb is joining the Culips team and helping us create an online writing course (We will let you know as soon as we start taking students!), so we wanted to introduce him to you. We talk a bit about his interesting experiences in Egypt, the U.S. and Canada. Can anyone hear a difference between the Canadian and American accents?

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Moheb: Well, my name is Moheb and I’m new here to Canada. I’m actually originally from Egypt, from Alexandria, but I moved to the United States when I was a kid, and I lived in a few different places. I lived in Oklahoma and Ohio and I went to school in New York, which I really loved and I spent some time in Michigan and California. I have hopped around.
Maura: Yeah, for sure. So how old were you when you came to the U.S.?
Moheb: I was just 6 years old.
Maura: Ok, so do you remember it at all?
Moheb: You know, being 6 years old, I knew how to speak Arabic…

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2009/08/introducing-moheb-soliman-to-you/feed/ 4 ESL Podcast,interview Moheb is joining the Culips team and helping us create an online writing course (We will let you know as soon as we start taking students!), so we wanted to introduce him to you. We talk a bit about his interesting experiences in Egypt, the U.S. Moheb is joining the Culips team and helping us create an online writing course (We will let you know as soon as we start taking students!), so we wanted to introduce him to you. We talk a bit about his interesting experiences in Egypt, the U.S. and Canada. Can anyone hear a difference between the Canadian and American accents? Moheb: Well, my name is Moheb and I’m new here to Canada. I’m actually originally from Egypt, from Alexandria, but I moved to the United States when I was a kid, and I lived in a few different places. I lived in Oklahoma and Ohio and I went to school in New York, which I really loved and I spent some time in Michigan and California. I have hopped around. Maura: Yeah, for sure. So how old were you when you came to the U.S.? Moheb: I was just 6 years old. Maura: Ok, so do you remember it at all? Moheb: You know, being 6 years old, I knew how to speak Arabic… Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips Culips ESL Podcast clean White lies vs. brutal honesty http://esl.culips.com/2009/06/whilte-lies-vs-brutal-honesty/ http://esl.culips.com/2009/06/whilte-lies-vs-brutal-honesty/#comments Sun, 21 Jun 2009 04:10:32 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=766 whitelie1Sometimes we don’t want to be rude and so we need to tell a little white lie. Other times it may be important to be completely honest, and this is called brutal honesty. When is it OK to tell a white lie and when is it necessary to be brutally honest? Harp and Maura discuss this, and talk about honesty in relationships and with kids. How important is it to be honest your culture?

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Maura: Maybe you go to someone’s house for dinner and they make pizza and you really don’t like onions and they put onions on the pizza. They ask if you like the pizza and you say, “Yeah, it’s delicious” because you don’t like onions but you don’t want to tell them that. You don’t want to be rude or impolite.
Harp: Yeah, exactly, that’s a little white lie. So a little white lie is usually to protect someone’s feelings, I would say.
Maura: Right, you want to be polite, you don’t want to be rude. So what is the other one? Brutal honesty. So brutal honesty is when you tell the complete truth and it can be rude or impolite.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Kevin Labianco

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2009/06/whilte-lies-vs-brutal-honesty/feed/ 2 ESL Podcast Sometimes we don’t want to be rude and so we need to tell a little white lie. Other times it may be important to be completely honest, and this is called brutal honesty. When is it OK to tell a white lie and when is it necessary to be brutally honest? Sometimes we don’t want to be rude and so we need to tell a little white lie. Other times it may be important to be completely honest, and this is called brutal honesty. When is it OK to tell a white lie and when is it necessary to be brutally honest? Harp and Maura discuss this, and talk about honesty in relationships and with kids. How important is it to be honest your culture? Maura: Maybe you go to someone’s house for dinner and they make pizza and you really don’t like onions and they put onions on the pizza. They ask if you like the pizza and you say, “Yeah, it’s delicious” because you don’t like onions but you don’t want to tell them that. You don’t want to be rude or impolite. Harp: Yeah, exactly, that’s a little white lie. So a little white lie is usually to protect someone’s feelings, I would say. Maura: Right, you want to be polite, you don’t want to be rude. So what is the other one? Brutal honesty. So brutal honesty is when you tell the complete truth and it can be rude or impolite. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Kevin Labianco Culips ESL Podcast clean 9:49 Culture: Harp’s trip to India http://esl.culips.com/2009/05/culture-harp%e2%80%99s-trip-to-india/ http://esl.culips.com/2009/05/culture-harp%e2%80%99s-trip-to-india/#comments Sun, 24 May 2009 18:14:09 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=684 Harp In Indian ClothesHarp recently went on a trip to India with her family. Have you ever been to India? Harp tells us about the weather and the food. She also tells us about shopping in India, because this was a shopping trip with Harp’s two sisters and mom!

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Maura: And what is shopping like in India?
Harp: Oh it is fantastic. It is completely different from North America.
Maura: Oh really?
Harp: Yeah. So I guess if you go to a shopping mall in India or in Delhi or in one of the big cities it’s the same, but we were looking for Indian clothes so we were trying to buy the lenga, the saris, the suit. And I’ll put pictures on the website so you can understand what that means. OK, so you go into a store and first thing you… sit down, right away. There is no walking around.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Harp

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2009/05/culture-harp%e2%80%99s-trip-to-india/feed/ 1 culture,ESL Podcast,India,travel Harp recently went on a trip to India with her family. Have you ever been to India? Harp tells us about the weather and the food. She also tells us about shopping in India, because this was a shopping trip with Harp’s two sisters and mom! Harp recently went on a trip to India with her family. Have you ever been to India? Harp tells us about the weather and the food. She also tells us about shopping in India, because this was a shopping trip with Harp’s two sisters and mom! Maura: And what is shopping like in India? Harp: Oh it is fantastic. It is completely different from North America. Maura: Oh really? Harp: Yeah. So I guess if you go to a shopping mall in India or in Delhi or in one of the big cities it’s the same, but we were looking for Indian clothes so we were trying to buy the lenga, the saris, the suit. And I’ll put pictures on the website so you can understand what that means. OK, so you go into a store and first thing you… sit down, right away. There is no walking around. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Harp Culips ESL Podcast clean Interview: Jewelry Designer Sheena Purcell http://esl.culips.com/2009/04/interview-jewelry-designer-sheena-purcell/ http://esl.culips.com/2009/04/interview-jewelry-designer-sheena-purcell/#comments Sat, 04 Apr 2009 16:42:17 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=591 Sheena PurcellWe’d like to introduce Sheena Purcell to you. She is a new friend of ours at Culips and she is super talented. In this Chatterbox episode, Sheena tells us a little bit about her experience as a jewelry designer and how she decided to start making jewelry. We also find out what inspires her beautiful creations! Check out her designs on her website.

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Sheena: My name’s Sheena. I’m from the east coast of Canada, a place called Nova Scotia, and I’ve been living here in Montreal for about nine months now, and before that I moved from Japan where I was living for about three and a half years. Yeah, I was in Japan teaching English and also making jewelry.
Harp: Wow, OK! So, I went to your website today and your jewelry designs are amazing. So tell me, you went to school for jewelry design or how did you get started?
Sheena: Yes. Well, actually my mother was a jeweler when I was a child, and she stopped when I was about eight years old …

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Sheena Purcell,
Sheena’s web site: http://sheenajewellery.etsy.com

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2009/04/interview-jewelry-designer-sheena-purcell/feed/ 1 We'd like to introduce Sheena Purcell to you. She is a new friend of ours at Culips and she is super talented. In this Chatterbox episode, Sheena tells us a little bit about her experience as a jewelry designer and how she decided to start making jew... We'd like to introduce Sheena Purcell to you. She is a new friend of ours at Culips and she is super talented. In this Chatterbox episode, Sheena tells us a little bit about her experience as a jewelry designer and how she decided to start making jewelry. We also find out what inspires her beautiful creations! Check out her designs on her website. Sheena: My name’s Sheena. I’m from the east coast of Canada, a place called Nova Scotia, and I’ve been living here in Montreal for about nine months now, and before that I moved from Japan where I was living for about three and a half years. Yeah, I was in Japan teaching English and also making jewelry. Harp: Wow, OK! So, I went to your website today and your jewelry designs are amazing. So tell me, you went to school for jewelry design or how did you get started? Sheena: Yes. Well, actually my mother was a jeweler when I was a child, and she stopped when I was about eight years old … Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Sheena Purcell, Sheena's web site: http://sheenajewellery.etsy.com Culips ESL Podcast clean Culture: Happy April Fool’s Day http://esl.culips.com/2009/03/culture-happy-april-fool%e2%80%99s-day/ http://esl.culips.com/2009/03/culture-happy-april-fool%e2%80%99s-day/#comments Sat, 28 Mar 2009 16:02:33 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=573 April Fool's DayApril Fool’s Day!
Have you ever celebrated this funny holiday? It is celebrated all over the world in different ways. In this episode we give you some vocabulary for playing tricks on people and tell you more about April Fool’s Day history!

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Maura: So, a hoax is when you pretend that something is happening but it really isn’t happening.
Jessie : Yeah, it is kind of like telling a lie.
Maura: But it is a fun lie, especially on April Fools Day just for fun.
Jessie : Exactly.
Maura: Right, so if I came today in shorts and a t-shirt and I said, “Oh Jessie, I was just at the beach and it was 30 degrees”. That would be a hoax. That would be a joke because unfortunately it is not that warm in Montreal yet.
Jessie : I don’t think I would believe you. I’m not that gullible.
Maura: Yeah, you probably wouldn’t. So what kind of jokes have been played on you on April Fools Day?

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast,
Photo credit: Freaking News – News Photoshop Contests
-See more contest pictures

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2009/03/culture-happy-april-fool%e2%80%99s-day/feed/ 1 culture,ESL Podcast April Fool's Day! Have you ever celebrated this funny holiday? It is celebrated all over the world in different ways. In this episode we give you some vocabulary for playing tricks on people and tell you more about April Fool’s Day history! April Fool's Day! Have you ever celebrated this funny holiday? It is celebrated all over the world in different ways. In this episode we give you some vocabulary for playing tricks on people and tell you more about April Fool’s Day history! Maura: So, a hoax is when you pretend that something is happening but it really isn’t happening. Jessie : Yeah, it is kind of like telling a lie. Maura: But it is a fun lie, especially on April Fools Day just for fun. Jessie : Exactly. Maura: Right, so if I came today in shorts and a t-shirt and I said, “Oh Jessie, I was just at the beach and it was 30 degrees”. That would be a hoax. That would be a joke because unfortunately it is not that warm in Montreal yet. Jessie : I don’t think I would believe you. I’m not that gullible. Maura: Yeah, you probably wouldn’t. So what kind of jokes have been played on you on April Fools Day? Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo credit: Freaking News - News Photoshop Contests -See more contest pictures Culips ESL Podcast clean Culture: Facebook http://esl.culips.com/2009/03/culture-facebook/ http://esl.culips.com/2009/03/culture-facebook/#comments Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:22:20 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=563 facebookHave you already heard of Facebook? Are you already on Facebook? Facebook is a very popular website and so we wanted to tell you a little bit about it, in case you don’t know about it. It is fun to use and helps you stay connected to people you care about. To find out more and learn some Facebook vocabulary, listen to Harp and Maura talk about it here!

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Harp: So Facebook is a social networking website. You have a profile and you can put pictures up, you can invite people to different events, you can join different networks. It is basically a way of keeping in touch with your friends.
Maura: Right. So before they had MySpace, which was pretty popular and I know in Japan they have Mixi. Do you know any other ones?
Harp: There is Bebo, I think that’s in South Korea and there’s more out there.
Maura: Right, social networking sites are everywhere but Facebook is for sure the biggest one in North America, in Europe as well. It’s almost everywhere now.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips Team

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2009/03/culture-facebook/feed/ 6 Have you already heard of Facebook? Are you already on Facebook? Facebook is a very popular website and so we wanted to tell you a little bit about it, in case you don’t know about it. It is fun to use and helps you stay connected to people you care a... Have you already heard of Facebook? Are you already on Facebook? Facebook is a very popular website and so we wanted to tell you a little bit about it, in case you don’t know about it. It is fun to use and helps you stay connected to people you care about. To find out more and learn some Facebook vocabulary, listen to Harp and Maura talk about it here! Harp: So Facebook is a social networking website. You have a profile and you can put pictures up, you can invite people to different events, you can join different networks. It is basically a way of keeping in touch with your friends. Maura: Right. So before they had MySpace, which was pretty popular and I know in Japan they have Mixi. Do you know any other ones? Harp: There is Bebo, I think that’s in South Korea and there’s more out there. Maura: Right, social networking sites are everywhere but Facebook is for sure the biggest one in North America, in Europe as well. It’s almost everywhere now. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips Team Culips ESL Podcast clean Interview: Rita the Montrealer http://esl.culips.com/2009/01/interview-rita-the-montrealer/ http://esl.culips.com/2009/01/interview-rita-the-montrealer/#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2009 18:06:21 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=506 There are so many different people in Montreal from all over the world. Not one of us in the Culips team is actually from Montreal (we’re from other parts of Canada). But we have a friend Rita who is actually from this city! In this episode, Maura chats with Rita about growing up in Montreal, and her experiences with all the cultures and languages here! Thanks Rita!

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Maura: So, what was it like growing up in this fun great city, Montreal?
Rita: It was great. I grew up in an Anglophone community so a lot of my friends were English. I’m first-generation Italian-Canadian. My parents came to Canada, to Montreal, in 1968 with my two brothers and my mom was pregnant with my sister.
Maura: Ok
Rita: But we had a lot of family here with us as well, so it made that transition a lot easier. I grew up in a great neighborhood, it was very multicultural. I had Greek friends, I had Jewish friends, I had Italian friends. So it was just a lot of friends.
Maura: That is something else that I think is really special about Montreal, there are so many different cultures and often they live all together. So they are not just living separately, there’s all kinds of cultures interacting together.
Rita: Absolutely, absolutely. You can see anyone from anywhere anytime.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Rita d’Amico

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2009/01/interview-rita-the-montrealer/feed/ 2 ESL Podcast,interview There are so many different people in Montreal from all over the world. Not one of us in the Culips team is actually from Montreal (we’re from other parts of Canada). But we have a friend Rita who is actually from this city! In this episode, There are so many different people in Montreal from all over the world. Not one of us in the Culips team is actually from Montreal (we’re from other parts of Canada). But we have a friend Rita who is actually from this city! In this episode, Maura chats with Rita about growing up in Montreal, and her experiences with all the cultures and languages here! Thanks Rita! Maura: So, what was it like growing up in this fun great city, Montreal? Rita: It was great. I grew up in an Anglophone community so a lot of my friends were English. I’m first-generation Italian-Canadian. My parents came to Canada, to Montreal, in 1968 with my two brothers and my mom was pregnant with my sister. Maura: Ok Rita: But we had a lot of family here with us as well, so it made that transition a lot easier. I grew up in a great neighborhood, it was very multicultural. I had Greek friends, I had Jewish friends, I had Italian friends. So it was just a lot of friends. Maura: That is something else that I think is really special about Montreal, there are so many different cultures and often they live all together. So they are not just living separately, there’s all kinds of cultures interacting together. Rita: Absolutely, absolutely. You can see anyone from anywhere anytime. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Rita d'Amico Culips ESL Podcast clean Culture: Christmas http://esl.culips.com/2008/12/culture-christmas/ http://esl.culips.com/2008/12/culture-christmas/#comments Mon, 22 Dec 2008 07:51:46 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=486 Here is your Culips Christmas episode! This time we are trying a new format, with three distinct categories for you! We discuss Christmas Greetings, funny Christmas traditions and Harp’s worst and best presents from past Christmases.
Most people learn the basic Christmas vocabulary so we wanted to offer you something a bit different. Have you ever heard of fruitcake? Do you know mistletoe?

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Harp: So I never had mistletoe at my house but I have always seen it in TV. Can you describe to me what it is?
Maura: Sure, it is a small plant and it has green leaves and little white berries and yeah I had one at my house when I was a kid, it was fake, it was not real. We used the same one every year but yeah we had mistletoe.
Harp: Ok so basically with mistletoe you hang it from the ceiling and when there is two people under it they have to kiss.
Maura: Exactly, you need two people, you can’t kiss yourself. So when two people suddenly find themselves underneath the mistletoe they are supposed to kiss.
Harp: Exactly, so it is a fun, I would say harmless, tradition.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips Team

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2008/12/culture-christmas/feed/ 2 culture,ESL Podcast Here is your Culips Christmas episode! This time we are trying a new format, with three distinct categories for you! We discuss Christmas Greetings, funny Christmas traditions and Harp’s worst and best presents from past Christmases. Here is your Culips Christmas episode! This time we are trying a new format, with three distinct categories for you! We discuss Christmas Greetings, funny Christmas traditions and Harp’s worst and best presents from past Christmases. Most people learn the basic Christmas vocabulary so we wanted to offer you something a bit different. Have you ever heard of fruitcake? Do you know mistletoe? Harp: So I never had mistletoe at my house but I have always seen it in TV. Can you describe to me what it is? Maura: Sure, it is a small plant and it has green leaves and little white berries and yeah I had one at my house when I was a kid, it was fake, it was not real. We used the same one every year but yeah we had mistletoe. Harp: Ok so basically with mistletoe you hang it from the ceiling and when there is two people under it they have to kiss. Maura: Exactly, you need two people, you can’t kiss yourself. So when two people suddenly find themselves underneath the mistletoe they are supposed to kiss. Harp: Exactly, so it is a fun, I would say harmless, tradition. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Culips Team Culips ESL Podcast clean Interview: Jessie is on the Spot http://esl.culips.com/2008/11/chatterbox-7-jessie-on-the-spot/ http://esl.culips.com/2008/11/chatterbox-7-jessie-on-the-spot/#comments Sat, 29 Nov 2008 04:00:42 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=329 JessieIntroducing Jessie! Jessie is joining the Culips team and will be helping us host future episodes. We cover the basics, how long she has been in Montreal and what she is doing here. Jessie also worked as an English teacher in South Korea, like Harp. In this episode, they both talk about their experiences teaching and living the Korean life.

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Harp: So tell me a little bit about yourself. You are not from Montreal?
Jessie: No, I am originally from North Bay, Ontario which is about 4 hours north of Toronto.
Harp:4 hours north, wow!
Jessie: It is quite a ways
Harp: Is it cold up there?
Jessie: It is in the winter, not too cold in the summer.
Harp: Thank God. Imagine?
Jessie: You know we don’t really live in igloos or ride dogsleds or anything.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Jessie Cox

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2008/11/chatterbox-7-jessie-on-the-spot/feed/ 2 interview,Korea,North Bay Introducing Jessie! Jessie is joining the Culips team and will be helping us host future episodes. We cover the basics, how long she has been in Montreal and what she is doing here. Jessie also worked as an English teacher in South Korea, like Harp. Introducing Jessie! Jessie is joining the Culips team and will be helping us host future episodes. We cover the basics, how long she has been in Montreal and what she is doing here. Jessie also worked as an English teacher in South Korea, like Harp. In this episode, they both talk about their experiences teaching and living the Korean life. Harp: So tell me a little bit about yourself. You are not from Montreal? Jessie: No, I am originally from North Bay, Ontario which is about 4 hours north of Toronto. Harp:4 hours north, wow! Jessie: It is quite a ways Harp: Is it cold up there? Jessie: It is in the winter, not too cold in the summer. Harp: Thank God. Imagine? Jessie: You know we don’t really live in igloos or ride dogsleds or anything. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Jessie Cox Culips ESL Podcast clean Interview: Marcus is on the spot http://esl.culips.com/2008/11/chatterbox-6-marcus-is-on-the-spot/ http://esl.culips.com/2008/11/chatterbox-6-marcus-is-on-the-spot/#comments Sat, 08 Nov 2008 04:00:34 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=299 Marcus is on the spotWe want to introduce you to more of our friends in Montreal! In this episode, Harp chats with Marcus about his travels, learning languages and coming to Montreal. He speaks 4 languages and has a tour company for international students. Check him out here!

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Harp: Yeah, now I also heard from Maura that you are doing a tour company? Are you starting your own company? And you have a lot of Japanese clients I believe.
Marcus: Yeah, that is right.
Harp: Ok so can you tell me a little bit about that?
Marcus: Every weekend, every Saturday I take tourists from Montreal to a new destination
Harp: Cool, where do you go?
Marcus: So we go to Quebec City, Ottawa, sometimes Niagara Falls, sometimes Mont Tremblant where we can see beautiful fall colours.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Marcus Bender

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2008/11/chatterbox-6-marcus-is-on-the-spot/feed/ 1 ESL Podcast,interview,Japan,Rocky Mountains We want to introduce you to more of our friends in Montreal! In this episode, Harp chats with Marcus about his travels, learning languages and coming to Montreal. He speaks 4 languages and has a tour company for international students. We want to introduce you to more of our friends in Montreal! In this episode, Harp chats with Marcus about his travels, learning languages and coming to Montreal. He speaks 4 languages and has a tour company for international students. Check him out here! Harp: Yeah, now I also heard from Maura that you are doing a tour company? Are you starting your own company? And you have a lot of Japanese clients I believe. Marcus: Yeah, that is right. Harp: Ok so can you tell me a little bit about that? Marcus: Every weekend, every Saturday I take tourists from Montreal to a new destination Harp: Cool, where do you go? Marcus: So we go to Quebec City, Ottawa, sometimes Niagara Falls, sometimes Mont Tremblant where we can see beautiful fall colours. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Marcus Bender Culips ESL Podcast clean Culture: Halloween http://esl.culips.com/2008/10/chatterbox-5-halloween/ http://esl.culips.com/2008/10/chatterbox-5-halloween/#comments Sat, 25 Oct 2008 04:00:00 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=277 Halloween is a super fun day to wear costumes, visit haunted houses and eat candy. This day is especially for children but adults celebrate too. Harp and Maura talk about lots of Halloween traditions and explain new vocabulary, like trick or treat (this is important if you want candy!)

Harp Maura btn_lipservice.gif

Harp : So Halloween is celebrated on October 31st. Always the same day regardless of what day it is in the week.
Maura :Yeah, the last day of October. Its become a pretty international holiday. I wonder if anyone out there celebrates Halloween.
Harp:yeah and maybe people do things a bit differently
Maura : Yeah, the costumes are usually part of it or the ghosts and the witches and scariness
Harp : Maybe there is different games you play. Write us, tell us how you do it. So lets talk about North American Halloween. What was your favorite part of Halloween.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Maura Smith

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2008/10/chatterbox-5-halloween/feed/ 1 culture,ESL Podcast,halloween,party Halloween is a super fun day to wear costumes, visit haunted houses and eat candy. This day is especially for children but adults celebrate too. Harp and Maura talk about lots of Halloween traditions and explain new vocabulary, Halloween is a super fun day to wear costumes, visit haunted houses and eat candy. This day is especially for children but adults celebrate too. Harp and Maura talk about lots of Halloween traditions and explain new vocabulary, like trick or treat (this is important if you want candy!) Harp : So Halloween is celebrated on October 31st. Always the same day regardless of what day it is in the week. Maura :Yeah, the last day of October. Its become a pretty international holiday. I wonder if anyone out there celebrates Halloween. Harp:yeah and maybe people do things a bit differently Maura : Yeah, the costumes are usually part of it or the ghosts and the witches and scariness Harp : Maybe there is different games you play. Write us, tell us how you do it. So lets talk about North American Halloween. What was your favorite part of Halloween. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Maura Smith Culips ESL Podcast clean Culture: Birthday Parties http://esl.culips.com/2008/10/257/ http://esl.culips.com/2008/10/257/#comments Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:00:07 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=257 Happy Birthday Harp & Maura!In honour of Harp and Maura’s birthdays we decided to do a podcast about birthdays! In this episode, we talk about birthday parties (mostly for kids and teenagers) and what activities are a usually part of them. We also talk about the special birthdays in a person’s life, like the big 3-0!

Harp Maura btn_lipservice.gif

Harp : My birthday is October 13
Maura : Yup and my birthday is October 30. They probably sound really similar but Harps is 1-3 and mine is 3-0. So we both have birthdays in this special month.
Harp : Ok, so lets talk about birthdays when we were young.
Maura : Yeah, lets talk about birthdays. Birthday parties when you are young are so much fun. You love having them, you love going to them. It is just a good time.
Harp : Exactly, my favorite part I think, well there were two favorite parts. I liked the games, like piñata and the pin the tail on the donkey.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Maura & Harp

]]>http://esl.culips.com/2008/10/257/feed/0 birthday,culture,party In honour of Harp and Maura’s birthdays we decided to do a podcast about birthdays! In this episode, we talk about birthday parties (mostly for kids and teenagers) and what activities are a usually part of them. In honour of Harp and Maura’s birthdays we decided to do a podcast about birthdays! In this episode, we talk about birthday parties (mostly for kids and teenagers) and what activities are a usually part of them. We also talk about the special birthdays in a person’s life, like the big 3-0! Harp : My birthday is October 13 Maura : Yup and my birthday is October 30. They probably sound really similar but Harps is 1-3 and mine is 3-0. So we both have birthdays in this special month. Harp : Ok, so lets talk about birthdays when we were young. Maura : Yeah, lets talk about birthdays. Birthday parties when you are young are so much fun. You love having them, you love going to them. It is just a good time. Harp : Exactly, my favorite part I think, well there were two favorite parts. I liked the games, like piñata and the pin the tail on the donkey. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Maura & Harp Culips ESL Podcast clean Movie Review: The Dark Knight http://esl.culips.com/2008/09/chatter-box-3-dark-knight/ http://esl.culips.com/2008/09/chatter-box-3-dark-knight/#comments Sat, 20 Sep 2008 04:00:57 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=232 The Dark Knight was the summer blockbuster! Is it playing in theatres where you are now? Maura gives her review in this episode and we talk about tons of movie vocabulary. Check out this episode and the film!

Harp Maura btn_lipservice.gif

Harp: Did you watch the first one of this series, the Batman Begins?
Maura: Nope, not even.
Harp: Oh, that was a very good one.
Maura: Oh really?
Harp: Really good, it’s the only superhero that I’ve ever liked.
Maura: Well you’ll probably like this one because this one has received more buzz, you know?
Harp: Yup.
Maura: Everyone is talking about it. It’s crazy. It’s like if you haven’t seen it people are wondering why not, like you have to see it.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast

Movie Trailor – The Dark Knight

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2008/09/chatter-box-3-dark-knight/feed/ 0 movie The Dark Knight was the summer blockbuster! Is it playing in theatres where you are now? Maura gives her review in this episode and we talk about tons of movie vocabulary. Check out this episode and the film! The Dark Knight was the summer blockbuster! Is it playing in theatres where you are now? Maura gives her review in this episode and we talk about tons of movie vocabulary. Check out this episode and the film! Harp: Did you watch the first one of this series, the Batman Begins? Maura: Nope, not even. Harp: Oh, that was a very good one. Maura: Oh really? Harp: Really good, it’s the only superhero that I’ve ever liked. Maura: Well you’ll probably like this one because this one has received more buzz, you know? Harp: Yup. Maura: Everyone is talking about it. It’s crazy. It’s like if you haven’t seen it people are wondering why not, like you have to see it. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast Movie Trailor - The Dark Knight Culips ESL Podcast clean Culture: Living Off Campus http://esl.culips.com/2008/08/chatterbox2-off-campus/ http://esl.culips.com/2008/08/chatterbox2-off-campus/#comments Sun, 24 Aug 2008 04:44:04 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=82 Edomonton BusThis is our new podcast – Chatterbox! Here we talk about everything cultural. This is Part 2 about University Life.
In this episode Harp talks about living off campus, what she liked and what she didn’t like. Harp liked her mom’s homecooking but she didn’t take naps like Maura did. To find out more about living off campus during University, listen to this episode.

Harp Maura btn_lipservice.gif

Maura: Yeah, cool! As well you didn’t go away like I did and live in residence, you stayed with your mom and dad.
Harp:Yup, I stayed at home with my folks.
Maura: So did you want to do that?
Harp: I always wanted to go to dorms and rez but I had the advantages of my mom cooking me dinner and my mom helping clean the house and I didn’t have all those extra responsibilities, I could focus on school, but I always dreamed of living in dorms.
Maura: Yeah but as I said before the food wasn’t so great.
Harp: Yeah that is true I didn’t gain the freshman 15.
Maura: Yeah, I’m sure your dinners tasted a lot better than mine did.
Harp:Exactly, my mom is such a good cook. I miss my mom. She is such a good cook.
Maura: Yeah, was there anything else that you liked or didn’t like about living at home?

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Jasohill

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2008/08/chatterbox2-off-campus/feed/ 0 culture,interview,school life This is our new podcast - Chatterbox! Here we talk about everything cultural. This is Part 2 about University Life. In this episode Harp talks about living off campus, what she liked and what she didn’t like. This is our new podcast - Chatterbox! Here we talk about everything cultural. This is Part 2 about University Life. In this episode Harp talks about living off campus, what she liked and what she didn’t like. Harp liked her mom’s homecooking but she didn’t take naps like Maura did. To find out more about living off campus during University, listen to this episode. Maura: Yeah, cool! As well you didn’t go away like I did and live in residence, you stayed with your mom and dad. Harp:Yup, I stayed at home with my folks. Maura: So did you want to do that? Harp: I always wanted to go to dorms and rez but I had the advantages of my mom cooking me dinner and my mom helping clean the house and I didn’t have all those extra responsibilities, I could focus on school, but I always dreamed of living in dorms. Maura: Yeah but as I said before the food wasn’t so great. Harp: Yeah that is true I didn’t gain the freshman 15. Maura: Yeah, I’m sure your dinners tasted a lot better than mine did. Harp:Exactly, my mom is such a good cook. I miss my mom. She is such a good cook. Maura: Yeah, was there anything else that you liked or didn’t like about living at home? Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: Jasohill Culips ESL Podcast clean Culture: Living On Campus http://esl.culips.com/2008/07/64/ http://esl.culips.com/2008/07/64/#comments Sat, 19 Jul 2008 04:00:24 +0000 The Culips Team http://esl.culips.com/?p=64 This is the first of a new Culips podcast. Here we chat! This episode Harp and Maura chat about Living in residence in University. Let us know what you think!

Harp Maura btn_lipservice.gif

Harp : Exactly, so we’re going to start off Chatter Box with talking about university. It’s going to be maybe a four part series. We haven’t decided yet but today we’re going to start with discussing living on campus and Maura is going to be the person telling us about it because she lived it.
Maura : Yes, it wasn’t so long ago that Harp and I were in university.
Harp:Exactly, it just feels like yesterday.
Maura : Feels like yesterday. And I had a really fun experience.

Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: compscigrad

]]> http://esl.culips.com/2008/07/64/feed/ 0 culture,school life This is the first of a new Culips podcast. Here we chat! This episode Harp and Maura chat about Living in residence in University. Let us know what you think! - - - - - - Harp : Exactly, so we’re going to start off Chatter Box with talking about... This is the first of a new Culips podcast. Here we chat! This episode Harp and Maura chat about Living in residence in University. Let us know what you think! Harp : Exactly, so we’re going to start off Chatter Box with talking about university. It’s going to be maybe a four part series. We haven’t decided yet but today we’re going to start with discussing living on campus and Maura is going to be the person telling us about it because she lived it. Maura : Yes, it wasn’t so long ago that Harp and I were in university. Harp:Exactly, it just feels like yesterday. Maura : Feels like yesterday. And I had a really fun experience. Podcast/ Lipservice: Culips ESL Podcast, Photo: compscigrad Culips ESL Podcast clean