Why I Love Texas

Episode Summary: I tell some stories from my time living in Texas.

English Level: B1 🇨🇦

Show Notes:

Everything is bigger in Texas (2:16)
Southern Drawl (6:07)
Religion (10:25)
Racism (18:05)
Southern Hospitality (21:43)

Vocabulary Words:

embarrassing (adj.): shameful, humiliating. [peinlich]
inclined to (verb): have a tendency to do something.
diversity (noun): the state of being diverse; variety.
approachable (adj.): friendly and easy to talk to.
ya’ll: you all (refers to a group of people).
yonder: An indication of any direction or any location other than the location of the speaker
disservice (noun): a harmful action.
dismiss (verb): treat as unworthy of serious consideration.
prejudice (noun): preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience.
individual (noun): a single human being as distinct from a group.
encounter (verb): meet (someone) unexpectedly.
unbearable (adj.): not able to be endured or tolerated.

Phrases to Remember:

all’s well that ends well: if the outcome of a situation is happy, this compensates for any previous difficulty or unpleasantness.
to look down on someone: to think of or treat (someone or something) as unimportant or not worthy of respect.
caricature: a picture, description, or imitation of a person in which certain striking characteristics are exaggerated in order to create a comic or grotesque effect.
fixin’ to: you plan to do something.
don’t throw the baby out with the bath water: idiomatic expression for an avoidable error in which something good is eliminated when trying to get rid of something bad.
give someone the benefit of the doubt: the state of accepting something/someone as honest or deserving of trust even though there are doubts.
blanket statement: a generalization – something that covers everything, like a metaphorical blanket. There is an implication when using “blanket statement” that it may be an over-generalization.
to point fingers: to accuse someone or suggest that they are guilty of something bad.
to befriend someone: to become or act as a friend.
to get around: to travel/move around.
to be humbled: reflecting, expressing, or offered in a spirit of deference or submission.
to pay it forward: respond to a person’s kindness to oneself by being kind to someone else.

Mistake to Avoid:

(incorrect preposition) what we see in the media NOT on the media

Comprehension Questions:

Why did Jorge move to Texas?
What did Jorge tell Jenn when she started walking to the supermarket that was 200m away from the house?
What is one reason that could explain why North Americans are less physically active compared to Germans?
What does the Texan accent sound like to Jorge?
Why are there traffic jams in Texas on Sundays?
What percentage of what we recycle actually gets recycled?
What did Carmen do when Jorge told her he didn’t have money for gas?

Question to consider:

What have been your experiences with Americans?

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