Afleveringen
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Enough is enough. Something has to change. I’m sorry everyone, but I can’t do episodes every fortnight anymore.
Go to â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Cant for the full transcript.
New Vocabulary
Binge – to do a lot of one thing in one go, e.g. to binge a TV show
A leap of faith – a big, scary decision in your life – comment and let me know what leap of faith you’ve been putting off in your life!
Watching paint dry – an expression we use to refer to a very boring activity
On the back burner – when you keep putting off an important project because it’s not urgent
‘That sucks’ – a colloquial way of saying something is bad
Fortnight – two weeks, or fourteen days (UK English)
To kick in – to start taking effect, e.g. when a medicine kicks in
Anodyne – boring, uninspired, unoriginal
Anecdote – a small story from everyday life
A preview – when you get to see/hear part of something before it’s released
Video about North Korean pop culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T-pPPUAppk
00:00 Intro
01:24 New Vocabulary
07:37 How tastes have changed
10:45 Me vs. the other English learning podcasts
14:04 Bored of my own style
16:34 I need more time
18:19 Big plans
19:42 Story preview!
24:27 Vocabulary Recap
25:29 Tell me about your leap of faith!
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I discuss my friend visiting me from the UK, and an emotional holiday in Cambodia. I touch on the heartbreaking topic of the genocide, but also something more fun: eating a giant spider!
Go to â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Cambodiaâ â â for the full transcript.
00:00 Intro
01:07 A visitor
03:16 Two big empires
05:59 Visa-free travel
07:01 Force-fed in a teahouse
08:23 My new spirit animal
11:36 My most important job
13:55 Cambodia
18:00 Yummy spider!
20:13 The challenge of talking about this
25:31 Summer plans
27:01 Outro
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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The Stone Forest in Yunnan is a beautiful karst mountain range. But how did it come to be? Learn all about the Sani people and the magical origins of this Chinese nature site in today's episode.
Go to â â â â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Mountainsâ â for the full transcript.
Level: Pre-Intermediate.
Genre: Myths & Legends.
Vocabulary: Herd, Bucket, Spirit, Order, Whip, Unfurl, Dam, Rooster, Freeze.
Setting: China.
Word Count: 681.
Author: Chinese Myths.
00:00 Intro
00:52 The Sani people
01:39 My full circle momoent
04:12 Leaving Chinese
06:19 Coming back to Chinese
08:57 Busy busy!
11:14 Stumbling across the origin story
13:30 Vocabulary
17:34 Herding Mountains to Make a Forest
23:31 Outro
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Comedy is hard enough, but doing it in Chinese? Oh, Ariel, you do love a challenge! Hear all about my performance adventures and upcoming travel in this laughs-packed episode.
Go to â â â â â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Comedyâ â for the full transcript.
00:00 Intro
01:18 Batching episodes
03:09 Discovering pine cones
05:14 The nightmare of tones
08:33 Trying comedy in Chinese
11:37 This is your host!
13:45 London vs. China
15:48 I've arrived
17:56 Upcoming holidays
19:33 Wicked 2
22:31 Let's gallop!
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The cows and horses have argued with the pigs for too long. It's time to have a peace party and finally settle things. But one very talkative pig has a different view...
Go to â â â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Peaceâ for the full transcript.
Level: Pre-Intermediate.
Genre: Myths & Legends.
Vocabulary: Hoarse, Filthy, Greedy, Settle a dispute, Master (leader), Amongst, Farmhand, Favour (verb), Wisdom, Squeal.
Setting: China.
Word Count: 1044.
Author: Mary Hayes David, Chow Leung.
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Living with people isn't easy, and I've had it really hard. The Illuminati, the silent treatment, and deadly narcissists - I've seen it all. If you live alone, this episode will fill you with relief, and if you have housemates, it'll make you think 'Maybe they aren't so bad after all!'
Go to â â â â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Housematesâ for the full transcript.
Cover art image of dirty dishes by Johan Hansson CC BY 2.0
00:00 Preview
00:39 Intro
03:48 The ethics of this episode
05:50 Living in Bristol
13:46 Moving in with a 'friend'
20:16 Choosing my next housemate
22:36 A brief interlude
23:21 Moving to London
27:27 Down to Eltham
32:20 Finally, up to Walthamstow
38:40 The confrontation
48:58 The actual building
52:11 Would I do it again?
55:07 Outro
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The moon is beautiful, but it wasn't always that way. True love was needed, as well as breaking a mother's heart...
Go to â â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Moon for the full transcript.
Level: Beginner.
Genre: Myths & Legends.
Vocabulary: Astronomy, Poem, Pick (flower), Sharp, Gentle, Ridiculous.
Setting: China.
Word Count: 843.
Author: Ariel Goodbody.
00:00 Intro
01:11 Vocabulary
04:53 How the Moon Became Beautiful
12:58 Transcription problems
16:10 Outro
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Hear all about my time in the bars of Osaka and Fukuoka at â â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Supportâ â â â â â â â â â â â . Your support is appreciated!
Christmas in Japan isn't like Christmas in the UK. For one thing, it includes humiliation. It also includes very strange food. And don't forget the hot springs!
Vocabulary: Elephant in the room, Onsen, Thatched house, Bullet train, Purikura, Chazuke
Go to â â â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Japan for the full transcript.
00:00 Preview
00:31 Intro
01:34 The elephant in the room
03:23 New Year's resolutions
07:03 A spicy train journey
12:25 The hotel tricked me!
14:19 A smooth flight
15:57 The little things
18:32 Public behaviour
20:38 The wonderful resort
23:26 My first onsen experience
27:41 Let's go to the murder village!
34:13 The panda has left the building
36:14 Meeting the locals
39:15 Pew pew trains
40:51 Bright lights, big city
42:25 Ariel, you tease!
43:58 Welcome to the New World
46:54 The magical disappearing hangover
49:09 Onwards to Fukuoka!
50:51 Embarrassing ourselves at the Pretty Club
52:54 Crooning like robots
53:59 Exploring Fukuoka
57:23 But what about Christmas?
59:34 Culture shock-ish
01:02:35 Outro
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What if the witch in Hansel and Gretel was Chinese? Well, then things would be very different. In this twisted version of the classic fairy tale, the two young children run away from the house of sweets and end up somewhere far more exotic...
Go to â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Hansel for the full transcript.
Level: Pre-intermediate.
Genre: Horror.
Vocabulary: Woodcutter, Sweet tooth, Twig, Abandon, Breadcrumbs, Quitter, Betrayal, Witch, Belly, Prison bars.
Setting: Fairytale.
Word Count: 2357.
Author: Ariel Goodbody.
00:00 Intro
10:55 Hansel and Gretel
29:52 Outro
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Have you ever eaten bone marrow? You know, the fat inside of animal bones? Have you ever wondered whether ancient humans sucked out the marrow like a tube of yoghurt? Yeah, that's the kind of stuff I've been doing recently. Have a listen.
Go to â â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Ramble for the full transcript.
00:00 Intro
00:48 Friday dreams vs Saturday realities
02:57 Dreaming of any colour Christmas
05:06 Whammageddon
06:42 Yummy bones
09:56 Style change!
12:22 Japan for Christmas
17:06 Osaka is Daban, apparently
23:52 No more faffing about with thumbnails!
30:34 Me, Myself and AI
34:03 Outro
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Three goats live happily in a field eating grass. But one day, there's no more grass. They decide to cross a bridge to another field. But when they try to cross, a monster jumps out, and he wants to eat them!
Go to â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/ThreeGoatsâ for the full transcript.
Level: Beginner.
Genre: Children's.
Vocabulary: Goat, Eldest, Middle child, Greedy, Flow, Silly, Drown, Narrow, One by one, Troll, Annoying.
Setting: Fairytale.
Word Count: 1232.
Author: Fairy Tales.
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This episode has come out very late because of my appendicectomy. Apologies! I have recovered now and we should be back to our regular schedule soon enough.
'Above there is heaven, and below there is Hangzhou.' So it must be a pretty great city, right? I sure thought so! In today's episode, I tell you all about my visit to this ancient Chinese city, with its lovely lake, temples and food.
Go to â â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Hangzhouâ â for the full transcript.
00:00 Intro
00:53 A rite of passage
02:54 A new view
06:03 Hali Bote
09:57 Hang Joe! Do it!
11:36 Bustling with history
13:30 A mouldy hotel
14:24 That West Lake vibe
16:59 Soaking up the temples
19:22 Amazing noodles
21:37 Back on the bike!
25:44 An unfortunate incident
28:07 New frames
29:18 Where's this cafe??
31:13 The results of my Japanese exam
34:07 Random China things
37:49 The best tissues in the world
40:22 Stay in the light?
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Would you go fishing on Halloween night? That's when demons walk the Earth, and nobody is truly safe... But Murdo McTaggart doesn't believe in superstitions like that, and he heads out to catch fish while the other villagers go to church. He'll come to regret that mistake as the Devil - Auld Clootie himself - comes to him in the form of 13 tone-deaf cats.
Have a spooky time with today's Scottish folk tale! Apologies for the changes to the usual schedule - I'm recovering from an appendicectomy (having my appendix removed) so I've had to move things around a bit.
Go to â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/DemonCatsâ for the full transcript.
Level: Beginner
Genre: Horror.
Vocabulary: Demon, Fisherman, Superstition, Fur, Disappear, Bone, Stab, Scratch, Bite, Priest, Holy water.
Setting: Scotland.
Word Count: 1423.
Author: Ariel Goodbody.
00:00 Intro
01:09 Pumpkin Day?
02:28 Vocabulary descriptions
02:32 Demon
03:12 Fisherman
03:30 Superstition
04:10 Fur
04:24 Disappear
04:47 Bone
05:09 Stab
05:35 Scratch and bite
06:01 Priest
06:16 Holy water
06:52 The Demon Cats
08:02 Murdo ignores the warnings
09:14 Something dark is coming...
10:13 The cats sing a cumha
11:48 The first gift
12:32 Another 'song'
13:20 Another offering
13:54 More singing?!
14:57 A clever trick
16:11 A fight to the death?
17:07 A cry for help
18:01 Just in time!
19:32 Outro
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It's Kitty's birthday! And how better to celebrate than by baking a cake? Just one problem: how do you do it? Well, if you add five delicious things, it will be five times as delicious, and if you add a hundred delicious things...
Go to â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/CakeL2 for the full transcript.
Level: Pre-Intermediate.
Genre: Children's.
Vocabulary: Sandpit, Nuts, Eggshell, Divine, Pretend, Wag, Naughty, Stomach rumbles, Mud.
Setting: Fairytale.
Word Count: 1947.
Author: Ariel Goodbody.
0:00 Intro
0:52 You can see me!
2:31 Relevelling
6:26 Vocabulary
11:03 Doggo and Kitty Bake a Cake
26:10 Outro
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Listen to me articulate and enunciate every word as I discuss unusual beverages, insane apps, doing Pilates in Chinese, and how I'm feeding you all worms.
Go to â â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Slowâ for the full transcript.
Vocabulary: Latte, Beetroot, Pistachio, Red envelope, Massage, Pilates, Monologue, Worm, Nest
0:00 Intro
01:41 How slow can I go?
05:33 A mysterious drink
08:10 Crazy Chinese apps
13:00 Inappropriate videos
17:20 Pilates à la Chinoise
19:15 Levelling up abroad
20:59 Autumn, anyone?
22:00 Where to find my funky food pics
24:20 My upcoming travels
27:08 Let's speed things up a bit
32:23 Mother has arrived
33:19 Outro
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Skin as white as snow and eyes as red as blood. Some would call it beautiful, but to Nicholas's parents, he is a demon child. But when Nicholas discovers that his 'mother' is not his real mother, his whole world starts to change.
Today's story has themes of child abuse, cannibalism and violence. It is not appropriate for children.
Go to â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Juniperâ â for the full transcript.
Level: Advanced.
Genre: Horror
Vocabulary: Juniper berry, Torment, Console, Demon, Witch, Chest (box), Padlock, Millstone.
Setting: Fairytale.
Word Count: 4623.
Author: Ariel Goodbody.
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What I do every morning, in excruciating detail. When do I floss, how do I know when to put on deodorant, and what do I eat for breakfast? All these fascinating questions, and more, answered for you.
Go to â â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Routine for the full transcript.
Vocabulary: Night owl, Equator, Dental floss, Mouthwash, Yoga block, Yoga strap, Cork, Bar soap, Shower gel, Deodorant, “He could talk for England”, Grind, Muesli
00:00 Intro
00:50 Throwback to French class
02:59 Are you a morning person or a night owl?
06:22 Brushing and flossing
10:41 Adventures in Listerine
11:55 Yoga time!
16:11 Getting clean
18:27 Deodorant tactics
22:40 Talking for England
23:32 A coffee fiend
26:40 What's for breakfast?
31:21 Eating isn't enough!
35:03 Dumping rubbish
37:43 Easy like Sunday morning
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The king asks a clockmaker to repair an old magical clock. But when the clockmaker tries to repair the clock, nothing works... until he discovers a secret that will change his life.
Go to â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Clockmakerâ for the full transcript.
Level: Beginner.
Genre: Romance.
Vocabulary: Clockmaker, Ancestor, Repair, Ban, Apprentice, Gear, Rush, Symbol, Diary, Honesty, Secret.
Setting: Fairytale.
Word Count: 1753.
Author: Ariel Goodbody.
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Spicy bullfrog, fights with policemen and getting locked out... my first two weeks in China have certainly been eventful! Find out all about my move to Ningbo in today's episode.
Go to â â â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/China2â â for the full transcript.
Vocabulary: Bureaucracy, Ultrasound, Bedside manner, SIM card, Apartment complex, Congee, Adzuki bean, Bullfrog, Red bayberry, 'Mad dogs and Englishmen', Sweat, Cicada, Pale, 'A fish out of water', Scavenger hunt
00:00 Intro
01:56 The flight
05:07 The fastest train in the world
06:33 Assaulting a policeman
07:48 Making friends with the locals
10:00 The joys of bureaucracy
15:46 My home away from home
17:46 Finally, I'm rich!
19:32 Get your chopsticks out
25:49 It's too darn hot!
27:50 Comfortable and livable
29:15 Security
32:10 Locked out of the system
34:06 My new job
37:23 The hardest thing you can do
40:35 Outro
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Her mind runs, so she runs. She runs to stop her mind running. But one day, she sees an owl in the park, and reality stops running smoothly.
Go to â â â â â â EasyStoriesInEnglish.com/Running for the full transcript.
Level: Pre-Intermediate.
Genre: Philosophical.
Vocabulary: Squirrel, Leash, Freedom, Owl, Mad, Hunt, Bin, Otter, Footprint, Pawprint, Hoofprint.
Setting: Modern.
Word Count: 1448
Author: Ariel Goodbody.
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