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How to NOT Be Alone on Independence Day in the US

Gabby : This is an All Ears English Podcast, Episode 143: “How to NOT be Alone on Independence Day in the US.”

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Gabby : Welcome to the All Ears English Podcast, where you’ll finally get real, native English conversation with your hosts, Lindsay McMahon, the ‘English Adventurer’ and Gabby Wallace, the ‘Language Angel,’ from Boston, USA.

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Lindsay : Hey, guys. If you wanna (want to) learn ten ways to learn English with a podcast, come to our website and get our free e-book at www.AllEarsEnglish.com/free.

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Lindsay : In this episode, you’re going to learn how to respond to a typical Fourth of July invitation in English and you’re going to find out what Americans actually do on the Fourth of July.

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Gabby : Hey, Lindsay. How’s it going?

Lindsay : Good. How are you, Gabby?

Gabby : Doing good.

Lindsay : Yeah.

Gabby : So tomorrow is the Fourth of July.

Lindsay : Oh, it is, isn’t it?

Gabby : Yeah. (Do) you have any plans for the day?

Lindsay : Actually, I don’t have any plans yet. I’m not sure what I’m gonna (going to) do.

Gabby : Oh. Well, I’m going to catch the parade tomorrow. (Uh), do you wanna (want to) come?

Lindsay : Really? That would be cool. What time does it start, do you know?

Gabby : I think it starts around, (like), 11 a.m. But I have to check.

Lindsay : Okay.

Gabby : Yeah.

Lindsay : So, are you thinking about seeing fireworks afterwards?

Gabby : Definitely, (you know), I love watching the fireworks. (Um), here in Boston, they’re beautiful. I think that doesn’t get started until later. So, you could join for both or…

Lindsay : Awesome.

Gabby : …one or the other. I think, (uh), we’re gonna (going to) go to fireworks around, (like), 8 pm.

Lindsay : Yeah…

Gabby : Just before it gets dark.

Lindsay : …once the – before it gets dark.

Gabby : Yeah.

Lindsay : Exactly. Well, that sounds great. So where should I meet you guys?

Gabby : (Um), why don’t we meet at the, (uh), Mass. Ave. Bridge?

Lindsay : Perfect. Over by MIT.

Gabby : Yeah, on the MIT…

Lindsay : Okay.

Gabby : …side.

Lindsay : All right. I will see you there. At what time?

Gabby : Cool. (Uh), how ‘bout (about) – you wanna (want to) see the parade?

Lindsay : (Uh-hm).

Gabby : So let’s meet at eleven.

Lindsay : All right. I’ll see you there.

Gabby : Awesome. All right.

Lindsay : Nice.

Gabby : So, you guys, tomorrow is the Fourth of July and it’s a…

Lindsay : Woo-hoo!

Gabby : …big holiday. It’s really fun. And we wanted to talk a little bit about what people typically do in the US. And also, what the meaning is of the Fourth of July. It’s not just a party day, (you know). There is some rich history behind the Fourth of July. So maybe you, maybe we could start there, (um), with the rich history. (You know), we have the, (uh), it’s Independence Day, (uh), which, with the first one was 1776.

Lindsay : (Uh-hm).

Gabby : And, (um), actually, I, I want to tell you guys that this was my race number, 1776.

Lindsay : Oh, in the Iron Man?

Gabby : In the Iron Man, yeah.

Lindsay : Oh.

Gabby : We’re gonna (going to) talk about, (um), my Iron Man experience, let’s see in, (uh), a week or so… Lindsay : I think we already talked about…

Gabby : Oh, we already talked about it?

Lindsay : …the Iron Man experience, Gabby. But we could talk about it again if you really want to. (I mean).

Gabby : Okay. (Uh), oh yeah, we talked about it last week on June 26, number 139.

Lindsay : Anyway…

Gabby : Okay. So I get a little confused. (Um), but anyway, 1776 is, (uh), the, the first year that we were, that we were independent, (uh), as a, as a country in the US. So, (um), that’s, (you know), when we signed the Declaration of Independence.

Lindsay : (Uh-hum).

Gabby : (Um), so we, we celebrate our freedom, (uh), from, from England.

Lindsay : From Great Britain.

Gabby : Yeah, exactly.

Lindsay : Yeah. So it commemorates the day that we adopted the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. So that was July 4th, 1776.

Gabby : That’s right.

Lindsay : So, it’s a big deal.

Gabby : Yeah.

Lindsay : And what do we do to celebrate?

Gabby : Well, July 4th, of course, is the summer. It’s right in the middle of summer in the US. So we like to do outdoor(s) activities. It could be, (um), having a barbeque. (Um), weren’t we just talking about barbeques too?

Lindsay : Barbeques are so fun.

Gabby : Yeah, yeah.

Lindsay : And we were talking about barbeques. Oh, I think that was on our live event.

Gabby : That’s right. That’s right.

Lindsay : Right.

Gabby : I was trying to remember when were we talking about barbeques?

Lindsay : (Uh)

Gabby : Right, we were talking about how to socialize in a, a more casual, (uh), (you know), social situation, a party or something. And, and a barbeque is a very popular (kind of) social situation all summer long, not only on the Fourth of July, but, (um), whenever it’s nice and warm out.

Lindsay : Or the beach.

Gabby : Yeah!

Lindsay : Some people like to go to the beach. That’s fun.

Gabby : I like to go to the beach when it’s warm out. If it’s not warm enough, it’s (ugh).

Lindsay : The Fourth of July is mid-summer, so it’s often…

Gabby : Always good.

Lindsay : …warm enough.

Gabby : Yeah.

Lindsay : Yeah.

Gabby : And even in Boston, we do have beaches.

Lindsay : Believe it or not.

Gabby : (Um), fireworks are huge for the Fourth of July. Every city in the US has fireworks.

Lindsay : Absolutely. Absolutely. (Uh-hm).

Gabby : Right. So, just find out where they’re showing fireworks near you if you’re in the US and, (uh), invite your friends, bring a, bring a blanket.

Lindsay : Ooh. Last – a couple of summers ago, I went to the fireworks here in Boston…

Gabby : Yeah.

Lindsay : …and there were some – there was a lightning storm…

Gabby : Oh.

Lindsay : …at the same time.

Gabby : Did they cancel the fireworks?

Lindsay : Yeah, they had to wait…

Gabby : Oh.

Lindsay : …(uh), about an hour (dela-), and they delayed the fireworks. And then you could see in the sky, the show was actually the lightening because there was these…

Gabby : Whoa!

Lindsay : …huge lightning bolts that were coming out.

Gabby : Wow!

Lindsay : And then they finally said, “Okay, we’re gonna (going to) start it.”

Gabby : Yeah.

Lindsay : Five minutes after they start it, it started downpouring.

Gabby : Oh!

Lindsay : So we were watching…

Gabby : Oh my gosh!

Lindsay : …the fireworks in the pouring rain. It was a cool experience…

Gabby : Oh!

Lindsay : …actually.

Gabby : Yeah, what a unique time.

Lindsay : Yeah.

Gabby : And it can get really crowded, (um), when people go to watch fireworks. So, (you know), it’s a good idea to, (like), have a specific meeting place, like Lindsay and I, were doing a little…

Lindsay : (Uh-hm).

Gabby : …role play conversation at the beginning of this, (um), this episode just to figure out, (you know), where, where you’re gonna (going to) meet your friends.

Lindsay : Yeah.

Gabby : Right?

Lindsay : Yeah.

Gabby : Cool. (I mean) there might be a parade as well…

Lindsay : (Uh-huh).

Gabby : …a Fourth of July parade, usually during the day. (Um), fireworks, of course, would be at night.

Lindsay : (Uh-hm).

Gabby : And then what else? Is there anything else? (Like), maybe some – (I mean), typically, restaurants and bars will also have special events or…

Lindsay : Yeah.

Gabby : …(a) special menu.

Lindsay : Yeah, people – some people like to take the weekend and just go camping, (like)…

Gabby : Yeah.

Lindsay : …make it a long weekend. You might take a Monday or a Friday off before and after the weekend.

Gabby : Right.

Lindsay : What date is, (uh), the Fourth of July?

Gabby : So it’s gonna (going to) be…

Lindsay : Tomorrow is…?

Gabby : …tomorrow’s Friday.

Lindsay : Tomorrow’s Friday.

Gabby : So actually, it’s a great three-day weekend…

Lindsay : Ooh!

Gabby : …for everyone, right?

Lindsay : Perfect.

Gabby : Friday, Saturday, and Sunday off. And some people may take even more time, but, (um), but I’m sure it’ll be a lot of people camping this weekend.

Lindsay : Yeah. So the idea is if you guys are here in the US, this is a (kind of) special time, a cool time to be here.

Gabby : Yeah.

Lindsay : So get out there and do something to celebrate the Fourth of July and meet some American friends and…

Gabby : Right.

Lindsay : …just enjoy it.

Gabby : Yeah, absolutely. It’s a great time to socialize.

Lindsay : (Uh-hm), have fun.

Gabby : Yeah.

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Lindsay : If you wanna (want to) put your ears into English more often, be sure to subscribe to our podcast in iTunes on your computer or on your smartphone. Thanks so much for listening and see you next time.