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Aimee |
Todd |
Ginger's Place
Ginger explains why she chose to live where she does.
Nabeel: So, Ginger, I hear you have a new apartment.
Ginger: Yes, it's great. I just moved in last week.
Nabeel: Nice. Where is it?
Ginger: It's near Victory Monument. Do you know where that is?
Nabeel: Yeah, I do. How do you get to work from there?
Ginger: Well, I take the Sky Train.
Nabeel: Oh, that's really convenient. It is. It is. It's just a five minute walk. And what's the neighborhood like?
Ginger: It's a crowded neighborhood. There are a lot of people. Lots of cars. Just lots of energy in general.
Nabeel: And is it conveniently located?
Ginger: It's very convenient. It's about a five minute walk to the Sky Train station.
Nabeel: Why did you decide to move?
Ginger: Well, it's near a park, and I love living near a park and it's also just a five minute walk to my gym.
Nabeel: And have you made any new friends in that neighborhood?
Ginger: I have. I've met a couple of new people in my apartment building, and I've gotten to know a person who owns a restaurant across the street. There's some great restaurants on the street also.
Nabeel: Oh, what kind of restaurants?
Ginger: Well, most Thai restaurants. A lot of Thai people live in the area, but there's also a Western restaurant and a Japanese.
Nabeel: And is it a safe neighborhood?
Ginger: I feel very safe there. I've heard that there's some thefts on some of the quiet streets where the motorbikes will snatch your bag off your shoulder, but I've never actually seen it myself, and I feel very safe sleeping there.
Nabeel: What about traffic?
Ginger: There is a lot of traffic.
Nabeel: Oh, no!
Ginger: Yes. the traffic ... and a lot of street traffic too. Lots of people walking on the streets, so it can be tough to get around. But there's still a lot of excitement in the area so it's fun to be out and people watch.
Nabeel: It doesn't sound like a quiet neighborhood.
Ginger: No, it's not quiet at all. Unless you go into the park, and then it's very quiet.
Nabeel: How often do you go to the park?
Ginger: Almost every night. Every night after work I'll take a walk in the park and there's a pond with a water display with music, so it can be very soothing.
conveniently located
Is it conveniently located?
If something is conveniently located, it is in a place that is easy to get to or it is close to places that you might need; such as a shop, post office, school or public transport.
- The apartment we found is conveniently located just a five minute walk from downtown.
- The bus stop for the route going to my home is conveniently located just outside the school gates.
snatch your bag
The motorbikes will snatch your bag.
"Snatch" here means to take or grab something quickly, in this case your bag meaning your handbag or purse.
- "Stop! Thief! That girl snatched my wallet and is running away".
- Last time I went on holidays, I had my camera snatched, so I am just taking a disposable one now.
tough to get around
It can be tough to get around.
"To get around" something means to by-pass it, either a rule or an obstacle. "Tough" here means difficult.
- Getting around Australia's import controls is tough because they have a strict policy to keep many things out.
- It's tough getting around the attendance rule at our university, the teacher keeps a daily record of who comes and who doesn't.
people watch
It's fun to be out and people watch.
"People watch" just means relaxing somewhere and watching the people go by.
- A park near the centre of town is a great place to people watch, you can see all different kinds of folk there.
- "I get most of my ideas for characters from just people watching at my local shopping centre" the writer told the interviewer.
soothing
It can be very soothing.
When something is "soothing" it is relaxing and peaceful.
- A long soak in a warm, bubble bath is very soothing after a tough day at the office.
- Some people find Bach soothing but I prefer some quiet Pat Metheny guitar music to relax to.
Vocabulary Quiz
people watch • soothing
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