In this episode, we will journey to Key West, Florida where we not only discuss travel related vocab, but also tell you a few things about Key West itself. We will also learn how to say "Might as well..." and briefly, "Rather than...(doing something), let's (do something else) -- refer to the supplementary words/phrases below for the latter one.

Dialogue:

A: 啊。。。。终于有机会出国旅游了。。没想到我们可以安排来这么远的地方呀！
 Zhōngyú yǒu jīhuì chūguó lǚyóule.. Méi xiǎngdào wǒmen kěyǐ ānpái lái zhème yuǎn dì dìfāng ya!
A: Ah. . . . Finally got the chance to travel abroad. . I never thought that we could plan on coming to such a far away place!

B: 对呀， 你以前不是说要组团境外出行吗？既然旅行限制终于放开了，不妨走得越远越好！ 
 B: Duì ya, nǐ yǐqián bùshì shuō yào zǔtuán jìngwài chūxíng ma? Jìrán lǚxíng xiànzhì zhōngyú fàng kāile, bùfáng zǒu dé yuè yuǎn yuè hǎo! 
B: That's right. Didn't you say you wanted to put a group together and go abroad? Now that travel restrictions are finally lifted, why not travel as far as we can!

A: 但是佛罗里达？ 更别说Key West？好像是在世界的另一边！这么远！不过……多么棒的天气……多么美味的食物……而且我喜欢这里各种各样的市场。。。农贸市场，小商品市场 。。 一切都是那么丰富多彩!
 A: Dànshì fóluólǐdá? Gèng bié shuō Key West? Hǎoxiàng shì zài shìjiè de lìng yībiān! Zhème yuǎn! Bùguò……duōme bàng de tiānqì……duōme měiwèi de shíwù……érqiě wǒ xǐhuān zhèlǐ gè zhǒng gè yàng de shìchǎng... Nóngmào shìchǎng, xiǎoshāngpǐn shìchǎng.. Yīqiè dōu shì nàme fēngfù duōcǎi!
A: But Florida? Let alone Key West? It seems like it's on the other side of the world!  But...what great weather...what delicious food...and I love the variety of markets here. . . Farmers' markets, local artisan markets. . Everything is so colorful!

B: 航空公司给的特价票，实在太便宜了。没办法拒绝。。
 B: Hángkōng gōngsī gěi de tèjià piào, shízài tài piányíle. Méi bànfǎ jùjué.
B: The airline tickets were really cheap. There was no way I could refuse. .

A： 可惜我们只能在这儿待几天.  我一时半会儿还不想走啊。一个月都嫌少…   那现在你能再给我解释一下吗，为什么到处都是流浪鸡？
A: Kěxí wǒmen zhǐ néng zài zhè'er dài jǐ tiān. Wǒ yīshí bàn huì er hái bùxiǎng zǒu a. Yīgè yuè dōu xián shǎo… nà xiànzài nǐ néng zài gěi wǒ jiěshì yīxià ma, wèishéme dàochù dōu shì liúlàng jī?
A: It's too bad that we can only stay here for a few days. I don't want to leave so soon. Even one month isn't enough... Now can you explain to me why there are stray chickens everywhere?

Supplementary Words/Vocab
不妨  bùfáng Might as well...
既然都过节了，不妨我们就多吃一点儿。
Jìrán dōu guòjiéle, bùfáng wǒmen jiù duō chī yīdiǎn er. 
Since it's Chinese New Year, might as well eat a lot.

既然你都来了，不妨四处走一走，看一看。
Jìrán nǐ dōu láile, bùfáng sìchù zǒu yī zǒu, kàn yī kàn. 
Now that you're here, you might as well take a look around.

既然你不得不做，那你就不妨把它赶紧做完吧
Jìrán nǐ bùdé bù zuò, nà nǐ jiù bùfáng bǎ tā gǎnjǐn zuò wán ba
Since it has to be done, you might as well get it over with.

大街小巷
dàjiē xiǎo xiàng 
Everywhere 

你作为一个医生，每个月工资是这么多.你都还不嫌多?
nǐ zuòwéi yīgè yīshēng, měi gè yuè gōngzī shì zhème duō nǐ dōu hái bù xián duō.
You're doctor's salary is really quite high. It's still not enough?

The Key West Stray Chicken Story: 
当初大家把斗鸡当作一种赌博，然后来经营,所以这个地方就是有很多的公鸡。然后后来因为有新的法律告诉大家说“不能够再斗鸡了” 所以与其把这些公鸡都杀掉，大家想着“那还不如就把它们就放生了” 所以就产生了很多的流浪鸡。这是可能是Key West的一个特别的一个景象。别的地方没有。
Dāngchū dàjiā bǎ dòujī dàng zuò yī zhǒng dǔbó, ránhòu lái jīngyíng suǒyǐ zhège dìfāng jiùshì yǒu hěnduō de gōngjī. Ránhòu hòu lái yīnwèi yǒu xīn de fǎlǜ gàosù dàjiā shuō “bù nénggòu zài dòujīle” suǒyǐ yǔqí bǎ zhèxiē gōngjī dōu shā diào, dàjiā xiǎngzhe “nà hái bùrú jiù bǎ tāmen jiù fàngshēngle” suǒyǐ jiù chǎnshēngle hěnduō de liúlàng jī. Zhè shì kěnéng shì Key West de yīgè tèbié de yīgè jǐngxiàng. Bié dì dìfāng méiyǒu.
At one time, there was a lot of cockfighting, so there came to be a lot of roosters. Later, because of a new law that stated "cockfighting is no longer allowed", rather than killing all the roosters, everyone decided "why don't we just let them go?", hence today there's a lot of stray roosters. This is a distinctive feature of Key West. Nowhere else.

Travel Restrictions Part 2: A Trip to Key West (Upper Intermediate)

Want the dialogues and pronunciation training without the explanation? Here it is! For the pronunciation portion, repeat the words and phrases in the gaps just after they are spoken. When you hear a question, respond to that question using the sentence you just rehearsed. The order of this Listening/Speech Training episode is as follows:

1. Travel Restrictions Part 1 (Dialogue)
2. Travel Restrictions Part 1 (Pronunciation Training) 
3. Travel Restrictions Part 2: A Trip to Key West(Dialogue)
4. Travel Restrictions Part 2 (Pronunciation Training)

Travel Restrictions Part 1 (Dialogue)
梦瑶：你听说了没有，中国放开境外出行的限制了！
依诺：对呀，国际旅游行业开始恢复了。我去年买的飞往东南亚的特价票终于有机会用了。
梦瑶：我们全家都想去欧洲旅行，但是从来都没有找到过特价票。听说虽然国家很重视旅游行业的恢复，但是由于疫情， 好多航空公司的工作人员都转行了。 
依诺： 有道理。如果没人开飞机的话，机票一时半会儿怎么可能便宜呢？看来我的特价票还得再等等才能用呗。
梦瑶：现在还是努力工作，好好赚钱吧！争取年底我们组团出国旅游。
依诺： 就这么定了！

Part 1: (Pronunciation Training):
1. 女性：境外。。。。出行。。。境外出行。。。。。。限制。。。放开限制了。。。。。。放开境外出行的限制了。。。。。。。。。。中国放开境外出行的限制了。。。。。。。。。。。。。。你听说了没有。。。。。。你听说了没有，中国放开境外出行的限制了。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

2. 男性：特价票。。。东南亚的特价票。。。。。。飞往东南亚的特价票。。。。。。。。我去年买的特价票。。。。。。。。。。我去年买的飞往东南亚的特价票。。。。。。。。。。。有机会用了。。。。终于有机会用了。。。。。。。我去年买的飞往东南亚的特价票终于有机会用了。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
女性： 你听说了没有，中国放开境外出行的限制了。你打算去那里？。。。。。。。。。。。。。
男性：我去年买的飞往东南亚的特价票终于有机会用了。

3. 女性：转行了。。。好多工作人员都转行了。。。。。。。。好多航空公司的工作人员。。。。。。。。好多航空公司的工作人员都转行了。。。。。。。。。。。。恢复。。。旅游行业的恢复。。。。。。。很重视旅游行业的恢复。。。。。。。。。虽然国家很重视旅游行业的恢复。。。。。。。。。。。听说虽然国家很重视旅游行业的恢复。。。。。。。。。。。。但是由于疫情。。。。。 听说虽然国家很重视旅游行业的恢复，但是由于疫情。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。好多航空公司的工作人员都转行了。。。。。。。。。 听说虽然国家很重视旅游行业的恢复，但是由于疫情， 好多航空公司的工作人员都转行了。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
男性： 我们全家都想去欧洲旅行，但是怎么都找不到特价票？。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
女性: 听说虽然国家很重视旅游行业的恢复，但是由于疫情， 好多航空公司的工作人员都转行了。

4. 男性： 一时半会儿。。。。。一时半会儿能便宜。。。。。。。一时半会儿怎么可能便宜。。。。。。。。机票一时半会儿怎么可能便宜呢？ 。。。。。。。。。。如果没有人开飞机的话。。。。。。。如果没人开飞机的话，机票一时半会儿怎么可能便宜呢？。。。。。。。。。。。。。。有道理。。。有道理。如果没人开飞机的话，机票一时半会儿怎么可能便宜呢？。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
女性：听说虽然国家很重视旅游行业的恢复，但是由于疫情， 好多航空公司的工作人员都转行了。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
男性：有道理。如果没人开飞机的话，机票一时半会儿怎么可能便宜呢？

5. 女性：组团。。。组团出国。。。。。组团出国旅游。。。。。。我们组团出国旅游。。。。。。。。争取。。。争取年底。。。。。争取年底我们组团出国旅游。。。。。。。。。。。
男性：现在还是努力工作，好好赚钱吧！说不定以后有机会旅吧。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
女性：争取年底我们组团出国旅游。

Travel Restrictions 2 (Dialogue):
梦瑶: 啊。。。。终于有机会出国旅游了。。没想到我们可以安排来这么远的地方呀！

依诺: 对呀， 你以前不是说要组团境外出行吗？既然旅行限制终于放开了，不妨走得越远越好！ 

梦瑶: 但是佛罗里达？ 更别说Key West？好像是在世界的另一边！这么远！不过……多么棒的天气……多么美味的食物……而且我喜欢这里各种各样的市场。。。农贸市场，小商品市场 。。 一切都是那么丰富多彩!

依诺: 航空公司给的特价票，实在太便宜了。没办法拒绝。。

梦瑶： 可惜我们只能在这儿待几天.  我一时半会儿还不想走啊。一个月都嫌少…   那现在你能再给我解释一下吗，为什么到处都是流浪鸡？

Part 2 (Pronunciation Training):
1. 男性：限制。。。旅行限制。。。。旅行限制放开了。。。。。旅行限制终于放开了。。。。。。。既然旅行限制终于放开了。。。。。。。。。不妨。。。越远越好。。。。。走的越远越好。。。。。。不妨走的越远越好。。。。。。。既然旅行限制终于放开了，不妨走的越远越好。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
女性：没想到你带我们来这么远的地方旅行。。。。。。。。。。。。
男性： 既然旅行限制终于放开了，不妨走得越远越好

2. 女性：各种各样的。。。。各种各样的市场。。。。。我喜欢这里。。。。我喜欢这里各种各样的市场。。。。。。。。。农贸市场。。。小商品市场。。。。农贸市场，小商品市场。。。。。。。丰富多彩。。。。那么丰富多彩。。。。。。一切。。一切都是那么。。。。。一切都是那么丰富多彩。。。。。。。农贸市场，小商品市场，一切都是那么丰富多彩。。。。。。。。。。。我喜欢这里各种各样的市场。农贸市场，小商品市场，一切都是那么丰富多彩。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
男性：你最喜欢KeyWest的哪些方面？。。。。。。。。。。。。。。
女性：我喜欢这里各种各样的市场。。。农贸市场，小商品市场。。 一切都是那么丰富多彩!

3. 男性：特价票。。。航空公司。。。航空公司给的特价票。。。。。。实在。。太便宜了。。。实在太便宜了。。。。。。航空公司给的特价票，实在太便宜了。。。。。。。。。。
女性：你是怎么想到要去那么远的地方旅游？。。。。。。。。。
男性：航空公司给的特价票，实在太便宜了。

4.  女性：一时半会儿。。。。还不想走啊。。。我一时半会儿还不想走啊。。。。。。嫌。。嫌少。。。都嫌少。。。一个月。。。一个月都嫌少。。。。。我一时半会儿还不想走啊.  一个月都嫌少。。。。。。。。。
男性：你想在这儿待多久？。。。。。。。。。
女性：我一时半会儿还不想走啊.  一个月都嫌少。

Listening/Speech Training: Travel Restrictions Parts 1 & 2

Getting Hired:  受聘 (Shòupìn)
Today we talk about what to say when you've gotten the job. Join us as we discuss the differences between different types of skills and how to use "录用” as opposed to another very similar word, ”雇佣“。 And you definitely don't want to miss hearing about Vicky's unforgettable interview experience...

Contact us: chineseconvoclub@gmail.com

Vocabulary:
录用 （lùyòng）to employ
加入 (Jiārù) to join, become a member
团队 （tuánduì）group, team, corps
面试 （Miànshì）an interview, to interview
过程 （guòchéng）process
强调  （qiángdiào）emphasize, to stress
经验 （jīngyàn）experience
技能 （jìnéng）technical ability, occupational skills
契合  （qìhé）to agree with, get along with, ally oneself to
迫不及待 （pòbùjídài）idiom – very impatient, unable to hold back, anxious to do something, can’t wait

A: 嘿小洋，我听说你被公司录用了，恭喜！ (Hēi Xiǎo Yáng, wǒ tīng shuō nǐ bèi gōngsī lùyòngle, gōngxǐ!)
B: 谢谢！我很兴奋能加入这个团队。 (Xièxiè! Wǒ hěn xīngfèn néng jiārù zhège tuánduì.)
A: 面试过程怎么样？(Miànshì guòchéng zěnme yàng?)
B: 面试时，我强调了我的经验和技能，感觉与公司文化很契合。(Miànshì shí, wǒ qiángdiàole wǒ de jīngyàn hé jìnéng , gǎnjué yǔ gōngsī wénhuà hěn qìhé.)
 A: 那真是太好了。你什么时候开始上班？ ( Nà zhēnshi tài hǎole. Nǐ shénme shíhòu kāishǐ shàngbān?)
B: 下周一就开始了，我已经迫不及待了!(Xià zhōuyī jiù kāishǐle, wǒ yǐjīng pòbùjídàile!)

A. Hey Xiao Yang, I heard that you got the job. Congratulations! 
B: Thank you! I'm excited to join this team. 
A: How was the interview process? 
B: During the interview, I emphasized my experience and skills and felt that I fit well with the company culture. 
A: That's great. When do you start working? 
B: It starts next Monday, I can’t wait!

Getting Hired (Pre-Intermediate)

Vocabulary:
调整(Tiáozhěng) – to adjust
协调 (xiétiáo)– to coordinate (Taiwan style) 
查看 (chákàn) – to examine, look over
素质 (sùzhì)– person of good character, a person who has inner quality,  integrity
土生土长(tǔshēngtǔzhǎng) – born and raised
输入(shūrù) – to input
误打误撞(wù dǎ wù zhuàng) – accidentally, unintentionally
冒失(màoshī) (– (in this context) careless, but can also mean “rash, abrupt, or reckless)
打扰(dǎrǎo) – to disturb, to bother someone
问候(wènhòu) – to extend greetings to
祝福 (zhùfú) - wishes

Dialogue: 

骗子: 林医生您好,我是前两天预约在周二早上去检查的小李,您可以帮我把时间调整到下午吗?🙂因为工作原因,想协调一下，把时间定到下午三点,您看可以嗎?😊(^y^)⊙⊙
(Piànzi: Lín yīshēng nín hǎo, wǒ shì qián liǎng tiān yùyuē zài zhōu'èr zǎoshang qù jiǎnchá de Xiǎo Lǐ, Nín kěyǐ bāng wǒ bǎ shíjiān tiáozhěng dào xiàwǔ ma?🙂 Yīnwèi gōngzuò yuányīn, xiǎng xiétiáo yīxià bǎ shíjiān dìng dào xiàwǔ sān diǎn, nín kàn kěyǐ ma?😊)
Scammer: Hello Dr. Lin, I am Xiao Li who made an appointment two days ago for a checkup on Tuesday morning. Can you help me adjust the time to the afternoon? 🙂⊙Due to work reasons, I would like to coordinate and book the time until three in the afternoon. Do you think it is okay? 😊(^y^)

林洁: 你好，你好像发错了电话。 我不是林医生。(Lín jié: Nǐ hǎo, nǐ hǎoxiàng fā cuòle diànhuà. Wǒ bùshì lín yīshēng.) Hello. You seem to have contacted the wrong number. I am not Dr. Lin.

骗子: 谢谢你，我去查看一下号码，祝你周末愉快.(Xièxiè nǐ, wǒ qù chákàn yīxià hàomǎ, zhù nǐ zhōumò yúkuài.) Thank you. I will check the number. Hope you have a good weekend. 

林洁: 没事啊，祝你周末愉快. (Méishì a, zhù nǐ zhōumò yúkuài.) No problem. Hope you have a good weekend. 

骗子: 谢谢，你也是太客气了，很有素质
看你也好像也是华人. (Xièxiè, nǐ yěshì tài kèqìle, hěn yǒu sùzhì kàn nǐ yě hǎoxiàng yěshì huárén).
Thanks, that’s very gracious of you. You have a lot of integrity. 

林洁: 不客气。其实，我不是华人。 土生土长的美国人，但是在中国学习过一段时间. (Qíshí, wǒ bùshì huárén. Tǔshēngtǔzhǎng dì měiguó rén, dànshì zài zhōngguó xuéxíguò yīduàn shíjiān.) You’re welcome. Actually, I’m not Chinese. I was born and raised in the U.S., but I studied in China for a time.

骗子: 不好意思，的确是我输入错了号码，误打误撞发错信息给你了，我的冒失没有打扰到您吧
看你中文很好的，你很厉害👍 (Bù hǎoyìsi, díquè shì wǒ shūrù cuòle hàomǎ, wù dǎ wù zhuàng fā cuò xìnxī gěi nǐle, wǒ de màoshī méiyǒu dǎrǎo dào nín ba kàn nǐ zhōngwén hěn hǎo de, nǐ hěn lìhài 👍)
Sorry, I entered the wrong number and sent you the wrong message by mistake. I hope I didn’t bother you with my recklessness. It seems that your Chinese is very good. That’s awesome👍

林洁: 没事. 我得走了-马上要和家人出去吃饭。 也希望你找到林医生 😁 (Méishì. Wǒ déi zǒule-mǎshàng yào hé jiārén chūqù chīfàn. Yě xīwàng nǐ zhǎodào lín yīshēng 😁
No worries. I need to go – about to head out with my family for dinner. I hope you’re able to find Dr. Lin. 

骗子: 好的，祝你玩得愉快，你有Whats App吗？我加你，以后有空互相学习和交流. (Hǎo de zhù nǐ wán de yúkuài, nǐ yǒu Whats App wǒ jiā nǐ, yǐhòu yǒu kòng hù xiàng xuéxí hé jiāoliú) Okay, Have a good time. If you have Whats App, I will add you. Whenever we’re free later on, we can learn from each other and chat. 

旁白： 第二天 ：五月14号星期天， 下午：5:09 

骗子: 轻轻的问候   深深的祝福 ，昨天的冒失打扰到您了。不好意思，祝你母亲节日快乐. (Qīng qīng de wènhòu shēn shēn de zhùfú, zuótiān de màoshī dǎrǎo dào nín le。 bù hǎoyìsi, zhù nǐ mǔqīn jié rì kuàilè）Gentle greetings and deep blessings. I’m sorry for disturbing you yesterday. I wish you a happy Mother’s Day.

旁白：五月16号星期二，下午 3:59

 骗子: 谢谢！您是个善良有素质的人，我在加州，您在哪个州，出门在外注意安全
(Xièxiè nín shìgè shànliáng yǒu sùzhì de rén, wǒ zài jiāzhōu, nín zài nǎge zhōu, chūmén zàiwài zhùyì ānquán). Thank you for being a kind and quality person. I am in California. Which state are you in? Safe Travels.

Wrong Number (Intermediate)

Is today's protagonist Xiao Yang, a bit accident prone? Or did he get into a fight? In today's beginner level episode, we learn to ask certain questions such as "What happened (to your face)"? "What's the matter"? and responses that down-play it, like "Nothing" or "Nothing much". Today's key sentence structure is "Can you really (do this)..by (doing that)?" 

Thanks to Maayot.com for providing the script for today's lesson. Follow the link below to sign up for daily stories suited to your Chinese level right in your inbox:
https://www.maayot.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9vqyBhCKARIsAIIcLMGQ6boQqHYHyj0Sc5SAD_cOvWwAliKvagUVLUzztBjq2WQBb-btFMMaAvVxEALw_wcB

Vocabulary: 
脸 (liǎn) - face
昨天 (zuótiān) - yesterday
电影院 (diànyǐngyuàn) - cinema
离开 (líkāi) - leave
撞 (zhuàng) - bump into
骗 (piàn) - deceive, cheat
下巴 (xiàba) - chin
车祸 (chēhuò) - car accident
医院 (yīyuàn) - hospital 

Dialogue:

高月：诶？。。你的脸怎么了? 
小样：没怎么, 我就是昨天从电影院离开的时候撞到门上了。 
高月：你骗谁呢? 撞门能撞到下巴? 
小样：（叹气。。。）好吧, 我昨天回家的时候被车撞了。 
高月：你昨天发生了车祸? 那你去医院了吗? 
小样：没去, 我只是被撞了一下, 没怎么样。

Gāo Yuè: Nǐ de liǎn zěnme le?
Xiǎo Yáng: Méi zěnme, wǒ jiùshì zuótiān cóng diànyǐngyuàn líkāi de shíhou zhuàng dào ménshàngle.
Gāo Yuè: Nǐ piàn shuí ne? Zhuàng mén néng zhuàng dào xiàba?
Xiǎo Yáng: Hǎo ba, wǒ zuótiān huí jiā de shíhou bèi chē zhuàngle.
Gāo Yuè: Nǐ zuótiān fāshēngle chēhuò? Nà nǐ qù yīyuànle ma?
Xiǎo Yáng: Méi qù, wǒ zhǐshì bèi zhuàngle yīxià, méi zěnme yàng. 

Gao Yue: What happened to your face? 
Xiǎo Yáng: Nothing, I just ran into the door when I was leaving the movies yesterday. 
Gao Yue: Who are you kidding? Can you hit your chin by running into the door? 
Xiǎo Yáng: Okay.. When I was going home yesterday, a car bumped into me. 
Gao Yue: You were in a car accident yesterday? Did you go to the hospital? 
Xiǎo Yáng: I didn’t go. It just bumped into me, nothing serious.

Who Are You Kidding?! (Elementary)

The Straw The Broke the Camel's Back: 压死骆驼的最后一根稻草

Dialogue:

Vicky: 你知道吗？迈克马上要辞职了。
( Nǐ zhīdào ma? Màikè'ěr mǎshàng yào cízhíle. )
Hey did you know that Mike's about to quit?

Lindi:  我没听说呀，到底是怎么回事啊？我知道他不太喜欢他的工作，因为公司离他住的地方太远，而且他也常常抱怨说工作时间太长了。
(Wǒ méi tīng shuō ya, dàodǐ shì zěnme huí shì a? Wǒ zhīdào tā bù tài xǐhuān tā de gōngzuò, yīnwèi gōngsī lí tā zhù dì dìfāng tài yuǎn, érqiě tā yě chángcháng bàoyuàn shuō gōngzuò shíjiān tài chǎngle.)
I haven't heard. What could be the reason? I know he doesn't like his job all that much because it's far from where he lives, and he's often complaining that the work hours are too long)

Vicky:  是啊，特别是最近他做的一个项目又被他的老板派给了别人，这就成了压死骆驼的最后一根稻草，他就决定辞职了啊.
( Shì a, tèbié shì zuìjìn tā zuò de yīgè xiàngmù yòu bèi tā de lǎobǎn pài gěile biérén, zhè jiù chéngle yā sǐ luòtuó de zuìhòu yī gēn dàocǎo, tā jiù juédìng cízhíle a)
Right, and just recently yet another project that he was working on, the boss assigned to someone else. That was the last straw. He decided to resign.

Lindi:  太可惜了，希望他能尽快找到自己喜欢的工作
(Tài kěxíle, xīwàng tā néng jǐnkuài zhǎodào zìjǐ xǐhuān de gōngzuò.)
Oh that's too bad. Hope he finds another job that he likes soon. 

Vicky:  嗯，是的.
( Ń, shì de)
Mm, yeah...

Minisode: Straw That Broke The Camel's Back (Intermediate)

In this episode, Vicky and I talk more about cell phone technology and Apps. We narrow in on vocabulary about Notification Settings, silencing or turning them off, and Smart Voice Assistants in China (like Xiao Du). 

A special thanks to Maayot.com for sponsoring today's episode. I use Maayot to improve my Mandarin skills, and have previously created episodes for The Convo Club with some of their short stories. If you would like to find out more, please follow the link: https://www.maayot.com

生词：
1. 通知的设置 (tōngzhī de shèzhì) Notification Settings
2. 设为(shè wèi) To Set (something) To 
3. 静音模式(jìngyīn móshi)) Silent Mode
4. 在设置里 (zài shèzhì lǐ ) Under “Settings”, or Within “Settings”
5. 选项 - 
6. 关闭通知(guānbì tōngzhī) Turn off notifications
7.  飞行模式(fēixíng móshì) Airplane Mode
8. 智能语音助手 (zhìnéng yǔyīn zhùshǒu) Smart Voice Assistant
9. 解答 (jiědá) To Answer, To Explain

对话：
奶奶: 小洋， 我有一些新的问题。有关于通知的设置，我想知道怎么关闭或者设为静音模式。(XiǎoYáng, wǒ yǒu yīxiē xīn de wèntí. Yǒu guānyú tōngzhī de shèzhì, wǒ xiǎng zhīdào zěnme guānbì huòzhě shè wèi jìngyīn móshi) Xiao Yang, I have some new questions. Regarding notification settings, I would like to know how to turn them off or set them to silent mode.

小洋: 在设置里找到“通知”选项，你可以选择关闭通知或者设为静音模式，根据你的需要来调整。
(Zài shèzhì lǐ zhǎodào “tōngzhī” xuǎnxiàng, nǐ kěyǐ xuǎnzé guānbì tōngzhī huòzhě shè wèi jìngyīn móshì, gēnjù nǐ de xūyào lai tiáozhěng.) Find the "Notifications" option in settings. You can choose to turn off notifications or set them to mute notifications, adjusting according to your needs. 

奶奶: 还有其他需要注意的功能吗？(Hái yǒu qítā xūyào zhùyì de gōngnéng ma?)  Are there any other features I should be aware of?

小洋: 如果你要坐飞机或者需要静音，可以在设置里找到“飞行模式”和“静音模式”进行设置。(Rúguǒ nǐ yào zuò fēijī huòzhě xūyào jìngyīn, kěyǐ zài shèzhì lǐ zhǎodào “fēixíng móshì” hé “jìngyīn móshì” jìnxíng shèzhì) If you are going to fly or need to mute the sound, you can find "Airplane Mode" and "Silent Mode" in the settings to set it.

奶奶: 明白了，你真聪明呀！有问题我还会再问你的。(Míngbáile, nǐ zhēn cōngmíng ya! Yǒu wèntí wǒ hái huì zài wèn nǐ de) Got it, You are so smart! I will ask you again if I have any questions.

小样: 当然可以啦！如果还有其他问题，也可以问智能语音助手，它也能帮你解答。(Dāngrán kěyǐ la! Rúguǒ hái yǒu qítā wèntí, yě kěyǐ wèn zhìnéng yǔyīn zhùshǒu, tā yě néng bāng nǐ jiědá) Of course! If you have other questions, you can also ask the smart voice assistant, which can also help you answer them.

奶奶: 好的，我现在就去试试看！(Hǎo de, wǒ xiànzài jiù qù shì shìkàn) Okay, I’ll give it a try right now!

Cell Phone Savvy (Intermediate)

Are you into fitness, or do you aspire to do it more often and fall short? Either way, you're not alone. Join us as we talk about exercise basics, being a novice, and more.

A big thank you to today's sponsor, Maayot.com. 
I often use Maayot as a way of staying up to date on current stories in China, while getting in some daily Mandarin practice.  
Please follow the link to learn more: https://www.maayot.com

Vocabulary:
健身教练 – Fitness Instructor 
陌生面孔 – Unfamiliar Face(s) 
部位 – area, place (in this context, referring to the human body)
腹部 – the abdomen
小白 – someone who is a novice, or a newbie
器械 – apparatus, appliance, instrument
达到目标 – to achieve one’s goals
有氧运动区 – aerobic exercise area
跑步机 - treadmill
椭圆机 - elliptical
热身 – to warm up
拉伸运动 – stretching exercises
坚持下去 – to stick with something

Dialogue:
赵杰：你好！我是赵杰。你是新来的吗？(Nǐ hǎo! Wǒ shì zhào jié. Nǐ shì xīn lái de ma?) Hello! I'm Zhao Jie. Are you new here? 

王雨：是的，我是新来的。我叫王雨。你怎么知道的？(Shì de, wǒ shì xīn lái de. Wǒ jiào wáng yǔ. Nǐ zěnme zhīdào de?) Yes, I'm new. I'm Wang Yu. How did you know?

赵杰：我是这里的健身教练，看到陌生面孔就会注意一下。欢迎！ 你想锻炼哪个部位？(Wǒ shì zhèlǐ de jiànshēn jiàoliàn, kàn dào mòshēng miànkǒng jiù huì zhùyì yīxià. Huānyíng! Nǐ xiǎng duànliàn nǎge bùwèi?) I am a fitness instructor here so when I see unfamiliar faces I usually take notice. Welcome! Which area do you want to exercise?

王雨：主要是锻炼腿部和腹部，但我是健身小白。可以给一些建议吗？(Zhǔyào shi duànliàn tuǐ bù hé fùbù, dàn wǒ shì jiànshēn xiǎo bái. Kěyǐ gěi yīxiē jiànyì ma?) Mainly I want to do legs and abdomen, but I am a fitness novice. Can you give me some suggestions?

赵杰：当然！我们这里有很多器械可以帮你达到目标。你想尝试一下吗？(Dāngrán! Wǒmen zhè li yǒu hěnduō qìxiè kěyǐ bāng nǐ dádào mùbiāo. Nǐ xiǎng chángshì yīxià ma?) Of course! We have a lot of equipment here to help you reach your goals. Would you like to give them a try? 

王雨：好的，但我对器械不太熟悉。(Hǎo de, dàn wǒ duì qìxiè bù tài shúxī) Okay, but I'm not very familiar with exercise equipment.

赵杰：没问题，我可以教你。这是有氧运动区，有跑步机、椭圆机等。我们可以从简单的开始。首先，我们热身一下，做些拉伸运动，然后慢慢开始跑步。跑步时要保持正常呼吸，不要太用力。
(Méi wèntí, wǒ kěyǐ jiào nǐ. Zhè shì yǒu yǎng yùndòng qū, yǒu pǎobù jī, tuǒyuán jī děng. Wǒmen kěyǐ cóng jiǎndān de kāishǐ. Shǒuxiān, wǒmen rèshēn yīxià, zuò xiē lā shēn yùndòng, ránhòu màn man kāishǐ pǎobù. Pǎobù shí yào bǎochí zhèngcháng hūxī, bùyào tài yònglì.)
No problem, I can teach you. This is the aerobic exercise area with treadmills, elliptical machines, etc. We can start simple. First, we warm up, do some stretching, and then slowly start running. Breathe normally while running and don't push too hard. 

王雨：好的，我会注意的。其实，我也想变得更健康。希望能坚持下去。(Hǎo de, wǒ huì zhùyì de. Qíshí, wǒ yě xiǎng biàn dé gèng jiànkāng. Xīwàng néng jiānchí xiàqù.)
Okay, I will keep that in mind. Actually, I also want to become healthier. Hope I can stick with it.

赵杰：没问题，有任何问题都可以问我。 (Méi wèntí, yǒu rènhé wèntí dōu kěyǐ wèn wǒ.) No worries, if you have any questions, just ask me.

王雨：好的，这里的氛围很好。谢谢你的帮助！(Hǎo de,  Xièxiè nǐ de bāngzhù!)
Okay, Thank you for your help!

赵杰：不客气，欢迎随时来找我。一起加油！(Bù kèqì, huānyíng suíshí lái zhǎo wǒ. Yīqǐ jiāyóu!) No problem,you're welcome to come find me anytime. We've got this!)

Fitness Newbie (Intermediate)

The Health Benefits of Green Tea: 
Vocabulary: 
1. 好处 （Benefit) 
2. 有益 （To Be Good For) 
3. 抗氧化物 (antioxidants) 
4. 预防 （Prevent)
5. 老化 （aging) 
6. 加速 （speed up) 
7. 新陈代谢 (metabolism) 
8. 心脏 (the heart) 
9.降低 (to Lower)
10. 胆固醇 (Cholesterol)

Dialogue:
A: 你知道喝绿茶有好处吗？ (Nǐ zhīdào hē lǜchá yǒu hǎochù ma?)  Do you know the benefits of drinking green tea?
B: 当然知道！绿茶对健康有益。 (Dāngrán zhīdào! Lǜchá duì jiànkāng yǒuyì.)  Of course I do! Green tea is good for your health.
A: 能说几个吗？ (Néng shuō jǐ gè ma?)  Can you name a few?
B: 好的，绿茶含有抗氧化物，能预防老化。 (Hǎo de, lǜchá hán yǒu kàngyǎnghuà wù, néng yùfáng lǎohuà.)  Yes, green tea contains antioxidants and can prevent aging.
A: 还有呢？ (Hái yǒu ne?) What else?
B: 还可以帮助减肥，加速新陈代谢。 (Hái kěyǐ bāngzhù jiǎnféi, jiāsù xīnchén dàixiè.)  It can also help you lose weight and speed up your metabolism. 
A: 对心脏好吗？ (Duì xīnzàng hǎo ma?)  Is it good for the heart?
B: 是的，能降低胆固醇。( Shì de, néng jiàngdī dǎngùchún.) Yes, it can lower cholesterol.
A: 每天喝多少？ (Měitiān hē duōshǎo? ) How much do you drink every day? (should we add 因该？）
B: 每天2-3杯就好。 (Měitiān 2-3 bēi jiù hǎo.)  2-3 cups a day is fine.
A: 谢谢，我会多喝绿茶。(Xièxiè, wǒ huì duō hē lǜchá.)  Thank you, I will drink green tea more.
B: 不客气，祝你健康！ (Bù kèqì, zhù nǐ jiànkāng!) You are welcome, I wish you good health!

The Health Benefits Of Green Tea (Pre Intermediate)

This podcast series is a collection of talk show style lessons, created to help English speakers better understand Chinese language and culture.  A long time student of Chinese, I am joined in this series by Vicky Zhang, an experienced Chinese teacher and new host of the show.  Also joining us for some special episodes is Dr. Zhang Yong Ling, UNCC professor of Chinese Language and Culture, professional translator, and all around language lover.  We wanted our lessons to be casual and fun as well as informative - hope you enjoy learning Chinese with us.  New Episodes are available every other week.

New tracks tagged #Learn Mandarin Chinese