📙 Part 2: Describe a speech you gave

This episode's vocabulary

Appalling (adj.) - very bad.

Condescending (adj.) - treating someone as if you are more important or more intelligent than them.

Patronizing (adj.) - speaking or behaving towards someone as if they are stupid or not important.

Distinctly (adverb) - in a clear or noticeable way.

To be cut up (idiom) - to be upset.

Questions and Answers

R: Well, it's a bit embarrassing now I look back on it because my Russian grammar is appalling. And I think to many Western people, it might seem a little bit condescending and patronizing, just the fact that I did this. But I did give a speech once to the women I worked with on Women's Day in Russia in 2021, I think. This is when I worked as the Director of Studies for a company called Simply English in Moscow. And we got on very well with the women who work there. And the men too, but this was Women's Day so the focus was on the women. Every Friday we would get together for drinks after work and this particular Friday just happened to be Women's Day. Traditionally, this is when workplaces and families celebrate the women in their lives with various gifts and speeches. So I decided after one or two drinks, that it would be a wonderful idea to deliver a speech to the ladies at work. The exact details of what I said escape me now, but I remember distinctly thanking them for their amazing work and tolerance when it came to working with the rest of us. And to please never stop. It was very funny, all the more so because like I said, my Russian grammar is awful. It was awful and it still is awful. And the women in the audience kept trying to help out which sort of underlined how much we needed them there to begin with. As for why it had to be me in particular that did that, there was no particular reason behind it. Most of the other men had done similar things throughout the day. And this just happened to be the best time for me to do it. But at least it seemed that way. I was actually quite pleased that I managed so well, to be honest, despite needing help in places. I like to think it made my colleagues feel needed and appreciated. But even if it didn't, at least they had the chance to laugh which is always important. If I hadn't done it, I doubt I'd have been too cut up about the whole thing, but I might have regretted not doing it a little bit. It's good to try these things out from time to time.

M: And would you like to do it again sometime?

R: I would never do it again for the sake of other people if not myself.

M: Thank you, Rory, for your story!