📙 Part 2: Describe an occasion when you spent time with a young child

This episode's vocabulary

Touched (adj.) - grateful for something kind that someone has done.

Multilingual (adj.) - (of people or groups) able to use more than two languages for communication, or (of a thing) written or spoken in more than two different languages.

Chronologically (adverb) - in a way that follows the order in which a series of events happened.

Have your wits about you (idiom) - to think and react quickly when something dangerous or difficult happens unexpectedly.

To wander (verb) - to walk around slowly in a relaxed way or without any clear purpose or direction.

Watchful (adj.) - paying careful attention and ready to deal with problems.

Carefree (adj.) - having no problems or not being worried about anything.

To prompt (verb) - to make something happen.

Shift (noun) - a change in position or direction.

On the part of someone/on someone's part (idiom) - done or experienced by someone.

Safeguarding (noun) - the protection of children and adults who could be easily hurt emotionally and physically.

The high life (noun) - an exciting way of living in which rich and successful people enjoy themselves by spending a lot of time and money in fashionable places.

The immediate future (phrase) - the period of time that is coming next.

Questions and Answers

M: Rory, give us your story.

R: Well, I spent some time with my producer's son when I was in Northern Cyprus earlier this year, which was quite an unforgettable experience that left me quite touched by the end of it. in more detail about who they are. His name is Yan in Russian, but he gets called Ian by his parents since they're a multilingual family. He's not very old chronologically, he's just a four-year-old. But frankly, he seems a lot more in control of himself than most other kids that age. He doesn't get easily stressed or bored. Aside from bedtimes, though I think most children are not great fans of those particular times of the day. And obviously has his wits about him since he doesn't get into trouble very often. To say more about where we are, or where we were, the family lives close to the capital city there. Though it's a small country, so that's probably not saying much about just how close they are to the place. It did mean, we could travel around a lot. And we went on day trips and different places around the country, from the mountains, to the seaside and into the forested areas. In greater depth about what we were doing in these places, frankly, it may be easier to see what we didn't do. We went hiking in the mountains, and I was showing him different lizards and plants. They say I was doing this but to be honest, he was the one leading me around and I was being told what most of the things were. After that, we took a trip to the beach way up in the north, and I was buried under some sun for a while. We attempted swimming, but the water was still cold at that time of year. So I froze my legs off and he was quite happy sitting on my shoulders in the sunshine. We also went for a wander around the harbour and saw the old castle while walking along the sea wall, all under the watchful eye of his dad, who was a lot less carefree than I am when it comes to just going around without paying attention to things like traffic. In terms of how I felt about it seems like a cliche, but it did actually prompt quite a shift in perspective on my part. I never really wanted to have kids of my own after I came back to the UK, but having spent some, well, at least having spent that time together, it seems like something I'd be quite good at. Or at least I would be good at the fun stuff. I think my future partner would have to be a bit more or a bit better with the safeguarding aspects. If I hadn't met Ian, I doubt I'd have changed my mind. Certainly at that moment in time, I'd have been too busy fighting, oh, sorry, I'd have been too busy living the carefree high life. So it's given me a lot to think about.

M: And do you think you'll see this child soon in the future?

R: Don't think in the immediate future, but in the long term, yeah, hopefully, this summer.