📘 Part 3: Holidays

This episode's vocabulary

Frankly (adverb) - used when giving an honest and direct opinion, often one that might upset someone.

Spontaneous (adj.) - happening or done in a natural, often sudden way, without any planning or without being forced.

To be enshrined in something - if a political or social right is enshrined in something, it is protected by being included in it.

Exuberance (noun) - the quality of feeling energetic, or the behaviour of someone who feels this way.

Collected (adj.) - brought together in one book or series of books.

To come down to something (phrasal verb) - if a situation or decision comes down to something, that is the thing that influences it most.

Neurotic (adj.) - behaving strangely or in an anxious (= worried and nervous) way, often because you have a mental illness.

To go according to plan (phrase) - to happen in the way you intend.

Stroke (noun) - a quick, forceful action.

Brainstorm (verb) - (of a group of people) to suggest a lot of ideas for a future activity very quickly, before considering some of them more carefully.

Questions and Answers

M: Do you think people in your country have long enough holidays?

R: That probably depends on what your definition of long enough is, frankly. And the kind of people we are talking about. I mean, for example, if you're a creature of habit, you probably have more than enough, since work just fits into your routine. But if you hate work, and you like to be more spontaneous, then it will probably feel like you don't have enough. And that's not something specific to my country, though. That's true everywhere. We've got a minimum number of days, of our holidays enshrined in law. And that seems to work well for most people. Since you don't hear many complaints about it.

M: Which holidays are popular in your country?

R: That's strongly dependent on what you're into. But probably the Christmas and summer holidays for most people. They break up the year quite nicely and have distinct purposes like going away and seeing family.

M: What are the differences between old and young people when they spend their holidays?

R: I imagine most old people would prefer to do something more sedate since their energy levels are generally lower. While young people probably love something more risky and active because of all the youthful exuberance that they have. Of course, what your preferences are is also important, not just your age.

M: How do people generally react to unexpected situations in your culture?

R: I think most people are rather calm and collected most of the time, assuming it's not like a massive terrorist attack or something like that. When one of our main airports was targeted by a terror plot, people followed instructions well, or they seemed to. It always comes down to how your personality is structured, really. More neurotic people would obviously struggle in such situations, but most of the people in my country cope just fine.

M: Do you think it's important to always have a plan or is it better to be spontaneous at times?

R: I'm not sure that you can stick to a plan 100% of the time, can you? I mean, there's always something that doesn't go exactly to plan because life isn't a machine that you can just program and watch it go. Of course, it'll be important to think about what you want to do and where you want to go in broad strokes so you can get important things done. But I would do that with the expectation that sometimes you will also have to go with the flow.

M: What are some strategies that can help individuals deal with unexpected challenges in life?

R: Well, being prepared for them, or at least thinking about what you might or what you think might happen in advance is a good start. And from there, you can think about how you would cope with these things when they do happen. I find that brainstorming and visualizing are quite good for that. Though, I don't think that's widely done. Since no one, well, at least no one talks about it as much as I do.

M: How do you think technology has helped us in managing unexpected circumstances better?

R: Well, I think we can access content focused on this more with YouTube and other places like that on the internet. It depends on what you're planning for too. Oh, wow. Actually, I just remembered. There are some stock firms and large companies that use algorithms to make educated guesses at future market changes and trends. And that has generated a huge amount of wealth through effective risk management. That's pretty cool. So that's another really important way that technology has impacted just how we live.

M: Hey! Rory, thank you for your answers!