My husband recently returned from a business trip to Germany and England. It is an annual visit that he makes to attend a large, international fruit convention. He spends most of his time in Berlin, and then finishes his trip in London. He loves that city. When he is there, he always calls me and tells me that he is enjoying his wife's 'old stomping ground'. That means a place either that you grew up in, or that was very significant for you. When he comes home, he always brings treats from London. Usually he will bring three or four kinds of chocolates: Smarties, Maltesers, Galaxay, and Toblerone. My favorite is Maltesers. When I see the red bag and feel the chocolates inside, it takes me back to my childhood. You know how a certain smell, or sight can have you feeling like a child again; that's what happens when I am around Maltesers. It just shows how significant our formative years are; how memories from that time become engraved in our brains and hearts. There is a certain smell that also brings the same nostalgia to me. It is the smell of a child's play dough that is called Plasticine. Since I have lived here, I haven't encountered that smell at all. But sometimes when I visit England, and I am, let's say, in a toy shop, I might walk past some children's art supplies and smell that smell. Oh bliss! I get transported back to the days of pig tails and tricycles. It would be interesting to hear from some of you listeners which elements of your culture bring up those nostalgic feelings. If you E-mail me and let me know, I will do a podcast dedicated to just that. Grammar notes. Vocabulary practice: bliss, annual, significant, let's say. 1. That chocolate cake is so good; it is pure bliss! 2. All the local gardeners are preparing for the annual vegetable competition. 3. The rainfall has caused a significant rise in the height of the river. 4. I'm not sure how much that house is worth; it might be, let's say, three hundred thousand.

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