A Cup Of English

Bella Bistro

23 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

I have discovered a place where I like to spend time. It's a strange, little cafe called Bella Bistro. I come here as often as I can to write my podca...

Basic Pronunciation Practice #45 + Interactive English.

14 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Olma: Liz, a package arrived for you today. Liz: Oh thanks. Let me see. Oh it's from England, from my friend Steve in York. I think I know what it is....

Slime sisters.

10 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

I have made multiple trips to the supermarket over the past two months to buy glue, shaving foam, liquid starch, and food coloring. Multiple. It's bec...

The Kennewick Man.

07 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Two and a half hours drive from where I live is a small city called Kennewick. It is similar to other towns in Washington State that are east of the C...

Handymen and Handywomen.

02 Mar 2017

Contributed by Lukas

I consider myself fortunate to have my mother living in the same town. Her home is just five minutes away from mine by car. Every now and then she ask...

A Salon Rescue.

28 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

I'm recovering. It was a shock, you know. I'm talking about my experience at the hair dresser's. Okay, I'll give you some background. I have naturally...

Starbucks Era.

20 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

They say that America runs on coffee. It is the drink that gets people awake and focused for another day of work. I personally have two cups each morn...

Basic Pronunciation Practice #44 + Interactive English.

16 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Liz: Hi Mum. Mother: Hello darling, how are you? Liz: Fine thanks, and you? Mother: Oh, really well thanks. How is your class selection going? Liz: Fi...

A Spring Princess.

14 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

It's the time of year when everyone is thinking about the Spring. As the big machines pile up the remaining snow into huge piles in the parking areas,...

Online Math.

09 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Mathematics is one of the foundations of education, with some people being inclined towards(1) it, and others finding it quite difficult. My sons seem...

Ending Polio.

01 Feb 2017

Contributed by Lukas

There is so much good news around that we often don't hear. Very soon, for only the second time in history, a human infectious disease will be eradica...

Basic Pronunciation Practice #43 + 'th' practice.

27 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Emilie: Liz, this packing is exhausting! Liz: I know. I didn't realize that I had so much stuff! Look at all of these boxes. Those over there are so h...

Culture, - acculturation.

26 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When I first came to live in Wenatchee, the town was very small. That was 25 years ago. I had just moved over here, and I was in shock, as I had lived...

Visitors from all continents.

25 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

A market that is in the center of Wenatchee and that is popular with both locals and tourists is Pybus Market. It is open 362 days a year, and is an i...

Trump's Inauguration.

20 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today was an important, historic day here in the U.S. Today the President-elect, Donald Trump, was inaugurated. This means that a ceremony was perform...

Basic Pronunciation Practice #42 + Interactive English.

19 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Peter's cell phone rings: "Hello." "Peter, it's Liz" "Oh, hi Liz, you don't usually call me. What's up?" "Actually, I really need your help. My car br...

A Vegan Option.

17 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Vegetarianism is growing in the U.S at a dramatic rate. It is estimated that 16 million, out of the population of 320 million people, are now vegetari...

An Awkward Phone Call.

13 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In your country, do you have many telemarketers? You know, the people you don't know who call you on the phone and try to convince you to buy somethin...

What have you never experienced?

10 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The title question for this podcast might seem unusual. A more normal question would be, "What have you experienced?" My choice of words was inspired ...

Sleeping Lady Skating.

04 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

"Anna, do you want to go cross country skiing in Leavenworth tomorrow?" was the text I received from my friend Nataliya on Sunday. I thought about it ...

The Best Santa Ever?

04 Jan 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Every year, at about this time, I start to put away the Christmas decorations little by little. The whole process usually takes me about two months. Y...

A Sudden Freeze.

14 Dec 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Recently the landscape here turned into a winter wonderland(1). It snowed for two days in a row, and transformed the whole area into a white fairytale...

An Unknown Artist.

24 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

'Never judge a book by its cover' is a saying that we have in English that you can apply to so many areas. If you think about it, in order to judge a ...

London, The Lovers' Statue.

23 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

On my recent trip to London, I met up with a dear friend of mine who I hadn't seen for at least three years, Sarah. We met in university and have been...

Sue's Creative Cooking.

07 Nov 2016

Contributed by Lukas

"I love to cook," said Sue as she passed me my plate. It was early evening, and the Scottish farmhouse kitchen was filled with delicious smells of fre...

Do you tangle with Zen?

28 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever wondered around Youtube, looking for inspiration? I did a few years ago, and I stumbled upon(1) an activity called Zentangle. It is an a...

Photos by the river.

20 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The Riverfront Park is a great asset(1)that we enjoy in our community. It opened about the same year that I came to live here. It's focus, as you can ...

Rules and expectations.

03 Oct 2016

Contributed by Lukas

As I work in the schools in Wenatchee, I notice lots of things about the school culture. Each school here has its own mascot. Foothills Middle School,...

Yoga please!

20 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Oh yoga, yoga, yoga! It's such a passion of mine. And I started doing yoga only recently. I have found it to be so beneficial in so many ways: it gets...

A Country Party.

13 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The end of summer is one of the best times to have a party, especially if it's in the evening. The hot summer days give way to slightly cooler but lon...

WSU Vet Hospital.

05 Sep 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Washington State University veterinary hospital is a place that is renowned throughout the state for being the best place to treat animals who have di...

Boeing: The Future of Flight 2.

22 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The tour of Boeing started with us being bussed to the building where the seven hundred series of planes are made, particularly the 747s. It is the la...

Boeing: The Future of Flight 1.

19 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

I found myself in Seattle for the third or fourth time this summer on Monday. It was time to take my cousin to the airport for his flight back to Mall...

Let's go with Pokemon Go!

03 Aug 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that the First Lady of the U.S, Michelle Obama, has been trying for years to get people exercising? Over a third of people in the U.S, in...

An Interview at Scalar Learning.

28 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

I look through my emails each day to see if anyone who listens to my podcasts has written to me. I was doing that last week when I came across an emai...

A Visiting Student.

13 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The number of people in my house has grown from six to seven recently. A young man from Spain has come to spend six weeks with us. He is no ordinary y...

A better way to waste.

01 Jul 2016

Contributed by Lukas

With the fire season approaching, we have been preparing our back garden. My husband trimmed off some old, dead branches from our pine trees. These tr...

Brexit or Pumpkin Cake?

23 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

I'm a little nervous today. It is a very important day for the UK, as it is the Brexit referendum. Most informed people will know that UK citizens wil...

Basic Pronunciation Practice #41 + Interactive English.

18 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Peter: Hi Liz. What are you looking at? Liz: Oh, hi Peter. I'm looking through some information about cars. It's about time I bought one, but I'm quit...

Soccer practice.

16 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The most popular sport in the world is seen everywhere these days in Wenatchee. As you drive around the town, most days of the week, you can see color...

Cowboys and cowgirls.

07 Jun 2016

Contributed by Lukas

I had always heard about cowboys before I came to the U.S, but I had never met any. I suppose I had seen many in typical Western films, so I had some ...

Apple Blossom Heat.

13 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

May in Wenatchee is the month when Apple Blossom is held. It's an annual festival that starts with a parade. There is also a food fair, a classic car ...

Teacher appreciation.

05 May 2016

Contributed by Lukas

I have been working in a middle school for the past couple of weeks in the place of a teacher who is taking paternity leave. His wife has just had the...

Username and password.

28 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The world of usernames and passwords is quite simple for some people. Choose both, and stick to them(1); don't change them unless you have to, and you...

You want to join the circus?

18 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

My daughter wants to join everything. She loves football, gymnastics, basketball, swimming, acting, dancing, and almost anything else. I don't know wh...

Spring Work.

11 Apr 2016

Contributed by Lukas

My house is almost surrounded by orchards of pears and cherries. On the west side, beyond my neighbor's house is the pear orchard, and to the north is...

Jumping Whales.

29 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

A shopping center called 'Whaler's village' was very close to where we stayed in Maui. At its entrance was a very elegant, metal statue of a mother hu...

The Banyan Tree.

25 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

I'm back in Wenatchee, and already missing Maui. We had such a wonderful vacation, and there were so many highlights(1). Some of you will know that I ...

Aloha Maui.

15 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The fresh, warm morning air blew gently against my face as I looked out towards the nearest island. The sand between my toes was clean and soft, not i...

Basic Pronunciation Practice #40 + Interactive English.

04 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Dentist: Hello Liz. What seems to be the problem? Liz: One of my small molars has been aching for a while. I was waiting, and hoping that the pain wou...

Dentist or Orthodontist?

01 Mar 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Every six months, my family members and I are supposed to go to the dentist for a check-up. I say "supposed to" because we don't rush to get there. So...

Advertising to Children.

24 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Advertising is everywhere nowadays. Most of us are used to seeing advertisements every day. Having coffee with one of my friends a week ago, I saw an ...

The Transplanting Battle,

19 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

“Mum, what are all those scratches on your arms?” my daughter asked me with a look of fright. I laughed and told her that I had got into a fight w...

Suspend

19 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In an effort to(1) get my children away from computers and the television, we play games. Mostly we play cards, but we also have a cupboard full of ga...

Party Central.

13 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Isn't it fun when you stumble across(1) something interesting or worthwhile in a very unlikely place? Perhaps you have gone for a walk through a fores...

Basic Pronunciation Practice #39 + Interactive English.

11 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Liz gets pulled over for speeding by a policeman. Liz: Hello Officer. What seems to be the problem? Officer: Well, Miss, you were going eleven miles p...

Chief Moses.

09 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Moses Lake is a town that is situated about an hour and a half from where I live. I don't usually choose to go there; however, in the winter, my child...

Sniff The Dessert.

07 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever walked into a house when someone has just made a delicious dessert? What is it that most people do in that situation? Yes, they sniff. I...

Secret viewers.

02 Feb 2016

Contributed by Lukas

In our modern societies, its quite normal to coexist quite happily with other species: dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, and many other kinds of pets. I ha...

Leavenworth Winter Sports.

28 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

I have written on several occasions about Leavenworth. It's about 30 minutes by car from where I live, and a very popular destination for tourists. Be...

'To do' in all its forms.

22 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Mr. Brown: "Did you want to see me, sir?" Principal Stevens: "Ah yes, Mr. Brown, do come in, please." Mr. Brown: "Do you want me to close the door?" P...

Basic Pronunciation Practice #38 + Interactive English

21 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Liz calls Barbara on the phone: Liz: Hi Barbara, are you up for yoga tomorrow at 7?(1) I know its a bit early, but it'll be worth it. Barbara: I'm rea...

Sushi or sashimi?

20 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

My husband and I have developed an addiction to Japanese food. We are so happy that a few Japanese restaurants have finally opened in our town. Though...

Rainy Olympia

19 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Last Tuesday, I had an impromptu trip(1) to Olympia, the capital of Washington State. I have been taking exams to become a medical interpreter in Span...

Winter vocabulary, a story.

08 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

The old man woke to the sound of his dog barking. He knew that his companion could smell the deer outside, so he slipped his winter boots on, and open...

One to One Hundred Birds.

05 Jan 2016

Contributed by Lukas

Two days ago, we were hit hard(1) by snow. It snowed all night, leaving a thick blanket that seemed to insulate everything. The entryway, driveway, an...

Basic Pronunciation Practice #37 + Interactive English.

29 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Barbara: Hi Liz, sorry to bother you. I know you're busy studying, I just wanted to double-check(1) the time that we're going to the basketball game. ...

Fancy That App.

28 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

I hear almost every day about useful apps. I have many already on my iPhone that make my life easier and more productive. One of the most practical th...

Wildcat Weekend.

15 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Ellensburg is the home of Central Washington University. I have been lucky enough to be a student there twice. The building was constructed in the lat...

The Turkey Run.

08 Dec 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Thanksgiving was on 26th of November. It is always on the fourth Thursday of that month. It is a day that everyone looks forward to. It is a welcomed ...

A Winter's List.

30 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

"Wake up! Look at the frosty morning!" I said to my children on Monday. I knew that they wouldn't want to get out of bed; after all, it was a school d...

The Redwood Forest.

18 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The Redwood forest is located on the west coast, from the south of Oregon to the south of California. There isn't just one forest; there are several a...

Football Fever.

09 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

American football is an autumn sport here in the U.S. The season goes from September until December approximately. Out of my three sons, only my young...

A Thousand Dalias.

05 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

On one of my many walks on the Apple Capital Loop Trail, I came across an amazing patch of flowers. On a corner of land, next to an indoor market(1), ...

A Park for the People.

04 Nov 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Walla Walla park is right next to the river in Wenatchee. When I first came here twenty three years ago, it had just opened. Now, twenty three years l...

Basic Pronunciation Practice #36 + Interactive English.

29 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

1.Barbara: Liz! How are you? I'm so glad you're back. We all missed you! 2.Liz: Oh, thanks. I can't believe that the six months have been and gone! 3....

The Sea, the Sunset, and the Ocean Crab.

26 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

They walk sideways on their ten, bony legs. They are hard, and seem unfriendly. They run away from humans. Some people have them as pets, but I wouldn...

Di Caprio, real or wax?

23 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Marie Tussaud was a French woman who became famous for her wax models. She was born in Strasbourg in 1761, and developed her hobby by watching the doc...

Pioneer village.

20 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A museum that is close to my house is the Cashmere Museum and Pioneer Village. Cashmere is a little town that is just eight miles away. It is a very s...

Annie's Fun Farm.

20 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Did you know that there are over 30 different varieties of pumpkins? They are grown on every continent apart from Antarctica, and they are used for co...

Summer Blooms.

16 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

One of the benefits of growing your own flowers is picking them and bringing them into the house. Bouquets, after all(1), are expensive in the shops. ...

New Life From Ashes.

16 Oct 2015

Contributed by Lukas

The hills of Wenatchee are an unusual color for this time of year. They are usually a sandy brown, due to the dry climate. The brief green of the spri...

Glass Beach.

04 Sep 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Glass beach is an interesting place that we visited this summer. It is on the coast of California, to the North. The town is not spectacular; it's the...

A Creative Summer.

09 Aug 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Summer can be such a relaxing time. If you're a teacher, it's your turn for a long vacation. However, if you have kids at home, sometimes that summer ...

Helpful Ladies.

30 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Those of you who listen regularly to my podcast will know that I am a gardener. However, you might not know that gardening can be a challenge. This ye...

The U.S Open

21 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

In June, I went to the U.S golf Open with my husband for two days. It was at a place called Chambers Bay in Seattle in a very interesting location tha...

A Change of Plans.

17 Jul 2015

Contributed by Lukas

A few weeks ago, I had just answered an email from one of my listeners. "When are you going to write another podcast?" was her question. And it was a ...

Addicted to Pinterest.

26 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

I remember when the internet became available in the 1990's. It was a revolution! It was, as they say, 'the next big thing'(1). Since then, different ...

50 words for snow.

16 Feb 2015

Contributed by Lukas

Chelan is a town here in Washington State that is famous for its huge lake. Its a forty five minute drive from where we live, and about 500 ft higher....

Comfortable creatures.

29 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Parks are a breath of fresh air, especially when they are in cities. I found that when we visited London in the summer, we really needed to escape int...

Bouncing back.

08 Dec 2014

Contributed by Lukas

It all started just before Thanksgiving. My daughter had a temperature of 103 and a bad cough. I had kept her home from school, and didn't plan on her...

An Indian Cooking Class.

10 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

I love to learn, especially when what I'm learning is practical and meaningful. And, also, being from England, I love Indian food. Most people who are...

How does he do that?

08 Nov 2014

Contributed by Lukas

I'm sure that many of you who are listening to this podcast have been to Trafalgar Square. It is one of the most famous places in downtown London. In ...

Catching Fish in Scotland.

24 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

This summer we went to visit my father in Scotland. He lives about 3 hours from Glasgow, but had arranged for us to meet him in the Highlands, a littl...

Back to school.

20 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

I appologize for not releasing a podcast last week. There was good reason for my absence. I have started a university course which teaches and qualifi...

Photos of Washington State, 1.

09 Oct 2014

Contributed by Lukas

The photo for today's podcast, comes from a calendar of Washington State that I bought yesterday. The photographer is Rick Schafer, well known and lov...

St. Joe's Harvest Fundraiser.

30 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Each year for the past ten years, I have seen advertisements for St. Joe's harvest fundraiser(1) on the backs of cars. I have often found myself eithe...

The Scottish Referendum.

25 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

You must have all heard about the recent Scottish referendum. Of course, I have to write a podcast about it; it is too important not to(1). So what wa...

Basic Pronunciation Practice #35 + Interactive English.

22 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

Barbara: Hi Peter, sorry to bother you, but do you know where Liz is? Peter: Yes, she's actually in hospital. Barbara: Hospital? Oh, no! Is she alrigh...

Soccer rivals and friends.

18 Sep 2014

Contributed by Lukas

One of the things that I love about London is how multicultural it is. Every nation on the planet has some representation in London. So, living in a p...