Ruth: So, Akane, you've been to Thailand, right?
Akane: That's right. I went once on a holiday with my friends for Chinese New Year.
Ruth: Wow. I've always wanted to go to Thailand.
Akane: Yes, it's a really nice place. I really enjoyed it.
Ruth: So what did you do there?
Akane: Well, one of the things I did there was to take a Thai cooking course and I learned how to make Thai food.
Ruth: Oh, wow. So how do you make Thai food?
Akane: Well, I don't know if I remember but I really enjoyed the cooking course. What was the course like?
Ruth: Well, it was really interesting actually. They picked me up first thing in the morning and drove me to an outdoor market where they sold all kinds of fruits and vegetables and meats and spices and it was a kind of market where only the local people would go and they introduced me to a lot of different kinds of herbs and spices and fruits and vegetables that I've never even seen before so that was really interesting, and then they took me to the kitchen which was actually an outdoor kitchen right by a beach so I got to do cooking right in front of a beach it was very beautiful.
Akane: Wow.
Ruth: I was really lucky that day because I was the only student. It was still a new company that just opened up so I was the only student and so I got a lot of attention. There were two teachers that taught me how to do all these things and there was a lot of extra time at the end so they even taught me how to do fruit carving. I made leaves out of cucumber and flowers out of papaya fruit and things like that.
Akane: That sounds fantastic.
Ruth: It really was.
Akane: And do you ever cook Thai at home now?
Ruth: Ah, unfortunately I don't, but maybe if I have some time I might try it
Akane:Good.
first thing
They picked me up first thing in the morning.
The 'first thing' is the initial action of the morning, at the beginning of the day. Notice the following:
- I want that report first thing tomorrow.
- The first thing we have to do is call your mother.
drive
They drove me to an outdoor market.
To 'drive' someone is to take him in your car from one place to a different place. Notice the following:
- I am going to drive some friends home.
- Can you drive me to school tomorrow?
new company
It was still a new company that just opened up.
A company or a business that is just beginning is a 'new company.' Notice the following:
- There are still very few employees, because it is a new company.
- The new electronics company is really increasing competition for us.
attention
I was the only student and so I got a lot of attention.
You get 'attention' when other people look at you or watch you. You are the object of their interest and focus. Notice the following:
- You have to pay attention in class or you will not pass your exam.
- He didn't get much attention from girls in his class, because he was really quiet.
carve
They even taught me how to do fruit carving.
To 'carve' something is to cut it, usually with a knife, into a shape or design. Notice the following:
- He was carving a wooden bird when I arrived.
- It took the workers months to carve the marble statue.
Vocabulary Quiz
attention • carving