Africa Life
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Leath
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Todd
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Todd: OK. Leath, you're from Zimbabwe. Could you talk about that?
Leath: Yeah, OK. Well, I'm from Harare which is the capital of Zim. I was born there.
My folks are British. My dad is from Manchester and my mom is from Scotland. They went out a long time ago. Yeah, growing up in Zimbabwe was "lacker" as we say there. That means really cool in Africans.
It was like you grow up in a big open free place with animals and sunshine and it's just a really healthy place to be. Well at least it was. Today it's not doing too well because the economy has crashed but growing up there was really slick.
Todd: Wow! What animals could you see?
Leath: Just about an hours drive out of any city, you are able to come across just about anything. I've seen leopards often at night about an hour out of the capital where I live. You see monkeys along the road, right up to the city outskirts. In certain areas you'll have to stop for elephants. There's quite a few buck warning signs because they are actully quite dangerous at night. They jump across the road and your cars hit them at windscreen height. It is a bit of a problem. So, there's buck everywhere. Away from residential areas, there's you know your big five, rhino, lion being the most... well interesting and I guess for foreigners. They are never really never around human settlement cause they are very very dangerous. They do take people from time to time.
Todd: Wow! That's fascinating. Thanks a lot Leath.
Leath: You're welcome buddy. OK.
economy has crashed
Today, Zimbabwe is not doing too well, because the economy
has
crashed.
If an economy 'crashes' it goes from doing very well, to doing very poorly. Notice the following:
- Has the economy ever crashed in Japan?
- After the economy crashed many people had problems with
money.
slick
Growing up in Zimbabwe is really slick, "lecker" as we say
there.
If something is 'slick' it is really cool or fun. Notice the following:
- Your new clothes are really slick.
- The hotel was pretty slick.
come across
Just about an hour's drive from any city, you're liable to
come
across just about anything.
When you 'come across' something, you discover it by chance. Notice the following:
- Did you come across my jacket in the basement?
- We came across tons of fruit trees.
city outskirts
You can see monkeys along the road, right up to the city
outskirts.
The 'city outskirts' is the outside part of the city far from the city center. Notice the following:
- There is a lot more space around the city outskirts.
- How far is it from your apartment to the city outskirts?
from time to time
These animals do take people from time to time.
'From time to time' is another way to say once in a while. Notice the following:
- Do you take a vacation from time to time?
- We eat in restaurants from time to time.
Vocabulary Quiz
outskirts • time to time
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