Hello and welcome to The English Like a Native Podcast. My name is Anna and you're listening to Week 27, Day 4 of Your English Five a Day. The series where we aim to bulk up your English vocabulary by focusing on five items every day of the working week from Monday to Friday. So let's start today's list. We begin with the adjective frustrated. Frustrated. We spell this F R U S T R A T E D. Frustrated. Frustrated. Frustrated describes a feeling of being annoyed or upset because you can't achieve something that you want to achieve. For example, if I am trying to leave the house to get the bus at 8:30 in the morning, but everything is stopping me from leaving the house on time, like maybe a pipe bursts and there's water going everywhere. Maybe I suddenly spill ketchup on my blouse and I'm supposed to look good so I have to quickly go and change. Maybe I can't find my house key and all these things just make me feel more and more frustrated because I'm trying to leave the house on time. It's very frustrating when things like that happen. Unexpected delays. When things break, I find myself feeling frustrated with the internet speed and software, particularly software that I have to use on a regular basis, like editing software or social media apps when they decide to change everything and hide the functionality that you're used to. And you're like, hang on a minute, where's that gone? Why is that button now gone? I don't understand. This is so frustrating. And something that should take you just a few seconds ends up taking you half an hour because you have to figure out what's changed. I often feel frustrated. Anyway what has frustrated you in the last few days? Here's another example sentence,"The students were frustrated when the teacher gave them a difficult assignment with no clear instructions." Okay, moving on. Next, we have an idiom and it is the life of Riley. The life of Riley. We spell this life, L I F E. Of, O F. Riley, R I L E Y. The life of Riley. We often say that someone is living the life of Riley. And this means that they're living in a very lazy and leisurely way. It's a life that's hedonistic where someone can just do whatever they want to do. They have no worries, no commitments, no responsibility, usually also means a life of luxury. So they have everything they need and more. So the life of Riley, you would say that a celebrity or a very rich person might live the life of Riley. We often dream about living a life of Riley, don't we? Here's an example,"Joanna inherited a fortune from her parents and now lives a life of Riley, travelling the world and indulging in all of her desires." Next on the list is an adjective and it is charming. Charming. We spell this C H A R M I N G. Charming. Charming. If someone is described as charming then they are very likeable, they are full of charisma and they're able to captivate you, to enchant you when they are around. You know, a charming person would make you smile and you'd feel warm towards them. Here's an example,"My sister brought her boyfriend over last weekend. He's the most charming man I've ever met. Those blue eyes and that cheeky smile!" Would you describe yourself as a charming person? Or do you know a charming person? Next on the list is a verb and it is marvel. Marvel. We spell this M A R V E L. Marvel. To marvel is to be filled with wonder and astonishment. So it's to wonder at something in an astonished way."Ah! Wow!" It's almost like looking at something with admiration. You marvel at it. You just can't believe it. You're very impressed. For example, if I were to visit NASA, I would marvel at the technology and the intelligence of the people who work there and the breakthroughs that they are achieving on a daily basis. And I would marvel at the rockets that are able to launch and go into space and visit far off planets. I would marvel at them. Here's another example,"I couldn't help but marvel at the breathtaking view from the top of the mountain." Last on the list is a noun and it is blog. Blog. We spell this B L O G, blog. A blog is an updated page on a website. It's like an online journal. So it's pages of writing and each blog post covers a specific topic or area of interest. Here's an interesting fact: when I started my online journey, I actually started as a blogger. So initially, before I ever uploaded any videos onto the internet, I was uploading blogs. I was just putting down my thoughts, random thoughts. I just enjoyed writing and sharing, sharing with everybody and anybody and nobody. I don't think anyone read my blog. And then I discovered video blogging or what we now call vlogging. So here's an example sentence,"When I went to Bali, I wrote a travel blog about my adventures. It was great to be able to share my experiences and hopefully tempt more people to visit this beautiful island." Okay, that's our five. So let's do a quick recap. We started with the adjective frustrated. Which is the feeling of annoyance or being upset because you can't achieve something that you want to achieve. Next we had the idiom life of Riley, which is describing living a life that is lazy and leisurely and luxurious. Then we had the adjective charming, charming, which describes someone or something that's very attractive, is very likable, makes you smile and captivates you. Then we had the verb marvel, marvel, which is to look at something with wonder and astonishment. Then we had the noun blog, which is a regularly updated online journal that covers a specific topic usually, travel. Alright, now let's do this for pronunciation. Please repeat after me. Frustrated. Frustrated. Life of Riley. Life of Riley. Charming. Charming. Marvel. Marvel. Blog. Blog. Fantastic. Now, in a very straightforward and simple way, let me test your memory. What's the idiom that we use to describe living a lazy, leisurely, and maybe luxurious life? Life of Riley. Yes, I'm living the life of Riley or at least, I wish I was. What adjective would I use if I'm feeling annoyed because I can't achieve what I want to achieve? Frustrated. Yes, I'm feeling frustrated. But I wouldn't feel so frustrated if I was presented by someone who is very likeable, attractive, makes me smile when they talk to me. What adjective would I use to describe such a person? Charming. Charming. And if I am filled with wonder and astonishment, I'm walking around a museum and I'm just,"Wow!" I'm just in awe. I have my mouth wide open, staring at all these amazing exhibits. What verb could I use to describe this action of being filled with wonder and an astonishment? Marvel. I'm marvelling. I'm marvelling at all the amazing things on display. And finally, what noun would I use to describe my online journal that I regularly update? A blog. Absolutely. My blog. So, let's put these items all together during today's storytime. Have you ever thought about what you would do if you won the lottery? I have but every time I do think about it, I change my mind as to what I would spend my millions on! My friend Helen, however, knew exactly what she would want to do. Although Helen was a primary school teacher and loved working with children, she had always had a thirst for travel, life, and the beautiful beaches and coastal areas of the world. Being stuck in a routine of lesson plans and grading papers had recently left her feeling frustrated and unfulfilled. But 2 weeks ago, luck turned in her favour. As Helen was sitting in her classroom, daydreaming about her next beach holiday, she received a call that would change her life forever. She had won the lottery! After months of playing and hoping, she was finally a millionaire. With this newfound wealth, Helen decided to leave her teaching career behind and fulfil her dream of travelling the world. Helen had always dreamed of exploring the charming coastal towns and villages of the UK, and so, with her bags packed, she set off on her adventure. As she travelled around the UK, Helen made it a point to stop at as many coastal destinations as possible. She visited the famous Brighton beach, with its colourful beach huts and lively atmosphere. She walked along the rugged cliffs of Cornwall and marvelled at the stunning views of the ocean. She even took a dip in the chilly waters of the North Sea at Tynemouth Beach. Each new destination brought a sense of excitement and wonder. She met new people, tried new foods, and experienced the beauty of different cultures. It was everything she had ever dreamed of and more. She really is living the life of Riley! I spoke to Helen just the other day, and she said that even in just a few weeks she has realised that winning the lottery is not just about the money, but about the freedom to follow your passions and live life to the fullest. And although she may have left her teaching career behind, she knows that the lessons and experiences from her travels will stay with her forever. She's now thinking of exploring the coastal destinations of Europe and writing a travel blog about her adventures, that way she gets to do what she loves and still help people by teaching them about the wonders of the world. And that brings us to the end of today's episode. I do hope you found it useful. And until tomorrow, take very good care and goodbye.