Our Most Challenging Jobs and More┃Learn American English Pronunciation On the Go

Rachel: Welcome to the Rachel's English podcast.  

I'm so glad that you're listening.  Today, I'm sitting down with my husband David,  

and we're just talking about regular old life  things. And as we discuss what's going on with us,  

we'll pick out the phrasal verbs, the idioms, 

and any interesting vocabulary that comes up,  

and we'll discuss them. If you need help  understanding what's being said you can  

get a free copy of the transcript.  Just visit RachelsEnglish.com/podcast  

and look for this episode. David! So  glad to have you here with me today.

David: Good to be here.  

Rachel: I'm going to ask you  

some questions, going to just  see what phrasal verbs, idioms,  

interesting vocabulary pop up as we  have an everyday casual conversation.

David: Let's do it.

Rachel: Okay, let me start by asking you a question.

David: Okay.

Rachel: Can you describe the most challenging job you've ever had? 

David: Wow, that's a place to start.

Rachel: Yep.

David: So, challenging and rewarding often go hand in hand, that's certainly the case for me  

with this job. This was working at a high school  

in North Philadelphia. And that area of the city is really economically depressed. There's a lot…

Rachel: What does that mean, economically depressed?

David: Means that the median income would be 

 at the low end of the spectrum.

Rachel: Does it say anything  

about job opportunity as well, would you say?

David: Absolutely,  

absolutely, in the sense that there are a  few good jobs readily available. Yeah. It's  

an area that tends to be violent that has

an awesome drug activity in it. And so working in  

a high school in that area meant working with 

kids who were really survivors, kids who had  

a lot of challenges in front of them. They were absolutely inspiring. They, you know on a daily  

basis, a daily basis challenged me to think  about what I was doing with my life. And so,  

it was extremely challenging, they, you  know, it's a hard place to live and so.  

Rachel: What did you do there?

David: So, my title was social worker.  

So, it was a mix of meeting  with individual kids, supporting staff and  

teachers in their work and we did some groups with kids. So a whole mix of counseling related things.

Rachel: Yeah, really, really tough but good work.

David: Mm-hmm, right.

Rachel: I was always proud of you for doing that. I always felt really proud to tell people what you did.

David: Thanks. Yeah and I felt proud of it, too.

Rachel: So, the proposition that you can use with proud  is “of”,

“I'm proud of you”, “He's proud of me”,  

“I just want you to be proud of me”. So,  keep that in mind when you're using “proud”.

David: Okay, and Rachel what would you say 

the most challenging job you ever had?

Rachel: Well, I've had such a weird collection  

of odd jobs, because I went to graduate school for opera singing, which meant I didn't come out of  

graduate school with a full-time job. You know, I had, as an artist, I think a lot of artists are in  

a situation where they are doing work unrelated to what they studied and what they're really  

passionate about in order to make the money. So I did get paid to sing but it was never enough to  

live on. I had gigs here and there, but I always had to have other jobs and you're always looking  

for really flexible jobs.

You know, a job that you can quit right away, if you get a singing job,  

that's not that important. So, as a singer, I  think I've had a collection of some interesting  

odd jobs. I would say the most challenging job I ever had was as a tutor, and it was, you know,  

like you've said, challenging often goes hand in hand with a reward. It's hard, but it's the good  

kind of hard. And in this particular case, I was a tutor for a family. And there, I worked mostly  

with their daughter and I really liked her.  She had an affinity for math and so do I. So,  

that was really fun. But anytime that you are, you know, working for a family in that kind of  

situation, you are really kind of intimately  in the family's space and you know I worked at  

their house every day in their dining room or in their kitchen. And I just, you know, one of the  

very first times I was there, if I do in my first week, the mom had an event that evening and I was  

supposed to cook us dinner and you know, she had everything laid out and the fire alarm went off.  

I totally burnt like the tortilla or whatever I  was trying to heat up and their system was hooked  

up to call the fire department, they showed  up and you know, they notified her phone and  

she called me, she's like, “what's happening?”  I was like, “I burned a tortilla”, but it was  

totally embarrassing, but yeah, it’s just you  know, it was, it was awesome and I loved it,  

but you're also there in that family dynamic and just kind of trying to figure out you know, how  

to work within that dynamic when you're totally not a family member. So, I would say that was  

that was challenging, having said that they were an amazing family, just some of the most generous  

people you'll ever meet. And I had a great time getting to know their daughter and I actually  

think I tutored her for three or four years. It  was quite a long time and yeah, it was really fun.

David: You just used an interesting little connector phrase,  

“having said that”.

Rachel: Hmm. Yeah.

David: Can you talk about that one?

Rachel: Yeah. So, you say that when you've just made  

a statement, and then you want to make a statement that's just a little bit contradictory. Like,  

I forget what exactly I was saying but it might have been something like, it's hard understanding  

someone else's family dynamic. Having said that they were a great family, so you know, obviously,  

how hard is it when it's a great family, but yes having said that is a way to make a statement  

that somewhat contradicts or could be seen as contradictory to something you've just said.

David: Qualifies what you just said or clarifies what you just said. 

Rachel: Yeah, mm-hmm.

David: And also, another way to do that little, 

what do you call it, transition it would be to say, “That said”.

Rachel: Yeah, right.

David: People also say that.

Rachel: Yeah, exact  

same meaning, used to clarify  something you've just said.

David: So, let's go to another question.

Rachel: Okay.

David: What is something that makes you really nervous?

Rachel: Mmm, well, this is interesting because we  

just talked about jobs. And I think one thing that makes me really nervous is quitting a job and like  

I said, I've had a lot of odd jobs in my life,  and I've had to quit a lot of them and it always,  

yeah, it's always made me nervous, like I feel like I'm letting someone down. Even when it's  

a job that's not very important, I don't know. So,  

telling someone that I'm going to quit  whatever they are having me do, I would say,  

is one of the things that makes me the  most nervous, gives me the most anxiety.

David: So, you wake up  

in the morning and you know that later in the day, you're going to have to tell your boss,  

“Hey, I'm no longer going to be working  for you.” That makes you really nervous?

Rachel: Oh,  

it makes me nervous for like the  whole week, two weeks, whatever.

David: Uh-huh.

Rachel: As soon as I know that I'm likely  

going to be leaving a job, that dread starts to  happen in the pit of my stomach. And sometimes,  

you forget about it and then all of a sudden  you're like, “Oh, wait there it is, I have to  

quit my job. I have to have that conversation.”  Did I say, “in the pit of my stomach”?

David: You did,  

and I was thinking the same thing. What is that?

Rachel: Well,  

don't you think you physically feel something  when you are, when you’re feeling dread? I mean  

I would describe it. David: 

No I get, I agree. You have this sinking feeling  in your stomach but the pit of your stomach is  

interesting. I guess it's at the bottom,  emanates from the bottom of our stomach.

Rachel: It's just, it's  

getting way down in there. If you feel something  in the pit of your stomach, it's not a good thing.

David: To really, it's an ominous, it's foreboding.

Rachel: You feel horrible about it,  

nervous about it, anxious about it, and actually,  you used another phrase “sinking feeling”. I have  

a sinking feeling. This is, again, what we would  say when I'm pretty sure things are going wrong.

David: Mm-hmm.

Rachel: Yeah,  

two great ways to talk about that feeling,  because, you know, it's an emotional thought,  

it's a feeling but then we do physically feel  something. When you have a sinking feeling,  

you might feel something pressing down on  your chest or when you're dreading something,  

you feel something in your stomach, you  might have a stomach ache, you feel it  

in the pit. I mean, it's something your mind is  experiencing, but your body experiences it too.

David: And actually, in my world,  

we know to talk with people about the fact that  it's actually the opposite. Your body feels a  

feeling almost always or often before your mind  labels it, and before your brain identifies it  

as a feeling of dread. So, you have the physical  experience of the pit in your stomach. You have  

the physical sensation of that sinking feeling.  Now, actually, if you could do a time-lapse  

camera of your brain and nervous system,  the bodily feeling is a split- second even  

before the emotion, because the emotion  involves some higher-level brain activity.

Rachel: I totally would have guessed the opposite.

David: Right. And it's  

good to coach people on that, because it's this  idea that if you get used to paying attention  

to your bodily sensations, if you can tune in,  they actually can tell you a lot about how your  

quote feeling. Rachel: 

Hmm. Tune in, so that means really pay  attention to something, focus on something.

David: Right.

Rachel: Mm-hmm, and it would also,  

I mean I'm guessing it comes from like  radio days where you would turn the dial,  

just so in order to pick up a certain radio  signal. In that case, you would be tuning in.

David: Right.

Rachel: Yeah. David,  

what's something that makes you really nervous?

David: So, something that makes  

me nervous is and what's related to speaking  in front of people, but it's not the actual  

time when I am up front. It's interesting because  once I'm up there I'm great, I actually love doing  

trainings and talking to groups of people, but the  moments that are leading up to that, especially  

the night before, I tend to not sleep well. It's  a similar feeling to, if we're going on a trip,  

a big trip the next day it's like this just  slightly nervous, anxious feeling where I just,  

I don't sleep well. My brain keeps like waking  me up in the middle of the night going, “Wait,  

are you late? Wait are you late? You're probably  late?” So, I'll wake up a bunch of times that  

night and it's for no reason I don't have  anything to be nervous about, but I'm nervous.

Rachel: So, it's funny,  

because it's something you love yet  you get nervous thinking about it.

David: Yeah-yeah.

Rachel: That's interesting. Okay, let's  

talk personality. In American English, we have two  different terms to describe two different kinds of  

personality as an introvert and an extrovert.  How would you define these two words, David?

David: 

Yeah. So, these words have become very much have  bled into popular culture, and I think that they,  

I used a lot of different ways and I think often  use slightly wrongly but, my definition is that  

someone is an introvert if when they need to  recharge or regroup to center themselves.  

Rachel: Yeah, recharge, what does this mean?

David: Recharge?

Rachel: Yes?

David: It’s what you do with your phone.

Rachel: Yeah, right. You recharge your phone.

David: Plug it in, charge your phone.

Rachel: When someone needs  

to rest and feel energized or what did you say?

David: Collect themselves, maybe,  

figure out what's important to them, that an  introvert is someone who does that by themselves.

Rachel: Could you  

also say it's what makes someone feel  at ease? An introvert feels at ease?

David: Yeah, I think that that's part of it.

Rachel: By themselves.

David: I think  

that's part of it, though I think  it does really get at this idea of  

where do you gain energy? Where do  you get your energy level back up?

Rachel: Yes, I agree.

David: So that's an introvert,  

and then an extrovert is the opposite,  where if someone is not feeling focused  

or they're feeling worn down, instead of  going and having time by themselves, they  

would go and seek out other people, and  through conversation and connection with  

other people, they would recharge  and their energy will go back up.

Rachel: Before we keep going,  

I just want to throw one thing out there, you  said that these are terms that have bled into  

popular culture, and I just wanted to talk about  using “bleed” in there. So, bleed is like blood  

when you cut yourself, but we also use it  when what might have been a clearly defined  

line has become less clear. I'm like, these terms,  what are they? Are they psychology terms or what?

David: Right. Mm-hmm.

Rachel: And then,  

but now everyone's using them. So, we can say  okay, it's not just separate from popular culture,  

now it's bled into popular culture and popular  culture has started using these terms a lot, too.

David: Right. Initially,  

they would have been used by clinicians  to describe psychological phenomenon,  

but now they're used by lots of people.  They've bled into popular culture.

Rachel: Okay,  

great. Thanks for clarifying  the definition of that.

David: No problem.

Rachel: So, David, are you an introvert or an extrovert?

David: So, I'm an extrovert. It means that, yeah, for me,  

if I am feeling stressed or I have a big decision  to make or I'm feeling worn down, I know that it's  

really important for me to seek out connection  with other people to get people's opinions,  

to get feedback, to bounce ideas off of someone.

Rachel: Oh, I like that phrase.

David: That's a good one, I thought you might.  

Rachel: Mm-hmm. When you bounce  

an idea off somebody, you tell them what  you're thinking and get their take on it.

David: You put it out there and see  

which way it bounces, so you put out an idea maybe  they think it's crazy, and so it bounced sideways,  

or they think it's you know what that's  a really good idea and it bounces true.

Rachel: Oh, I like it.

David: So, I'm an extrovert. What about you?

Rachel: Well, you know I'm an introvert.

David: I do.

Rachel: Yeah. It,  

you know, I, 100% would have  described myself as an extrovert,  

probably into like college or after. I  didn't realize that I was an introvert.

David: Well, I have a theory about that, but go ahead.

Rachel: Well,  

and it's funny because I remember in high school  feeling kind of bad when I didn't want to hang out  

with one of my friends. I'm a bad friend, I felt  like a bad friend and now in retrospect I'm like,  

“Oh, I was I was an introvert”, that's what it  was, I wasn't a bad friend. I was actually a  

pretty great friend in general. But I was  an introvert and one of my good friends  

was an extrovert and I think that, you know,  neither of us got what was happening there.

David: And what I was  

going to say is that, this is exactly what I meant  about the terms being used incorrectly because I  

think part of what you're describing, a part of  why you were confused that you're an introvert,  

is because you're a highly social  introvert. You do enjoy people,  

you like talking to lots of different people, but  that's not where you recharge and get your energy.

Rachel: Right. Oh, man I love my me-time.  

David: Yeah.

Rachel: Just by myself. You know,  

I work alone from home. I have my office  upstairs and often when I'm talking with  

people about what I do they'll say, “Oh,  you know don't you want to go out and see  

people?” and I'm like, “No, I absolutely  do not want to go out and see people.”

David: Right.

Rachel: I used to rent an office  

desk at a co-working space, I never went because  I never felt drawn to the space. I mean I think a  

lot of co-working spaces exist, because there  are so many people freelancing and working on  

their own and it's a way to bring them together  and they feel this community in this, you know,  

camaraderie with other people around, and I  just rather be up in my office doing my thing.

David: That’s right.

Rachel: Hmm. Co-working, that's a term that's pretty new.  

Wouldn't you say, David? I mean, I don't think  I ever heard that word before five years ago,  

and basically, it means working next to somebody.  So it's not someone you work with, it's not a  

co-worker, but it's someone that you're working  next to, likely you are an independent person  

working on your own project, and you go to a space  where you can co-work with other people. Do your  

thing next to other people doing their thing.  It's really quite the rage now. Wouldn't you say?

David: Yeah. I think it's extremely popular.

Rachel: There  

are places opening up all over  Philly that are co-working spaces.

David: Packed full of extroverts.

Rachel: Yeah. I went  

to one once and I was working at this big  table with other people and there were two  

people training somebody on like Microsoft  Word or something, and I was just like,  

this is why I am not ever coming to this space  again. I do not need to hear someone being trained  

on Microsoft Word, when I'm trying to come  up with awesome English ideas. So, anyway.  

David: Right.

Rachel: Co-working,  

some people love it, but it's not for everyone.

David: All right. So,  

I have a question for you. What do  you think is something that I do well?

Rachel: Oh,  

this is fun. David, there's  so many things you do well.

David: Oh, that’s sweet.

Rachel: The thing I'm thinking of, I think  

it's fun to think of something that I don't do  well. Like, have that contrast, you do it so well  

and I do it horribly. And that is you have such  a green thumb. David does the most amazing job  

with our house plants. I mean, they thrive, they  look so good. We have this jade that's probably a  

yard across, three feet, and you grew that from  something that was like two inches big, right?

David: Yeah. Mm-hmm.

Rachel: We also have this  

cactus that's probably five or six feet tall now,  and it's just it's fun because people will walk  

into our house and they'll be like, “Oh, my  god, that's the biggest Jade I've ever seen.”

David: Right.

Rachel: My friend  

Hilary was just like couldn't get  over the cactus. So, David, you know,  

cut her a piece and last time we're at her  apartment, it was like doing pretty well.

David: Yeah, hers was looking good, too.

Rachel: Yeah. So, I think I love that about you, because  

I love having plants around and have in the house.  I think they add so much to the beauty of a home,  

but I just, I can't do it. I just cannot keep  plants alive. So, that's actually that's,  

David is the definition of green thumb. So, if someone has a green thumb or is a green thumb,  

then it means that they're really good with plants  and you know, not everyone has a green thumb.

David: Well, thank  

you. I appreciate that. It's a lot of fun for  me. There's something very therapeutic and  

just it feels good to pay attention  to the plants and how to look nice.

Rachel: I don't know  

if this is true, but someone  shared on Facebook, recently,  

that there are microbes in soil that they  believe can like help lift your spirits.

David: I'll go there. All right, sure. Why not?

Rachel: So, there might be a,  

it might not just be about the process of  doing something of tending to something.  

There might literally be something in soil  that can affect your mood. I don't know.

David: Huh, all right.

Rachel: Well,  

David, what is something that you think I do well?

David: Yeah. Well, you too do an incredible amount  

of things well, but the first thing that came  to mind for me was how good of a mother you are.

Rachel: Oh, thank you.

David: Yeah, you are an  

incredibly attentive mother, but you're also  so great at being goofy. Stony loves music,  

all things musical, and he loves when you make  up stupid songs about inane life situations.

Rachel: Which is all the time.

David: Which is a lot.

Rachel: Let's define “inane”,  

that's a bit of a tricky word. David: 

It is. Inane: a common place,  not important, run-of-the-mill.

Rachel: Mm-hmm. Basic, kind of similar to mundane.

David: Mundane.

Rachel: I wonder what's the difference  

between inane and mundane. So, mundane is like  dull, boring inane is more silly or stupid.  

And you're saying I can take silly and stupid  things and make a song about them. Yes, I can.

David: Or you can  

make up. I think what you can do is you tend  to make up inane songs about mundane life.

Rachel: Oh, there we go,  

I like it. I do often make up inane songs.

David: All right, next topic. This is inane.

Rachel: This is getting inane.

David: Bordering on asinine.

Rachel: Oh, define “asinine” please.

David: That really takes it up to just stupid.

Rachel: It goes from silly to stupid.

David: Yeah.  

Rachel: 

Okay, David, new question. What were some  of the great things about your childhood?

David: Oh, so many great things. I feel like,  

I had a very, I was very lucky to have such a  great childhood. The first thing that I think  

about is my family. I have three older sisters  and they're the best. They are a good bit older  

than me and not only are they incredible people  who have shaped me and helped me become who I am,  

but they also all married incredible  people who are my brothers-in-law,  

but who I've known for so long that they're just  like siblings to me as well, so growing up in a  

house full of older siblings was just, I think  the number one best thing about my childhood.

Rachel: Though they  

weren't around really, right? I mean,  you said growing up in a house full of,  

Audrey would have been in  college by the time you were two.

David: It's true, but she went to college  

locally. She was still around and we are all very  close and have been, and so at the very least  

holidays and whenever there was a free chance,  we would see each other. But my youngest sister,  

she was 10, so you know, until I was 8 she was  living at home and that was pretty wonderful.

Rachel: There's a great  

picture of, she was in charge  of you in the summers, right?

David: Yeah.

Rachel: She has put you in her front bike basket.

David: Right.

Rachel: Which does not look safe at all.

David: Yeah,  

we talked about that sometimes. How she was  12 or 13 and in charge of a two or three-  

year-old and that was just pretty amazing.  A lot of people nowadays wouldn't do that.

Rachel: Yeah, especially with her,  

just kidding, Cristina. David: 

All right. So, right back at you. So, what were  some of the great things about your childhood?

Rachel: Again, lots of things. I'm  

very lucky I had a very rich and full childhood.  I'm going to say a lot of what was great about it  

relates to where I grew up. I grew up in Florida.  So, we were close to beaches. We went to the beach  

a lot and springs. David's laughing, because  Florida has all these great natural springs with  

little beaches and you can go to and just have an  amazing day. And ever since we've been in Philly,  

I've been like, “Where are the springs?” I just  want to get out somewhere to some fresh water and  

I don't want to have to drive hours for it and  it's been pretty disappointing, I got to say.

David: And I keep saying that that's,  

the reason that I haven't told you about them,  is because they're not a thing here. But you've  

probably come back to it five or ten times, like  well but no let's just look for the springs.

Rachel: Yeah,  

every year I'm like, “Let's find some  springs to go to.” And David's like,  

“There are no Springs in Philly.” And I actually  found one, but it was a bit of a drive and  

it was a private thing you had to pay like a  thousand dollars a year for it or something.

David: Yeah.

Rachel: Not happening. But so, that's  

cool and then also, I grew up fairly close to  Disney World, maybe about two hours. So we used to  

go down there quite a bit. We wouldn't stay over,  usually. We would drive down and come back in the  

same day and we would, you know, bring sandwiches  and do it as cheap as we could, but I spent a lot  

of birthdays at Disney. My parents took me there.  My birthday is in November. So, often we would do  

Disney for my birthday and my brother's birthday  is July, so we would go to a waterpark for his  

birthday. And it was just so fun. I don't know,  I loved it. I don't, I have no desire to live in  

Florida it's way too hot for me now for too long,  but it was a pretty majestic childhood. David,  

that was so fun. Thanks for sitting down  and going through these questions with me.

David: I love these. These are really fun.

Rachel: They really are and,  

you know, sometimes, I think I'm so  focused on what you're saying that I  

forget to pay attention to like phrasal verbs  and stuff, but we do catch some of them. So,  

there is some educational value here, after  all. Thank you, guys, so much for listening.  

If you'd like a copy of the transcript,  please visit, RachelsEnglish.com/transcript  

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