50. Fifty Episodes Later: Do Anniversaries Really Matter?

NEW - Quizlet Flashcards: click here for link to vocabulary cards from this episode

[00:00:00.000] - Oliver (Host)

Welcome back to English and Beyond, our special 50th episode, so a little bit of an anniversary. As always, you can find the transcript online and free vocabulary flashcards to help you practise all the vocabulary that you hear in today's lesson. César. How are you?

[00:00:17.360] - César (Guest)

I'm good. But first of all, congratulations. You've reached middle age, I guess, for this podcast.

[00:00:25.960] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah, 50 episodes. And recently, actually-

[00:00:29.940] - César (Guest)

That's quite a milestone, I have to say.

[00:00:31.840] - Oliver (Host)

That is quite a milestone. Thank you. Well, I actually thought that we could do this episode basically on that milestone, on reflecting about having gotten to that point, because it's actually not just 50 episodes. It's also I've just passed a year or we've just passed a year because it is almost entirely with you. My idea of having special guests every week has proved to be much more difficult when I end up doing these podcasts last minute every week. It's very hard to

[00:01:00.000] - César (Guest)

It is difficult for me as well for the advanced Spanish podcast by Spanish Language Coach. To arrange the date with guests, it is difficult.

[00:01:11.780] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah. Well, and I suppose that obviously I know you best of anyone, really. I think that we have had some interesting conversations, and I thought it would be a nice time to... Well, people tell me that we've had some interesting conversations, so I thought it would be a nice time to reflect on what we have talked about so far, what your experience of doing your first podcast in English has been, because you've got like what? How many podcasts do you have now?

[00:01:39.180] - César (Guest)

Four in Spanish.

[00:01:40.160] - Oliver (Host)

Four in Spanish, exactly. Then you've got this one in English, and then you help me with the intermediate one as well in English as well. So intermediate level English podcast.

[00:01:49.660] - César (Guest)

And there's something else coming up.

[00:01:52.060] - Oliver (Host)

There is something else coming. I'm editing at the moment, our friend Franziska's German podcast. But is that what you're talking about?

[00:02:00.540] - César (Guest)

Have you just announced it like that without any hype.

[00:02:03.290] - Oliver (Host)

Whatever. I don't do hype. That could be coming September, 2026. At this point, I've edited in about two months, half an episode. I don't think that that is going to be imminently available on Apple Podcasts. But to mark this occasion, I thought, as I said, that we could take a trip down memory lane. A lot of the time when people do these things, they say, Oh, it's so amazing how we've come such a long way. With anything that they do that they're reflecting on. Do you think that we've come a long way with the podcast, César?

[00:02:43.300] - César (Guest)

Define coming a long way.

[00:02:45.540] - Oliver (Host)

Well, that's up to you to define. That's the point.

[00:02:47.800] - César (Guest)

Is it achieving big success? It is being able to do something consistently?

[00:02:56.240] - Oliver (Host)

Well...

[00:02:56.630] - César (Guest)

I think you've learned a lot. I've learned a lot as well because obviously it's different to do a podcast in a different language. I'm glad that I overcame... Well, I think at the beginning, I was slightly anxious about doing a podcast in a different language. But at the end of the day, we are language teachers.

[00:03:20.000] - Oliver (Host)

You have to put your money where your mouth is.

[00:03:23.160] - César (Guest)

Exactly.

[00:03:23.540] - Oliver (Host)

What does that mean?

[00:03:24.620] - César (Guest)

You have to talk the talk and walk the walk. You have to do what you say.

[00:03:30.390] - Oliver (Host)

Exactly. There's no point saying, Oh, you have to be confident. You have to not worry about mistakes, which in this week's episode of the Intermediate, I have done literally that. I've been like, It's really important to talk whenever you can. Don't worry too much about making yourself look stupid. And then I agonise in the Spanish one that I am making myself look stupid.

[00:03:48.710] - César (Guest)

But you are very aspirational for many people who listen to you in Spanish on the Spanish podcast, because we've got many people from English-speaking countries who are like you and want to reach the advanced level that you have at the moment.

[00:04:05.540] - Oliver (Host)

At the moment, what does that mean?

[00:04:07.840] - César (Guest)

Because you're going to get even better. You're going to be advanced, extra, super-

[00:04:12.500] - Oliver (Host)

As opposed to decline. Because you do decline in languages, if you don't practise.

[00:04:16.400] - César (Guest)

Definitely, yeah. So I'm hoping that if anyone; oh - bleep - I spilled the coffee.

[00:04:21.240] - Oliver (Host)

Once again, I'm going to have to beep you.

[00:04:23.020] - César (Guest)

Spilling the beans.

[00:04:25.020] - Oliver (Host)

That's quite a good pun, actually. What does spilling the beans actually mean?

[00:04:30.440] - César (Guest)

It means criticise someone or just disclose the elephant in the room, like talk about, no one was talking about, something like that.

[00:04:40.680] - Oliver (Host)

You're mixing metaphors a lot. It doesn't mean to criticise someone. It means to spill the beans is just to tell a secret.

[00:04:47.660] - César (Guest)

Tell a secret?

[00:04:48.500] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah, reveal a secret.

[00:04:49.580] - César (Guest)

I thought it was more related to criticise someone.

[00:04:54.180] - Oliver (Host)

No. If I know that you know something and I want to know what it is, I could be like, Come on, César, spill the beans. Tell me. But you have spilled coffee beans there as well, so a nice little pun.

[00:05:04.640] - César (Guest)

To your question, I think we came a long way because, firstly, most people stopped doing the podcast after three, five episodes.

[00:05:13.840] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah. I got an email for my intermediate podcast because the advanced one, in a way, it was a bit of a false start because a lot of people started listening to it from the beginning because we advertised it on the the Spanish podcast. And so people came over and a lot of them weren't actually even learning English that they had already... They already spoke English because they were learning Spanish as native English speakers. But they came, I think, out of interest to hear you speak. But with the intermediate one, we didn't really, we haven't announced it anywhere. It's having very organic growth, and it's actually very pleasing in a way. I'm very happy with it. But it's funny because I got an email from someone wanting to help me grow the podcast being like, Do you know how successful you are? Because you've managed to make it to episode five, and almost no one does.

[00:06:09.040] - César (Guest)

But it is true. There's a huge cementery of podcasts. Obviously, anyone creating content on the internet, they want to be seen or they want to be heard. It's quite pleasing to see that the podcast has grown. You've got loyal listeners as well, people who send you feedback recommendations. You even have haters already, which is amazing. Only on one - yeah. Very few.

[00:06:32.240] - Oliver (Host)

Only on one episode. Yeah. On one episode, the episode that we did with Emma about pronunciation, it is true that it was actually unusual because I'd never at least received any negative comments. Then on that episode, I would say that the negative comments outweighed the positive ones, which was a bit of a shock. But I guess it just shows that because that episode had way more views on YouTube than all of the rest, it just goes to show how toxic the internet can be. Do you have any episodes that are particular highlights for you? I'm really sorry if anyone listening. I mean, you are, I suppose, going to be practising your English in this, but it's becoming quite a navel-gazing reflection on ourselves.

[00:07:17.860] - César (Guest)

I think my favourite ones are the ones you did with your mum and with your dad.

[00:07:25.820] - Oliver (Host)

I was actually going to say the same. Not to insult you because you're not in those episodes. Although you're in the back. You're in the back. You're listening, supporting.

[00:07:34.160] - César (Guest)

I was producing them.

[00:07:35.480] - Oliver (Host)

You were producing them, yeah. I really like those episodes because they're a time capsule. One of my brothers actually said to me that he thought it was very, a really nice thing for him to listen to because my parents were quite old and I know that my dad listens. But in any case, one of my brothers was saying how much he liked having that to listen to for both of my parents, both of our parents. As I said, it's like a little time capsule. It's something to remember.

[00:08:07.460] - César (Guest)

But as you can ask questions that, because obviously, you don't mind asking questions to your parents.

[00:08:15.540] - Oliver (Host)

You can actually say asking questions of your parents or just asking your parents' questions. It's a bit formal to say asking questions of your parents.

[00:08:25.440] - César (Guest)

Obviously, you are quite talkative and you ask your parents' questions. But when you are doing a little interview, you think about it. When I did my interview with my dad, I learned things from him and his family, my family, that I didn't know. So it's quite nice. I also like listening that kind of podcast when I listen to a podcast and I can hear from them a little bit more more intimate stuff. From their background. It's quite interesting.

[00:08:59.660] - Oliver (Host)

I think my dad was quite relieved because I have a tendency to ask him quite invasive questions.

[00:09:05.480] - César (Guest)

Like, who's your favourite child?

[00:09:06.900] - Oliver (Host)

Well, no, but that's nothing in comparison. Obviously, I did ask him that, didn't I? But I would say that I'm really interested in what my parents' lives were like when they were young.

[00:09:21.360] - César (Guest)

Before you were born.

[00:09:22.440] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah, exactly. Early boyfriends, early girlfriends. I find that really interesting because I suppose I'm really interested in counter-history, counter factual histories, you could say, of things that didn't happen but could have happened. I think that with my parents, I'm interested in that as much as I am interested in the actual details of their lives of what did happen, if that makes sense. But my dad I think that he, especially when I was a teenager, I think he found me very provocative. And so I think he was quite relieved by how pleasant that interview was in comparison. Any other episodes that you've been involved in that you've enjoyed?

[00:09:59.680] - César (Guest)

I think the first one was quite fun to record. Obviously, we didn't know what was going to happen with the podcast. The first one I enjoyed as well. In general, I like how the podcast format has been changing.

[00:10:20.460] - Oliver (Host)

Well, yeah, because we started every episode with a speech, which in an ideal world, I would still do because I like that mix of monologue with advanced vocabulary and then a very natural dialogue where the difficulty comes from two people talking over each other or talking quickly, that thing. In an ideal world, I would have both still, but it just "needs must" in terms of time. It's not something I've been able to do so much. I really liked the episode about teeth. I find teeth very interesting, so I enjoyed that episode.

[00:10:55.340] - César (Guest)

It's a bit like an obsession of you and your mother.

[00:10:58.150] - Oliver (Host)

It is a small obsession, I would say. That's true.

[00:11:02.080] - César (Guest)

How are you finding Spanish dentistry?

[00:11:05.560] - Oliver (Host)

Well, I have now been once, and it was a very Spanish experience because dentists always talk to you a little bit when they've got their fingers in your mouth anyway. But she was having a full-on conversation with her assistant while she had her fingers in my mouth. But a lot of the time, in the UK, they would take the fingers out for you to talk or whatever, but it just kind of carried on. It was a bit like we managed to have a conversation where I was unable to say anything. Exactly. It was an interesting experience. What they were saying was very Spanish, where they just say, they give me way more information about their lives than the equivalent dentists in the UK would.

[00:11:51.280] - César (Guest)

Yeah, same.

[00:11:53.000] - Oliver (Host)

But it was enjoyable.

[00:11:54.500] - César (Guest)

Do you like... This is like the anniversary podcast episode, do you like anniversaries in general? Like, celebrate your birthday or our anniversary as a couple? Do you enjoy that experience? Do you feel sentimental about it?

[00:12:16.240] - Oliver (Host)

Well, you know that I'm not... I'm going to say no. I'm not a very sentimental... I'm a sentimental person, but really behind closed doors. Really, really closed doors.

[00:12:26.540] - César (Guest)

Like there's a door and then there's another one and there is a padlock that you have to... It's like an escape room, basically.

[00:12:32.770] - Oliver (Host)

Exactly, yeah. An escape room, but you have to escape into the space. I can't explain why. I don't know what it is.

[00:12:43.680] - César (Guest)

It's not your Britishness?

[00:12:45.870] - Oliver (Host)

Who knows? But there are lots of British people. I think it's very outdated that idea that British people don't express emotion, the stiff upper lip. British people, I think, are very emotional. You only have to watch reality TV to see that people are not like they used to be, or at least not our perception of how they used to be. I don't really like anniversaries. I don't care about birthdays, but I never ask for gifts nowadays, never really want gifts, never expect them. In my family, in fact, we never buy gifts for anyone.

[00:13:20.560] - César (Guest)

But you do the cards thing, which is very British.

[00:13:22.900] - Oliver (Host)

We only do the cards occasionally for my parents. That's it. Sometimes my parents send me a card, but I've not a card or anything for my siblings for a long time. Because for me, I suppose it is very in keeping with my mindset in general that anniversaries don't really matter to me very much because the thing that matters is the daily engagement. So if you have a terrible relationship with your siblings, then once a year, you send them an amazing gift, ironically, I think outside that can sometimes make your relationship a lot better than it actually is. Whereas our relationship on the outside on birthdays and I see it's probably looks quite bad. But then I think it's a very good relationship on a daily basis, if that makes sense. I'm more interested in the continuous thing than in marking special occasions because every day is a special occasion, César, with you. So that, I would say. What about you?

[00:14:21.960] - César (Guest)

I don't particularly like celebrating my birthday because I don't like being on the spotlight despite having four-

[00:14:28.910] - Oliver (Host)

Being in the spotlight.

[00:14:30.140] - César (Guest)

Sorry?

[00:14:30.680] - Oliver (Host)

You don't like being in the spotlight.

[00:14:31.860] - César (Guest)

Being in the spotlight.

[00:14:32.950] - Oliver (Host)

Okay. Do you want to record it again?

[00:14:34.140] - César (Guest)

I don't particularly like celebrating my birthday because I don't like being on the spotlight.

[00:14:40.880] - Oliver (Host)

In the spotlight?

[00:14:43.160] - César (Guest)

I don't particularly celebrating my birthday because I don't like being in the spotlight.

[00:14:51.440] - Oliver (Host)

On the spotlight? I'm joking.

[00:14:55.840] - César (Guest)

I don't like being in the spotlight despite having four podcasts. So I remember when I was 18, for example, I discovered that they were going to throw a party in my honour, a surprise party, and I cancelled it. I was like, No, I don't want this. Then when I turned 28, they did it, and it was actually very nice with my family. Very moving as well. I mean, it's not a big thing. I don't think you've ever forgotten our anniversary, but if you did, or if I did, I wouldn't feel bad about it either, because I don't think it's a big thing. I don't consider the anniversaries that important.

[00:15:49.800] - Oliver (Host)

No, but we joke about it a lot. Because I actually think that we spend very few of the anniversaries together. No? Just because... I mean, things come up, don't they? So you've been Spain for a lot of the time when we were living in London, that thing. And we might be like, Oh, you've abandoned me for the anniversary. I think that's the closest we get to making a big deal about it.

[00:16:12.160] - César (Guest)

Plus for couples, what is normally their anniversary? Is it the first time, the day they met? Is it the first time they kissed? The first time they go to cinema?

[00:16:27.620] - Oliver (Host)

I would say, I think for-

[00:16:30.060] - César (Guest)

Their wedding anniversary.

[00:16:31.260] - Oliver (Host)

Every partner I've ever had, it's been the day that we met. Or at least met. No, actually, it's been the day... That's actually quite complicated because that's totally not true what I've just said. Because for my first partner, it was, we met about like seven months before what became our anniversary, which was the date of our first proper date. For the second one, it was actually kind of the same. I had a first date and it was successful, but basically for various reasons, we decided not to-

[00:17:10.830] - César (Guest)

Did you kiss him?

[00:17:12.080] - Oliver (Host)

Did I -? Yeah. Then didn't call him again, basically, or didn't text him. Then we met each other again. Then from then, it was perfect. That second time became the anniversary, I think. I can't remember what the anniversary was, to be honest, for either of them. Then for you, it's when we met, no? Yeah. Okay, well, César, on that note, let's sign off. So thank you very much for accompanying me on these 50 episodes of the podcast.

[00:17:42.130] - César (Guest)

Thank you and happy anniversary.

[00:17:43.920] - Oliver (Host)

Happy anniversary to you, too. Until next time. And happy anniversary to you, listener. If you've been here from the beginning, thank you, dad, for listening from the beginning. And until next time, I guess. Anything else?