E66: We're Ending the Year in a Totally Different Place

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[00:00:02.880] - Oliver (Host)

Welcome back to English at Beyond, the advanced level of the podcast. As always, if you have any problems understanding any of the words in the podcast, any of the vocabulary that we use, or if you, I don't know, just like reading along, subtitles, then you can find flashcards and a transcript for free at www.morethanlanguage.com. César, our table is a mess. We've just recorded an episode of the Spanish podcast, Spanish for False Beginners, about the end of the year, and it's put me in a kind of surprisingly philosophical mood. So we are going to ignore the plans that I had for the actual episode that we're going to do and we're going to do something about the end of the year.

[00:00:40.620] - César (Guest)

But I think we should explain the mess. (The mess.) The clutter.

[00:00:46.280] - Oliver (Host)

So, well, do you want to explain it?

[00:00:48.920] - César (Guest)

We're moving out. We're moving houses. We're renting at the moment in the flat where we started living when we moved to Spain. So we got the place, but that place needs renovation. And because we've got many expenses at the moment, the mortgage, the renovation, the rent. So my mum very kindly offered us to live with her and my sister. So we're going to move there for three months, more or less, until our flat is ready. So we're moving out and the house is a mess. Actually, we are getting rid of so much stuff. We are moving with less boxes than we came to Spain.

[00:01:33.430] - Oliver (Host)

It's true because we did... We only moved 14, 15 months ago to Spain. And moving is one of my least favourite things to do in the world, like it is, I think, everybody's, no? We actually... We were just talking earlier about the fact that if you've just moved and you've put all of your things in a box, and then you realise that in the last 14 months, you have not opened certain of those boxes, you don't need those things in box.

[00:02:00.900] - César (Guest)

Especially, I think the hardest thing to get rid of is books, I think. But you can always say, Well, I bought it and I want to read it. Even though I bought it 12 years ago, I think...

[00:02:15.220] - Oliver (Host)

This year might be the year that I pick it up and I read it. No, I personally think I've been better than you this time in terms of saying, I'm really never going to read this book and get rid of it. But the one thing that I found it hard to get rid of in that respect - uh, language grammars from languages that I have long abandoned.

[00:02:33.300] - César (Guest)

Chinese.

[00:02:34.680] - Oliver (Host)

Well, Chinese, it was so expensive and I spent so much time doing it and got to a good standard that I am insistent that one day I will go back to Chinese. It pains me to say this, but I feel like there are other languages that I'm unlikely to go back to learn, but I can't get rid of the grammars just in case. Partially because I remember when I left university, I was very excited never to have to look at Latin or Greek ever again, and I got rid of everything. And then five years training to be a lawyer and everything like that sent me straight back to Classics teaching. And I really regretted getting rid of my essays, getting rid of my notes, getting rid of my books, getting rid of everything to do with Classics. So you never know what happens. So I have learned my lesson. Novels I'm not so bothered about.

[00:03:23.980] - César (Guest)

Yeah. And I think we've been quite brutal with clothes, especially. Because as you said, if we haven't, if we haven't worn a specific garment for 15 months, we will probably not do it in the future. So yeah.

[00:03:39.660] - Oliver (Host)

Garment sounds very high-register to me, very formal. It's the right word. I'd probably just say an item of clothing.

[00:03:46.160] - César (Guest)

Item of clothing? (Item of clothing.) But that's not very effective, not from the point of view of-

[00:03:49.440] - Oliver (Host)

No, but garment sounds like you're a designer, and you're like, This garment is like Miranda Priestly in Meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada. She's like, This garment is lacking something. Yeah.

[00:04:00.980] - César (Guest)

It's garment.

[00:04:01.950] - Oliver (Host)

Garment, yeah. What did you say?

[00:04:03.620] - César (Guest)

Garment.

[00:04:04.130] - Oliver (Host)

Garment, yeah. Did I pronounce it wrongly?

[00:04:07.080] - César (Guest)

You might have.

[00:04:09.320] - Oliver (Host)

Advanced.

[00:04:12.700] - César (Guest)

Well, we were actually talking about in the Spanish For False Beginners podcast about the balance of our year? Can you say balance?

[00:04:24.200] - Oliver (Host)

I would say-

[00:04:25.270] - César (Guest)

In this context? The recap?

[00:04:26.880] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah, I mean, recap. It's like "César Wrapped".

[00:04:31.800] - César (Guest)

What was Oliver's Wrapped?

[00:04:35.440] - Oliver (Host)

Well, I mean-(For 2025.) We can discuss this. If someone is interested in hearing this in Spanish, I suppose, then they can go and listen, as I said, to Spanish for False Beginners. Because in, if you're talking in another language as you're doing now, you almost think more, don't you? Because you're more careful with the words that you choose.

[00:04:57.500] - César (Guest)

I don't really. No, I am. I'm already preparing while you talk.

[00:05:04.600] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah, you're not even listening to me. I could say something like, Oh, well, I've got the divorce papers signed. I'm ready to leave you. And you're like, Great, let me talk to you about my year (Literally.) What is, what is my year? It's been a difficult year. It's been a really tough year. It feels like a very, Am- Hollywood movie because I'm like, But I've grown so much. (You've thrived.) Yeah, I've thrived through the difficulties. It's been a tough year, and I have had a lot of times when I felt quite low, I suppose. But I suppose it's the right way around because I feel really good now, and I'm very happy to be where I am, happy to be living here in Spain, happy to have you and have all of the people that I have. I'm applying for Spanish nationality right now, and I was told that I would need to take my mother's maiden name as my second name for my Spanish passport if they give me the nationality. And I really love that. I'm really pleased to know that because I obviously really love my mum, and I think it's really sweet that her name will carry on through one of her children, whereas none of her other children, obviously, you, you don't take your mother's maiden name in the UK.

[00:06:32.320] - Oliver (Host)

So I think it's really cute that I'm going to have both of those names. That is something that happened today that I found out that that would be the case. It's silly that it's such a small thing, but it's the thing that I think really makes your... It seems like an important moment to me somehow. It's almost like, if I do, when I do eventually get Spanish nationality, that it will be a kind of a new chapter.

[00:07:01.300] - César (Guest)

We were quite, we were both of us quite enthusiastic about you having a second last name with your mom's first name.

[00:07:13.100] - Oliver (Host)

This is going to be very British, though, what you're about to say, I know what you're going to say, so carry on. Tell me. But I called up my mum.

[00:07:19.720] - César (Guest)

Then you called your mum, and she was quite unbothered about it.

[00:07:23.880] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah, totally apathetic.

[00:07:27.260] - César (Guest)

We were sobbing.

[00:07:29.020] - Oliver (Host)

We were not sobbing, obviously. But maybe this is a sign that I'm becoming more Spanish, more emotional. But no, it was funny because when you left, you went to the bakery and she continued to talk about it and she actually thought it was really cute. You know, she really, really liked it actually as the conversation went on and on. (So thanks, Spain.) Yeah, thanks, Spain, for that.

[00:07:54.760] - César (Guest)

Thanks, Pedro.

[00:07:56.460] - Oliver (Host)

So since you had your answer prepared already, César, and you've had only half your brain engaged in talking about my answer, apparently. What has your "resumen" (Spanish word for summary), what is your summary of the year?

[00:08:15.480] - César (Guest)

Actually, I wasn't thinking about that. I was listening to you attentively. Well, I said on the other podcast that one lesson I learned is that you have to trust people, but at the same time, you cannot trust people entirely when it comes to business, for example. I had an issue with my former accountant.

[00:08:38.620] - Oliver (Host)

You're going to say something emotional that's going to make me uncomfortable, aren't you? (No.) Okay, go on then. Carry on.

[00:08:45.740] - César (Guest)

Okay.

[00:08:46.560] - Oliver (Host)

No, because you're talking about trusting people and stuff.

[00:08:50.220] - César (Guest)

Yeah, well, I'm (bitter?). Well, the thing is, in Spain, we have learned that Spanish people tend to be not very trustworthy. No, sorry. Trustworthy is a good quality. Trustworthy, yeah. Someone you can trust (on). Yeah. No, what I mean is they don't trust people. Is there an adjective for that?

[00:09:09.780] - Oliver (Host)

They are distrusting. (They are distrusting.) Mistrustful. (Mistrustful.) No, distrusting. Distrusting. Distrustful?

[00:09:17.860] - César (Guest)

Distrustful. Okay. So they are quite distrustful. I don't want to become that, to be honest, because I felt that that's not a very nice quality to have.

[00:09:28.080] - Oliver (Host)

You say that, become that as if you haven't been Spanish your entire life.

[00:09:31.880] - César (Guest)

Well, I am Spanish, but I moved to the UK when I was in my early 20s and lived there for 12 years or so.

[00:09:40.330] - Oliver (Host)

Before you carry on, are you aware that Spain is one of our biggest countries that listens to us before you insult an entire country?

[00:09:47.090] - César (Guest)

But I'm not insulting.

[00:09:49.360] - Oliver (Host)

Oh, I suppose not. No, because you switched from saying that they are untrustworthy to not trusting. Yeah, they're not trusting people.

[00:09:57.280] - César (Guest)

They don't trust people. And I understand they don't trust people because they turn on the television and they see, regardless of their political party, everyday (corruption), and the corruption is replicated in different aspects of your life. But I think my recap would be that I'm happy to be back in Spain. Spain is a beautiful country. I love the food here.

[00:10:23.760] - Oliver (Host)

Why are you laughing?

[00:10:23.760] - César (Guest)

I love the people here. They're so enthusiastic. I'm just mocking - you know when artists come to Spain and they have a concert in Madrid, they don't even go to a restaurant, but they always say, Oh, I love Spain. Spain, beautiful people.

[00:10:42.370] - Oliver (Host)

They go from the airport in a taxi to the hotel. (Exactly.) To the venue and never anywhere else.

[00:10:48.700] - César (Guest)

Although when Beyoncé came to Barcelona, like 10 years ago, she went to Park Güell. She did like some sightseeing. Yeah.

[00:10:59.580] - Oliver (Host)

Okay.

[00:11:00.540] - César (Guest)

Just like random pop detail. Memory. So yeah, my recap would be I'm happy to be back. Spain is a nice place to live. I understand that people want to come here to live, to find a better life regardless of their background, because there are migrants who are escaping from...

[00:11:26.840] - Oliver (Host)

Migrants.

[00:11:27.670] - César (Guest)

Migrants, sorry, who are escaping from who are chasing a better life and also expats who have a very decent life in their countries, but they want to be here to have even a better lifestyle. So yeah, and I've learned a lot. I think this year was very adult with going through all this visa, bureaucracy, paperwork, buying a property, all that.

[00:11:59.830] - Oliver (Host)

Do you know, actually, I think that that is true. It sounds absolutely pathetic that I should be 36 years old and saying this, but it's probably the first time where I haven't been able to ring up my parents and be like, What would you do? Because it's really alien, a lot of the decisions that we've had to take here because it's a totally different system from what my mum, for example, has experienced. And so, basically, she's got no more experience of it than me or no more experience than I. So it's just a matter of using common sense. I think that I do ask my sister, ask my mum a lot, What have you done when you've had to go through this? And they can't tell me. (Yeah, that's true.) So it has been quite an adult year from that perspective.

[00:12:48.360] - César (Guest)

Any New Year's resolution for 2026?

[00:12:51.080] - Oliver (Host)

I haven't even thought about it yet. We still got two weeks. I love doing New Year's resolutions. I love to have a list of 15 impossible to achieve goals so that I can brand myself a complete failure by June.

[00:13:04.100] - César (Guest)

Should I bring over our shared New Year's resolutions for 2025?

[00:13:09.370] - Oliver (Host)

I don't think that was actually... That was very low. That was the saddest thing about that. Firstly, I don't think it was actually New Year's resolutions. It was just a... No, it was just a... You're talking about the piece of paper that says things like, go to the theatre.

[00:13:22.040] - César (Guest)

We did go to the theatre in Valencia twice, at least.

[00:13:24.520] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah, well, it's like it was- (And we loved it. So we should go more.) It was a low bar, that that list of resolutions. But I do always produce a comprehensive list of resolutions that I actually... I never achieve them, obviously, because as I say, they're designed to be unachievable, basically. But I do always work towards them.

[00:13:46.680] - César (Guest)

I mean, in fairness, in 2025, at least this language learning podcast, in terms of language, I think we covered our quota. You achieved a upper intermediate level of French, almost advanced. I reach an intermediate plain average-

[00:14:05.660] - Oliver (Host)

Just say advanced, advanced, just rerecord and say advanced. But I'm joking. I love that you are actually going to do that. What does that say about me?

[00:14:15.510] - César (Guest)

You're taking up, you're starting Arabic. (Yeah, Arabic.) Arabic. So, and you're very, very engaged with that. You are producing two podcasts, intermediate and advanced.

[00:14:31.580] - Oliver (Host)

This is making me feel like - I don't want, I don't want - it's not necessary that we do this, but thank you very much. It's very sweet.

[00:14:37.420] - César (Guest)

But what I mean is I can't remember which resolutions you had at the beginning of the year, but you've achieved a lot.

[00:14:43.890] - Oliver (Host)

Do you know one that I do remember? The only one that I do remember that I'll have to go back and check my list, but I was supposed to get a tattoo and I still haven't done it. But I have got quite some piercings, so maybe that's fun enough instead. Yeah. What about you? Resolutions?

[00:15:03.340] - César (Guest)

No, not really. Losing weight for medical... Sorry.

[00:15:10.880] - Oliver (Host)

I'll bleep it.

[00:15:12.310] - César (Guest)

For medical reasons, I got something called non-alcoholic - it's not funny, actually - non-alcoholic fatty liver. So doctors have been telling me to lose weight for a bit, and I lose weight, but then I put it back. So I guess one of my resolutions is being healthier, do more exercise, do more cardio, eating less sugary things, and still enjoy life. Finding that balance where I can be healthy with my little condition and also enjoy life.

[00:15:44.440] - Oliver (Host)

I'm really sorry.

[00:15:46.040] - César (Guest)

I'm not drinking, so that's good as well.

[00:15:47.820] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah, well, no, me neither. But I am...

[00:15:51.160] - César (Guest)

Drinking alcohol. I drink lots of water.

[00:15:54.620] - Oliver (Host)

I feel like this is going off in a weird direction. I'm sorry to respond to your very personal sharing there with a correction of your grammar. It was a person. It's a phrasal verb. You lose weight and you put weight back on.

[00:16:07.280] - César (Guest)

To put weight back on? Yeah. Okay. Can you say, put it back on? Or you have to say, weight? No. Can you put the pronoun between-

[00:16:16.820] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[00:16:17.380] - César (Guest)

Put it back on.

[00:16:18.220] - Oliver (Host)

But it would be a weird thing to say to someone, put it back on, put the weight back on. I mean, if - you could, I suppose.

[00:16:26.200] - César (Guest)

If you're a feeder.

[00:16:28.400] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah. Okay, and with that, thank you very much, listener, for listening to the podcast.

[00:16:34.720] - César (Guest)

Is this the last episode of 2026? (I think it is going to be-) 2025.

[00:16:38.180] - Oliver (Host)

Realistically, yes. I would love to do another one. There will be, hopefully, a couple of episodes of the Intermediate still to come this year, but this is, I think, the final episode of the Advanced podcast.

[00:16:47.920] - César (Guest)

Plus, people don't really listen to podcast the last week of the year.

[00:16:52.080] - Oliver (Host)

Well, you say that, but I actually think that lots of people are probably desperate for something to listen to, to do that's not Christmas-related. And I mean, people, maybe this isn't... Maybe other people feel differently, but I feel like a lot of the time you go back home and you're really excited about Christmas, and then actually, Christmas can be quite dull because, you know especially if you're going somewhere where you're going back home, maybe to your small town, and most of your friends, the vast majority of your friends are not there. People are with their extended families and everything like that. And so I think actually my family is not like a board game family or even a games family, full stop, really, and most of my siblings won't be there. I think a good podcast would be appreciated.

[00:17:42.300] - César (Guest)

I'm looking forward to Christmas in your family this year.

[00:17:44.770] - Oliver (Host)

Yeah, exactly. Well, a Happy Christmas to everyone who celebrates Christmas.

[00:17:52.920] - César (Guest)

Feliz Navidad, a mi gente.

[00:17:57.030] - Oliver (Host)

Latina.

[00:17:57.800] - César (Guest)

Latina y española.

[00:17:59.870] - Oliver (Host)

God, this is so awkward. We've actually got to sign this off. Thank you very much for listening to the podcast, and see you in 2026. Happy New Year. You're going to say goodbye? Yeah.

[00:18:10.230] - César (Guest)

Goodbye. See you next year. (Bye.) Bye.