Shadowing Practice: I Spent TWO Weeks in Tokyo to Shop...Here's Where I Went! - Learn English Speaking with Video
Creating lesson...
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Good afternoon everyone, welcome to Tokyo.
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This is our little apartment that we're staying in.
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Albie is here for three months
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because he is in Japanese language school learning some Japanese and I'm here just having a blast.
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Every weekday Albie has class
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so I will have like four hours every single day to just like do what I need to do
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and I feel like Japan
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or Tokyo is a really safe city to travel solo especially as a woman so I'm gonna go out and do stuff.
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I'm also a huge introvert so the fact
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that like no one bothers you no one talks to you
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while you're just out and about by yourself it's like an introvert's dream over here so let's rock and roll
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I'm going
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to go to the next video.
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0 to 10?
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10. Out of 20?
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Out of 10.
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Out of 20?
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20?
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What the heck was that?
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Oh, I was talking into this.
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Good afternoon, everyone.
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I have my yogurt drink, milk-rich flavor.
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What does that mean?
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Nobody knows, but it's provocative.
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So provocative that we bought it because we didn't know what it meant.
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You know what I'm saying?
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Here are our outfits of the day.
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we are going to a neighborhood in Tokyo today called Kuenji.
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If this is your style, this vibe, you know, like Ivy preppy style, this is the neighborhood that you need to be going to.
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There is so many like Ralph Lauren Americana shops.
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So it's really nice.
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And there's also my favorite store.
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Yes.
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He got some really nice Alden loafers there.
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I would like to see
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if I can find a pair of loafers for myself they only have men's shoes
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but japanese men's shoe sizes tend to be smaller
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and narrower than western men's sizing so i'm hoping
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that i can find something for me that would be very exciting for me
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so let's get going let's go take a long we love fun say
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say tara now manga people that are now manga people period No.
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So we randomly came across this, well I guess not randomly, we pursued it.
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We found it on Google Maps, but it was like a banh mi place called Banh Mi By Me.
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Cute.
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And it was like this couple in like this little shop and the food was actually super good.
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I got a chicken banh mi with peanut sauce and sesame sauce, or a peanut sesame sauce, and it was so good.
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I loved it.
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What did you get?
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I think I got like the traditional pate roast pork.
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It's really good.
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Oh, that was a kid.
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I was like, what the hell is that?
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I was like, what the hell is that?
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Yes.
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And then I also got a Vietnamese iced coffee, you know, with condensed milk.
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I gotta have that.
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And now I feel much better.
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Now you can actually vlog.
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You have the energy?
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Yes.
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So now we're going to vintage shops.
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This neighborhood is particularly famous for its vintage shop with Shimokitazawa But I think Koenji is a bit nicer.
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Shimokitazawa has become a bit touristy while here there's some really good shops particularly
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if you like like Ivy Yeah there's a lot of really cool shops over here Probably
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because I have a camera with the microphone out so
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Welcome to the
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Very nice.
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Very nice.
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Like new.
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Oh my gosh, it's so much better.
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It's so better.
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Yeah, it was falling apart.
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Like the tip as well.
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Yeah.
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Oh, that looks so good. So nice.
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Hello folks, we are now on our way to build our own fountain pen.
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We actually went to this place a few days ago, but I wanted to record it and I forgot my camera.
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So I got my camera, we're here on another day, and we're gonna make our own fountain pen.
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Very excited.
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This looks so bad.
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This looks like a pen pen, right?
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Alright, see ya.
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I think I can have one of the glasses like this.
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Yeah, it's fine. Is that matching?
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I can't tell.
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Yeah, it's matching.
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Oh, no, it's never mind.
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Show me how excited I am. So, I'm
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going to
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go to the next video.
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Thank you.
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Thank you yeah
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You found what you liked?
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Mm-hmm.
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Show me. Be happy.
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Mission success.
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Alright, so we have some fantastic news, folks.
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Woke up this morning, got ready, took a shower, did my hair, did the whole thing.
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I'm wearing a full pink outfit because I am sakura-maxing.
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You know what I'm saying?
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We get all the way here to Shinjuku...
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What is this place called?
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Gion Park.
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And they are all booked out for the day.
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So we can't go see the cherry blossoms.
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We're trying to find some other places to take photos, but today's a Sunday.
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And I feel like the flowers are, most of them are like in full bloom already.
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So we might have a difficult time trying to find a place to get into, but we'll see.
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We planned our outfit today.
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I was the flower and he is the tree.
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You know what I'm saying?
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Because he's wearing all brown, I'm wearing all pink.
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So, you know, we figured it out.
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You know, we had a plan, but...
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But did we?
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Our plans were.. we didn't have a plan actually.
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We had a plan for our outfits, but we didn't have a plan for which park we were going to go to.
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We go to Yama, the cemetery.
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Is that crazy though, to go to a cemetery to see cherry blossoms?
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It is crazy, but it is listed as one of the most beautiful places, cherry blossoms.
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We go there and see what they are doing.
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Okay.
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Is that far?
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I think a bus.
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Is it close to Nakamiguro?
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No, but we can go after.
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Okay, see you guys later.
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Bye. Do men deserve eyelashes?
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Do men deserve this?
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look to the side blink a few times do men deserve
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that we are on our way to nakameguro we actually came here a couple of days ago
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but it was raining
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so it was kind of crazy we're on our way to like their little night market
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that they have at nakameguro and it looks very very crowded
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but it is a sunday and we were expecting this
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so i need my churro so we're gonna go they have really good I'm sure I was here.
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Awwww
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What do
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you have to say for yourself?
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Nothing.
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Confess.
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You wanna look at the photos that this cute couple got of us? So cute!
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Very cute!
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But that's not what I meant you should confess.
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What do you wanna eat?
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Confess!
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Churro.
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How many churros have you had?
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Just one.
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And you've been talking about it ever since?
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Yeah, because it was really good.
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Let's go get your churro.
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It's really delicious.
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God forbid a woman like a little churro.
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Churro!
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We're getting my churro.
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Success!
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Success!
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Good morning, folks.
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Albie is at school right now, so I'm going to head to town and do some last-minute shopping because I am leaving tomorrow.
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However, I just found out that you can get prescription eyeglasses within like 40 minutes without insurance here.
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so I need new sunglasses.
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I mean I need new prescription glasses.
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I don't really like the frames that I have
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so I want to go to this place and see if I can get new glasses today.
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Apparently you can get them in 40 minutes so let's see if that actually happens. so So
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you
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are going to think I'm a silly goose?
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Yes.
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I tried to pay for my glasses and there's no contact list.
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Contactless.
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And you didn't bring your mother.
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How much is that?
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I will pay... so Wow.
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Wow, incredible.
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Amazing.
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Wow.
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This one is Ichigo Strawberry.
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My favorite character in my favorite anime.
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It's also called Ichigo.
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Ichigo Kurozaki.
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And this is, this one they call it here banana.
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Okay.
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Yay.
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That's mine.
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They just, let's go eat it.
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It's Asia and Albi reporting from Tokyo City.
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Asia, how are you today?
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I'm good.
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I'm gonna eat this.
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Okay.
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And she bites in.
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She does it as a cream.
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She does it as strawberries.
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Just the crap.
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There's a golf store behind me and they sell Sanrio golf club covers.
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I'm tempted.
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I'm tempted folks.
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What if I'm tempted to get it?
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I want castor nutella.
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We have moved on from that conversation.
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Okay, see you later.
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Bye.
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Thank you.
About This Lesson
In this lesson, you will practice your English speaking skills by engaging with a lively transcript about a travel experience in Tokyo. The focus will be on enhancing your spoken English through various contexts such as navigating the city, interacting with locals, and expressing personal experiences. By utilizing the shadowing technique, you’ll not only improve your vocabulary but also your pronunciation and fluency. Whether you’re an introvert exploring solo travel or simply curious about cultural nuances, this lesson will help you become more comfortable speaking English.
Key Vocabulary & Phrases
- Introvert - A person who prefers solitary activities and feels more comfortable alone or in small groups.
- Wander - To walk or move around without a specific destination; explore.
- Neighborhood - A specific area within a city or town, often characterized by its own unique vibe or features.
- Banh Mi - A Vietnamese sandwich that combines various ingredients in a baguette.
- Vibe - The emotional atmosphere or feeling of a place.
- Flavors - Distinct tastes in food or drink, used here to describe a yogurt drink.
- Shop - A place where goods are sold; often a small, specialized retail store.
Practice Tips
To get the most out of this lesson, consider using a shadowing app to practice along with the transcript. Focus on the speaker's rhythm and intonation, especially since the conversational tone in this video is relaxed and friendly. Here are some specific tips:
- Start by listening to the transcript without speaking. Pay attention to how the speaker expresses excitement and curiosity about the local culture and food.
- Next, replay the audio and try to repeat what you hear immediately after, practicing the shadowing technique. Mimick the speaker's pauses and emphasize certain words to improve your English pronunciation.
- Since the video involves descriptions of neighborhoods and experiences, try to incorporate similar phrases when talking about your own travels or experiences to enhance your vocabulary.
- Record your voice as you practice. Listening back can provide insight into your speaking pace and pronunciation, allowing you to refine your skills.
- Engage daily with various shadowing sites or resources that provide transcripts, and mix them with the insights gained from this video.
By consistently applying these techniques, you will not only improve your English speaking skills but also build confidence in engaging with real-world conversations.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.