英语播客 A Cup of English Free hugs in London.

Hello everyone. I'm so pleased to be back, podcasting to you again after my week of fun in Europe.

I have lots to tell, as you can imagine. I saw some amazing places on my trip, and had a very meaningful

and inspirational time. So, where should I start? I'm a fairly emotional person, deep down,so I'll start

this podcast by telling you about something that I love to do, and found myself doing right in the middle

of London. It was on Saturday, a lovely sunny but chilly 12th of February, when I had arrived in London

with my husband from Berlin. We immediately went to our hotel in Leicester square, put our luggage in our

room, and met up with my father and his wife. They had come down to see family in London, so it was a perfect

coincidence that I was going to be there. As you might know, central London is very 'walker friendly', meaning that basically it's great to walk around, and you can easily get from one major, famous spot to the next. We walked to Trafalgar square. I snapped away with my camera as we all chatted. There was quite a crowd in the square. Amnesty International had a big, peaceful rally going on, which is similar to a demonstration. There was a lot of music, and different groups representing their causes. The group that caught my eye, however, was a tiny one of only two people. Their signs said 'Free Hugs'. Well, how could I refuse? A free hug, and from perfect strangers, .....what better way to make world peace? So I dove in and gave the two lovely guys a good old hug. In retrospect, I should have asked their names. They might start a hugging revolution, right there in Trafalgar square. Can you imagine, with all the different people from every corner of the world, hugging? That would be absolutely fantastic. Perhaps it would spread throughout London and into the Houses of Parliament...; imagine the changes that could take place there if people started to hug. I'm sure the MPs would make better decisions, and pass better laws. They could start each parliamentary meeting by doing the conga, and having a big hugging session. I think those two fellas giving free hugs in London are a couple of geniuses.

Expressions

To do the Conga, what better way to..., fella/ fellow, a good old ....

1. The Conga is a dance where you line up, holding eachother's waists, and kick your legs to the side as you move forward to the music.

2. 'What better way' is like saying 'There is no better way'. Ex: What better way to relax than in a warm bath.

3. 'Fella' is English for 'guy'. It is the short form of 'fellow', and is similar to 'chap' which is more antiquated. Ex: He's a nice fella, isn't he?

4. 'A good old hug; a good old arm wrestle; a good old pot of stew; a good old roaring fire.' Good old can be added to give a sense of endearment to a thing or an activity. It is also used sarcastically when you mean the opposite of something being good. Ex: Nothing like a good old invasion to mess everything up!