Welcome to speed learning English your podcast for smarter and more professional English hi Richard, listen when you have you been invited last know this is this is this doesn't sound sound smart to me. How would you how would you ask this question. How when have you been invited for the last time all the latest or the newest invitation. How would you ask that question. I think your first phrase in person was perfectly fine and again business if you if you come across this problem where you are kind of not confident how to express yourself in a certain way because you think the other parts that you are having a conversation with is will not be able to understand which exactly means you have to understand that the human brain is quite fantastic and it sends you just the human brain just needs certain information students the information that information information to understand what you are. We want to say and express so don't be afraid. Don't be shy just express yourself, insert somewhere in a way that you yourself feel confident that the other person will understand so you shot at the short answer to your questions and rephrase if the person was perfectly fine January. So now you have spotted a blind spot and I would just say, when was the last time, and to what function where you last saw something like that is when was the last time you were invited just this. This is your need to switch to the time she is a very simple phrase is sufficient. Okay perfect thank you very much. By the way you made one of those, some that say English phrases that a lot of Germans do like information, sensitive information, and so let's keep in mind that we make a podcast episode on on these uncountable words that are not used in the plural in German we have and for what you and then we have plural, but in an English we don't so let's keep in mind to have a podcast episode recorded on that topic. Okay, yes. Fine. So let's imagine that you are invited and let's draw a beautiful picture invitation is for dinner party at the two garden barbecue party and you are working for a company that is situated in an English-speaking country left the travel approach. Maybe you're in the United States or in Canada or Australia and the company director the boss, the CEO invites you for barbecue party at night. Now the first thing that comes to your mind is all I feel very own words should be invited to my bosses party of financial because I have never been invited before, so this would be a first experience in that sense for me and this and this shows that you are a man because a woman's first thought might be all my God, what am I going to wear her hair is almost certain that from these two points. So let's let's start with the female aspect. What am I going to where do I ask for a dress code. Do I dress myself the way I feel comfortable to address myself the way I would dress myself on the dinner barbecue party in my country. What is your recommendation I will use a phrase that I never like to use because it's so vague and so universal. But it's common sense and it sends no plan intended but out the meaning behind that in this sense, is that you have to listen which country you and if you are more and more conservative country by country I obviously cannot attend the function and how, what, what are the politically correct ways in and what days is that help me and kind of I'm not sure what you're what you're looking so I love your living. It considers the country and as a woman you come there batches but you won't get is that being a woman, you will never go there being two let's say two with the with the dress that is too short or with handicapped Circuits and skepticism to the sewer gases and returns the list also sprinkler system of no phrase never pushes many faculty sectors and okay it must partner with the parliament dish, then the okay let's start with the female version, what to wear when you're invited for dinner or barbecue party. Obviously They are not. You can wear office of office attire let sense and it should be the you should adapt to that function. Obviously if you're going to the office you aware your your your your your office attire with a letter if you're going to party in that sense I would say that's a party and you will adapt your fashion and in your your outfits to see that function. Obviously, you have to look out for. If it's summer, winter time, then you have to look out for specific cultural differences. Example what is acceptable in your country is not necessarily acceptable in another country is something you have to look out for and then I believe that everyone has been to a party in a scene and party outfits let sense and yes yes well is too short or too long. That's a topic for another day and I don't know if to two males in a position to be talking about fashion senses of females. That's right. One thing one thing that I can recommend this if you're not sure how to react because there there is one question is what to wear and the next what to bring. As a present or as a gesture of gratefulness and normally when you are in another country you were staying in a hotel and if you are invited for dinner party or for the barbecue party of the CEO. You're probably not staying in a cheap B&B so you're staying in the in a nice hotel. Go to the receptionist and say look Sir I need your help will look middle manager help and invited tonight either just for for dinner in a private situation for business dinner for barbecue party for going to the opera, whatever, and what what am I supposed to wear what am I supposed to bring with me as a present for the guests for further host for the gifts for the host and you have to be in time would have to be there a little bit earlier. Do they expect me to be a little bit late, depending on the culture and these receptionists are very good advisor to to answer questions like that, especially if you are in a intercountry way. You have the impression that the culture is completely different mean in Italian, for in Italy, for example, people believe the Germans have no sense of fashion they say if you invite to determine or should we determine they don't have any sense for for fashion so they they accept nearly everything, but in other countries that might be a certain dress code so yeah receptionists are good a good choice. Or maybe, if you have a good connection to the secretary of the CEO. You can even ask their for example, what would be good present to bring for him for her for the partner, etc. if I can trust you there. I think it would be good and universal rule is to always take something with you that your country or your region is famous for. So for example if you are in Switzerland or your Swiss and would take Swiss chocolate with. If you are and you can go a good on the list and go down the list and find examples and if it if you aren't from Germany. You can also when you're in the wine regions and take perfectly take a German one with you yesterday and people overthink this often times just take something. One reason they overthink it because they do not understand that they often times on the same socioeconomic castle, whether you are in a very different country than your original country. Your boss has traveled has and has seen several universities and is more or less cosmopolitan, so your boss will understand your cultural background and will be will be will be honored if I may use this word to receive this to receive this gift because it's the person you think you all know he he thought he thought he thought to bring a gift for me and he is so proud of. She's a part of his or her country that is trying to bring apart of his or her identity to me and to try to introduce his or herself to Lisa. In essence, take a gift that is specific to country and is that is popular in the country when when we go to foreign countries. For example, we been to Greece and Italy and Portugal and we stay with in those same air B&B houses know you always meet the host and we always bring presence with us. And of course we have this typical wine. We have this German chocolate. We have some that say sausages to bring, but but we also always have a small bunch of flowers that we buy locally and we have a small picture book showing the beauty of our area because I came across people say well that's a very good wine but we don't drink any alcohol. Well, that's a beautiful sausage, but we are vegetarians and there are more and more people even and in the position of CEO hire that do not drink any alcohol anymore. They don't eat meat because they they know how these and how this food affects the brain and the body and their trust in such a high performance that they can't risk to to lose any brain cells how to say sources of gesture when we have when we have high-class performers nor language courses. I hardly find one who drinks alcohol. That's really impressive, so the higher the position the less alcohol and the more they they take care of the nutrition and that that's why we have this this typical here. We live in the wine region it's it's it's forbidden to travel abroad without wine here in this area you have to export some wind to a host but still there are a lot of people who don't drink our call anymore, for good reasons and they don't eat meat or hardly any meat and if they eat meat. They want to know where it comes from and this is also for good reasons. So a bunch of flowers for the lady and maybe a picture book showing the beauty of the country or the region where you're from, could be a good combination for Mr. no*and so the pictures perfectly fine. But what if what is when the recipient is allergic to this type of source well in this case and bad luck, and I felt like my mother. Mother always wanted to have a bunch of flowers from from the field and from the Meadows for Mother's Day and my sister is highly allergic against this. Also this part of flowers was in our house. My mother was delighted and my sister was suffering, and sneezing with her big brother and depending on how my sister behaved two weeks before Mother's Day, I decided word take one of those bunches of flowers or maybe get some chocolate or whatever for my mother. Well, as to make a long story short, we can't really am looking for a phrasebook fish taken. How would you translate to existing can easily complement the existing can consider all components where you can consider all components. Thank you. So if you have the chance. Taking the CEO to invite you to talk to the secretary. Ask how can I do know what would be a good present. How can I impress or make make this person happy to see drink wine the sea. This was like chocolate and flowers, etc. and, yes, and if not, I mean the gastro is important and the in this case, just take it easy and choose what everybody works it would choose something to bring for the man and something to look at for the woman yes indeed bring something for the wife or the husband of CEO and in this case. Most seals are men and so always think of the wife is as good. Okay now let's think of our wives as well. Will finish this episode for today and next episode I want to talk to you about how to be German. I came across a very nice book written by Adam Fletcher how to be German and 50 easy steps and I would like to discuss some points of that with you. Thank you. Take care and talk next week to next week. Thank you