"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, AND that has made all the difference" The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

DREAMING IN ENGLISH. Are you dreaming in English yet?

WELCOME!!! This is a bit of a challenge for me!!! This blog is intended for all audiences. I hope you enjoy and get the most of it!!!

Here you might find resources to help you navigate the muddy waters of English. The humble aim of this blog is just to keep you in touch with different types of English and different aspects of the English culture , to increase your curiosity about English through many different fields.

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Are you dreaming in English yet? por BE se encuentra bajo una Licencia Creative Commons Atribución-NoComercial-SinDerivadas 3.0 Unported.

lunes, 26 de marzo de 2012

EATING OUT. American diners

The diner is an icon of American culture and its formulae has been imitated all over the world.  Fluffy pancakes, burgers,  fries are nowadays global fast food elements. There are world-wide chains based on this idea of food. However, despite that, diners are still a landmark of US culture.
First diners started running  in the 19th century and provided with cheap, homemade food.



Diners almost invariably serve American food such as hamburgers, french fries, club sandwiches, and so on. Much of the food is grilled, as early diners were based around a grill.  There is often an emphasis on breakfast foods such as eggs (including omelettes), waffles, pancakes, and French toast. Some diners serve these "breakfast foods" all day long. Many diners have transparent display cases in or behind the counter for the desserts. It is common with new diners to have the desserts displayed in rotating pie cases.

We´ve seen them in films many times and we have seen some with decorations from the 50s, with  jukeboxes, etc. It is also  said they were a symbol of optimism. Summing up, places with a characteristic architecture and an example  of the vernacular nature. In films such as PULP FICTION they play an important role , the diner is part of the film, like another character.


DO Y0U LIKE  BURGERS? WHICH ARE YOUR FAVOURITE ONES? HOW OFTEN DO YOU EAT THEM? PULP FICTION SCENE. HAMBURGERS.






DO YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WHEN ORDERING FOOD IN A RESTAURANT? HERE YOU HAVE SOME TIPS TO HELP YOU IMPROVE YOUR SKILLS . Watch the video and learn some useful vocabulary  and expressions.



Have a look at these links and practise your every day language.
http://video.about.com/esl/English-Restaurant-Vocabulary.htm
http://youtu.be/FJQj8Ye9e1Y
http://youtu.be/hUU8hwl7WHA
http://a4esl.org/q/h/vm/m-restaurant.html


EATING ALL OVER THE  WORLD
Do you want to know about  other people´s habits  when eating? Have a look at this quiz and find it out.
http://www.fekids.com/img/kln/flash/DontGrossOutTheWorld.swf




SUZANNE VEGA wrote one  of her hits in a diner near her home. For her, a diner is place " between home and the street". In the song she watches the world through a  New Yorker diner´s window. It seems the diner for her is an enigmatic place through which she can see  time go by but at the same time it is a place for reflection, isolation.
Listen to the song and answer the following questions.



1. What is the woman doing at the diner?
2. Why is the man looking out of  the window? Who comes  in and what happens?
3.  How does the singer feel and what does she do?
4. What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?
5. Why does she stop reading the paper?
6.  What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions
7.  At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know what it is?
8. Write down a summary of  the whole story using your own words.

21 comentarios:

Unknown dijo...

1. What is the woman doing at the diner?

She's waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee and he fills it only halfway.

2. Why is the man looking out of the window? Who comes in and what happens?

Because somebody coming in to the diner. He is looking out the window to a woman who shaking her umbrella and they are kissing their hellos.


3. How does the singer feel and what does she do?

She is pretending not to see them. She pour the milk in the coffee.


4. What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?

There's a story of an actor who had died while he was drinking.Later she reads the horoscope and the funnies.

5. Why does she stop reading the paper?

Because she feeling someone watching her and so she raises her head.


6. What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions.

She sees her own reflection in the window and she's hitching up her skirt and while she's straightening her stockings. Her hair has gotten wet.


7. At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know what it is?

I think she is sad because she looks the rain in the street and she thinks in someone's voice that she loves while listening to the bells of the church.


8. Write down a summary of the whole story using your own words.

A girl is having breakfast at the diner and she watches everything going on around: the people and their gestures into and out the diner, the newspaper... And she listen all that she can because I think she loves the small details.

Ainhoa Casado Exposito dijo...

1. What is the woman doing at the diner?

She's sitting on the corner, waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffe.

2. Why is the man looking out of the window? Who comes in and what happens?

Because a woman coming in to the diner. the waiter says that it is always nice to meet her and then they kissing.


3. How does the singer feel and what does she do?

She try to don´t look their and pour the milk in the coffee.


4. What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?

There's a story of an actor who had died while he was drinking.Later she reads the horoscope and the funnies.

5. Why does she stop reading the paper?

Because she feeling someone watching her, but the woman who is out the dinner only sees her on reflection.


6. What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions.

She use the glass like a mitrror and she's hitching up her skirt and while she's straightening her stockings. Her hair has gotten wet.


7. At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know what it is?

I think she is unhappy because she looks the rain in the street and she becames sad, she thinks in the voice of someone that she loves while she is listening a song.


8. Write down a summary of the whole story using your own words.

The woman is having breakfast at the diner while she waits to catch the train, and she watches all the things that is happening: the couple that is kissing,the newspaper, the woman who is aoutside the dinner... And she listen a song and remember the voice of a special person.

LOS ATRAPAZETAS dijo...

SUZANNE VEGA - TOM'S DINER.

1. What is the woman doing at the diner?

.She's sitting in the morning at the dinner on the corner. She's waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee.

2. Why is the man looking out of the window? Who comes in and what happens?

.He is looking out the window because somebody coming in.
.Comes a woman shaking her umbrella and the man behind the counter says 'It is always nice to see you’. They are kissing their hellos.

3. How does the singer feel and what does she do?

.She's pretending not to see them instead She pours the milk.

4. What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?

.There's a story of an actor who had died while he was drinking. Later she's turning to the horoscope and reads the funnies.

5. Why does she stop reading the paper?

.She stops reading because feeling someone watching her. There's a woman on the outside looking inside but no she doesn’t really sees her, she sees her own reflection.

6. What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions.

.She's hitching up her skirt and while she's straightening her stockings her hair has gotten wet.

7. At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know what it is?

.She seems to be sad both in her feelings as in the environment that appreciates, rain... remembers a special voice and she feels sadness an important moment before the rain.

8. Write down a summary of the whole story using your own words.

.A woman is having breakfast in a diner and is counting and expressing all his feelings, all she does and everything that happens around them. She remembers a voice with sadness while it is raining and listening to the bells of a church.

Sara Benítez Gómez dijo...

1. what is the woman doing at the dinner?
She is sitting and waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee.

2. why is the man looking out of the window? who comes in and what happens?
Because a woman was shaking her umbrella, and came in. and when she came inside, the counter says: it's always nice to see you. after that they kissing.

3. how does the singer feel and what does she do?
she looks to another place because she doesn't want to see them and she pours the milk.

4. what kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?
she opened the newspaper and read a story of an actor who died while he was drinking. after that she read the horoscope and the funnies.

5. what does she stop reading the paper?
she stopped because she was feeling that somebody was watching her, so she raises her head. but this is false because nobody was looking her.

6. what is the woman doing on the other side of the window?
she was outside and she sees her own reflection like a mirror. she's hitching up her skirt, and she's straightening her stockings. it was rainning so her hair was wet.

7. at the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. do you know what it is?
i think that she feels unhappy because it was rainning, cause she remember a voice of a special person. and she was listening the bells of the cathedral and i think that she remember a song with its.

8. write down a summary of the whole story using your own words.
a girl was having breakfast at the dinner of the counter, and she was looking all around her, and she was describing all that she saw. after that she listened the bell to the cathedral and she thought about a special person of her life.

Jaime Jimenez Gonzalez dijo...

SUZANNE VEGA - TOM´S DINER

1- She is waiting at the counter in the corner for the man to pour cofee.

2- Because somebody is coming in to the diner. He sees a the women with her umbrella and they are kissing as their hellos.

3- She is pretending not to see them instead. She pours the milk.

4- There is a story of an actor who had died while he was drinking, also horoscope´s story and funnies´s story.

5- Because she is feeling someone watching her and so she raise her head.

6- She is hitching up her skirt while she is straightening her stocking and her hair has gotten wet because it is raining.

7- Yes, I believe that she is unhappy and is loving of someone and she remember his voice while she is listening the bells of cathedral.

8- There is a girl in a diner that she is looking out all in the diner: she watch the newspaper, she watching as two person are kissing, she try doesn't watch . In the end, she remember the voice of someone who she love.

cristina dijo...

1. What is the woman doing at the diner?
she´s sitting on the corner and waiting for the man to pour the coffee

2. Why is the man looking out of the window? Who comes in and what happens?
because somebody coming in to the diner and the man behind the counter said "it is always nice to see you " and then kissed the girl .

3. How does the singer feel and what does she do?
she's pretending not to see them and she poured the milk.

4. What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?
she read a story of a actor who died while he was drinking. Then , turned to the horoscope and looked the funnies

5. Why does she stop reading the paper?
because she's felt someone watching her , but the woman of outside only sees her own reflection.

6. What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions
she's hitching up the skirt and is straightening her stockings , her hair has gotten wet.

7. At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know
what it is?
i think she is sad because she remember the voice of a person she love when listening the bells

8. Write down a summary of the whole story using your own words.

A girl was having breakfast in to the diner and she´s watching all we happening, then when she´s listening the bells ,remember the voice of a person.

Sergio Encinas dijo...

1_She is sitting at the counter in the corner for the man to pour cofee
2_Because somebody come in to the dinner.She is a woman and the waiter says that it is always nice to meet her and then they kissing.
3_She is pretending not to see them but instead she pours the milk.
4_A story of an actor who died while he was drinking,after that,she reads the horoscope and some funnies.
5_Because she feeling someone watching her,but the woman who was out of the dinner is only looking her reflection.
6_She was looking in the windows her reflection like a mirror.she's hitching up her skirt,it was rainning so her hair was wet.
7_She feels unhappy becuase the rain and the bells that she listen do she to remember the voice of somebody important or a important moment with a important person.
8_There was a girl in the diner and she was discribing all what pass on the bar,the people who entered and things like this,but finally she was sad because she remember a person special for him.

Lidia dijo...

1.What is the woman doing at the diner?

She is sitting in the morning at the diner on the corner and waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee

2.Why is the man looking out of the window? Who comes in and what happens?

Because a woman come in to the diner. She is shaking her umbrella. The man behind the counter said “nice to see you” and then they are kissing their hellos

3.How does the singer feel and what does she do?

She looks away and she begins to pour the coffee

4.What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?

She is reading a history about an actor who had died while he was drinking. Later she looked at the horoscope and the funnies

5.Why does she stop reading the paper?

Because someone was watching her

6.What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions

The woman sees her own reflection in the window. She is hitching up her skirt and while she's straightening her stockings her hair has gotten wet.

7.At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know what it is?

I think she is sad because is raining and she remember the voice of a person she loves when the bells ring

8.Write down a summary of the whole story using your own words.

A woman is having a breakfast. She is looking at everything going on around, then she watch the newspaper and when the bells ring she remembered the voice of a person, maybe one love

Unknown dijo...

1. What is the woman doing at the diner?
She is sitting in the morning at the diner on the corner and she is waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee
2. Why is the man looking out of the window? Who comes in and what happens?
Because somebody coming in to the diner.
He is looking at a woman by the window that is shaking his umbrella
3. How does the singer feel and what does she do?
She pretends not to see them and she serves the milk in the coffee
4. What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?
First she reads the story of an actor who died while drinking then she looked at the horoscope and the funnies
5. Why does she stop reading the paper?
Because someone was watching her
6. What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions
The woman sees her reflection in the window. She is hitching up her skirt as she straightens her stockings. His hair is wet
7. At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know what it is?
She feels sad because she sees the rain and reminds someone she loves when the cathedral bells are ringing
8. Write down a summary of the whole story using your own words.
The woman is having breakfast in the restaurant, meanwhile, she is watching everything that happens around him. Later she sees rain and when she is listening the bells of the cathedral she remember an important person for her.

Anónimo dijo...

1. What is the woman doing at the diner?
-She is waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee and he fills it only half way.
2. Why is the man looking out of the window? Who comes in and what happens?
-Because somebody is going to come in. Comes a girl, she shake her umbrella and then, they kiss.
3. How does the singer feel and what does she do?
-She feels like "embarrased" and she tries not to look them. She pour the milk.
4. What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?
-She read in the newspaper an history of an actor who has died while he was drinking.
5. Why does she stop reading the paper?
-Because she feels that someone is watching her.
6. What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions
-The woman is looking inside the diner but she only see her own reflection. Then, the woman starts to hitching up her skirt, she straight her stockings and her hair become wet.
7. At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know what it is?
I think that is sadness because while it's raining she remembers someone's voice that she loves and is not there.
8. Write down a summary of the whole story using your own words.
There is a girl in a diner that is looking around and listening all the things that happen, a woman on the outside, people kissing, a man who pour a coffe...and she thinks is the voice of a person that she really loves.
Leire Quirós

Ivan Vasilev dijo...
Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
Fatima Asenjo Lopez dijo...

1- She is sitting on the corner, waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee.
2- Because somebody was is coming in. A woman comes in and she is shaking her umbrella, the man says her that is always nice to meet her and then they kiss.
3- The singer feels sad because she says that she is pretending not to see them. She pours the milk.
4- A story of an actor who had died while he was drinking and then she reads the horoscope looking for the funnies.
5- Because she is feeling someone watching her, so she raises her head.
6- She sees her own reflection in the window. She is hitching up her skirt and she is straightening her stockings, her hair has gotten wet.
7- She feels sad because she is said in the voice of a person listening the bells of the cathedral.
8- She is in love and she is sad so she pretends not to see the men and the woman kissing in the diner and when she goes out

Ivan Vasilev dijo...

1-She is waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffee.

2-He looks somebody who comes in to the diner. A woman comes and they start kissing their hellos.

3-She is pretending not to see them and she pours the milk in the coffee.

4-A story of an actor who had died while he was drinking.Then she starts to read the horoscope and the funnies.

5-Because she is feeling someone is watching her and so she raises her head.

6-She is hitching up her skirt while she is straightening her stockings.

7-Is sad because she is in love with someone and this person is not there with her and I think this story maybe happened to her.

8-A girl is having breakfast at the diner and she watches everything around her like a woman with a umbrella...and she thinks is the voice of a person that she really loves.

LOS ATRAPAZETAS dijo...

1. She is sitting at the counter of a diner in the morning waiting for the man to pour her coffee
2. He is looking at somebody coming in the diner and enters a woman who shakes her umbrella.
3. She looks a couple kissing and she feels alone and pretends not to sees them.
4.She read that a story of an actor who had died while he was drinking.
Then she looked the horoscope and the funnies.
5.Because she felt like someone was watching at her.
6.There's a woman outside that does not see her and she is hitching up her skirt. She's straightening her stockings and her hair is getting wet
7. She was melancholic.I think a man broke her heart and she was remembering him.
8. There's a woman in a diner having a breakfast while she looks all that happens around her.
She describes all what she sees like the woman outside, the server, the couple kissing, the newspaper,etc. And not very directly shows her feelings.

This is of Virginia, she can't to put the comments :)

Antonio Vaz dijo...

1) She is waiting at the counter for the men to pour the coffee.

2) He is looking out the windows at somebody comming into. A woman come in and shake a umbrella, Then they kiss.

3) She pretending not see them and so pour the milk in the coffee

4) She read in the newspaper a history of an actor who had died while he was drinking.

5) Because someone was watching her.

6) She is hitching up her skirt and straightening her stockings.

7) I think she is sad because was rainning and she remember the voice of a person who she love when listening the bells of the cathedral.

8) Is a girl who is in the restaurant and sees everything that happens in there until he hears bells and reminds a person who loved.

BE dijo...

Thanks for your comments. They are ok and some of you have a nice summary.
The only thing i have to say is that you have to pay attention to some grammar mistakes such as the "-s" 3rd person singular.
Most of you have forgotten about it!!! I see that some of you have problems with tenses and you change from past to present and the other way round, which makes your text sometimes difficult to follow.

Unknown dijo...
Este comentario ha sido eliminado por el autor.
Unknown dijo...

1. What is the woman doing at the diner?
she is waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffe.

2. Why is the man looking out of the window? Who comes in and what happens?
He is looking out the window because somebody coming in.
A woman comes and they star kissing

3. How does the singer feel and what does she do?
She looks to the other side and pour the milk because she prefer not to see them.

4. What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?
She read a story of an actor who had died while he was drinking

5. Why does she stop reading the paper?
Because she think someone is looking her.

6. What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions
The woman is looking inside but she sees her own reflection , she is hitching up her skirt and while she´s straightening her stockings her hair has gotten wet.

7. At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know what it is?
She is sad and looking at the window thinking in her voice

8. Write down a summary of the whole story using your own words.
A girl is having breakfast at the diner and she try to watch everything in the restaurant and she tell us what she is watching and finally she tell her feelings.

Anónimo dijo...

1. What is the woman doing at the diner?
She's waiting for a coffee.

2. Why is the man looking out of the window? Who comes in and what happens?
He sees that someone he knows is about to come in. A woman comes in and then they kiss.

3. How does the singer feel and what does she do?
Myabe she feels uncomfortable and she pretends that she hasn't see anything. Then she pours the milk in her coffee.

4. What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?
She reads about an actor she doesn't know who died while he was drinking.

5. Why does she stop reading the paper?
Because she feels that someone is watching her and she raises her head to see who it is.

6. What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions
She looks in the window to see herself, how she looks. She hitches up her skirt and straightens her stockings.

7. At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know what it is?
I think she is caught by the melancholy of the rainy days and as she is alone she's reminding of the voice of someone she loves.

8. Write down a summary of the whole story using your own words.
She's at the diner a rainy day morning having a coffee and thinks about the things that happen around her. A waiter visited by his lover, a woman fixing her clothes while watching in the window... She reads nothing important in the newspaper and notice that something is missing.

mario dijo...

1.when men serve the coffee she waits at the counter
2.he sees someone he knows and then kisses another
3.She is pretending not to see them and she pours the milk in the coffee.
4.she had read a story about a person who died drinking
5.she had mistake because I felt that someone was watching but it is her reflection
6.She is hitching up her skirt while she's straightening her stockings
7.she thought he was in love with someone and that person was not with her
8.the girl eating in the diner .when she hear the bells she remember the voice of the other person.the voice of yur love

Unknown dijo...

SUZANNE VEGA - TOM'S DINER.

1. What is the woman doing at the diner?
She's sitting on the corner, waiting at the counter for the man to pour the coffe.

2. Why is the man looking out of the window? Who comes in and what happens?
Because somebody was is coming in. A woman comes in and she is shaking her umbrella, the man says her that is always nice to meet her and then they kiss.
3. How does the singer feel and what does she do?
She's pretending not to see them instead She pours the milk.

4. What kind of stories does she read in the newspaper?
The story of an actor who had died while I was drinking. Later she's turning to the horoscope and reads the funnies

5. Why does she stop reading the paper?
Because she is feeling someone watching her, so she raises her head
6. What is the woman doing on the other side of the window? Describe her actions.
She's hitching up her skirt and while she's straightening her stockings her hair has gotten wet.
7. At the end we find out something about the singer and her feelings. Do you know what it is?
She feels sad because she is said in the voice of a person listening the bells of the cathedral.

8. Write down a summary of the whole story using your own words.
A woman is having breakfast in a cafe and start counting everything they see and feel around all the feelings and sensations felt in that moment