Transcript of Bitesize Ep 056 - Transcript

Charlie:
Hello and welcome to the British English podcast, the place that helps you better understand British culture and British English. In today's episode, we're going to be focusing on a British panel show or yeah, TV show called Room 101. It's a game show that is based on a fictional concept from George Orwell's novel, 1984. In the book, Room 101 is a torture chamber where a person's worst fear is used against them to break their will. But in the game show, it's not so vicious. It's it's a place where celebrity guests are invited to talk about their pet peeves, phobias and anything that annoys or scares them, which is what makes it so good for British people because it allows us to vent about the things that bother us that otherwise we'd not be allowed to voice or confront because we don't like to. We don't like to be direct, of course. So, yes, today we are going to be talking about some issues or one issue perhaps that I have, and I'm going to be doing it with Harry. Hello, Harry. How are you doing today? Hi.

Harry:
Yeah, good. I'm looking forward to talking about your issues. Normally talk about my issues. So it's good to good to talk about someone else's.

Charlie:
Do you watch this game show much or have you watched ever?

Harry:
I have watched this show, but who was it hosted by? Frank Skinner?

Charlie:
Yes. There's been multiple hosts throughout the decades. But yes, Frank Skinner is the current one, I think.

Harry:
Okay. I don't even know if it's still on telly. But yeah, it's a good concept for a show. I like it. Yeah, I like it. I've never really watched it that much, but I like it as a topic of conversation as well. I think it's pretty good. You were right in saying that English people, you know, we like a moan. This gives us the, you know, the opportunity to moan about the things that do our heads in. So it's pretty good.

Charlie:
Yeah, I did bring it up once at a dinner table. And it didn't go down well. People just thought I was just moaning. They didn't quite accept that it was a like a game and we can discuss it. They were just like, Oh. Okay. You don't like that? And then there was nothing more. I think I was...

Harry:
What was this, your parents house or...?

Charlie:
No, it was whilst we were on holiday with Stacey's parents.

Harry:
Okay. And you? So you were planning on doing it? Had you recently done an episode about it or something?

Charlie:
Yeah. So it was on my mind.

Harry:
Okay. When you plan a conversation topic, it doesn't normally go down very well. Yeah. You've told me about your date night with Stacey, where you try and introduce a topic so that you can have an interesting debate or... And it normally goes down pretty badly, doesn't it? So, yeah, it doesn't surprise me. It doesn't surprise me. Hey, guys, what do you think if we talk about this game show, You know, it's really fun, isn't it? It's not going to go well.

Charlie:
Yeah. It annoys me that it doesn't go down well.

Harry:
It has to be more organic.

Charlie:
Because, you know, we're just surface level sometimes and not just specifically with Stacey and her parents. A lot of dinner chat is pretty surface level, superficial shit.

Harry:
Yeah, I agree.

Charlie:
You know, it'd be much better, much more profound if we start complaining about dressing gowns.

Harry:
Yeah, you could just... Yeah, maybe miss out the thing where you're introducing a show, but just go. What do you guys think about dressing gowns? Just out of nowhere. All right, so that's what you're. So you're painting your house this weekend? Okay. Yeah. What do you think about dust? Isn't that annoying? The way it all builds up in the crevices?

Charlie:
Yeah, that's a good way to segue into it. Or What are you doing this weekend? Oh, so you lounging around in the morning? Will you be wearing a dressing gown in the morning? Yeah? [No] No, no. Good. [No] Hate dressing gowns. What do you think?

Harry:
Um. Yeah. Bye.

Charlie:
Yeah, I think the fun about it, and it is fun, is that you get to argue whether it should be banned for life or not. I don't want to judge. [No, it's good] You know. What do...? Do you think it's good or bad? I want the playfulness of- of the debate.

Harry:
Yeah, yeah. No, I get it. And I love that. And I enjoy the debate and the 'Would you rathers' and 'shall we get rid of this? Should we banish that'. Some people aren't aren't up for that. If you try to kind of force a conversation, people aren't up for it. [Yeah] Yeah. It annoys me too. I tried to do that sometimes because otherwise it feels like you can just keep on going over the same kinds of conversations. [Yes, exactly]. Some families are really into playing games and others really aren't. Like my family. We've never we've not really been a big game family. We did occasionally at Christmases and stuff. And when I got together with Marina, I remember her always trying to suggest games and I remember just being a bit like, We don't do that in my family. We don't... We just sit around and chat, you know, we don't have kind of what I thought was forced fun, but I was just resistant to it. But actually, yeah, they are fun. Games are fun. That's what games are for.

Charlie:
What kind of games was she suggesting?

Harry:
What was she suggesting? I don't know. Anything. Any kind of game...I dunno - Cluedo.

Charlie:
Oh right. So like a board game.

Harry:
Yeah. Proper like. Yeah. Board games. Yeah.

Charlie:
Okay. Not like a dinner party.

Harry:
When I got together, did it sound like I'm still with her? The way I said that? [Maybe a little] 'When I got together with...' Sounds a bit like I'm still..., doesn't it? Yeah. I remember when I got together - when I met Marina. Yeah, It's weird. Yeah, that's weird. I'm not with her.

Charlie:
She's in the past. Okay, Well...

Harry:
Past Simple. I'm not. Yeah, Past simple.

Charlie:
Um. Okay, so let's do...

Harry:
Simple past.

Charlie:
Let's do what we preach and try to be playful with the debate around dressing gowns. So that's my suggestion. I think dressing gowns should be banned. Should be placed in room 101 forever. Immediate response to that?

Harry:
I was wearing my dressing gown. I wear my dressing gown every morning. Okay. And I- I choose between two dressing gowns. I've got one that has a hood and is lovely and furry, and it's a kind of royal blue colour. And I got it for Christmas from my sister. She knew I didn't need a dressing gown. She knew I had one, lovely fluffy, red, thick. [Oh, I know that one!] warming dressing gown. I love it.

Charlie:
I know that oh so well.

Harry:
And she knew I didn't need one, but she thought, Yeah, yeah, Harry could probably do with another one. So she got me one. And I was happy to receive a second dressing gown. And I wear it all the time. I love it. I just think it's so good. You just throw it on and you can just do anything. You can take the bins out. You can open the door to the postman...

Charlie:
Do you take the bins out? You take the bins out with your dressing gown on?

Harry:
The other day I walked up the street to my parents house. [No!] It was late. It was dark. It was...

Charlie:
That's even worse!

Harry:
It was about 8 p.m.. Is that worse?

Charlie:
Yes. At night, walking. Oh, my gosh.

Harry:
It's weird. I'll give you that. But at least less people, you know, would see me, right? Because it's Night-Time.

Charlie:
Yeah, but...

Harry:
It's less embarrassing.

Charlie:
Think of a man walking around your neighbourhood with a dressing gown on at night. That's quite creepy.

Harry:
It screams, yeah, either complete lunatic or this guy's going to pick up drugs. That's what it screams.

Charlie:
I never thought about that. So that suggests something about you.

Harry:
Yeah, I see it.

Charlie:
I think it means that you've given up on life. You've given up on the will to live, to try to show, showcase who you are because you're not, you know, putting an effort into your appearance. You're literally putting on the laziest option there is.

Harry:
It's lazy, I'll give you that. But I mean it's it's the evening. When when better to be lazy than between the hours of 7 p.m. and you know, midnight and beyond?

Charlie:
I don't want to...

Harry:
and then 7 a.m.. 7 a.m. and 9 a.m..

Charlie:
Yeah. 7 a.m...

Harry:
But no later.

Charlie:
Okay.

Harry:
7 a.m.. Yeah. Because I get up. I get up at 7 a.m.. What time do you get up, Charlie? I don't respect people that get up after eight because I get up at seven. What time do you get up?

Charlie:
Let's bring that in. Let's do two at once. So that was another thing on my list of room 101. People who assume they are better than you if they get up earlier than you.

Harry:
It's a really good one.

Charlie:
I get up at the moment, I get up at 8:00 in the morning and I start work at nine.

Harry:
Come on,

Charlie:
Stacey might...

Harry:
I get up at seven, mate. I get up at seven.

Charlie:
Do you? Actually?

Harry:
It is my new thing. I was I was getting up at seven, but then I changed it to 7.30. [Okay.] But I completely get... I was getting up at eight, 8.30 for years, but then I realised, you know, what the hell is it I do with my life? And I'll get up at seven. Basically I get up early and dwell on my life from, you know, earlier on in the day, which is good. [Right!] But now I get it. How do people.. Who in your life has expressed that to you that they think they're more than you? And how do they express it?

Charlie:
I'm not thinking of a particular person, although Stacey always likes to remind me that she gets up earlier than me and I'm I'm a late person and that means I'm rubbish in all senses. But I work until 9 or 10 in the evening because I feel very productive, productive, productive. Between the hours of 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. There's a second wind that I have and I feel like I focus really well, but it's not great for my sleep. I really I do need to sort it all out because I'm not sleeping great at the moment. I've got bags under my eyes right now because I didn't sleep well, because my brain was far too active late into the evening. So I do somewhat agree with them, but it's just. Yeah, the assumption that just because you've shifted your quote unquote 'day' to a time that aligns with what the mainstream assume as efficient or I don't know, efficient. But you know, the typical 9 to 5 job, people think [yes] you are lazy, but, you know, I'm working at the time they're there chilling in their dressing gowns, walking up and down the street late at night.

Harry:
Yeah. And I get that. I get that, um, that kind of second wind that you get in the evening. I get that kind of burst of energy in the evening, and I feel I often feel more creative even though I have had, you know, very little creative output recent years. But I feel it in the evenings. I feel this energy like I want to I want to do things. I want to- I want to speak to people. I want to, you know, make something or...

Charlie:
Put my robe on and play some bongos.

Harry:
You know, feel that energy. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. That's what I normally do. I just smash the bongos for half an hour after work. But yeah, I get it. But yeah, getting up early seems to be synonymous with I'm a successful- or I'm an adult. Sure, I'm responsible. I'm dutiful, dutiful and beautiful. And it's like, yeah, come on, get a life. It doesn't matter. The world is changing. People are changing.

Charlie:
The world is changing. Especially after the pandemic. People are working from home a lot and allowing themselves to be more flexible with their work time. It's not just 9 to 5. It's, you know, do it when you need to. Just get it. [Yeah]. Meet the deadline and that's it. Back to the robe.

Harry:
Dressing gowns.

Charlie:
Yeah, back to the dressing gown. I said robe, actually. And I want to address something.

Harry:
Oh, address. Undress.

Charlie:
Stacey wears a robe like a silk robe when she's putting her makeup on to go out. And I. And. And I quite like the elegance of that robe. But if it's a fluffy, big dressing gown to lounge around in, that's. That's my issue. That's the one that I want to put in the in the in room 101.

Harry:
It's not sexy and it absorbs smell and it starts to smell like the person, but not it doesn't smell bad. It just smells like the person. Unless that person has got a horrible natural scent. There's something quite nice about it. But yeah, it gets a bit stuffy and musky and a bit like, yeah, it smells a bit weird over time, so you just need to wash it regularly. What do you think about someone who gets up early really, well that that does your head in. As long as they're not smug about it, they get up early and they work for a bit. Like maybe look at their emails in their dressing gown in the morning. That's my new that's my new thing.

Charlie:
I mean-.

Harry:
Because it's cosy. I put the hood up, I come in here, I put the- turn the computer on, sit down with my tea, my, my cereal and look at, you know, emails and stuff like that.

Charlie:
A couple of thoughts. I've only really ever worn a dressing gown when I'm ill, so it makes me feel like I've got the flu or something. The other thing I've noticed, {That's your problem]. Yeah. Is that dressing gowns are very breezy around the legs. Why not put on some fluffy joggers that actually completely cuddle each leg perfectly?

Harry:
Yeah. Do- You can do that too. Yeah, I do that.

Charlie:
Wear the joggers...

Harry:
Long Johns or joggers and then put the dressing gown on.

Charlie:
You put the dressing gown on top. Okay. So you wear trousers?

Harry:
Not always, but yeah, I know what you mean. Yeah, they are breezy. Yeah. And that's not very nice. [No] I agree.

Charlie:
And then if you've got slippers on...

Harry:
That's why I have a heater by my legs.

Charlie:
And that's why you're paying a fortune. Have you noticed a spike in bills because of that heater?

Harry:
No, but I just pay a set amount every month and haven't submitted my readings for a good while. I don't have a smart reader.

Charlie:
Yeah, that's another thing that should go in room 101, I think.

Harry:
Smart reader.

Charlie:
Yeah, I think it just depresses you.

Harry:
But it allows you to keep track of how much you're paying, I guess. And like, limit your energy usage, I guess.

Charlie:
I get it for-

Harry:
So I'm not having that going.

Charlie:
I get it for testing. You know, what's expensive, but don't look at it all day every day.

Harry:
No. Once a week.

Charlie:
And it seems to feature quite heavily in a kitchen in most of the houses that I've been to in. In a very visible way.

Harry:
Right. Yeah.

Charlie:
Don't do that. That's depressing.

Harry:
It should be. It should be under cover. Yeah.

Charlie:
It should be like, you know, the electric meter. You've got to bend down, open the cupboard, move your iron and then you can see the reader. Okay. It's that much. Yeah. That's annoying. That's bad. Okay. Put the iron back and don't think about it.

Harry:
Yeah, but it is a smart reader. I mean, it's not very smart if you're keeping it locked at the back of a cupboard behind an iron. Is it?

Charlie:
No, that's true.

Harry:
That's not very smart. But yeah. Dressing gowns, I really- Yeah. I'm never going to let this go into room 101, am I? Because I love them. I will. I wear them every day and it keeps me keeps me cosy in the mornings. And it's just, it's a nice, easy thing to put on when you go and make yourself some breakfast or something. And it means you don't have to fully get up yet because I don't want to have to get dressed twice. That's my my beef with with putting dressing gowns into room 101. Like, you have to- What do you do then? So in the morning do you put joggers on and a jumper or a cosy jumper. Right?

Charlie:
Yeah. But hang on. I was appreciating your comment and then I thought, hang on. No, What? Harry doesn't work in the city in a suit. You put on a jumper. You're wearing a jumper right now for work and you've probably got joggers on, right?

Harry:
No, actually, I've got long johns and jeans.

Charlie:
Okay.

Harry:
Because when I wear joggers, I feel like a bit of a slob. [Oh!] And but do I wear them? Yes, I do sometimes. But am I making an effort to feel a little bit more professional by putting jeans on? Yes, I am.

Charlie:
But you've also been to a brewery.

Harry:
Yes, I have.

Charlie:
Hahaha. Would you wear jeans in the house if you're not going out?

Harry:
If I had company, if I had someone coming over maybe. And I wanted to. Yeah. To look nice then, then I would, yeah. Otherwise no,

Charlie:
It's crazy...

Harry:
But if I was working. When I work, I work from home, yeah, so if I get up, go to the toilet and my camera's on, I don't want my student to see me wearing, like, yoga bottoms, yoga pants or, uh, pyjamas or joggers.

Charlie:
It'd be great because I can see the frame right now and you'd be walking out that door. It'd be great if you just had a g string on and you just didn't mention it at all to the student. You won't humour me with putting dressing gowns in the bin in room 101?

Harry:
I won't. I won't put dressing gowns in there, but I will put people who assume they're better than you if they get up early, they're going straight in or their opinions and beliefs are going in. Because I think that's. Yeah, bullshit.

Charlie:
Brilliant, brilliant. I'm happy with that win. I do want to clarify that I'm very open to getting up people, getting up early and being very productive. Sure. But just, you know, let me be productive in the late hours and don't judge me.

Harry:
Yeah, people will judge, but it's good that you know this is how your body and your mind works. So you found a way that that really works for you. For me, when I get up a bit later, I just feel it doesn't... I don't know. I prefer to be up a couple of hours before I have my first lesson because it makes me feel more prepared for things and less... I don't know. I just feel a bit like I'm organising my life better because, I don't know, just slip into negative habits. If I get up a bit a bit later so I know that's better for me, but you know, it's good. If I get up a bit later, I just, I don't know. It's not good for me.

Charlie:
Yeah, no, I respect that. But you're not judging me for getting up an hour later than you. So, you know, each to their own.

Harry:
Each to their own. If anything, I'm envious that you can do that and not feel, you know, like a slob.

Charlie:
You know why? Because I don't wear a dressing gown.

Harry:
That's it. You get up at eight, 8.30 and put a suit on. Just roll out of bed into a suit. Wallace and Gromit.

Charlie:
Yeah, exactly. Or, Mr. Bean, Does he do that?

Harry:
He definitely does something like that. Yeah. I'm trying to think... That came to mind as well. Mr. Bean came to mind, but I can't think what he does. Does he have... ?

Charlie:
He has that alarm clock that's quite mechanical and does lots of different options and then tickles his feet or puts water on his feet.

Harry:
Oh yeah! Yeah. It pours water on his feet. Is it kettle water? Yeah. Like it's boiling hot water. That's so good. So good.

Charlie:
But we won't put Mr. Bean in room 101. Right... [No] I think that's- That's all we've got time for. But yeah, thank you very much for putting at least one of my suggestions in room 101 today.

Harry:
My pleasure. Thank you.

Charlie:
Okay, Well done, guys, for listening to the end of this episode. We'll see you next week on the British English podcast. Thank you, Harry. Bye bye.

Harry:
Bye.