Transcript of AE 1310 - Learn English with a Short Story: Jake's Coffee Van

G'day you mob, and welcome to Aussie English. I am your host, Pete, and my objective here is to teach you guys the English spoken Down Under. So whether you want to sound like a fair dinkum Aussie or you just want to understand what the flipping hell we're on about when we're having a yarn, you've come to the right place. So sit back, grab a cuppa and enjoy Aussie English. Let's go.

G'day you mob. Pete here from Aussie English. Welcome to this episode. Today we are going to be going through a short story Jake's Coffee Van. So this is set at a seaside town in Australia. Jake is a young man who has left the city and has started working as a barista in a small coffee van, and the interactions in this story are all with local people. So he gets to talk to them about ordering coffee, giving them the coffee day-to-day life. And there's also a bit of a mystery that gets solved by the end of the story.

So the plan is that I will play the story for you once. We'll then break down all of the vocab in the story, line by line, for the whole thing. It's probably going to be a long one, so don't forget to grab a biccy and a drink, a cuppa or something, sit back and relax. And then at the end, I'm going to play the story for you one more time so that you can hopefully listen, watch and understand everything more easily the second time round.

So you're going to learn loads of vocab, loads of expressions, hopefully a bit of slang in there as well. And it's obviously related to coffee culture Down Under, in Australia.

Before we get into it, don't forget to download today's worksheet. It has the full transcript of the short story. The vocab is all highlighted. There's a glossary at the end with the vocabulary and an example sentence for each piece of vocab. And there's a 20 question quiz and the answers for the quiz right at the bottom so that you can test your listening comprehension as well, so that'll be included in the description below. Click the link and you'll be able to download that for free.

And besides that, if you want to listen to this episode as a podcast episode, check out the Aussie English Podcast. You can download it via any good podcast app, again for free. So without any further ado, let me play you the story the first time.

The sky was still dark as Jake parked his coffee van, The Daily Grind, at its usual spot by Sandy Cove Beach. He loved these early moments - the quiet, the rhythmic sound of waves, the peaceful start to another day.

After years in the city's corporate grind, returning to Sandy Cove and running his little coffee van felt like a breath of fresh air.

As he set up, checking the grinder and testing the steam wand, he flicked on the radio for some background noise, the familiar voice of the local morning host crackling to life.

And in local news, a generous anonymous donation has created a fund to protect Sandy Cove's marine environment, the host announced. This conservation fund will help preserve our reefs and support sustainable fishing. Plenty of chatter around town about who the mystery donor might be.

Jake listened, a faint smile on his face. Growing up here, he'd seen firsthand how much the community relied on the sea. His dad had been a fisherman, working these waters all his life.

Jake, though, had never felt at home in that world, which was why he'd left for the city years ago. But now, being back, he could appreciate what had once felt small and ordinary in a new way.

As the first light touched the horizon, he gave his espresso machine a light pat. All right, sweetheart, he murmured with a grin. Let's make it a good one.

Gradually the beach began to come alive with early morning regulars- surfers, joggers and walkers. Jake noticed Liam striding toward the van, surfboard in hand, dripping with seawater and grinning from ear to ear. Morning, Jake! Hit me with a strong, long black, eh? He said, adjusting his surfboard under his arm.

Coming right up, mate. How's the swell this morning? Jake replied, expertly pulling the espresso shot.

Not bad, Liam said. You should come out sometime! Bet you know your way around the water.

Jake handed him the hot, freshly pulled long black, smiling. I've got some sea legs, just like I've got barista hands now, but they're a bit out of practice.

Liam laughed, giving Jake a curious look. I'll bet. Feels like you've got some stories about the ocean that you're not sharing.

Jake shrugged, brushing it off. Maybe one or two. But these days, I'm better suited to keeping my feet on land.

Watching Liam disappear toward the beach, Jake felt a familiar pang of longing. Growing up, he'd spent countless hours watching his father head out to sea, but he'd always preferred the idea of a life on dry land.

Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice Sarah approaching, phone and briefcase in hand, already looking frazzled.

Hey, Jake, could I grab a double shot flat white? I'm barely functioning this morning, she said, rubbing her eyes.

You got it, Jake replied as he expertly steamed the milk to a velvety microfoam. Rough day ahead?

Oh, massive, she sighed. Oh, by the by, have you heard about that conservation fund? They're saying someone in town anonymously donated a ton of money to protect the bay and the reefs. It's amazing, but nobody knows who it is.

Jake's expression didn't change, but he focused hard on frothing the milk, making sure the bubbles were fine and smooth.

Sounds like a good cause, he said.

I know, right? We've needed something like this for ages.

She took the coffee from him, studying him with a curious smile. You'd tell me if you knew anything about it, wouldn't you?

Jake just shrugged, giving her a wry smile. Maybe the mystery donor likes keeping things quiet.

Maybe, she replied, looking amused as she headed off. But if you ask me, you seem like the type who would care about protecting the ocean, Jake.

Jake watched her go, his face unreadable.

As Sarah walked away, Jake returned to the rhythm of steaming milk and brewing espresso, letting the quiet of the early morning settle around him.

Soon, the steady shuffle of footsteps signalled Frank's approach. The retired fisherman wore his usual weathered smile, a reminder of the generations of men who'd worked these waters.

Morning, young fella. Got a weak latte, extra hot for these old bones? He asked with a laugh.

Won't be a tick, Frank, Jake said, steaming the milk. What's the word around town?

Frank chuckled. Well, everyone's talking about that conservation fund, you know. Funny thing, there's a rumour it was started by someone connected to the old fishing fleet. Any truth to that, you reckon?

Jake handed Frank his latte, maintaining a casual tone. Not sure. Whoever it is, they've done something pretty good for the town.

Sounds like something your dad would have approved of, Frank said, eyeing Jake closely. He always wanted to protect those waters.

Jake paused, feeling a lump in his throat. Yeah,he did. Guess someone finally followed through.

Frank nodded knowingly. Mighty fine of 'em. Mighty fine.

Frank's words lingered as he left, stirring up memories of Jake's father and the values he'd tried to pass down.

But before Jake could dwell too long, he heard the cheerful chaos of Lisa approaching, her two toddlers in tow, already trying to pull her toward the beach. Jake, can you give me a skinny cap, please? Quick, before these two tear off down the beach, she said with a laugh, shifting one child on her hip.

Jake chuckled as he made her cappuccino with practised ease and then dusted the top with cocoa powder. Sounds like you're running a bit of a circus today, Lisa.

Oh, you don't know the half of it, she sighed. Hey, did you get wind of that big donation for the marine sanctuary? I heard about it while grabbing my beans at the roastery yesterday. It's incredible. I wonder who would be so generous.

Jake handed her the coffee with a small smile. Someone who cares about the ocean, I'd say.

Lisa nodded, giving him a thoughtful look. I bet you miss it- the ocean, I mean. I've heard you know more about it than you let on.

Jake smiled, tightened. The ocean. Yeah, it's in my blood. Can't say I don't miss it sometimes.

Lisa raised her eyebrows, clearly intrigued. Sounds like there's a story there, Jake.

Jake watched Lisa wrestle with her kids towards the shoreline, chuckling softly to himself.

Families like hers were the heart of Sandy Cove, he thought.

He was about to return to his work when Mia, the young artist, appeared at the counter, her jeans smeared with paint and her face lit with excitement.

Hey, Jake! Flat white with oat milk, please. She said, her excitement palpable.

Sure thing. You're looking extra inspired today, Jake said as he prepared her flat white, watching the espresso shots stream in a perfect, steady flow.

I am! I've been working on a mural of the bay, you know, with fish and reefs and everything. Makes me wish we had more to protect it- like a conservation area or something.

Jake handed her a coffee, the crema golden and smooth on top, a flash of pride crossing his face.

Sounds like a great project, Mia. Keep it up.

Cheers! She said, studying him with a curious smile. You've got this calm, wise vibe, don't you, Jake? Got your mind on the ocean too, huh?

Jake laughed, brushing off her observation. Just a barista, Mia.

Jake couldn't help but smile as Mia walked away, her creative energy infectious.

He looked up just in time to see Ben, the local surf lifesaver, jogging toward the van, looking ready for his usual caffeine fix.

G'day, Jake. A strong long mac will hit the spot, thanks! He said with a smile as he handed Jake his reusable coffee cup.

Hey, Ben! Won't be a tick! Jake replied, pulling the shot. Keeping the beach safe, huh?

Always, Ben replied, taking the macchiato with a nod. You know that donation for the marine sanctuary- whoever did that really gets it. Those waters are our lifeblood.

Jake nodded, feeling a swell of pride. The ocean is everything, isn't it? It's home.

Though, you definitely prefer to look at it rather than get in it, hey, Jake? Ben replied.

You could say that, Jake said with a laugh.

Ben looked at him with a knowing smile. Some say the donors got ties to the old fishing fleet. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?

Jake just shrugged, his face indecipherable. Just a rumour, Ben.

No worries, Ben said with a soft laugh, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. Your dad was a living legend. We all miss him around here, you know.

Jake nodded as a small smile crossed his face. Yeah. He left some big shoes to fill.

As Ben strolled off, Jake could tell people were starting to put the pieces together.

The community had come to know him in this quiet way, not as a fisherman's son or the city man, but simply as the guy making coffee by the beach.

The van was starting to slow down for the day when he saw Frank returning a knowing look on his face.

Ah, young Jake, he said. I've been thinking about you all morning, putting two and two together. This anonymous donation sounds an awful lot like someone we both know.

Jake sighed, leaning against the counter. Frank, you got a way of seeing through people, don't you?

Frank chuckled, his eyes twinkling. Ha! Knew it. Your dad would be proud, Jake. You're doing right by those waters, even if you've got a funny way of going about it.

Jake looked away, the weight of his decision settling over him. The ocean is everything to this town, Frank. If I can help keep it alive. Well, that's the least I can do.

Frank nodded, placing a hand on Jake's shoulder. You're doing more than that, mate. You're honouring your father's legacy. Don't think for a second that goes unnoticed.

As Frank walked away, Jake felt a sense of peace he hadn't felt in years. Running The Daily Grind had helped him stay connected to the town through his coffee van. It had been his way of remaining close to the people he loved, while finally giving back in the way that his father would have wanted.

As the afternoon sun glinted off the water, Jake shut up shop for the day, feeling at home in a way he never had before.

Okay, so how did you go? Did you enjoy the story? Did you enjoy the story? Hopefully it was a bit of a fun one this time. Okay, so as I said, we're going to go through this line by line.

I'm going to cover all the vocab that's been highlighted and maybe some of the extra stuff in there that I find interesting too. So just sit back, relax, grab a notepad, take some notes. You know, some screenshots. Maybe pause every now and then if you need to take a break. But let's get into it.

The sky was still dark as Jake parked his coffee van, The Daily Grind, at its usual spot by Sandy Cove Beach. So, a coffee van is a small van. Usually a small van. I guess you could have a big van as well. It's a van where there is a cafe effectively inside of it. You're going to have a coffee machine, a grinder. You might have fridges where the milk is kept. There might be soy milk, oat milk, goat's milk, cow's milk generally as well. But that's what a coffee van is. And it's a popular cultural thing in Australia. You know, on a on the regular. I go to my coffee van around the corner, which is parked near a reserve, a nature reserve, and I get my morning caffeine fix, my morning cappuccino from them. So that's a coffee van.

And The Daily Grind, right? Obviously this is to grind some coffee beans, so grind is quite often used in the names of cafes and coffee related stores and products in Australia.

He loved these early moments, the quiet, the rhythmic sound of the waves, the peaceful start to another day. So these early moments, these moments in the morning, right? These nice moments, these quiet moments. The rhythmic sound of the waves, right. These waves hitting the beach. And a peaceful start to another day.

After years in the city's corporate grind, returning to Sandy Cove and running his little coffee van felt like a breath. A breath of fresh air, almost a breath of fresh air. A breath of fresh air.

So, after years in the city's corporate grind. The corporate grind is like obviously working in big business. And it being a grind, it's repetitive, it's difficult. You have to work really hard, long hours. We refer to that in English as a grind. So a corporate grind would be working in corporate life, and obviously getting tired because it's so full on.

And if something is a breath of fresh air, it is something pleasurable, something fresh, a change, something that you really enjoy. So it's like he moved away from the city to Sandy Cove, this town on the coast, and he's like, it's a breath of fresh air. It is something new, exciting and invigorating.

As he set up checking the grinder and testing the steam wand, he flicked on the radio for some background noise, the familiar voice of the local morning host crackling to life. So there's a few things here. The grinder. This is the machine that grinds, turns those coffee beans into powder that you then use to make espressos, right. And the steam wand is that metal, sort of. What would you say? Like a stick that comes off the coffee machine that shoots out steam, hot, vaporised water that then is used to heat the milk up. So it's a steam wand. A wand is like what a wizard would use out of, you know, TV shows like Harry Potter, I guess, or movies.

Flick on. You can flick on devices like a radio, a TV. You could probably do it with a computer to flick it on, flick it on, flick it off. It's like flick a switch. You flick the switch on, you flick the switch off. So he flicks on the radio for some background noise. He just wants to hear the the voice of the radio host in the background. That's background noise behind him. You know, he's not really thinking about it. It's just noise in the background.

The familiar voice of the local morning host, crackling to life. So crackling to life is like to life would be. It's starting. It's beginning. The sound of this voice from the morning host is is starting. And crackling would be the sound of it on the, on the radio, crackling to life.

And in local news, a generous anonymous donation has created a fund to protect Sandy Coves' marine environment, the host announced. So, anonymous. If you do something anonymously, you do it without your name associated with it. No one knows who you are. So this anonymous donation is where someone has given some money. They've donated some money. They've made a donation anonymously without attaching their name to it. So no one knows who did that. Who gave the money, right? It's generous. It's very kind of them. It's anonymous. No one knows who it is. And it's a donation. It is someone giving something freely to someone else.

This conservation fund will help preserve our reefs and support sustainable fishing. So a conservation fund is an amount of money, a fund, an amount of money used for the purpose of conserving wildlife, the natural environment. So taking care of it, making sure it'll be there in the future, it's to preserve it, right?

Reefs. These are areas, I guess. What in shallow water off the coast where you have a lot of life forms, you know, coral fish, it's rocky platforms. It's where things are growing on the rocks and there's a lot of wildlife. And yeah, that's what a reef is.

And, to support sustainable fishing. This is where you fish, you know, you go and catch fish. If you do so sustainably, it is so that there will always be more fish there in the future. You're not catching so many that when you go out, there's fewer and fewer fish each time until they're all but gone. You know there's none left. If you do it sustainably. You only take so many so that the population is still able to remain healthy and present.

Plenty of chatter around town about who the mystery donor might be.

So, the mystery donor. This is the person who has made this donation and it's a mystery who they are. We don't know who they are. It's a mystery.

And plenty of chatter means a lot of talk around town. There's a lot of people chatting about this. There's lots of chatter. There's a lot of talk. Everyone is. Yeah. Talking about this mystery donor around town.

Jake listened, a faint smile on his face. Growing up here, he'd seen first hand how much the community relied on the sea. If you see something first hand, you experience it yourself, right, first hand. If something happens first hand, or you hear something, or see something firsthand, it's that you personally saw or experienced that thing.

If you heard about it from someone else, you hear about it second hand. And if you hear it through someone who heard it through someone else, again, that's third hand. So we can sort of do we can keep saying, you know, first hand, second hand, third hand, fourth hand, though usually it's going to be first and second hand that you end up using and talking about.

And if you rely on something, it is that you need that thing. You know, the community here is relying on the sea. They need the sea to live, to exist, to earn a living.

His dad had been a fisherman working these waters all his life. If you work these waters, the waters would be like the ocean. The sea. It could be a lake, I guess. You know, if we were talking about a lake. So any body of water, maybe even a river or a stream, they are considered waters.

And if you work them, you obviously work on them. You work with them to make a living, you know, to make money.

Jake, though, had never felt at home in that world, which was why he'd left for the city years ago. Years ago, a long time ago, many years in the past. If you feel at home somewhere, you feel very comfortable. There, you feel like it is your home. So, you know, you might feel at home at a friend's house because you go there all the time and they make you feel at home. You know, it's like, make this place your home. You should feel comfortable here.

In that world. So this when we say in that world, in this sense, he's talking about his dad being a fisherman, working those waters in the ocean. That was a whole world where Jake didn't feel at home. He didn't feel comfortable in that world, the world of being a fisherman at sea.

But now being back, he could appreciate what had once felt small and ordinary in a new way.

So the life in this town felt small. It felt ordinary. You know, this is a common thing, I think, for people growing up in small towns anywhere. Quite often you get through your teenage years and you want to leave. You want to go somewhere else, you want to go experience other things, see other things. But then quite often the older you get, you're sort of like, now that I've been in these big cities and these, you know, really busy environments, I almost want to go back to what the small, quiet, ordinary life was like in a small town.

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As the first light touched the horizon, he gave his espresso machine a light pat. All right, sweetheart, he murmured with a grin. Let's make it a good one. So as the first light touched the horizon, this is some nice language talking about sunrise, right? So the light is is coming over the horizon as that sun is rising.

He gave his espresso machine a light pat. So the espresso machine is the coffee machine that he's using to make espressos. And he gives it a light pat. He touches it on the top with his hand. You know, he pats the espresso machine. All right, sweetheart, sweetheart or sweetheart, if you want to say it with an Australian accent is like a term of endearment that you would often use, I guess, on someone you love. You know, women could use it on men. Men could use it on women. Often women will use this more on many other people. You know, younger kids, older people, especially if they are women of, you know, an older age because it's really nice and, you know, just shows informality and kindness, whereas men won't use it so much on other people, they might use it with their wives. So he's kind of being endearing towards his espresso machine, showing that he's got a connection with it.

And he murmured with a grin. So murmur is like to say quietly, all right, sweetheart, let's make it a good one. Let's make it a good one, a good one, the day. Let's make today a good one. Let's do really well today.

Gradually, the beach began to come alive with early morning regulars, surfers, joggers and walkers. So gradually it's like progressively this. This happens slowly but surely.

The beach began to come alive. So if something comes alive, there's beginning to be more. What would you say? Action. More people walking around. More noise. It's more lively. There's more things going on. It's coming alive. And it looks like I have highlighted regulars here, but I didn't put it in the vocab list. I've missed it.

Early morning regulars. So these would be the regular people you would see on a regular basis. So most days, uh, coffee shop probably has their regulars, the people that come on a regular basis.

Surfers. So people out surfing, joggers, people jogging or running slowly, or walkers, people walking on the beach.

Jake noticed Liam striding towards the van, surfboard in hand, dripping with seawater and grinning from ear to ear. So Liam is striding toward the van. To stride is to take a long step, right? So striding toward the van, he's coming toward the van.

Surfboard in hand. He's holding his surfboard. It's in hand. Dripping with seawater because he's obviously just gotten out of the water and grinning from ear to ear. This is a good expression, meaning that you are. You have a huge smile, a huge grin on your face. You can use ear to ear because the sides of your smile or grin are so wide they're almost touching both of your ears, if that makes sense.

Morning, Jake. Hit me with a strong, long black, ey? He said, adjusting his surfboard under his arm. So, morning. Morning, Jake. This is us just shortening that greeting Good morning. So you can do this with good morning. You can just say morning. Good afternoon. You can just say afternoon. Good evening. You can say evening. So we do that quite a lot.

Hit me with a strong long black a. So there's a few things going on here. Hit me with. Hit me with your best shot. It's like, give me, right. Hit me with a strong, long black, eh? Could you please make me a strong, long black coffee?

And then he's used a tag question at the end there, which we use in English, in Australian English in particular, eh. So it's sort of like, hit me with this thing, can you? Could you? Um, we are adding it by saying eh.

And a strong long black is like a, what would you say. It's probably two espresso shots and then boiling water added to that.

And strong here, when ordering coffee, if you want it strong, you want more espresso in it. You want more caffeine. A long coffee is obviously a taller one is obviously a taller one. There's more liquid in there. And black means no milk, right? It's just, uh, an espresso with water.

He said, adjusting his surfboard under his arm. Coming right up, mate. How's the swell? How's the swell this morning? Jake replied, expertly pulling the espresso shot. Coming right up. So this is quite often used in restaurants or stores where you are serving someone. They've just ordered something and you are going to get it, and you are going to come right up with it, right? You're about to give it to them. So coming right up, mate.

How's the swell this morning? How's the swell this morning? The swell is that undulation in the ocean, right. Those waves as they form in in the water, in the ocean. And so he's asking him, how were the waves this morning when you were out there surfing?

Jake replied, expertly pulling the espresso shot. To pull a shot. To pull an espresso shot, or the espresso shot, is what you do when you're at the coffee machine. You ground the coffee beans. You have put the grind, or grinds, of the coffee beans into. And God, I've forgotten the vocab for this, but the cup that holds those things and goes in the, um, the handle that you then put into the machine and put the hot water through to make your espresso.

That's called pulling the espresso shot. God, I can't believe I've forgotten the vocab for that.

Not bad, Liam said. You should come out sometime. Bet you know your way around the water. So, not bad means good, effectively in Australian English, you know. Not amazing, but not bad. Not bad. Yeah. Not bad, not bad, pretty good. Pretty good.

You should come out sometime. You should come out into the waves. You should come out with me. You should come out with the surfboard.

Bet you know your way around the water. So we've used some ellipses here. We've dropped the pronoun I bet you know your way around the water. And you'll notice some assimilation happen here between the T at the end of the word bet, and the /yuh/ sound at the start of the word you. /betyou/ Bet you know your way around the water. Or we can reduce this even further to just betcha. Bet you know your way around the water.

And if you know your way around something, it is that you are well versed with that thing. You're used to that thing. So he's suggesting that he knows you know how to surf, you know how to swim. You've been in the water a lot. I bet you know your way around the water.

Jake handed him the hot, freshly pulled, long black, smiling. I've got some sea legs, just like I've got barista hands now, but they're a bit out of practice.

So if you have sea legs, it means you are used to being on a boat in the ocean. So he's suggesting that he knows what it's like to be in the water, or to be on the water in a boat, to have sea legs. And I guess the idea here is that you can balance, you know, on a boat easily, because the first time you get on a boat and go out into the ocean, I think if you've never been off dry land, It's kind of weird that the boat just keeps moving underneath you, and you have to learn to kind of balance just naturally. So that's what sea legs are. If you've got sea legs, you can balance.

Well, a barista is someone who works making coffees. They work in a coffee shop or in a coffee van. And if you're out of practice, it means you haven't practised that thing in a very long time. So he's making a joke here saying, I've got sea legs just like I've got barista hands. So the barista hands thing here is a joke. It's not an expression. He's just saying, you know, he can obviously be a barista with his hands, just like he's got sea legs, but they're probably a bit out of practice. He hasn't been out in the water in a long time.

Liam laughed, giving Jake a curious look. So he's looking at him with curiosity in his in his eyes. And, um, there's something here.

I'll bet. Feels like you've got some stories about the ocean that you're not sharing. So, I'll bet, we can use this to show that you really agree with someone. So Jake's just said, you know, he's out of practice, but he's got sea legs. If you say, I'll bet it's like you're like, I bet you do. I'm sure you do. I'm certain you're telling me the truth, you know, I'll bet, I'll bet, I'll bet, I'll bet you do. I'll bet you do.

And again, we're doing elision here. Or ellipsis. Sorry. Um, It feels like you've got some stories about the ocean that you're not sharing. We can just remove it because it's obvious he's talking directly to that person Jake.

Feels like you've got some stories about the ocean you're not sharing. To share a story would be to tell someone that story. Jake shrugged. That's to lift your shoulders, right? And just be like, yeah.

Jake shrugged, brushing it off. If you brush something off, it's kind of like someone well, you could literally have something on you, and you move your hand like this to brush it off yourself. You know, if you've got cat fur on you, like I often do, you might brush it off your body. You can use it figuratively to mean someone said something and you're kind of like not really addressing it. Or it's like, yeah, man, you know, it's not it's not a big issue. I'm not really gonna get into it. I'm just going to brush it off like, no big deal, right? I'm going to brush it off.

Yeah, maybe one or two. But these days, I'm better suited to keeping my feet on land. So maybe one or two stories that he's not sharing. But these days, you know, recently, at the moment, right now, I'm better suited to to keeping my feet on the land. I prefer keeping my feet on the land. I don't like going in the water, right. I prefer keeping my feet on land.

Watching Liam disappear toward the beach, Jake felt a familiar pang of longing. Pang would be like a hit that you feel, right? Like, a pang of longing, in this sense. Like you, you want that thing, you wish for that thing you desire, that thing you're longing for. That thing. But you could feel a pang of anger, or a pang, I guess, of I don't know if you could feel a pang of happiness. Quite often it's a negative feeling that you get, a pang of that feeling, a pang of nervousness.

Growing up, he'd spent countless hours watching his father head out to sea, but he'd always preferred the idea of a life on dry land.

So if you spend countless hours doing something, it's a way of saying you've spent a very long amount of time doing that thing. You couldn't count how many hours you have done that thing for. So he's saying he'd watched his dad go to to see, you know, wave goodbye to him, see his dad going out every single day or week, going out to sea. He'd done it so many times. They were countless times. He'd spent countless hours doing that thing.

And he'd always preferred the idea of life on dry land. So on dry land is the opposite of being out to sea or in the water, on dry land.

Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice Sarah approaching, phone and briefcase in hand, already looking frazzled. So, lost in thought is like you're away with the fairies. You're thinking and not paying attention to what's going on around you, right? You can see it in your eyes. You're sort of off with the fairies. You're thinking, you're not, you know, you're off in the distance, you're lost in thought. It's like you're thinking and you're lost thinking.

He almost didn't notice Sarah approaching. She's coming up to the van, phone and briefcase in hand. She's holding those things already. Looking frazzled. Frazzled would be like, gosh, how would you define frazzled? Like, frustrated? Maybe a bit agitated. Maybe your hair's a bit all over the place. You know, you're sort of like, oh, a bit bit frazzled.

Hey, Jake, could I grab a double shot flat white? I'm barely functioning this morning, she said, rubbing her eyes. So she's obviously just waking up or she's still tired. She needs her caffeine. She's rubbing her eyes. You know, it's something we do when we're sort of waking up, rubbing our eyes.

Could I grab a double shot flat white? If you grab something, it can literally mean, you know, to sort of viciously put your hand around that thing and take it. But quite often we use this in Australian slang to mean have, get, take. So here she's sort of asking, can I have that thing? Can I have a double shot flat white.

And a double shot flat white. A flat white is sort of like a cappuccino with no chocolate on top, I think. I'm not an absolute expert. I typically don't drink flat whites. It's apparently an Australian invented coffee, but it's kind of like, I think maybe it's like a latte with less like foam at the top. Is that what it is? Is that why it's called flat? I think that might be it. It might be a latte without the extreme amount of foam at the top of it. And a double shot would be two shots of espresso in it instead of one, right.

I'm barely functioning this morning. So, I can barely do what I need to do. I'm sort of unable to think, to work, to manage. I need my coffee, she's effectively saying.

You got it, Jake replied as he expertly steamed the milk to a velvety micro foam. Rough day ahead? So, you got it is a way of showing that, Absolutely, you know. I'm going to do this for you. Like, You've got it. I'm going to do it for you. Like, It's coming right up.

Jake replied as he expertly steamed the milk. So this is what he's doing with the steam wand. Remember, it's in the jug of milk and he's steaming it to a velvety microfoam. So the milk gets turned into a foam, but with really, really small bubbles. And it's very velvety, like velvet, right? A velvety microfoam.

Rough day ahead? It's interesting here, we have ellipsis happening again. We've removed Do you have a rough day ahead? As in, is it going to be busy? Is it going to be a lot of work? Is it going to be arduous? Do you have a rough day ahead of you? So we've really contracted it down to just Rough day ahead? Rough day ahead?

Oh, massive! She sighed. Oh, by the way, have you heard about that conservation fund? They're saying someone in town anonymously donated a ton of money to protect the bay and the reefs. It's amazing, but nobody knows who it is.

So, massive. She's saying here Massive day. I've got a massive day ahead of me. It's going to be overwhelming. It's going to be full on, massive day ahead. She sighed. You know, or massive? She sighed.

Oh, by the by. This is a way of saying, by the way, it's just another way that we can say, you know, Oh, you know, I want to talk about this other thing that's not really related. By the way, you know, have you heard about the Conservation Fund? You know, do you know about this thing? Have you heard about it?

They're saying someone in town anonymously donated a ton of money. A lot of money. Heaps of money, to protect the bay and the reefs. It's amazing, but nobody knows who it is. Jake's expression didn't change, but he focussed hard on frothing the milk, making sure the bubbles were fine and smooth. So, froth. To froth something to turn something into a froth. He's using that steam wand again in the milk to create a froth out of the milk, where there are bubbles in it.

Sounds like a good cause, he said. And again, we've got it happening again. It sounds like a good cause. That sounds like a good cause. We've dropped it and we just say Sounds like a good cause, because it's obvious what he's talking about. The thing she just mentioned sounds like a good cause.

A good cause. The cause here is taking care of the reefs, taking care of the bay, the conservation of the natural environment.

And obviously, if it's a good cause, it is, you know, a benefit. It's a positive thing. It's a good cause, right? Taking care of the local environment is a good cause.

I know, right? We've needed something like this for ages! So, I know, right? We use right there to be like, um, to sort of what would you say? It's like turn it into a question, but you're sort of showing that you agree with that person. I know, right? Like, isn't that correct? Isn't that right? I know, right?

We've needed something like that for ages! For ages means a long time. For a long time. She took the coffee from him, studying him with a curious smile. You'd tell me if you knew something. If you knew anything about it, wouldn't you?

So, if you study someone, it's usually like you're not trying to learn about them, like going to university or school or something. You are looking at them sort of consideringly, you know, you're thinking about, what are they thinking? What have they said? What do they mean? You're studying them? Like, you know, she's thinking deeply with a curious smile.

You'd tell me if you knew anything about it, wouldn't you? And that tag question at the end, You would tell me. You'd tell me, wouldn't you? Don't forget, quite often we will use the opposite for the tag question, as we did in the sentence, meaning that if the sentence is in the affirmative.

So here you would as opposed to You would not. The tag question will be in the negative, wouldn't you? And you wouldn't tell me, would you? That would be where the sentence is in the negative, and therefore the tag question is in the affirmative.

Jake just shrugged, giving her a wry smile. So, I guess it's kind of like a cheeky, dry kind of like, you know, a smile. Maybe the mystery donor likes keeping things quiet. So, to keep things quiet is not mention things to anyone. You don't want anyone to find out about something. You want to keep it quiet. You want to keep it a secret?

Maybe, she replied, looking amused as she headed off. To head off is to go, to leave, to go away. I'm going to head off. I'm going to head off to the shops. I'm going to go.

But if you ask me, you seem like the type who would care about protecting the ocean, Jake. To seem like the type. The type here means the type of person. You seem like the sort of person, the kind of person, the type of person who would care about protecting the ocean.

Jake watched her go, his face unreadable. So, unreadable, you couldn't look at his face and tell what he was thinking. You couldn't read him, couldn't see. Is he upset? Is he happy? Is he pensive? What's going on? You know, he's unreadable.

As Sara walked away, Jake returned to the rhythm of steaming milk and brewing espresso, letting the quiet of the early morning settle around him. So, to brew something is to make a drink, right. You can brew beer. And obviously here with brewing an espresso, he is making that espresso.

Soon, the steady shuffle of footsteps signalled Frank's approach. The retired fisherman wore his usual weathered smile, a reminder of the generations of men who'd worked these waters. We've done that already, so I guess I've defined it twice. Work these waters to work in this area, to work on the ocean, these waters being the ocean, the river, the lake, whatever it is surrounding or nearby. These people that is, you know, water.

Footsteps. It's the sound of feet hitting the ground, right? Footsteps, I guess, too. It could be the imprints of your feet. If you walk through the sand or the mud, you can see footsteps.

And a weathered smile. The idea here is that he's old, and if you have a weathered look, it's like you've got wrinkles. Your skin's been exposed to the sun, so he's got a weathered smile.

Morning, young fella. Got a weak latte, extra hot for these old bones? He asked with a laugh. So again, we've got the Morning, young fella. Instead of Good morning, we say Morning.

Young fella is like young guy, young lad. It's informal and he's just being sort of, like, really warm, um, friendly with Jake. Young fella. G'day, young fella. So, older people might refer to younger people as young fella. And I guess you could say old fella to an older guy.

Got a weak latte. We got an ellipsis happening again. Do you have, or Have you got a weak latte? You can just say, Got a weak latte? So that would be now a latte. So, like a cappuccino, but without the chocolate on top of it. Italians are going to kill me if they're watching this, because they'll know the subtleties. And weak would be, like, less espresso than a standard one. So maybe half a shot as opposed to a full shot.

Extra hot for these old bones. He's referring to himself being an old guy. His old bones, his body, his you know, person. Have you got a weak latte, extra hot. So hotter than normal, for these old bones.

Won't be a tick, Frank. Won't be a tick. Any tick of the clock is a second. A tick. Tick tick tick tick tick, on a clock or a watch. So it won't be a tick. I won't be a second. I won't be a moment. I'll just be a minute. I'll just be a sec. I won't be a sec. You can use either of those, whether it's in the affirmative or negative. I'll just be a sec. I won't be a sec. It means I'll have the thing done shortly. I'll be very quick. Just give me a moment, Jake said, steaming the milk.

What's the word around town? This is like, what's the gossip? What are people saying? What's the word around town, Frank? You know, what have you been hearing? What have people been saying?

Frank chuckled. That's to laugh, you know. Well, everyone's talking about that conservation fund, you know? Funny thing, there's a rumour it was started by someone connected to the old fishing fleet. Any truth to that, you reckon? So, Frank chuckled. He laughed. Well, everyone's talking about the Conservation Fund, you know.

Funny thing, this is like. It's funny. It's surprising. It's interesting. You're going to find this funny. You're going to find this interesting funny thing.

There's a rumour. So this is like something people are saying, but it's not certain it's true, right. It's a, it may be false, it may be a story, but it's going around. People are saying it.

There's a rumour it was started by someone connected to the old fishing fleet. So, the old fishing fleet of boats where his dad worked. Any truth to that, you reckon? Any truth? Is there any truth to that? Could this be true? You reckon? Do you think? Do you believe? Is it your opinion? We use reckon all the time in Australian English. What do you reckon? What do you think? What's your opinion? What do you believe? Do you reckon?

Jake handed Frank his latte, maintaining a casual tone. So, casual tone would be just his talking, as if, you know, it's no big deal. He's not surprised, he's not shocked. He's not sad. Just casual, you know, laid back, not sure.

Whoever it is, they've done something pretty good for the town. So, I'm not sure. Reduced it to just not sure. Sounds like something your dad would have approved of, Frank said, eyeing Jake closely. That sounds like something your dad would have approved of. He would have been happy about it. He would have been like, that's awesome. You know, um, your dad would have approved of that.

And it's interesting how this phrase suggests, without saying it, that his dad has passed away. His dad has died by the tense that's being used. You know, This is something your dad would have approved of. It's almost like when he was alive, he would have approved of it. If he was still alive, you would probably just say it sounds like something your dad would approve of. That's an interesting subtlety to mention here. And I did that intentionally to sort of suggest that, um, Jake's father had passed away a while ago, you know, recently.

Frank said, eyeing Jake closely. If you eye something, you look at it. So he's obviously checking Jake out. He's looking at him. He always wanted to protect those waters. Again, waters, the ocean around him. The lakes, the rivers, the waters can be any of those.

Jake paused, feeling a lump in his throat. So, if you feel a lump in your throat, it's kind of like you have to swallow or something. You feel it. It's hard to talk. It's hard to, you know, you're sort of choking up a bit. So he's obviously thinking about his dad and he's sort of like, Oh, you know, finding it hard to talk.

Yeah, he did. Guess someone finally followed through. So yeah, he did approve of these things. He always wanted to protect these waters. I guess, guess, someone finally followed through.

If you follow through, you do say you do something you said you were going to do, or you do something that others wanted you to do or wanted to do themselves. You follow through with that thing. It's like you end up doing that thing, you know? It's not just talk.

Frank nodded knowingly. So, he's nodding because he understands. He knows. Frank nodded knowingly. Mighty fine of him. Mighty fine. It's mighty fine of them. Or That's mighty fine of them. Could be either. If it's mighty fine of someone, it's really kind of them. Really good of them. It's very fine. It's mighty fine. Mighty here means very. And it's not as frequently used. But every now and then it is.

All right. We lost the light. Charge it next time, Pete. Those listening on the podcast are going to be like, Huh? All right, where are we?

Frank's words lingered as he left, stirring up memories of Jake's father and the values he tried to pass down.

So again, there's kind of more suggestion here that Jake's dad passed away. Frank's words lingered as he left. So Frank has left. And what he said, his words have lingered. They've stayed around, so Jake's obviously thinking about them.

They've stirred up memories. So, to stir something up, it's like you, you know, when you stir cake mix, if you stir memories up, this is figuratively like causes you to remember those things. It stirs them up in your mind.

So, stirring up memories of Jake's father and the values he tried to pass down. If you pass down values, these are, you know, morals, ethics, the way that you behave. These are the things you hold your principles and pass them down is to like, give them to younger generations like Jake, his son.

But before Jake could dwell too long, he heard the cheerful chaos of Lisa approaching her two toddlers in tow, already trying to pull her toward the beach. So, Before Jake could dwell too long on those memories, to think too much about them, you know, to be lost in thought, thinking about those memories, dwelling on them. If you dwell on something, you stay thinking about that thing.

He heard the cheerful chaos of Lisa approaching. She's happy, but she's chaotic, right? Her kid. She's got kids there. There's a lot of chaos, but she's happy. So, cheerful chaos. Her two toddlers. These are young children under the age of maybe three. Uh, in tow. They're following her, like she's towing them, right, they're in tow. If you've got people in tow, they're coming with you somewhere. They're behind you, like you're leading them somewhere.

Already trying to pull her toward the beach. The kids obviously want to go toward the beach. They don't give a monkey's about the coffee. They just want to get in the water. Jake, can you give me a skinny cap, please? Quick, before these two tear off down the beach, she said with a laugh, shifting one child on her hip.

So, we'll start from the end, shifting a child on her hip. She's obviously carrying this child on her hip and she's shifting the child. She's moving it to try and get comfortable.

If you tear off, you run off, you bolt off. You bail really quickly. You leave really quickly, running away. So if you tear off down the beach, you're running away. But down the beach, either along it or down to the water could be either of those two things.

And a skinny cap. This is a cappuccino with skinny milk, so if you want to order a skinny cap, a skinny latte, a skinny flat white. If you use skinny, it means the milk is skim milk. Skinny milk. We can use either of those, meaning it's only 2% fat. I think there's less fat in the milk. Skinny cap.

Jake chuckled as he made her cappuccino with practised ease and then dusted the top with cocoa powder. So, with practised ease, he makes the cappuccino easily because he has practised doing so so many times. Practised ease.

And, He dusts. This is to cover the top in dust or powder. He dusts the top of the cappuccino with cocoa powder. So yes.

Sounds like you're running a bit of a circus today, Lisa. So, running a bit of a circus. You know, things are wild. You've got these kids. It's all going crazy. You're running. You're the leader of this circus. You're running a circus today, Lisa.

Oh, you don't know the half of it. She sighed. If you don't know the half of it, you don't know half the story. So, you don't even know half the story. The story is so crazy and you don't even know half of it. Like, we say that quite often when someone says something, um, and we're like, Man, you don't even know. You don't know the half of it. You don't know half the story. She sighed.

Hey, did you get wind of that big donation for the marine sanctuary? So, to get wind of something is to hear about something. Did you get wind of it? I guess it would be like someone's yelling in the wind, and the wind carries the the voice to another person. I'm just guessing here, but that would be how I imagine. Get wind of something. You hear it with the wind.

The big donation for the marine sanctuary. So, the sanctuary is this place where animals and wildlife is all safe from the human environment or the human impact, I should say.

I heard about it while grabbing my beans at the roastery yesterday. It's incredible! I wonder who would be so generous? So, I heard about it while grabbing. We're using grab again. Getting, buying. Um, you know, taking, grabbing that thing. My beans. She means coffee beans. And the roastery would be a place where coffee beans are roasted. The roastery.

Jake handed her the coffee with a small smile. Someone who cares about the ocean, I'd say. So, it's interesting, I would say he's added this here. It's like my opinion, I would say. I'd say, you know, the person who did this is someone who cares about the ocean. And it's cool that you can invert it. Someone who cares about the ocean, I'd say. You could say it the other way round. I'd say it was someone who cares about the ocean.

Lisa nodded, giving him a thoughtful look. I bet you miss it. So, I'm certain you miss it. I'm sure you miss it. I bet I would put money on this. I bet you miss it.

The ocean, I mean. I've heard you know more about it than you let on. To let something on, or, I guess it's just to let on, is to like, show that you know something, or show something to be the case or, you know, um, what would it be here to let on would be like, he doesn't show anyone that he actually does have a lot of experience in the water, with the water, around the water. So, if he doesn't show anyone, he doesn't let on.

Jake's smile, tightened. So he's smiling widely, and then it sort of shrinks a bit and gets tighter. The ocean, it's in my blood. Can't say I don't miss it sometimes. If something's in your blood, it's like you've done it since you were a little kid. You've had it in your family, in your history. It's been around. It's something very deep within you. It's in your blood.

Can't say I don't miss it. Again, we've dropped I at the start there. Can't say I don't miss it sometimes. So, he's saying, like, I definitely have to admit, I do miss it sometimes. It's interesting, we're using double negatives here. I can't say, so I would never say, that I don't miss it. So he's saying I would say I miss it.

Lisa raised her eyebrows, clearly intrigued. If you raise your eyebrows, the eyebrows go up on your face and you show surprise, shock that you're curious. You know, she's she's obviously like, Oh yeah, tell me more.

Sounds like there's a story there, Jake. So, it sounds like there's more to say. There's more for you to tell. It sounds like there's a story there, Jake. It sounds like you should tell me more. Or that you have more to tell.

Jake watched Lisa wrestle with her kids toward the shoreline, chuckling softly to himself. So, she's wrestling with the kid. She's trying to organise them effectively. She's not just fighting them, she's trying to get them towards the shoreline.

And if you chuckle to yourself, you're kind of watching this happen. And he's sort of laughing, you know, just like, Oh, that's funny. You know, just to himself.

Families like hers were the heart of Sandy Cove, he thought. If you're the heart of a place, you're the heart of a community. It's kind of like you're the most important part of that thing. They're the heart of Sandy Cove. Families like hers are the most important part of this town.

He was about to return to his work when Mia, the young artist, appeared at the counter, her jeans smeared with paint and her face lit with excitement. So the young artist, she appears at the counter. The counter is like that table in front of him where he's serving people their coffees over that, that table, that bench, the wooden top, the counter.

Her jeans smeared with paint. There's paint that has been sort of like squashed, pushed, brushed onto her jeans, smeared all over her jeans. And her face lit with excitement. Her face shows that she is very excited. It's covered in excitement. It's lit with excitement.

Hey, Jake! Flat white with oat milk, please, she said, her excitement palpable. So, flat white. I think we've covered this one already, right? This is that Australian type of coffee. It doesn't have much foam. It's got milk in there. Um, with the coffee. That's about it, right. And she wants oat milk. Milk made from oats as opposed to cow's milk.

And you'll see she's dropped. We've had that ellipsis happen again. Flat white with oat milk, please. Can I have a flat white with oat milk, please? You don't need to say that phrase at the start there because it's obvious, right? No one's going to get confused. She's talking directly to the barista. He knows exactly what she wants. She doesn't have to say, Could I please have, May I buy, Could I purchase? You can just drop that part and say what you're after.

She said, her excitement palpable. Palpable here is like you could feel it. You can see it. It's in the air. You know, it's written on her face.

Sure thing. This is another way of saying absolutely, it's a sure thing. I would definitely do that for you. You know, coming right up. You got it. Sure thing.

You're looking extra inspired today. So extra, um, you look inspired, but like, more than normal.

Extra inspired today, Jake said as he prepared her flat white watching the espresso shot stream in a perfect steady flow.

I am! I've been working on a mural of the bay, you know, with fish and reefs and everything. So, a mural is like a really big painting with lots of different features in it usually. So she's got fish reefs. It's obviously a mural, probably on a wall of some kind, and there's going to be loads of different animals and things in that painting.

Makes me wish we had more to protect it, like a conservation area or something. You know, it makes me wish. The mural. The mural makes me wish we had more to protect it. So again, ellipsis. We do this all the time, guys.

Jake handed her the coffee, the crema golden and smooth on top, a flash of pride crossing his face. So the crema is that top part of the coffee. I guess it's where the milk and the coffee have combined, and it's golden and smooth on top.

And a flash of pride crossing his face. You could see in his face that he was feeling pride. Um, again, we're sort of showing that he knows a bit more about what's going on with this conservation area, right?

Sounds like a great project, Mia! Keep it up! Keep it up, keep doing it. And it's like you should keep it up. You know, you should keep doing it. Like, keep going.

Cheers, she said, studying him with a curious smile. Cheers. It's another way that we can say thank you in Australian English.

You've got this calm, wise vibe, don't you, Jake? Got your mind on the ocean too, huh? So you've got this calm, wise vibe. A vibe is like a feeling, you know? If you have a certain vibe about you, it's a certain way that you make others feel that you seem. Don't you, Jake? Got your mind on the ocean, too? Have you got your mind on the ocean, too, huh? So, ellipsis, we've dropped those words at the start. Got your mind on the ocean. Are you thinking about the ocean? To have your mind on something. Got your mind on something. To be thinking about that thing. And then we've added huh at the end here to be a question tag. So, yeah, instead of saying, Do you have your mind on the ocean too? You can say, You've got your mind on the ocean too, huh? To turn it into a question.

Jake laughed, brushing off her observation, right. So again, he's just sort of like, Ah, it's not a big deal. It's not a big deal. Just a barista, Mia. You know, I'm just a barista. Just a barista, Mia.

Jake couldn't help but smile as Mia walked away. Her creative energy infectious. So, when someone has a smile, an energy, a vibe that is infectious, it's like it causes other people to feel the same way. Almost like a virus, right? So if you're really happy and it's infectious, you make other people happy around you like a disease is spreading. Except it's a good thing, right? You'd hope.

He looked up just in time to see Ben, the local surf lifesaver, jogging toward the van, looking ready for his usual caffeine fix. So, just in time, at the right moment, you know, at the perfect time. He saw Ben, the local surf lifesaver. This is someone who works as a lifeguard at the beach, a surf lifesaver. They save lives in the surf.

Jogging towards the van, looking ready for his usual caffeine fix. If you get a caffeine fix, it's like you get that caffeine that you need. It's like a drug fix. A fix is that dose that you need to feel good. So he's getting his usual caffeine fix. He's getting his usual coffee.

G'day, Jake! A strong long mac will hit the spot, thanks. A long mac. A long macchiato, so not a short mac, which is a short macchiato. This is a type of coffee. I have to look these up, but I think it's sort of like a shot of espresso with a small amount of foam or yeah, frothed milk on top. A long one would obviously be, you know, either a shot with a bit more boiling water in it or two shots, a bigger one.

He said with a smile as he handed Jake his reusable coffee cup. Oh, hit the spot. If something hits the spot, it's like it's going to make me feel just right. Just perfect. So, if you drink something or eat something and you say that will hit the spot, or that hit the spot, it's like, that is exactly what I wanted. That's what the doctor ordered. Now I feel amazing, you know? Oh, that hits the spot, you know.

And a reusable coffee cup is a plastic coffee cup that you often, as the customer, will take to the places to use many times, as opposed to a recyclable coffee cup made from, say, paper that you throw away each time.

Hey, Ben. Uh. Hey, Ben. Won't be a tick. I won't be a moment. I won't be a sec, Jake replied, pulling the shot. Keeping the beach safe, huh? You're keeping the beach safe, huh? Again, we're using that tag question Huh?

Always. As in, I'm always doing that. Ben replied, taking the macchiato with a nod. You know that donation for the marine sanctuary? Whoever did that really gets it. Those waters are our lifeblood.

Whoever did it. Whoever did that really gets it. They really understand the situation. They understand how it's important that we have a marine sanctuary. They get it. They understand it. Do you get it? Do you understand?

Those waters are our lifeblood. If something is your lifeblood, it is something you require to exist, you know. So, if a town relies on the waters around them in order to survive, the waters are their lifeblood. Without it, they would die. You know, so if it's a fishing community and they require the fishing boats to be able to go out and catch fish, they rely on those waters, and the waters are their lifeblood.

Jake nodded, feeling a swell of pride. The ocean is everything, isn't it? It's home. So if you feel a swell of pride, it's like you feel this big build up of pride. Feeling good about something. Feeling happy that you've done something you know. Feeling proud of yourself. To feel a swell of pride.

The ocean is everything, isn't it? It's home. And you'll see the tag question there again. The ocean is everything. And then we negate the tag question, isn't it? Isn't it?

Though you definitely prefer to look at it rather than get in it, hey, Jake? Ben replied. So Ben, now the surf lifesaver, is talking to Jake, saying You don't really like getting in the water, do you? You prefer to look at it rather than get in it, hey, Jake?

And Hey is used here as a tag question. Is that right? Is that correct? Isn't it? You know, you could say that, Jake said with a laugh. So, you could say that is like, Yes, that's accurate. That is a good way of describing me. What you've said is correct. You know, you could say that about me and it would be correct.

Ben looked at him with a knowing smile. Some say the donors got ties to the old fishing fleet. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you? So, to have ties to something is to be connected to that thing. I guess it's like you've got, you know, um, line connecting you to that thing. Ties, like a rope, small strings connecting you to the old fishing fleet. You've got ties to it.

Jake just shrugged, his face indecipherable. Just a rumour, Ben. Indecipherable. This is, like unreadable. You can't translate it. You can't decipher how they look so they have a certain look on their face and you can't work out what is behind it. You know, are they happy? Are they sad? Are they angry? It's indecipherable.

No worries, Ben said with a soft laugh, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. So, nostalgia is to, like, feel positive about the past, to miss the past. Because it was, you know, it was good to feel nostalgia.

Your dad was a living legend. We all miss him around here, you know? So again, I'm sort of showing that his dad has passed away, or at least gone and isn't there anymore. So your dad was a living legend, a living legend, an amazing person, an absolutely awesome human being.

We all miss him around here. It could be that everyone misses him around this place, or everyone around here misses him. I think it could be either of those in this example. Jake nodded as as a small up. Jake nodded as a small smile crossed his face.

Yeah, he left some big shoes to fill. If you leave some big shoes to fill, this isn't necessarily that you've passed away, but you're gone. You're not there anymore. And the role that you had when you were there requires a lot to be able to replicate. So, if you've got some big shoes to fill at work because you left, it's going to be hard to do what you did for the next person that comes into your position. So obviously Jake's talking about his dad again, not being there, not being in the town and it being difficult for someone else to step into his role that he played in the town and do the same thing.

As Ben strolled off, Jake could tell people were starting to put the pieces together. If you put the pieces together, this is, I guess, a puzzle kind of metaphor. Like you're putting the puzzle together and then you can slowly see the image. You can sort of work out what's going on. You're putting the pieces together.

The community had come to know him in this quiet way, not as the fisherman's son or the city man, but simply as the guy making coffee at the beach. So, to come to know someone is to get to know someone, to learn about someone. So obviously, everyone from the community knows him as the coffee guy. They don't know him necessarily as the fisherman's son or the city man.

The van was starting to slow down for the day when he saw Frank returning, a knowing look on his face. So, when things start to slow down for the day, there's fewer customers. There's fewer things going on. Um, there's not not as much to do. There's not as much action.

And if you've got a knowing look on your face, this is the idea that he sees Frank coming up and he can tell Frank's worked things out. Frank knows the story. He's looking at him like, Ah, I gotcha, I know what's going on.

Ah, young Jake, he said, I've been thinking all morning putting two and two together. So, if you put two and two together, this is similar to putting the pieces together. It's working things out, putting two and two together to work out that it's for, right? You're piecing things together.

This anonymous donation sounds an awful lot like someone we both know. Jake sighed, leaning against the counter. Frank, you've got a way of seeing through people, don't you? If you see through people, usually this is the idea that they can say something and you can tell what's true.

If it's a, if it's a lie, if they're not telling you all of the truth, if you see through them, it's the idea that they're transparent and you can see the truth. So yeah, You've got a way of seeing through people. Jake, the whole time has been trying to be very nonchalant and not suggest it was him that was involved in any way, shape or form. But Frank can see through that. He can tell that that's not, um, reality.

Frank chuckled, his eyes twinkling. Knew it, I knew it, I knew it. Your dad would would be proud. Jake. You're doing right by these waters. You're doing right by those waters, even if you've got a funny way of going about it. To do right by something is to do the correct thing for that, for that thing, right. So if you're doing right by the waters, the idea is that you've done something really positive, really beneficial. The correct thing for the environment there, for those waters.

Even if you've got a funny way of going about it. If you go about something, it just means to do something. So you've got a funny way of doing it. You've got a strange way of doing it. You've got a funny way of going about it.

Jake looked away, the weight of his decision settling over him. So he's thinking about the decision that he made, and he's kind of thinking about the ramifications, the weight of it.

The ocean is everything to this town, Frank. If I can help keep it alive, well, that's the least I can do. To keep something alive. You could be literally talking about making sure it doesn't die, but it could also be keeping something alive more metaphorically, like passing it down to the next generation.

Well, that's the least I could do. You know, that's the smallest thing that I could do. It's kind of like it's not a big deal. You know, I this I had to. It's the minimum that I could have done.

Frank nodded, placing a hand on Jake's shoulder. You're doing more than that, mate. You're honouring your father's legacy. Don't think for a second it goes unnoticed. To honour someone's legacy. The person's passed away. They've died. They're gone. And you are remembering them. You're doing something that reflects positively on that person that's passed away. You're honouring that person.

And if something goes unnoticed. So he's used the negative already at the start of the sentence. Don't think for a second that it goes unnoticed. The suggestion here is like, don't think people don't see the good that you're doing, or you know, the fact that you're honouring your father's legacy.

As Frank walked away, Jake felt a sense of peace he hadn't felt in years. Running The Daily Grind had helped him stay connected to the town through his coffee van. It had been his way of remaining close to the people he loved, while finally giving back in the way his father would have wanted. To give back is to return things often to, you know, be generous to donate. You give back to a community. You give your time. You give money back to the community.

As the afternoon sun glinted off the water, Jake shut up shop for the day. Feeling at home in a way he never had before. To shut up shop is to close, right? So a store shuts up shop when it closes for the day. Feeling at home. So again, feeling comfortable in that place. Feeling like you know this is your place. Feeling at home in a way he never had before.

So, now it's time to play the story one more time. Have a listen. Read the text, see how you go this time, understanding all the phrases, all the vocab, and I'll see you shortly.

The sky was still dark as Jake parked his coffee van, The Daily Grind, at its usual spot by Sandy Cove Beach. He loved these early moments, the quiet, the rhythmic sound of waves, the peaceful start to another day.

After years in the city's corporate grind, returning to Sandy Cove and running his little coffee van felt like a breath of fresh air.

As he set up, checking the grinder and testing the steam wand, he flicked on the radio for some background noise, the familiar voice of the local morning host crackling to life.

And in local news, a generous anonymous donation has created a fund to protect Sandy Coves's marine environment, the host announced. This conservation fund will help preserve our reefs and support sustainable fishing. Plenty of chatter around town about who the mystery donor might be.

Jake listened, a faint smile on his face. Growing up here, he'd seen firsthand how much the community relied on the sea. His dad had been a fisherman, working these waters all his life.

Jake, though, had never felt at home in that world, which was why he'd left for the city years ago. But now, being back, he could appreciate what had once felt small and ordinary in a new way.

As the first light touched the horizon, he gave his espresso machine a light pat. All right, sweetheart, he murmured with a grin. Let's make it a good one.

Gradually, the beach began to come alive with early morning regulars, surfers, joggers, and walkers. Jake noticed Liam striding toward the van, surfboard in hand, dripping with seawater and grinning from ear to ear.

Morning, Jake! Hit me with a strong, long black, eh? He said, adjusting his surfboard under his arm.

Coming ride up, mate. How's the swell this morning? Jake replied, expertly pulling the espresso shot.

Not bad, Liam said. You should come out sometime. Bet you know your way around the water.

Jake handed him the hot, freshly pulled, long black, smiling. I've got some sea legs, just like I've got barista hands now, but they're a bit out of practice.

Liam laughed, giving Jake a curious look. I'll bet. Feels like you've got some stories about the ocean that you're not sharing.

Jake shrugged, brushing it off. Maybe one or two. But these days I'm better suited to keeping my feet on land.

Watching Liam disappear toward the beach, Jake felt a familiar pang of longing. Growing up, he'd spent countless hours watching his father head out to sea, but he'd always preferred the idea of a life on dry land.

Lost in thought, he almost didn't notice Sarah approaching, phone and briefcase in hand, already looking frazzled.

Hey, Jake, could I grab a double shot flat white? I'm barely functioning this morning, she said, rubbing her eyes.

You got it, Jake replied as he expertly steamed the milk to a velvety microfoam. Rough day ahead?

Oh, massive, she sighed. Oh, by the by, have you heard about that conservation fund? They're saying someone in town anonymously donated a ton of money to protect the bay and the reefs. It's amazing, but nobody knows who it is.

Jake's expression didn't change, but he focused hard on frothing the milk, making sure the bubbles were fine and smooth.

Sounds like a good cause, he said.

I know, right? We've needed something like this for ages.

She took the coffee from him, studying him with a curious smile. You'd tell me if you knew anything about it, wouldn't you?

Jake just shrugged, giving her a wry smile. Maybe the mystery donor likes keeping things quiet.

Maybe, she replied, looking amused as she headed off. But if you ask me, you seem like the type who would care about protecting the ocean, Jake.

Jake watched her go, his face unreadable.

As Sarah walked away, Jake returned to the rhythm of steaming milk and brewing espresso, letting the quiet of the early morning settle around him.

Soon, the steady shuffle of footsteps signalled Frank's approach. The retired fisherman wore his usual weathered smile, a reminder of the generations of men who'd worked these waters.

Morning, young fella. Got a weak latte, extra hot for these old bones? He asked with a laugh.

Won't be a tick, Frank. Jake said, steaming the milk. What's the word around town?

Frank chuckled. Well, everyone's talking about that conservation fund, you know. Funny thing, there's a rumour it was started by someone connected to the old fishing fleet. Any truth to that, you reckon?

Jake handed Frank his latte, maintaining a casual tone. Not sure. Whoever it is, they've done something pretty good for the town.

Sounds like something your dad would have approved of, Frank said, eyeing Jake closely. He always wanted to protect those waters.

Jake paused, feeling a lump in his throat. Yeah, he did. Guess someone finally followed through.

Frank nodded knowingly. Mighty fine of 'em. Mighty fine.

Frank's words lingered as he left, stirring up memories of Jake's father and the values he'd tried to pass down.

But before Jake could dwell too long, he heard the cheerful chaos of Lisa approaching, her two toddlers in tow, already trying to pull her toward the beach.

Jake, can you give me a skinny cap, please? Quick, before these two tear off down the beach, she said with a laugh, shifting one child on her hip.

Jake chuckled as he made her cappuccino with practised ease and then dusted the top with cocoa powder. Sounds like you're running a bit of a circus today, Lisa.

Oh, you don't know the half of it, she sighed. Hey, did you get wind of that big donation for the marine sanctuary? I heard about it while grabbing my beans at the roastery yesterday. It's incredible! I wonder who would be so generous.

Jake handed her the coffee with a small smile. Someone who cares about the ocean, I'd say.

Lisa nodded, giving him a thoughtful look. I bet you miss it. The ocean, I mean. I've heard you know more about it than you let on.

Jake's smiled, tightened. The ocean. Yeah, it's in my blood. Can't say I don't miss it sometimes.

Lisa raised her eyebrows, clearly intrigued. Sounds like there's a story there, Jake.

Jake watched Lisa wrestle with her kids towards the shoreline, chuckling softly to himself.

Families like hers were the heart of Sandy Cove, he thought.

He was about to return to his work when Mia, the young artist, appeared at the counter, her jeans smeared with paint and her face lit with excitement.

Hey, Jake! Flat white with oat milk, please! She said, her excitement palpable.

Sure thing. You're looking extra inspired today, Jake said as he prepared her flat white, watching the espresso shots stream in a perfect, steady flow.

I am! I've been working on a mural of the bay, you know, with fish and reefs and everything. Makes me wish we had more to protect it. Like a conservation area or something.

Jake handed her a coffee, the crema golden and smooth on top, a flash of pride crossing his face.

Sounds like a great project, Mia. Keep it up.

Cheers! She said, studying him with a curious smile. You've got this calm, wise vibe, don't you, Jake? Got your mind on the ocean too, huh?

Jake laughed, brushing off her observation. Just a barista, Mia.

Jake couldn't help but smile as Mia walked away, her creative energy infectious.

He looked up just in time to see Ben, the local surf lifesaver, jogging toward the van, looking ready for his usual caffeine fix.

G'day, Jake! A strong long mac will hit the spot, thanks! He said with a smile as he handed Jake his reusable coffee cup.

Hey, Ben! Won't be a tick, Jake replied, pulling the shot. Keeping the beach safe, huh?

Always, Ben replied, taking the macchiato with a nod. You know that donation for the marine sanctuary? Whoever did that really gets it. Those waters are our lifeblood.

Jake nodded, feeling a swell of pride. The ocean is everything, isn't it? It's home.

Though, you definitely prefer to look at it rather than get in it, hey, Jake? Ben replied.

You could say that, Jake said with a laugh.

Ben looked at him with a knowing smile. Some say the donor's got ties to the old fishing fleet. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?

Jake just shrugged, his face indecipherable. Just a rumour, Ben.

No worries, Ben said with a soft laugh, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes. Your dad was a living legend. We all miss him around here, you know.

Jake nodded as a small smile crossed his face. Yeah, he left some big shoes to fill.

As Ben strolled off, Jake could tell people were starting to put the pieces together.

The community had come to know him in this quiet way, not as a fisherman's son or the city man, but simply as the guy making coffee by the beach.

The van was starting to slow down for the day when he saw Frank returning a knowing look on his face.

Ah, young Jake, he said. I've been thinking about you all morning, putting two and two together. This anonymous donation sounds an awful lot like someone we both know.

Jake sighed, leaning against the counter. Frank, you got a way of seeing through people, don't you?

Frank chuckled, his eyes twinkling. Ha! Knew it. Your dad would be proud, Jake. You're doing right by those waters, even if you've got a funny way of going about it.

Jake looked away, the weight of his decision settling over him. The ocean's everything to this town, Frank. If I can help keep it alive, well, that's the least I can do.

Frank nodded, placing a hand on Jake's shoulder. You're doing more than that, mate. You're honouring your father's legacy. Don't think for a second that goes unnoticed.

As Frank walked away, Jake felt a sense of peace he hadn't felt in years. Running The Daily Grind had helped him stay connected to the town through his coffee van. It had been his way of remaining close to the people he loved, while finally giving back in the way that his father would have wanted.

As the afternoon sun glinted off the water, Jake shut up shop for the day. Feeling at home in a way he never had before.

All right, so it's been a long episode, guys. Again, don't forget to grab the worksheet for today's episode. If you haven't, it will be down in the description. You can also go and check out this episode on the podcast. So after you've checked it out here, if you want to keep listening to it many times, you know, while commuting to work, going for a run on a walk, whatever, you can go and download it for free via the Aussie English Podcast. Besides that, thanks for everything and I'll see you next time. Tooroo!