Podcast 26 The Orange County Fair

Hello Blabbinit listeners. This is Missy from Southern California. Today I would like to first read a text with you about the Orange County Fair. After I have read it, I will go back over it and explain the difficult parts that you may not have understood. It will be useful for you to click on the “read more” link so that you can see the podcast words and read them while I am speaking. Okay, let’s get started. Here goes.

What a gorgeous day it is today! The sky is blue and the sun is high in the sky. Luckily, the weather is not extremely hot and there is a slight ocean breeze that is chilling the air. One of the best parts of Southern California is the weather that we have. We never have extremely cold temperatures, unless we plan to travel to the mountains. I think it is nice to be able to go an hour and a half away and enter “winter season” but still come back home and not be too cold during the winter months. Maybe we are a little spoiled here where we live.

Every year, during the summertime, there is a huge fair in town. At the fair there are many different kinds of rides. There are some roller coasters, some rides that spin and turn and could make you want to vomit, some kids rides and some gentle rides for the adult who doesn’t want to get scared or have their stomach hurting afterwards. Many people love to go to the fair for the rides. They feel a “rush” and have an experience that will last a lifetime.

When you go to the fair, be prepared because it will cost a pretty penny. It isn’t cheap. First, when you arrive, you will have to purchase an entrance ticket. Each visitor must have one to enter the fairgrounds. Once you have entered the park you must have some more cash in your pocket. You will need to buy some tickets to get onto the different rides. There are also plenty of other places that you can spend money such as on food, games, souvenirs, and so on.

One of the best parts of the fair is the food. As you enter the fairgrounds, or even before you enter, the aroma of food is overwhelming. It draws you in and makes you want to rush to the next food counter to eat. There are many different types of food that are offered. Different international and rare foods are also sold. I have seen food that I have never imagined eating, yet it is delicious once it enters my mouth.

The Orange County Fair also offers concerts. Music is something that always sets a mood to any event and is very vital. A list of the bands and musicians are available on the fair website so you can plan to coincide the band you want to hear with the day that you go. There are also some well known bands that you can see when you go to the OC Fair.

After you go to the fair you always come home exhausted from a long day, but you also carry home great memories.

Now that I have explained to you about the fair, I would like to go back through the text and explain some things that may have been difficult to understand.

First, I was talking about the weather, which is almost always nice in Southern California. I used the words “a slight ocean breeze" which is another way to say a soft wind coming from the ocean. I also said "Maybe we are a little spoiled here where we live." Spoiled, in this sentence, means that we get a lot of good weather and we never have to deal with bad weather. (Unlike people who live in different places with colder climates.)

A fair is like a carnival. It is a place with rides, food, games, music and fun. Roller coasters are fast rides that give a thrill and can make you scared, giving you a feeling of danger. When I said that the ride spins and turns, it means that it is going around in circles. I also talked about the rides giving people a "rush". A rush is a feeling of adrenaline, which could include fear and also excitement that goes through your body.

When I was talking about the cost of the fair I said " it will cost a pretty penny". This is an idiom which means that you will spend a lot of money because things are expensive. I also used the phrase "cash in your pocket" which means you must have more money available to spend. A souvenir is something that you buy that will be used as a gift or will be something that will help you to remember that particular day or place. It is something that creates a memory.

When I was talking about food I said, "The aroma of food is overwhelming." This means that the smell of the food is very strong and smells very good. I also said, "It draws you in and makes you want to rush to the next food counter to eat." This means that the smell of the food is so good that it makes you want to run to where they sell the food to buy some.

When I was talking about music and bands I said "so you can plan to coincide the band you want to hear with the day that you go." This means that when you look at the website and you see the band you want to see, you can plan to go to the fair on that exact day. Coincide means to make two or more things come together at the same time.

I hope these explanations have helped you to better understand the text. If you are planning a trip to Orange County during these next few weeks you can check out the fair too!

Thanks for listening to our podcast today. This is Missy! Also, visit our website for many more ways to practice your English at www.blabbinit.com . Thanks byeee!